Month: February 2025

SPHEREX,  a powerful new telescope, is being launched into space in the next few days. All galaxies emit a form of radiation invisible to the human eye known as infra-red radiation and this is what SPHEREX observes. By measuring this, we can learn about the origins both of the galaxies and the universe. Thus the telescope is on a journey to learn about the physical centre of all things. Co-incidentally, this coming week marks the start of Lent with Ash Wednesday, 5^th March. After Shrove Tuesday (pancake day), traditionally Christians observe 40 days of reflection, marking the time that Jesus is said to have spent in the wilderness at the start of his ministry, as he pondered what form it should take. If Lent features at all in the popular imagination these days it is a time of denial, of giving up items, often luxuries such as chocolate or alcohol. That can be part of it, but it is much more than a life-style choice. Jesus went into the wilderness to go on a journey with God, deep inside himself, to learn what form his mission on earth should take. The real point of Lent is that Christians are called to go on that same journey; to explore the spiritual centre of themselves. Just as SPHEREX will enrich us by gazing into the physical universe, Lent can enrich us by helping us to gaze deep into our souls.

Rev David Poyner

As a single person, I am used to silence; as an introvert, I positively relish it. Silence is however rarely total. As I write this, alone, I am aware of the wind blowing outside, the faint hum from the central heating in the house. One of the most magical silences I regularly experience is being alone in a church; to hear the birdsong, the bleating of sheep, perhaps less romantically, the sound of traffic or a plane in the sky. As a vicar, I wish I could tell you that this is when I hear God speaking to me. I don’t and the more I try to be holy, the worse it gets. The silence is broken in my head by a babble of voices as I relive past triumphs and disasters. Better just to enjoy the silence. But, as a vicar, I also believe that God is ever-present. God enjoys silence as much as I do; it is not necessary for him/her to be constantly chattering to me. Somehow through that very silence when I am simply enjoying it, God is transfusing into me and strengthening me. The language of God is indeed silence.

Rev David Poyner

Last month the news was announced of the death of the Rev. Don Cupitt. He came to fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Then he was the BBC’s favourite theologian; the high-point was a TV series he presented called “The Sea of Faith” in 1984. This was the period I was a student at Cambridge University; Don Cupitt was a lecturer in theology at Cambridge, Dean of Emmanuel College there and as a friend of mine recently put it, he “was all the rage”. This was not just because he was a gifted speaker and presenter, but also because he was radical in his views. He was an ordained Christian priest, but who freely described himself as a “Christian atheist”, or similar. He had studied science as an undergraduate but was fundamentally a philosopher. He had come to reject any notion of the existence of God or the supernatural, but he also knew himself to be a deeply spiritual person. Towards the end of the life, he ceased to be a “communicating” member of the Church of England, but as far as I can tell, that made no difference to his spirituality. I think his work was really an attempt to make sense of these contradictions; his acceptance that we live in a physical world governed by laws of nature and yet also the reality of the spiritual. Some were outraged by him, some claimed he damaged their faith. Personally I was fascinated by his work. He lived in much the same space as I do as a scientist and a priest. I think he came to the wrong conclusions; I am a mainstream Christian who does believe in the reality of God. However, I am very grateful to him for asking hard questions that have allowed me to come to that position. May he rest in peace and, perhaps to his surprise, rise in glory.

Rev David Poyner

I have written several thoughts about St Valentine. This brings challenges, as next to nothing is known for certain about him. Somewhere behind all the stories there is probably a Christian priest, killed during one of the persecutions of the Roman Empire. Wikipedia tells me that he is also the patron saint of suffers from epilepsy and beekeepers, in addition to being the patron of lovers. All of these associations would have probably been news to the person who was actually behind the stories. No matter, the value of Valentine is what he reminds us of today.

Valentine stands as a symbol of mutual love, “romantic love” as it is sometimes called. Love takes many forms; when it degenerates to self-centred lust, there is nothing in it to be celebrated. But romantic love is about two people who prize their relationship above everything else, including material prosperity and status. They will pay any price to be together. Of course, some of these attachments are ill-thought out and do not last but many will endure a life-time.  Romantic love is worth celebrating and has been used as metaphor for the highest relationship between a believer and God.  So celebrate St Valentine’s Day!

Rev David Poyner