Last year I posted about what I learned by sharing images of the Nativity from around the world. I repeated this task during Advent in 2024. It still helps me understand that God comes to us where we are. He loves all of his children- and I share all of the images from this year.
I love Christmas! One of my earliest ‘religious’ memories is of Christmas when I was about five or six years of age. On Christmas Eve my mum took my brother and me to a Christmas Eve service at the local Church, where we held Christingles. Maybe this sticks in my mind because there is a … More Christ as the Light of the World
This post reflects on lessons of discipleship learned from Elphaba in Wicked, contrasting her nuanced character with the one-dimensional villain in The Wizard of Oz. It emphasizes responding to social injustices and embodying Christlike love toward all. The call to serve extends beyond comfort zones, advocating for integrity and compassion in every action. … More Lessons from Elphaba: Discipleship Through Wicked
This post is the prepared text given as the Alf Keeling Memorial Lecture for the Altrincham Interfaith Group on 12th November 2024 “In the beginning…” is how Creation starts in Genesis, but it’s not really so. In most accounts of creation there is not a beginning, rather a continuation. Terry Pratchett in his Discworld novel, … More Where did we come from? Questions and Answers from Creation Stories
Over the last couple of months I have received messages from two friends. Both have them have asked me very similar questions. Essentially, the question is “We have a loving Heavenly Father, why would he insist that we participate in ordinances and engage in covenants? Surely, his love is enough to save us without the … More The importance of covenants
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Over the period of Advent I have been sharing different images of the Nativity from around the world on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. I have been doing this as a Christian, and also as someone involved in Religious Education. The criteria for choosing the images have been subjective and usually surrounded what appealed to me … More The Global Nativity
Yesterday I posted about the breakdown of the ‘other’ religion category in the 2021 Census. Much has rightly been made of the increase in no religion, and the diversity of what this category means. Also, of the decrease in those identifying as Christian. There are many questions that surround these developments- not least of which … More Difference in religion 2011-2021
This morning (29/11/22) the data set about religion and belief in England and Wales was released. The headlines focussed on the changes in the numbers of the ‘big six’ (see Holt, 2019) as well as an increase in the numbers of those answering ‘no religion’. The headlines form the Office for National Statistics (ONS) outlined: For … More Other Religions in the 2021 England and Wales Census
This is the text of a short talk given to the Altrincham Interfaith Group on 15th September 2022. There is much more to say but this is what I managed to fit into 12 minutes. Words have power. That is undeniable- they can build up, they can inspire, they can tear down and they can … More A Christian view of freedom of speech
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