Reflections and Stories

Through the eyes of Barth: The Bible as divine revelation

13 Nov 2017

Last year a friend of mine said to me “I’m surprised you believe in the big bang theory and evolution.” I, of course, had to ask why. “Well, you’re a bit of a biblical fundamentalist; if it’s not in the bible, you don’t believe in it.” On one level, my friend wasn’t wrong. When it comes to...

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Reading Scripture in Light of Jesus: The Bible as Discipleship

13 Nov 2017

We all come to the Bible with our own ideas and points of view, so I will state up front that when I read Scripture, I read it keeping in mind the Anabaptist perspective and the Congregational way, not because I am particularly attached to those traditions per se, but more because I...

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Rach's Reflections - Wet Feet

6 Nov 2017

Last night I was preaching at Lancaster University Chaplaincy, and I started by saying that I have a love-hate relationship with the Bible. Mostly I love reading it and, best of all, exploring it through preaching, Bible study and workshops. I hate the fact I don’t feel compelled to read it more...

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The Mexican Day of the Dead is a Celebration of Life!

25 Oct 2017

In the United Kingdom, several Christian denominations traditionally mark All Saints' Day on 1st November, remembering the saints and martyrs who dedicated or sacrificed their lives to Christianity. Interestingly, other countries in the world commemorate the same day in a very different fashion...

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Rach's Reflections - Intentional Chances of Encounter

13 Oct 2017

On Wednesday, I was going to have tea with a university friend in Huddersfield. We regularly meet up, go to a certain brand of pizza restaurant and order the exact same thing every time. It is all very intentional. That day there were train delays, so I ended up waiting for a train I wouldn’t...

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The Power Within: Empowered, Encouraged, Enlightened.

20 Sep 2017
"My life is ruined”
“I hate myself”
“No one will love me”
 
Once upon a time, I used to believe those things. I was incredibly unhappy. I hated myself and my life. Every relationship I had was a disaster, I did not trust anybody. I felt like people...
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A Week In Silence

8 Sep 2017
For a lot of people, even doing a day in silence would be a daunting thought. I’d had such a busy year of having to be loud and talkative when I really just wanted to do the opposite that I was in need of some serious reflection time. So, when my friends in SCM Leeds said they were going to...
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Rach's Reflection - Grounding

7 Sep 2017

At 9.15am last Monday morning I had that ‘new start’ feeling I used to get at the start of a new school year. The team at St Peter’s House were meeting for morning prayer, which is a change from our normal 12.15pm gathering. A candle was lit, a psalm read and a chance to reflect in silence...

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The Gospel and Safe Spaces

7 Sep 2017

“Snowflakes” (the non-wintery kind) seem to be the talk of the day, with many a modern-day Cato complaining about the times and mores; they decry “safe spaces” with the same verve one would expect Cotton Mather used in the witch hunts of his day.

One such...

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Quakers and Language: Classically Christian or Distinctly Quaker?

21 Aug 2017

From the mention of internal translation, I felt that language would be a recurring theme throughout this year’s Quaker Yearly Meeting Gathering (YMG) for me. Quakers use a wide variety of language, with some appearing to be more explicitly Christian than others. We all have words we are...

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