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...
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?...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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:...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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?...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 -...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
![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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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
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...
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?...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The Call
When someone in authority calls you on the telephone and you hear the words "please come as soon as possible", what are your thoughts? We live 120 miles from the...