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01/06/2019

Making connections; taking solidarity further with Frances Webber (podcast)

Today’s podcast was recorded at our Seeking Refuge event. Our Keynote speech was given by Frances Webber, the Vice Chair of The Institute of Race Relations. Frances is a former barrister specialising in immigration, refugee and human rights law and she was speaking on Making Connections; taking solidarity further. Frances looks at how we can…

11/05/2019

Ten lessons learnt in Chaplaincy

By Sarah Derbyshire, Chaplain at Bishop Young Church of England Academy in Leeds My road to becoming a Chaplain began aged 16 when I first encountered chaplaincy and my understanding of how the education sector can support students and staff changed forever. I first experienced chaplaincy during my first week of sixth form. Whilst…

27/04/2019

A Watershed Moment in Education

A theological reflection on education with a Leeds city focus written collaboratively by Graham Brownlee, Shona Shaw and Tom Shaw. The motto of the Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham is “spes durat avorum” which translated means “let the hope of our ancestors endure”. This school was founded in 1599 at a time when many schools…

13/04/2019

What are the ingredients of life-giving ecumenical mission? (Podcast)

In 2018 Paul Lancaster conducted research into ecumenical mission in Leeds on behalf of the Leeds Church Institute. At the Leeds Lent Prayer Diary launch event, Paul led a workshop based on his research. You can read the full report here.

06/04/2019

Experiences of Pride (podcast)

Today’s podcast was recorded at our recent event A Guide To Pride, Christian Perspectives. We were joined by Sara Gillingham, Lucy Gorman and Luke Dowding who each shared their own experiences of organising a Christian presence at Pride events. Sara Gillingham is a member of the Church of England, and campaigner for better pastoral care…

03/04/2019

From the Leeds Lent Prayer Diary, Dave Paterson, Home4Good and Christians Against Poverty (podcast)

At the recent Leeds Lent Prayer Diary 2019 launch event, we spoke to Dave Paterson, who works with Unity in Poverty Action and Gather Leeds among other organisations in Leeds, Safi Newton from Home4Good, and Tim Rowe from Christians Against Poverty about their work and why Lent is important to them. Find out more about…

30/03/2019

What have you done today to make you feel proud? (podcast)

Revd. Anthea Colledge, Anglican Chaplain, Universities’ Chaplaincy in Leeds & Lead Chaplain, University of Leeds, talks about her research into why Christians attend Pride and her own experiences of Pride events. Recorded at our recent event, A Guide To Pride, Christian Perspectives. If you would like to read Anthea’s full research project you can find…

27/03/2019

From the Leeds Lent Prayer Diary, Otley Christian Resources Hub and Street Angels (podcast)

At the recent Leeds Lent Prayer Diary 2019 launch event, we spoke to Mandy Thorlby from Otley Christian Resources Hub and Katie Waters from Street Angels about their work and why Lent is important to them. Find out more about the Leeds Lent Prayer Diary at https://lcct.org.uk/leeds-lent-prayer-diary/

23/03/2019

Poetry From In Other Words (podcast)

As part of the Leeds Lit Fest, we were joined by local artists Jade Jeffreys and Lisa Boardman to present In Other Words, a spoken word event which combines live performances of poetry and prose with abstract film. Along with Jade and Lisa, we heard performances by local artists, some professionals, some amateurs, who performed…

20/03/2019

From the Leeds Lent Prayer Diary, WYCCP and KPM (podcast)

At the recent Leeds Lent Prayer Diary 2019 launch event, we spoke to Jane Daguerre from the West Yorkshire Community Chaplaincy Project and David Gann from Kingdom Performance Ministries about their work and why Lent is important to them. Find out more about the Leeds Lent Prayer Diary at https://lcct.org.uk/leeds-lent-prayer-diary/

16/03/2019

Si Smith discusses his new graphic novel, Signs (podcast)

