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Winning the Argument
It has been a depressing week to follow the news. We seem to be entering a new world of international relationships, where old conventions no longer hold. Even more worryingly, there seems to be in some a hankering after autocratic leaders who disregard any interests other than their own and listen to no one. There…
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Space Exploration, Soul Exploration
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…
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The Sound of Silence
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…
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Don Cupitt, the doubting Don
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…
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St Valentines Day – Again
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…
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The Sound-Bite
Another day, another story about the Church of England. This time the Bishop of Liverpool has retired, following allegations of sexual harassment of two women, one a bishop. The Bishop of Liverpool denies the allegations; they were apparently investigated by the police and no action was taken and there was no action taken following a…
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The Power of a Place
A few weeks ago, I was talking to a local resident. She had taken her son into one of our churches. Once there, he just sat, not moving. Eventually he spoke, of how beautiful the place was. He could never remember being in a church before, now he was overwhelmed. Apparently he had no wish…
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A New Take on an Old Prayer
Sent to me this week by a colleague: God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, which is pretty much everyone, since I’m clearly not you, God. At least not the last time I checked. And while you’re at it, God, please give me the courage to change what I need to…
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The Truth is Self-Evident
“Truth” is much in the news at the moment, particularly as regards the big social media platforms; what is true and who decides that? Sometimes truth is simple to decide, where it hinges on a verifiable fact, but this is not always the case. There are “moral truths” on which we base society; thus the famous opening…
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Realistic Resolutions
It is traditional for any vicar to write something in January about New Year resolutions. Every year I have the same problem, because I have never made a resolution for the New Year; how can I improve on my current state of perfection?…. The truth is that I do not make resolutions because I know…
Benefice of Highley with Billingsley, Glazeley and Deuxhill and Chelmarsh
Knowing Jesus and Making Him Known
