With alt text.

Loved this episode exploring the importance of fantasy, storytelling an imagination. ‘The Prince Caspian’ choice reminded me of Jem Bloomfield’s book ‘Gold on the Horizon’ which follows the Take Four books USP by tracing Lewis’ literary influences in Caspian and Dawn Treader.

Echoes of the past carried on the wind, As waves shape granite Birds wheel on thermals above And the heart is at rest in the wildness. #Cornwall #WestPenwith

Led a study day today with our final year ordinands today. In the midst of *waves hands at everything* spending time with these humble, open and faithful people brings so much hope and joy. #TiredButHappy

One of the best things about my job is that my students teach me far more than I ever teach them. A great start of term weekend exploring Bonhoeffer, St Benedict and the work of God in a pretty amazing group of people. Looking forward to the year ahead.

Planning the first session of a new academic year for our final year ordinands. Bonhoeffer on community and Peterson on the vocation of telling the story of ‘command, promise and invitation.’

A lovely impromptu birthday adventure. Sea, sunshine, cake and Benedictine worship. What more does a birthday need?

A long train journey means starting another pick from Take Four Books with @jdcrawf.bsky.social Looking forward to this one.

@hannahswiv.bsky.social saw you post about this book earlier so thought you might be interested in this.

A wonderful weekend celebrating those of our students being ordained priest and deacon this year. And the icing on the cake was having all but one of my curacy cohort together for the first time in four years. #grateful

Some moments make you stop, breathe deeply and rejoice in the wonder of creation. The world may feel heavy at the moment but a pause on an evening walk back to the car can be long enough to let in a glimmer of hope and a promise of peace.

I loved this episode, an exploration of what sounds like a beautiful book about storytelling & interconnection The comment “the same water we might have shed as tears yesterday may be the same drop that fell on the head of a mighty king in Ancient Assyria” may have led to a few tears itself.

Rest in peace and rise in glory - a faithful servant and inspiring theologian.

Annual anniversary reminder that Sojourner Truth didn’t speak the way we thought. A white woman doctored Sojourner Truth’s speech so it sounded more the way white people thought it should. Professor Nell Irvin Painter was the first to bring awareness to this: www.thesojournertruthproject.com

‘Placing the biblical narratives in the streets of the city [medieval mystery plays] implied a relationship between the here and now with the there and then…making the lives of the people part of the fabric of salvation history’ Todd Johnson- Performing the Sacred

A sad thing to see on a Wednesday.

Today is this sort of a day (out of shot are coffee and book - of course)

It was somewhat disconcerting to discover E.M. Forester’s book ‘The Machine Stops’ on the same day that power failures brought Spain and a Portugal to a stop.

Hermes seems to have a divine vocation to keep telling the tale “regardless of how it ends” until it changes. This act is presented to us as faith, hope, resistance…the tale might turn out differently upon the next telling, & so Hermes strikes up the band once again. A great piece on a show I love.

A joy to preach & preside today at Twyford, the church which supported me through so much of my pre-ordination journey. Old friends & new celebrating & reflecting on the breaking open of the tomb & the breaking open of our own imaginations when it comes to the gift of new life. (Words by Ann Lewin)

My Lent reflection on the theme of Wilderness. winchester.anglican.org/lenten-refle...

A brilliant end this evening to our seminar series looking at “On the Incarnation”. Finishing with students wanting to continuing reading ancient texts and discussing together because of all they have learned about mercy, hope and love and the inspiration they have found for their ministry.

It’s 9am TFT time here, and citizens are already gathering to protest Tariffs by the United States. Our plain clothes Officer Penguins are attempting to maintain calm, but unfortunately we keep losing them in the crowd.

I love the little details you get in late medieval / early modern records of Christian drama that give insight into their theatricality. The costume list for the c. 1583 Lucern Passion play includes "an iron skullcap" under a wig for Abel, to protect the actor when he's hit by Cain.

Very grateful for the photography course I have been taking this term. A way of paying far more careful attention to the world and slowing down enough to capture the beauty and wonder.

