Hello @oxfordclarion.bsky.social we thought you might like to see Monty the Donkey on his way to his ecumenical visit to St Columba's @urc.org.uk last Sunday. We understand he has a bit of a soft spot for us inclusive and affirming non-conformists as well as for other churches.
10.30: Drinks and chat 11.00: Intro from Naomi Nixon 11.15: Theological Reflection from Rachel Muers 11.45: Keynote with Bishop Arun Arora 12.45: Worship led by SCM Communities 13:00: Lunch 14:00: Workshops Option 1: Seeking Sanctuary with Ben Bano Option 2: Craftivism with Emma Temple 15:00: Bible Study with Richard Cooke 16:00: Drink break 16:30: Theological Reflection from Rachel Muers 16:45: Closing worship with SCM Communities 17:00: End
Plans are a-go for our National Gathering, Do Good To Those Who Hate You: How do we love our far-right neighbour, taking place this June at Leeds Universities Chaplaincy!
Book your place at buff.ly/BhqgAj1
Preparing to celebrate my graduation by, you guessed it, sending an email about disabled access. This is frustrating, but entirely in keeping with my experience of Oxford while studying....
Come do a course on trans theology at the @londonjesuit.bsky.social! You genuinely won't get the opportunity anywhere else!*
5 weeks, Monday evenings, starting 8th June
*to the best of my knowledge
londonjesuitcentre.churchsuite.com/events/4kgas...
“Seriously ill and disabled people facing years of significant difficulty are at risk of being left on a lower rate simply because recovery, however partial or distant, cannot be ruled out.”
Portrait of RM at Winchester Cathedral
Hi, on this #TDOV, I’m Rachel … the first out trans priest in a senior role in the Church of England. I am also a writer, award-winning poet and theologian, and a broadcaster. Being trans is great, ordinary, and frankly not the most interesting thing about me. I love being me! #TransDayOfVisibility
Ink drawings of cats wearing silly costumes On the top we have three clown/jesters, and on the bottom is a king and a mage levitating a fish in the air
Silly cat drawings
(Had an accident with blue ink)
Eye-popping report on the Disability Confident badge: "With no strict audit, and only self-certification until Level 3, there is no guarantee employers have implemented the practices they claim to have done, or actually employed anyone disabled." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Quite pleased with this article - always remember, Piss on Pity. Especially in the church. tinyurl.com/33bn5crw
Told the tesco man I'm disabled today, gestured to the wheelchair. He brought the crates through to the kitchen, yay! His voice also rose an octave and stayed there, nay!
I have been confronted with an ad for Advent calendars and so it is time for the annual PSA:
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BEGIN
ON
CHRISTMAS
THEY ARE NOT ANY OF THE DAYS LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS
THAT IS ADVENT
WHICH BEGINS FOUR SUNDAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
I love when you ask an autistic person for something and they're like STAND BY and you know you're about to get the absolute best resources available.
Over 25 years ago I wrote a poem titled 'So Here We Are' after spending a week with the Iona Community. Our week was led by the late, great Kathy Galloway. We were a group of LGBTQ Christians and being with a whole bunch of folk like me was powerful, joyous and formative.
Image: screenshot of letter in newspaper. Text reads: Bishops’ decisions on LLF process From the Revd Dr Clare Herbert Madam, — I have spent my working life in ministry in the Church of England, as parish worker, deaconess, deacon, and priest. I am now in my seventies. I can, therefore, remember, at the very start of my ministry, the cry of the late Dr Una Kroll, which she hurled from the gallery of the General Synod, when in 1978 progress towards the ordination of women to the priesthood was halted. Her cry was of rage and beseeching: “We asked for bread, and you gave us a stone.” So, I recognised the cold, hard stone in my own heart when I read this week that the House of Bishops (News, 17 October) had decided that there should be no immediate change to the current rules that bar the clergy from being in same-sex civil marriages. It is that stone in the pitof the stomach which is formed by the pain of knowing that a cry for equality has gone unheard. On 31 May, I married my partner of 35 years. Surrounded by joyful witnesses to our enduring love, my partner became my wife in a Quaker marriage ceremony. In retirement, I have become a “Quanglican”: that is, one who gladly attends Anglican services and Quaker meetings for worship. My wife is a Quaker, and, in the Religious Society of Friends, I have experienced a profound sense of freedom, affirmation, and openness such as I have never known before. My personhood and closest relationship were celebrated that day in a fullness to which I continue to respond with gratitude, joy, love, and the desire to continue serving the God who made me. We in the lesbian and gay community may choose to pick up and live with the heavy, joyless stones imposed on our heads and hearts by an unresponsive Church. But it is important to recognise that we do not have to do so in obedience to God. I have discovered the God who is a Giver of Bread.
