This evening was our first Havering Christmas Carol service as part of the Urban Expression team and Church community. Unfortunately, it was also the last time that the Carol service will be happening in the local pub, as it is now owned by a housing developer and will be closing at the end of January 2016. We... Continue Reading →
Following the suicide of transgender teenager Leelah Alcorn, Sarah Ditum wrote a piece at the beginning of January criticising the media's lack of adherence to the Samaritans "Media Guidelines for Writing about Suicide". She argues that transgender people are particularly at risk of suicidal thoughts, so when journalists (and bloggers) turn "a death into a... Continue Reading →
(Janus - the ancient Roman god of beginnings and transitions - who looks to the past and to the future) As much as I dislike the ending of a year, I love the beginning of a new one. So January is always a month that I enjoy. I love new year for its unrealised possibilities... Continue Reading →
I started university in 2001. That seems like an impossibly long time ago now, although I regularly believe that I am still 19 years old. I arrived at Edinburgh University not really knowing what to expect, just happy to be in a big city far from home. Before leaving home, I was given all the... Continue Reading →
"Watching porn is a good way to learn new tricks and stuff. Its educational." (16 year old girl from London) DH and I are running a Romance Academy course for our church youth group, and the youth group of another church from south London. Not all of the young people are Christians, and the course is... Continue Reading →
I really did not want to have church in our house last night. I had been in Birmingham the day before (on a day-course on church and gender post-Christendom - interesting stuff) and I still had Halloween costumes to make (!), so I really could have done without church. But one faithful soldier turned up... Continue Reading →
Catchy, no? Today I was hanging out with the Mennonites and Anabaptists who were co-hosting an event entitled “Multi-voiced Church”, led by Sian and Stuart Murray Williams who co-authored a book with the same name. I have read the book and enjoyed both the style and content, so today seemed like a good opportunity to... Continue Reading →
I found this lovely little piece of writing while researching for my talks at Fleet Camp this weekend. It is an ancient story, told by the author and spiritual leader Joan Chittister: "Where shall I look for enlightenment?" the disciple asked. "Here," the wise one said. "When will it happen?" the disciple asked. "It is... Continue Reading →
As I get back into my normal 'working' week after being away in Northern Ireland with our friends visiting DH's family, I read this post from Jamie Wright and it really resonated. The picture of church that Jamie paints of kids running everywhere, people chatting (I mean, really telling you how they feel) and general... Continue Reading →
I arrived in Prague in the sweaty heat of August 2006. DH and I had been married just over a year and we were here to try to figure out what we should be doing with our lives (obviously that was going to only take a year or so!) I began my Masters in Applied... Continue Reading →
stumbling hopefully in the right direction 