Love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and border and salute each other
- Rainer Maria Rilke “Letters to a Young Poet”
I’M THE VICAR (Anglican Parish Priest) of Bramhall – a large, welcoming and energising parish in the suburbs of Stockport, Cheshire, UK. I love theology, reading generally, writing, and discourse on pretty much any subject under the sun. Open to people, open to learning something new every day, I find my life as a priest as challenging, absorbing and life-enhancing after 28 years as I did when I set out on this adventure with God. I’m especially keen to encourage any and all to “apply their minds” to matters of faith.
The Bible has long been “living and active” for me and as I dig ever deeper so the rewards – and ever new understandings – are greater. I have been deeply moved by time spent in the “Bible Lands”, and will remain grateful all my days for the particularly rich opportunity of a mini-sabbatical at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute for Theological Studies in Jerusalem in 2000. Accessible learning opportunities in the arts, peace studies, philosophy, the sciences and world faiths are some of the building blocks, I’m sure, for realising and recognising what Jesus called “the Kingdom of God”.
One of my favourite books for as long as I can remember has been the children’s classic The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams and I have more recently been glad to read – and to give to others - The Velveteen Principles: A Guide to Becoming Real by Toni Raiten-D’Antonio
I’m currently much taken with Sara Miles’ Take This Bread, Mark Hart’s Straight to the Pointlessness, and Wes Howard-Brook’s Come Out My People – God’s Call out of Empire in the Bible and Beyond – all 3 very highly recommended; and also especially and eclectically inspired by James Alison, Marcus Borg, Walter Brueggemann, Carlo Carretto, John Dominic Crossan, Vincent Donovan, Austin Farrer, René Girard, Stanley Hauerwas, Alan Jones, William Loader, Jurgen Moltmann, Parker J Palmer, Eugene Peterson, John Polkinghorne, Timothy Radcliffe, Richard Rohr, Barbara Brown Taylor, Miroslav Volf, Keith Ward and Rowan Williams; and I bend low before the poetry of Maya Angelou, Wendell Berry, Ruth Bidgood, Mary Oliver, Rainer Maria Rilke, May Sarton, William Stafford, Anna Swir, R S Thomas and Gwenallt (David James Jones). My bedside table is usually home to a tottering pile of tomes and some of the current collection are listed in On My Nightstand.
Favourite preacher? – without a shadow of a doubt, Bishop Michael Marshall, former Bishop of Woolwich, Archbishops’ Springboard Missioner, and lover of all God’s people. Bishop Michael’s books, preaching, prayer and person are all of a piece, and utterly “Real” …. one can no more become a Christian by sitting inside a church all day than one can become an automobile by sitting all day in a garage …
I love the Church and have been privileged to serve as parish priest in 5 very different parishes, and in the 1980s as Chaplain to an extraordinarily creative Diocesan Bishop – Roy Williamson. A lover of words, I’m also a great believer in the healing power of contemplation, “de-cluttering”, care-full liturgy, silence, stillness and sacred space – and a great deal of my time is happily involved with Church life; but I spend a healthy proportion of my life in the “wider world”, too, breathing God’s good fresh air out there, absorbed in photography, love of good coffee and food, love of people generally, and family and friends particularly, and I stand in awe and wonder before the majesty of God’s creation.
In Church-speak I’m a Liberal Catholic – most at home in inclusive and open-minded environments, most alienated and uncomfortable in the (especially religious) places of dogmatic “certainty”. I want to celebrate, every day, the open-armed and open-hearted generosity of God. And maybe that’s because I’m possessed, too, of a great many of the usual human frailties. My life is littered with contradictions and questions, doubts and assurances, regrets and delights. A life lived “uphill and down dale” and frequently too fast for my natural tendencies really to keep up with. My patient wife Jilly and I share interest in family, friends, home, garden, canoeing and holidays – in the English Lake District, France and Spain – and plenty of time together.
