Al Barrett
@hodgehillvicar
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vicar/theologian/dad/neighbour/friend. #BeingInterrupted, staying with the trouble, decomposing mastery, making kin. ššāš½š he/him
Firs & Bromford, Birmingham UK
Joined April 2012
From #Brexit to #ClimateCrisis & #COVID19, #BeingInterrupted re-imagines the churchās mission in the world weāre in, 'from the outside, in' (seeking to dismantle race, class & gender privilege along the way). By ā¦@ruth_hw & me, out now from @SCM_Press.
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Our girl is coming home today! Her name means āgiftā, and weāre utterly overwhelmed by the God-given gift she is to us, and by the utterly immense gifts of love and care that have surrounded her this far. Boundless gratitude to @Bham_Childrens for the best care in the world. šš½.
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One more time for those who might have missed it: #DismantlingWhiteness has nothing to do with hating white people (or white people hating ourselves). And everything to do with dismantling harmful ways of being in & seeing the world that centre some and marginalise others.
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Been ordained 17 years. Been a parent for 10 years. Still have not managed to reconcile my expectations to produce a top-notch sermon at the point in the year when Iām most knackered and still trying to be a half-decent husband & dad. There surely must be a sermon in that. .
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So donāt expect any football or #Synod on this timeline for a while. Itās all kittens here.
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This isnāt a ācost of livingā crisis. This is capitalism eating the 99%. Itās our broken political & economic system that needs to die so that ordinary people can eat and live.
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A little update:. Our wee girl had an awful accident, but is doing so well. A number of fractures but could have been much worse. Today has seen glimmers of her sparky, chatty self coming back: āIām a bit sleepy, but thereās so much to talk aboutā! š.1/2.
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An absolute joy to be with my friend & co-author @ruth_hw today as she was ordained priest: her playful, prophetic, incisive & imaginative ministry - in word, sacrament & life - is an immense gift to the Church. Alleluia! š„³š #BeingInterrupted
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Dear @JustinWelby, whatever our representative position, when we are white, class-privileged men, we should be *really* wary of using āweā language about anything - especially if it sounds like laying moral burdens on the shoulders of many who are much more vulnerable right now.
My prayers are with @trussliz and her family following her resignation, and I give thanks for her public service to our country. We should always be grateful to those who take on the great and difficult responsibilities of leadership.
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#COVID has come to Hodge Hill vicarage. Within moments of sharing the news our wonderful church community have been offering to sort online shopping for us, as well as lots of love & prayers. So thankful to be part of a loving community.
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Subconsciously avoiding filling in annual @churchofengland #StatisticsForMission form. Conscious of how small & fragile everything feels here. But also remembering how much beauty is contained in the smallness & fragility, and wishing there was a way of telling *that* story.
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Moving the āchildrenās tableā from the back of church to the front for tomorrowās service, I thought to myself, āsome of the adults wonāt like their view being impededā. Then I thought, āthis is what, when we talk race, class or gender, we call āentitlementāā. .
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So @churchofengland, remember #BlackLivesMatter? Now would be one of those moments to turn good intentions into real, tangible actions with real people and real situations of racism and white supremacy. Now.
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One day at school and yes, our 12yo is self-isolating for the next 10 days. One day. Just one.
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Teachers, heads, governors, support staff - you shouldnāt have to be wrestling with the kind of impossible decisions and preparations, fears and pressures, that you have on your shoulders right now. We see you, stand with you, and will do everything we can to support you. āš½.
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So apparently Iām now 48! š± Not quite sure how that happened, and the last year has been one of the wildest and hardest. But deeply thankful today for the love of friends, church & neighbourhood community, and my wonderful kids who got up very early to make birthday pancakes! š„°
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If youāre the praying kind, please spare one for me this week. Just a few too many commitments (local & not-so) coincide in the next 7 days, and Iād quite like to make it to next Sunday evening in one piece. šš½.
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Jam sandwiches for 9yo daughterās lunchbox today. Iām either (a) a bad parent, or (b) a good parent, or (c) life is complicated.
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If anyoneās had a hard day today, Waffles & Toast just want to say hi.
