“The idea for our walk came when we were considering some way of raising awareness about clergy mental wellness to churchgoers, as well as to the wider community. With one of us based in Ipswich and the other at the Cathedral, a walk from one church to the other seemed a natural idea,” say The Rev’d Dr Gemma Dashwood and The Rev’d Selina McMahon
“The Lucan account of Mary of Bethany listening at Jesus’ feet, rather than working to make the house ready for a guest, suggests that Jesus was, even here, subverting society’s strong norms, because it was a ‘man’s place’ to listen to and be taught by a rabbi – it was not a place for a woman,” says The Rev’d Selina McMahon
“In the hands of the Biblical authors, the seemingly ordinary, like birds, takes on greater meaning when you consider the rich symbolism. Researching this symbolism goes beyond partaking in idle academic curiosity, for it is only by understanding the Bible’s symbolism that we can really hope to engage with it and have any contextual understanding of what the Bible authors were trying to tell us,” says The Rev’d Selina McMahon
“No matter how hard you look, you won’t find ‘Easter’ in the Bible. The word ‘Easter’, that is; not the event itself,” says The Rev’d Selina McMahon, as she explores the word’s origins
“Gradually, soldiers climbed out of their trenches, responding to each other as human beings…They walked into no-man’s-land, trusting each other and welcoming each other as they did so. This was the first time they had really seen each other – as people welcoming each other in the spirit of Christmas,” says The Rev’d Selina McMahon on the widespread unofficial Christmas ceasefires along the Western Front on Christmas Eve in 1914
Four clergy and lay people from across our Diocesan Regions share their Synod highlights and learnings with anglican focus readers
Five Resource Church leaders from across our Diocese tell us about their current activities and the highlights of their roles so far, while also sharing resources for parishes and ministries to use and adapt
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