At our recent Leeds Lit Fest 2019 event, at Holy Trinity Church, Dr Helen Reid spoke to illustrator Si Smith (How to Disappear Completely and Abide With Me), about his new graphic novel, Signs; its inspiration, meaning and the process of creating it. Signs is filled with images of the city centre in Leeds and…

09/03/2019

Leeds Lent Prayer Diary Keynote Address (Podcast)

On Tuesday 26th February LCI was pleased to host the launch of the Leeds Lent Prayer Diary 2019. As part of the evening, Duncan Stow of Horsforth Churches Together gave the keynote address, reminding us of the centrality and the power of the Cross and calling on Christians of all denominations and churches to our…

07/03/2019

Report on the Launch of the Leeds Lent Prayer Diary

Dr Helen Reid, Director of Leeds Church Institute The launch of the Leeds Lent Prayer Diary was an occasion to celebrate the Good News in, for and with Leeds. Bishop Paul Slater opened the gathering with prayer focussing on our calling to fully immerse ourselves in city life for the welfare of all. Duncan Stow…

23/02/2019

Keeping the Faith in Leeds Faith In Schools (podcast)

At our recent Leeds Christians in Education event, we were joined by Ben Lawrence, Team leader at Leeds Faith In Schools. Ben talked about Education and City Life, the challenges of sharing the gospel in schools with pupils who have very different life experiences and why it’s important to keep the faith in Leeds Faith…

16/02/2019

Education and City Life with Steve Palmer (podcast)

As part of our ongoing series of events and articles about Christians in Education, we spoke to Steve Palmer, Assistant Headteacher at Roundhay School about Education and City Life. Leeds Christians in Education aims to support teachers, governors, youth workers, schools workers, lecturers and all those in the world of education through networking, events and prayer.…

09/02/2019

Reflections on our City

By Ann Nicholl ‘God is in the city, it cannot fall at the break of day, God comes to its rescue’ Psalm 46:5 What sort of city is Leeds, what sort of city do we live in? It is ethnically diverse – white, Asian, black Caribbean, black African, eastern Europeans, Middle Eastern – a mix…

19/01/2019

God Can’t by Thomas Jay Oord (Book Review)

Tom Oord’s new book, God Can’t : How to Believe in God and Love after Tragedy, Abuse, or Other Suffering, reaches straight to the heart of an important matter of Christian belief and experience. It looks at what God is doing when we are suffering. This book seeks to enable those who are in a dark…

22/12/2018

Any plans for Christmas Eve?

Reflections on Through the Uncrossable Boundary by Dan Ingram Brown, author and PhD student Over the past few years, I’ve made a journey away from institutional church, away from attending services on a Sunday. This journey has been an act of faith. Part of my reasoning was the realisation that the culture and language of…

15/12/2018

Objects and Arrangements: The things that are left behind

By Joanna Craddock, Senior Lecturer at Leeds Arts University As an Artist and photography lecturer, my work is primarily a studio practice concerned with still life. Recently this work has taken a reflective turn. Motivated by having lost a number of significant women in my family, I have been exploring things that are left behind…

08/12/2018

Exploring Christian Culture with Virginia Woolf

By Jane de Gay, Professor of English Literature at Leeds Trinity University and Associate Priest at St Martin’s Church, Potternewton How does Christianity appear to the world outside the church, to unbelievers and those who are hostile to religion? How do they perceive church buildings and the clergy? And what values do Christians and non-Christians…

01/12/2018

How can Leeds do more to tackle climate change? (podcast)

This Monday we were joined by Tom Knowland, Noel Moules and Councillor Judith Blake for our Leeds Faith Leaders Climate event. Dr. Tom Knowland is Head of Sustainable Energy & Climate Change for Leeds City Council. Tom spoke about where we are as a city in terms of climate change as well as the work of…

24/11/2018

Does teaching French have anything to do with faith? (podcast)

As part of our Christians in Education series of event, Mark Roques spoke to us about what the way we teach shows us about our worldview and asks whether it is possible to teach French (or any other subject) in a way that better reflects our faith. Leeds Christians in Education aims to support teachers,…

