Jesus the Good shepherd

Having spent most of my life growing up in Oldham my exposure to sheep has been limited mainly to a nice warm woolly jumper of a tasty piece of lamb with a dollop of mint sauce, beautiful. I do think thought that sheep get rather a bad reputation for being belligerent, stupid, not doing as they are told, getting themselves stuck in things or just behaving in a bit of an odd way however they are also quite cute and loveable, I had a friend who was obsessed with sheep when we were younger which I never quite understood … More Jesus the Good shepherd

Vicar’s Letter to the Parish for July 2024

The image that marked out the earliest Christians was Christ the Good Shepherd.  It’s this face that you see when you explore their earliest burial sites – such as the Catacombs of St Callistos on the Appia Antica, which I climbed down into in April with our son Nick.  Some might expect a Cross, to symbolise Christ’s achievement, or the Fish. But no.  The face of the Good Shepherd mattered more – as a sign of who Christ is, his resurrection, his ultimate victory over sin and death … More Vicar’s Letter to the Parish for July 2024

Abundant life

It is traditional in the sermon on the day of the APCM to talk about the life of the church over the last year. Quite honestly, I simply don’t want to do that. We have suffered from bereavements – our beloved Deborah, and others as well and we have had to contend with practical problems in the shape of electric wiring and boilers. So many people have contended with illness, accidents and family issues and yet have continued to contribute to the life of the church. And the backdrop has been a country in political turmoil, a cost-of-living crisis and wars in Ukraine and now Sudan. Enough said. We have survived. We have in many ways got back to normal after covid. We can congratulate ourselves that we have had the strength and courage to persevere. Just staying afloat has been an achievement … More Abundant life

The Good Shepherd

In our Gospel reading today Jesus is walking in the temple and is again questioned by the Jews if he is the Messiah. He answers by asking them, and us, if we believe we belong to his flock of sheep. He says that his sheep know him hear his voice and follow him. He will never leave them and will give eternal life to all who follow … More The Good Shepherd