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I was away from the parishes for a couple of weeks in September, and because for the first week I was staying in a monastery on a conference, and for the second week I was on retreat, I spent hardly any time looking at the news. Normally, I keep an eye on the BBC and Sky and CNN websites, as well as trying to keep my ear to the ground locally. It’s important for us to be engaged with the reality of what is going on around us - but it struck me very forcibly on the occasions

The West Worcester Beacon Group of Churches is delighted to announce that, thanks to generous funding from Worcester Diocese, we have...

I don’t know about you, but I got MUCH TOO HOT in June and July. The scorching weather, the weeks without rain - it honestly made me a bit miserable. The list of casualties in my garden seemed to get longer by the day. Seedlings I had nurtured through the spring and tentatively planted out in late May were completely destroyed, and as for the grass… well the less said on that subject the better! We know that what we suffer with our gardens is just a microcosm of the stresses

The West Worcester Beacon Healthy & Sustainable Churches Team (HSCT) is seeking an experienced and flexible partner organisation to carry out effective community engagement work in new neighbourhoods in the benefice; and to lead a Comms Strategy Review for the benefice. Further information and a full tender specification can be obtained from Ian Craigan: ian@iancraigan.plus.com 07879033823 A Project Fee of £17,000 is available over a 2 year period. Deadline for emailed submis

I was asked to add this sermon to the blog - it starts with two quite long readings - I hope you’ll find it worth your time! We are looking at Exodus 16:1-16 and John 6:25-35. EXODUS 16 1 The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim and came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and

Some of the nation’s favourite poetry will provide the inspiration for an historic village church’s flower festival later this month. Visitors to St Martin's Church in Holt will be greeted by an explosion of colours at the ‘Poetry Please’ festival during the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, 28-29 June from 10.30am to 4pm. Flower arrangers will be showcasing their talents through a variety of eye-catching displays, all rooted in the theme of poetry. Alongside plant stalls, visi

This statement was coined by a large organisation that I know a few years ago and, whilst it is mildly amusing (maybe!) on initial...

Kalantha and I wanted to thank you for all your kind words regarding our recent trip to London for Kalantha’s presentation as Honorary Chaplain to HM King Charles III. We had an absolutely fantastic time, and as so many of you have asked for more details about the day - here they are! We began at the home of the Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace, where we had lunch and met a few of the other King's Chaplains and their guests. It was very exciting to be allowed

As you may know, by the time you read this, I will (all being well) have been presented to His Majesty at Buckingham Palace as one of his Honorary Chaplains. For clergy in the Church of England, the monarch is not only the Head of State, but also the Supreme Governor of the Church and Defender of the Faith. We don’t have a Pope, but if we did (as Henry VIII would have been happy to inform us) it would be the Monarch. For us, the monarch represents a higher authority, and we h

I’m writing this at the beginning of Holy Week: the busiest week of the year for vicars - yes - even busier than the week before Christmas. By the time you read this, we will be into May, and enjoying a Bank Holiday weekend. Hopefully, like the rest of you, I’ll be watching the garden grow and maybe even enjoying a bit of sunshine again… Thinking about this made me reflect on how the way we spend a short amount of time can change our perspectives and attitudes quite profoundl

Our Benefice Vicar, Reverend Kalantha Brewis, has recently received a letter from the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, Buckingham Palace under the direction of the King, to offer her the honorary role of Chaplain to His Majesty King Charles III. The position is known as Honorary Chaplain to the Sovereign. To understand a little more about this honour I did consult Wikipedia and I have abstracted the following. ‘An Honorary Chaplain to the King is a member of the clergy within the U

Popular organist and YouTuber Ben Maton (The Salisbury Organist) visited Christ Church Lower Broadheath for his latest video! 🎼 Watch him play the beautiful music of Edward Elgar on the organ in the church of Elgar's birthplace here: 🎼 https://youtu.be/8DJRxb5nCtA?si=befFxRxeu0hUu-Rv

In March, The Times published an article documenting an unexpected phenomenon. While most non-fiction book sales have been declining in recent years, there was an increase between 2019 and 2024 of 87% in Bible sales, particularly to “Gen Z”- (people born between 1997 and 2012). The Bible Society said its “Good News Bible Youth Edition” had seen sales almost doubled since 2021. The impact of COVID on people’s understanding of “what life is all about”, and an increased desire

I was wondering the other day where the phrase “Mad as a March Hare” comes from. Apparently, the behaviour of hares during March becomes most peculiar - they are seen “boxing” each other, leaping vertically off the ground, and generally behaving in a pretty eccentric manner. Traditionally, this was viewed as “madness” and it was only once people studied hares carefully that they realised this was courtship behaviour, and entirely explicable and natural. Completely normal: mor

One of the things I’ve been reading about a bit lately is a practice called “gratitude journalling”. It’s not necessarily a religious thing- though it can be- a lot of people who keep a journal of the things they are grateful for don’t observe any particular faith. It has (apparently) been proved that keeping a journal of, say, three or four things every day for which you are thankful can improve your sleep patterns and your overall sense of wellbeing. Deliberately cultivati

This sermon is based on a reading from Luke’s Gospel describing the ministry of John the Baptist. It’s all about getting ready to welcome Jesus into our lives. Luke 3.7-18 7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up

The United States has elected the wrong candidate. Vladimir Putin is out of control. People in Palestine and Lebanon are dying. The climate crisis is destroying species and communities. We may read the headlines and feel utterly powerless and helpless. Or we may experience hardship in our own lives: redundancy, bereavement, illness, divorce, to name but a few. What can I do? How can I change things? How can I protect myself and the people I love? Very often, when we perceiv

A Christmas Tree Festival will shine a light on the creativity of the local community in an historic village church next month. Almost 20 trees decorated by school children, businesses, artists and other local people and groups will fill every corner of St Martin’s Church in Holt during the two-day festive fund-raiser on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December. Mulled wine, hot chocolate and mouth-watering home-made Christmas treats will add to the festive flavour of the event,

Mark 1.14-20 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’ As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he wen

I don’t know about you, but I find myself feeling pretty disheartened by the news just at the moment. The situation in the Middle East seems terrible and intractable, as thousands and thousands of lives are brought to a brutal end, or subject to terrible injury, displacement and indignity. The attacks of October 7th 2023 were, as we know, not the starting gun on this awful process but rather fuel on flames which had been burning for many years. Similarly, as we envisage, with