10/11/2018

How should we measure success in education? (podcast)

As part of our ongoing series of events and articles about Christians in Education, we spoke to David Pattinson from All Saints C of E Primary School, Richmond Hill about education today, and how the pressure to achieve affects their pupils. Leeds Christians in Education aims to support teachers, governors, youth workers, schools workers, lecturers…

20/10/2018

Virginia Woolf and Christian Culture with Jane de Gay and Rose Hudson Wilkin (podcast)

Jane de Gay and Rose Hudson Wilkin joined us to discuss Virginia Woolf, feminism, faith, social justice and sacred space. Jane, drawing from her recent book, explores how Virginia Woolf responded to and wrote about social justice issues of her time (this includes reflections on the influence of her family connections with both the Clapham…

17/10/2018

British Muslims with Philip Lewis and Sadek Hamid (Podcast)

Philip Lewis and Sadek Hamid joined us to talk about their book British Muslims, a well argued, evidence-based, exploration of what it means to be a Muslim in Britain today. A new generation of Muslims – activists, academics, religious scholars and professionals – are drawing on contemporary reformist thinking emerging from outside their parents’…

25/09/2018

Why do Christians participate in Pride?

Anthea Colledge, in partnership with Leeds Church Institute (LCI), the White Rose College of Arts and Humanities (WRoCAH) and the University of Leeds conducted some research into why Christian individuals, Churches and groups choose to have a visible presence at the various Pride events. In the last few years, there have been an increasing number of…

22/09/2018

Hook 2018: Working for the Peace of the City (podcast)

For the 2018 Hook Lecture, Jonathan Bartley, Co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales came to talk about cities, the environment and hope for the future. We appreciated the way he presented the intertwining of environmental and social justice issues, and sketched an understanding of good news for people and the environment in…

15/09/2018

Leeds Unsung: Jackie Hird, The Joanna Project (podcast)

Continuing our series with Katrine Madsen who has been working with Leeds Citizens for the past six months as a community organiser. We are talking to community leaders with a Christian faith, from across the city who are making a difference to people’s lives in difficult circumstances to see what motivates them, what keeps them…

01/09/2018

Leeds Unsung: Hannah Pearson (podcast)

Continuing our new series with Katrine Madsen who has been working with Leeds Citizens for the past six months as a community organiser. We are talking to community leaders with a Christian faith, from across the city who are making a difference to people’s lives in difficult circumstances to see what motivates them, what keeps…

30/08/2018

Can cities be good, and green?

Wednesday 12th September 2018 sees Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley delivering the annual Hook Lecture at Leeds Minster. Here, Ed Carlisle, Parliamentary and Council candidate with the Green Party in Central Leeds, prepares for Jonathan Bartley’s visit by presenting a distinctively Christian perspective on cities and their potential for good. I don’t know about you,…

25/08/2018

Holy Spirit Radicals with Arani Sen (podcast)

Arani Sen joins us to talk about his book Holy Spirit Radicals, Pentecost, Acts and Changed Society. In Holy Spirit Radicals, Arani Sen argues that the charismatic movement has encouraged a return to the standpoint of the apostles in Acts. Although we need a personal encounter with God through the power of the Holy Spirit,…

18/08/2018

Leeds Unsung: Angela Hughes (podcast)

04/08/2018

Leeds Unsung: Alistair Kaye (podcast)

Continuing our new series with Katrine Madsen who has been working with Leeds Citizens for the past six months as a community organiser. We are talking to community leaders across the city who are making a difference to people’s lives in difficult circumstances. We are particularly looking at people of faith to see what motivates…

21/07/2018

Leeds Unsung: Ed Carlisle (podcast)

Today we begin a new series with Katrine Madsen who has been working with Leeds Citizens for the past six months as a community organiser. We will be looking at community leaders across the city who are making a difference to people’s lives in difficult circumstances. We are particularly looking at people of faith to…

15/07/2018

Looking back at 2017 (podcast)

Today’s podcast is taken from the Leeds Church Institute AGM. Helen Reid, Director of LCI looks back at 2017. Together we looked back at the people who helped us, the publications we put together and the events that we organised.

