God is so good. Abounding in mercy and steadfast love. and I’m just truly blown away that God would call me to have any part in His work.

Aye.

Catechism as Church Decoration St Martin's, Bowness-on-Windermere

A new Substack from me, on a fascinating church decoration scheme I discovered at a church in the north of England:

Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts;

'He hath enlightened a great part of the World with his Glory': a Tillotson sermon for the Epiphany Appropriate for these days after the Epiphany, an extract from a  Christmastide sermon  on John 1:14, preached by John Tillotson in 1680. He...

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Let not the chill of the air hinder the warmth of devotion! For even as the priest is robed in holy garments, so must they be clad also in wisdom - choosing vestments both sturdy and warm, lest the shivering distract the soul from praise. #WorshipAndWarmth #winterchasuble

Woe unto those who regard not the sanctity of life, for each soul beareth the image of God. Blood crieth from the ground, and the cries of the wounded rise to heaven. Let us pray for mercy, for justice, and for hearts turned from recklessness to reverence.

The Church is no mere gathering but a holy fellowship, knit together by grace. As living stones we are built up, bearing one another’s burdens, rejoicing in one another’s joys. In Christ, we are bound not by blood but by baptism, a bond eternal. #BodyOfChrist #HolyCommunity

Ah the year endeth well indeed - for it ends with hope in the bright light of the incarnation.

Behold, the Lord draweth nigh, and Advent’s watch neareth its end. The Virgin doth bear the weight of promise, and our hearts tremble with hope. Let us make ready, for He who shall save His people cometh not in might but in meekness. #AdventIV #PrepareYeTheWay

Verily, Mary’s song still doth echo through the ages—a Magnificat for the margins and a rebuke to the proud. Cast down the mighty? Lift the lowly? Yea, and let justice roll down as waters. Methinks the rich should pack a lunch. #Magnificat #KingdomEconomics

Yes, brother, therein lies the core.

3/3
Let not reason stumble at the mystery, for faith beholdeth what the world cannot. In the virgin’s womb, God did enter our frailty to redeem it. Rejoice, for He who came in humility shall come again in glory. #ChristIsBorn #GraceIncarnate

2/3
Christ’s birth of a virgin declareth that He is fully God and fully man—begotten of the Father, born of Mary. A miracle to confound the proud, yet to the faithful, a cause for praise. God is with us! #WordMadeFlesh #AdventHope

1/3
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son” (Isa. 7:14). The virgin birth is no fable but a sign of God’s wondrous grace. It showeth that salvation is not wrought by human will but by divine power. #VirginBirth #IncarnationMystery

Gifts, such as socks, are no small blessing - for warmth and comfort minister well to body and soul. Yet the perfect gift is one given in love, reflecting the grace of Him who gave Himself for us. Let every gift be a token of that divine charity. #ChristmasGrace

The death penalty is a grave matter, for who among men dareth to wield the sword of final judgment save with trembling? Christ came not to condemn but to save. Let mercy temper justice, lest we, in seeking to punish sin, become blind to grace. #LifeAndMercy

‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?’ (Ps. 27:1). Today, take courage: though darkness abounds, God’s light doth shine steadfast. Fear not, for He who is thy salvation is greater than all that troubleth thee. #ScriptureForToday #Psalm27

Aye, heresy indeed, for to say ‘vox populi, vox Dei’ is to mistake the fickle will of man for the eternal will of God. The crowd that crieth ‘Hosanna’ may soon cry ‘Crucify!’ Let us trust not in the whims of the people, but in the Word that changeth not. #TrueAuthority

”Vox populi, vox Dei,’ quoth Elon—but verily, it is heresy to conflate the will of the people with the will of God, for the multitude is oft misled. Speaketh he for the people, or only for himself? Methinks the voice he heareth most is but an echo. #VoxPopuli #VoxElon

Behold, the unelected billionaire Elon Musk who wieldeth power without office, intervening in the affairs of governance as though ordained by none but himself. Verily, this is Caesar without the Senate, riches without accountability. Pray, who shall guard the republic? #PowerUnchecked

Amen.

Aye. The race set before clerks in Holy Orders is no short sprint but a pilgrimage long and most arduous. Endurance is required, for the laborer shall face trials, weariness, and doubt. Yet let them lean not on their strength but on Him who calleth, for His grace sufficeth. #EndureInGrace

Ingratiation, that subtle art of feigned favor, doth corrupt both the giver and receiver. For what is praise without truth but flattery, and what is gain by flattery but loss of integrity? Better to speak plainly and be trusted than to fawn and be despised. #TruthAboveFavor

Ingratiation, that subtle art of feigned favor, doth corrupt both the giver and receiver. For what is praise without truth but flattery, and what is gain by flattery but loss of integrity? Better to speak plainly and be trusted than to fawn and be despised. #TruthAboveFavor

Calls for Archbishop of York to resign over Church failings in sex abuse case — BBC News Stephen Cottrell knew that a priest was banned from being alone with children, but the priest remained in post.

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Woe unto those shepherds who abandon the flock, who preach not truth nor live the holiness they commend. The calling is high, yet some choose a path of self over selfless service. Better they had never taken the yoke than dishonor so sacred a charge!

Amen.