Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures
as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression
Swami Sivananda
What is it about Mozart?
Posted on by James Woodward
After celebrating Christ the King and the end of the Church’s liturgical year I was fortunate again to be able to travel into Birmingham on Sunday afternoon for an excellent 3.00 pm concert. A packed house enjoyed the chamber orchestra of Europe play some Stravinsky.
In memory of Alwyn Lloyd Roberts
Posted on by James Woodward
Here is a the homily for Alwyn that was preached today in St Marys Temple Balsall.
Alwyn was a star.At a Children’s workshop while singing all things bright and beautiful when we got to the line ‘the purple headed mountain’ Alwyn changed the words to ‘the purple haired
Presence and Engagement
Posted on by James Woodward
Last week in the parish which we have entitled ‘Food for Thought’ had its second event. The formula for this is quite simple - we meet for a simple supper at 7.00 pm, followed by a talk – with a sort break for a hot drink followed by an hour’s conversation and home
Valuing Age:Pastoral Ministry with Older People just published!
Posted on by James Woodward
This book is desperately needed. James Woodward’s study is masterful,informed, compassionate, theologically articulate and pastorally compelling.
We will all grow older; we should allread this book. It is a compelling visionof a Church in which older people really are value
Christ the King
Posted on by James Woodward
What kind of KIng?
In Majesty
A Servant King?
A suffering King
A King for us
A King who knows and loves us
A King that offers us hope and new life
A King that turns things upside down
A King that surprises
What kind of King is Christ for you?
Gerotranscendence
Posted on by James Woodward
Lors Tornstam
Tornstam defined the first thesis in Sweden in the field of gerontological sociology in 1973. This model (Gerotranscendence) suggests that human longevity includes the potential for a transcendent movement away from the materialistic and rational point of view
A Mission Shaped Church for Older People?
Posted on by James Woodward
I
I had the privilege of travelling up to The Wilson Carlile Campus which houses the headquarters of the Church Army. Mike Collyer and Claire Dalpra had organised an excellent afternoon conference which gathered a 100 people together to think about our mission and minis
On living for today
Posted on by James Woodward
Now that death
seems not so far away,
I whisper to myself
how much I want to hold
the knowledge in my heart and hear
that life itself can be enough – its beauty and its awesomeness
as well as deepest tragedy.
I do not want the need
to seek an offer, or a promise
of so
Rowan’s Rule and the impossible job!
Posted on by James Woodward
This is a dense book of over 400 carefully chosen pages of words. The writer demonstrates his intelligence and insight with balanced judgements.
Imagine having your life poured over in this way. Family, failed relationships, marriage, political views, children, job appl
Do you live to the full??
Posted on by James Woodward
So, how long does a man live, finally?
And how much does he live while he lives?
We fret, and ask so many questions –
Then when it comes to us
The answer is so simple after all.
A man lives as long as we carry him inside us,
For as long as we carry the harvest of his dr
Do we want to be Changed?
Posted on by James Woodward
Read Matthew 25:14-30
Do we want to take risks for the Gospel?
Time. What happens to it? Why are we so bound by it? Why does time pass so slowly when we are young and so rapidly when we are old? Where did the time go we ask ourselves or, more likely, why am I so busy
Open to Everything….Agog??!!
Posted on by James Woodward
When I first came to East Anglia in 1964, I was twenty five years old. I did not notice the huge skies. I had no time to stand and stare… I could not give in to wonder because there in my mind’s eye was I. Like all young people I was preoccupied with inventing myse
Who would be a Vicar these days??
Posted on by James Woodward
I had reason to write to a friend who has recently celebrated twenty years in the ministry. It has given me the opportunity to reflect upon some of the questions and convictions that surround the nature and exercise of priesthood in today’s complex and confusing world
Saint or Sinner??
Posted on by James Woodward
During this November time we have been remembering – and as a colleague of mine said in church recently – we Christians are particularly good and skilled at remembering. All Saints’ celebrates those men and women who have inspired us and been faithful to disciple
From Alice Walker to barack Obama
Posted on by James Woodward
I found this very powerful and challenging and moving..... read on!!
Open Letter to Barack Obama from Alice Walker
Nov. 5, 2008
Dear Brother Obama,
You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United Stat
The meaning is in the waiting
Posted on by James Woodward
The Lord is good to those who wait him
When the time for silence comes, the need is to wait, and to be content to wait as best one can: patiently, expectantly, lovingly, longingly. And that is my part and it is all that I can do. The rest belongs to God. I can see myse
Changing Times – Changing Britain?
Posted on by James Woodward
Andrew Wilson is an extraordinarily skilled, energetic and enterprising historian. This book charts the life of Britain since Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953 and leads right up to the hand over of 10 Downing Street from Tony Blair to Gordon Brown in 2008.
This is
Obama and the Audacity of Hope
Posted on by James Woodward
A historic night and extraordinary victory for Barack Obama. How far he has travelled and do not under estimate the radical choice that the American people have made. He is a powerful symbol of change, inclusion and liberation.
Obamas book The Audacity of Hope. It is a very good
God Bless America as she votes !
Posted on by James Woodward
We await today the result of the election with some interest and excitement! For a country which prides itself as being the world’s greatest democracy, it surprised me to discover that America has a surprisingly low turnout for Presidential elections. The average for the l