#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.

Very understandable level of hilarity at Ephiphany service after I underestimated the height of the door (and/or overestimated the height of the vicar) and had to send the churchwarden back in for a chair to stand on after the step-stool proved comically insufficient to reach to chalk a blessing 🤣

The Sound of Music is on the telly, my Winnie the Pooh mug (which I chose when I was 3) is in my hand, and there's a dog resting against my leg... this could be any Christmas at my Dad's house in the last 35 years. #TinyJoys

Traditional family NYE: staying up till midnight so we can be loud enough to drown out the fireworks so the dog doesn't freak out too much. The dog is currently pretty chilled:

At my Dad's for post-Christmas break, which means Tuesday night is quiz show night... and tonight we're watching @revrachelmann.bsky.social on University Challenge. My step-mum is texting the family group chat: "Ruth's friend is on the telly!"

Finished my Christmas knitting project! Yarn is handspun Shetland wool and silk, very soft and cosy. The Christmas book pile might take a little longer... (this is very much not a complaint) 📚📚📚😃

My best Christmas present, a thread: 64 years ago, my Granny received this cookery book for Christmas. Her 6 year old daughter, who was just learning about keeping things a surprise, handed it over with the words: "you'll never guess what it is, it's definitely not a Gas Radition Cookery Book" 😂

My Christmas message in the Newcastle Chronicle with thanks to @ruthh.bsky.social for the #tinyjoys inspiration 🙏🎄 www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...

We don't buy the cats Christmas presents, we just let them take their pick from the boxes and wrapping paper. Here they are enjoying some of their favourites from today.

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen! Impeccable timing by the churchyard roses. Happy Christmas! 🌹✨️ "A Spotless Rose is blowing, Sprung from a tender root, Of ancient seers' foreshowing, Of Jesse promised fruit; Its fairest bud unfolds to light Amid the cold, cold winter, And in the dark midnight."

What are your favourite small Christmas rituals/traditions? The ones that might not look like anything much, but matter to you? Mine is Christmas breakfast. I have had the same breakfast - on the same plate! - every Christmas day since I was 3. #JoinIn

Kneeling in front of the Crib with two little girls who were serving at the altar in PJs and fluffy dressing gowns for Midnight Mass, surrounded by congregation singing unaccompanied: "Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing..." Christmas doesn't get much better than that! #TinyJoys

Cheers, #ClergyMaltClub! G&T here, after a slightly chaotic but altogether glorious midnight mass.

I wonder if @rhodri.biz realises how many clergy scroll through #DuvetKnowItsChristmas to help keep us awake until Midnight Mass. I know from talking to colleagues that it's definitely not just me.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 5pm Carols Around the Crib at St Wilfrid’s, Newbiggin Hall. 11.30pm Midnight Mass at St Peter's, Cowgate. 10am Christmas Eucharists at both churches. Enthusiastic carol singing at all services! Everyone welcome, always. #Christmas #Newcastle

I do enjoy the random things you find in the vestry at this time of year. This morning the photocopier was adorned with a festive flower arrangement. (The teatowel on the photocopier is a year-round feature.)

3 sermons written, assorted pastoral situations dealt with, sloe gin bottled. That'll do for today!

A modest batch of sloe gin from the Vicarage this year (one for us, and one will be my Reader's Christmas present) but it is *very* delicious. #TinyJoys

Last year's crib service: 10 adults, 0 children. I asked those who came to commit to praying throughout the year for opportunities for us to engage with children and families. This year's crib service: 11 adults, 12 children. #TinyJoys

Engaged in a sympathetic conversation with the person on the till about working over Christmas, when I realise the child who left her coat at church is behind me in the queue, so then I'm also sorting out with her nan how to get it back to her. All while packing my shopping. Clergy multi-tasking!

Trees are up in both churches! Fair to say our style is, um... maximalist. But a lot of fun had by all in the process, including kids from the youth group which meets in our hall who came over to help. #TinyJoys

Final session of this year's Advent course ready to go (for tomorrow morning... I do need a deadline!). I love being the vicar of parishes where people want to contemplate scripture and poetry and art together, and engage in deep and thoughtful conversation. It feeds me as much as anyone.

Overheard at church this morning: "I do like your trousers. Did you wear them specially for Gaudete Sunday?" "I did! Thank you for noticing." "Well, if you've got rose trousers... why would you not?!" #Gaudete

Passed the regular small gathering in town of people waving flags, and today they were singing Christmas songs. Specifically, as I passed, "feed the world, let them know it's Christmas time". Oh, the cognitive dissonance!

One of the things about being the Vicar is that I rarely get to hear anyone preach... because it's always me. So I am immensely blessed by the ministry of our Reader, who has recently returned to regular preaching after a break, and preached an absolute cracker of a sermon this morning. ✝️🕯️⚓

Yes. ‘Enough is enough’. Thank you, Joe Hawes togethercofe.org.uk/dean-of-st-e...