Thank you for coming tonight. I want to share with you three bits of prose! First from my primary school leaving report….. it read – ‘James is cheerful child and shows some promise but can talk too much’. Do you recognise that report? Talkative? Me? Yes! Will twenty minutes do? Let’s see! […]
Risen with Healing in His Wings
Posted on by James Woodward
Lord, Who createdst man in wealth and store, Though foolishly he lost the same, Decaying more and more, Till he became […]
Easter Eve
Posted on by James Woodward
As some of you know I am embracing a major transition at the moment – a time of waiting, of the unknown, a time of fear and joy, of thankfulness, of things said and unsaid…….all of this and much more is gathered up in prayer during this most holy of days. A friend […]
De- Baptism in a secular Britain?
Posted on by James Woodward
A friend of mine from the States sent this news item – can it be true? More than 100,000 Britons have recently downloaded “certificates of de-baptism” from the Internet to renounce their Christian faith. The initiative launched by a group called the National Secular Society (NSS) follows atheist campaigns here and elsewhere, including a […]
Good Friday
Posted on by James Woodward
and the mystery and power of Gods love given in Christ When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died; my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God; all […]
How can I help?
Posted on by James Woodward
In the super market the other day I glimpsed an older man guiding his frail wife around the aisles – the scene touched me in a very profound way. What amazing things emerge when we open our eyes and our hearts. Perhaps we all have an impulse to care when faced with others in […]
Beginnings and Endings?
Posted on by James Woodward
What we call the beginning is often the end And to make and end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from. And every phrase And sentence that is right (where every word is at home, Taking its place to support the others, The word neither diffident nor ostentatious, An […]
Palm Sunday
Posted on by James Woodward
Palm Sunday is the sixth and last Sunday of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week. The feast commemorates an event witnessed by all four Gospels: the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in the days before his Passion. This entry is re-enacted in the main service of the day as palms are […]
Do not forget the poor!
Posted on by James Woodward
G20 leaders must not forget promises to the poor – Religious Leaders Communiqué In a communiqué issued in advance of the G20 meeting in London, they call on political leaders to consider the moral issues at the root of the current financial crisis, and to pay special attention to the needs of poor, marginalised and […]
Spirituality and Ageing
Posted on by James Woodward
Spirituality and Aging Robert C. Atchley John Hopkins University Press Maryland 2009 13: 978-0-8018-9119-9 There are a growing number of people who are consumers of literature, retreats, and personal growth programs concerning spirituality. In this admirably concise and important book a retired American teacher of Gerontology offers a contribution to the growing literature which struggles […]
Morals and Money……
Posted on by James Woodward
I thought this worth reading as world leaders gather today in London Interview with Radio 4 ‘Today’ programme ahead of G20 summit Tuesday 31 March 2009 The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams spoke with Jim Naughtie on Radio 4’s ‘Today’ program about the moral impact of the recession, ahead of the G20 summit […]
The Young Victoria
Posted on by James Woodward
Man cannot live by packing boxes alone! And the trouble with lists is that every time one item gets knocked off another two take their place….. so after some shopping for a lunch party I went to the cinema! And here is a tip – turn up and take your chance! If you have some […]
In Praise of ……
Posted on by James Woodward
The Shredder Sorry to bore you with the ongoing saga of moving – but the process has uncovered all kinds of delights! In a cuboard long since forgotton I uncovered historical documents of mind blowing insignificance! Here are some examples: Details of all the cars I have ever owned – six in total – including […]
Selfridges – Birmingham
Posted on by James Woodward
My parents arrives this weekend to say good bye to good old Brum and especially dear old Temple Balsall. I decided to park their bag safely in the car and go for a wander. My attempt to buy a copy of Pesvner failed and I couldnt spot anything else interesting on the New shlves of […]
Approaching Holy Week
Posted on by James Woodward
a lion of courage When death comes like the hungry bear in autumn; when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse to buy me, and snaps the purse shut; when death comes like the measle-pox: when death comes like an iceberg between the shoulder blades, I want to step through […]
The power of Art
Posted on by James Woodward
Regular readers of my blog will know of my interest and enthusiasm for art! One of the tasks of the removals people will be to safe guard a number of images that have become life enhancing for me on my spiritual journey. In St Mary’s Church some years ago we embarked on the hanging of […]
God and Money
Posted on by James Woodward
Amidst the perplexing world of economics I came across this piece which is worth reflecting on. The past months have seen the most chaotic and severe malfunction of the banking system since the 1920s, writes Sabina Alkire as she offers a Christian perspective on the economic climate. Billions of pounds have been wiped off […]
Sir Terry Frost
Posted on by James Woodward
On Monday I wrote about Terry Frost – and then came across this excellent Obit which is worth reading: From The Times September 3, 2003 Sir Terry Frost Exuberant artist whose decades-long adventure in abstraction remained firmly grounded in a love of natural forms One of the best loved of British artists, Terry Frost […]
Questions and Answers?
Posted on by James Woodward
I beg you…. to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foriegn language. Don’t search for the answers which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. […]
Terry Frost
Posted on by James Woodward
Packing up home is always an interesting combination of hell and liberation – amongst my clutter are soem lovely Frost images – do you know his work? Sir Terry Frost R.A (born Terence Ernest Manitou Frost) was an English artist noted for his abstracts. Born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire England, in 1915, he did not […]