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 throes of a busy term and new academic year my pile of books waiting to be read sit as an invitation to open, ingest and learn. At the […]
Blog: Pictures-Books-Reflections
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 find things when I need to but certainly when they go astray mostly they are lost forever. In recent weeks, my bookshelves have been undergoing some attention. Being sensible […]
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, not far from Llangynog on the main Oswestry – Bala road. This church is the only one which is dedicated to Melangell. It is an ancient church and the […]
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 shall smile when wreaths of snow Blossom where the rose should grow; I shall sing when night’s decay Ushers in a drearier day. Emily Brontë
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 relationship with God. Our part in all prayer is to be the ‘good ground’ out of which the seed can grow and, if we will let it, be multiplied a hundredfold by our […]
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 of England. They come to us from across the region and each have their own story to tell. They bring into our learning and formation space a very wide […]
A Man Called Otto: Grief, Society and Kindness
Posted on by James Woodward
Netflix doesn’t always yield the browsing results that it claims! That is partly dependant on its view of the subscribers viewing history combined with drawing us into their top ten lists. If it is popular then I should watch it ? After a couple of frustrating visits to the site and seeing a recommendation […]
How to write History ? On watching Firebrand
Posted on by James Woodward
I first came across the Midland Art Centre in 1987 through my Birmingham MPhil supervisor, Professor Stephen Pattison, who lived nearby in Mosley. It was a good place to walk after supervisions to ingest both the intensity of feedback and quality of conversation which is always a characteristic of Stephens engagement. It was crystal clear […]
All Christians are Monks – Parish and the Religious life on Renewal
Posted on by James Woodward
I was recently engaged in a fascinating conversation about the prospects for the church in the West. My conversation partner wondered why it was that fewer people were forming a commitment to a local church. She reckoned that the slow decline could be dated as far back as the 1950’s. We agreed that the public […]
And into the next decade ? On finding independence and purpose in age
Posted on by James Woodward
A short reflection on reading Dr Angela Robertson’s book ‘Changing Gears: Entrepreneurs @ 50+’ I think that some of my friends know that I am preoccupied at the moment in a piece of writing relating to our spiritual lives post retirement. It has happily emerged out of a number of conversations where colleagues and […]
Mark Santer : Bishop, Theologian, Pastor 1936-2024
Posted on by James Woodward
This week, the family of Mark Santer, announced his death Our beloved father, Mark Santer, died at home on Wednesday 14th August. Over the last years and months, his numerous health issues were catching up with him. He died peacefully at home with all of us at his side. He bore these last difficult days […]
Reading Keir Starmer : Reform, Politics and Power
Posted on by James Woodward
I first met Kier Starmer in 2011 when he offered advice to Lord Falcolners Commission of Assisted Dying supported by Demos – see: https://demos.co.uk/research/the-commission-on-assisted-dying/ At that time he was Director of Public Prosecutions. His evidence was admirably clear amidst a range of questions. What became clear was that the the law from his perspective was […]
The invitation to be surprised? Art that touches the pulse.
Posted on by James Woodward
I first came across the work of Barbara Hepworth in 1980 during a visit to Aldeburgh. I had gone on a weekend party to a friend’s house on Crag Path which is the sea front road that’s offers an uninterrupted view of the North Sea. The town became famous because of its connection with Benjamin […]
In praise of Anne Lamott ( Somehow: Thoughts on Love)
Posted on by James Woodward
I wish I could remember who it was who recommended the work of Anne Lamott ! I may have picked up a quotation from a website, a colleague or even on Amazon! Whatever the answer her work is vast, persistent, challenging, humane and so very very real. There is a quality of empathy and a […]
Inhabiting RS Thomas on his own soil
Posted on by James Woodward
It is a long way from Salisbury to the Llyn Peninsula. This was a pilgrimage of sorts to the RS Thomas Poetry Festival. https://rsthomaspoetry.co.uk/ The slow and wet journey north was worth every turn in the road and queue ad a number of speakers broke open the words for the gathered pilgrims. RS Thomas […]
The White Road: a pilgrimage of sorts by Edmund de Waal
Posted on by James Woodward
After an unexpected day of sun over a bank holiday weekend the rain has returned. Deciding to do some thinning of shelves for a visit to my local charity shop I came across this book. I have tried to ‘get into’ on two or three times. Don’t ask me why but now the […]
Our complicated love affair with Work ? Reading Changing Gear by Hall and Stokes
Posted on by James Woodward
I wish that booksellers wouldn’t tempt their readers to a three for the price of two offer especially while waiting for another delayed train on Waterloo Station. We all love a bargain – thank you Foyles – your stock are always carefully and enticingly packaged and set out. If I had my way I would […]
In the midst of death, life persists –
Posted on by James Woodward
“In the midst of death, life persists. In the midst of untruth, truth persists. In the midst of darkness, light persists.” – Mahatma Gandhi In my last blog, I shared some thoughts about a recent retreat at Fairacres in Oxford. https://www.jameswoodward.online/blog/nothing-is-secure-except-god-visiting-the-community-of-the-sisters-of-the-love-of-god/ In an attempt to tidy up the ever accumulating photographs on my mobile phone. […]
Nothing is Secure, Except God : visiting the Community of the Sisters of the Love of God
Posted on by James Woodward
I was first introduced to the Sisters of the Love of God by Geoffrey Connor, the Vocations advisor in the diocese of Durham in the late 1970s. I visited first the Convent during my first year as an undergraduate at Kings College London. These months of study were both exhilarating and challenging. Sometimes I struggled […]
Lessons from a day of celebration at Sarum College
Posted on by James Woodward
Yesterday was the Sarum College 2024 Ceremony for the Presentation of Academic Awards. The days running up to this event, make many demands on a range of people working across the college. The choreography of our movement from College to St Thomas’s Church in the centre of town; the careful production of the service, […]