Goodhand in Banbury

One of our grandchildren has a toy elephant called Ellie. He's had her since birth and she goes everywhere with him. When he's tired he needs to hold her while he sucks two fingers. When he wakes up in the night reaching out to hold Ellie brings comfort. She is becoming ragged and worn. Her trunk is lacking in stuffing and well chewed. Ellie has been loved. Ellie is loved.  So whatever happens you don't lose Ellie not if you want a happy little three year old. There have been times when he has been slipped into Jill's handbag and we find ourselves having to travel back to his house having dropped him off. Or a coat pocket to keep her safe and then we forget to hand back so another drive back. Or we lost her once as she slipped into a car side pocket and so again we rushed her back when he realised he no longer had Ellie. In fact Ellie needs a tracking tag so we could always find her. Well this past Wednesday we safely took our grandson and Ellie to pre-school where Elli

Chastleton House Not one of the most wealthy country houses in the portfolio of the National Trust. A Jacobean house built between 1607 and 1612 by wool merchant Walter Jones. It was handed down the generations and the family became poorer and poorer so it was not kept up to full spec. The national trust decided not to spend money on doing it up but to preserve it as it is, and so it makes for a bit of interest with cobwebs and dust. What a Kitchen. Electric hot water bottle don't think it would have helped keep you warm!! But a cosy sitting area if the fire was blazing. Keeping my hat on as its cold.

Crossing the bridge from the Embankment tube station we made our way to see 'Standing at the Sky's Edge.' at 'The National' We did not have opportunity to see this musical when it was performed at the Crucible in Sheffield, but we took the opportunity when we could to do so in London for grandparent duties. When passing through Sheffield years ago on the train you would look up and see the Park Hill Flats looking just a bit run down. Well a lot run down. Having then lived in Sheffield for fourteen years they remained a constant presence over the city, and we were able to see the first part of their transformation. The stage set was great giving a sense of the buildings known for their Brutalism design, and now somewhat softened by the coloured panels that now over look the city.  Using one flat the three periods of Park Hill story was told. From those early days of hope and community, to the period when lack of maintenance and the changing political context saw them

 Against the background of this years Church of England lent material 'Failure' our Table Talk gathering on Thursday saw some lively discussions around two questions. In what ways did the ministry of Jesus look like a failure? Do you think Jesus ever experienced anything that felt like failure? If so, when? Such questions raised even more questions . What does success look like? What is failure? Does it not depend on your own expectations?. Many women and men had their lives changed and made whole. Is that a failure? If you wanted the overthrow of Rome then you may well have been disappointed but did Jesus ever say that was his aim? Jesus choice of those close to him brought disappointment - betrayal at different levels.  But as we chatted round our table one individual focussed on Jesus words on the cross 'It is finished" Reflecting together it raised the possibility did Jesus mean 'It's finished' mission accomplished or its all over and all is lost?. So w

 The importance of being able to worship in a quiet and reflective way can never be underestimated.  St Hugh's Banbury is providing a time of fellowship through Lent on Tuesday lunch times. Already more people came than the first week. We share in a simple meal and conversation with opportunity to support the vital work of Christian Aid.   Added to this through Lent on Thursday evenings, for about thirty minutes, there is a time to be still and encounter God. So last Thursday we had opportunity to draw upon the Taize tradition. With candles and pictures to focus on, and the use of different chants, we were able to come to a time of silence before God.  As someone who has always been a bit active I have over the years appreciated more and more being able to sit silently and allow the internal dialogue with God to happen. It took me some time to be able to sit in such a manner but I am the better for it. It was back in my days living in the potteries in the Wolstanton and Audley Meth

Well we must be timing it well because once again on doing our grandparent duties I had the opportunity to accompany our grandson on a nursery visit to a religious place of learning and worship. So I went with Ralph to the London Buddhist Centre in Bethnal Green. It's really good that the nursery is taking serious the need to enrich the children's experience of faith communities.  This trip meant taking three and four year olds on the tube. You could tell that most of them were used to getting around London this way. However what a responsibility for the staff to ensure about twenty five children made it there and back safely. It was good that many parents came along to make it possible. So we got on the Elizabeth Line at Stratford, lovely new trains but it was full at that time in the morning. We then simply crossed platform to the old style tube train central line to Bethnal Green. A short walk and we arrived at the centre. This was a place well used to receiving groups and t

Having decided it was time to move on from my appointment in the potteries it took a lot of discerning as to the right context for us and for my ministry. My thinking was around should we go really rural or inner city? In helping to decide Part I visited an Iona Community member in Bradford to explore ministry in the inner city. What became apparent all those years ago was that main stream denominations were withdrawing from the inner city and becoming more entrenched in the suburban enclaves. In reflection I  felt God was asking me to minister in the inner city. Part of that thinking was about the church needing not to withdraw from such areas. Yet the church seemed to do so because they are poorer and find it hard to maintain buildings and human resources are thinner on the ground.  In being sent to visit what was then the Pilgrim Circuit in the north of Sheffield we were shown a manse out in the suburbs. This was despite having made it clear that I felt called to work in the inner c