Have you ever looked into the face of a tiny baby and wondered what will be in store for that child – how his or her life will unfold across the years?
There is an exquisite painting which hangs in the great museum of The Louvre, in Paris. It is called ‘The Adoration of
Approaching Christmas
Posted on by James Woodward
“And they shall name him Emmanuel, which means God is with us’.
I confess to enjoying watching completely pointless and mindless television from time to time – not in large amounts but in sufficiently small quantities to keep what’s left of my sanity. You will know that
Rothko
Posted on by James Woodward
Mark Rothko (1903 -70) is widely celebrated as one of the greatest painters of the twentieth century. His paintings are famed for their visual intensity. Shortly before his death, Rothko donated nine large-scale works to Tate on the condition that they would always be displa
The relevance of Christmas?
Posted on by James Woodward
In the spirit of Advent, Theos has published researchrevealing that 52% of Britons believe that the birth of Christ is significant to them personally and 72% of people think that it remains significant culturally.
It's hardly a picture of a determinedly secular society, i
Tolerance?
Posted on by James Woodward
Benjamin Kaplan, a professor of Dutch history at University College London and the University of Amsterdam, offers a history focused on the popular culture and every day believers in Divided by Faith, just published by Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
With this
A Secular Age?
Posted on by James Woodward
Charles Taylor, Board of Trustees Professor of Law and Philosophy at Northwestern University, is causing quite a stir with his new book A Secular Age. Among his more interesting arguments is that Christianity itself is responsible for the rise of secularism. Robert Bellah has
Temple
Posted on by James Woodward
We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.
We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that l
If not Now, When?
Posted on by James Woodward
Oh No !
Not another book on OldAge? Yes and a good one.....
Self-appointed ambassador for the baby-boomer generation, Esther is a professionally incautious 68, shouldering her way into what she calls the Third Age with the energy, self-belief and studio gloss of the That's Li
Fire and Gold
Posted on by James Woodward
The monotone of the rain is beautiful,
And the sudden rise and slow relapse
Of the long multitudinous rain.
The sun on the hills is beautiful,
Or a captured sunset sea-flung,
Bannered with fire and gold.
A face I know is beautiful-
With fire and gold of sky and se
Angel of the North
Posted on by James Woodward
A short visit to see my parents in the North East gave me a welcome re connection with this amazing, varied place. The A1 north of the Durham services station offers sign postings to some of the most significant places in my life:
Kelloe and my birth place
Spennymoor and
Who died?
Posted on by James Woodward
who died?
Is it your face
that adorns the garden?
Is it your fragrance
that intoxicates this garden?
Is it your spirit
that has made this brook
a river of wine?
Hundreds have looked for you
and died searching
in this garden
where you hide behind the scenes.
But this pain is
Amazement
Posted on by James Woodward
amazement
And God is filling me,
though there are times of doubt
as hollow as the Grand Canyon,
still God is filling me.
He is giving me the thoughts of dogs,
the spider in its intricate web,
the sun
in all its amazement,
and a slain ram
that is the glory,
the mystery of g
These our actors
Posted on by James Woodward
these our actors
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itsel
Everywhere Orchids
Posted on by James Woodward
everywhere, orchids
I think there's a trickster
who wanders the mountains,
with a belt made of ivy
and a cloak of wisteria,
lips always smiling,
noble to look at,
he drives yellow leopards,
his friends include tigers,
he stands in a chariot
bannered with cassia,
everywhere
What hope for Religion?
Posted on by James Woodward
The New Spirituality: An Introduction to Progressive Belief in the Twenty-first Century Gordon Lynch
“Religion is over – there’s simply no future in believing that traditional Christianity is in any way persuasive in England today”, was the comment from a Priest fr
Whats in a sermon then?
Posted on by James Woodward
In Other Words, Incarnational Translation for Preaching
Charles H. Cosgrove and W. Dow Edgerton
In our theological libraries it may be that, depending upon our organization, the sub-sections contain books in the following areas: biblical studies; history; spirituality
Is there anybody there – Responding to Dementia?
Posted on by James Woodward
Is there anybody there?
Can we remember those who forget?
We human beings deal with our fears in a variety of ways. Often our response to certain types of illness is shaped by ignorance and prejudice. A historical overview of religion reflects our ambivalent relationship with
Dignity – Whose Dignity?
Posted on by James Woodward
In the Department of Health second NSF paper A New Ambition for Old Age, dignity is defined as ‘the moral requirement to respect human beings irrespective of what they suffer from’. Another definition is this : ‘dignity refers to an individual maintaining self respect
Putting all this effort into perspective?
Posted on by James Woodward
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
No programme accomplishes the Church’s mission,
no set goals and objectives include everything.