December 2025

Christmas is a festival of light - along streets, on houses, in shop windows we see brightly coloured lights put up for the season. The lights should be a reminder to us that Jesus comes as light, shining brightly with God’s love - not just at Christmas time, and not just for Christians but always and for everyone.

Christmas lights can bring us cheer, and they are a reminder that it is a time for happiness. But that is never the whole story. Even in the season of goodwill, there are dark places in our world and shadow places in our lives that are not so easily overcome. These will not go away simply by indulging in a bit of frivolity; this is a need for deep-seated joy and peace which lies at the heart of the Christmas message. We cannot truly be content whilst there are war and injustice in the nations, neighbours in need, people facing damaged and broken lives.

So this Christmas let’s look to sharing the gift of love, spreading the light of joy and peace into the year to come.

September 2025

During the summer I visited Northern Ireland for a holiday. At Kileavy, County Armagh, in the burial yard of the old church was a gravestone bearing the name of St Monenna, who lived in the fifth century at a time when Christianity was a new presence in Ireland. Flowers had been put on her grave. High up on the hillside behind was a large white cross and walking up the hill I realised that this marked a spring of water as a holy place associated with the saint. The view from that place was a wonderful panorama of the Irish countryside, with mountains and fields. I am used to spending time in churches as places of prayer, but prayers might be offered to God in many and varied places – holy wells, and high up places amongst them. Is there a place special to you for prayer and spending time with God? How open are you to discovering new and unexpected places in which to encounter God?

June 2025

City of Culture – Bradford 2025

Our city is in the middle of its year of celebration with all kinds of events which have already happened or are still to come!

The Methodist Church is also making its own contribution. The focus will be on the display of works from the Methodist Modern Art Collection which will be connected by an arts trail around the Bradford area. During September, the paintings will be on display at Bradford Cathedral, Woodhouse Grove School in Apperley Bridge, Ben Rhydding Methodist Church and at the South Square Gallery and St James Church in Thornton.

Faith communities are a significant part of life in Bradford, adding to the richness of its heritage and the diversity of its landscape. Art can be an expression of faith, but also a means of engaging others in an exploration of faith, as it is viewed and as conversations take place around it.

More information, as well as some of the paintings, can be found at https://ywmethodist.org.uk/bradford2025/

Other events with involvement of the Methodist Church will be advertised in due course at https://bradfordnorth.org.uk/bradford-city-of-culture-2025/

March 2025

St David’s Day and the season of Lent

St David’s Day is celebrated on March 1st each year, a special day for all Welsh people! We are also nearing the start of the season of Lent, a time in the Christian calendar associated with self-denial. Some choose to challenge themselves by going without a luxury – chocolate or biscuits, for example, as part of their Lenten discipline. St. David led a very austere life along with his fellow monks in the monastery – his austere practices included immersing himself in a bath of cold water! Now that’s giving up life’s luxuries!

St David’s Day is commemorated on the first day of March because that was the day of his death. In his last words to his followers he said, 'Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed. Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us.'

‘Doing the little things’ has become a common saying for Welsh people – it is about doing those little things that can make a difference.

As a challenge for the season of Lent, instead of giving something up, how about taking on a little bit extra: going out of your way to take on that extra task which may be a kindness to others, offering a helping hand to someone in need?