The Virtual Vicar

Chess Investigation Finds That U.S. Grandmaster ‘Likely Cheated’ More Than 100 Times: an internal report reviewed by The Wall Street Journal alleges a previously unknown pattern of likely widespread cheating by Hans Moke Niemann, the player whose September victory over Magnus Carlsen has rocked the chess world. How DO you cheat at chess? What other areas of life are prime for cheating?

Having bought the book "The New Puritans" by Andrew Doyle Pete take's its central thesis, that the west has a new religion of Woke-ism and asks Beryl, does this mean we in the West are the bad guys, and not Russia et al?

Nicola Sturgeon has called on Liz Truss to resign as she accused her of crashing the UK economy. The First Minister of Scotland said the UK Prime Minister's decisions had "heaped misery on people already struggling with a cost of living crisis". Sturgeon took aim at the Tories after Kwasi Kwarteng was sacked by Truss and replaced with Jeremy Hunt. What is to be done? Mark and Pete have the answers.

A talk at a recent live worship in a pub event called "Pint of Praise". Using positive thinking to build us up and point us to the gospel and Biblical truth. The talk is based on the Bible verse Isaiah 40:29 "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Features a clip from "The Office" TV comedy series broadcast on NBC.

The World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2022 provides interesting reading and the question springs to mind, why are they being so much money to kick and inflated bladder round a field! Mark and Pete have the answers.

It's widely reported that Giorgia Meloni now voted in as the prime minister of Italy, fascism has returned to Italy. But is this right? What's happening to politics?

Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng have taken on the economic orthodoxy. They have announced extra borrowing to pay for tax cuts. They have sacked the Treasury’s top mandarin. They have insisted they will press on with their dash for growth despite a hostile reaction in the markets. Now the economic orthodoxy has struck back – and in the most high-profile way possible: a public and stinging rebuke from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). So, who messed up?

Sunday Sermon based on Luke 17:11-19 - 11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

This has to be one of the biggest deceptions perpetrated: the existence of demons, evil spirits, are for the most part screened out of church history. What is the truth about demons? And what can be done about these infernal beasts?

If the second Elizabethan era drew to a close on the 8 September, the second Carol or Carolean age began on Saturday 10 September with the accession of Charles III. Prior to that we – or more accurately our ancestors – have lived through Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian times to name but a few of the various ‘ages’ in England, branded by the sovereign at the time. What will this new Carolean age be like?

Preaching based on Matthew 17:20 "He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”"

UK central bank scrambles as pound tanks, debt costs soar and the Bank of England has intervened in the markets with emergency action to steady the nation's finances. The effort came after a tax cut proposal under new Prime Minister Liz Truss and finance minister Chancellor Kwasi Kwateng were perceived as triggering financial chaos. Can the country break the habit of increasing debt or is it here to stay forever?

The sexual revolution was a disaster, and the main losers in the aftermath of it in todays world are women. Beryl and Pete discuss. Please comment below.

Radio is very popular and far from dying out it is by some metrics the most popularly consumed audio content. Beryl and Pete take a victory lap.

The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II showed a lot about duty and public service: it also provided an opportunity to preach the Gospel. Beryl and Pete grade the Archbishop's sermon.