Why didn’t I see it coming
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DB6DLYJ3?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520 I’d like you to imagine a rock face. We are looking up towards the very top. If a rock were to fall over the edge, it would initially be...
What is metanoia
Like any good sports match, it can often be a game of two halves. This week's passage also comes in two halves, and we may need to consider each part...
The end is nigh
As of mid April, the posts will cease and the website will disappear. It has served its purpose, and now, as everything, has come to the end of its natural...
We all go silent
OK, it's the second week of Lent, that time of journeying with Jesus, as he is on the way to Jerusalem, to suffer, or with passion (its meaning is not...
Who is up for some temptations
As we move into that period known as Lent, not something to be borrowed, but a time when we recall the suffering which can lead to a better life. Lent...
Did this happen
As it is this year, this Sunday's lesson is the one just before Lent. We supposedly do this so that we are strengthened before we journey with the passion of...
Who would we want to be
This week's passage is going to cause some angst amongst many of us. We could see it as a direct response towards the machinations of today, or an argument offered...
Who all befriend the poor
In the weekly readings from the Bible, suggested by certain denominations of the Church, known as the Lectionary, we seem to have skipped a fair few passages from last week....
Woke Personified
Crowds surrounded Jesus, eager to hear his every word. The breeze from the nearby lake cooling them down as they lap up the wisdom on offer. The two boats which...
What about us
I have read a number of posts on social media recently which state that whatever that person believes means that they will go to Heaven; of course, if you don't...
That was a blast
We knew it was coming. The forecast was for a strong gale force wind but we had experienced such a gale before in our new rural location. This would ‘blow...
One Body
I am beginning to feel a bit discombobulated. Not because I am called Bob, but because of all that is happening around the world at this time. It seems that...
They’d sell everything to get what they want
Of all the days, this is it. When the media will fawn over a certain individual, hang on their every word: how are you doing? Yes, there will be those...
What day of the week is it
Retirement poses that question often to my short experience: what day is it? You can, and I do, forget the date and also the day. One flows into the next....
9th January
I feel a tadge guilty writing about a fire, when a real widespread damaging, life threatening fire is spreading across LA. I have even heard that some US Christian communities...
why is fire mentioned
We have moved from 'Christmas', in the church season of readings, and have moved into Epiphany. That's odd as, just as Downton Abbey's meme indicates : "Christmas doesn't end until...
Found the Donkey
You recall in the Nativity scenes we have our donkey, braying and chewing at the straw, whilst Jesus is laying there in the manger, "no crying he makes" - yeah,...
Light which defies and defines darkness
"Look how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness" Often misattributed to Anne Frank As we gaze upon the vista of the year ahead, unsure of what...
Don’t let the light go out
All I got for Christmas was…some lickelix. Now, if you are unaware, this is like clotted cream to you. I can smell it a mile away, cresting on top of...
So this is Christmas
And, so this is Christmas, what have we done? as the lyrics from John Lennon go. As we maybe gather around a dining table laden with traditional Christmas fare of...
Low and Behold
We come to our fourth Sunday in Advent. Its focus is Love. The passage is Luke 1: 39-56 and this contains the Magnificat, the song of Mary to her relative...
The Tattered Star…
Hung from a dusty crevice.In a gleaming cupboard white.Reflecting on its distant memories.Amidst the frozen, frosty night. 2000 years had passed,Since that baby was born.The world had changed dramatically.Since that...
How to bring Joy
In our third Advent Sunday reading, we are taken to Luke 3:7-18, following on from the Peace of last week. Whereas we started to hear of John the Baptist (JtB)...
Can I have some Peace of that
In the second week of Advent we may engage with Luke 3:1-6; it is the alternative passage from the Gospel. In Europe, the tensions with Ukraine and Russia are ratcheting...
Cost of moving
I was listening to Americast, the BBC podcast which tries to explore what may be happening in America. They were saying that the increase in tariffs will, as has been...
What is Hope?
Well, it's not present-day reality. It is the very essence of what may be, what we hold in faith as a belief, in our heart and mind. It is what...
Water, Wifi and Fire
With Storm Bert rapidly approaching our shores, we noticed that the roof had started to let in water, yet again today. It wasn’t much, given the news around the world,...
Our Ts and Cs
I was researching how to reduce my electricity bill - who isn't? I went to various online forums to discuss the various ways people had used and was often...
If Christ is a King
We have moved away from working through the Gospel according to Mark, and so we pop over to John's Gospel before the season of Advent starts. This Sunday is colloquially...
Do we see what they did there
No, it's not a sleight of hand, it's not magic, just a way of making us think of something else when they explain it. I could be telling you about...
Hospice or Renewal #Discussion
Spoiler alert = there is no easy answer to this one. I recently looked at the church congregation around me, and did the 'grey vote'. Have you ever done this?...
err, what happened
Awaking early, I stumbled to the kitchen, to grab a coffee and check up on the overnight election results. There was an expectation of good news, that joy would overcome...
Nice hymns vicar
Last week, we had Jesus in a political debate with the Scribes, just after a conversation with the Sadducees. Was it heart, soul and strength which mattered, or could we...
What do I need to do!
The tensions are running high across the 'pond'; but they are always high when we venture upon the landscape of any social media. Anger breaks out when the other person...
from the roadside to being on the Way
I have been listening to a series of podcasts recently describing the upsurge in conspiracy theories, predominantly in the US. We had a Prime Minister in the UK who had...
No power
It’s our first time living in the country. Storm Ashley was fast approaching, and the indoor leak we had thought had been resolved, well, wasn’t. Buckets and towels to the...
Jesus and a ransom
This blog wasn't permitted by FB to be released, on 16 October 2024, during the various elections, so any references to elections have been deleted. It speaks of Jesus and...
Get more persecutions here!
It's odd when people tell story how the characters within that story might change, but the end result is pretty much the same. Each culture might use a certain stereotypical...
Lazarus and a Rich Man : talking poles apart
In the previous century, it was the generally accepted thing to pray for the dead. Funerals were for the dead, but over time, that focus changed and, today, funerals are...
What is divorce
Historically, marriage was a property exchange (that is, chattels were needed), or a way of ensuring stability for the woman, or a way for a man to continue their lineage....
James V
In our short time looking at this book of James, we might have rediscovered a desire to examine not just the words on the page, but the deeper context of...
Is this ‘The Way’
Imagine a child sitting with Jesus. OK, ignoring the Disney-character image of 'blonde-haired blue-eyed' Jesus, just focus upon that image of the child sitting with Jesus. And then the disciples...
James iV
We are at the penultimate Chapter of this wee book or letter. It's more probably a series of good sayings or aphorisms. Was it sent to the God-followers in Jerusalem?...
Why are children mentioned
The schools are back and we might see the wee ones wend their way to and from school these days. The primary children look so small - or is it...
James 3
The author starts this Chapter with no introduction, no gentle description of the problem that is at large, no reason for writing. As we said earlier, this is not so...
Did Jesus change?
Was there ever a time when you recognised that you had changed? Perhaps you can identify when you transitioned from teenager to adult, or from working adult to one that...
James II
So, we move to look at the second Chapter of James, albeit of course that Chapters did not exist until 1560, in an English translation of the Geneva Bible. Last...
Shall we listen to the woman?
Have we ever felt so affected by an issue that we need to protest? It's not the done thing for us perhaps? This passage from Mark's Gospel is one which...
A new year – 1st Sep
So, it’s arrived. The start of September. Whether you are looking forward to the new Methodist Connexional year, the start of another year of ministry for many; or possibly the...
James in a month – Chapter 1
I'd like to focus, for just a month, on the book of James, or rather Jakob - the original name. It is buried deep within our New Testament, but only...
Tradition – baloney?
What might we regularly do, but can't recall why? Thinking of the context within the church building and on a Sunday, I was thinking of: perhaps we bow down or...
Where does our faith stand with armour
Last week, we looked at what is purportedly Paul's letter from a Roman prison to the church in Ephesus. We considered that this may well have been written twenty or...
Living Wisely
Gratitude : a lens to shift all of life's expectations This week we are looking at a passage from the letter to the Ephesians. So, before we begin, let's use...
What if what we were told it could just be a theory
When we read the Scriptures, we may have to make a variety of assumptions. Do we read the text literally or metaphorically, is it historical or a description of what...
Walk on by
The Church is the boat. Jesus is not in the boat. Take a moment to see this scene. Not the splashing around by Peter, not the wonder of walking on...
Old Testament : in order
When did you start to read the Bible? One problem we might have with 'reading the Bible' is that we take it as it is, sometimes literally, other times metaphorically,...
A Response about the Lord’s Prayer
No, not about the Olympic Games...Question: "Thine is the Kingdom, the power and Glory for, ever and ever" - why is not present in certain versions of the Lord's Prayer?...
I don’t care how you get there
In the passage for this week, Matthew 14:13-21, we read of Jesus meeting the needs of nigh on 5000 folk, whilst the disciples are flummoxed by the whole thing. When...
The Treasure within
Having just moved recently, we can often, now be looking for a particular item. Yes, I know we packed it in one of the boxes, but since we have unpacked,...
Legacy
When you started to learn to ride a bike, it was hard work pushing those legs to turn the wheels, to gain some speed. After a while, with longer legs,...
Relevancy of the Church today
As a royal psalm, Psalm 85 celebrates and explores the relationship between God and David, God’s covenant with David. It talks about the crowning of David and his sons, the high expectations...
Regrets
Have we ever said something we might later regret? When we promise a child that we can get that ice cream upon our return? I recall our children hearing "I'll...
Where do we find ourselves
It was on a run this morning when I noticed, amidst the farm animals in the fields and the two hares scurrying around, the village where I now live. It...
Salt for the chips, not for the slugs
Have you ever been to a job interview? They are nervy occasions, one’s where you step forward with trepidation: will they see my potential, will I be able to say...
The journey has not followed the path intended
It was two years ago that I, with many others, went forward to be ordained into the Methodist Church. It was a time of heady celebration mixed with trepidation of...
Ebb and Flow
Photo by Alexey Marchenko on Unsplash We are standing in those waters when the tide is turning. For so long the waters have flowed in just one direction, causing the sands beneath our...
What shall we do now
We have arrived at Genesis 37. It’s been quite a journey, but I would ask you today to try, if you can, to forget your childhood impression of the story...
A step further
As you step off the world, you enter an ever changing landscape of different vistas, all operating in slower time. Firstly, it is the noise. The birds chirping as they...
Over Planning and Anxiety
Is that even possible? You can plan for a party or a trip to the seaside, surely that doesn't take long to do? Not really exacting. My previous roles have...
Change, all change
Change is inevitable. The new minister for Glasgow West, Pollokshaws and one who will be working closely with the Clydebank addiction recovery programme, has been announced. They bring such a wealth...
How do you trust in God
I hear this a lot when I struggle with one of life's many events. "Just trust in God" they say, highly suggestive that I don't in some way. So, what...
Sibling Rivalry
Where are we on our journey through Genesis? Recall that Genesis is part of the Jewish Torah, the Law. The Torah forms part of the Tanakh, which pulls together the...
Being barren
In our study of Genesis, one theme is very evident. A number of the stories relate to women who are unable to have children, and deemed to be barren. We...
Response about Paradise
I’d like to pushback on that particular verse Luke 23:43 in which it has been translated as "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise”. 1....
