James remained in Northumbria, living mainly at a village near Catterick (now in North Yorkshire) and took an active part in the preaching of the gospel and baptising throughout the region. James represented Christianity in the face of hostility from Penda of Mercia, ensuring the survival of Roman Christianity in the region. Preaching the gospel under a pagan ruler was a risky occupation, and James was often in danger of his own life.
Category: Blog
give us strength so to hear his voice and bear our cross
that in the world to come we may see him as he is
“We need heralds of the Gospel who are experts in humanity, who know the depths of the human heart, who can share the joys, the hopes, the agonies, the distress of people today, but who are, at the same time, contemplatives who have fallen in love with God.”
Pope John Paul II
On this diaconal site, for once, St Macrina will precede her influential brother!
However, we are aware that when the groups worked well, they also acted as a channel of communication with the Steering Group, feeding back current issues and concerns DDs were experiencing. We don’t want to lose this. Any DD, DD ordinand or Enquirer is therefore encouraged to keep in communication with the Steering Group via the CENDD social media channels and email. We need to hear what is working well for you as well as the issues and challenges you face, so that common themes can be identified and we know what needs to be addressed.
Br. Margaret-Thomas is a Benedictine monk discerning a call to the distinctive diaconate. Their work focuses on liturgy, inclusion, and life at the Church’s thresholds. There’s a line I return to often — somewhere between memory and prayer — that I heard from a street preacher in Fort William: “The Church is most itself when it … Continue reading Between the Thresholds: A Benedictine Reflection on the Distinctive Diaconate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGhesczcOv4 Words by priest-poet Malcolm Guite. Music by Steve Bell.
The Convocation was an important gathering that was both celebratory and reflective. It offers a model of how creative thinking, fellowship and worship can contribute to the wider ministry of the whole Church, whilst creating new and positive relationships. It may be said that in the understanding of Diaconal ministry, the Methodists are ahead of many denominations.
After her passing, all the widows stood beside Peter, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. She had developed a ministry especially among (v.39) the widows, who in a system with no social security, often found themselves in severe financial straits.
The kingdom grows in secret places.
The seeds sown in the dark still rise toward the sun.
The mercy offered in silence still reshapes the world.
So may we walk quietly, bless widely, and love deeply.
And may we trust that what is small is never lost to God.
CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons 