The world prays within you

This world of blissful surprise,of ecstatic imaginings ofbaby cry and lover’s sighand cloud roll into thunderheadand rain falling on the tongue (and the lips and the teeth)This world prays within you -and turns your blood vivid blue as it oxygenatespulses and electrifies neuronsthrough synapsesand then releases blood-red rushingin your ears and your nose, temple bells …

Shooting Star – a duet of this Bob Dylan song with Aletia Upstairs

Aletia is an incredible singer her stuff can be found here  and here (so as you see she's a doctor of archival performance really and not a cabaret singer. Or not only a cabaret singer). We met on sthe street at Mill Hill and she invited me up into a cardboard box. She later performed …

Revisiting a service on Prayer in a time of pandemic

Before re-posting this service on Prayer which reflects some of the things I was thinking about nearly ten years ago when it was first written, here's some recent research from May this year: A quarter of adults in the UK have watched or listened to a religious service since the coronavirus lockdown began, and one …

Unitarian Ministers ‘express our anger and dismay at the actions of Dominic Cummings’

As ministers, and students, on the Roll of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christians, (and aligning ourselves with statements made by other churches), we sign below to express our anger and dismay at the actions of Dominic Cummings and the response of the Prime Minister.This is a time when most members of the …

Jonah and me: to speak forward the conversational nature of reality.

Any text is capable of reinterpretation, and a rich text can admit of greater and greater interpretive perspectives. To be religious, and by that I mean to have any sort of association with religion, however so slight - so yes that means you - who are sitting in this chapel on a March morning in …

The kingdom of little things (after Dewi Sant)

Last month, as we considered resilience, I suggested that the strength implied by resilience; strength which is likely to be enduring, is a flexible strength. We considered that stories can demonstrate such flexibility while principles, doctrines and even values, howsoever 'strong', can seem brittle by comparison. You may remember that I spoke about parables and …

Harvest – All that we are, all that we bring (give it all)

  As I was writing I had Luke Concannon's "All around the world" as a companion ear-buzz : All around the world Luke Concannon I am indebted to Rev'd. Warick Turnbull for helping my thinking about this service. Opening words: Jeremiah 29 12-14 Jeremiah 33: Chalice Lighting: International Council of Unitarians and Universalists  Let this …

Everyday miracles – September 23rd

    Everyday miracles and practical mysticism    “God invites you to the Home of Peace.” Quran; Jonah 10:25   Chalice: Welcome to Mill Hill Chapel. Our purpose here is to sustain the space in which individuals may participate in direct experience of the holy and the sacred. We are grateful inheritors of the rational …

The Spirit of Love – 1: A Unitarian doctrine

“Love is the doctrine of this church…” So begins an affirmation familiar to many Unitarians both here and in America, it’s attributed to L Griswald Willliams, a 1930’s Universalist minister and is an a enduring signal of our shared understanding of what brings us together. Just about my favourite Unitarian affirmation is this one by the Sixteenth …

The Spirit of Love – 2 : Mutual Aid and the real story of evolution

Recently I was considering mysticism in our tradition, and the theology of the Spirit; 'that of God' which is between us rather than above us. In my opinion this understanding of God as Spirit, interfusing and immanent throughout all things,  is the theological idea which has defined and characterised our dissenting tradition more than any other - …