Reflections

Good Friday 18/4/25 3 cheers for the grumpy crim The usual path for the preacher when contrasting the two criminals on the cross is to side with the good/bad guy. You know… the one who called out the grumpy crim and asked to be taken to paradise. Here are the good/bad guy’s lines “Don’t you...Continue reading→

15/4 Somewhere, theres a coffin with my name on it One of the enormous and undeserved privileges I have is to offer eucharist and prayers at a funeral. Sometimes I haven’t known the person for all that long and certainly never as Iong as I would have liked. Sometimes a relationship has been established and...Continue reading→

Palm Sunday 13/4/25 To Rupert Studmaster Purveyor of fine beasts for sacrifice and personal use Bethphage  Dear Rupert, I thought that I had lost you forever because of our conversation. But my fear that I might never see you again was actually unfounded. I have glimpsed you in the crowds from time to time and...Continue reading→

Of The Spire If you have looked skywards then you will have noticed that on church hill there are two very serious-sized spires. There they stand, soaring, almost rocketing their way towards the stratosphere. One of them belongs to our brothers and sisters of the Presbyterian faith and the other belongs to the Anglicans and...Continue reading→

The Wheels on the Bus Go… It was a rainy Saturday in Melbourne and the trains had been replaced by buses. The bus came and it was a bit squishy but hec, we were on our way. What astonished me most was some of the other clients who shared the ride with us. One person...Continue reading→

It Was What You Wanted … Wasn’t It?  You see I have to ask because I was never quite sure and I am even less certain now. Offering your cheek to Judas seemed such a little but enormous, and irreversible act. Once you were arrested and taken away there was no turning back. Nothing could...Continue reading→

Lent 4 Mothering Sunday March 30th 2025 Dear Mum, You just don’t get me. Dear Mum, This letter will probably sound a little fractious, almost as if I am writing in anger. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. I am writing this letter out of my deepest love for you and I am...Continue reading→

A Case of Mistaken Identity A colleague of mine tells a story from their youth, so if you like it and find it helpful, any credit must go to them. Any sulkiness should be directed straight back to me for shamelessly stealing it. Once upon a time, a young lad was climbing down long ladders...Continue reading→

More words that I stole “Even sure and certain hope knows grief and frustration, experiences impatience and asks its questions” These words were selflessly and generously offered on a day that I needed them most. They were a soothing balm on an old wound and I deeply appreciated them not only for what they said...Continue reading→

Jehu, the Guy with the Really Big Stone Dear Jesus, You don’t me but I sure as heck know you. I was one of the people responsible for all the ruckus last week. However, it wasn’t all my idea. Silas and I knew each other well. I’m a Pharisee and Silas is a teacher of...Continue reading→

The Sin of Certainty Way back in January, I went to see the film ’Conclave’. It was a fictitious story about the election of a Pope. Towards the beginning of the film the Dean who helps to co-ordinate the trickiness, delivers a stunning homily to the assembled cardinals. For some of you, it might sound...Continue reading→

The woman who anointed Jesus for burial Dear Mary, I wanted to write to you about a few things but first of all, I should mind my manners and ask how Martha and Lazarus are doing. It was quite a spectacle when your brother emerged from the tomb after four days. There were a good...Continue reading→

What’s your colour? Well, it’s official. We're going to have an election.  The scurrilous rumour was confirmed with a postcard that came into my letter box the other day. I expect to get many such postcards, all of them passionate, (as you would expect) offering different perspectives. For all our rolling of eyeballs and heavy sighs,...Continue reading→

Judas to Jesus Dear Jesus, I have wanted to write this letter for some time now. You see, I have this burning, puzzling question that I can never get my head around. It’s a complex thing and I’m hoping that by writing this letter I can clarify a few things in my mind, but especially...Continue reading→

Transfiguration Sunday Who needs a tent anyway? This morning’s story comes to you fresh from Chelmsford Cathedral in the year 2013. Jeanine and I are on a parish exchange and I am undeservedly privileged to attend the diocesan Synod. There are literally several hundred of us, in a gorgeously appointed cathedral singing as though our...Continue reading→

The Lie I Believed My father died swiftly and unexpectedly. The whole thing was shocking and surreal at the time. One of the many things that came out of it was the brutal realisation that one day it will be my turn. With the generation ahead of me now gone I was ‘next in line.’...Continue reading→

The Sound of Silence I’m typing this with one of my ears heavily waxed. I am given to understand that this is not like having your legs waxed, but an experience that lasts much longer in time with quite different outcomes. I expect that this situation will last a few very annoying weeks when I visit...Continue reading→

So Who is Gill Hicks? Gill was an Australian woman living in London in 2005 when she got on the tube on the Piccadilly Line on her way to work. It was just another day and she was on the way to the office. On this particular day amazingly and weirdly, she was running late....Continue reading→

Of Faith, Hope and Carnage Some of you will have heard me speak of Nick Cave and heard me quoting him. I devoured his book ‘Faith, Hope and Carnage’ on Retreat last year in pretty much a single gulp, which is a really big deal for me. I decided to find out a bit more...Continue reading→

Of our Concrete Pylons The idea for this little reflection came to me when I had the indulgence of visiting Stonehenge. Huge big chunks of stone in a circle, some capped with more blocks of stone. It occurred to me that sometimes we are tempted to encircle ourselves with impenetrable  lumps of grumpiness and ‘hoomphiness’. Sadly...Continue reading→