Faith, transformation & social justice
A few weeks ago I saw this quote from Audrey Hepburn posted on social media: ‘The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it's all that matters’. I see lots of quotes posted on social media and usually I just scroll past. But this quote jumped out at me.… Continue reading Why life is not just about being happy – by Laura Cuthill
Photo by Timur Weber on Pexels.com I’ve spent the last couple of decades working in social action and for the last 15 years almost exclusively with those experiencing street homelessness and its surrounding issues. In the last three years, I’ve moved into full time church leadership. For this reason that I was acutely struck by… Continue reading Soothing poverty or slaying it? – by Phil Conn
Photo by Rachel Claire on Pexels.com Deconstruction isn't merely a buzzword; it's a profound existential journey that countless souls embark upon. It's about shedding the old, the familiar, the once-unchallenged bastions of theological certainty. We're talking about those systems and structures that held us tight, promising safety and solace in a world teeming with uncertainties.… Continue reading Deconstruction – by Jon Swales
Photo by Enrico Perini on Pexels.com I have worked for twenty years in Bradford tackling homelessness and food insecurity. Reading Grace+Truth over the years has helped me to reflect on the approach I have taken. Its good to be self-critical and I have always been challenged by the thought that our work might be part… Continue reading Fences or ambulances on the cliff-edge of poverty? – by Juli Thompson
Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com On the Friday before Christmas, I hurried from my office to our church's outreach meal. Over the past two decades, my work life has focused on ways to help people overcome homelessness. However, as my career and the issue of homelessness have become increasingly interconnected, I've naturally moved away… Continue reading Feeding the hunger for community – by Simon Dwight
Photo by Tyler Lastovich on Pexels.com In John’s gospel, there is a story of Jesus’ one-to-one conversation with a man lying by the ‘Pool of Bethesda’ which was famed for its healing powers (chapter 5). John’s Jesus asks the man starkly: “Do you want to get well?” The man replies with a series of excuses… Continue reading Complicity or challenge? Responding to self-limiting excuses – by Keith Hebden
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com In times of explosive and frightening polarisation one can despair of finding common ground. I grew up in such a world, a teenager in the mid 1980s, at the height of the Cold War. The US and the USSR held two competing ideologies, totally incomprehensible to each other. They were… Continue reading Overcoming polarisation, avoiding disaster – by Jonathan Thomas
As temperatures drop and the nights close in, many of us may start to think about Christmas plans or cosy nights watching Strictly with the family. But for millions in the UK, the winter season comes with a creeping dread. For many, the cold and dark leaves them increasingly isolated and lonely and they contemplate… Continue reading Coming for warmth, but staying for the welcome – by David Barclay
‘The Great Escaper’, starring Michael Caine and the late Glenda Jackson, tells the true story of Bernie Jordan who ‘escapes’ from his seaside care home to attend the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in France. Its a film that gives a fascinating insight into the lives of many older people, both positive and negative.… Continue reading What we can all learn from ‘The Great Escaper’ – by Jeremy Sharpe
As a result of the death of dear friends, I have been reflecting on the fact I’m closer to the end of my life than to the beginning. This has led me to wonder, if this is the last message I have to give, what would I want to say? The longer I live, the… Continue reading My Last Message (a short talk on love) – by Dave Andrews
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