…being a young man I was ‘pounced’ on by other members of the congregation and, in fairly quick succession become a member of the choir, a Bible Study group, and had a seat on the Parochial Church Council. Rich ground for a large helping of ‘smugness á la Screwtape’!
The solution for being sinned against (perceived or real) can never be to sin back but can only ever be the free-will offering of forgiveness and love.
There are many other ways to enliven ‘rote’ prayers and each of us will find that which helps us focus best on the intention rather than the list. It is a good discipline to re-visit our prayer routines frequently so that they are about the life-giving Spirit and do not become a dead letter.
There is no purpose in seeking the Gifts of the Spirit in our personal piety if those around us cannot harvest the Fruits of the Spirit from our devotions
At Epiphany we cannot all make offerings of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh but we can give our hearts and with them our treasure, our worship and our failings.
When it comes to the birth of a child things are never ‘Quite what we had expected’
But even when things go wrong God has a plan
It’s all in the timing?
Is the Christian faith about ‘Pie in the Sky when you die’ and waiting for that day to arrive or is it about living eternity now?
Survivors of Sexual Abuse carry their wounds, often hidden deep within them, for the whole of their life. What hope for healing is there for them, for the church, and for a society that blames victims rather than their attackers?
The point of prayer is not the sort or type of prayer.
The point of prayer is the fact of prayer. God does not measure our prayers by their wordiness, orthodoxy or chance of success but simply by them being made
Jesus commands us to invite only those who cannot repay us but whoever we invite to eat with us there is always a price to be paid.
Suffolk Vicar 