Tomorrow I am off to Brighton for the Equipping your church in a spiritual age tour. I’m really looking forward to this for a couple of reasons. I am intrigued to hear what Steve says, meet and hear from others.

I’m also pleased to be going to Brighton. It’s been a while and this is a city that I really love. After the conference no doubt I will take a walk along the sea front and the pier – it just has to be done!

I grew up in Weymouth, and in my formative years everything I did revolved around the sea. I grew up with the sea. We became ‘old friends’. It’s really quite strange, but I feel unusually ‘at home’ and ‘at peace’ when I am in front of the sea. Whenever I visit anywhere that is remotely near the sea I have to go and stare and listen to my old friend.

There is nothing at all in the world like the experience of listening and gazing across the vastness of the sea. Somehow it shows my finite-ness and how my troubles and stuff are so insignificant in the wider scheme of things. It’s good to get a realistic outlook sometimes. The sea helps me achieve that.