IN MY LAST POST I explained how I began to find my voice while contributing to The Exuberant Church by Rev Barbara Glasson. As Barbara and I discussed the coming out process, I had a strong sense that I needed to help her write her story and, in doing so, I began to write my …
Joy, freedom, kindness: A spiritual exercise
LAST SUNDAY, as part of my training as a Methodist minister, I shared this reflection during an all-age service. The service included children and adults with learning difficulties. The readings for the day were Psalm …
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- 5th July 2025
- Christianity, Kindness, Methodist, Spirituality
- abravefaith
‘My cry is to all that live’ – Wisdom’s inclusive call to love and be loved
TODAY, as part of my training as a Methodist minister, I shared this reflection on Trinity Sunday. This feast falls eight weeks after Easter. This year it coincides with Father’s Day in the UK. This …
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- 15th June 2025
- Christianity, Methodist, Spirituality
- abravefaith
‘Will it be Open Table?’ The question that started a movement
FEBRUARY is LGBT+ History Month,an annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and non-binary history. The Methodist Church in Britain has published resources for LGBT+ History Month since 2022. This year they asked me, as Director of the Open Table Network to share the story of how Open Table began and has grown from one to many communities.
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- 10th February 2025
- Christianity, LGBT rights, Liverpool, Methodist, Open Table, Pride, relationships, sexuality, Spirituality
- abravefaith
National church shares LGBT+ History Month prayer
FEBRUARY is LGBT+ History Month, an annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and non-binary history. This year, the Methodist Church in Britain asked me to write a prayer which will be shared with churches for the month.
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- 3rd February 2025
- Christianity, identity, LGBT rights, Methodist, Open Table, Spirituality
- abravefaith
Good news of great joy – for whom? A Christmas reflection
LAST SUNDAY, as part of my training as a Methodist minister, I shared this short reflection during a carol service at Wesley Church Centre in Chester: ‘Do not be afraid; for see – I am …
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- 24th December 2024
- Christianity, Christmas, Spirituality
- abravefaith
Hush the noise – and hear these angels sing!
CHRISTMAS is loud, isn’t it? So much expectation. So many voices. Telling us how to celebrate, what to wear, what to eat and drink, what to watch and what to buy.
Instead, the Methodist Church in Britain invites us to ‘Hush The Noise’ and listen to THREE new Christmas singles!
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- 17th December 2024
- Christianity, Christmas, Methodist, Spirituality
- abravefaith
On the road again – My surprising journey continues
TODAY I said farewell to the church which has supported me for much of the last three years. Now that I have started training to be a Methodist presbyter [from the Greek word πρεσβύτερος (presbyteros) …
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- 29th September 2024
- Christianity, Liverpool, Methodist, Spirituality
- abravefaith
‘Burn down their hatred with hope’ – Responding to racist riots in Liverpool
LAST SUNDAY, as part of my training as a Methodist local preacher, I led a service at a Black majority church in inner city Liverpool, about half a mile from a mosque. I had planned the service the week before, but as I woke to news of protests, riots, violence and destruction in the city the night before, I knew I had to respond somehow.
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- 8th August 2024
- Christianity, Hate Crime, Liverpool, Methodist
- abravefaith
Where is God when it all goes wrong? – A Bible Month reflection on Joseph’s story from the book of Genesis
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.
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- 30th June 2024
- Christianity, Liverpool, Methodist, Spirituality
- abravefaith
Unique meaning in life – Listening for God’s call
‘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?
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- 9th June 2024
- Christianity, Methodist, Spirituality
- abravefaith
Glimpsing God’s Spirit – A Pentecost reflection
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.
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- 19th May 2024
- Methodist, Spirituality
- abravefaith
‘Doubting’ Thomas is so much more – A more generous response to the infamous apostle
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?
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- 7th April 2024
- Christianity, Liverpool, Methodist, Spirituality
- abravefaith
Sep 15
Jack-with-no-box – Why I have come out of the church
- By abravefaith in Christianity, Coming Out, LGBT rights, Spirituality
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15th September 2012
Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2012/09/15/jack-with-no-box/
Sep 07
Coming out of the Church
- By abravefaith in Christianity, Coming Out, LGBT rights, Spirituality
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7th September 2012
I BEGAN to find my voice and share my story in 2009 when an author friend approached me to talk about ‘coming out’ – she wanted to get an understanding of this extraordinary process of identity-claiming to see what it might reveal to those people of faith who struggle to accept diversity of sexual orientation and gender …
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Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2012/09/07/coming-out-of-the-church/
Aug 31
The ultimate question
- By abravefaith in Christianity, Coming Out, LGBT rights, Meaning of Life
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31st August 2012
TOMORROW I turn 42. In the first novel and radio series of Douglas Adams‘ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a group of hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings demand to learn the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything from the supercomputer, Deep Thought, specially built for this purpose. It takes Deep Thought 7½ million years to …
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- BBC Television, Christian, civil partnership, coming out, Deep Thought, Douglas Adams, Gay community, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, LGBT, Liverpool, Merseyside, Personal development, Phrases from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Roman Catholic Church, Same-sex marriage, Sexual orientation, sexuality, spirituality
- 8 comments
Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2012/08/31/the-ultimate-question/
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