A New Start
There was such relief when a baby is born; I fear more so from Mum's than Dad's. But what follows is never really one anyone could prepare for. Yes, we...
How original is original
In the first 11 chapters of Genesis we have the creation myths, of structure from chaos, that we have a choice : our way or God's way, that we can...
The beginning of the beginnings
The great sprint champion, Usain Bolt, purportedly said that you go off on the B of the bang. And so, we look, during Bible Month, at the book of Genesis....
Externalise
I think it sounds a bit like something a Dalek might say. I recently spoke about the welcome I receive at a community which I try to get to each...
There was this visitor
In the Gospel of John, purportedly written by the community that John started, up in the Qumran desert area, we read of their take of what Jesus said nearing his...
Be a good sheep
“But why? Why does Jesus the good shepherd lay down his life? To tell us that we are, in fact, enough. Jesus, especially in John's gospel, doesn't die in order...
Where they are
I hate to start with the word politics. It means ‘affairs of the people of the city’. No, I don’t mean those sort of affairs, but how everything relates to...
An idyllic community
It's a week after Easter, we may be so full of Easter eggs that we are reluctant to even look at one. The sun has set, our energy levels, once...
Easter Day: Would we have hidden?
Let's set the scene. Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem...on a donkey. The place is crushed, and no where to even park a donkey. People have arrived early to sort out...
Was Judas depressed
We read in the Gospels that Judas betrays Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. But, I ask that we should give him a break. What could he be thinking in...
One seamless ribbon which binds and holds the person together
We have arrived at the last session of this Lenten programme of journeying through the 12 Steps, as used by the Anonymous programmes. Are the 12 Steps all linked together,...
When does this journey end
Working through addiction is a long journey. The adage says "no one said it would be easy", and no one gave timeframe to be recovered. In our spiritual life, no...
Nike : Just Do it
We are over the hill, on our way down from the summit. Week 4 of 6, with Easter approaching, and we have Steps 7, 8 and 9 in our sights...
Who are we?
As we approach the third week of Lent, we start to look some exacting statements which those in recovery are asked to make. There is no timeframe in which they...
Something bigger than us
In our six-week look at the 12 Steps programme used by those in the Anonymous groups, we have covered the first step "We admit we are powerless over life challenges...
Those initial wobbly steps
When anyone starts out on a journey, perhaps a new job, as a child, our first steps are possibly tentative. Going too far or fast might be counter-productive - it...
Future Event Already Ruined?
Why do we fear? Is it because we are scared of something or someone? Or possibly the wee voice, that never seems to sleep, has just whispered "FEAR = future...
Sitting with someone
Once, someone ordered some fast food to be delivered. Upon receipt they checked through the various carrier bags and containers. Main course - yes!, starts - Yes!, pudding - Yes!,...
What’s our focus?
In every scene we may have onlookers who perceive a different perspective. An accident may have multiple witnesses and possibly multiple different accounts. In the film Patch Adams, which I...
The river flows onwards
As I ran over one of the bridges to track north-side to then cross south again at what's known colloquially as Squinty or the Clyde Arch (seen right), I noticed...
U-turn
If we popped into our local cafe to share with others the good news of today, what might we offer? Would it be that Jesus loves them, or wow that...
Legacy
For some it is the thought of a priceless heirloom, or an object which they might covet; however, for some, these days, the legacy we might offer to our family...
Can anything good come out of Glasgow? (previously blogged)
Well after a lengthy exploration of John the Baptist's work last week we are now nipping over to the Gospel of John yet again: John 1:43-51. We are moving from...
a new chapter, today?
Welcome to the start of the new year - I accept I am a bit late for some of you. First opportunity and the like... So with all talk of...
What do you expect?
Think of a family attending church today. What might they expect or wish? What might they actually experience - not what we might feel but a newcomer? The congregations might...
is this Christmas?
We have, perhaps, heard in the carols this Christmas time of the old, old story. The story we have heard so many times. Of the journey to Bethlehem, of the...
Punktokos anyone?
In the New Testament, Mary’s real name is Miriam which literally means “their rebellion.” The Romans had overthrown the local rulers, put in place their own puppet rulers, and often the troops from Syrian...
Counter Cultural
If John was a hairy chap, purportedly eating an odd diet of locusts and honey, can we also be counter-cultural this year as we prepare for Christmas? Where are we?...
Who doesn’t like a story?
At our Death Cafe today we spoke of life beyond today. We considered, whilst eating coffin shaped biscuits - why not? - what some might call their bucket list. We...
Wot no Christmas story!
When we celebrate Christmas, we might not use the term Advent very often, but we might acknowledge it as a time awaiting the 'big day'. For some, Advent is that...
Breaking into that passive queue
Do you recall that twee picture of you at School? You were all put in order and, one at a time, you stood in front of a board with a...
What exactly is a King?
Welcome to Christ the King Sunday. What exactly does that mean - do we get cake? Should we be celebrating something, a bit prior to Christmas? At the end of...
Economics not Talents
Jesus spoke about relatable situations, so that he didn’t talk over the heads of those around him. They connected. He translated his understanding of God contextually to connect with others....
Are memories so valuable?
At The Death Cafe today, we spoke of our thoughts following last Saturday and Sunday, the Armistice and Remembrance Day respectively. Well, it was for the UK, but what about...
Lest we forget yesterday
It's been a strange weekend. Some might have deemed it Remembrance Weekend, as both Armistice day and Remembrance Sunday were over the one weekend. Should the boundaries blur? Has our...
Remembrance Sunday…again
It's that day again. That day when we recall, with pomp, with pride, the loss of so many lives over so many wars, and repeat "lest we forget" - but...
Keeping it real when all around you
This is quite a confrontation with an increasingly bitter conflict. It could be Prime Minister's Questions but I'm reading from Matthew 23:1-12, a 'debate' between the synagogue where the author...
Choices: political or spiritual?
Well our land is currently concerned with ULEZ (or LEZ for those in Glasgow), whether all genders are allowed in a hospital, shall we have 20mph speed limits and (is...
Currency
In recent weeks we have had the political conferences from the Conservatives, SNP, Labour and Liberals. We have also acutely aware of the travesties of war, resulting from extremist views;...
Which one sounds like the God you may know?
We are looking at two passages this week: both relate to the same scene but are vastly different. Both speak of the Kingdom of God, but one represents God as...
EASEing into Death
This has been a week of death cafes, and it's not even Halloween or our annual time of Remembrance. We met on the Tuesday to listen to a presentation from...
Why so much stress?
Had a super stressful morning. The mobile phone wouldn't switch on, for the fourth time. That feeling of being disconnected, unable to contact others. What to do? Why so much...
10 what
In Exodus and Deuteronomy we have what's known as the Ten Commandments but they are not... So, they are the 10 what? No, they are called the Decalogue. Think of...
Rearranging the stones
There is a phrase “We say that we are going to work in the ‘vineyard’, but instead of harvesting the grapes we spend our time rearranging the stones along the...
How much are they worth?
Have you ever been to a cafe and winced then looking at cost of the items on the menu? How can they charge that much for a sandwich? You could...
Should the Church follow Anonymous?
Have you heard of the various Anonymous support groups that are across the world, facilitating the needs of alcoholics, narcotics, gamblers and overeaters? They have frameworks that support those who...
What just happened?
When there is an incident, witnesses are gathered and evidence gleaned. Occasionally those accounts differ but why? Do we recall the story when the Israelites were escaping Egypt and they...
The last breath
What might you expect if you were to attend a death cafe? Our death cafe today started with a joke about a mother-in-law, who had been on holiday in the...
Flipping Conflict
There will be no further mention of the humble isosceles, nor its colleague, the scalene triangle. Neither will its proper relative, the right angled triangle. But triangles are used in...
Evacuation Plan
In recent weeks we have seen plans for evacuating Greek islands and Maui in Hawaii. It makes obvious sense to have a plan, albeit some might question the implementation of...
Church is archaic
Often we may have heard a biblical passage and thought, what relevance has this for me? Especially today. In fact, the relevance of church is questioned by many in society....
Walk the walk as well as talk the talk
We often hear of disasters on the radio or see them on the TV or on our social media devices. We hear of them nigh on instantly these days. We...
Storm in our teacup
Why did the disciples cross the sea? No, it is not a prelude to the joke about why the chicken crossed the road, but the answer “to get to the...
Death Cleaning
The Swedish term "döstädning" means 'death cleaning'. Before you prepare the swabs and disinfectant, it is more about the graceful art of decluttering the house...before someone else needs to do...
Privatised faith isn’t publicly owned
Death of TV I recall hearing a clip from a TV programme about the future of television. "Linear television will die" said the commentator. What did they mean ‘ linear...
Keep it real
Do you know Psalm 23? Albeit written 1000 BC, it is still so familiar to many. But do we let the words to flow by us, mutter them at a...
Hope when facing death
The death of George Alagiah, the BBC newsreader and journalist, made front page headlines, whilst also receiving emotional coverage across the main media broadcasts. But in the words from this...
Tell the difference
In the middle of Matthew 13 we have the start of the 'Kingdom of Heaven is like' passages. This is how God can be seen or how the 'church' might...
Should we compare?
When we start to listen to the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23), we are already perhaps moving onto the answer. Jesus is at the seaside, when a crowd joins...
Who wants a lighter yoke?
You know when people have three pictures hung on a wall, I think they call out a tryptic. It looks great, despite it being disjointed. Well, this week's passage is...
Want a cuppa?
All we need to do is to welcome others... such a simple message but recall that the preceding verses speak of a message from Jesus - as shown on the...
What does a ‘good death’ mean for a church?
We might possibly engage in a discussion about what is a good death for an individual, but a church? In Paula Gooder's book called 'Heaven', she explains that in the...
Stand up for me against world opinion
Do you enjoy politics? You might have seen or heard Prime Minister’s Questions, or how to not answer any questions but give your particular relevant soundbite, and so on. It...
A ‘Good Death’?
<Trigger alert: this post deals with the history of society considering assisted suicide - please be careful with your own wellbeing. Call the Samaritans on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org...
Truth Be Told
This passage is about Matthew or Levi the tax collector. Jesus has not been slack and has now amassed his disciples. But this is not a club but a community...
How is will doing?
When at the Death Cafe, we might wonder about whether cremation or burial is the 'way to go', but the legal stuff also might make us worried. So what's the...
Belief or how we live
In the Gospels there is a sort of hierarchy. Not of precedence or importance but of history - which one was written first. We have Mark's Gospel which scholars believe...
Doubt
“This is Trinity Sunday, but society doesn’t care really. This is Trinity Sunday, but it doesn’t pay the bills. "But, this is Trinity Sunday," is states on the Plan. Even...
Pentecost : Who is in?
We have people meeting in one place, it’s Pentecost, 50 days after Passover. It’s a house (Acts 2:2) – too early for a church perhaps. Would they have said synagogue...
Who are riding those horses now?
Where have we been on our journey within Revelation? I wonder where those horses have gone? Who are riding those horses now? Those four horses are riding amongst us, and...
Beasts and whatnots
We have had the seven churches, last week it was the seven angels with their trumpets; and we only at week 3 of our exploration of Revelation. I thought angels...
When death is merely a comma
As I sat at a bedside of someone in their last days, we were listening to some classical music. I sat bathed in the music that she so loved. I...
Unlocking what?