07/07/2018

A city of our dreams?

By Helen Reid Director of the Leeds Church Institute It is estimated that globally over one billion people and rising are living in ‘shanty town’ contexts. As Miles Davis writes, twenty-first-century cities [R]ather than being made of glass and steel as envisioned by earlier generations of urbanists, are instead largely constructed out of crude bricks,…

30/06/2018

Experiencing Beauty and Wellbeing part 2 (podcast)

Today’s podcast is taken from our recent event Experiencing Beauty and Wellbeing. Presented by Tasia Scrutton and Mark Wynn from the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, University of Leeds. In part 2, Mark Wynn discusses how theology might affect our understanding of how beauty contributes to a well-lived life. In part 1…

23/06/2018

Experiencing Beauty and Wellbeing part 1 (podcast)

Today’s podcast is taken from our recent event Experiencing Beauty and Wellbeing. Presented by Tasia Scrutton and Mark Wynn from the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, University of Leeds. In this first part, Tasia Scrutton explores how experiencing beauty affects our mental well-being. In the second part of this talk, Mark Wynn…

19/06/2018

The Fall of the Church with Mike Winter (podcast)

This month Mike Winter leads on The Fall Of The Church by Roger Haydon Mitchell. This book prepares the way for the practice of kenarchy: a humanity-loving, world-embracing, inclusive approach to life and politics. It does so by identifying two conflicting streams in Christianity: the love stream that the stories of Jesus portray and many…

02/06/2018

Loving in Absence

By Lawrence Cockrill The saying goes ‘the only things that are guaranteed in life are death and taxes’. Loss and grief are near universal experiences and there are few of us who have not lost a friend or loved one at some time. In Leeds, and in Britain as a whole, we share many traditions…

28/04/2018

Christ Crucified – the power of God and the wisdom of God with James Alison (podcast)

Last week James Alison visited Leeds and spoke at All Hallows Church on the topic of Christ Crucified – the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:23-24) What it is like on the inside of this as an LGBT person? Alison is celebrated for his firm but gentle insistence on addressing current church…

21/04/2018

What can we learn from the Mexican tradition of Ofrenda building? (podcast)

Ellie Harrison from The Grief Series and Vlady Diaz from Mexico joined us to talk about the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations. Ellie and her team visited Mexico to experience and take part in the dia de los Muertos celebrations and brought back with them photos and stories from the experience. As part of…

18/04/2018

Wild City Retreat – Reflecting on the Ecocycle

Shaeron Caton-Rose reflects on the Easter Wild City Retreat. We are all part of a cycle, life is not a straight line from beginning to end, it is a loop which encompasses both what we see as positive experiences and those we find more difficult. Birth, growth, maturity, death, reintegration, possibility like the seasons come and…

14/04/2018

Lunchtime Conversations – Faith And Struggle On Smokey Mountain (Podcast)

This month Dr. Helen Reid leads the session on Faith and Struggle on Smokey Mountain: Hope for a Planet in Peril by Benigno P. Beltran “Smokey Mountain, the vast garbage dump in Manila has served for many years as an emblem of third world squalor. In many ways, it is a metaphor for a planet slowly choking…

07/04/2018

Why is the Church so involved in the world of Education?

