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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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?...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ‘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...
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...
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...
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,...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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?...
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...
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,...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
Reflection on Hope and Turtle Doves
Luke 2:22-40 This is a copy of my reflection given at Cambridge Road Methodist Church, Birmingham, on New Year's Eve 2017 Did you enjoy Christmas? Was it a time for...
Pride 2017
With the superbly positive movements within the Church of England in the air* it was wonderful to be at Pride celebrating the opportunity for those in the LGBT community to...
The Walk of Witness
Today, on Good Friday, across the country many churches have left their buildings and made a Walk of Witness through their town or city. This procession, this solemn walking service,...
Nativity – where are we in the scene?
Today many celebrate Jesus' birth. In some form of space-time continuum we may see both Jesus as a babe, with parents lovingly gazing at the crib, the Shepherds admiring the Christ-child and...