Here we are coming up to our second Christmas in Salford Priors and feeling at home. Photos by month, no apologies for excess of Charlie pics - he's the best looking member of the family. January: We went on holiday to Scotland with Matthew and Stine and we even skied! February: a very sad and... Continue Reading →
Waking at Sea
I woke and saw the sunlight pouring through the break in the clouds, Pooling onto the slate grey surface of the sea. A far off mystery. The dancing light shimmering silver on the dull iron surface. But, as if I had been observed, the pool became a path, It walked across the water, Slowly, Steadily,... Continue Reading →
God doesn’t want to be understood
Why do we think God wants to be understood? I guess it's because in most of our relationships we ourselves expect to be understood and we strive, if possible, to understand the other. Mutual understanding is par for the course for a good relationship and who doesn't want to have a good relationship with God?... Continue Reading →
The City – Book Review
Here is my friend Cathy's sequel to The Gifts . Well done Cathy! Her amazing imagination and incredible capacity to create names and geography for a whole new world have once again been applied to this follow up story which (no plot spoilers) ends with a sense of completeness. It starts with a very violent... Continue Reading →
Christmas Greeting Letter
To make up for our lack in the Christmas card department, we offer you this little video of out-takes from an attempt to create a video of us reading a Christmas story for children linked to our church's Facebook group. We did actually succeed in making the video in the end (but the dog, not... Continue Reading →
Another New (and beautifully loud) experience
Today I did something for the first time: I was shown part of how to ring a church bell and allowed to have a go!Very exciting as I've never served in a church which has bells before and St Matthew's Salford Priors has eight - apparently when they all get going the whole tower sways.... Continue Reading →
A Beautiful Oasis – the Joys of Open Water Swimming
Why would I want to swim in a lake?
A ‘silent’ retreat at beautiful St Beuno’s
If the idea of a 'silent' retreat doesn't appeal... let me try to persuade you and clarify. Firstly you are not totally silent. You do speak to a spiritual director once a day at the same time each day and he/she helps you attend to your inner world and attend to how God may be... Continue Reading →
Grief and glory: the thief on the cross
In case any of you want to revisit one of the first sermons I gave at St Peter and St John's in Nov 2013 (how lovely that St Andrews Benn school featured right at the start and right at the end of my ministry here) One of my first sermons here Nov 2013 This week... Continue Reading →
Church: factions and fractions. Part 1
Anyone who has been part of a church for any length of time has survived (or not) some kind of disagreement. Soon the much anticipated Living in Love and Faith Resources will be published by the Church of England working group who have been working on the church's response to issues of sexuality and gender.... Continue Reading →