Day One - A Beginning.
Today I am starting a new blog. When I began blogging over 10 years ago, it was a means to capture thoughts and particularly to archive sermons and other theological writings. I am not sure whether that format will continue or not. I have been called to explore silence for some time now, but only latterly have I really named that call. It began with me feeling drawn to retreat with the Benedictine community at Alton Abbey. The rhythm of life of a Benedictine is still a real draw. I am naturally an introvert, and I have noticed that, to sustain myself and ensure my own wellbeing, the need to withdraw and especially enter into periods of silence is increasingly important and renewing. Parish ministry is simultaneously rewarding and demanding. A regular walk, sometimes in silence and sometimes alone, with the dog has been a bedrock of my weekly routine. I started writing this piece this morning in the Lady Chapel of one of the church buildings in the parish. At the...