Category Archives: Church

O Christmas Tree

Posted on December 15, 2012 by alisonpeden

Well, we’ ve been doing our bit to light up Holy Trinity, with a Christmas Tree Festival.  22 different organisations, charities and businesses have each decorated a tree in the church, and added a bit about themselves. (It’s one of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas, Church, mission | 1 Comment

Advent therapy

Posted on December 4, 2012 by alisonpeden

I now know that if I stop blogging for a bit, ‘re-entry’ is like getting into the water to swim – lovely once you’re in, but requiring a bracing plunge.  A challenging and busy time just lately meant I did … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Blogs, Church, mission, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Joining in

Posted on October 8, 2012 by alisonpeden

It was quite a weekend at church, hosting a diocesan gathering and then celebrating Music Sunday.  We ended with a lunch and then a short musical about St Francis led by what – perhaps – may become a junior choir. … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, music | Leave a comment

The successful heretic

Posted on October 4, 2012 by alisonpeden

I remember so distinctly all those years ago as a student hearing one of my tutors claiming that St Francis was a successful heretic.  It seemed so deliciously iconoclastic in those days, and it makes a lot of sense.  The saint, … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, films, history, justice, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Always a burden?

Posted on August 16, 2012 by alisonpeden

We’re planning a ‘Soul Walk’ around the church as part of a diocesan Casting the Net Gathering that will take place at Holy Trinity in October. It is designed to be accessible to anyone, including an ‘unchurched spiritual seeker’.  I was describing the details … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Spirituality | 2 Comments

Too much, so nothing

Posted on August 14, 2012 by alisonpeden

The last time I had a longish break in blogging was because there was an excess of Church stuff that was taking all my time and energy to process;  this time, it’s because of a summer that has been filled … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, women | Leave a comment

good job done

Posted on June 9, 2012 by alisonpeden

The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church voted decisively yesterday not to adopt the Anglican Covenant.  The debate has been going on so long that it was almost a surprise that the time had come for a decision – it … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, leadership, travel | 2 Comments

A pastoral resource

Posted on May 19, 2012 by alisonpeden

We held the first meeting of a pastoral care group at Holy Trinity, which arose out of our Mission Action Plan.  Two of the ‘Marks of Mission’ that we are focussing on are ‘Sharing faith by confident and sensitive evangelism:  … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, compassion, ministry, mission | Leave a comment

Reveille

Posted on May 13, 2012 by alisonpeden

Down to Suffolk for my uncle’s memorial service. He spent most of his life as Principal of a school in Belfast – Royal Belfast Academical Institution – including during the Troubles. Before setting off in the morning he routinely checked the car … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Easter, War | Leave a comment

Silence and history

Posted on May 2, 2012 by alisonpeden

I went to one of the Gifford Lectures yesterday, given by Diarmaid McCulloch on ‘The silences of fear and shame’. If you’ve missed them so far, you can see videos of them posted on the site.  What McCulloch was talking … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Church, history, Holy Spirit, Uncategorized | 2 Comments