This is the year which holds the writer

This text was originally posted in the entry 'I, who will already be dust by your time, have made mention of you in this book' by A Clerk of Oxford. I think its appropriate to post this on All Saints Day. This is the year which holds the writer: the thirty fifth year of the reign …

The church and gender disparity

Its not exactly news to say the Church of England (CofE), overall, is still in decline in the UK. The question of where this decline is coming from however is something normally associated with age. Its really obvious in many churches, even independent churches, that the older generations are generally the more faithful in their observance …

Anabaptists, Anglicans and Violence

  I'm not an Anabaptist, although I am sympathetic to their ideals. The Anglican church however has several tenants in direct opposition to a number of key Anabaptist tenants. I do not have an issue with these Anabaptist assertions, which leaves conflicted as someone who largely identifies as an Anglican. The Anglican points of opposition are.. No common goods.. …

Meritocracy and Cosmopolitanism

Meritocracy is on the surface a thing that seems indisputably good. The idea that people should be appraised and awarded positions on competency alone seems obvious to us today. However this assertion, on closer inspection, belies the increasing narrowness that defines the competencies that we value as a society. The fact that these things we value are largely …

Whatever happened to discipleship?

The morning of writing this I watched a squat young blackbird following its parent through my cramped back garden. They'd often visited, at first the parent would leave and fetch food for its offspring, now they are looking for food together. Soon the young bird will be looking for food by itself, until it has its …

Are you saved? by Bishop Kallistos Ware

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHGtCHyBrU

What does the Sunday Assembly mean for Church?

On a recent commute in I had the pleasure to listen to the recent BBC feature on the Sunday Assembly 'Swapping Psalms for Pop Songs'. The Sunday Assembly is a relatively recent phenomenon which originated as an 'Atheist Church' where individuals; get together, sing songs, listen to several readings and hear an inspirational talk. The …

Excerpt from the Martyrology of Tallaght

If he be a cleric, let him not be wrathful. Let him not his voice be raised. Let him not swear falsely. Let him not be greedy. Let him not be treasure loving. Let him not be niggardly, lying. Let him not be fault-finding at meals. Do not slander thy fellow. Thy side half bare, …

Pirates and Emperors

Remove justice, then, what are kingdoms but great robberies? For what are robberies themselves, but little kingdoms? ... Indeed, that was an apt and true reply which was given to Alexander the Great by a pirate who had been seized. For when that king had asked the man what he meant by keeping hostile possession …

All good things on Earth and Heaven

I saw this post today in the Croydon Guardian about a Priest who is attempting to reengage with the local parish by carrying out a blessing on a local pubs beer. The article reads.. Next week, the holy communion of booze and the Bible will be consecrated at one of the more unusual Thursday night drinking sessions to …