It's odd that in recent weeks we have considered the disciples being in a locked room. Locked for fear of the Jews - for that please read certain Jewish leaders...
The questions will never stop
When we start to talk about death and dying, there are so many questions. Perhaps, once we start to engage with death in a positive way, the questions will never...
Is Revelation a blueprint?
Have you heard of the Book of Revelation? Well, may be aware of it but seldom is it unread or unpacked. I’d like to start with a quote from Luke...
Death Cafe
What might be the reason behind a death cafe? What questions might be asked? Does it have any humour? Our next one is at Pollokshaws G431LH on Tuesday 9th May...
What is the door for?
That door, at the front of Church: what is it for? It has a lock on it: why? It is an interesting question as it asks whether the door is...
On a road to nowhere
It's Easter Day - well, it is in our story today. You'd have thought we would have moved on a week or so. Last week, we were recapping how the...
A two-way swing bridge
This is so different to the Easter message of last week. We celebrate Easter with eggs, daffodils, cheers and songs of praise, and don't forget those wonderful Marmite flavoured Hot...
Our Tomb
How does Resurrection: our rising, our flourishing, Easter, apply to us today? What is perhaps hidden? John’s Gospel has been all about Darkness and Light. Lazarus returning to life from...
Holy Wednesday
Our focus this Holy week is Bread for the Hungry, Bread for the Weary. After the Pandemic, amidst the cost of living crisis, we sure are weary. With competing crisis’...
This brings so many questions
Yet another Palm Sunday approaches. We seek to experience what it might be like for Jesus as he enters the hallowed city of Jerusalem, and what it says to us...
Beyond the Cremation?
Sanctuary There is one way which we can decide 'how to go'. Yes, there is burial - both in a coffin or natural; there is aquamation or terramation - neither...
Who rolled our stone away
Lazarus is ill. Hey, who is Lazarus? Lazarus is the one whom Jesus loved. It says more than a handful of times. Don't we know that John’s Gospel denotes the...
What did we see?
Today's story relates to a blind beggar, or does it? Yes, they are a principal character but possibly we are drawn to them for another reason, a deeper reasoning. What...
Misogyny reversed?
On our Lenten journey this year we have encountered an unfaltering relationship with God, a night time misunderstanding with Nicodemus, and now we are back into the heat and blinding...
Why do that?
Chester - Greenway Often, especially around the start of the New Year, we may set ourselves a target of getting fit. This might involve going to the gym or taking...
The secret believer
We have met Nicodemus many times before. We have a Pharisee, a Jewish leader, who is struggling with his faith. He meets with Jesus in the dark. That’s purposefully stated...
What are we not seeing?
You know when you watch a TV programme and think you have seen it all, but then you notice something very different? It is the character on the left of...
Enlightened
Our passage (Matthew 17:1-8) could be describing Jesus being transformed from the ordinary to the divine. Or was Jesus always divine or just enlightened? Early Journeys of Jesus As one...
A life size Cow
Not this large though... When people celebrate the life of a loved one, we may wish for a visible sign. We heard today of a motorbike laying next to the...
Is it one or the other or even more?
Don’t blame women for what they wear. In the news recently we may have heard of the ongoing debate on HS2, and whether it might ever make it to Scotland,...
Terramation is natural
What is so toxic about the dead that we desire such separation? Where there was life, it goes on. Here, we might see what composting actually means. Human composting, also...
A simple 1-2-3 diary
Often we fill our diary, it might be difficult to find any 'free' time. But does it actually help us? Our diary is one that defines our day but does...
Light the world
Do you recall when you used a piece of glass to focus a beam of light onto a creature make a rainbow on the ground? It seemed to amazing that...
hcruhC
Can Church really be turned completely around? What might it really look like, as our perspective may be biased with 20+ years of attending our own Church. In that time...
Attitude or our identity
'Life of Brian' This week we are looking at a famous passage, where Jesus is on a hill speaking to a multitude of people, where the only negative comment in...
What wakes you up
Synoptic Gospels - not John What’s our wake up call? What are you like when the alarm goes off? Is it immediately jumping out of bed, and if you are...
Organ Renewed
As they always say: a church organ never dies, and on that note... Well, perhaps they don't say that very often, but it can be very difficult to scrap a...
Who are we one with?
In Paul's letter many letters to the Corinthians, and in particular 1 Cor 1:10-17, we hear of disputes between factions. But what is the context for this place called Corinth?...
Defection!
When a footballer or politician 'defects' to the other side, there is uproar. They have left all that is good and gone over to the dark side. There is booing...
Death Cafe 10 Jan 23
When you attend a meeting there is normally an agenda, something to look to agree upon. Today, everyone brought their own personal agenda, they sought to find understanding, perhaps a...
Who doesn’t like a dunkin’
Can you recall your baptism or christening? Historically it was to ensure that we were welcomed into the Church i.e. God before we died. Given life expectancy back then, getting...
What to expect at the Death Café
The skeleton is listening! Atmosphere If you are expecting a foreboding venue with spiders webs, open coffins and a bit of dampness thrown in, sorry to disappoint. How about a...
Spiritual dis-ease
When do we succumb? That slice of cake, a drink, a bet, getting into drugs or watching porn? I'm certainly not equating any of these but to eat that cake,...
Where are we going now?
It is not like we may be travelling afar. We have had such a spate of strikes recently that may might be reluctant to take the train, travel down the...
It is a sign for today
Throughout the Christmas story we read of miracles: the virgin birth, the angels and the wise men. To some they are a beautiful depiction of God's love and might, able...
Anyone for a Brussel Sprout
We’d like to invite you to Come to the Table today, Christmas Day! No, we don’t have an inexhaustible supply of Brussel Sprouts, nor pigs in blankets, so why such a question? Because...
He was born – it was quite messy
In Matthew's description of the birth of Jesus there's a lot missing it would seem. Whereas parents might wish to add a lot more detail to the timeline, Matthew cuts...
Where do we start?
Regeneration of the Doctor There are a lot of smaller churches. Once they stood out as pinnacles of the community. People would attend at least for those hatches, matches, and...
I did, yeah, I created you
My, I thought Advent was all about Jesus? Last week we may have heard about John the Baptist. Well given that the birth of Jesus was only in 2 of...
Composting is good for us
In a recent blog they announced that only 5 States in the USA have legally accepted human decomposting. In the UK it is legal already. So what is this? "The...
Change yourself
Just a moment. Advent is the waiting for the birth of Jesus and here we have a story about John the Baptist. Surely John gets his own time of the...
When we are waiting
I was once told off for saying Christmas during Advent. I could feel the room chill as the words reverberated around the walls. Life is too short to worry about...
Where are we going?
So much to think about when confronted with death. And after the service all the people scatter. What do we do after the service? Where are we going? If we...
What does TDOR stand for?
If the title means nothing to you, that's because, currently, in my opinion, society is seeking to whitewash the transgender community out of the equation. After years of progress towards...
Kingdom or Kin_dom
If you are like me you may have slipped up a few times when mentioning Charles recently: I'll say Prince and then correct myself. It has taken me a bit...
How many deaths?
At last week's Death Cafe there was a surprising comment - there were many in fact - but this one stood out to me. How many deaths do we have?...
Remember and change
This passage, Matthew 5:4-10, was said when Jesus was up on a mountainside, so that he could see so far. I wondered if he looked over the top of the...
Words, Poems and the Eulogy
According to the Economist (paywall), the percentage of funerals led by Christian ministers (in England) had dropped to just over 20%. The significant increase in the number of civil celebrants...
What does marriage mean?
The sanctity of married life has always been a good storyline. We have had it in fictional tales such as with Eastenders and Coronation Street, but also in real life...
Hallo-death
Today is Halloween, also known as All Hallow's Eve, the day before All Hallow's or All Saint's Day. So Halloween precedes the day that some in the Church might commemorate...
Is Jesus anti-growth?
At the end of Chapter 18 we have Jesus approaching Jericho and he saw a blind man begging on the side of the road. The man shouts out to Jesus...
Funerals have been a-changing
When we contemplate the end for us we typically may think of cremation. But things have for a long time been a-changing. The first crematorium was legally allowed and opened...
Original Blessing
So we have a Pharisee and a tax collector( Luke 18:9-14). Whose side are you on currently? Which do you favour? Is it that we are taught to despise the...
Back to the Future
Time Circuits from DeLorean used in the first and second films Back to the future? Did you ever watch the movie? A boy in the Midwest of the USA and...
So what about death?
This week we launch the Death Café. It sounds a bit strange launching a café in October, let alone one that focusses upon Death. One person said that the advertising...
Compassion does not have borders
Luke, or the writer of this Gospel, has been talking about faith in Luke 17. That we should live a life of faith where we may repeatedly forgive others. It...
You’ll get over this
Why not listen to this classic track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FgDles4xq8 from Boney M. This passage of Psalm 137 probably originates from the period 587-539 BCE. Their captors are pleading for them to...
Cost of Greed Crisis (Luke 14)
https://youtu.be/-Cv2MIkxsQE How do we feel when we hear this? Is it justified? When the energy CAP will be changed once again next month, do we think of ourselves …or of...
Honest Open Prayers – can we go large?
What is this? The weeping prophet? Where’s their inner strength? They are certainly not a happy chappy are they? I am talking about Jeremiah from his wailing in Jerm 8:18-9:1....
Who will they sit with
The new leader of the Conservative party has been chosen, we have a new Prime Minister. They have met with Queen Elizabeth and now with King Charles. The Royal Family...
Harvest Festival in 2022
The Harvest Festival, where we traditionally celebrate the crops of the season. So what do we do with Harvest Festival in 2022? The local farmers will have been amongst the...
Birth a Table
Monty Python's Life of Brian He's back at it! Out on the Sabbath healing people. It could be the Life of Brian again! This time he wants to birth a...
Who wants membership today?
In today's society membership is possibly frowned upon. Joining means responsibility, possibly cost - so why bother? The desire to subscribe to Amazon and Disney may be increasing but is...
Can I disturb you?
One Sabbath... what does that really mean to us today? Rule based seating? Those days when society strictly adhered to the code of what we must wear, what we can...
Peace is not the absence of conflict
Have you had a BBQ recently? I recall lighting one once and feel the warm coals, seeing them glow, anticipating the food which we could cook. I then heard a...
Purl in the Field – Summer Edition
Our eighth edition of Purl in the Field from the Strathclyde #Methodist Circuit. Here we engage with those who may be housebound but in the medium of knitting, crochet and...
Slave : good or bad?
In Luke's description of how to prepare for the future he pointedly states that the disciples are slaves. (Luke 12:36) Is that how we think of ourselves? is being a...
Live in Christ
Being invited to a meal can be a pleasure or a necessity depending on who we are sharing it with. So imagine getting an invitation that reads: You are invited to...
What is prayer about?
"God does not exist to answer our prayers, but by our prayers we come to discern the mind of God."Oswald Chambers In Luke 11:1-13 Jesus teaches the disciples the "Lord's...
Who are we?
In the current candidates' leadership contest we may hear claims of self-identification. How can people self-identify, as if they wouldn't actually know who they truly are? But that asks the...
Mardi Gla anyone?
The route for Mardi Gla 2022 Where can you mix pride with protest, absolute joy and sadness, those outside of the church and those within? On Saturday 16th July approximately...
Do Be Do Be Do?