As Area Bishop and Chair of the Board of Education of the Church of England Diocese of Leeds, I am quite frequently asked this question, or something very similar to it. I find the form in which the question is asked to be very revealing, as it tells me a good deal about the assumptions…

31/03/2018

One Beautiful Idea by Ian Adams

For weeks I had sat by the pool till late each night, the practice of a poet’s faith return each day to the source of it all but nothing moved as darkness fell. Tonight I watched again as the sun set behind the trees, and in the shadows’ rise and light’s slow cease, the dance…

24/03/2018

Photography and Spirituality with Thomas Jay Oord (podcast)

Theologian, writer and photographer Thomas Jay Oord joined us at St Chad’s Church far Headingley to discuss What I Think About When I Think About God While I’m Walking And Hiking. Among other things Tom talked about trying to visualise the nature of God through photography, how we become co-creators with God and why he…

17/03/2018

Virtual Tradition

Ben Jones talks about how using new technology can help communicate Christian traditions to the next generation. As part of my work for Missional Generation, I spend my time working with young people to build confidence in talking about and sharing their faith. We do this in part by leading interactive youth work sessions where…

03/03/2018

Kubo and the Two Strings and Holding Memories in Community

Rev Dr Steve Taylor writes widely in areas of theology and popular culture. This includes a monthly film reviews for Touchstone (the New Zealand Methodist magazine). Here is his review for October 2016. Recently I shared dinner with the man who gave me my first job out of school. Strong, disciplined and resourceful thirty years…

27/02/2018

Lunchtime Conversation – Hayley Matthews Discusses Journeys of Grace and Truth (podcast)

Revd Dr. Hayley Matthews joined us for our lunchtime conversation to discuss Journeys of Grace and Truth: Revisiting Scripture and Sexuality, edited by Jayne Ozanne. The book is a collection of essays from writers who believe that it is possible to be a biblically centred evangelical and have a positive view of same-sex relationships, showing how each contributor reached…

10/02/2018

True Stories From The Forests Of Leeds – Woodbine Willie (podcast)

We joined Richard Butterfield and Rhoda Wallace from Leeds Minster to talk about Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, otherwise known as Woodbine Willie. Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy was born and raised in Leeds, his father being vicar of St Mary’s Quarry Hill. After some time at Ripon College, training to be a clergyman, he became a curate in Rugby. After…

26/01/2018

Abide With Me

Abide With Me is a comic, inspired by the commemoration of Candlemas, that explores some aspects of life with memory loss. Each comic tells the story of one weekend from a different perspective; a father who is suffering from dementia, his wife struggling to take care of him, and the son who is trying to help.…

13/01/2018

Creative Co-Creating: Combining theology and photography

A theologian. With a camera. Exploring nature. In the city. Those four elements introduce intriguing possibilities and enlightening experiences. I know, because I am that theologian-photographer. Making Photographs I say I “make” photographs. Good photography often results when a photographer works from a vision and uses as camera to portray an intriguing subject. Good photography…

06/01/2018

Luther and Bunting

Reverend George Bailey discusses the 500th anniversary of the reformation and the benefits of diversity. How many Christian churches are there in Leeds? I confess that I do not have any clear answer myself, but I am confident that there are more than many of us think. I have been a Methodist minister in Leeds…

28/12/2017

Black Men Walking (podcast)

Andy Brooks, also known as Testament, a Hip Hop artist, theatre maker and writer spoke to us about his creative journey. This article is from our Winter 2017 City Theology magazine, put together from a much longer conversation which you can listen to below or on our podcast which can be found on iTunes. …

21/12/2017

Who have you invited for Christmas Dinner this year?

By Lawrence Cockrill During World War II, when German and Italian Prisoners of War arrived in England, they would be interviewed by a translator whose job it was to decide how political or radicalised they were. The prisoners were then given a patch; white patches for those who had no loyalty to the Nazi cause,…

18/11/2017

From our lunchtime conversations – Death’s Gift by Nicholas Peter Harvey (podcast)

In this podcast Revd Tom Lusty gives an introduction to Death’s Gift: Chapters on Resurrection and Bereavement Reprint by Nicholas Peter Harvey. “Offering penetrating insights throughout, Harvey demonstrates that fruitful parallels can be drawn between the modern experience of bereavement and what happened to the disciples following the death of Jesus. In drawing out a…