Fine site. At various times Michael Marshall conducted retreats at the DeKoven Center, RAcine, Wisconsin, which I keenly remember. I’ve lost touch. What has come of him?
Thanks for visiting. I’ve replied by email … and have enjoyed a visit to your own parish website. S
I helped Bishop Michael with a book some time ago,he is temporary Rector of the Church of the Holy Rest,New York,but not there yet. Sometime in March.
Hello Simon,I stumbled across this on the internet.
I hope all is well with you.
Paul
Congratulations on your centenary. I was a regular at St Michael’s in 1965 when I lived briefly in Bramhall. I was just 13 at the time. I remember the music was wonderful. I got up early to go to Communion on Ascension Day to find it was a full sung service!
Thanks Barbara. Be assured of a warm welcome should you ever be in our part of the world again. http://www.bramhallcofe.org
Hi Simon
Congratulations on your site. I’ve visited many times, but never got round to saying “thanks”.
And I’ve been meaning, David, for a while, to say here “thank you for your kind encouragement, and for your own blog, too.”
I’m glad you’re enjoying my new book. Thank you for taking the time to plough through it. I also love Sara Miles, both as a writer and a human being. She’s the greatest!
If there’s ever a chance to get me into your neck of the woods to talk about the book, please let me know!
Blessings and peace of Christ to you.
Thank you very much indeed. I’m mesmerised by the breadth and depth of “Come Out My People!” – and am doing all I can to recommend it widely. All blessings upon your continuing work.
I confess to being an irregular and sometimes doubting back bencher within your congregation but your sermons are a source of inspiration and they undoubtedly call to the soul.
I never knew this site existed. I think it is great.
Best wishes
Peter
Peter, thank you very much indeed. Every good House needs good backbenchers. Thank you for your kind encouragement. I’m glad you found the blog.
Thank you for another beautiful service on Sunday Father Simon. I came to the Sung Eucharist & was very uplifted by the service, as I was last Wednesday too. I was particularly touched when you asked a young couple up to the front with you & with their little baby asleep in his carrier. You told the congregation the names of their other children and that they had called this young chap George. That was my Father’s name and his Father’s too ! I saw them in the car park afterwards ensuring he was safely seated in their car, and it was so nice to watch them nuturing & caring for him…
Looking forward to attending my next service at St. Michael & All Angels, Bramhall very much… Thank you.
Thanks Peter. It was good to see you. Meeting up with George for the first time on Sunday was indeed very special.
Thank you Fr Simon for your reply. And thank you for such a wonderful 9am Mothering Sunday service yesterday. I loved it ! So different to any service I attended at Sy Michael’s or indeed anywhere before. So nice to see the children getting involved and interested and participating and contributing to the church at such a young age and enjoying it very much too I noticed. I Hope that the Messy church launch on Saturday was a great success and will continue to thrive and grow. Very best wishes to you and god bless. Peter.
Peter, thank you. We’re certainly blessed by a lot of fun and enthusiasm amongst our young folk here. Thank you for your kindness and encouragement.
You’ve been nominated for a Liebster Blog Award: http://rachaeleliz94.wordpress.com/2011/12/11/liebster-blog/
Rachael, how very, very kind of you. Thank you for that, and for your own writings. I’m a daily visitor.
I did not have an opportunity to read your biography. Most clergy would do well to visit your site and to learn– to live. Your energy and love of God comes through. You bring the Kingdom of God to life and do so in a way that makes it real to this day and age. How refreshing. I look forward to perusing and enjoying your blog.
Thank you very much
. I immediately noticed in your own biographical notes that you look for diversity and celebrate it. I always warm to that. It’s one of the keys to what I believe Jesus thought of as “fullness of life”. I shall enjoy continuing to follow your own writings. Joy to you, and love and peace at Easter.
So very nice to “meet” you, Simon, what a beautiful, thoughtful space you have created here. Thank you so much for sharing
anne