Once upon a time in Cononley I was only seven weeks old when I was baptised at the Back Lane Methodist Church in Cononley. It was 1942 and my father was working on the submarines at Vicker’s Shipyard at Barrow in Furness. My mother wished to join him there but the rest of the family […]
View PostUntil recently, I thought a tablet was just what my GP prescribed, and Twitter the sound that birds make in the morning. With lots of youngsters in the family though, I am becoming much more savvy with modern technology and also wise to the opportunities it offers for our churches. You may or may not […]
View PostOrdination I remember as though it was yesterday, my fellow ordinands and I assembling nervously in the undercroft of the cathedral. The bishop, dean, senior clergy and vergers arrived and we moved, to glorious music in procession up the stairs and into the chancel. I couldn’t believe it but sitting there on the front row […]
View PostNo 1 – Keep all phones on silent A young priest was, at short notice, called to a crematorium to conduct a funeral service. The crematorium was many miles away and since he had no sat-nav built into his car, he used his I-phone instead, listening to the audio directions as he drove. The priest […]
View PostPreperation is key Have your preparations started for Christmas? Are all of your Advent and Christmas services in the bag? As a minister, I always found that good preparation was key for me, just as it was for my parishioners. One June a few years ago I visited an elderly widow in my parish and […]
View PostCareers advice In the summer of 1959 careers advice consisted of a two minute meeting in our teacher’s broom cupboard sized office. The conversation lacked enthusiasm on either part but we pushed on regardless. “Have you got a job?” asked the teacher. “No,” came my reply. “Well are you looking for work?” he barked. “Yes,” […]
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