Ah familiar territory, we know this story, don’t we? It’s that classic tale of which person do we associate with? In Luke 10:38-42 we hear of Martha and Mary: but...
The Good Muslim
Isn't life complicated sometimes? There’s that time when our paths diverge or bump into each other. It’s finding that opportunity to walk alongside many people, without leaving them on their...
We are all on a journey
It's been a week of travelling for us. If it's Tuesday it must be Lancaster; Friday, Hi Walsall; oh Monday, hello Gloucester; and finally Saturday: wahoo Glasgow! We were on...
Has anything changed?
https://youtu.be/Nq3x5frVHgM Considering Luke 10 and the sending out of the 70 or 72 disciples. I wonder if they were all men or perhaps couples? How are you feeling? If you...
Let God In
This week, I'm looking at the Hebrew Scriptures and in partiuclar 2 Kings 5:1-14. It is the story of Naaman being healed. A familiar story to many, or has time...
Oh wow!
Did you ever believe that this would occur? Err...No Possibly, as we look back, we might see instances where I could have discerned such an opportunity but nothing that clear...well...
Are we ready?
Do we wish to smite others like Sodom and Gomorrah? Pray for Ukraine... This week's story comes from Luke 9:51-62 and is all about whether we should smite others. Now,...
Crazy Covenant
Java Justice It all started so many years ago. From using a 4 foot tall inflatable coffee mug and a tray of real doughnuts to persuade merely highlight to the...
Have we missed the point?
You know the familiar story, you know the ending as soon as the story teller starts. Perhaps we might sometimes pause a while and reflect on certain key words. They...
E P O H
Paul has written this letter to those whom he did not know, probably had never met. It is a letter about faith - believing in hope. It is explaining to...
Purl in the Field June 2022
The seventh edition of the bi-monthly Purl in the Field magazine is available here. Click on the magazine below to read it on Issuu. Enjoy. https://issuu.com/deaconbobstoner/docs/knit_knatter_newsletter_june_22
The next Chapter
Have we ever considered what happens when we finish perhaps a piece of craft work, some knitting or sewing, or we come to the end of one job, or at...
Inebriated
The last few weeks have seen a number of occasions with people inebriated. We had Celtic crowned champions of the Scottish League. The 'dear green place' turned green and white,...
Saying it as it is
Possibly it is a better description of Testimony than the church prefers. It's telling of a journey - not all, as there's more to come - and explaining what it...
In a foreign land
Here is Paul arriving in Philippi, Macedonia. As was a province of Greece now an independent country. Then it was controlled by the Romans, led by Caesar Augustus. He’s the...
Summer Creation
Not Van Gogh but by Helen of Partick As Summer approaches - truly it really is! - we might look around at what people are creating to give us joy....
Abide in me
When someone says goodbye it normally is over quickly. Jesus takes 6 chapters, according to John or whoever wrote the Gospel, to say his goodbye speech. In John 14:23-29 we...
Can love be self-giving?
We often encounter such passages about love in the Scriptures. We might often skim them as they are so familiar. Please don't, on this occasion as least. We are looking...
Coral
It was great to chat with some of you this morning. We began by looking at a wooden ornament which had been painted for a garden and discussed whether it...
Sounds Baaa-Zarre!
As we look together at stories of ordinary people, both now and throughout history who have seen the power of God working in their lives, we will focus on conversation,...
Convocation
Do you find meetings, especially large ones, life draining or life affirming? What is it? The action of calling people together for a large formal assembly, yes that’s what a...
Carrying huge loads
It’s been a bit slow going as we move through the story after Easter. Last week we were only with the disciples immediately after resurrection and then a week afterwards....
The disciples’ belief in resurrection
It might be quite 'normal' for Christians to quickly accept the resurrection but how might the disciples have felt about Jesus returning to life after his death. It's not the...
In behind closed doors
I wonder what it might be like to in a shelter, behind closed doors. When you are scared, confused, bewildered even. When the world you had always envisaged was there...
Did it really happen?
What would it really mean for our world if Jesus had truly risen? Most biographies spend at most 10 pages on the death of the individual. The Gospels expend great...
Hopeful Serving
A reflection given on Maundy Thursday about Hopeful Serving, based upon John 13: 1-17,31b-35. The date of Easter is always a mystery to me. But I can explain: take the...
Hope-full Journeys
Peace Ducks - one dressed in Ukrainian Colours! For some of us we may be embarking on hopeful journeys: to see loved ones for the first time in a few...
Silencing Us
In recent years we may have noticed the use of letters to reinforce identity of some kind. In America we had the use of Q to denote evidence that there...
Knit & Knatter Edition 6
Our regular bi-monthly Knit & Knatter newsletter, aimed primarily at those who are unable to access the online world, is now available. Knit & Knatter Newsletter 6 by Bob Stoner...
It can’t be sealed
Women in general have the sense of the person much more than men have. This means that they have a special mission, which is to reintroduce love, to give back...
Who are we?
Wow, here (Philippians 3:4-14) is someone trying to identify with everyone: He is trying to answer that question 'Who are we'? Paul is an insider, not an outcomer as they...
Being Enough
Barbara Brown Taylor An array of quilted embroidery Often we can feel that we are not enough. Paul writes in one of his letters to the Corinthians "We are hard...
Let Us Eat
No I am not trying to advertise a firm that delivers subs, coffee and a pizza to your door. This has far reaching conclusions. Our story this week comes from...
On Receive
We scroll through our social media feeds, taking in information, the latest cat meme, and possibly checking the news or sports updates. We are on Receive. But let's think: You...
Anger or Victim?
On our Lenten journey we have observed Jesus being tempted - but where? We have heard Jesus describing a leader as a fox. Now there 's a bit of history....
Spring a Connection
Hedgehog, Chicks and a Rabbit It must be Spring, now that the chicks are hatching, or rather unstitching from the needles. It's a time of new birth, possibly of new...
Are we a member of the Vulpes Family?
Ok let’s hear it for the bad guys in town: not the Vulpes family but the Pharisees! What do you mean, they were ok? Well yes, they did invite Jesus...
What is truth?
This question "What is Truth?" is asked by Pilate at "Jesus' trial". I think it resonates so much in our lives today, more so in our online world. In the...
Who doesn’t like a bit of milk and honey?
Last week we were up a mountain, but as we have entered into Lent, today we will hear of the start of a journey: for those coming out of exile,...
Our hearts grieve
We met again as a group of dispersed members of the Strathclyde Methodist Church, to be as one, to reflect on the news coming from Ukraine. For those families in...
Do you know a hairy man?
Do you know a hairy man? No, they aren't missing as such, just could we recognise them if you saw a 'hairy man'? This week, there is a theme linking...
Listen to what?
What's the phrase: "we have two ears and one mouth, so let's use them in that order?". Wow, that's hard. Listen to what? Where are we? God in the midst...
Knit & Knatter Newsletter #5
Every two months we stitch together some thoughts, interwoven with our passions, to create a newsletter entitled Purl in the Field. That title comes from the knitting together of two...
What does blessed mean?
It's all up and down here in Luke's Gospel. We have been in Nazareth, in the Synagogue, and then over to some towns across Galilee, now we are near to...
The Wonder in Giving and Receiving
Do we love receiving gifts on our birthday or at Christmas? It's lovely to receive something that someone else has chosen just for us. So what drives us to give...
A Never Ending Story in 73 seconds
If we had a familiar story and could retell it, without the old fashioned words, in just over a minute, would we have sufficient time? Here is a series of...
Abundance – what does it mean?
Luke's supposed reader, Theophilus or 'loved by God', may have already been hooked by Jesus moving through Capernaum, that the people were amazed at the teaching of Jesus - all...
What is love all about?
If there is one passage many people know about, it's 1 Corinthians 13: where it explains what love is all about. But it's isn't about romance but a telling off,...
Where do we put the egg?
It's that time again when we brush away the cobwebs collected upon the Christmas Tree and have put it away for another year. We can feel the warmth of Spring...
Scrolling
We scroll so often these days. It seems that every device we have we can now scroll to find out more facts, things to discover, hopefully not to purchase yet...
Was this a wedding party or a work event?
Everyone loves a wedding. But, topically, was this really a wedding party or a works event? Was there cheese? Anyway what's so important about wine? Water into Wine? You might...
Purling into 2022
That's trying to convey us seamlessly moving into another year - but I must admit it does look a lot like hurling, throwing us into what might be 2020 too....
There must be something better
The New Year has arrived – did you celebrate its arrival? For many it was a time of deciding whether to get your glad rags on or wrap up in...
Melchior
Alleged homelands and arms of the three wise men/kings and their arms That's not my real name. I was given this in the 4th C by some story writers. They...
It could all start with a cuppa
It’s so beautiful, but also so complicated. No, I'm not talking about with a cuppa. That's always welcoming. In our New Testament passage this Sunday, we are talking about John...
2021 in searches
We might all have our own way of considering the year just passed. Staying in bed might be one way - although getting into this bunk bed might cause some...
The Stable leads us outwards
Wise folk following yonder Star? from An Unexpected Christmas These Christmas Carols, the readings may seem to re-tell a story of old. A story woven into the history of the...
A meaning to this season
As we approach the end of Advent for this year, our focus might be upon which presents have we yet to buy? Have we bought sufficient food? - the answer...
The smelly Shepherds?
Shepherds always get a prominent role in the Nativity Plays. They get to clutch those wooly sheep, and they are always clean. They wear tea towels on their head, with...
being real is an amazing evangelism
It has been wonderful as we have created so many angels for those who might struggle with celebrations such as Christmas following the death of a loved one. It has...
Blue Angels
Why have a time reflecting upon Blue Angels when we are all gearing up for a wonderful #partytime? Well, for some, Christmas is a time when anniversaries appear on our...
Are we Anxious
I recently called into one of the local hospitals to visit a Church member. I recall starting a prayer with Do not be anxious... Of course being in the hospital...
Purl in the Field December 2021
Here is the latest Strathclyde Methodist Circuit's Knit & Knatter newsletter for December 2021, just in time for Christmas! https://issuu.com/deaconbobstoner/docs/knit_knatter_newsletter3
Joseph
Hi, I am Joseph. I have been away at Sepphoris, that new Roman city just north of Nazareth. It's huge. It's so busy they keep us there for days at...
Engaging with Glass
OK I may know how to check the fuse box under the stairs but how do we fuse bits of glass together? Additionally, how do we do this creatively, with...
Dawn is a-coming
Advent is that time of waiting but a dawn is a-coming. Do you recall that first light when the sun is still below the horizon but the sky is ablaze?...
Zech & Liz
To initiate thought and discussion; drawn from Stephen Cottrell's Walking Backwards to Christmas: Elizabeth is speaking :"I have always been waiting. My friends were always far more cleverer, more confident...
Jesus Saves, We spend
Storm Arwen has been and left a frosty covering everywhere. I wonder what might have happened to those glass slippers that Cinderella wore? I doubt there was much of a...
Advent Sunday
Advent First Sunday This, 1 Thessalonians 3: 9-13, is probably the first New Testament letter to have been written. I considered 'letters of the alphabet' previously in Advent. Paul is...
TDOR 2021
This year we have worked collaboratively with the University of Glasgow, as well as the Iona Community, members of the Woodlands Methodist Church, included a special message of hope from...
Party time!
