O Christ, our Morning Star, Splendour of Light Eternal, shining with the glory of the rainbow, come and waken us from the greyness of our apathy, and renew in us your gift of hope. Amen. Venerable Bede.

Lovely morning to be out and about leading some services in Monmouthshire. We do have some lovely church buildings and gorgeous views.

A peaceful walk from Forest Coal Pit to the Shrine and church of St. Issui, Patrishow; followed by a visit to the holy well.

I like to give my sermons a short title... today it was 'dazed and confused'... a touch of Led Zeppilin 😉

On today's World Red Cross & Red Crescent Day, we express our gratitude to our Red Cross & Red Crescent volunteers & staff, around the world, for changing the lives of millions of people every single day, providing care & assistance. Even in the darkest moments, we remain on the side of humanity.

Happy Tuesday... my last day on retreat and up to catch the sunrise :-)

Alleluia, Christ is Risen! A happy and blessed Easter. And what a backdrop to begin the Easter liturgy.

Today's walk has included dunes, beaches and a visit to the house of a certain fictional detective 😉

Some company for today's walk: ''As the deer longs for running streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.'' (Psalm 42).

German Protestants have commemorated one of their foremost theologians on the 80th anniversary of his execution during the final days of the Second World War #Bonhoeffer #DietrichBonhoeffer

Reflecting on the life of St Joseph at today's Eucharist: 'a man of deeds rather than words' and the patron saint of workers. Praying today for all who are quietly going about the daily tasks of life, often not noticed but who make such a difference to our communities.

A fairly late decision to spend a few days in Cornwall this week and to walk stage 1 of the Cornish Celtic Way - here are some pics from the start (St German's) and where I got to (Polruan on the Fowey Estuary). Looking forward to completing the walk later this year.

What a lovely morning... and any early morning 7 mile walk to Llanwenarth (the only church in the Abergavenny Ministry Area I hadn't found). I think my body clock has gone into spring time 😀

After such a wet, windy and cold day it's good to be reminded of light shining in the darkness... and a church welcoming people to prayer.

And there was me thinking it was my age!

Big fish... little fish... 😀

Hadestown... sort of jazz meets Shakespeare in the underworld. Well worth seeing 😀

Lunch in the city...

Celebrating the feast of Candlemas and the gift of light for the world.

Today, on the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation, we honor the millions who suffered and perished in the Holocaust. As we reflect on this solemn day, we renew our commitment to remember them and defend the dignity & humanity of all—without exception. Read more: www.icrc.org/en/news-rele...

''A most pathetic service was held'' a wonderful newspaper description of the funeral service for my great-great- grandfather held in 1907..... of course meaning something very different to how we might interpret a similar comment today 😂

'The dawn from on high is breaking upon us'..

Fabulous moon over the Sugar Loaf this morning.

Celebrating the Baptism of Christ today and being reminded that each of us is a precious and much loved child of God, that all are invited to be part of God’s family on earth and that Baptism is a gift of God that takes a lifetime to unwrap.

Sheldon has a really good discount on private retreats running until the start of Lent. Just HALF PRICE for the accommodation if you’re in #ministry #clergy.

Bristol Cathedral for evening prayer on the feast of the Epiphany and to celebrate the licensing of @rcstevens.bsky.social as DDO. Many congratulations.

St Mary's, Abergavenny looking very picturesque for the 8am service today.

Not going out this evening..

What a difference 24 hours can make 😀

Blwydden Newydd Dda i chi hefyd. A very happy new year.

There is a lot of mis- and disinformation circulating right now. What we share online can have consequences on the humanitarian work of our IFRC teams. Take a moment to check what you share. Help us fight #misinformation.

A few views from the Skirrid earlier this morning.

A video of the view from the Skirrid early this morning. The 'dragons breath' is hovering over Abergavenny (inverse cloud).

Epidemics and pandemics are some of the biggest threats to global health security. In 2024, we’ve stepped up our efforts in #EpidemicPreparedness to keep even more communities around the world healthy and safe. Find out more: bit.ly/4gyjmY0

2024 is now the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers. This cannot continue. Volunteers, staff, and humanitarians everywhere must be protected—and the need is urgent. Together, we can #ProtectHumanity.

Ooh some interesting books for Christmas... where shall I start? There's a bit of a theme emerging ;-)

Another misty morning...

Remembering the support provided by the British Red Cross and the International Red Cross 20 years ago.

Abandoned plans to head for the hills today and a local walk instead. A really atmospheric stroll... now for Christmas lunch day 2!

What a gorgeous sunset to greet us as we leave St Cadoc's Church at the Bryn, near Abergavenny after our first Eucharist of Christmas. A joy to be here for my first visit.

Augustine of Hippo ‘she (Mary) was more blessed in having borne Christ in her heart than in having conceived him in the flesh.’ Reflecting on Mary at Christchurch and Holy Trinity in Abergavenny today.

On the 'shortest' day of the year here's a picture from the 'longest' day of 2024...

Tonight, the Cold Moon rises. ❄️ Known too as the Long Night Moon or The Moon Before Yule, it rises during the darkest nights of the year, heralding the onset of winter’s chill. Its glow has guided ancient Yule traditions and marked the turning of the seasons. Moonrise: 15:09*

Rejoicing in the Lord on this Gaudete Sunday. At St Cybi's Church, Llangybi… 42 years since I was last here.. A lots happened in the years since 👍 (ps the photo is from St Mary’s, Magor a few years ago).

This week's assignment to choose 10 photographs that I really like... here's 5 to start. So many I could have chosen!

This week's assignment to choose 10 photographs that I really like... here's 5 to start. So many I could have chosen!

📍 Syria | We visited th#Sednayaya prison today. We remain committed to alleviating the suffering of those who have been without news about their relatives, often for many years. We have been working in Syria for many years to clarify the fate of the missing.