I don't think male clergy can have any idea what it feels like to have someone walk into church, see you at the altar, and walk straight back out. And I suspect many don't realise that this is not an uncommon experience for their female colleagues. One of the many ways we are still #NotEqualYet.

"You can use ChatGPT to produce a risk assessment which complies with your organisation's guidelines." Nooooo! The point of risk assessment is not just to produce the document. The point is to actually assess the risks. Using your actual brain.

🧵 Today I conducted the final interview for my PhD research. In the last 14 months I have spoken with 20 extraordinary women, and been entrusted with their wisdom, stories, reflections and insights. It has been an enormously enriching and exciting experience.

I've made some 'interesting' phone calls to the council in my time (weirdly seems to come with the job, for some reason) but today's "there is something beeping in this litter bin" is up there with such classics as last month's "you seem to have planted a tree in the churchyard without asking."

Cassie is apparently channelling her inner Top Cat 😹

The vicarage rose is just starting to bloom, and it smells gorgeous. #BloomScrolling #TinyJoys

Today's gardening task: reading the pruning book in the shade with a cool drink. Far too hot for any actual pruning.

I always love being a parish priest, but I especially love it at Pentecost. Anointing each beloved person by name, and then sending them out: "As part of God’s Church here in Cowgate / Newbiggin Hall, I call upon you to live out what you proclaim." And they do, in so many small and precious ways.

One of the most underrated homiletic skills imho: discerning whether the direction your sermon is taking is prompted by anger/frustration/reaction to recent events/whatever, or by the Holy Spirit. It can be a fine line.

Last year I made a suggestion to the PCC about some fairly low-key summer holiday outreach activities. Response: "oh no, I don't think we could manage that." Tonight I made the same suggestion to the same PCC. Response: "yes, sounds great let's do it!" And lots of ideas shared. That's progress!😍

Among today's #TinyJoys, coming home to gifts on the vicarage doorstep from the local youth project: flyers for the new trans and non-binary youth group, and an artichoke plant! A moment of random local community loveliness always brightens my day. And there are many of them in this parish.

A good time had by all at the church Plant Sale today. Plants, refreshments, tombola and crafts. Plus lots of conversations with people curious about church, wondering about prayer, wanting to share burdens or joys, or just looking for a good chat. And the sun shone! #TinyJoys

Taking an enforced break from my knitting, because Daphne is sleeping in the pattern so I can't turn the page 😂

Deeply grateful tonight for dear faithful folks with whom to sing the mass, and then have a good chat and a laugh over a glass of fizz afterwards. #TinyJoys

Sometimes you just have to lean into the liturgy and let it do its work. Celebrating the Ascension of Our Lord in a time of political turmoil (local, national and international) is surely one such occasion.

🎶 Hail the day that sees him rise. Alleluia! 🎶 Happy #Ascension Day! If anyone in #Newcastle is looking for a service to attend today, you'd be very welcome to join us here:

A quick trip to the community cafe at the local Children's Centre is always restorative. Today I had some good chats, ate some very nice homemade soup, cuddled a baby, and learned how to say "oh no" and "all fixed"* in Urdu. #TinyJoys *key vocab for playing with a 3 year old with a toy toolbox!

#TinyJoys The Vicarage garden is lovely in spring, and this year the bluebells seem to be going on forever. Current view from the kitchen window:

One of the things that worries me about the kind of dramatic electoral shift we are seeing here is that there are going to be a heck of a lot of new councillors with no real experience or understanding of what local government actually entails, and a lot of expertise and institutional memory lost.

Keeping a straight face while gently dissuading someone from choosing "Come On Baby Light My Fire" as exit music for a funeral. At the crematorium. That's another one to file under 'pastoral skills they don't teach you at theological college'!

I love this community so much. You can have a profound spiritual experience in the presence of Jesus in the blessed sacrament, catch up with beloved friends over a gin, and enjoy a comedy song about trinitarian heresies, all in one evening! #OFMonsite2026 #EquippedAndSent

We are gathered for #OFMonsite2026 and our Chair of Trustees Leah Vasey-Saunders is presiding at our opening eucharist. #EquippedAndSent

A ludicrously early start, ahead of a very long day, made very much better by a Greggs bacon roll, a gorgeous sunrise, and the prospect of 4 days with some of my favourite people. #TinyJoys

It's nearly time for the annual @onfiremission.bsky.social conference, and I can't wait! For a glimpse of the distinctive catholic charismatic worship of this diverse and inclusive community, you can tune in to our first eucharist of the week on the OFM Facebook page. #OFMonsite2026 #EquippedAndSent

Came home from church with home grown rhubarb, an unexpected booking for an adult baptism, a picture drawn by a child who was at church for the first time, and (eventually!) a handful of correctly completed nomination forms for PCC and Deanery Synod reps. #TinyJoys

Cassie cat has found a new favourite place to sit. Very cute. Very warm. Not very helpful when I'm trying to get anything done.

