A Letter to Christians Who Feel Besieged open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

The website for my new novel, TILLERS OF THE SOIL, is now live! Discover the novel’s characters, its roots in @bannaubrycheiniog.bsky.social, and the traces of history that inspired it. There are also discussion guides for a variety of reading groups. Enjoy! www.markclavier.com/tillers-of-t...

My new novel set in Roman Britain is now available for pre-order. "A deeply convincing and engaging recreation of mid-Wales in the obscure decades following the end of Roman rule." - Rowan Williams www.sacristy.co.uk/products/til...

Entangled Histories of Sin and Grace open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

With the Church in Wales about to elect a new Archbishop and, later, a new Bishop of Bangor, I've distilled my essay from our 2021 report on ordained ministry into a post to ask 'What the heck are bishops for?" #bishops #ChurchinWales #ArchbishopofWales markclavier.substack.com/p/what-the-h...

30 years ago, I was ordained on a hot day—young, unsure, and trying to picture the road ahead. It turned out stranger & more grace-filled than I could’ve imagined. A reflection on beginnings, calling & change. #Anglican #Priesthood #spiritualreflections markclavier.substack.com/p/a-well-tem...

In 910, a William the Pious planted a seed in Cluny planted. Over the next millennium, it blossomed into the idea of international order. From canon law to human rights — the Christian roots of our rules-based order. markclavier.substack.com/p/a-world-ru...

A booking mistake led to a convent with the motto: Orthodoxy or death. Our accidental pilgrimage in the South Peloponnese reminded me that faith can be soft as an old woman’s smile...and sharp as stone. #koroni #Orthodox #pilgrimage #Greece markclavier.substack.com/p/orthodoxy-...

I conclude my series today on imagining the Church as a commonwealth rather than a single institution by seeing how it might play out in the Church in Wales. Walking Together 4: A Commonwealth Church in Wales open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

In an age when trust is thin, what does it mean for the Church to hold together as a community of grace? I look at how the church's institutions can help us listen well, share responsibility, & carry each other on the road ahead. Walking Together 3: Bishops in Synod open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

Walking Together 2: How Synodality Could Renew the Church open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

Is the Church more than just a spiritual NHS? In my new Well-Tempered blog series, I explore why thinking of the Church as a commonwealth—not just an institution—might be more faithful and life-giving. #Anglicanism #CatholicSocialTeaching #synodality open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

A week from today, I start my 3-month sabbatical. You can read all about my plans in my latest Well-Tempered post. #pilgrimage #sabbatical #sabbath A Time to Reflect, A Time to Walk open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

Trinity Sunday and the Furnace of Love open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

I hesitated to write this. But after 12 years in the Church in Wales, I’ve seen patterns we can’t afford to ignore. This isn’t about blame—it’s about honesty, care, and the hope of renewal. A hard post, written with love. open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

Strangely, Rogation through Whitsunday is just about my favourite period in the church year. Neglected feasts, blossoming creation, spaghetti dinners, and lectors fumbling their way through the names in Acts 2. Link to post in the comments.

As it's Rogationtide, I thought I'd reflect further on the Assisi conference and the move towards an ecumenical Feast of Creation. So, here's how I went from being a sceptic to a supporter. open.substack.com/pub/markclav... #creation #laudatosi #Anglicanism #GeorgeHerbert

How might a greater commitment to synodality and subsidiarity breathe new life into the Church in Wales. My reflections on my first time as a delegate to Governing Body. open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

I went to Assisi and Rome for work, not a pilgrimage—but grace had other plans. Climbing mountains, sharing prayer, standing in St Peter's Square…it became a week of grace. Read the story of an unexpected journey. #PopeLeoXIV #Assisi #StFrancis #LaudatoSi markclavier.substack.com/p/from-assis...

What a day!

Reviving Theology open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

The "Ragged" Glory of Welsh Anglicanism open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

Giving Reform Its Proper Language open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

Here is my attempt to engaging constructively but theologically with the Harries Report, which gave rise to Ministry Areas in the Church in Wales. This will be of interest to other churches wrestling with structural reform. open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

A very happy and blessed Easter to everyone who kindly follows me and reads my various scribblings. On this happy morning, I offer a brief reflection on one of my favourite Easter's sermons, preached in 1620 by Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester. markclavier.substack.com/p/christ-the...

A little Donne for your Good Friday reflections: "The World’s Last Night": A Good Friday Reflection on Sonnet 13 open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

I assume there'll be lots of reflections on Palm Sunday and the days that conclude Holy Week. But what about the days in between? My reflections on the first part of Holy Week. Between the Triumph and the Table open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

The Church was never meant to be a venue with coffee and candles. It was meant to be a people—a moral community. In a culture drowning in choice but starving for meaning, what if the Church’s call isn’t to be more appealing... but to be more different? markclavier.substack.com/p/more-than-...

Stunned by the response to my piece on clergy burnout, I’ve written a follow-up. The crisis is real—morale has never been lower. Urgent change is needed. Hope this adds to the pressure. #clergy #churchofengland #churchinwales open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

Clergy burnout isn’t just personal — it’s structural. Priests are stretched thin, juggling multiple parishes, endless admin, & the quiet heartbreak of long-term decline. The Church talks a lot about resilience, but at what cost? #ClergyBurnout #ChurchLife markclavier.substack.com/p/clergy-bur...

The final instalment of my series on what it might mean to bear faithful witness in our increasingly anxious and fearful world. Faith Among the Fractures (IV) open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

Who would ever have guessed that 'Mirror, Mirror' would turn out to be the most prophetic episode of Star Trek: TOS! 😂 #StarTrek

What a fascinating and disturbing episode of the Ezra Klein Show this was. Well worth a listen. @ezrakleinbot.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btos...

I'm moving my writings to Substack. I'll cross-post on my author page for the rest of the month, but then I'll move everything to Substack. So, if you don't Subscribe, don't blame me if you don't have anything to help you sleep! open.substack.com/pub/markclav...

"What if, instead, history is a mix of victories and failures, of great achievements but also deep suffering? What if history's not triumphant but tragic?" Next in my series on bearing faithful witness in our troubled times. www.markclavier.com/well-tempered/history-tragedy-hope

War, AI, cultural fractures—our world feels more uncertain than ever. How do we bear faithful witness in times like these? I’d love your thoughts. Also, any book, article, or podcast recommendations would be most welcome! www.markclavier.com/well-tempered/faith-among-the-fractures

"You have become a stranger to yourself. You do not know yourself. Come back to your heart. There you will find God, because you are formed in His likeness." – Augustine

David Brooks, a noted American conservative, is worth listening to in this clip, not only for what he says but for the emotion that his words contain.

When everything seems to be going to hell, at least there are Spaniels.

Honour is a virtue much out of fashion, yet never more needed. The Ukrainian people, led by President Zelensky, have withstood an unprovoked assault with immense courage and resolve, deserving not only our admiration but our steadfast support.

Here I react to the shameful encounter between American leaders and media and the Ukrainian president. No doubt there were more, but I saw five failures on our side: of hospitality, decency, democracy, strategy, and independence. Please watch and share. snyder.substack.com/p/five-failu...

My Lenten reflections: "The Church journeys through this season together, sharing in the same prayers, struggles, and hope. We’re all marked with the same ashes, reminded of the same dust from which we came." www.markclavier.com/well-tempered/lent1

I've decided to join Bluesky to see what it's like. Thought I might as well lead with a post that went viral!