“There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is Curiosity. There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is Vanity. There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love.” ― Bernard of Clairvaux

Such a joy to lead a quiet morning today for clergy and LLMs. Holding space for God to minister to those who minister for him.

Enjoyed the conversation between Jem Bloomfield and Malcolm Guite at the Faith and Literature festival exploring the literary influences on the Narnia books. It left me imagining C.S Lewis on @jdcrawf.bsky.social ‘Take Four Books’ although I fear he would have needed more than three inspirations!

Brilliant to hear so many great speakers at the Faith & Literature festival & spend far more than planned on books! A real joy to hear @malcolmguite.bsky.social speaking on his new Arthurian project especially as his thinking on the Christian Imagination shaped one of the sections of my MA thesis.

Brilliant to hear from @elizabetholdfield.bsky.social today speaking about her book ‘Fully Alive’. An inspiring exploration of our human tendency not just to be broken but to break things and the ways in which the treasures of the Christian tradition can actively form us for fullness of life.

Booking a photography course has been a real blessing at the start of the year. Still lots to learn but it is lovely having this as a creative outlet.

A timely adaptation of C.S Lewis’ ‘That Hideous Strength’. A good script and though this episode focussed on Mark’s story I can see why and hopefully next week’s will capture Jane’s experiences. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Trinity alumni teaching our students today. Starting a series of seminars on Athanasius ‘On the Incarnation’.

Really enjoyed the Medieval Women exhibition at the British Library. Hearing the voices of forgotten scholars, surgeons, leaders and culture shapers whose voices have largely remained unknown was inspiring. Also like the fact that the one pet an anchoress was allowed was a cat. Tilly would approve.

Such an encouraging evening leading the first session for a new group of people called to lead their churches in worship. And the best bit of the evening was a student’s response to the worship in Rev 4: ‘This isn’t just worship, this is M&S worship.’ Great people serving their local churches.

So lovely to celebrate last night with North Hampshire Downs as they welcomed their ‘new’ rector. Great to catch up with the curacy team, much loved parishioners and even a Trinity College reunion!

These people didn’t grow up on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and it shows. youtu.be/jv2728FUmxE?...

Winter evening walks.

Leading worship in this beautiful 1,000 year old space this morning and reflecting on the wonderful words of John 1. ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.’

This has made me smile so much my face is aching: the Christmas lights in the Scottish town of Newburgh are designed by its children-there’s a competition to design a new one each year. They’re made by the same co. that makes the lights for Blackpool, the Shard & Champs-Élysées:

A little light reading for the Christmas break. A re-read inspired by episode 3 of @jdcrawf.bsky.social new radio show ‘Take Four Books’.

Buying a bottle of wine as a present for Dad and when the cashier came over to approve it she did a double take and then said ‘ohhh’ with a very concerned look on her face. How bad did I look?!

Re-reading GK Chesterton’s ‘Orthodoxy’ and remembering just how much I enjoy his turn of phrase.

This is what happens when you ask the ex-primary school teacher to preach at the end of term gathering. Exploring Psalm 145 and the now and not-yet of the kingdom via pass the parcel!

‘Advent Sunday returns afresh to mark a new season of waiting, hope and anticipation…We are ready to begin, we are ready to behold…We are not simply those on the sidelines looking on; we are participants in the mystery of love.’ From ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ by @revrachelmann.bsky.social

Led a quiet day today at St Mary’s Eversley where Charles Kingsley of Water Babies fame was Rector. We thought about how we might wait with hope even in the midst of difficulties & how we might find oases of rest & sparks of Advent light during this hectic time. ‘A light shines in the darkness…’

A beautiful set of short essays extolling the power, politics, wonder and joy of children’s stories. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/serie...

Looking forward to this.

Just closed the laptop and looking forward to the first weekend in a while with no work events. Ready for slow morning coffee, long (if wet and windy) walks and settling down with a good book or two.

As I feel increasingly helpless in the face of what's clearly coming in the next four years... ...I need to lean into reading the theological works of those that were politically powerless in past time periods. There's too much theology written by the comfortable, I think.