Author: stuart

  • be christian sunday

    Alternatively:  Racial Justice Sunday! Racial Justice Sunday is yet another sunday during the year set aside for a particular cause.  I often wonder why we are still in need of such sundays?  How about we just have a ‘be christian sunday’ or a ‘Follow christ’s teaching for once sunday’ and be done with it.  What…

  • a song of the earth?

    a song of the earth?

    Written for Greenbelt 2014 Travelling light at the ‘Grove’ (There is a bit of a nod to EB Browning and Harry Potter if you can spot them!!) ( For two voices from one person. a cross concerned confused voice  -::-  and an inquisitive excited soul  ) a song of the earth? You’ve got dirt on…

  • Praying for peace

    I’m sure you like me have been watching in disbelief as people around the world are killed because of their religion or because of where they live or because they are in the way of someone else’s dreams.  And I find myself asking what is the use of praying for peace.  I suppose then it…

  • Make Bread, not War

    Make Bread, not War

    Make Bread not War.  If you receive the weekly news sheet from the Diocese, ‘StAR’, you’ll notice a proliferation of services, vigils and the like for today, tomorrow and the coming weeks to mark the beginning of the First World War.  And here we are celebrating Lammas, Loaf-mass,  Make Bread not War.  It makes me…

  • Bubbles of the Kingdom and the Love Commandments

    Bubbles of the Kingdom and the Love Commandments

    How are we to share the kingdom of heaven?  Since I’ve recently debunked the myth of our ability to pray for rain etc…  Perhaps I should continue the myth busting by saying that heaven is not in the sky.  I have to say that I think John Lennon was almost right with “Imagine there’s no…

  • Gin-O'Clock yet?

    Gin-O'Clock yet?

    Life would be much simpler if there was a given time each day at which it could be declared ‘Gin-O’Clock’. i.e. the point in the day after which one does not then need to dash out in a great hurry for something or other… That’s all i’m saying…

  • Jesus, Weeds, Wheat or Flower?

    I took the funeral of a scaffolder once.  They said he had a unique perspective on life, not surprising really since most of his working life he spent was above ground looking down.  Without taking quite such drastic actions it always pays to take a step back for a moment to see how things are…

  • the sarcasm of Jesus growing seeds with weeds

    the sarcasm of Jesus growing seeds with weeds

    It seems almost customary on special occasions to make a plea for ‘fine weather’ or have a word or two ‘upstairs’.  There are still one or two people who expect the vicar to have a special hotline for such things as the weather.  Well, I no more control the weather, i’m sorry to say, than…

  • Playtime, Jesus, and summer festivals

    Playtime, Jesus, and summer festivals

    Anyone who has spent any time at all in a school playground will know that break times are a perfect opportunity for children to let off steam, play games and without knowing it prepare themselves for later life by forging social relations and practising with friends and peers and the MDSA’s what we called ‘dinner…

  • Chalk and Cheese

    Chalk and Cheese

    A bit like Chalk and Cheese or Harold and Hilda, Hay and Straw even, Peter and Paul are alike, but different.  If I can add one more pair into that – Deacon and Priest.  Alike but different.  Yesterday we saw Lorraine and Sam ordained as priests and Jonathan as a deacon.  I’ll return for a…