Category: Open Table

My Christian journey – A testimonal for ministry training

IN MAY 2023 I began the process of applying to begin training as a Methodist minister in 2024. This is the testimonial I wrote for a portfolio as part of my application.

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Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/11/24/my-christian-journey-a-testimonal-for-ministry-training/

Finding your burning desire: Inspired by the call of Moses

THE REVELATION of God’s name and the call of Moses [3:1-15, 4:1-5], is an example of how, just when we think we have God figured out, God can overturn our expectations once again.

In Moses, God takes an inarticulate, excuse-riddled murderer and turns him into one of the greatest leaders of the Hebrew people, who becomes a prophet in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and other faith traditions.

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Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/11/11/finding-your-burning-desire-inspired-by-the-call-of-moses/

ChatGPT: Tell me about myself

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) is growing fast – ChatGPT, the popular chatbot from OpenAI, is estimated to have reached 100 million monthly active users just two months after its launch, making it the fastest-growing consumer internet application ever.
So I decided to ask it a few questions, to see how intelligent it may be. Here’s a selection of its responses.

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Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/05/02/chatgpt-tell-me-about-myself/

Giving thanks for this phenomenal journey

AT THE ANNUAL MEETING this weekend of the parish where the first Open Table community began, I spoke about my journey with this community over the last 15 years, and the new stage I am now entering, which would not have happened without their support. This is what I shared: This church has been my …

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Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/04/30/giving-thanks-for-this-phenomenal-journey/

A face for radio

On Sunday 2nd April I spoke to Paul Beesley at BBC Radio Merseyside about my journey, from London to Liverpool, in and out of Christianity and back again, coming out as gay and Christian, and the growth of the Open Table Network from one community in Liverpool 15 years ago to more than 30 across England and Wales today. LISTEN HERE [27 …

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Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/04/06/a-face-for-radio/

An introspective retrospective – 10 years of blogging

TEN YEARS AGO today (as I turned 42) I began this blog. I wrote a brief retrospective after five years. Here’s an update on the next five: having ‘come out of the Catholic church‘ in 2011, then authorised as a lay leader in  Church of England, I have now become a Methodist thanks to its commitment …

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Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2022/08/31/an-introspective-retrospective-10-years-of-blogging/

LGBT+ asylum seeker podcast shares stories of faith, exclusion and inclusion

IN THE LATEST episode of a podcast ‘for migrants by migrants’, two people with experience of seeking asylum share their stories, one who won leave to remain in the UK with support from an Open Table community, and another who is afraid to get support from an LGBT-affirming Christian community because she fears that the …

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Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2022/08/04/lgbt-asylum-seeker-podcast-shares-stories-of-faith-exclusion-and-inclusion/

It gets better – Local radio interviews record progress on 50th anniversary of Pride in the UK

THIS MONTH has seen Pride events all over the country. It’s 50 years this year since the first Pride March in London in 1972. To mark this milestone, I was one of a number of faith leaders interviewed on BBC local radio on Sunday 26th June. A pre-recorded interview with me and Rabbi Anna Wolfson …

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Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2022/06/30/it-gets-better-local-radio-interviews-record-progress-on-50th-anniversary-of-pride-in-the-uk/

We boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God – A reflection for #PrideMonth

AT A SPECIAL communion service to celebrate the 14th birthday of the first Open Table community in Liverpool on Sunday 19th June 2022, I shared this reflection on Pride Month and how the origin of Open Table is linked to Liverpool’s first official Pride event. Readings: Romans 5: 1-5, Mark 5:1-20 “We boast in our hope …

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Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2022/06/27/we-boast-in-our-hope-of-sharing-the-glory-of-god-a-reflection-for-pridemonth/

What needs to be healed – On Franklin Graham’s UK tour & support for ‘conversion therapy’

AS CONTROVERSIAL US preacher Franklin Graham began his UK tour in Liverpool on Saturday 14th May, the Open Table Network worked in partnership with others in Merseyside to offer an alternative event which showcased the Liverpool City Region as a safe, friendly and welcoming place for LGBT+ people of all faiths and none. At an …

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Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2022/05/21/what-needs-to-be-healed-on-franklin-grahams-uk-tour-support-for-conversion-therapy/

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