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

Loving this Lent course in the parish. Lively discussion today about sources of spiritual nourishment: psalms, Catherine Cookson, Rod Stewart, stained glass, knitting, plants, friends, communion, etc. And the group wants to know: does @helenannhartley.bsky.social find running spiritually nourishing?

At the end of this morning's mass: Me: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Congregation: In the name of Christ. Amen. Toddler: All done! When it comes to liturgical formation, start 'em young, I say! #CofEpeeps #Narthex ✝️🕯⚓️

I have the makings of a truly excellent day off. #TinyJoys (Plus, not pictured, purring cat on lap.)

Probably my least favourite thing about ministry on a housing estate is ridiculous non-sequential numbering of the houses. Today I was going along the road looking for number 13: 3, 5, 7, 9, um... 184. Huh?!? Number 13 turned out to be round the back, down an alley off a completely different road.

#TinyJoys Sitting next to my 8 year old niece at the Planetarium involved a brilliant combination of awestruck wonder and extremely deep questions. Lots of "woah... this is so epic" but also "how did gravity come about in the first place?"

Last year's palm crosses have become this year's ashes. Ash Wenesday 18th February, Holy Eucharist with Ashes: 9.30am at St Wilfrid's Newbiggin Hall. 7pm at St Peter's Cowgate. Everyone welcome. "Remember you are dust, and to dust you will return. Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ."

A bit of Mary Daly, a bit of scratch art... Nobody could say that the resources I draw on for preaching are not eclectic! Looking forward to bringing these two together tomorrow to help us reflect on the Transfiguration. (If anyone wants to hazard a guess at the link between the two, feel free!)

Poverty and the Church: 40 Years After Faith in the City. My call for concrete action by #GeneralSynod in the next five years to deal with the causes of intergenerational poverty. www.robbsutherland.com/blog/poverty...

After an afternoon listening to the #LLF debate at #Synod, I'm heading over to church to set up for our Thursday evening mass at 7pm. #GeneralSynod members, you will be thoroughly prayed for.

Offering the mass this morning for #GeneralSynod as it meets, these were the words of the liturgy that struck me as particularly apt: "renew us by your Spirit, inspire us with your love, and unite us in the body of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." 🙏⚓️🕯✝️ #CofEpeeps #Synod

Praying today for friends on #Synod. For peace, for wisdom, for courage, for whatever you need to get through the week. I'm not there in person with the chaplaincy team this time, but happy to be a pastoral/praying presence on the end of the phone if needed.

One of my churches has no external notice board. So we improvise. When I arrived there was just one poster to put on the window. Today's sidesperson said to me with a smile: "Eee, I can't hardly see out the door, there's that much going on." #TinyJoys

"To claim, as the House of Bishops does that “we dare to hope that the LLF process will leave a legacy of greater inclusion of LGBTQI+ people in the life of the Church of England” while refusing to act in any way that might give substance to that hope, is deeply lacking in integrity." #CofEpeeps

My reflections on apologies, non-apologies, and why they do more harm than good, ahead of Synod. I think we need to be talking clearly about honesty and integrity, their presence and absence, as we think about the ordering of our common life as a church. #CofEpeeps ⚓️🕯✝️ viamedia.news/2026/02/07/s...

Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work. "Let us pray." And also: "It's kind of you to offer, but I don't think we would have much use for [totally impractical and unnecessary item someone wishes to donate] so no thank you."

When your congregation at mass consists of your partner, you house guest,and your Reader, and you're wondering quite why you've come out on a wet and windy night at the end of a long week... And then a young couple come in: "We've just moved here. We're not baptised. We want to come to your church."

This morning I submitted the annual Statistics for Mission return for both my parishes. Then I went to the cathedral for lunchtime mass, where the lectionary gave us 2 Samuel 24.10: "David was stricken to the heart because he had numbered the people." 🤣🤣🤣 #CofEPeeps ⚓️🕯✝️

Today was the day when Cassie and Daphne finally learned to play together with their 'ball going round on the track' toy! They have previously each played with it on their own, or with me, but not with each other... until now 😻 #TinyJoys

The thing about doing a PhD in feminist practical theology alongside parish ministry is that sometimes the two get muddled up on your desk, and your churchwarden accidentally goes home with a post-it attached to his meeting notes which says "Fear of women's desire??" (and a transcript timecode)

Inspired by our Reader's superb Candlemas sermon this morning to offer this reflection from Evelyn Underhill at Benediction this afternoon. "Human things can be very holy, full of God."

Candlemas bells! Impeccable liturgical timing from the churchyard snow drops. #TinyJoys

One way and another it has been Quite A Week. Very glad to have reached the end of it. Plans for day off tomorrow consist of spending Christmas book tokens and reading new books. Possibly also a nap.

It felt entirely appropriate that my first time praying aloud "for Sarah, our Archbishop" should have been a quiet nursing home communion with an increasingly frail and unwell priest. Marking this momentous occasion with one of those ordinary, perfectly imperfect ministry moments.

Always a high standard of intercessions in this parish. Today: "We pray for wor bishop Helen-Ann and wor vicar Ruth that they may be filled with the same zeal as St Paul and renewed by your Holy Spirit to serve your church with wisdom and compassion." @helenannhartley.bsky.social #TinyJoys

Cats have appreciated today's pyjama day*. So have I. #TinyJoys *not that they wear pyjamas

Delivering basic safeguarding training tonight. Me: "...and then you would-" PCC members, interrupting as one: "make a record of who, what when and where, and contact the Parish Safeguaring Officer." Yes, they've got it!!

Returning to the online world after 4 days of seclusion on retreat at the convent. So, #CofEpeeps, did I miss anyth- Oh. Oh, I see.

You know you've properly assimilated into Geordie culture when, within hours of coming south, you're googling your nearest Greggs 🤣

Concussed by a seagull. It flew hard into the side of my head, and snatched my ice cream.