Category: Church

  • Everybody gets a part

    The ‘tradition’ in one of my church’s has been to have a Christingle service on Christmas Eve. I’ve nothing against them, but I wanted to do something different this year. Relying on last year’s example of a good number of visitors, I decided that I was going to have a nativity play – where (almost)…

  • The sermon you don’t preach

    Today was our family harvest thanksgiving services in both churches. It was also communion in one. I had chosen some familiar harvest hymns. We had a short video from our Messy Church – Messy Harvest morning from a couple of weeks back. I’d even dropped one of the hymns to make the service a little…

  • This time last year

    One year ago, last Thursday, I was ordained and inducted into my first charge. One year ago today (Sunday), I had taken (actually, shared) my first service in that new charge. I had also done a funeral visit, and was preparing to take it in just a few days time. I’d sat in the car…

  • Long time, no see

    Oh look! A blog! I’d almost forgotten this was here. Well, not really, but I have been neglecting it somewhat in recent months. Once again, it’s not that there’s nothing to report, just that the time needed to get it sorted in my head and then formulate a suitable blog entry has always been a…

  • All sorts of things

    Yet again, I’ve been caught out with blog updates. And yet again, it’s not that nothing has been happening; merely that it’s all sorts of little things rather than any one thing that causes me to stop and reflect (and blog). Perhaps most worthy of note though is the continuing ‘unsettledness’ as we’re still not…

  • A dualist view

    Those who’ve heard me rant about dualism in contemporary theological understanding need not worry. This post is nothing to do with my usual witterings on the subject. Rather, it’s a reflection on how I am finding my ministry developing. My charge is a linkage and I’m perfectly happy with that. I very much enjoy the…

  • I married my brother-in-law

    Not quite sure what that title will do to my search rankings, and it’s maybe just as well I don’t have any ads on the blog. Perhaps I should explain though. Marrying my brother-in-law was one of a number of recent ‘firsts’. And, of course, I mean that it was the first wedding ceremony I…

  • One month in – thoughts so far

    I still can’t quite decide which direction to take my blogging thoughts. But as this blog has been about thoughts and reflections on the challenges, events, and learning ‘moments’ of getting to this place, I suppose it makes sense to continue in similar vein. After all, getting to ‘this place’ was never an end in…

  • Settling in

    Well, that’s just over two weeks in ‘the job’. Three Sundays, albeit one where I was preached in, two funerals, initial contacts with one of the primary schools, time with local colleagues, and lots of unpacking and manse-readying. Oh, and a rapidly filling-up diary. If I was being totally honest, I would have to say…

  • Wow, wow, and thrice wow!

    Well, rather a lot has happened since my last post. I’d been meaning to slip in a few little updates since announcing my ordination and induction, but it always seemed I had so much to say and never quite enough time to sit down and order my thoughts into a coherent blog update. Now there…