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Against my better judgment, Iāve just watched that awful CEEC video. So much wrong with it, biblically, theologically & ethically, I donāt know where to start. So I wonāt. Suffice to say, āunity in differenceā, in the love of God, is soooo much richer than they admit. š¤¦š½āāļø.
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Friends, weāve now (last night) had our 3rd break-in in a week. Thereās literally nothing left to steal other than food from our Community Pantry. Our @HodgeHillChurch community have been amazing, but everyoneās a bit weary & disheartened. Please hold us in prayer. šš½.
We @HodgeHillChurch have been overwhelmed by the love, compassion & generosity that has surrounded us over the last few days. Some have asked if you can donate to the repairs. Weāre hoping insurance will cover, but if youād like to help us grow from here, thatās be amazingā¦ šš½š
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Iām really proud to be vicar of a church for which this was not even a question (āwhy wouldnāt we?!ā). But frustrated to be a priest in a denomination that wonāt yet allow us to marry same-sex couples. Change is coming though. Change is coming. š.
At Hodge Hill Church, when we say "all are welcome", we mean ALL! If you are in (or planning) a same-sex marriage or civil partnership, we would love to offer you a service of blessing in church. Contact us to explore the possibilities!
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Socially-distanced funerals are grim. All those who should be there but canāt be. All those hands held and hugs shared that arenāt. And this priest, realising again that words are only ever part of what āpastoral careā usually means. š¢.
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Proud to be a co-organiser of #DismantlingWhiteness: Critical White Theology conference, with Anthony's powerful (& critical) friendship & support, inc. 30 papers & >500 attendees (a large majority who are white). White people addressing toxic whiteness has never been more vital.
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If youāre a pray-er, please hold @HodgeHillChurch in your prayers this morning: first of our new, united service (at least 9 years in the making); new format of space, many more people & voices involved, lectio divina & interactive prayer stations beforehand, and more. šš½.
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Weāve been surrounded by deep care, immense medical expertise, lots of prayer, and bottomless love - and all of these have made all the difference in the world. Profoundly thankful for all of you. @Bham_Childrens @HodgeHillChurch et al šš½.2/2.
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And the moment has arrived! The 2 newest members of the Barrett family: Waffle and Toast. We are now, apparently, a 3 cat family.
Shared with church congregation members this morning. I believe Iāll be able to āgo publicā at around 18:00. Itāll probably get lost in the football buildup tbh. .
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Itās been a long 4-day week (church break-ins, last-minute Advent prep, etc), but itās a 4-day week! Taking an extra day off to celebrate 15 years of marriage to @janeyoiseau tomorrowā¦! š„š„°
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So @ruth_hw and I now have a cover for our book #BeingInterrupted - with stunning illustrations by @ReverendAlly - to be published this Autumn by @SCM_Press. #excitingmoments š
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Honestly, however hard you try to be a half-decent parish priest & missional leader, the institutions of the Church manage, repeatedly, unnecessarily, to make the job even more difficult. š¤¦š½.
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How wonderful! University of Kent giving ā¦@churchofenglandā© a masterclass in gracious hospitality. ā¤ļø š . University statement on the Lambeth Conference
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Thereās that āweā again. Not good judgment from @JustinWelby here. Better to acknowledge the campaign of lies, the deep divisions, and the root causes that go even deeper: post-imperial melancholia, English exceptionalism, post-industrialism, austerity. .
Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, tells @cathynewman āWe've got to accept we voted to leave, we've got to leaveā, āI think there is a lot of fear in Westminster, I'm deeply concerned about pressure theyāre underā.
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Following #ThisIsWhatAPriestLooksLike today, and overjoyed with the outpouring of beautiful photos of wonderful, gifted, called, God-blessed priests. Those who canāt see that, are missing a whole load of God.
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This is a laptop. It has been turned off. Not just sleeping. Off. Email auto-reply is on. Everything that could be done has been done. Everything else will have to wait. Holidays have begun.
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Today I am mostly doing my tax return, fuelled entirely by mince pies. This is OK, surely?.
