It’s Ash Wednesday on Wednesday 18th February and from that point until Ascension Day on Thursday 14th of May my hope is that St. Margaret’s and All Saints’ will be journeying through a sermon series entitled God on the Road.God on the Road is a series of readings that will take us on a journey, reminding us that “God is always on the move” and that while we encounter the beauty of God in church services, so much of the work of God in the scriptures is found in the forgotten, barren and hurting places. As we pilgrimage through this earthly life it is helpful to remember that so much of the work of God (in all God’s wholeness) in scripture takes place on journeys, on the way to somewhere, on difficult and testing paths, on the road towards the new creation and the good future God has in store for all of us.On Sundays we will walk with Moses through our Sunday readings leading up to Palm Sunday. We will then follow Jesus from Palm Sunday until the resurrection, encountering Jesus in some resurrection appearances.The sense of direction for this series has emerged from a real sense of God’s leading: in each parish, at this time, we are challenged in who we (as churches) are in Jesus and I believe we should be challenged to explore where and how we might serve God as pilgrims walking the road as followers of The Way of Jesus.I hope you will join in following God on the Road.Tim
I wonder, how was 2025 for you? Perhaps it’s been a year of saying ‘goodbye’, or perhaps it’s been a year of saying ‘hello’. Maybe 2025 has been a year of good stuff. Then again maybe 2025 has been a year of bad stuff.Or what about, starting a new hobby, or job or relationship, or post-illness recovery?Or a year of just trying to make it through with family, financial, and work challenges?The chances are that 2025 has brought a whole host of things to your door, the ‘good’, the ‘bad’ and the ‘rather have avoided that completely’. The turning of the year is as good a time as any to take a moment to pause and to look back, to reflect on the year that has been, the challenges that have been faced, the impossibilities that have been overcome. There are all sorts of ways we can do this. One Christian practice often used at the end of a day, or year, is an Examen, basically asking, how was that (looking back), how are things (looking at now) and what are you hoping for (looking forward). This may or may not be a useful practice.Maybe something as intentional as an Examen feels a bit forced, but perhaps pause and have a think, what moments of delight caught you off guard this year? It doesn’t have to be anything big like winning the lottery. As I write this I’m reminded of one such moment for me this year. When at 7pm one Sunday evening I was supposed to be heading out the door to set up for a course starting at 7:30pm when at just the moment I was about to leave one of my children came in for a hug. So we hugged, and chatted and it was the best reason to be late I could ever have.Merry Christmas and God bless you in the big stuff and all the small things as you head into 2026, watch out for those wonderful moments when wonder breaks through.Tim
By the end of November we will be in Advent. Advent Sunday falls on the 30th of November this year and once we are there we can no longer deny it – Christmas is approaching – and fast!In Advent this year as we journey through the Sundays of the season I thought we’d follow the traditional Advent pattern but a bit more intentionally, with the four Sunday’s of this penitential season of preparation with its historic focus on waiting, for the ‘now and the not yet’.Traditionally the four Sunday’s of Advent can be described as being focused on: HOPE – PEACE – JOY – LOVE.Hope, peace, joy, love. Words that are always important, but words that feel especially weighty this year, after a year when it might be convincingly argued that those words have been missing from much of our shared public life and discourse.With that in mind we’ll be thinking about HOPE unending, PEACE unstoppable, JOY unbound and LOVE untamed.The promise we find in the ‘preparation’ and ‘waiting’of Advent is the promise that God will make all things new, that God’s good promises are for our future. But also that we can work towards - and get a glimpse of God’s good things in this season too.Who would have thought that four little words could be so counter-cultural.HOPE, PEACE, JOY, LOVE, go on then, don’t mind if I do.BlessingsTim
As October begins, we are in the midst of Prayerfest25 here in Madeley. Eight days of celebrating a legacy of prayer in and for Madeley that goes back at least 1050 years. 1050 years ago, land was granted by Royal Charter, to build a church and monastery. The latter of which may never have been built. Prior to AD 975 it is almost certain that people prayed in this village.Prayer is often a reflex, “Oh Lord”, we might cry out when something awful has happened. We might pray with a guttural cry rather than a reasonable thought.Prayer might also be a more contemplative affair, setting aside a moment or two each day to pause, to give thanks to God and to acknowledge something greater in our lives than our own motivations.By the first day in October Prayerfest25 is well and truly underway, but there is still plenty to get involved with.On Wednesday 1st October 2025 7:30-9:30pm we’ll be hosting a free Collage and Prayer Workshop at All Saints’. An opportunity to try a form of creative prayer.On Thursday 2nd October 3:45-4:30pm at All Saints’ we’ll be hosting, Pausing Place, a quiet and relaxed session for children and families, making space for prayer and storytelling.On Friday 3rd October 7:30-9:30pm at All Saints’ we’ll be Launching John Lloyd’s new booklet, The Adventure Of Prayer, followed by a panel discussion about prayer, with wine and nibbles. This is going to be a very special session for the church.Also, on Saturday 4th October from 10:00am-4:00pm at Betley Methodist Chapel we’ll be hosting a Quiet Day with a Harvest Theme, led by Sadie Blankley and Rev Tim.There is so much to get involved with, do take some time and have a look at all the events taking place!BlessingsRev Tim.
