Lots of things about my work at the West London Mission excite me but I am particularly excited about this new post of Chaplain that we are currently advertising. We are looking for someone who can offer prayer and spiritual support to users and residents of our services. Although we are a fairly small organisation, we operate… Continue reading New job at WLM: Homelessness, Addictions, Offending – what’s faith got to do with it?
Neither sycophancy nor cynicism: Danny Boyle & the right kind of patriotism
I love sport and have always enjoyed the Olympics but I have never watched an Opening Ceremony until last night. I guess I have never understood what the point of it all is. But last night, I was blown away by the power and pride generated by Danny Boyle's crazy cocktail of comedy, history, dance… Continue reading Neither sycophancy nor cynicism: Danny Boyle & the right kind of patriotism
Learning from those who never got there: what Bonhoeffer and King teach me about reaching 40
Last month, I was 40. It's a time to stand back, to reflect and take stock...and invest in moisturiser. Especially when one of my son's friends thought I was 60! In recent years, two of the biggest influences on me have been the writings and example of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King. In some ways,… Continue reading Learning from those who never got there: what Bonhoeffer and King teach me about reaching 40
That figures: what the census numbers feel like
The first figures from the England and Wales census (pdf file) were released today and here's a quick look at how they back up (or not) the changes that we've felt since 2001. 1. The North is getting emptier The overwhelming majority of local authority areas significantly grew in population – the mean average being… Continue reading That figures: what the census numbers feel like
Stop Thieves! The Olympics have been sanitised and stolen
I was excited enough about the Olympics to apply to be a part of the huge phalanx of volunteers needed to run the games starting in two weeks. One of the reasons I eventually turned down the place I was offered was that I wasn’t sure whether I could stomach wearing a t-shirt advertising McDonalds.… Continue reading Stop Thieves! The Olympics have been sanitised and stolen
‘Everyone can be great, because anyone can serve’
Photo by Hugo Magalhaes on Pexels.com ‘Long before and after Jesus, prophets and philosophers have been trying to reconcile the fullest individuality with the most just community. Greatness of servanthood may have been as good an answer as any ever found. The best woman or man was the one who did the most for the… Continue reading ‘Everyone can be great, because anyone can serve’
How ‘Surprised by Hope’ changed my whole outlook on life & death – by Mari Williams
What is the Christian hope? What does the Bible say about life after death? What are the implications for life before death? Tom Wright tackles these and other questions in his seminal book Surprised by Hope. It’s dense but engaging, rooted in Scripture, and it’s changing the way I think, pray and act. I won’t… Continue reading How ‘Surprised by Hope’ changed my whole outlook on life & death – by Mari Williams
Into the Blue: Labour’s re-discovery of its conservative roots – by Ian Geary
In 2010 the theologian Phillip Blond published his influential book Red Tory which criticised both left and right wing’s failures to solving Britain’s problems. From within the Labour Party, the Jewish academic, Maurice Glasman, has led a movement called ‘Blue Labour’. It’s a collection of ideas which emphasises the centrality of faith institutions, the importance… Continue reading Into the Blue: Labour’s re-discovery of its conservative roots – by Ian Geary
Which is more important: what is done on the pavement or what is said on the platform?
Photo by Steve Johnson on Pexels.com When I worked for Shaftesbury - now Livability - helping churches engage in social action, I had a boss who would often challenge our team with this question: was our work making a difference on the pavement or was it more about the platforms of church meetings and conferences? In other words,… Continue reading Which is more important: what is done on the pavement or what is said on the platform?
Drowning in the Shallow – Andy Flannagan [Review]
I must admit that I am not a big fan of a lot of contemporary Christian music. Too often, I find the lyrics can be trite and too detached from the difficulties and complexity of real life. Often laments for our broken world tend to be both more poetic and more moving from those outside the Church rather than… Continue reading Drowning in the Shallow – Andy Flannagan [Review]