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8 āguiding principlesā for ādoing churchā in this next phase of #COVID19 @HodgeHillChurch
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Just a little reminder that institutional racism in @churchofengland isnāt just about ājobsā & representation, but is entangled with a history of Empire & current colonial approaches to mission & orders of ministry (inc what bishops are for). #IsTheChurchRacist #BeingInterrupted.
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Really exciting moment at @HodgeHillChurch council meeting tonight: agreed to invest Ā£10k to commission a new Stations of the Cross, from a Black / Global Majority artist. More details soon, but please contact me if youāre interested in the commission.
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Itās been a long time coming, but today is publication day for #FindingTheTreasure: a collection of reflections from the @churchofengland Estates Theology Group, with a stunning Foreword by Ann Morisy. Available from @SPCKPublishing & all good bookstores!.
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Yes, this week I have waded in to mediate a potential āBaby Jesus Warā between 2 lovely new parents who have both been expecting - ahem - to provide the Son of God for this yearās Community Nativityā¦.
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We are being governed by a bunch of narcissistic, self-serving liars, who are the epitome of white, middle-/upper-class male privilege.
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"Worship without ethics is blasphemy. Prayer without action is futility. Faith without works is deadly.". (Prof. John Hull, launching his new book, 'Towards the Prophetic Church', 4 years ago today.). John, we miss your acute truth-telling in these times of untruth.
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Alarm set. Alb, stole & keys waiting by the door. #Sabbatical day 99, and itās officially over. A little bit nervous about āre-entryā, if Iām honest. But profoundly grateful for the many people whoāve made this extraordinary gift of Sabbath time possible, and so abundant, for me.
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Friends, Iāve got a āthingā coming up this week thatās beginning to feel like quite a big deal. Please pray that Iām able to prepare well and do it the justice it deserves. Thank you. šš½.
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Praying for all survivors for whom todayās #IICSA report is a re-traumatising moment. And praying for @churchofengland, that it (we) hears, receives, repents and engages in radical transformation - including an ongoing process of relinquishing power & control.
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If bishops are going to speak or write into the public domain (which Iām taking as part of the role), should they maybe take some regular āfit for practiceā exam, checking their theological literacy, logical coherence, pastoral sensitivity, etc?. Yes. This is a subtweet.
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Still one of the most concise, incisive and challenging definitions of poverty, and summons to change, that Iāve ever read. @alastairmci #PovertyTruth
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Not quite #clergymaltclub, but rejoicing nonetheless in that post-Midnight glimpse of Christmas joy & peace. Cheers! š„
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Giving deep thanks tonight for all the incredible staff @Bham_Childrens, including our amazing chaplain friend Paul @BCH_CPSC. This is Jemma (Bear), whose attentive, caring presence has been one of the greatest blessings of this new year. #thankyouNHS
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Finally unwrapped our @eve2media labyrinth in @HodgeHillChurch worship space. Itās big & beautiful! Weāll be exploring possibilities for using it during Advent when our worship planning group meets on Monday.
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Well my Twitter notifications have gone a bit crazy. So grateful for everyone who made todayās conference such a rich, incisive, challenging, energising conversation. This evening Iāll mostly be exhaling, enjoying the last of todayās sun, cuddling children & drinking wine. 1/2.
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Friends & fellow humans, please pray for #Birmingham in the coming days. For faith communities, schools, workplaces, neighbourhoods & households. This is going to hurt. #BirminghamLockdown šš½.
Weāve been expecting this for a while, but. š¢šš½ #BirminghamLockdown.
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So our 11yo has drawn a picture of our kitten, Marmite, on a jar of, well, you get the idea. Youāre welcome.
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Our religious leaders canāt have it both ways. They canāt do the supposedly neutral āeveryone needs to play nicelyā, and then be partisan in their criticisms. Antisemitism is abhorrent. So is Islamophobia, racism, colonialism, homophobia and an arrogant disdain for the poorest.
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Some voices in the CofE are shouting very loudly at the moment, and some are using their money to amplify their voices. I was moved to send a simple letter of encouragement to my bishop. I'd encourage others to do likewise. #LLF.
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#IsTheChurchRacist has been a painful watch, but not surprising. A reminder, again, that @churchofengland has known this stuff for at least 30 years but has failed to act, to change. Praying for the Anti-Racism Task Force as they prepare to report. May this be our kairos moment.
