Listening to the Passion Narrative on Palm Sunday, I winced at the description of Jesus’ humiliation, torture and death. It is a painful story for anyone, Christian or not to enter into, but perhaps as a trauma survivor it is particularly triggering. I still find it difficult to watch atrocities on the news, or read…Read more »

For many reasons, not everyone can make it to church on Christmas Day. But we can all find a few minutes to remember God with us, to hear the Christmas story, to give thanks, and to pray for the world. This simple liturgy is designed to help us do this.  It can be prayed alone…Read more »

This time last week I was in Berlin. I was privileged to be part of a group of clergy from the Diocese of Coventry visiting communities of the Cross of Nails in that great city. For four days we heard extraordinary stories of people working so hard to bring reconciliation to that great city. Stories of past,…Read more »

I love board games. I always have done. I still remember the glorious triumph of finally beating my Auntie Pat at Scrabble for the first time when I was seventeen (it’s possible I’m a bit competitive). I was in hospital at the time, but she wasn’t going to let a small thing like that stop…Read more »

How do you connect to God? It won’t be the same answer for everyone, so at St Clare’s we like to try lots of different ways of praying. One thing we’ve found is that most of us really value having something visual to focus on, and one idea that has really worked is ‘Gazing Prayers’. In…Read more »

My journey to St Clare’s by Ruth Nelson Thirteen years ago I was a member of my local parish church and even in a leadership role. However, I wanted a more relational type of church gathering and what did all that church thing mean anyway? Locally there was a group of people in their twenties who…Read more »

INTRODUCTION Reflecting on Christ’s death is an important part of our spiritual journey.  We can do this at any time, but Holy Week is the week in the church calendar when many Christians put aside time to think about Jesus’ last days and crucifixion, culminating of course with Good Friday. One way that many Christians use to…Read more »

Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (John 19: 41-42) Although we don’t much think…Read more »

Then Joseph (of Arimathea) bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth. (Mark 15: 46) We usually see the cross from straight on, hanging from a chain around a neck, on a communion table, forming a gravestone and so on. In reality it must have been huge, and even…Read more »

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23: 44-46)…Read more »