It was Oscar Wilde who said ‘Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.’ Far be it from me to call my books ‘art’ but life it seems is paying some resemblance to their titles. There are elements of Life with St Benedict with the sad, impending closure of Read more…
I first wrote a book over 30 years ago. Called All God’s Work it reflected on the nature of work being not just paid employment but also tasks done in voluntary, community and domestic roles. It also explored the experiences of being unemployed. After numerous rejections it was finally accepted. Read more…
What do Mother Teresa, the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Francis and me have in common? Umm… best let the Pope answer that one, methinks: ‘Who among us has not experienced insecurity, loss and even doubts on their journey of faith? Everyone! We’ve all experienced this, me too… It is Read more…
When I was a child I enjoyed reading Biggles books by Capt WE Johns. Such was that enjoyment, over the years I have bought and read 89 of the 98 stories penned about the heroic airman. In recent times, I have also come across other works by the same author: Read more…
I am indebted to Canon Mark Oakley for inspiring the title of this post. Writing in the Church Times, he describes how during the significant days of Holy Week many (not least clergy) wear themselves out journeying through the emotions of them all and they are ‘wholly weak’ by the Read more…
Daisy the Vicarage Dog is great with people. The six-year-old cocker spaniel can often be seen around the villages with the local vicar. She loves pastoral visiting and is greatly admired in return (Daisy that is – the vicar is too, of course). And yet, despite having lived with many Read more…
Have you heard the one about the rock star, the actor and the bishop? To be honest, I’m not really a fan of autobiographies but in recent weeks I’ve ended up reading three of them. Now, lest you think poorly of the all-male choice (yes, I do need to read Read more…
When someone takes their own life, the impact on those left behind is devastating. When it’s a terminally ill 92 year-old care home resident who takes her life a few weeks after her husband died, one can to an extent understand why she might have chosen to do so. But Read more…
In the team I used to work with, a sign that people were struggling was an increase in swearing. That’s fine: it acted as a release mechanism – rewarding as the work was, it could also be difficult. I recall one occasion when a lovely colleague of mine walked in Read more…
Every one has stories to tell. Stories of life and learning. Stories about working, resting and praying. As you read this, you may might like to think about the various ‘chapters’ of your life’s story so far. Times of joy and excitement. Of sadness and difficulty. Different events and experiences. Read more…