There are many obvious forms of status anxiety, such as worrying about the brand of the car we drive, the location of our home or the success of our careers. But a more subtle version relates to our concern for how much we are seen as someone who is compassionate or concerned for social justice.… Continue reading Dealing with status anxiety
Why Prince Philip’s death moves us – by Jon Yates
On 17th April, they will put him in a box. And we will stop and slow and pay respects to a man we did not know. They had put him in a box before, of course. A one year old refugee lying where fruit should have been, saved by a British warship, fleeing from home.… Continue reading Why Prince Philip’s death moves us – by Jon Yates
Saturday – by Cathy Westby
And here we standAnd here we liveStillShell shocked, heart bruised, exhaustedBy the losses we have witnessedAnd the pain we have felt. We hold tight,White-knuckledTo the promise of tomorrow.We declareThrough gritted teethThe faithfulness we know to be true And tomorrow will comeWith its bright new freedomsAnd hope for aheadWe will sing, and laughAnd dance together again.Even… Continue reading Saturday – by Cathy Westby
The divine and the dusty
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com It’s easy to see why problems with the Church turn people off the Christian faith. The evangelical tradition of the church is currently in the spotlight due to the Ravi Zacharias and Jonathan Fletcher scandals, but no part of the church is immune. I remember the physical shock I… Continue reading The divine and the dusty
When arrogance is institutionalised
The report into the behaviour of the Church of England Minister Jonathan Fletcher was published by the safeguarding agency 31:8 this week. It is a devastating catalogue of coercion, control, bullying and abuse carried out by someone held in such esteem within the conservative evangelical world. The report reveals Fletcher’s penchant for dishing out… Continue reading When arrogance is institutionalised
What the Church can learn from addicts
In my last job, I was based in a church building which hosted a huge range of 12 Step recovery groups in its basement. The most famous of these is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), but there were also groups specifically for people struggling with many of the compulsive behaviours that Brand lists above. Disarming In my… Continue reading What the Church can learn from addicts
St Patrick & the power of the gospel
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com I will never forget being in Sydney in March many years ago and being part of a huge green party. A city on the other side of the world from Ireland was awash with shamrocks and Guinness hats. St Patrick's Day is a national holiday in Ireland and a celebration… Continue reading St Patrick & the power of the gospel
Hero-worship & our need of humility
Many in the Church have been rocked by the confirmations of serious and sustained sexual abuse which have emerged from the investigation into the Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias. An independent report laid bare decades of his coercive and abusive behaviour which have caused untold damage to victims. There have been similar reactions to the disclosures… Continue reading Hero-worship & our need of humility
No one deserves to battle alone – by Hannah Ryland
Hannah Ryland with her late dad, Stuart Hi, my name is Hannah. I’m 16, and recently, I lost my dad, suddenly, to suicide. He suffered with his mental health, from what we’ve discerned it was undiagnosed bipolar disorder, for 35 years, and not once did he receive any proper support for it. He always said… Continue reading No one deserves to battle alone – by Hannah Ryland
Men and the menopause…and other period-dramas
Photo by Min An on Pexels.com I will never forget a trip to the supermarket with my Mum when I was about 12. As we unpacked the trolley, I held up one item and said quite loudly ‘What kind of towels are these? They’re tiny!’ The cashier suppressed a laugh and my Mum looked a… Continue reading Men and the menopause…and other period-dramas
Grace + Truth 