An Inspiring Meeting on the Glider Belfast was buzzing last week as it hosted the biggest celebration of Irish music and culture, the Fleadh from 2-9 August. It is estimated that 1.65 million visitors came to the city to sample the atmosphere and take part in the multiplicity of concerts and events around this special […]
Thinking Outside the Box A cousin of my father’s was an artist in London. He could turn his hand to many mediums and was continually creative in how he responded to situations. He was once refused entry to a nightclub in the early 1970’s and, in response to this, when we came to visit he […]
The Joy of Pilgrimage A few weeks ago, I stood at the top of Croagh Patrick with my son Conor. It’s often called Ireland’s holiest mountain and is associated with St. Patrick, who is believed to have made the ascent in 441 AD and spent 40 days in prayer and fasting as he considered how […]
When Church Takes Your Breath Away Over the years that I have been writing this blog I have tried, in a small way, to pull back the curtains and to let people know what sorts of things go on in a church. I’m very conscious that, for many people in our society, churches are a […]
Searching for Consistency There can sometimes be a disconnect or an inconsistency between the words we speak or the values we espouse and the actions of our lives. For as long as I can remember, Christians have been accused of hypocrisy because of the gap between their lives and the one they claim to follow. […]
Passing On the Baton Over the course of the past 48 hours, I’ve observed 2 public figures signal their intention to hand over power in quite striking ways. The Bishop of Meath and Kildare, the Most Reverend Pat Storey, announced her retirement some months ago. We trained in theological college around the same time, over […]
Where Everybody Knows Your Name Yesterday morning, I had breakfast in the Hare’s Corner with my mum and my brother. It was my mum’s birthday, and my brother and I were delighted to make it home from Leicester and Belfast respectively on Sunday evening. It’s not often we manage to find ourselves in the same […]
In Trouble and in Joy It has been a sad and difficult week in the life of our church. Within the space of 7 days 3 of our members have died. Although these people had experienced illness in recent months, it doesn’t make it any easier for their families and friends who have been plunged […]
It’s all about to kick off! Football fans around the world are counting the days until the 23rd FIFA World Cup get underway. For the first time ever the tournament is being hosted by 3 nations – Canada, Mexico and the United States. This feast of football, which is held every 4 years, will capture […]
A Good Customer Experience Some months ago Lucy, our daughter, and I went out on an important mission. Mother’s Day was coming up and we wanted to get her mum a special gift to say ‘thank you’ for all that she does for us. We went to our local shopping centre and, as we set […]