Quelle est cette odeur agréable, Bergers, qui ravit tous nos sens? S’exhale-t’il rien de semblable Au milieu des fleurs du printemps? Quelle est cette odeur agréable Bergers, qui ravit tous nos sens? What is this pleasant fragrance, shepherds, which delights all our senses? Does anything like this breathe amongst the flowers of Spring? Mais quelle […]
Craigie Aitchison
Posted on by James Woodward
One of my favourite artists died this week – a painter who was an outstanding colourist. Here is his obituary from the Times: Craigie Aitchison was one of those visionary individualists whom Britain throws up from time to time. The first sight of a picture by him might suggest a dangerous naivety, an outrageously childlike religiosity, […]
Christmas at St Georges Windsor
Posted on by James Woodward
We are busy here preparing for our Christmas worship – amidst the snow and frost and activity…. And for those of you who want to join us: Wednesday 23rd 7:30am Mattins 8:00am Holy Communion 5:15pm Community Carol Service Thursday 24th 7:30am Mattins 8:00am Holy Communion 5:15pm Nine Lessons and Carols 11:15pm Midnight Mass […]
focus
Posted on by James Woodward
Is Heaven a Place — a Sky — a Tree? Location’s narrow way is for Ourselves — Unto the Dead There’s no Geography — But State — Endowal — Focus — Where — Omnipresence — fly? From Emily Dickinson, We pray — to Heaven
In Praise of Anglicanism
Posted on by James Woodward
The Church of England has taken a pounding from critics, but Rowan Williams has reasons to be cheerful as Christmas approaches, says a leading Anglican historian and commentator,Diarmaid MacCulloch ( printed in the The Observer Sunday 20 December 2009) I thought this letter worth pondering? Dear Archbishop Rowan, Even though I’m not sending Christmas cards […]
Snow in Windsor
Posted on by James Woodward
Pictures are sometimes better than words! Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost (1923) Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it […]
The poetry of Christmas
Posted on by James Woodward
The child of Bethlehem, the man on the Cross, Jesus – he embraces the whole of our human experiences – God with us, not just for good times, but for all times. This is the message of the angels – God with us, in times of darkness and cold, sorrow and uncertainty; God with […]
Water
Posted on by James Woodward
water If I were called in To construct a religion I should make use of water. Going to church Would entail a fording To dry, different clothes; My litany would employ Images of sousing, A furious devout drench, And I should raise in the east A glass of water Where any-angled light Would congregate endlessly. […]
Change?
Posted on by James Woodward
Change is the essence of life. Or as Herbert Spencer put it in his Principles of Biology: ‘a living thing is distinguished from a dead thing by the multiplicity of the changes at any moment taking place in it.’ A commitment to changelessness is not only unfortunate, it is impossible. Rigidity is its sin; […]
Laughter
Posted on by James Woodward
Laughter An extract from H. A. Williams’ book Tensions, Necessary Conflicts in Life and Love God, we believe, accepts us, accepts all men, unconditionally, warts and all. Laughter is the purest form of our response to God’s acceptance of us. For when I laugh at myself I accept myself and when I laugh at other […]
Criticism?
Posted on by James Woodward
A sermon preached at St Georges Windsor Third Sunday of Advent 1 Corinthians 4. 1-5 Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. 2Moreover, it is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy. 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be […]
John of the Cross
Posted on by James Woodward
Saint John of the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz) (24 June 1542 — 14 December 1591), born Juan de Yepes Alvarez, was a major figure of the Catholic Reformation, a Spanish mystic, and Carmelite friar and priest, born at Fontiveros, Old Castile. Saint John of the Cross was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and […]
Waiting
Posted on by James Woodward
The song I came to sing remains unsung to this day. I have spent my days in stringing and in unstringing my instrument. The time has not come true, the words have not been rightly set; only there is the agony of wishing in my heart….. I have not seen his face, nor have I […]
the struggle within?
Posted on by James Woodward
Life forges us in struggle. From one end of life to another we duel and joust, contest and dispute, rebel and revolt – against forces outside ourselves, yes, but against tensions within us as well. We struggle from infancy in an attempt to exert our own will on the world around us only to discover […]
God in the struggle of life?
Posted on by James Woodward
But God is not a puppeteer and God is not a magic act, God is the ground of our being, the energy of life, the goodness out of which all things are intended to grown to fullness. Yet it is a struggle. How can we possibly equate the two – a good God with […]
On the Road
Posted on by James Woodward
I travel upto Durham today to see my parents and catch up before Christmas – the card drop will save a fortune and Christmas isnt Christmas without on of my mothers cakes! this is a special year for them – on Christmas eve they celebrate 50 years of marriage. The north feels so much part […]
the scarlet sky
Posted on by James Woodward
when a child leaves the breast for solid food it does not look back it grows the seed is nourished by earth then spreads towards the sun so: taste the scarlet sky open towards wisdom hide no longer in yourself you came here like a star that had no name enter the night […]
What lessons is life teaching you?
Posted on by James Woodward
Life is a series of lessons, some of them obvious, some of them not. We learn as we go that dreams end, that plans get changed, that promises get broken, that our idols can disappoint us. We learn that there is such a thing as human support and that there is also such a thing […]
Ambrose
Posted on by James Woodward
At 33 Ambrose had it all – a successful career as a lawyer, an important position as governor of Milan, the approval and friendship of the emperor, and a large estate. Then the bishop of Milan died. At this time, about 374, heresies threatened to destroy the Church. The bishop had supported the Arian […]
Always on the way?
Posted on by James Woodward
We always fall short, always remain other, and yet are always on the way. I am always on the way, it seems, on this pilgrimage, to having eyes according to God’s eyes, to having a heart according to God’s heart. My wandering eyes, my divided heart makes me realize the truth of Van Gogh’s words, […]