Category Archives: Personal

Sick-bed reflections…

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Kenneth Denham (1921-2010) was a dear friend and deacon to me (a young pastor) at my former church in Rockland, MA. In my pastor’s study hangs a beautiful, hand-painted picture of that church, done by Ken (but left unsigned!), and given to me when I was called to pastor here in New York.

Ken died several days ago, and entered the presence of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. He was predeceased by his dear wife, Christine.

Ken’s grandmother, paralyzed and bed-ridden for the final two years of her life, dictated a poem to her daughter in law. Ken recited her poem many times in the last few months of his life. Here is the poem….

REFLECTIONS

As I lay here upon my bed
And think upon my Lord
My heart goes out to him in praise
For his own Holy Word.
He leads me all along the way
With such a tender hand
How could I murmur or complain
At what my Lord commands?
Should He see fit to set aside
The things that I desire
I know they’re not the things I need
To draw my soul up higher.
Instead of them He’ll give to me
Something that is far better
He’ll fill my soul with perfect peace
And I’ll live with Him forever.

— Sarah Elizabeth Lane Denham

Friday Fun: A town called “Bissett”

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Although the Bissett’s are Scots by heritage, apparently this beautiful little place in England is distinguished from other towns named “Prestons” by the suffix, Bissett, for the Lords of the Manor there. (See the brief Wikipedia article here).

I’m honored.
— pdb

PS: I discovered this ‘accidentally’ while checking the background of a major author and professor of the history of the church at Oxford, Diarmaid MacCulloch. His newest book, A History of Christianity: the first three thousand years, has just hit the American market. He mentioned Preston Bissett on the first page of his book on the Reformation, which I have not (yet) read.
— pdb