This piece of geography can be travelled by an impatient traveller from on end to the other in a single morning. I think that its delights are better savoured slowly. The landscape is consistently beautiful - and varied. Think of the hard edged Black Mountains; the Kerry Hills a
In praise of…
Posted on by James Woodward
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY......
I dont know about your but this is a hive of activity and service to the good people of this town. A local councillor is doing his surgery with a queue of people hoping that their problems will be solved. I wonder how many are bothered about David Davies
On Being recognized and thanked
Posted on by James Woodward
The morning is definitely the best time of the day. I wake early at 5.45 without the intrusion of the alarm clock and watch the world slowly come alive. Local farmers call for a newspaper, the early birds put their rubbish out including the recycling bags (why is Solihull so bad
In Praise of…..
Posted on by James Woodward
Kyffin Williams
Born on Anglesey, Sir Kyffin Williams is probably one of the most famous of all Welsh painters. Educated at the Slade School of Art in London he had a fascinating career. His death in September 2006 has given rise to an interest in his work. I first came acros
Moral, but no Compass??
Posted on by James Woodward
I confess to feeling a little bothered about the Church of England's recent engagement with politics. My main source of information has been the Times Newspaper - not an entirely unbiased source of information about religion. Ruth Gledhill does like to talk up an argument!
In
Happy Endings…..dont you love them??
Posted on by James Woodward
It is not possible to sink one's head into a book for all the waking hours of the day. I am keen to make the best of my time before returning to Temple Balsall to repay all those many favours that are mounting up.
My research project is shaping up well - and I have the bare bone
And your question is ??
Posted on by James Woodward
There is a favourite American bumper sticker that reads
JESUS IS THE ANSWER
I imagine that it is popular with evangelicals!! I am not planning to have a shed load of these printed to raise funds for Temple Balsall - though any stray funding reader wanting to support us please con
In praise of
Posted on by James Woodward
THE OBITUARY!
I have enjoyed reading the newspapers. Catholic in taste I have tried to vary the diet - I like the Telegraph for its lay out and clarity though the crosswords are impossible!
I especially appreciate the obituaries! I picked up a collection of obits by Hugh Ma
On changing your mind!
Posted on by James Woodward
When was the last time that you changed your mind? About someone or some incident or conversation?
In that Temple of Universal Provision (Sainsburys) I went in search or a Father's Day card and was taken past the books. Most of the new titles were going for a song. My choice (I
Penant Menangell
Posted on by James Woodward
After an eight o'clock communion where I arrived three minutes late mcuh to the irritation of both the vicar and the churchwarden (I must remember that you can express a lot through a well chosen look) - I travelled north to see the beautiful pilgrimage church of St Melangell.
I
Accounting for what shapes age?
Posted on by James Woodward
Do you remember your grandparents? What were they like? I remember my mothers, mother - going to see her as a very young child when my mother would help her with the housework and ironing. I must have been very young but I remember her grey hair and wrinkled hands and
In memory of Claire
Posted on by James Woodward
Time moves us on and things happen in life whether we like it or not. I am constantly surprised at the sheer unpredictability and fragility of life and love. It nurtures deep within me a sense of thankfulness for each day and the gifts that are so generously shared especially in
Respect? What Respect?
Posted on by James Woodward
What are the forces that erode respect in modern society? Respect can be gained by attaining success, developing talents, financial security or by helping others. There are, however, many others who are not able to adhere to the demands of todays meritocracy and loose esteem. I s
Acts of Faith?
Posted on by James Woodward
There is a start to a sermon that goes like this:
1. Close your eyes and imagine your perfect world.
2. Open them and think what needs to change for that to happen
3. Go out of the Church and do it. Amen
Short and simple. A clear message and plenty of congregational parti
The strange world of American Politics?
Posted on by James Woodward
Well - it is to be Barack Obama for the Democratic candidate - an extraordinary result for him and the attraction of the US way of doing power. I know that many of my friends at the University of Chicago will be delighted - and some of them stand to profit from his rise with seni
Marc Chagall
Posted on by James Woodward
On my living room wall above the study in Temple House I have some lithograph reproductions of four biblical scenes by Marc Chagall. These were produced in large quantities in France and I picked them up there very cheaply in a shop in Paris. They are wonderful prints. While on s
Back in our little old land of plenty!
Posted on by James Woodward
Well - I am back in the UK and still feeling the after effects of the unnatural business of modern flight! I am not going to go into the bizarre experience of public libraries and computers except to say that securing access to the machine has been harder and more complicated tha
Accounting for Longevity?
Posted on by James Woodward
If we are to grasp what ageing means for us at an individual level then we must also come to terms with the ways in which age is a social and cultural phenomenon. This is a complicated field full of experts and competing theories. In all dialogue there are myths and misinform
Jet Lag
Posted on by James Woodward
By the time you read this I (hope) that I shall have arrived back in England! I am flying Virgin Atlantic and they have flooded Chicago with adverts. There is a stretch of Michigan Avenue called the magnificent mile where most of the major retail outlets are and many of the famou
And be Thankful
Posted on by James Woodward
For those if you who know your Bible you will be able to find the source of these three words! As the second leg of my sabbatical draws to a close I am full of gratitude - to people back home and here who have made this extraordinary experience possible.
I love this city and its