I got back from a wilderness retreat a week or so ago. I’ve taken part in these for some time now; the experience grows in my mind and imagination even more when I’ve left. We pick an island and sail: this year it was going to be Insh, but the tides didn’t work out, soContinue reading “Back from an island…”
Tag Archives: faith
Islands and bad poetry
“My secret is that I need God—that I am sick and can no longer make it alone. I need God to help me give, because I no longer seem to be capable of giving; to help me be kind, as I no longer seem capable of kindness; to help me love, as I seem beyondContinue reading “Islands and bad poetry”
Easter Sunday
I’ve written before of my struggles with images like this that are used when we wish people ‘Happy Easter’. Sometimes, we who believe post them on social media- accompanied by fonts so sickly sweet that Hallmark would baulk at putting them out- to tell others of our faith, often tongue tied in what to sayContinue reading “Easter Sunday”
Lent?
In an instant news age, we tend to judge more and do so more quickly. Access to information is constant and eventually the algorithm will get you with delicately curated gobbets designed to ramp up your outrage. I confess I have succumbed. I confess that I still succumb. There’s a temptation for those of usContinue reading “Lent?”
59
I remember once reading that your late 50s and early 60s are a time when you can get the most conservative and resistant to change: the siren call of nostalgia- ‘things were better then’ , an awareness that everything that is touted as ‘the next big thing’ you’ve seen in at least three different iterationsContinue reading “59”
Advent-ish/Happy New Year
It’s been a while since I’ve written anything here: words and the space to write them have been scarce. I guess I’ve also lost a bit of confidence in my ability to write something that might engage. I’d meant to write something for a friend’s blog: http://www.thisfragiletent.com gathered artists and creatives to do a seriesContinue reading “Advent-ish/Happy New Year”
In the wilderness.
‘All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone’ (Blaise Pascal). I’ve been back a few days from a yearly ‘wilderness retreat’ and it was beautiful; hard, tiring, full of laughter, tears & honesty and at times almost overwhelming. The wilderness doesn’t exist for you or me and theseContinue reading “In the wilderness.”
‘My’
It happened a couple of times a few months ago; I was talking to someone at work and I referred to ‘my team’. Each time I said it it, it felt false- like I was striving for position and status. I stopped immediately, but it still feels uncomfortable recalling it. If pressed, I now talk ofContinue reading “‘My’”
Innocents
There’s a scene in one of my favourite Christmas films, ‘Nativity’ where one of the characters is looking to put on a Nativity play that will be better than anything ever seen before. At one point he says:- ‘Herod? No one’s ever done him before’ Accordingly, be bases it on the ‘massacre of the innocents’*Continue reading “Innocents”
Advent
I don’t like waiting, unless I know how long I’ve got to wait. The tradition that I came to faith in put much stress on ‘immanence’ (the word ‘immediate’ is related to it) : the Divine was close at hand and Jesus linked you to that Divine. However rocky faith becomes, I hope I’ll holdContinue reading “Advent”
Wearily Hopeful 