Powerful letter from Clare Herbert in today's Church Times
The single biggest thing that would improve my life as a wheelchair user who can't drive would be a reliable, regular, and reasonably priced public transport system. If it were actually properly accessible that would also be nice.
I learned something new today
I am feeling deeply frustrated with the phrase "a person has deeply held religious beliefs" being code for being transphobic or gender critical.
I have deeply held religious beliefs, but I'm (mostly) normal.
Wonder if Hague realises that for trans and disabled students, we hear literal slurs every day just on the way to lectures, because there's usually someone yelling them on Cornmarket. We're not short on things to upset and offend
2. He can't stop all the wonderful, daring, compassionate tutors who guide students through difficult topics (I studied literature, it's full of them) in a way that both challenges them and respects their safety. Can't stand the man, but I trust the actual work of the university will go on
1. he can't stop students protesting as they have done when bigoted speakers have been platformed in the past, and still claim to be a defender of free speech (aren't we supposed to form our own opinions?)
🎉 Meet Aryam! Aroace + queer Kuwaiti refugee, writer, poet + community organiser with a focus on Domestic Violence + decoloniality.
Excited to share her story for Ace & Faith 💜🩶
📅 22 Oct, 7:30–9:30pm, online
🔗 Free sign-up: buff.ly/BY4h37F
More panellists coming soon! 👀
I love my job, but is biting my tongue through the "disability awareness" part of the EDI training just something I have to do now?
They're making the sunsets transgender!
Map lovers, may I recommend East Riddlesden Hall? They have an excellent 17th C map of Canaan with annotations from the Old Testament. And they let me use a special torch to read it all.
Incredibly cool username
With respect, you're a man. But I'm very glad you've been well cared for
It is incredibly depressing how much racism and sexism and ableism is baked into every medical interaction
An array of postcards featuring lino print images of Disabled Christ fanned out on a wooden bench
a lino print of Blind Christ leading a sighted disciple through the fog, printed in dark blue ink on white paper
Postcards and prints are available!
Postcards from @newcastlecathedral and online
Original prints available online via my website
www.wobblygoose.com
Sadly it isn't possible to ship to the EU at present due to the new regulations
I bought a Merton College Oxford jumper for the express purpose of wearing to medical appointments. Consultants have frequently taken me more seriously after I've mentioned studying there.
If one part suffers, the other parts suffer with it: An update on the SCM Disability Campaigns Group.
"In SCM we have many disabled members, as well as members who are carers. We are also, as a movement, inspired to work for social justice. To this end, we recently created a Disability Rights Campaign group. Our original aim for the group was to campaign against the PIP and Universal Credit bill that was proposed to significantly reduce support available to disabled people, but I hope that we can continue to work as a group to support each other and to work on other causes as they come up." At the bottom of the page are two simple illustrations, one showing a brown woman with a prosthetic leg pushing another brown woman in a wheelchair. The other illustration shows two pale yellow people using a megaphone and shaking their fists.
"Over the last few months, before the now-renamed Universal Credit bill was passed, we worked together to write two open letters, to Liz Kendall (Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) and Rachel Reeves (Chancellor of the Exchequer). We explained our concerns about the Green Paper released in advance of the bill, and our objections to the proposed bill itself, in both practical and faith-based terms. We also shared some personal stories from members regarding how the proposed cuts would affect us." Two illustrations show a "hidden disabilities" lanyard, and two pale pink people holding a placard and a megaphone. They look to be on a protest.
We are glad that the small part we played in the overall campaign against the cuts has contributed to the changes to PIP being removed from the bill and set to be reviewed. However, we are disappointed and concerned that the cuts for new disabled claimants of Universal Credit were passed, as this will seriously impact some of the most vulnerable disabled people and families in our society. Personally, I’m very glad that we have been able to bring this campaign group together, and I hope we will continue to live out our faith through working to support each other and disabled people more generally. Sorrel - SCM Member
Swipe for an update on our Disability Campaign group from SCM Member Sorrel! ➡️
If you're a student who is passionate about social justice, DM us to join our Disability Rights Campaign WhatsApp 💌
