Letters and Orders Dear friends, You may not know it, but the above term is church-speak for the papers that a cleric carries to signify that they (a) are genuinely ordained and (b) have the authority of the relevent bishop to minister in a particular place. So, as well as my ordination documents I also have what is known as a “licence”…

Sleeping garden Dear friends, Sleep is good and necessary for us, and cycles of rest are also essential in the garden. Although, just as our bodies use the oppportunity of sleep to “service” various organs and systems, the same is true outdoors. Winter is important. The garden may look quiet, and almost dead, but there is a lot going on under the…

The lost son Dear friends Jesus famously told a tale of two sons (Luke 15:11-31) which is as much about their eventual reconciliation as it is about the compassion and forgiveness of their father.  The younger son decides he has had enough of life on the family farm, and demands his share of it, so that he may do as he chooses.…

Better Times Dear friends, A very happy New Year to you all. I hope your Christmas was blessed, and joyful. Thank you very much indeed for your support for your churches across the festive season in so many ways. It was wonderful to be be able to be together, and celebrate without the restraints of the last few years. A particular thank…

Wooden figures and eagle eyes. Dear friends In her first service at Checkendon, curate in training the Revd Romey Poston reminded us about the challenge of Advent in the midst of the world’s pressures. Her words prompted me to belatedly recover our own Advent calendar from the loft. It is a wooden, brightly painted Columbian affair, bought many years ago from Traidcraft.…

In Christ Alone Dear friends, It has been a year when we have seen the government implode, not once but twice. We are faced with the bill, a figure beyond most of us, and to meet it we will likely as not have to sell our children. Please, don’t think I am being partisan. I am not. I am old enough to…

The last jar of marmalade Dear friends It is the time of the year (in our household at least) when the marmalade runs out. By which I mean that the vast stocks created in the jam pan in January have all been consumed. The cupboards have been scoured for the final jars, but now it is all gone. We have to wait…

We will remember them Dear friends, This year has seen the 40th anniversary of the Falklands conflict. The issue at stake back in 1982 was akin to the situation that Ukraine finds itself in today; the right of a people to not be invaded. The Falkland islanders were British, and wished to remain so. Memories of that short and violent conflict include…

A distant echo Dear friends, Times marches on, bearing us this way and that. The buffets and billows assail our little vessels; time and chance may both be cruel or kind. A 38 year old recording surfaced a few weeks ago of the rock band I played in at University; not quite a lost BBC treasure, but nevertheless a blast from the…