The bag

The bag

Carried a full bag of God for ages. One day realised it was empty. Dumped the bag, travelled lighter, contents still with me. #ikonstory Can you write your own God story? For Greenbelt 2011 tweet with #ikonstory, no links though!

Read more »

Leaving assembly

Not just the leaving prayer this year but a whole 5 minutes. Cue balloons. You will need one modelling balloon, preferably a long one, and a pump. Blow it up all the way taking about how we fill ourselves with information over the year. Then let it go, (the children love this bit) and mention that we hope they don’t lose all they have learnt over the summer like the balloon lost its air. Start again.  This time inflate to 3/4 and tie off.  The make the following bubbles whilst talking about all the different, unconnected things one might...

Read more »

Yn ‘Y Nant’

Yn ‘Y Nant’

Mae’n bwrw glaw yn sobor iawn yn Nant Gwrtheyrn, ddim syndod o gwbl wrth gwrs.  Ac, y cwrs heddiw ydy ynglyn yr Eglwys, ac y taith pererinion.  Wel, diolch yn fawr iawn Pegi! Dwi’n teimlo fel Gyrwr Bws ar gwyliau…

Read more »

What you see

What you see

Can you hear the cry of the city? ‘ Big Issue ‘ ‘ Big Issue ‘ Is the cry of the street vendor and they are right, there are so many Big Issues.  And Yet,  There is a way of walking in the city, purposeful, focussed, absent.  Does the ‘Shelter Cymru’ fund-raiser, (with the red bib and clipboard) make this even more ironic?  As dogs with their companions occupy vacant doorways – how many there are, yet how silent the city.  Gangs of smokers lurk at back entrances to offices, the new staff room.  Eager concert goers queue by...

Read more »

When in Glasgow…

When in Glasgow…

When in Glasgow, it would be rude not to partake of local delicacies.  Arrive at Central station, exit onto Gordon St.  Turn left, head for the fireman, cross the road ahead of you  and you’ll find a purveyor of fine goods such as pictured here.  Nothing quite like a haggis after a long day’s meeting!

Read more »

A world away…

IMG_0247

A.R.T Private Garden.  For visits and more information please contact … etc This sign doesn’t do justice to the glories which are contained within its walls!  Walking the paths, every sense is assaulted with sights, sounds, smells, tastes, colours, textures.  Mint, pepper and citrus, all come together.  Some plants in flower, some in fruit, some shoots barely showing through the ground.  The mind is overwhelmed by the diversity.  Try to do one thing at a time they say – this garden does 500 things at once.  It must be a female garden!  All plants are working in harmony and...

Read more »

Random College Entry

  • Hands on the rail

    Today was the first day of the new term. Along with the hour and a half Methodist covenant service which normally accompanies the beginning of the spring term, there was a really good insightful sermon by the newly licensed member of staff, ending with the words from the Iona community’s morning prayer: ‘We will not offer to god, offerings that cost us nothing.’ However, it was not that, that struck me the most today. Whilst on the rural ministry project, one of the incumbents said that during the distribution of communion he rarely met peoples eyes, but looked at their hands. Far from the thoughts of not dropping the host, he was concerned with the story the hands of those at the communion rail told I suspect ours today, mine included, would be a little too well manicured and clean to be at home in many churches he ministered to. Perhaps though, it is the clean and well manicured hands that are the dirtiest of all.

Umeed on Justgiving

Helping the poorest women and children in PakistanUmeed Justgiving