I was surprised to read of the English and Wales Cricket Board’s apology for its joke about The Ashes responding to Pope Francis’ social media post on Ash Wednesday. He said how ‘The Ashes’ remind us of our identity, put us in our place,…
The planetary parade is over. Last Friday night was the best opportunity to see seven planets across the night sky. Ok, you needed binoculars or telescope to see two planets (Uranus and Neptune) but the other five (Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and Saturn) were…
I’ve been doing the Australian salute again. Unconsciously at the beginning. But this week I definitely noticed it as the flies just wouldn’t go away! Charlotte commented how annoying the flies were wondering why all of a sudden – and I had no idea!…
It was my first baptism ‘up close’. New parents, first child (5 weeks old), all stressed partly because the baby had decided that his special baptismal gown was something that he should make a mess of with something his nappy couldn’t contain and so…
This blurb is not written by generative AI. Apparently, however, I am increasingly in the minority when it comes to using generative AI at work, at school, at university, or for any form of self promotion. With the rise of the internet my description…
Following on from the pandemic we now have more things online including access to Sunday worship services, Bible Studies, and Wednesday’s weekly Compline. At Sea Cadets during the pandemic, I, and a number of chaplains, provided messages online nationally and for my own Unit,…
The ‘business’ of our world – the planet’s orbit, the weather and seasons, our births and deaths – does not reflect our special occasions such as Christmas (or any other religious observance). The business of our world happens. We can understand the world physically,…
Recently, the opening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was held. For a country which practises laïcité which is often summarised as ‘freedom from religion’ where there is a strong separation of church and state where the state’s citizens should not be regarded…
Who is tired? Many people seem to be. You might have said an emphatic ‘I am!’. When the days are long and the weeks are busy, I can get tired. We can be in the stresses of work – maybe it is simply the…
Last week I attended Choral Evensong at Westminster Abbey and afterwards a tour of the Abbey and then a reception of the Anglican Lutheran Society. Upon arrival I was ushered into the Quire and seated in a top stall adjacent to the Commonwealth stalls…