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Break-in #4 @HodgeHillChurch. We can only assume that the person/people who were so keen on our TV screens last time are now desperate for some mince pies and/or 1970s crockeryā¦ š„±
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Itās today! #DismantlingWhiteness: Critical White Theology online conference @RegentsOx. Getting ready (with @jillmarsh23 & @AnthonyGReddie) to send out the Zoom link to 500 registered participants, open the virtual doors, & engage in vital, challenging conversations.
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The work experience kid whoās spent the last 2 weeks in charge of @churchofengland is going to have some crazy stories to tell them back at school. They really didnāt have to play the part so creatively though - they would have done much better just being themselves.
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The organising team (@jillmarsh23, @AnthonyGReddie & me) are working on the final bits of prep for tomorrow's #DismantlingWhiteness conference @RegentsOx. Looking forward to welcoming 500 participants, hearing 30 papers and joining in a vital & developing conversation.
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CofE leaders across Birmingham express support for same-sex blessing services. Read our press release & letter here, and please consider doing something similar in other dioceses crossed the CofE. #LivinginLoveAndFaith #LLF #InclusiveisOrthodox.
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āAs we have been blessed and have led nations in the past through force. ā š±š±š±.Just how exactly are we connecting divine blessing to violent imperialism here? How? Why? š¤¦š½.
Here is how I will be praying for our nation today as we leave the European Union:
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Itās been a *really* tough 24hrs in the Barrett family. But surrounded by so much love & care. R and I found our Christmas Eve #MuddyChurch tree in the woods and said a prayer of thanks for Godās gifts big and small.
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Please pray for our wonderful city of #Birmingham today: for those who are grieving, injured or fearful; for our amazing, gifted young people, and all who care for them and support their safety, growth & flourishing.
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Iām joining the #ClimateStrikes today, in solidarity with our children, young people & the planet. Which means, on my normal day off, Iām sticking on a dog collar. Which kind of means Iām working. But striking. #lovemyjob #loveplanetearth šš.
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Emotional mess today. First therapy, remembering our daughter's accident, as 1st anniversary approaches. Then reading thru' draft 2020-21 report on our #TogetherWeCan community-building work: acknowledging both achievements & struggles. Now sermon writing. Life is fragile, folks.
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Restarting psychotherapy today (after a 4 year break), because of *gestures wildly at everything*. Grateful for diocesan financial subsidy. Embracing my need & yearning for it - but dead nervous all the sameā¦ #DepthWork.
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The last few months have been incredibly tough, but hereās one of the places Iām finding joy at the moment. Rediscovering snowboarding after a 12 year gap, Iāve learnt my first jump. Roughly 2 wipeouts for every safe landing so far. Battered & bruised but happyā¦! š
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With the General Election announced for July, @CottrellStephen encourages us to prayerfully consider how to use our vote to best benefit God's world. š . Sign up for free daily reflections ahead of the election at #PrayYourPart
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The government's direction of travel on #COVID19 presents an interesting/difficult challenge for Churches (at national level, as much as local): do we jump at the 'individual freedoms' on offer, or do we embody a corporate ethic of care? Looking like some stark choices ahead.
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That @dioceseoflondon statement. The thing is, they didnāt *need* to say anything. The only possible reasons for making a statement were (1) they wanted to defend Jarel from hostile attacks (which they clearly didnāt),.1/n.
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Twice recently my 12yo son, on our daily walk together, has got in āhow was your day?ā before Iād asked him. And twice itās made me almost cry. What #COVID19 has done to us, for both good and ill.
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I appear to have made a major life decision. All will be revealed tomorrow. š.
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Just to be clear, passing over abuse & injustice with some cost-free talk of āforgivenessā, with no sign of reparation of relationship, restitution, or change of mind & heartā¦ is not āChristianā in any commonly understood sense.
"My natural inclination is to exercise Christian forgiveness.". Communities secretary @michaelgove on Frank Hester's comments about Diane Abbott which the PM has said are "racist and wrong". šŗ Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube
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Just had some exciting news from @SCM_Press today: theyāre up for me writing a book for them! Look out, world. ! š.
