Said goodbye to a remarkable man yesterday, at the most extraordinary funeral. John Brown, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, wore his achievements lightly - and there were many, not least a flair for magic. Complementing his undiminished thirst for knowledge was his openness to the existence of a Creator. Lifelong friends and academic colleagues paid tribute in words, while his children, Lorna and Stuart, paid theirs in music - jazz music to be precise. The Browns' local ministe

While the rest of society counts down to Christmas in "shopping days", Christians engage in "double-waiting"... to celebrate Jesus coming into the world and to remember his promise to return "at the end of the age" in judgment and glory. The Bible is adamant about two things: nobody can predict when Jesus will return so we must be ready - now! So the question is: how to live in a state of permanent readiness for the return of the one who holds all the cards? This is about muc