The flight into Egypt was of particular significance to the art works of Nicholas Myneer, on display in Portsmouth Cathedral recently. Myneer is an artist and sculptor and this particular work of art, like so many of his works, shows the holy family making their escape from the violence of the Massacre of Innocents . Yet, given a more up-to-date take, it represents escape from current violence, as in Gaza. In both drawing and sculpture, Myneer adopts a stylistic format, which

Easter morning is a whirlwind of movement, questions, and emotion. Mary runs to the tomb in grief, Peter and John run after her, and yet in all this frantic activity, one truth remains steadfast: the stone was rolled away. In our gospel reading for Easter Day we see love in action; love that bears the burden of grief, love that shares the news, love that runs even when unsure. John bends to look, Peter searches, and Mary waits weeping outside, each moment teaching us somethin

On a recent short trip to the south coast, I was down by the sea when I encountered an unusual group. A man dressed in a long robe was accompanied by a handful of people, all engaged in talking to passers by. The robe turned out to be a voluminous coat, made up of individual patches of fabric, all bearing colourful messages and emblems. I was told it was called the ‘coat of hopes’. And the group were pilgrims, carrying a striking visual message of concern for our natural envi

At the weekend the Mission and Ministry department of St Alban’s Diocese held a day Conference for Church leaders in the area. One of the talks was entitled “Who do you think you are – let’s start with enough”. The speaker started by a taking poll of the delegates, asking people to put up their hands if they did not consider themselves to be “enough”. The vast vast majority of the room put their hands up. The speaker went on to talk about the danger of not putting boundaries

In a time of war, it may be helpful to be reminded of a little of the thinking of Christians on the subject of war over the centuries.   In the Mennonite tradition of Christianity, the principle that peace is the will of God is decisive. It dictates a policy of "non-resistance” - not physically resisting evil or violence. We can find many steers in this direction in the New Testament – perhaps especially Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount: (Matthew 5: 38-41)   ‘You ha

This Lent I have been exploring the lives and faith of the Desert Fathers and Mothers – Christian mystics who went to live in solitude or small communities in the Egyptian and Syrian deserts in the 4 th  and 5 th  centuries. There in a life of prayer and stillness they drew closer to God. It was a harsh life  - they lived simply, fasting and eking out a living doing tasks like weaving baskets and giving what little they had to the poor. It is amazing that we know so much abou

In my youth, Lent always seemed to be about giving up, usually sweets for children, alcohol for adults – although, looking back, I do question the health implications of giving up my daily apple. Then, when I was teaching, it was all about raising money. Each year was given a charity and during Lent raised money for that charity. (There was a choice for the older girls). That meant organising sponsored events, cake sales – although we had to put a limit on those – and other m

I am sitting on a very wet, dreary Sunday afternoon and although on my own I wonder who else in the road outside can hear me cheering and shouting at the TV. I’m watching the Winter Olympics 2026 and we have just won 2 gold medals in one day! It’s never happened before since 1924 when the Winter Olympics started.  Did we ever think that was possible? I love sport. I love watching sportsmen and women competing. For every single one of those competing the Olympics is the culmin

It is not easy to love February. It comes towards the end of our winter, when we are tired of the cold and the wet. Our energy levels are low and all our usual activities seem so much harder work. And yet. There is perceptibly more light, especially in the afternoon. Snowdrops appear so unexpectedly. Green stems start pushing up in our gardens. Catkins shower their grace. Occasional shrubs begin to bloom, like the unlikely camellia. And underneath it all we can sense the grea

On Sunday we celebrated Candlemas. The presentation of Jesus in the temple. The account of the baby Jesus being presented for the ritual ceremony importantly includes the recognition of who Jesus is: “He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel…”  (Luke 2:32) This is revealed by the most unlikely of people – People who would have been seen as unimportant and yet exhibit such significant wisdom because of their relationship with God. T

Tuesday this week (27 Jan) is Holocaust Memorial Day. Each year communities around the globe pause to recall the horrific events during the Second World War that led to the murder of millions of Jews, alongside other victims of the Nazi regime. The date marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in 1945. This day is also used to call to mind other genocides since 1945.   Whilst it is horrific to remember incomprehensible acts of cruelty from one person to a

In so many ways, the human condition is getting better and better. It is thought that average life expectancy in the Bronze Age was about 26 and it was little better in classical Greece and Rome. By the late 1700s, in Britain it had risen to 37 and for the wealthy it was nearer 50. By 1950 it was about 60 across Europe and now it is over 75 for women and 70 for men averaged across the world, but with substantial regional variations of course. These changes flow from many fact

This Sunday for our morning service we joined our friends at Marlborough Road Methodist Church for their annual Covenant service. It was lovely to be back in a place where we had been so warmly welcomed when St Peter’s Church building was out of use.  During this service, which is held in January every year, we were invited to renew our commitment to God and respond to his love and grace. The new year seems a good time to do this – a very special new years resolution. The ser

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown..'   Those words, part of a poem by Minnie Louise Haskins, were used by King George VI as part of his Christmas message in 1939. At that time, the country was at war; fears and  worries were many; who knew what the New Year would bring.   2026: another New Year has dawned. The country is not at war but the world situation is uncertain; fears and worries are still man

The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel, God with us. Isaiah 7:14   The wonder of Christmas is not that God came into a perfect world, but that God chose to come into a world as messy, divided, and unjust as our own. At the first Christmas there were rulers who ruled by fear, who threatened the vulnerable and clung to power at any cost. There was deep inequality, with wealth and safety concentrated

What we really want for Christmas is a world where people unite to relieve human suffering. Where rude, loud, aggressive pronouncements are hushed. Where children can grow up safely, with enough to eat. Where fear is dissolved. Where generous ingenuity is put in the service of the community.  Where we can all stretch and breathe and live without taking another’s space. Where our world grows green again. All these deep needs feed into our daily and weekly prayers. What many of

Adventure (n) – an unusual and exciting experience. The anticipation was unbearable; as a child I never understood why Christmas featured so much in the weeks that led up to the Great Day. The build-up accompanied by the daily opening of yet another window on the Advent Calendar, along with regular reminders that time to buy presents was rapidly diminishing, only added to almost uncontrollable excitement. Throw into this mix the worry that I’d perhaps not been good enough to

One of the traditional themes of Advent is waiting. The final verse of Psalm 27 is “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”. You might be more familiar with these words from the beautiful Taizé chant “Wait for the Lord”. When Christians speak of the Advent theme of waiting, I would guess that they normally have this sense of the word in mind. First and foremost, waiting for Jesus at the end of time, and secondly, waiting for the birth

Last week I received my Lectionary for the coming year. It’s a book full of useful information including which Bible readings are suggested for services on each day of the year. It also lists festivals, saints days and indicates which liturgical colour should be used on each day (e.g. purple for Lent and Advent and gold or white for Christmas). This week is the last week of green Ordinary time before we enter Advent and a new lectionary year on 30 November. Paula Gooder has w

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me… I go to prepare a place for you.” – John 14:1–3   On Remembrance Sunday and on Tuesday Nov 11th at 11am, we pause in stillness to remember those who gave their lives in war, and those who continue to suffer in conflict across the world. We remember them not as distant names carved in stone, but as sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, friends and neighbours: each one known and loved by God.   Jesu