Oh wow the last Sunday before we start Advent for this year. Time for a celebration? Could it be Party time? Perhaps it’s when important people might arrive, a celebrity...
A New World dawns?
Protests up and off to the right Local Methodist Protesters including the Vice President of the Methodist Conference, a District Chair and our own Superintendent Revd Andrew Baker The Circuit...
Remember and Watch
This week we recall, we reflect on the tragedy of the Wars now beyond the memory of the vast majority of folk. We may see imagery from World War 1,...
Fine robes
This week, having just left Bartimaeus a few weeks ago, who is following everyone from Jericho to Jerusalem, we, too, are looking with fresh insight. What fresh perspective are we...
Too much inconvenience!
No this isn't another yarn or an attempt to needle you into contemplating something different. We have been talking about today's "Question of the Fortnight" and whether it is all...
Are we close or there yet?
I recall asking that question in the car: "Are we there yet?" and being perplexed at my parents frustration in answering my plea. As a parent, I now know of...
What a place!
Wow, COP26 is fast approaching, the large exhibition tents are up and plans are being circulated for the divers to comb the River Clyde, which roads may be closed, and...
Human Trafficking
Having arrived in Glasgow a year ago I was astonished to find the legacy of slavery which abounds within the city. But that's in the past... surely...Here we interview a...
Angelic Purls
Our focus to offer Angels at a service near to Christmas to those who have struggled with the loss of a loved one during the Pandemic continues. Angels are now...
Harvest : Everyday
There is that annual service where we celebrate the harvest from each year. In the past, we might have had a few weeks off school to go out into the...
Purl in the Field – October 2021
Please find our latest physical newsletter sent out by post to those without computer access, and also released here online so that all are included. As Halloween and Christmas beckons...
Camels or Elephants?
So after packing your bags for a long journey, the doorbell or the phone rings : can I sell you insurance, or have you had a car accident? Do you...
Purling to the future
We have achieved much in our 8-9 months of Knit & Knatter. We have sought to bring people together from across Strathclyde and even the far flung corners of Yorkshire!...
Was it all about marriage?
What might the Old Testament say? Within Genesis 2:18-24 we have the first of two creation myths. Yes we are in Chapter 2 and another one is in Chapter 1...
Creation101
When we read of the creation in Genesis what are our thoughts? Is it factually correct or a metaphorical story? This week's Bible Study has allowed us to explore this...
It’s not what a Church would do
It’s not what a Church would do, is it? There was quite a hullabulloo years gone back when Sunday trading arrived in England – I wonder whether it had the...
I could have licked the plate!
A few of us have been able to celebrate with either a birthday, wedding or an anniversary recently. It's often strange as the quality of the food increases, the portions...
Which is it to be?
What with the Olympics and life in general, it is very much 'be the best'. What can we attain, can we reach higher than the next person? In today's texts:...
Who do you say that I am?
"Which one?" said one response, "the brown Jesus or the Republican version?" You can sense a certain political spin there. "What the guy from those misogynistic stone age 'reimagined' supernatural...
Out of Kilter
It's an interesting phrase as 'Out of Kilter' means a variant of an older English dialect word 'kelter', which means 'good health; good condition'. Is that how we might feel...
Holidays – when is the next one?
It was lovely to welcome back so many people to the Knit & Knatter meeting this morning. Often the focus can be upon the knitting or sewing but the nattering...
Rules Rules!
We have seen many Government signs over the past nigh on 2 years. That of Stay alert (never sure we could control a virus), and Hands Face Space, amongst others....
Where is God today?
Turnstiles photo by Vlad B on Unsplash I wonder if the Church is like a ticket gate, where there are spaces for people to move in and out, as circumstances dictate. It’s not...
What’s so important?
In Maslow's triangle the facets of life are organised in layers, with the most important on the bottom - that's wifi and battery isn't it? In my military survival training...
Freedom Day
It is said that: "Introversion is a personality trait characterized by a focus on internal feelings rather than on external sources of stimulation. Introverts and extroverts are often viewed in terms...
Scapegoating is acceptable?
The scapegoating of another seems a common place in today's politics. If we can ascribe something negative towards a group of people then we can make ourselves look better -...
Is the bread stale?
At the turn of the century – makes me sound old – I spent many a week in Italy, not on holiday but at work with the RAF. Given that...
Why is God on Mute?
Welcome to this last of the four short sessions exploring prayer. So we can pray wherever whenever; we can imagine even re-imagine scenes within Bible passages or contexts in our life...
Anyone for sausage?
The Strathclyde Knit & Knatter group have met again - and what might they talk about? Complicated programming? In this past few weeks of heat gardening has been the most...
Making room
Do you recall the Dursley's House? The one where Harry Potter was kept under the stairs - out of sight, out of mind. Yes, he was brought out for high...
Looking back
There's an adage don't look back we aren't going that direction. That might be a good thing when regarding the Pandemic and seeking to return to normality but we want...
Can I be?
In our journey through Mark's Gospel we often feel the pace of life, the immediacy of everything. There's not a pause, even time for Jesus to have a cuppa -...
Purl in the Field – August Newsletter
For those whom don't normally have access to social media we produce a regular physical newsletter. Here is August's edition which will be sent out later this week. Please share...
Using our imagination in a storm
Over the past year or so there have been a few storms in our lives - don't you agree? Here, in the second of the four sessions exploring prayer we...
What do we need this Summer?
The Knit & Knatter group met again this morning: to share what they have been doing and chatting about all and sundry. Some had been on their holidays, including the...
What price peace?
Psalm 85 is one which captures the feelings of those Jews returning from Babylon – years in captivity, subjugated, largely demeaned but now free to return to their homeland. Their ‘Church’...
Where could we pray?
This is the first of four sessions in the Strathclyde Methodist Circuit exploring prayer. The first session focusses upon where and when can we pray, looking at the various places...
The alternative is now ok
Prior to March 2020, the wearing of a face covering would have been unthinkable for most of us. If you did mention it, we might think of Muslims wearing the...
Trips to the other side
Imagine the time when the Roman Empire was everywhere - it ruled with a rod of iron. They were the other side. Our lives would have been heavily constrained, one...
Where is the barrier today?
The Sunday coming up is Conference Sunday, the day that Conference seeks to ordain those who they have discerned a calling to ministry. This year the Conference will vote upon...
It’s all in the rhythm of the needles
There have been a few blogs and webpages about knitting in Shetlands - here's one about Joanna Hunter-Coe who has a shop on Lerwick's High Street - so to meet...
To the Other Side
There's been much consternation with the breakdown of the MV Loch Seaforth from Ullapool to Stornoway. It crosses from the mainland to the Isle of Lewis, across the other side...
A story in a quilt
We were so pleased to have Deacon Sue Culver with us this morning. She explained how her quilt, which was based upon people's stories from the pandemic. The quilt that...
Unanswered Prayers – Why?
Wow, I feel this is an area which we are all experts but rarely do we speak about this. These sessions were designed to help our prayer life, where previously...
The obvious issue
I am struck by how many people use the Internet to communicate with others but we possibly don't understand how it works. That ability to really communicate, get the message...
Life is like a butterfly
Do you remember the programme Butterflies, the one on BBC, where Wendy Craig played a wife who 'struggled' to cook anything edible and drove a Mini with a Union Jack...
Voldemort – don’t speak of it
He who shall not be named In the Harry Potter series of films, books etc there was one character whose name was not to the spoken : Voldemort. It was...
What has just happened?
We have had Elections; then the opening of our houses to others or not depending upon where you live – talk about a postcode lottery; we have had Pentecost and...
Reset or Resume
At a recent Conference we considered Recovery- Reorientation - Renewal. This wasn't about a secular organisation's thoughts on rebranding but the Church's thoughts on 'what's next?' Was it to reset...
Childhood Hobbies
Mandy says that as a child she never mastered knitting or even had any interest in it. Now, it is very different. Do we have childhood hobbies that remain with...
Reorientation
PPL at 17 years of age I was never a pilot for long; however, my love of aviation still remains four decades later. In those days we had to learn...
Welcome the dove
According to many, a multitude of doves is known as a dole, dole or flight. As we come to Pentecost - fifty days, 7 weeks, the 7th Sunday after the...
What does this mean?
As wend our way back from the recently opened shops, we may weave past the discarded fast food containers, glance up at the traffic as we cross the road and...
Untangling a knot
This Pandemic lockdown has been for many a bit like a knot - restricting our movement. Today we find that those restrictions may have been lessened. Here in Glasgow, there's...
Knit & Knatter Worship
Here we link the hobbies of knitting, drawing, painting, cross-stitch, flower arranging, cooking and sewing plus knattering in our worship of our loving God. You can see what we weave...
Connections
I am pondering whether after dinner, Jesus has surprised many – well all really – with the washing of their feet, then he has given them a new commandment, and...
Reflective prayer – but when & where?
In our series of prayer explorations we have looked at how Jesus taught us how to pray; how we can find many opportunities to pray throughout the day (and night)...
Lover or friend?
There are umpteen websites available to offer advice on how to say whether we have a lover or a friend. Human interaction is one of the most complex arenas, so...
Bank Holidays, Rain and Hope!
I'm sure that statistically the chance of rain falling on a Bank Holiday isn't any higher than any other day - it just feels like it sometimes. We may not...
Inclusivity: for whom?
After taking some time to reflect upon the Good Shepherd last week, we note the suggestion - well more like a direct reference - to Jesus' call to more than...
Church is a loaded word
The word Church, in itself, means so much to every individual. To those whom regularly attend Church, it might mean that wonderful community where they belong, where they seek to...
So this is Christmas
Incredible cross stitch by Ruth We have been meeting online now since February this year, so we aren't at Christmas quite yet; nevertheless, that's some time knitting and nattering together....
Go Large!
We have moved away from the room where the disciples had secured, protecting themselves from others. We are now out in the fields, the sunshine on our back. You hungry?...
Amidst the fields of gold
As I reflect upon the Good Shepherd passage (John 10:11-18) I imagine that I am walking amidst the fields, possibly not yet of gold, but of new shoots. The soil...
Knit-a-Blob
How are you feeling? Sometimes we use our hobbies to take ourselves away from the thick of it - it's a distraction. We can lose ourselves for a wee while...
Do we have any fish?
On our post-Resurrection journey, last week we considered John's account of Jesus meeting with the doubt-ridden disciples in a locked room. Here in Luke's account describes an extra journey, that...
Praying with our mind
This is our third session of this course, one in which we seek to move away from a litany of petitions, a series of demands for God to perform upon...
New Start
Have you eaten all that chocolate? Really? So what of that new start we spoke of? Well it can start here, as we untangle the web that may have, possibly,...
What would have been our response….doubt?
Holy Week is one of reflection. What of that pain in Gethsemane, the word meaning pressing, the pressure that Jesus had to bear? The horrific tragedy of Good Friday and...
Have we misinterpreted Judas’ betrayal?
Introduction Judas is traditionally equated with the demonic, but may we see Judas afresh as in the ballad below? Whereas some authors may write his name it is often replaced...
Adaption is the new hope
Who would have thought that a year on we might possibly be able to congregate together to celebrate Easter in a Church? For some this is still not possible -...
What size needles does God use?
God is a knitter, too, just like my grandma.Being Unravelled by Kari Martin, a superb and challenging blog post - really worth a read This week one of us said...
How can you wash from six feet away?
