July 2011

In those shoes?

Who’d have thought a work’s leaving do, a pair of bright pink M&S heels, and a throwaway line from a colleague’s hubby would finally spark me into writing the blog I’ve been meaning to start for ages?

Perhaps I’d better explain. It was as I walked across the car park towards the restaurant that I was spotted. I’d dressed to impress – well skinny jeans, killer heels, pink clutch bag in hand and a dash of make-up thrown on. “Who’s that?” said Viv’s hubby as he dropped her off for the party. “Oh that’s Caroline.” Viv said. “She wants to train to be a vicar.” To which he replied, “What? In those shoes?!”

When she told me, I laughed so much and said, “Yes! Absolutely! Definitely in these heels!”

Actually, it’s not quite as simple as wanting to be a vicar. To find out more, read the rest of the blog at www.inthoseshoes.wordpress.com

In those shoes? Read More »

Doubt – A Film Review

Why is it that non believers so often hold tightly to the notion that to be a believer, one must never have doubts? I think maybe it’s a way of letting themselves off the hook, it allows them to say ‘well, I couldn’t possibly be a believer… because there are things I don’t understand and I’m sure I’d have doubts’.

So let me say this gently: most Christians do. Have doubts that is. At the moment I don’t happen to be struggling with any major ones but I have in the past and I probably will in the future… I’ll keep you posted

But anyway, I didn’t actually mean to write you an article on doubt. This is is film review for the film ‘Doubt’
starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The doubt in the title is not about faith, it’s a doubt whether something bad has happened or not. It’s not a film about believing in God or not, that only comes into it a little bit. Streep plays the Nun who is Principal of a Catholic school in New York in the 1950’s. Hoffman plays the priest. The Principle suspects the priest of an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with one of the altar boys. It’s a story of character versus conviction, but whose character is the more generous and whose convictions are correct?

Given all that has been revealed about the scandalous behaviour of many catholic priests – this is a sizzling hot potato of a subject. The film is absolutely brilliant but I can’t tell you much more about it without spoiling the plot. So I shall just say watch out for the wind, it’s very metaphorical and look out for the moment the Principal’s whole world tilts. Much stuff for discussion in this film, it’s even quite funny. (You’ll never think of Frosty the Snowman in quite the same light). Fantastic performances by the two leads and by Amy Adams who plays the young naive sister caught in the middle. Plus the feathers story is just brilliant, one day I might just use that in a sermon

Doubt – A Film Review Read More »

Activate Lunch

You are warmly invited to our next Activate lunch on Wednesday 20th July at 12.30 at Leigh Wesley Church, Elm Road, Leigh on sea. £9.00 John Bastin of the Southend SOS Bus and Street Pastors is our speaker. Many of you will have seen the Bus parked in Southend High Street on a SAturday night- come along and find out what they do and why not bring a friend?

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