16/11/2017

Remembering The Dead – Changing Public And Private Practices (podcast)

If anyone is on the pulse of where we are at in terms of levels of religiosity as a nation it is Linda Woodhead, who made the journey across the Pennines for this year’s Hook Lecture to scrutinise recent changes in the nation’s funeral arrangements and then make broader comments from her findings about “a…

11/11/2017

Re-membering – A Wild City Reflection

Shaeron Caton-Rose reflects on a Wild City Retreat at Left Bank in Burley. Our City Retreat went urban this Sunday, moving its usual venue to Left Bank, a deconsecrated and beautiful church building on Cardigan Road. Surrounded by terraced houses, a scrapyard, petrol station and local shops and cafes, Left Bank is a surprising space…

04/11/2017

How Can We Find The Peace Which We Claim?

Over the summer I have been reading Jonathan Sacks Not in God’s Name (Hodder 2015). The book is concerned with the relationship between religion and violence. The backdrop is the seemingly relentless acts of terror committed by individuals and groups claiming they are enacting God’s will, while at the same time there is an increase…

28/10/2017

How would you like to be remembered?

‘I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.’ Isaiah 49: 15-16 God doesn’t have a brain yet we believe God fully remembers us. God’s memory doesn’t simply remember events or facts like some eternal icloud. God exists outside of time and so God’s memory can’t be a…

21/10/2017

Lunchtime Conversations – Dementia: Living In The Memories Of God

Dr. Helen Reid leads the session on Dementia: Living in the Memories of God by John Swinton. “Dementia is one of the most feared diseases in Western society today. Some have even gone so far as to suggest euthanasia as a solution to the perceived indignity of memory loss and the disorientation that accompanies it. In…

14/10/2017

Leeds Industrial History – a starting point for reflection

By Lawrence Cockrill Last CITYtheology, Simon Hall echoed the question ‘Quo Vardis?’ and asked us to think about where in Leeds Jesus might be calling us today. This was in our minds on the last stage of the Leeds Country way Pilgrimage when we climbed through Hunger Hills Woods and then looked out over the…

29/09/2017

Leeds And The Slave Trade (podcast)

As part of our ongoing series True stories from the forests of Leeds, we’ve been looking back at some of the historical figures who helped to shape the city we live in. Today we’re looking at some of Leeds’ connections to the slave trade. We talk about William Butterworth, an 18th Century engraver from Kirkgate…

05/09/2017

Where Are You Going?

By Simon Hall There is an apocryphal story about Saint Peter that continues to resonate down the ages. Peter is escaping the persecution of Christians in Rome when he meets the risen Jesus on the road. Jesus is heading into Rome as Peter is running away. ‘Where are you going?’ Peter asks Jesus (Quo vadis?…

29/08/2017

How good was life in the past?

How good was life in the past? Deacon Jenny Jones I recall my Nanna saying ‘I can remember the days when you could walk from Southgate to Finsbury Park through fields’. (I’m showing my north London roots here). Now with the exception of a few parks the whole area is inner city/suburban sprawl. Those memories…

22/08/2017

What are you looking for?

What are you looking for? Helen Reid There’s a character in Stories from the Forests of Leeds called the Bagman of Bagley. In the book, his story explores the idea of the baggage that we carry with us in life. “Look! The Bagman from Bagley. See how he struggles, what is he carrying in that…

15/08/2017

Following Jesus or Worshipping Christ?