When it was common place for travellers to be welcomed to each others homes - chance would be a fine thing today - it would be the hospitable thing to...
Jour-knitting?
Let me explain... Many might knit or sew or draw whilst they watch TV or have a conversation or watch the world go by. Personally I think it's astonishing that...
Listen carefully – that wasn’t thunder
In the last two weeks we have looked at the Cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem (or was it?) and then we looked at why God so loves us. It's...
Walking in the Darkness
This post and resulting Church service was all due to the impact of reading Barbara Brown Taylor's 'Learning to Walk in the Dark'. Without extracting swathes of text, I wanted...
We are Allsorts really
In our Knit & Knatter session today we looked briefly at creating an Allsorts pattern. It typifies us really: we are all one community but made up of various shapes...
For God so loved…are we comfortable?
Ah familiar territory here...John 3:16 and all that. For God so loved...are we comfortable? What's been happening? From a blog teaching about Nicodemus Our NT passage this week is John...
Is this prayer as well?
We all have an understanding of prayer - or do we? There's a great perspective upon prayer by George Lings entitled 'Seven Sacred Spaces'. I wouldn't wanted to remove the...
Knattering whilst Knitting
We are in the third week of Lent - have you 'relented' and eaten the chocolate you said you wouldn't eat? I have temporarily given up supporting my favourite football...
Why did Jesus get angry?
Yes you know the one, fair hair, blue eyes, even has birds that fly around his head, all goodness and kind - yup, That's Jesus. So who is this? Why...
What choices have we made?
What changes have there been over the past year. We have had a number of lockdowns where …we have looked to get fit, enjoyed too much food perhaps, found some...
Be a doormat?
Often Church folk are told that they should turn the other cheek, and love your enemies. It's quite a simple adage, possibly not so simple to apply to ourselves. But...
Knit & Knatter – more of the latter!
We shared a lot of what we are still doing each and every week. It's amazing what talents are possibly hidden but ever so present. https://youtu.be/PxwSdKegWOk We share this on...
Show the Love
Yes, I know Valentine's is over for another year... this is different. Really. COP26 is coming to Glasgow in November, so Climate could be a theme for this year. It...
How is this like a re-boot?
Lent has arrived for 2021. We thought 2020 was a rough one and now 2021 doesn't see to have been given a proper re-boot - to use a computer term....
Prayer Exploration #1
We have started to explore prayer. We could spend longer in what we already deem to know as prayer or pause - as is the thing in Lent - and...
![[Spoiler Alert] Easter](https://i0.wp.com/dbobstoner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Easter-cross-religious-memorial-coathanger-clotheshanger-diy-make-tutorial-17-9617676.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1)
[Spoiler Alert] Easter
I know it's the first day of Lent...(by the way here's our Ashing Service that personal to you) but thinking of Easter...what about an Easter wreath? Here's one which has...
Have you ever washed a jumper too hot?
At our third session we had ten folk, from Strathclyde and South Yorkshire, who wanted to chat, share and link together with a common theme of knitting and sewing. It...
The Banner over me is love
On Valentine's Day we may seek to express that sign of love to another. Today that can be difficult, with lock down restrictions, we may not even be permitted to...
Let’s raise the roof!
Jesus has been creating quite a storm. Imagine someone, who has no known authority such as a Rabbi, or Pharisee might possess, starting to heal people across Galilee. As we...
That voice booms again
As we have move closer to Lent, the readings for this Sunday seems to jump a tadge, from Mark 1:29-39 to suddenly Mark 9:2-9. We have gone from the healing...
Mug Hugs
These could be great to send to someone we can't get to see currently. It might remind them that they are valued. And that could be vital these days, don't...
Crafting websites
In our discussions today we were reflecting upon the different things we could make. It's great that in the myriad of conversations we may find new ideas which might spark...
Making a Teddy Bear all in one go!
Wow, here's a pattern for a Teddy Bear where you complete it in one go! http://www.barddance.org/knittering/bluesbighugbear.htm. Here we can knit a bear from their feet up to their head and...
Welcome to the Knit & Knatter posts
These are posts also found on our Facebook group for those whom attend our weekly Knit & Knatter online group. The concept is to promote fellowship, especially in this pandemic,...
All within 24 hours
In these days of lockdown, 24 hours feels an age. So it may be surprising to find that Mark appears to record Jesus' activity all within 24 hours! Here, we...
Why do we do this?
Why should a church group start an online Knit & Knatter group? It's a way of sharing our experiences from within this #Covid Pandemic. What experiences? well those we have...
Hands together, eyes closed…
I always used to add "Don't forget to blow your nose"... The traditional form of prayer is one that is led from the front, but where today 'the front' is...
The start of the journey
Mark's job, apparently, was to provide us with a perspective on the journey of Jesus. However, even this early on in the Gospel, (Mark 1:14-20) we have lost a huge...
Where is the Trinity?
When discussing Baptism recently it was noted that we would use a form of words widely heard throughout Church services, that of the Trinity: Father God, Jesus, the son of...
Can anything good come out of Glasgow?
Well after a lengthy exploration of John the Baptist's work last week we are now nipping over to the Gospel of John yet again: John 1:43-51. We are moving from...
Why did John baptise Jesus?
This week's lectionary reading focusses upon a text we have partially considered during Advent. There, we wondered about pancakes in the desert. Now we'll focus upon the baptism (Mark 1:4-11)....
What a community!
Within Scripture there's a community which is described in Acts 2 which is something we might want to emulate. They don't go to a church or a synagogue primarily as...
Can Ctrl Alt Delete be a new start for us?
The National Lockdown has started...again. At least there is some certainty beyond the tiers. Nevertheless, all these restrictions do also bring more human tears, tears from misunderstanding, that burden we...
Light and Darkness
I awoke this morning to the lights not working - good start. At least the alarm clock worked....;-) A quick check of the fuse box and all was well -...
Great things which have changed us
Normally we might set New Year's Resolutions, in a vain hope to escape the clutches of the past year. And who wouldn't want to drive away from this "unprecedented" howler...
A Different Christmas?
As we celebrate Christmas in 2020 ...differently, what of the original Christmas, the first one? Imagine the scene, where two 'older' characters meet up: Two people chatting Have you seen...
It reconnects one with another
The Deacon Phoebe is commended to those who receive this letter from Paul (Romans 16:1-16). The name Phoebe is quite apt for the Season as it means Shining. She was...
Which Nativity should we choose ? (Part 2)
We approach the last week of Advent for 2020, when time rushes onwards, with sprouts to peel, sausages to wrap with bacon, and a bird to be stuffed. Perhaps that...
Which Nativity should we choose? (Part 1)
Each year we are confronted with a Nativity scene from a number of sources. Is it ok to have a blended Nativity story, or should the story be read from...
Where is the light shining?
Hey, week 3 of Advent 2020, for some we can see the light at the end of the tunnel of Covid through the imminent release of the vaccine to the...
A fresh start perhaps?
I know that Hogmanay is a few weeks away, the New Year may beckon but the Church has got ahead of us once again. The New Year for Bible Readings...
Alphabet Prayers for Advent
You are Almighty God. a Benevolent God You are a Caring creative can-do God. In all we do may we become a Devoted servant. May we use our Ears to...
Noel
As we start Advent, under lockdown or restrictions, what might Mary & Joseph have wondered in their day? Having to travel such a distance, and then to say to the...
We have heard the message, now live the story
"A long time ago, in a land far far away there was new hope. It was a period civil unrest, of viral infections, striking from the unknown...:Paraphrasing from Star Wars...
Keep it Simple
Advent - a time of waiting: ours or God? The word Advent comes from the Latin word Adventus which does mean coming. It was understood that in the 4th and...
Transgender Day of Remembrance 2020
This has been a strange year, of the pandemic, of restrictions but also of a backlash towards those who identify as transgender or non-binary. Across the world, on this day,...
Baa; which side would you wish to be on??
When we come to Sheep vs Goat, many of us have an idea what this might mean. There are TV programmes which mention how to gather sheep, yet rarely similar...
A walk in a wood?
An invitation to go for a walk in a wood. To sit a while looking at the trees, taking that opportunity to smell the rich perfume of the woodlands, the...
Let’s make money!
The Prosperity Gospel has arrived and it's cool to be making money. Investments will only increase and if we are doing this for the Church, what's not to like? Let's...
Remembrance Day 2020
Each year we recollect the past. Those times when our own and other countries were focused upon war, when so many people died, arguably needlessly. I have direct experience of...
Restricted Numbers at Weddings : Wise or Foolish?
We have seen it all. This pandemic has caused the authorities to limit the number of people who can attend weddings. But as we read the parable, which character would...
Let’s offer some encouragement from the very start
Do you recall after a driving lesson or a after a test the teacher asks: "How did you think that went?" I'd close both eyes expecting them to respond "well,...
How long is our fringe?
When the pandemic struck, shortages started to arise: first it was toilet paper, then yeast, then hair trimmers. When would we get a haircut? Now, people may not be able...
Where can we find peace?
2020 has been quite a year. We may have hoped that when the clocks went back last Sunday, we could go back to March. Those with computers may have asked...
When they go low we go high
Jesus is being put on the ropes. He's upset the Chief Priests and Scribes with the disturbing the of the money-making ways of the Temple, he's described the Kingdom of...
Tax was always a thorny issue
President Trump has declared that not paying taxes makes him smart. We have heard of large firms that have minimal tax burdens despite huge profits, due to loopholes that the...
As we grow older we might expect the Church to develop also
Could this be Church today for the 0-100 age gap?There are some lovely models of Church. Yes, these are good but relate to the past, the way it was. Such...
What do you wear to a Wedding?
I didn't have to think much about what I wore to the wedding. I had a uniform, so I put on my 'best blue'. Do you think we look ok?...
Harvest : what’s next for us?
Harvest or Lammas in Partick I'm often in Partick, now part of Glasgow. The name of this area originates from the mid-1100s, from the Cymro-Celtic tradition, meaning sweet fruit and...
Who is their anger against?
It seems that we are in a bit of a rut. This week's lectionary reading (Matthew 21:33-36 : Proper 22A or OT27) contains yet another parable about a vineyard. What...
Which Liquorice Allsorts are you?
There was a strong wind whistling through the garden and a dishevelled cat lay peacefully sleeping having burst through the door minutes earlier excited to be back. I wonder is...
Over promising or under achieving?
The British Government is accused of promising a 'world-beating' testing regime, but seemingly the results haven't matched up to their aspirations. We, perhaps, have said that we'd do this or...
Is our product needing renewal??
The world is changing faster than we can keep up. The Church is still preaching to a world that doesn't exist.Scott Cormode, Pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the...
Is ‘worship’ a thing of the past?
What were you called when you were young? Did you have a Sunday name, one that shook you to the core when it was spoken? Perhaps over time the name...
A Happy Way to live?
Have you had a pay rise recently? Not something we might hear that often. It causes angst in some as we hear of a negotiated pay rise above inflation for...
The Community Returning to Flourish (Part 2)
No disrespect to some locations, but we have been places where it's original claims didn't quite match up. For some today, the reason to leave is forced upon them/ I'm...
Do we see the wood for the trees?
Have you looked at some visual illusions? How they allow our mind to see something different to what is actually there. If we only stopped and looked carefully, we say......
