It’s now 14 years since my ordination, I served for 20 years as a volunteer in ministry prior to that. I admit to having felt tired for the last six months; not exhausted or burnt out, but more emotionally tired than physically or spiritually.
Three Crosses, Two Criminals, One Innocent Man
Three Deaths, Two Responses, One Man Saved
A year ago today I was a little bit hasty getting up off the floor after putting on my shoes, and less than a second later I had injured my knee. It was a tiny, seemingly innocuous movement, which subsequently had a massive impact on my year.
The human body has a remarkable ability to self-heal. Physical scars can be ugly, but they are a sign that healing has taken place. A scar is a mark of restoration, and a sign of healing. The same can be true of emotional scars.
Tracy likes to collect sea glass : fragments of broken and worthless glass which have been worn down and dulled by the movement of the ocean. When she goes out looking for sea glass, she has to tune herself in to what she’s looking for. There are plenty of other distractions, countless different shapes & sizes of rocks, pebbles, shingle.…
Last year was a bit of a blow out in oh so many ways.
Aside from the pandemic and its associated lockdowns, there were also significant changes & challenges at Church. One of the things which suffered was my running. By the end of the year my running stats were woeful…
One of the lessons I’ve learned again during this year is that life is short and unpredictable, and we need to make the most of every moment we’re blessed with.
Jesus’ conversation with a Samaritan woman teaches us that it’s not important where we worship, as God isn’t limited by location, it’s not about place or tradition – what matters is who we worship and how.
I feel outrage at the death of George Floyd, and saddened at the way those protesting for justice have been treated. But I know I don’t fully understand the horror of the situation that others feel so acutely.
Recently we had a couple of children (9 & 11) who expressed a desire to be baptised, both having come to faith a short while ago. We were thrilled, but aware that we’ve not baptised children before and that our usual ‘prep’ wouldn’t be appropriate. Ahead of the Baptism service at Easter, I produced a two-sided worksheet; the first side…
Following a sudden death in a family in our church I’ve produced a set of cards to help the family communicate as they grieve. The idea is for a child/young person (or parent) to complete the card highlighting a particular feeling/frustration then hand it to a family member/friend to inform them how they’re feeling and allow them to respond appropriately.…