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...
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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...
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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,...