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The school gate in our neighbourhood is one of the most important places where community-building happens. But it doesnāt involve spending money, so this government donāt understand it.
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Where compassion is earthed.Christ is risen.Where generosity overflows.Christ is risen.Where trust takes root.Christ is risen.Where friendship grows.Christ is risen.Where hope blossoms.Christ is risen.Where love bears fruit.Christ is risen.Where life comes anew.Christ is risen!
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Iām the politest kind of rebel, in the most established of institutions, but these are the kind of things Iād be keen to encourage in @churchofengland leadership. .
What do all of you ārebelsļæ½ļæ½ļæ½ think of the 8 key aspects of needs below? Are there any youād add or change? Thanks @helenbevan for the reminder of our strengths and needs as rebels #rebels #rocktheboat @Sch4Change
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. or we can choose to use whatever power, influence & privilege we have, and might have in the years to come, to speak, stand & work for change, alongside & in solidarity with those whom the structures marginalise & ignore, stepping out of the ācentreā whenever possible. 2/2.
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When @ruth_hw & I wrote #BeingInterrupted, we laid out just some of the ways @churchofengland is oblivious to the gifts & challenges of those who it āothersā, and some ways to seek to overcome that obliviousness. Today, weāve collectively failed once again, dismally & tragically.
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So the CEO of The Corporation that runs Church House, Wāminster, strongly supports hosting the annual Land Warfare Conference at the Church of Englandās HQ, and doesnāt feel there is any groundswell against it. Why not email him to say otherwise? chris.palmer@churchofengland.org.
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This is Waffles. Heās tiny. Heās a lion. And heās feeling a little bit shy today.
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I think it's highly unlikely that I'll ever again have 2 published books out in one year, but really quite excited to see this listed @SCM_Press today.
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Iām yet to find words for a sermon tomorrow. Torn between saying nothing at all, and wanting to consider *everything *. At the moment, itās looking like weāre going to do #RemembranceSunday, #IsraelPalestine & #LLF all in 10 mins. #GodoftheOppressed #BlessedAreThePeacemakers šļø
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Clergy / teachers / etc: remember that āIām so tired, but at least itās nearly Christmas / Easter / etc. ā feeling? Are we at that stage of #COVID19, but without the second half of the sentence for comfort?.
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Silver lining of recent near-death family ordeal: as a household we are now fully prepared to live off chocolate for the foreseeable future. #Lockdown3.
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Preaching āaway from homeā at Selly Oak Methodist Church this morning. Look around during 1st hymn, and thereās Prof @AnthonyGReddie sitting in the back rowā¦ Definitely felt the pressure to up my game! š±.
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Exciting moment! The #EstatesTheology project is coming together: reflections emerging from deep listening by practitioners and academic theologians together, from 6 estate contexts across England. Hopefully published @SPCKPublishing later this year.
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20 years ordained today. I will mostly be celebrating by drinking tea, working through the To Do list, seeing if I can get the email Inbox down to zero for a few minutes, and addressing some domestic feline relationship issuesā¦
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My 10-year-old and I were 2 of the 250,000. āš½
Yesterday Americans were shocked when London said that they expected 50,000 people to show up for the Anti Trump March today. 5 TIMES that number ended up showing up!!!. 250,000 People showed up on a weekday in a foreign country to protest our President. WAKE UP AMERICA!!.
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This is an appallingly irresponsible commentary on the Jay Report from a member of Archbishopsā Council who, whatever reservations he might have about process, should surely be working hard to listen & learn right now. #Safeguarding.
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Oh, and also: how about a conversation about class in @churchofengland? Not just how we become more āinclusiveā to those from working-class backgrounds, but how middle- and (upper-!) class Anglicans can critically grapple with our privilege. .
I asked a few months ago (without much response) but feels even more urgent now: where is the critical, anti-racist conversation about ābeing whiteā & in @churchofengland? And how can we resource white Anglicans to listen, speak, act & change? Or are we starting from scratch?.
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Among the many, many failures of democracy in this desperate #Brexit mess, 2 still stand out above the rest:.1) a binary āIn-Outā question.2) a simple 50+% majority requirement.A bitterly divided country? Yup, that was the way to do it.
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