Church Life

I don't know how long this has been the case. If you know, please leave a comment to educate me about this. However, England is divided up into a number of distinct, non-overlapping, spanning, ecclesiastical parishes. This is a parallel system to the civic parish system (think of your local parish council, that manages footpaths, considers local planning requests and so on). However whilst the concept is the same, it is not the same as the civil parish system. One ecclesiastical parish may span several civil parishes, or the other way around, or anything. … Read more about Which Parish do I live in?

We've been having a most enjoyable, instructive and edifying Lent Course here in Kemsing. John Goulding, a retired Anglican clergyman, has been taking the sessions, leading us through some of the Psalms. The feel of the evenings has been pleasantly relaxed, and as we've wandered together through the Psalter we've noticed all manner of things that has brought those Psalms to life in new ways. Many, many thanks to John for taking this course so well for us all. … Read more about Singing Psalm 100:4-5 in Hebrew

I keep finding things written by Christopher Idle at the moment. It's purely co-incidence: Looking for something unrelated and stumble upon it. First some comments on the poem Death is Nothing at all, and now this.

Idle wrote a short article in New Directions magazine. I'm not particularly wanting to endorse or plug the publication – I've never seen a copy – I stumbled upon his article online. … Read more about Idle Evangelicals

I love discovering new hymns.

Like this one by Josiah Conder, entitled My Lord, I did not choose you.

My Lord, I did not choose you,
for that could never be;
this heart would still refuse you
had you not chosen me:
you took the sin that stained me.
you cleansed and made me new;
for you of old ordained me
that I should live to you. … Read more about Hymn: Prevenient Grace