It is with some sadness that I record that our Team Rector's wife Janet died yesterday morning after being ill for some while. She was gently competent and always keenly interested in people and will be greatly missed.

I find myself leading more worship services in church, to provide cover, and it is a privilege to do so.

Does God appear when you want Him to or, to put it another way, how do you authentically celebrate the Epiphany?

In our local churches we celebrated the feast of the Epiphany today (6th January). This festival celebrates the appearance of God, or his "shining forth," or his glory. In the western church the event usually associated is the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus bringing gifts.

On this Sunday so soon after Christmas it often seems to be a challenge for those constructing worship and choosing hymns to know whether to retain the feel of Christmas or to try to do something different. Most of the hymns seemed to conjure up an image of trudging slowly through snow, and the sermon sought to encourage us to set New Year's Resolutions to do with being more environmentally responsible (too late, I'd done mine, but I do hope that they are responsible). So the set of compromises used this time round didn't seem to lift me to a sense of the presence of God's glory... until we got to the middle of the service.

At the customary handshake called "The Peace" everybody seemed to come alive and it struck me that (as well as everything else it means) the image of the baby Jesus speaks of the presence of the glory of God in each one of us - people - how special we are!

Should churches be "running with the pack" in their action on climate change? They have a special task.   more »

This morning I joined St Peter's Church, Chippenham, for their morning family service. There were three baptisms taking place, two of those being a mother and her son. I enjoyed the lively worship in a different church, and I enjoyed their competent band too.

I went along to give feedback to a friend who was giving a talk in church only for the second time. She did very well, with a bold start for Advent: when called on by the minister to give her talk she cried out "I'm not ready!"

Here are some links to documents I have written, in my capacity as Spiritual Director for Bristol Anglican Cursillo.

Thoughts on making the most of small group meetings (Group Reunions).

Suggestions about better listening in Group Reunions, after the Llysfasi Workshop.

I've enjoyed the last weekend helping to run a Cursillo Weekend locally - leadership development for Christians. Lots of participants, and we had lots of laughter as well as the joy of seeing people grow in their relationship with God.

More info from the websites of Bristol Anglican Cursillo, and the British Anglican Cursillo Council.

I spent today in these gorgeous surroundings enjoying a day of quiet. I have been doing a lot of networking lately, so amongst other things, it was an opportunity to reflect on what I have been Discovering.

I was impressed by John Wraw, Archdeacon of Salisbury, who led the short afternoon meditation. Although a senior leader in the church he came across very much as a pastor. Sometimes who we are says more than the words we speak.

Excited to find that Jonny Baker is also exploring Ignatian Spritituality through using the Examen in his worship.

In the church we tend not to ask the question: "Does it work?" Perhaps this is because we imagine that then we should need to have measurable goals: opposed to a preference just to enjoy one another's company, or to do the things that we have always done.

So I was surprised when I read this morning's Bible reading (for the festival of St Mark, from Ephesians ch4 vv7-16 - Revised Standard Version).

The author compares the church to a human body, and writes that "when each part is working properly" the church will build itself up in love. The idea, from earlier in the passage,  is that God has placed his gifts, or grace, inside us so that we may do this useful work of building up God's people. So hand in hand Christians need to expect to make a difference, and trust that God has given the ability to do so.

Are we working properly?