I have spent some time in recent months dealing with the accumulation of over 40 years of books. Some of them I inherited from other
Making Sense and the ‘Business’ of the Church ?
Posted on by James Woodward
I much enjoyed reading an authorised biography of John Habgood written by David Wilbourne. It is an insightful and wise evaluation of the former
Trees
Posted on by James Woodward
a tree
God
is a tree said Kabir
a tree in the forest; when the woodsmen come
to cut Him down
He will not defend
In Praise of George Gently
Posted on by James Woodward
Inspector George Gently is a crime drama that ran over seven series. Set in the North East of England in the 1960s it centres on N
As 2024 closes : make friends with fire
Posted on by James Woodward
Make Friends with Fire as the New Year Opens Up
I look at my heart, such as it is,
Reading a Building : Andrew Ziminski on Church Going
Posted on by James Woodward
I am presently in Wales appreciating some rest and space. There are two features of what makes for refreshment here. The first is reading
Christmas : Light on our Lives
Posted on by James Woodward
In years gone by I used to travel to Paris for a few days in Advent. Walking, eating, sightseeing but especially absorbing myself
Adrian Cadbury and his legacy
Posted on by James Woodward
Book tokens are always a welcome opportunity to see what has been recently published and secure an adventure of discovery! Parti
What makes a good Church for you ?
Posted on by James Woodward
Perhaps ‘good’ Church has a few essential things in common?
1. They share a deeply incarnational view of the world
In Search of Patience ?
Posted on by James Woodward
patience
An absolute
patience.
Trees stand
up to their knees in
fog. The fog
slowly flows
uphill.
White
cobwebs, the grass
The Spanish Gallery and the Auckland Project
Posted on by James Woodward
I am a child of the North born and schooled in County Durham with my roots firmly embedded in the Mining Industry. My Father worke
Human Nature Exposed ? Watching Conclave
Posted on by James Woodward
This year have been doing some work in the Diocese of Birmingham on behalf of Sarum College. It is both engaged and fascinating as wit
Creative Repair : on empowering care and creativity
Posted on by James Woodward
There can be no doubt that these recent weeks have been traumatic and testing for the Church of England and for the public f
Gifts and Graces
Posted on by James Woodward
I have come to admire the way different individuals function in their professional roles. Yet finally I repre
Retreat Reading – McLaren on Wisdom and Courage
Posted on by James Woodward
One of the more challenging decisions that needs to be made in preparation for a few days away on retreat is what one might read. In the thr
The Stories we tell ourselves?
Posted on by James Woodward
Keeping tidy has always been an aspiration. One of the downsides of this mild, but I hope, healthy obsession is that on the whole I can
The Shrine of St Melangell – a thin place of pilgrimage
Posted on by James Woodward
A hidden place in Wales, where a Celtic saint gave her protection to the hare, Pennant Melangell is situated at the head of the Tanat Valley,
And so the season changes
Posted on by James Woodward
Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I
Prayer and Intercession ( Mother Mary Clare)
Posted on by James Woodward
These words from Mother Mary Clare SLG are worth pondering as we enter into a new season
PRAYER in its wholeness is relations
Forming a new generation of Ministers : On reading Reverence
Posted on by James Woodward
Some of my readers will know that at Sarum College we form and train women and men for authorised lay and ordained ministry for the Church o