A Community Returning to Flourish (Part 1)
As we start to reflect, let us possibly consider what we look like today - possibly with a face mask. For many, the face mask can be a uncomfortable addition...
The Need For Conflict Resolution?
Jesus has arrived in Capernaum. This fishing village, nestled on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. The village came to be known as Jesus' "own city" (Matthew 9:1). It...
What is the contemporary Cross if we have to take one up?
This week's New Testament reading focusses upon Matthew 16:21-28. It contains that phrase 'take up thy cross' dependent whether you like the old English versions. What might 'taking up the...
Liquid Church in a sip
Here is the concept of Liquid Church, in a nutshell, or 'in a sip' if you like. Nothing too detailed, just broad brush strokes, or a succession of sips to...
Queer Prophets – Fascinating
I often read a book to gain a specific understanding: this book it was cover to cover. This book is different. It fascinates, it seeks to push boundaries, and it...
How do you employ Disney ‘Plussing’ – Methodist Church Style!
Here are the ten key pointers heralded by Ali Johnson, the Methodist Church's Digital Evangelist, for the way forward with the digital presence the church. His video is attached at...
Who am I to you?
We may have possibly recently gone to a Zoom meeting where one of the first questions may be: "Can you just say who you are?". How might you respond? Often...
Where is our tipping point?
There comes a time when all organisations have to change tack. Not a gradual gentle turn but a sharp movement, which affects everybody. I recall one tipping point or pivot...
RE-modeling
Does anyone remember the black and white films of people making a clay vase? As the clay spins they skilfully guide the clay, allowing it to take shape. What change...
Planting a building. Is there an alternative?
It seems that gardening is becoming a theme here. Planting has often been problematic. You have to have the right conditions. The soil needs to be just right. You need...
![What shall we miss? [Part 2]](https://i0.wp.com/dbobstoner.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/A6A19D94-896A-49E3-8351-CCDE0631F908-9398037.jpeg?fit=768%2C902&ssl=1)
What shall we miss? [Part 2]
Despite many holding traditional views, we felt an alternative and radical approach may connect with people. Here, I describe the way we have linked with contrasting communities, often not seen...
![What shall we miss? [Part 1]](https://i0.wp.com/dbobstoner.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Screenshot-2020-01-18-14.07.00-1312719.png?fit=768%2C765&ssl=1)
What shall we miss? [Part 1]
As we prepare to leave Todmorden, I wanted to express what exactly we will miss. This is a town we didn't even know of its location before being sent here....
Todmorden Beatitudes
As we will soon depart here, I felt it would be good to reflect back on the people, the groups that I have encountered in chronological order. If you know...
What paths did you expect not to be on?
There's a story about some paths: some with good soil, some not. Monty Don, Charlie Dimmock and the Rich Brothers would have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We'd like to say which...
Where did you put….?
Yes we are at that stage yet again. Our 3rd move in 4 years, which can be beaten by our youngest who claims 9 moves in 9 years! The boxes...
Beauty of the Margins
Have we had that opportunity to pause as we pass by some gardens? The beauty of the plants, their colour can draw our eye towards the centre of the flower...
What are we looking at?
How many fingers am I holding up? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKLQBuSPVwQ&t=1m5s How many fingers am I holding up? It's a quote from a film entitled 'Patch Adams'. It's a film is really recommend...
Do you remember the arrival of FM radio?
As aircrew I have spent many hours listening to HF radio, where the background hiss was nearly always present. You couldn't listen to it for very long - bit like...
Can we chat in Church?
OK, the sermon is dragging on a bit, and you've noticed something embarrassing with their tie, or jacket. Have you ever wanted to elbow the person next to you and...
Where’s God?
No, it's not a where's Wally post. Amidst this sunny weather, resembling some of the southern European holiday destinations - and with views of Yorkshire hills - this strange "unprecedented"...
The Samarathon
In July I'm committing to running at least 26 miles to raise money for the Samaritan's. Why? When I used to teach at the comprehensive school, back in Sleaford, I...
Returning to Normality
A question frequently asked these days, by the media, some politicians and those who frequented church: what does returning to normality mean? Some may respond with "return to what?" I...
What’s Next?
After many months of deliberation - not ours but various committees and individuals - we have been informed where we are to move next. It is known as stationing within...
To infinity and beyond
Society constantly seeks to push back boundaries. We hear of ground breaking discoveries, especially with living longer, as we constantly desire to go further than ever before. We want always...
Can you hear those voices?
What a year. Who would have thought a year ago we would have had experienced such a few months. We have moved from wondering how to fill our days perhaps,...
God allows suffering
How can a God allow such suffering in our world? Wars are undertaken for a particular gain without seeking to estimate the cost of the damage to our world, our...
Should Church Buildings ever open again?
What if we considered not to return to 'normal' but to consider a radical alternative? This post is drawn from an excellent article by @_Andyglover, entitled 'Should Church buildings ever...
Who is Jesus to you today?
Following on from our recent discussions about faith from an interfaith perspective, who is Jesus to you today? Either he was the 'Son of God', a Prophet, an inspired man,...
Where there’s fire, there’s change
Christmas is irrelevant without Easter, and Easter is pointless without Pentecost. But can Pentecost be transformative today? But we don’t celebrate Pentecost like we do with Christmas nor Easter. What...
Inclusivity…really?
"...[A] riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear?...it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned...
Reimagining Church : whom do we serve?
These are notes and, more importantly, questions drawn from a Church on the Margins discussion on 28 May 2020. The key questions Whom do we serve? How is the Church...
Dream Small
We may have been asked in the past to 'dare to imagine'... I know I have asked people to do this. We wanted to consider the whole landscape, to ponder...
Where do you find an Oasis on the commute?
As a teacher I found the daily commute either very tiring or a real blessing. On some occasions the sheer number of cars, the lorry travelling at its maximum speed,...
God, of all faiths?
Over the last month, we have looked at what, where, who is God - if God exists at all. Moreover, is there a God, of all faiths? The focus of...
Where is God to us, today?
So where is God?”
anecdotal
The people quietly averted their gaze and you could see their finger pointing upwards – as it was obvious.
“Really?”
Their finger retracted, their view remained averted.
Why can we struggle with the question “Where is God?”. We can theologise, use grand theological explanations which are beautiful, poetic, but may not really get that meaning across to others.
Heaven?
Yes, originally, God was perceived in reside in Heaven, above the dome. God was attended to … Read the remainder
The Language Barrier
Have we ever have found language to be a barrier before? As a family we once went to Dunkirk for the day. Arriving at a cafe, I took a deep...
Breaking Fast…as a community
Time of Spiritual Reflection As with many religious ceremonies and festivals, they come around each and every year. One that is beguiling in its spiritual understanding and dedication is the...
Hospitality within this Covid-19 Pandemic
A really thought provoking blog from a respected theologian Simon Sutcliffe. I have written about the Guest and Host before in ''Who is the Guest and Host?". What are your...
This is God Calling…or is this God calling?
Throughout history there are accounts of where God has called out to people. God spoke with Moses high up on the mountain, and to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream. God spoke...
Who or What is God
Religion is at its best when it makes us ask hard questions of ourselves. It is at its worst when it deludes us into thinking we have all the answers...
A-bun-dance
What did you think first? I was imagining such a myriad of cakes whizzing around having so much fun, more fun that they could imagine! How does this relate to...
Anxiety on the footpath
But this is just the start - where we continue this and - to use the Government phrase - "ramp it up" after lockdown - to make it 'normal'. There...
It’s ‘we’ not ‘me’…
The very early church - possibly before they got to call themselves church*1 - had some really relevant ways to connect with each other. This is my paraphrase of Acts...
BetaMax: What Is Life?
Today, we are looking to explore what is the meaning of Life. We can search for that illusive meaning of life, not in the Life of Brian, nor Hitchhikers Guide...
Interfaith dialogue to build a stronger community
Today will be the first of four online sessions where we discuss #Hardstuff. Not 'who is eventually going to win the Premier League'; or 'when will we see yeast or...
Churches are A-Zooming!
What might we be willing to change now, and as we, hopefully, move towards the relaxation of 'lockdown'? Where as previously ministers, pastors, call them what you will, were possibly...
Jesus on a #BorisWalk
“The first words of the risen Christ in Luke’s gospel are, “What are you two talking about?” The second: “You idiots!” Pulpit Fiction - Easter 3 As we journey through...
Anxiety throughout our time
Is there a link between our past, the present and the future? I was reading the part when Jesus has come out of the tomb (or grave according to Bond...
Aisle Anxiety
I survived. Venturing into the supermarket, after queueing in the rain for a while, I surveyed the supermarket I was once familiar with but now appeared so distant. We walk...
Where do ‘we’ go from lockdown?
What are the things we need to learn from this lockdown situation? How do we support the return to normality? Currently our buildings are locked, people are not permitted to...
Is this a pivotal moment
Every Easter we may come to this time of the year with our understanding firm. We know why Jesus died, what it means to us. Easter isn’t just one day...
This Easter is so different
Welcome to this, a framework for a Reflective Zoom service, as we consider what Maundy Thursday might mean to us today. We will hear some words, take time to ponder...
Which way?
As we enter the supermarket, if permitted out of the house these days, we need to follow the way. One out of the shop, then one can enter the shop....
Living it not just talking it
This post was originally written prior to the #CoronaVirus Crisis. Hence consideration should be given to how we might consider this in the future, rather than in the here and...
Hello, God that I don’t believe in, do you cry?
This week is, as the one before, unprecedented. Unsure of what to do, how to be, we face "lockdown" probably for the first time in our lives. We certainly have...
Listening to the silence beyond
The rhythmic two-tone notes of the passing train is replaced by the heavy trundling of the lorries along the Halifax Road, where I live in Todmorden. The cat, awakened by...
Reflections – Saliva anyone?
Rather than a candle this week, I thought we might start with a transformative GIF. If we are stressed, it can be good to have that framework, a visible reference...
What to consider – Liquid Church
So, if we are looking to reimagine Church, just what could we consider? Firstly, where and when we meet? The trappings of the past offer significant portals into the past,...
Church – a change?
We may soon be inundated with ideas on how to spend time whilst in self-isolation: be that knitting, praying, drawing or writing - even finding time to complete that 2000...
The Samaritan Women
If you can we might like to light a candle, to pause and watch as it flickers. It allows us to note our breathing, to intentionally give this time to...
Can we look forward to more one-to-one contact?
Popped into Asda today to find people giving every one a wide berth but sharing stories as they inspected the hand sanitiser shelves, devoid of any container other than some...
Choppy water anyone?
I recall, back in 1989, flying from Mount Pleasant airport to the South Georgia as a navigator in the Hercules C-130 to drop airmail. As we descended into the bay...
It was never about fear and shame
Do you remember playing in the street? In my childhood, a few years ago, I recall playing cricket with my best friend, Paul. We played every day. The wicket was...
Tuning In
In recent weeks the Freeview channels have been changed, requiring us to connect and get an update. It may not take us long to find the new channels, or new...
Are we strangers?
I was listening to someone describe an aspect of their life in the past, of the struggles that had faced. They said that they had often passed by the church...
I am ready to go…
Are we ready to go? When we speak of death we talk in hushed tones, or do we look at our feet not wishing to engage eye-to-eye with the one...
Anger, Adultery, Divorce – where is the hope?