The gift of a cancelled meeting in a super busy week. #TinyJoys

I have been looking forward to reading this book ever since @cdjtheology.bsky.social outlined the concept to me over a cuppa at a convent some years ago. Very excited that it is finally here!

Every time there is a 'Nigel Biggar being awful' story (which is frequently) I remember the time I found myself trying to explain to him what an LEP (Local Ecumenical Partnership) is and he replied "how lovely that the Methodists are helping out in the parishes".

Can't help thinking these two might be up to something... 😹

From leaving a meeting with colleagues, to having my feet in the sea, in less than 15 minutes. I don't think I will ever get over the joy of living near the coast again. #TinyJoys

Happy Easter! Celebrated with great joy, and more than a little holy chaos, in both churches this morning. Alleluia, Christ is risen!

Is there any sound more glorious than a small but devout congregation singing unaccompanied, as if they *really* mean it: "Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son, Endless is the victory thou o'er death hast won." #TinyJoys

🎶 Rejoice, heavenly powers. Sing, choirs of angels. O universe, dance around God's throne. Jesus Christ our king is risen. Sound the victorious trumpet of salvation. 🎶 #Easter #Alleluia

16 years old and new to faith, I wanted something I could commit to doing every year on Good Friday. With the benefit of hindsight, it would be easier now if I hadn't picked something that takes several hours. Anyway, time for my annual listen to Bach's St Matthew Passion. #TinyJoys

I love our Stations of the Cross at St Wilfrid's, carved by a local craftsman and finished by his apprentice after his death. Every time I look at them I notice something different. Today it was the facial expressions of the soldiers nailing Jesus to the cross, and the hammer poised to strike.

Easter Garden: before and after! Fantastic job by the kids from the youth group that meets in our hall, and I had a very fun time with them, weeding, pruning, planting and chatting. #TinyJoys

Anyone else so fixated on whether the Palm Sunday procession would get rained off that they forgot to consider wind speed? 5 yr old bearing giant palm branch nearly took off as we rounded the corner of the building! Disaster averted by quick reactions of churchwarden.

Ride on, ride on in majesty... #PalmSunday

Finding some space, ahead of the busy days to come. Vital Holy Week prep! #TinyJoys #DayOff

In the latest Issue of Movement magazine, @WilliamGibsonGla wrote, "For us as the Student Christian Movement to fail to speak adequately on the topics of class... is to fail to speak adequately of the gospel." Sign up for free to the Working Class Theology Panel ➡️ buff.ly/muFmdJc

30 years ago I was on a school trip to Canterbury Cathdral. "This is a special chair" we were told "where a very important man sits - the Archbishop of Canterbury." The joy of seeing that same chair occupied by ++Sarah was unimaginable then, and is overwhelming now. "With God nothing is impossible."

The beds are prepared, the first seeds are sown, and the first seedlings are in the greenhouses... Vicarage Veg Patch 2026 is well under way!

New cat toy! I think the girls like it 😻 #TinyJoys

There is a particular joy in introducing beloved people to beloved places/communities. An absolute joy to have my dear friend @al-barrett.bsky.social offering input at today's Newcastle Diocese clergy study day, and to explore and wonder together with lovely local colleagues. #TinyJoys

Rounding off International Women's Day with the second opportunity of the week to introduce a group to the extraordinary, ground-breaking Maude Royden. And some feminist theology. And I got to wear my favourite badge! A treasured inheritance from the late Sr Helen Julian CSF.

In honour of #iwd26 I’m sharing my short article “10 Commitments of a Feminist Theologian” alongside some of the story of the founding of the Feminist Theology Network @feministtheology.bsky.social practicaltheologyhub.com?p=2081

This is such a good question! For me: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. First read it at 13 and desperately wanted to be one of the Brodie Girls. Next time I read it I was an adult, and professionally responsible for young people, and... well... "hits differently" doesn't begin to cover it. 😱

I guess sometimes accidentally locking your sermon in the vestry is God's way of reminding you that you've been meaning to practice your extempore preaching for a while...

Selecting some quotes from my PhD research participants to share in a presentation later this week. Struck again by the exceptional depth of wisdom and insight these women have offered, and the absolute joy and privilege of receiving these stories and reflections. What a gift! #TinyJoys #PhDLife