This is a question that Joseph, hero of our faith, might have asked himself. Joseph, a son of Jacob, the last of Israel’s ancient patriarchs, is at the centre of a 4,000-year-old family drama. It’s a story of favouritism, jealousy, hatred, temptation, suffering and reconciliation.
Perhaps this is a situation with which you can identify! But the Joseph story is bigger than that.
‘Here I am, for you called me’.
– 1 Samuel 3
THESE are the words of the child Samuel, apprentice to the priest Eli at the temple of God.
I wonder:
– how could these words speak to each of us today?
– what does it mean for us to be open to God, whatever our age, status, or circumstances?
– how does God speak with us now?
What wonders might give us glimpses of God’s Spirit today?
In what ways can you and I be signs of God’s comfort and support to those in distress?
What role might we have in offering meaning?
What space is there in your life and mine for signs of wonder?
How is the Spirit moving in your life and mine today?
A reflection on Pentecost, the birthday of the Christian Church, and Wesley Day, the brthday of the Methodist Church.
The story of Thomas the apostle is an invitation and challenge to us to be generous in listening to questions and scepticism. How do we cope with challenges to faith – our own and other people’s?
A REFLECTION on the story of the magi travelling to find Jesus in Bethlehem [Matthew 2:1-12] and the poem The Work Of Christmas by Howard Thurman.
THE CHRISTMAS STORY is a jigsaw, which we have pieced together from the four gospels. The pieces include: a star, a manger, shepherds, and wise people from the east. But the story of a man in the desert baptizing people doesn’t seem to fit the puzzle. Does it even belong in our picture of Christmas?
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.
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.
SEPTEMBER is the Season of Creation. It’s a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation, through celebration, prayer and action, together with the whole human family, for the good of our common home.
IN 2021, a Black woman became the President of the Methodist Church In Britain for the first time. In her presidential address at Conference, Revd Sonia Hicks told the story of her Aunt Lize, a life-long Methodist who came from Jamaica to the UK. On her first Sunday in this country, Lize attended the local Methodist church but, although she brought her membership ticket, the minister turned her away.
TEN YEARS AGO today the Houses of Parliament passed legislation to allow same-sex marriage in England and Wales. To mark the anniversary, BBC Radio Merseyside host Paul Salt interview me and my husband Warren, as we were the first couple to register a civil partnership in a place of worship in the UK.
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.
Jul 17
TEN YEARS AGO today the Houses of Parliament passed legislation to allow same-sex marriage in England and Wales. To mark the anniversary, BBC Radio Merseyside host Paul Salt interview me and my husband Warren, as we were the first couple to register a civil partnership in a place of worship in the UK.
Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/07/17/10-years-of-same-sex-marriage-in-england-wales-bbc-radio-merseyside-interview/
May 02
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.
Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/05/02/chatgpt-tell-me-about-myself/
Apr 30
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 …
Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/04/30/giving-thanks-for-this-phenomenal-journey/
Apr 23
THE COMMUNITY in which I joined the Methodist Church last year hosts a short telephone service on Sunday afternoons – like a Christian conference call! Today I was invited to offer a five-minute reflection on the Gospel reading of the day [Luke 24.13–35 – The road to Emmaus]. My reflection was inspired by Jesus the Forgiving Victim: …
Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/04/23/when-the-stranger-becomes-the-host-on-the-road-to-emmaus/
Apr 06
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 …
Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/04/06/a-face-for-radio/
Apr 02
TODAY is an extraordinary day – Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week, the most impact-full time in the whole Gospel story. On Palm Sunday, Christians remember Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem for the final days of his ministry before he died on the cross and rose to new life. Palm Sunday is the first day …
Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/04/02/palm-sunday-holy-week-began-with-a-peace-protest/
Feb 19
TODAY in the community where I joined the Methodist Church last year, I led the morning service for the first time, as I am now training as a local preacher. A national Methodist Church resource called Justice, Dignity and Solidarity inspired the theme for the service. It invites us to commit: ‘to becoming a church that …
Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/02/19/eating-with-outcasts-the-inclusive-church-journey-to-radical-welcome/
Jan 07
POPE EMERITUS Benedict XVI died on 31st December 2022, and was buried in the Vatican this week. His legacy is long, though he resigned in 2013, the first Pope to do so for 600 years. In September 2010, as Pope Benedict visited Britain, I was the Convenor of the Liverpool branch of Quest the LGBT+ …
Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/01/07/the-trouble-with-the-pope-on-benedict-xvis-2010-visit-to-britain/
Jan 01
AT THE START of the new year, Methodists make a distinctive resolution. The Covenant Service, often celebrated on the first Sunday of the year, is at the heart of Methodists’ devotion, discipleship, and dedication to social justice. In the service the Church joyfully celebrates God’s offer of loving relationship.
Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2023/01/01/i-am-no-longer-my-own-the-methodist-covenant-prayer/
Oct 17
THE COMMUNITY in which I joined the Methodist Church earlier this year hosts a short telephone service on Sunday afternoons – like a Christian conference call! Yesterday I was invited to offer a five-minute reflection on the Gospel reading of the day: The persistent widow and the unjust judge
Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2022/10/17/the-persistent-widow-power-of-prayer-in-action/
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