As we come to Church today, how do you feel? Tired, after such a week of floods; needing encouragement or bouncing with energy, able to encourage others; remorseful perhaps, due...
POEGTAP – a Guest Post
(written by Roger Munday, lay pastor/preacher at The Church at Blackshaw Head) The baby had a birthday, We made the brandy sauce; We drank his health, and spent our wealth, upon ourselves...
In the busyness
Have you ever gazed at the river or canal and paused. What questions might you ponder? The connectivity between its source and wherever the water flows on to, the sheer...
What could be so different?
When you step away from the 'normal' what do we expect to see? I go to a Church which, it would be fair to say, worships traditionally. How you might...
‘Do we wish to invest in a church-as-we-have-known-it?
Could Church be a verb, not a noun?(The word ‘ecclesia’, often translated to church in our Bibles, doesn’t mean a church building but an assembly, a meeting.) I have been...
Who is the Guest and the Host…
As we wandered down a busy city centre shopping precinct we heard the booming voice "Repent and be saved!" Edinburgh : Princes Street I have to admit to moving towards...
Are we ready for Foreigners?
From this morning's service at Todmorden: Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.For darkness shall cover the earth,...
The Source for 2020
I was driving through the Derbyshire Dales recently. The road snaked through the valleys, perhaps not as pronounced as the ones near to where I live in West Yorkshire; nevertheless,...
New Years Resolutions
Have you thought of any New Year's Resolutions yet?...or reminded yourself of last year's resolutions! How we would go running and get fit!!?... For every half hour we run, we...
What story might we tell?
This was today's Christmas Day service at Todmorden. We welcome you all here today to celebrate Christ’s birth. At the end of this service we will depart to tell others...
When is a Third Place a winner?
Where do we go to relax, to be free to say what we want to? Where could we all go to, to gather, to feel 'at home', to allow relationships...
Blue Christmas 2019
What if the Christmas celebrations are not 'for you' this year? The anniversary of a loved one passing on still brings tears, or that it is so difficult to keep...
What Christmas are you looking for this year?
It's Christmas time when the churches are bedecked with tinsel on Christmas Trees, oranges with cloves poking from every side and candles adorning, and a myriad of different Carol services...
TDOR 2019
"The Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence. With so many seeking to erase transgender people - sometimes in the...
Remembrance 2019
If you can imagine what it is like to be flying during war, to be on an aircraft with 18 others, watching over the skies electronically, directing ‘our’ aircraft towards...
Administration…Liquidation…what’s next for the church?
If administration is the process for a company to escape insolvency, and if that were to fail, liquidation is the ending of a company, the selling off of any assets...
What’s next for the Methodist Church?
On Saturday 19th October, 250+ members of the Methodist Church travelled to Westminster Church House, adjacent to the Houses of Parliament, to consult on the latest policy document from the...
Our Echo Chamber : Who hears us, can we silence ourselves?
Have you ever been in a cave or a tunnel and tried to shout out and then hear the echoes? We hear the reverberations of our voice, perhaps not so...
Which glasses to choose?
Once some animals went to Heaven. The Golden Labrador asked God if it could sit on his left side, to keep him company. The Alsatian asked God if it could...
When did Cheerful mean Hilarious?
Have you been to Baitings Reservoir? I have mentioned it before: it’s my thin place, where I am so close to God. I love the water lapping at the edges...
At the margins
A young man was admitted to 'Accident and Emergency', the family soon arrived to be at his bedside in Intensive Care. The man had fallen from a motorbike and was...
Sharing what’s important
I used to grow my own vegetables. It was really good to come home, tend to the weeding - normally competing with the brassicas - and water/feed the hopeful seedlings....
Faith, running and marriage
“Now Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”, or in another translation “Faith is the Reality of what is hoped for” . Hebrews...
CND – 4 August 2019
Today we mark yet another anniversary, the 74th, of the Little Boy nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima on 6th August 1945; one that brings great sadness, that still today we...
Do we need a building anymore?
I have been struck recently by the tension facing the church today: does it focus upon buildings or the people? Financially, our buildings have become a significant issue for us...
What retail outlets could offer to church
How do you think we could reimagine church? In the past I have looked at the Apple flagship stores, wondered at their retail strategies and reflected how they could be...
Where to go? Walk on by?
I'm on holiday. The weather is fair, the people wonderful and the language very confusing. I have learnt the word pansement this year, as it has been useful to help...
A Good Send Off
We often hear that "we should give <person's name> a good send off..."Why exactly? If we don't manage to give them a 'good send off' will that affect their departure?...
Where next?
I'm often perplexed by the question "After we die, what's next, or where's next?" What's your answer to that question? Some answers relate to living in a mansion, or a...
Easter 2019
On Good Friday many churches have a ‘Walk of Witness’, a procession of individuals who wish to show to their community what it means to them at this time of...
Analysing John’s Gospel
Further to the analysis undertaken using the R function stylo() previously, I was interested in examining whether there was any information to be gained by looking at specifically the Gospel...
Going on Holiday?
As we possibly consider a ‘staycation’ or ‘vacation’ this Summer, I wonder how we see ourselves. The English are often known for grasping the finest intricacies of the foreign language,...
A Walk of Witness?
I have attended many Good Friday services over the years but this year has been so significant. But is Easter relevant to you? This post from the Todmorden Faith blog...
Easter 2019 : In or Out of the Church?
As we approach Palm Sunday, I start to feel that the journey through Lent is nearing its completion. We can see the end: I wonder if the disciples did? When...
What are Todmorden Faith doing?
Here's a post from the Todmorden Faith group, from their latest meeting: #TodmordenFaith https://todmordenfaith.co.uk/?p=122 Were you aware that there are 198 listed ways to conduct nonviolent direct action? We heard...
Mother’s Day because we all have mothers….
It's that time of the year, well for the UK, just after Valentine's Day when we look to buy lots of cards, chocolates and flowers to celebrate our Mum. Yes,...
Ashing to Go?
The day after Shrove Tuesday (a la Pancake day) is Ash Wednesday. It seems that this is either noted in ecclesial circles with an Ash Wednesday Service including the Ashes...
Fasting: from what?
For some, as we approach the period of Lent, people can decide to fast, to abstain from food and/or drink – but why?
I want Lent .. to affect not only the next 40 days
but also the next 40 years
Rachel Held-Evans
In my younger days (!) I have given up chocolate, sweets and/or alcohol. But now I look back and wonder to what benefit, and to whom? Therefore, in our second meeting of the Faith group, 
where we … Read the remainder
Where do we fit?
For some people they have lived in the valley all their life, for others they have moved every few years. When I left education it was expected that we should...
Faith frozen
When you mention the word church, what do you notice? I wonder whether people have a specific view, a certain perspective born from many year's of understanding. This 'wisdom' may...
Todmorden Faith : Same Sex Marriage
Welcome to the first meeting of the monthly 'Faith' group where we look to establish a way to become an even stronger community in Todmorden, willing to engage constructively with...
How do you express faith in 2019?
At Kava, every first Sunday of every month, we start to look at a new community where we can discuss openly 'what does faith look like in 2019?'. We want...
Death Café
What a liberating time! To talk openly about death, those issues which are generally taboo. How times have changed. Why are we so reticent to talk about death? Here are...
Can we analyse the Bible?
I was taken by one data scientist who wanted to textually analyse the New Testament using software. What could they reveal from merely using some statistics to count the frequency of the words used in each book? Surely they would need to know more about the authorship as we, or rather scholars, have discerned?
We are informed that a number of the New Testament books may have been written pseudographically, written in the name of one by another. This was … Read the remainder
TDOR2018
It has been a week or so since the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). It was a surreal moment – not really because it was bizarre but due to the beauty and serenity of the service.
We drew the words used for the service from Susan Gilchrist’s wonderful post on the Corrymeela website . We used the 2017 version but we adapted it to help with the expected congregation. We had spoken with some people from the LGBTQIA community: some … Read the remainder
Spies
If you were a spy, what information might you be looking to gain, to bring back? Who would you be delivering that information to? How might you gain that information?...
Remembrance 2018
On 4th May 1999 an aircraft took off from the capital and started to climb. It slowly circled the limits of the city, eventually reaching the upper twenty thousands of...
Redefining Church for today?
I read this Tweet yesterday : "When did we see you at the border and turn you away?" And Jesus said, "Whatever you did to the thousands of Guatemalan men,...
Hopeful Universalism and a Gentle Alternative
via Hopeful Universalism and a Gentle Alternative
Bums on seats?
On 28th October 312 Christendom was born. That battle between Constantine 1 and Maxentius saw the former seeing a vision of a cross of light and the words “in this...
How do we all ‘fit’ in a Church Without Walls?
It's been a month now. A month into active ministry, whatever exactly that means, where as a Minister I look to support and facilitate faith in a beautiful town in...
Prayer is a Revolutionary Act (@stphotina)
This blogpost is amazing, very highly recommended. https://sacredwells.blogspot.com/2018/09/prayer-as-revolutionary-act.html
Is God vengeful or loving?
Do we really believe that God is vengeful? 'Why did Jesus die?' has always been a difficult question. It is tragic, barbaric but one that we address each year. I...
Bread & Debit Cards
It has been a strange week. We have been waiting upon a rotary washing line to be delivered so we can make good on this Yorkshire breeze which frequents this...
Is God male or female?
This is a wonderful example of the work of Marg Mowczko, (https://twitter.com/MargMowczko/) which I would highly recommend. https://margmowczko.com/is-god-male-or-masculine/ What are your thoughts?
For my friends setting out in ministry
This blog has really engaged me, positively, as I prepare for ministry myself. It contains wise words, from the other side, from within ministry and it speaks back to those...
On a journey
I recall one trek from my youth, where it was a constant slog of 'up and down dale' albeit we were no where near Derbyshire or Yorkshire, we ended up...
Feeding the 5000
Come with me to a quiet place and get some rest I saw so many people coming towards us. Thousands descended the hill, like ants, apparently changing the texture of...
What is Yorkshire saying to us?
We have arrived in a market town in West Yorkshire: Lancashire bounds its western boundary and the River Calder and Rochdale Canal sweep through the town centre. The hills, mainly...
Pride afterthoughts
It was an incredible day, one we will remember for a long, long time. We go to Pride each year to celebrate the diversity in people’s lives, to show that...
London Pride 2018
Someone turned up the heat, added an alternative such as #SweEng and STILL the people, possibly a million, thronged London's streets to celebrate humanities diversity...and with so much joy. Here...
What can change in 2 years?
I have come to the end of my time at The Queen's Foundation in Birmingham. To explain, this is the college where Methodists receive pre-ordination training prior to being sent...
Prayers for Others
I invite you to focus upon the Communion Table. It's construction appears strong. The grain of the wood flows in similar lines, although some lines waiver, even going around in...
Mustard Seed or the Coconut – Making Disciples
In this Chapter within the Gospel of Mark we will have already been aware of the Parable of the Sower and whether we should keep a light under a basket...
What time is it?
Kneeling down, I reached down to put my hand on his, to comfort him, to link my fingers in his, like we did years ago. I felt a response, a...
What is ‘end of life’ like?
"Does it hurt?" is a question I have recently heard. My generation might have considered our lives to last 3 score years and ten. Today, with an increasing proportion of...
Foot Washing?
We don't often wash feet these days, it's just not the done thing. It is too personal, in people's personal space. I invite you to accompany me to a busy...