Articles

Resourcing Ministerial Education Task Group

What is the remit for this task group? The way we encourage, prepare and form lay and ordained ministers is critical for the future mission of the Church of England. This Task Group was asked to look at the resourcing of that ministerial…

Developing Discipleship

A new conversation Developing Discipleship aims to renew and deepen a conversation about discipleship across the Church of England. The conversation will begin in General Synod when we meet in February.  I hope it will happen in local…

Sheffield Solidarity with Paris

Around four hundred people gathered in Barker's Pool in Sheffield this afternoon for a service of commemoration, remembrance and solidarity for those killed in the atrocities in Parish this week. This was nothing, of course, compared to the…

Sheffield solidarity with Paris

Around four hundred people gathered in Barker's Pool in Sheffield this afternoon for a service of commemoration, remembrance and solidarity for those killed in the atrocities in Parish this week. This was nothing, of course, compared to the…

Prayers in Rotherham

Thursday 4th September. This evening between 500 and 600 Christians from across Rotherham gathered in the Minster in the heart of the town to pray together.  It was a remarkable gathering. Nine days ago an independent report was published.…

Psalm 95: the last post!

“Come let us sing for joy to the Lord” The oracle in verses 8 and 9 leaves us with a question.  How will we respond to the Psalm, today, as we strive to listen to God’s voice?  Like many of Jesus parables, we are invited into the…

The meaning of Rest

“They shall not enter my rest” The Letter to the Hebrews contains a long reflection, almost a sermon, on the final verses of Psalm 95 (Hebrews 3.1-4.13). The Letter is written to a discouraged community of Hebrew Christians and its purpose…

Disturbing the comfortable

“A people whose hearts go astray” Psalm 95 begins on a note of great comfort and joy and will end on a note of deep challenge.  Like all good preaching, it aims to comfort the disturbed and yet disturb the comfortable.  From verse…

Building faith to move mountains

“when your ancestors tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work” From time to time in the gospels, Jesus has a particular rebuke to the disciples.  He calls them men and women of little faith.  They are skeptical…