Rain The monotone of the rain is beautiful, And the sudden rise and slow relapse Of the long multitudinous rain. The sun on the hills is beautiful, Or a captured sunset sea-flung, Bannered with fire and gold. A face I know is beautiful– With fire and gold of sky and sea, And the peace of […]
Blog
in a different light?
Posted on by James Woodward
towering of shadows of clouds From the tawny light from the rainy nights from the imagination finding itself and more than itself alone and more than alone at the bottom of the well where the moon lives, can you pull me into December? a lowland of space, perception of space towering of shadows of […]
Richard Hooker
Posted on by James Woodward
Richard Hooker was born in March 1554 in Exeter. He was educated in Exeter until he was sent, with Bishop Jewel as his patron, to Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He graduated MA in 1577, and became a fellow of the college in the same year. He became assistant professor of Hebrew at the University, and […]
What future for Anglicanism?
Posted on by James Woodward
I am no scholar of Church history or skilled commentator on the Church. The conversations that continue over the recent action of Rome offering a ‘home’ to Anglicans remain divisive and distracting. While fellow priests consider their position, spent inordinate amounts of time on the internert making judgements about other positions the Church is damaged […]
All Saints
Posted on by James Woodward
Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, today we rejoice in the holy men and women of every time and place. May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who live and reigns with you and Holy Spirit One God, forever and ever, Amen. O Almighty […]
Martin Luther
Posted on by James Woodward
Martin Luther (1483-1546) Martin Luther was born on 10 November 1483 in Eisleben. His father was a copper miner. Luther studied at the University of Erfurt and in 1505 decided to join a monastic order, becoming an Augustinian friar. He was ordained in 1507, began teaching at the University of Wittenberg and in 1512 […]
A Mission Shaped Church for Older People
Posted on by James Woodward
I travelled down from Windsor to London yesterday to share in a conference run by the Church Army and the Leveson Centre to promote our publication A Mission Shaped Church for Older People at St Michaels Chester Square. (available from the Leveson Centre – www.levesoncentre.org.uk) This event was specifically intended for those with a passion […]
James Hannington
Posted on by James Woodward
Precious in thy sight, O Lord, is the death of thy saints, whose faithful witness, by thy providence, hath its great reward: We give thee thanks for thy martyrs James Hannington and his companions, who purchased with their blood a road unto Uganda for the proclamation of the Gospel; and we pray that with them […]
State visit of the President of India
Posted on by James Woodward
British pomp and pageantry was on full display today as the Queen welcomed the Indian president toWinsor Castle today. Pratibha Patil – India’s first female president – was greeted by the Monarch and Duke of Edinburgh on a royal dais in the centre of the Berkshire town as a thunderous royal salute was fired nearby […]
those things that don’t flower?
Posted on by James Woodward
self-blessing The bud stands for all things, even for those things that don’t flower, for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing; though sometimes it is necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness, to put a hand on its brow of the flower and retell it in words and in touch it is lovely until […]
Alfred the Great
Posted on by James Woodward
King of the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex and one of the outstanding figures of English history, as much for his social and educational reforms as for his military successes against the Danes. He is the only English monarch known as ‘the Great’. Alfred was born at Wantage in Oxfordshire in 849, fourth […]
The Bible
Posted on by James Woodward
The disappearance of the Bible from European culture is self evident: once it was part of the intellectual and imaginative make up of poets, novelists and artists. Even if only a few knew the original languages in which the Bible was written, there was for the English speaking community the King James’ Bible – ‘That […]
Rome and Canterbury
Posted on by James Woodward
I am, of course, not alone in feeling dismayed by the recent announcement by our sister church, Rome, about the deal to offer Anglican a way into a move to Rome. It feels like an act of aggression at worst – at best, a rather predatory move. It leaves me with al kinds of questions: Will Anglicans […]
Lawyers?
Posted on by James Woodward
I have always felt a certain amount of ambivalence towards lawyers – based on experience and a little envy at the sheer injustice of a society that pays them so much for their work! Imagine then the circumstances whereby I choose to buy a lawyers memoirs! Putting money in the direction where none is needed! […]
Theological Reflection
Posted on by James Woodward
I am busy at the moment beginning to prepare to do some scoping for a new book on theological reflection – a movement away from some of my usual topics ! Here is a starter thought: ‘Christians are not reticent about expressing their opinions such matters, and one countless others. In doing so they are […]
seeking out?
Posted on by James Woodward
Spirituality is concerned with seeking out what is real in human life.
Change?
Posted on by James Woodward
She taught me this above all else; thing’s which don’t shift and grow are dead things.They are things which the witchery people want. Witchery works to scare people, to make them fear growth. But it has always been necessary, and more than ever now , it is. Otherwise we won’t make it. We won’t survive. […]
love is a place
Posted on by James Woodward
brightness love is a place & through this place of love move (with brightness of peace) all places From e.e.cummings, love is a place.
St Luke
Posted on by James Woodward
Who was St Luke? Luke wrote two books of the Bible: a Gospel and The Acts of the Apostles; together they make up just over one-quarter of the New Testament. Almost all that we know about Luke comes from the New Testament. He was a physician (Colossians 4:14), a companion of Paul on some of […]
Faith
Posted on by James Woodward
Faith I want to write about faith, about the way the moon rises over cold snow, night after night, faithful even as it fades from fullness, slowly becoming that last curving and impossible sliver of light before the final darkness. But I have no faith myself I refuse it even […]