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
This amused me!!
Posted on by James Woodward
Convinced?? Would you sponsor it?? How sure are we about God?!
The Summer Day
Posted on by James Woodward
The Summer Day
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean –
The one who had flung herself out of the grass,
The one who is eating sugar from my hand,
Who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and
Uncertain Financial Times?
Posted on by James Woodward
In these curious and uncertain times I found this wisdom:
Ethics will be the best long-term investment
John Reynolds
The Observer,
I started working in 'the City' nearly 20 years ago. I have seen, especially over the past five years, some very major investment bank
Its time to start talking……
Posted on by James Woodward
I have read the heartbreaking news about the young man from the Midlands who has travelled to Europe for assistance with his death.
What are we to make of this - here are Libby Purvis' excellent reflections:
Assisted dying is not the same thing as assisted suicide: we need to tr
Collecting Books
Posted on by James Woodward
I am a very minor collector of books! I am blessed with the ability to read and absorb material reasonably quickly. Relaxation is a good book with my feet up and some music playing in the background.
My own collection of books particularly concentrates on the post Second
The Cross of St Augustine
Posted on by James Woodward
The Cross of St Augustine was founded by Archbishop Michael Ramsey. It was first awarded by him on 19 February 1965. It is a circular medallion bearing a replica of the 8th Century Cross of Canterbury and on the reverse side is an engraving of the chair of St Augustine at Canter
Sheila Hancock
Posted on by James Woodward
This is a really moving read about a woman coping with the death of her partner John Thaw. I challenge anyone not to be moved and enthralled by her lovely honesty.
'Well now, prove it, Sheila. As John would say, "Put your money where your mouth is." Be a depressed widow b
Render unto Caesar….. on our relationship to the world.
Posted on by James Woodward
Matthew 22: 15-22
“Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s: and unto God, the things that are God’s”.
And so they conspired to put to him their needling question “Are we, or are we not, permitted to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor?” They