All Blog Posts (543)

Etched onto my memory is the line by the German theologian Jürgen Moltmann, cited during a lecture in Cambridge several years ago:

God is our happiness. God is our torment. God is the wide space of our hope.

Hope needs wide space in which to expand and…

Why do I keep banging on about poverty? Good question – and one I have been asked several times recently in relation to this blog and other writings.

One answer goes back to that haunting verse in Proverbs (31:8) that formed the title of a…

This is the text of the sermon preached in Bradford Cathedral this morning (16 June 2013) by Sebastian Feydt, pastor of the Frauenkirche in Dresden, based on Luke…

This is going to be a great week.

Not only do we hit 'the longest day' – 21 June, midsummer's day – when I and colleagues will spend the whole day from 5am to 10pm walking in the diocese,…

It was great to see Celia Blackden at Thursday's event and I was saying this site needs to be better known. We can all help by sharing interesting items from this site on Facebook and Twitter!

It is no secret that I worked (as a Russian and German linguist) at GCHQ in Cheltenham before heading down the ordination road in 1984 – just after Margaret Thatcher inexplicably banned us from belonging to unions…

It does, indeed.

Cutting services and access to things that make individuals and communities thrive runs the risk of saving money from one pocket while thereby ensuring that more will be paid out from the other pocket in order to address the consequences of the former.

I haven't…

The last in the Sharing Eden series is on wed June 19 at 4 p.m. when a speaker from the World Development movement will talk about their environment project. I have been so busy I have not yet written the "How green is the cathedral?" article. Answer As green as they can be in view of old listed buildings!

An amazing day! Woke too early so got up and did some reading. Louise came with me on the trains 7.20 a.m. and got a train to Bushey with no problems. Long chat to Jean Taylor on phone and emailed Daphne Sherwood who picked me up at Bushey station and drove to Holy Rood church, Watford via Tesco’s, They move to Devon next week! Bishop John Sheringham welcomed all and the church is superb. Bentley's finest, one of the most beautiful in England. Representatives lit candles on the altar and…

Racial Justice Sunday is all about working together to make our churches and communities just and fair for all participants.

Our Churches have a tremendous opportunity to evidence God’s Kingdom on earth by taking deliberate action to include members of Britain’s minority ethnic communities in our congregations.

Most institutions find it almost impossible to respond positively to the idea that action is necessary if they are to include their minority ethnic…

Monday saw the annual Sandford St Martin awards ceremony for religious broadcasting. Lambeth Palace is a wonderful venue for this prestigious event and a large audience of programme makers, commissioners, presenters and others saw the best in religious broadcasting recognised.…

I am writing this while waiting for the flight back from Bermuda to the UK. I came on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury to ordain the new Bishop of Bermuda, Nick Dill. The collective of 'Bishop Nicks' became confusing once or twice.

What have I learned this week?

1. The new…

Julie Siddiqui of the Islamic Foundation and Archbishop Kevin McDonald speak of their hope that something positive emerges out of this tragedy: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22738649.

On Thursday June 13th 4.30 for 5 until 6.30 p.m. Prayers in Westminster cathedral hall but faith leaders including Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran. All welcome but space is limited so come early!

To London Bridge only to find trains to Plumstead cancelled and very little advice. Luckily met Siriol Davies and Michael Bishop of Woolwcih so to New Cross and then a long bus ride. They got off the bus too early - we got to the Greenwich Islamic centre after 2 and were…

The trouble is, of course, that we can't roll back the years. We can't de-invent the nuclear bomb or some of the technological 'advances' that now create – according to the Law of Unintended Consequences – complex ethical dilemmas for us. We now live in the “we can, therefore we must” rather than…

Last night I was the president and preacher at the ordination of Nick Dill as the Bishop of Bermuda. The Cathedral in Hamilton was packed and it was – for us feeble Brits, at least – hot and sweaty. For me it was a privilege to represent the Archbishop of Canterbury here.…

I didn’t want to see news pictures of a soldier being murdered in Woolwich this week. I didn’t want to see film of violent brutality and, whilst being aware of the dilemma for news organisations and the moral questions about ‘facing reality’, was not sure that the coverage should have been so…

I am in Leicester from yesterday until Saturday night leading a Meissen Delegation Visit. The EKD is focusing this…

Recent events have, in a terrible way, shown the need for people of faith to come together to pray for peace. You can find an article, and a statement by Archbishop Kevin McDonald, here: http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/05/24/my-catholic-faith-inspired-me-to-confront-woolwich-attacker/.