Jude Smith

So I need to put newly pampered fingers to keys to throw out a few thoughts about what 2012 might bring for me and the world. There won't be much about me: save to say this will be a year where I will be trying to discern what happens post curacy. There are a whole bunch of Yorkshire things I want to do and I am (if I can find my credit card) about to sign up for my second half marathon! As for the world.. Well- I don't think it will end (but in reality who knows).. I do think it will feel like it might be in various areas of the world. I think there will be some kind of Euro related crisis in June/ July that will foundationally rock our own coalition.. I'm proper excited about the Olympics. I think we will do it well! So thats my thoughts: at some point I will reflect on this crazy year!

Ever had one of those moments when the words of a hymn/ song/ chorus that you had pretty much dismissed suddenly hit you right to the core. I had one of those moments this week. I was in my bosses licensing service on the other evening. The words: Make me a channel of your peace Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope Where there is darkness, only light And where there's sadness, ever joy. Oh, Master grant that I may never seek So much to be consoled as to console To be understood as to understand To be loved as to love with all my soul. As I stood, fully robed, fighting back tears the gravity of the day caught me. The afternoon had been spent conducting the funeral of someone who had taken their own life. Over 100 people gathered to- well what do people do at funerals- pay their respects? have their hearts torn open again? They gathered and these words (originally St Francis?) were mine to inhabit: that I might bring hope where there is despair. In this season o

This is a risk: overnight a number of (mainly male) Christian leaders have let their pre Christmas toes curl up in delight as David Cameron has said the UK is Christian country.. which isn't what he said.. nor did he actually say Christianity should be the thing which reverses a moral collapse.. but these are just two of the reasons why he should have kept his mouth shut! Hate what I say or not- I'm not sure I care. But here's my take.. First: bless the celebration of the KIng James Bible.. but lets be clear (see what I did there)- this version of the Bible was allowed (authorised) to pacify a tide of far better/ more literal translations which were just too subversive for Monarchy. Thus when DC suggests that Monarchy and its restriction are from this text he needs to be careful (oh sorry whichever lackey wrote this needs to).. Don't talk about government values around a translation that was allowed to put down the aspiration of the masses. Second: please talk about