Articles

Leading in difficult times

Today was the Legal Service for South Yorkshire in Doncaster Minster.  The Legal Service here marks the end of the year of office for the High Sheriff (Julie Kenny this year).  The Service is a gathering of judges, lawyers and others from…

Women and Men in Scripture – a new book and study guide

Women and Men in Scripture and the Church A Guide to the Key Issues Edited by Steven Croft and Paula Gooder Canterbury Press, March 2013 As most readers of this blog will know, on 20th November, the Measure to enable women to become bishops…

The Sheffield Fairness Commission

Over the last year, I've been a member of the 23 person Fairness Commission in Sheffield looking at inequalities across the city.  Our report was published this week.  Being part of the Commission has been a fascinating and moving experience…

Grace and Responsibility

We held a consultation on parish share for people across the Diocese this morning.  Parish share is the financial contribution each parish makes to the Diocese to finance ministry costs and central expenses.  We're in the middle of a review…

Advent reflections on a strange season

It’s been a strange season for the Church of England as most people reading this will know.  I think I have to go back around 20 years or so to find a similar time.  We’ve been rocked by the women bishops debate, unable to respond effectively…

A difficult day at the General Synod

What happened? Today was not a good or easy day.  After seven hours of debate and well over a hundred speeches the General Synod did not approve the Measure to enable women to be consecrated as bishops in the Church of England. The Bishops…

St. Hilda and the General Synod

Today is St. Hilda's day and I'm on a train this morning travelling to London to the General Synod.  The Synod is due to debate and vote tomorrow on the Measure to enable women to be made Bishops in the Church of England. The vote has been…

Remembrance in Rotherham

Highlights of the week included a visit to the primary school in the village of Laughton on Tuesday.  The school is the oldest school still in existence in South Yorkshire and celebrated its 400 birthday this year.  It doesn't surprise me…

A powerful and helpful prayer

Every once in a while I come across a prayer which helps me pray.   I normally stay with it for a while, trying to use it every day.  Sometimes I paste it into the prayers I say each week. A few weeks ago, I found a prayer of St. Augustine…