Beyond here, beyond the perimeter…

Interlude played by Michael Baum 'Somewhere over the rainbow' from The Wizard of Oz by Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg This Lent has felt like the longest because of the long lens 'Paniversary' has lent to it, If lent feels like its been happening for a year its because we’ve begun to understand the concept …

Equinox, paradox, paradise and the numinous

I m interested in a theology of emergence and so I’m grateful for a space that has opened up during Lent and which has developed - some sort of meaning seems to have emerged, despite various challenges and issues we’ve experienced along the way. In my first talk in Lent I spoke about the roots …

Calling Jesus ‘Good’

Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. Last week I recalled the paradoxical image of the yin yan in which the seed of one is located …

those not with us

We pray for those not with us,those still on their way here,pray for those hurrying to join us this morninglet them find calm despite anxiety,respite in their rush. And we pray for those who are joining us online,still looking for a charger,whose audio is still connecting,those who are about to tune in this morning,maybe still …

The deeds and suffering of light

NB: Prior to this sermon, our congregation had explored the Metta Sutra or loving KIndness prayer of Theravada Buddhism in two variations; first saying the prayer in its usual version which is in four parts: May I be well, May those I love be well, may the one I don't know be well, and the …

Another Kind of Light

We are in our winter of listening; of attending inwardly despite all the temptations to focus on the outer noise:the carnage of a failing empire will always be a vexatious distraction - its interesting isn’t it when language catches up with behaviour; last week I was doing something, and then this week I discovered there …

Winter-light finding sacred time: a meditation on John Donne’s A Nocturnal upon St Lucy’s Day

After hearing this poem: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44122/a-nocturnal-upon-st-lucys-day We listened to this extraordinary rendition of an epiphany carol Slava Rozhdennomu by Natalka Polovynka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5DQv2nIDlA&feature=youtu.be "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." Gospel of John 1:5 Earlier we heard John Donne’s great poem A Nocturnal on St Lucy’s day. Perhaps this great metaphysical …

New Years Day – (a short meeting to catch up and tune in)

Happy New Year ListeningIn The winter of Listening David Whyte says..."What is preciousinside us does notcare to be knownby the mindin ways that diminishits presence."... So as we begin to listen, listen to our deepest selves; which is to say we pray, I ask in words of Pema Chodron: “…what frees you and helps you …

Turn around, turn around, turn around (metanoia in a time of meta-crisis)

This service was given on June 28th 2020 during lockdown restrictions for Covid19: Today we heard a track from I'm New Here by Gil Scott Heron - "...this the closest thing I have to a voice of reason..."Gil Scott Heron was one of the heroes of my youth, a genuine cross-over artist who introduced punks …

‘As time goes by’ : re-enchantment in time of crisis…

Our services of contemplative, spiritual worship here at Mill Hill Chapel are acts of resistance to the prevailing culture; We stand between the worlds of finance and retail here in Leeds and offer an alternative narrative to both. Our services are acts of resistance to the prevailing culture because they intentionally acknowledge and centre the …