Last month Rev Deborah and I chose the theme of walking with Jesus for Messy Church.
We began with an activity about his birth and then focussed on a couple of parables and miracles. Trying to imagine ourselves walking with Jesus as the disciples had, watching and learning from him … More Walking with Jesus
Welcome to our service of Holy Communion for Sunday 29 August, the 13th after Trinity. This morning we consider what Jesus had to say about being inwardly and outwardly pure – in our words and actions … More Being pure in heart
What image comes to your mind when you think of someone or something that’s really clean inside and out? For me it is the image of a baby/child at their Baptism. They are brought to the font with a clean heart and are baptised with Holy Water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit … More August 29 Trinity 13 Clean Inside and Out
In January 2017 I had the enormous good fortune to witness the Northern Lights not just once, but on three consecutive nights. I was in Saariselka, Lapland, deep inside the Arctic Circle … More Northern Lights (Ola Gjeilo, 1978-present)
I remember a few years ago when I went to America for the first time we landed in California and went to get a meal at the airport before travelling to our destination. I was surprised to find a card on the table explaining that a glass of water was no longer routinely served with food. There was a drought, and water could only be supplied on request. … More The God who intervenes
Anthony Bloom, a leader in the Orthodox Church, wrote many books on prayer and meditation. One piece of advice has stuck in my mind. If you are choosing a piece of scripture for meditation, choose either a passage that really sets your heart on fire, or one that you find really difficult … More Duelling with God
Unfortunately we were unable to livestream our service of holy communion for Sunday 22 August – the 12th after Trinity. Our guest preacher was Rev Lorraine Cooke. Here are the hymns and readings … More Standing with Jesus
One of the most thought-provoking statements about church I have come across is:
“The Church exists primarily for the sake of those who are still outside it.”
It was said by William Temple over 75 years ago and has been much quoted since. One might argue that he goes too far, that a church where the care of faithful members is not a priority has lost its way, but nevertheless we are challenged by it. The church is most definitely not a club for likeminded people. … More All Are Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our service of Holy Communion for Sunday 1 August – the tenth after Trinity. We begin with the hymn Guide me O thou Great Redeemer” … More Bread of Life
I think most readers of these articles know that for me, music is a key component of worship. This came up in a recent Bible Study discussion about worship, and I commented how frustrating it is when congregants complain that they didn’t know all the hymns … More When all else fails, Listen
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 