Reflections and Stories

Queerly Beloved: Encountering God in the Every Day

27 Jan 2020

It feels somewhat strange to be writing a blog post on being an LGBTQ+ person of faith during a period of increased dissonance, upset and anger within the Church of England. In a lot of ways I’m lost as to what to say, sad at the system, and confused as to what my role is in all of it. I’ve been...

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Rach's Reflection: Heaven on earth

21 Jan 2020

When I was preaching last Sunday at a church in Salford I led the congregation in looking at some of the images we use to describe God, particularly the Good Shepherd, using Psalm 23.  

I wonder what it means for you that God is a good shepherd? Better than the hired hands who care only...

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Student Cross: A Mystery That Draws You In

20 Jan 2020

Since becoming a practising Christian I have gone to a few extra church services around Holy Week and Easter, but otherwise it has just been a normal week for me. Last year, though, I decided I wanted to do something different. For a long time pilgrimage has been of interest to me, specifically...

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When I'm With You I Feel at Home

14 Jan 2020

You make me feel safe, you make me feel warm.

You make sure I'm warm when ever I'm cold.

...

When I'm with you I feel at home.

~ Lucy Spraggan 'Safe'

When I think of 'home', I think of my parents' house: busy day-to-day life, with home...

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The Advent of Adulting

16 Dec 2019

Technically this is my fourth Advent as an adult, but it’s my first since graduating, and therefore the first Advent where I genuinely feel like I'm part of the ‘real’ world. It’s odd. I’m just about used to buying my own Advent calendar, but am still not good enough at budgeting to plan for all...

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Rest: The Lost Art of Stopping

12 Dec 2019

Recently I went on holiday with my wife and the in-laws to Norfolk. Unfortunately, whilst I was there I got pretty sick, and ended up spending a good few days in bed. Not an ideal holiday! When you’re lying in bed with very little to do, and with very little access to the Internet, you tend to...

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Reflections from the WSCF European Regional Assembly

7 Nov 2019

There are lots of reasons why people have faith, but a key reason for me is about being part of something bigger. I think that’s why I’m also passionate about being involved in the global movement of SCMs – The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF). It gives me the opportunity to connect...

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Bored by Outrage?

28 Oct 2019

Everyone is familiar with the outrage that follows any media controversy. Piers Morgan says something “untoward” about gender, suddenly thousands of online activists are campaigning for his removal from television. Chic-Fil-A attempt to open a branch in Reading and they are run out of town by...

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The Courage to Be: Against Guilt

16 Oct 2019

Well done, you’ve made it. This is the third and final piece in my series of articles about Paul Tillich’s “The Courage to Be”. We’ve looked at the anxieties of death and meaninglessness, and now we’ll look at the anxiety of guilt. I’d like to think the subject matter got cheerier as I went...

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Multiplying Kindness to Fight Division

11 Oct 2019

A few weeks ago, I went to the Coventry...

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