One of the more challenging decisions that needs to be made in preparation for a few days away on retreat is what one might read. In the throes of a busy term and new academic year my pile of books waiting to be read sit as an invitation to open, ingest and learn. At th
And into the next decade ? On finding independence and purpose in age
Posted on by James Woodward
A short reflection on reading Dr Angela Robertson's book 'Changing Gears: Entrepreneurs @ 50+'
I think that some of my friends know that I am preoccupied at the moment in a piece of writing relating to our spiritual lives post reti
Reading Keir Starmer : Reform, Politics and Power
Posted on by James Woodward
I first met Kier Starmer in 2011 when he offered advice to Lord Falcolners Commission of Assisted Dying supported by Demos - see: https://demos.co.uk/research/the-commission-on-assisted-dying/ At that time he was Director of Public Prosecutions. His evidence was a
In praise of Anne Lamott ( Somehow: Thoughts on Love)
Posted on by James Woodward
I wish I could remember who it was who recommended the work of Anne Lamott ! I may have picked up a quotation from a website, a colleague or even on Amazon! Whatever the answer her work is vast, persistent, challenging, humane and so very very real. There is a quali
Reading Such a Long Journey : A biography of Gilbert Shaw, Priest
Posted on by James Woodward
I believe that I may have had at least two copies of this book written by Rod Hacking ( now a neighbour in Salisbury but then an incumbent in rural Ely) and published by Mowbray in 1988. What happened to them I know not - beware of lending books out - they have a habit of
Try Softer ? In praise of grounded advice from Kolber.
Posted on by James Woodward
Where do you pick up recommendations for books these days? Half an hour on Waterloo station yesterday yielded a couple of books from Foyles, tempted of course by their buy one get the other half price offer! A trusted source is the Marginalian ( take a look-
Home Sweet Home?
Posted on by James Woodward
This is a very good book! We know our homes and make choices in relation to them but this book will change how you think about almost every aspect of your home!
“Our houses and homes,” Heathcote writes, “no matter what style they are realised in, no m
On interrogating the self – May on Politics and Power
Posted on by James Woodward
I guess that most of us wonder what this one life is about and particularly how we are living it.
They are questions perhaps for those of us firmly in third age but shared by other generations too. If I had one regret ( or to name one here ) it might simp
Advice in Time ? Inter-generational Wisdom.
Posted on by James Woodward
Now here is a confession! Not all of the books on my shelves either at home or here in my study at Sarum College have been read from cover to cover. You might be familiar with the dilemma. You buy a book on a recommendation. You hear the author at a writers festiv
Sermons in time and place?
Posted on by James Woodward
I am writing this on a rainy Sunday afternoon somewhat typical of November. Some of you may have been to Church this morning and experienced listening to a sermon. I wonder how it took hold of you ( if at all) and what you heard? At what point did your attention str
Seeing beyond the immediate: listening and learning alongside older people
Posted on by James Woodward
From 1998 through to 2009, I had the privilege of working with many hundreds of older people in an Almshouse charity. We lived together in rather splendid seventeenth-century buildings which were surprisingly adaptable for modern use. It was an intentional c
To Rest or not to Rest : Reading Alex Sooting-Kim Pang
Posted on by James Woodward
I was introduced to the book by Gillian Strain ( do take a look at her work www.gohealth.co.uk) and so ( albeit) reluctantly picked it up - mainly on Gillians recommendation rather than an enthusiasm to explore my own patterns of work/life balance. It is a
Transgressive Devotion : radical, original, unsettling theology at its honest best
Posted on by James Woodward
I remember one of my university teachers sitting in on a seminar that I was leading some 20 years ago. He was attentive and appeared to be making careful notes. On the feedback form his only comment was, ‘clearly expressed and excellent engagement with the group, but
Listening to your Soul Julia Mourant
Posted on by James Woodward
Canterbury Press 2022 ISBN-13 9781786223364 Pb 144pp
In these strange and unpredictable post lockdown days of uncertainty and weariness who do you turn to for support? Who listens to us ? How do we listen to ourselves ? At any point on our life journ
PRACTICES FOR THE SOUL : FINDING MEANING IN OUR STRANGE NEW WORLD ?
Posted on by James Woodward
The Power of Ritual : Turning Everyday Activities Into Soulful Practices Casper Ter Kuile William Collins 2020
reposted from 6th April 2021
I am indebted to my friend Jane Shaw for pointing me in the direction of this rather stimulating and wonderful book. It came out
ON FAILURE – HOW TO SUCCEED AT DEFEAT
Posted on by James Woodward
(The School of Life 2022)
A hopeful and encouraging book that is gentle on its reader!
In 2008, Alain de Botton was one of a team of writers and educators who founded The School of Life. Based in centres across the World, The School of Life , offers an emotional educa
What does it mean to Journey? Reading Crossroad by Moseley
Posted on by James Woodward
Charles Moseley is a Cambridge scholar, teacher and English writer. I took this book with me to the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales last weekend while present at a conference exploring the poetry of RS Thomas. This book was a perfect accompaniment in my lodgings in
Hearing God in Poetry by Richard Harries
Posted on by James Woodward
Hearing God in Poetry
Fifty Poems for Lent and Easter
Richard Harries SPCK 2022
This is the time of the year when some turn to the possibility of taking something up for the season of Lent as part of a pilgrimage of disciplined and intentional spiritual learn
Take this Journey with Rohr
Posted on by James Woodward
Richard Rohr The Universal Christ SPCK 2019 ( £9.99)
It is an often stated conviction expressed by a wide variety of individuals and groups that the Church, Organised Religion and (important for us here at Sarum College) Theology are in decline. The statistics certainly bea
Christmas Reading – what kind of politicians do we have or need?
Posted on by James Woodward
I wonder what you will dip into over this holiday season by way of escape or relaxation?
I took a risk with this book. The title was arresting and the author the recognisable voice of BBC Radio 4s Westminster Hour. Of course we live in a complex and contested world and