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...
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?...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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
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...
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...
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!...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Methodist – A Movement
This week in the Church of England Synod there will be a discussion relating to this document: MISSION AND MINISTRY IN COVENANT. It provides some detail in how the Church...
Promises in the 21st Century
Every year the Methodist Church invites its congregations to reflect upon the Covenant Prayer. It is central to Methodists' devotion and discipleship, and their driver in working for social justice. In...
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...
Closure
We are surrounded by boxes: most sealed, some beckoning to us to be filled to capacity. Many more objects confront us as we enter rooms demanding that we do not...
Our Father
Asked to lead a Service with the Lectionary referring to the Lord's Prayer I felt that calling to meet with this text in a different manner. Here's my take. In Judaism...
A dispersed monastic order in the 21st Century?
As a mathematician I enjoy looking at orders, to see whether they follow a prescribed pattern. Mathematics is merely a science to seek out a pattern, logical way of describing...
The start of the Journey
It's difficult to locate the source of a river. We can track across the land, looking hard for those signs where the water starts to emerge from the hill. Possibly...