Latest Posts
A Sermon from a Seventeenth Century Pulpit – a reflection from Hannah Stone, Poet Theologian
We’ve heard the word ‘unprecedented’ used a lot in recent weeks, in connection now with the speed and volume of vaccines being produced, not to mention the formidable logistics needed to safeguard the health of the entire global population from this awful virus. At...
Ecumenism, Interfaith & Justice Podcast: Leeds Festival of Kindness Compassion & Wellbeing
Welcome to this podcast on Ecumenism, Interfaith & Justice. This podcast replaces a Heart Shift Webinar, in partnership with The William Temple Foundation conceived by Joshua Malkin as part of the Kindness Revolution – the Leeds Festival of Kindness Compassion...
Kristina Diprose reads her poem “In which God appears as a busker”
Kristina Diprose reads her poem ‘In which God appears as a busker’ published in the anthology And The Stones Fell Open: A Leeds Poetry Anthology available here. “Before the pandemic, I commuted into Leeds on the train every day for work. I decided to write my poem...
All Change – a reflection from our Poet Theologian Hannah Stone for 2nd week in December
As I write, the country has just shifted from the second full lockdown to a return to the ‘tiers system’ which juggles at a supposedly local level the governing of infection control with sustaining the economy. Leeds had been on the verge of entering tier three when...
Why I don’t like Wednesdays – a poem for International Day of Disabled People 2020
Cath Nichols poem ‘Why I Don’t Like Wednesdays’ published in the anthology And The Stones Fell Open: A Leeds Poetry Anthology available here is a wonderful poem to share at any time, but we are sharing this to celebrate International Day of Disabled People on 3rd...
Stir up Sunday – Hannah Stone’s latest reflection
Our Poet Theologian in Virtual Residence, Hannah Stone, considers the start of Advent and shares her Christmas carol to ‘stir up’ our advent reflections. As we’re now in Advent, I’ve just missed the correct time to write about Stir Up Sunday, where secular...
And there was light – Hannah Stone’s weekly reflection
At this dark time of year, half way through the second lockdown, we need some ‘light at the end of the tunnel;’ what a ‘light’ the news of a vaccine is! Coincidentally, many world religions celebrate festivals of light round now. For Hindus, the celebrations of Diwali...
The tension between organising and faith
Leeds Citizens and Leeds Church Institute work together to employ a local Community Organiser, Becky Howcroft. In her latest theological reflection, Becky considers how tension is something that we have to learn how to use in an effective way, something that we need...
Hearts at Peace: Poet Theologian Hannah Stone’s weekly reflection
At this time of year we call to mind the departed, especially those who died in warfare, and normally we’d see people out and about wearing poppies, both the red ones associated with the poignant flowering on Flanders fields, and also white ones encouraged by Quakers...
I was in prison
Hannah Stone, our Poet Theologian in Virtual Residence, considers how, as we enter another national lockdown, prisons can be metaphorical and shares a poem that reflects on the experience of a friend emerging from a long period of depression. I write on the day...