The Revd Canon Kathryn Fitzsimons discusses Robin Meyers’ book Saving Jesus From The Church. Are you a follower of Jesus or a worshipper of Christ? This is the question at the heart of the book I was asked to bring to the Oakwood book club in June; Saving Jesus from the Church by Robin Meyers.…

18/07/2017

Lunchtime Conversations – How Then Shall We Live

How Then Shall We Live: Christian Engagement With Contemporary Issues by Samuel Wells. Session led by Dr. Helen Reid. The priest, broadcaster, writer and ethicist Samuel Wells considers some of the biggest contemporary political, social and moral challenges and grapples with them in the light of Christian hope and wisdom. Part of our series of…

26/06/2017

Robert Baker and Charles Jenkinson – True Stories From The Forests of Leeds (podcast)

In 2015 we put together Stories From The Forests of Leeds, a collection of short stories set in a fictional Leeds forest. To follow up we wanted to look at some of the real heroes and great stories that made Leeds the city it is. In today’s podcast Lawrence Cockrill and Bob Shaw discuss the…

07/06/2017

Beware of simplicity

Ellie Harrison talks about losing something precious and first impressions. I’m a Leeds based performer, artist and mentor of young people. Since 2010 I have been making a sequence of seven art projects called The Grief Series that create spaces where people can discuss death and bereavement through a range of empowering creative practice. I…

23/05/2017

Simon Hall discusses Shadow of the Galilean by Gerd Theissen (podcast)

Simon Hall leads us through Shadow of the Galilean by Gerd Theissen. This is an edited down recording from one of our lunchtime conversations. Shadow of the Galilean explores questions around the search for the historical Jesus through a fictional spy story set in first century Palestine. This is a theology book that will keep…

16/05/2017

Turning Tables, Freeing Doves

In 2015 Leeds Church Institute put together a project called Passion4Leeds, where we explored what Jesus’ life might look like in 20th Century Leeds. As part of the project, we asked Methodist Minister Revd. Dan Woodhouse to pose as our Jesus for some Instagram-style photos, including one of Jesus being arrested. In January of this…

09/05/2017

From Addict to Intern

I grew up as part of quite a poor family in South Manchester. My mum was an alcoholic, and would spend most of the family’s money on drink. Neither of my parents worked, apart from the occasional cash in hand jobs that my dad would find. When I was 10 my mum committed suicide. Then…

02/05/2017

Half Way There! Leeds Country Way Pilgrimage continues

by Pippa Woodhams Leeds Country Way Pilgrimage triumphantly reached the half way mark in February, having walked thirty-six miles in monthly installments, since our Horsforth start back in September. Walking together through the landscape is one way we can slow down and become ready to receive from both the physicality and the metaphors present in…

25/04/2017

An Interview with illustrator Si Smith (podcast)

Simon Smith is an illustrator and artist based in Leeds and ‘How to Disappear Completely’ is a comic that was written for Lent and for Leeds. We sat down with Si to talk about illustration, music and Stanley Spencer. There is a shorter version of this interview in our quaterly magazine, CITYTheology.

08/03/2017

The Leeds Country Way Pilgrimage passes half way

Half Way there! Leeds Country Way Pilgrimage continues… Battling Storm Doris, on a blustery February day, our faithful pilgrims continued the circuit of our city, from Methley to Carlton. We have not yet experienced rain, in six months of walking, but water continued to engage us as we crossed rivers and canals, and contemplated ideas…

15/02/2017

The black, white and grey of City Winter

The black, white and grey of City Winter: Sometimes our retreats end up with experiments in paint. This time one trial with black and white ‘splodge’ artwork ended up looking very like birch trees in winter! The colours echoed what I’d seen myself earlier in the week: flocks of noisy black rooks on the grass…

08/02/2017

Seeking God Outside Our Camp – A Reflection on the Hook Lecture

Seeking God Outside Our Camp – A Reflection on the Hook Lecture For the 2016 Hook Lecture (originally planned to take place last November), Lord Bhikhu Parekh discussed the role that religion plays in today’s multicultural society. Lord Parekh has helped shape the British understanding of multiculturalism and is now patron of the Commission for…

31/01/2017

Pilgrimage Round Leeds… Fifth Wedge

Bright Lights and Waders: What keeps us walking the Leeds Pilgrimage? “The shared experience of friendship, intention focused on pilgrimage” “You never know what’s going to happen next!” “You feel more of our history in the countryside. In the city it is often covered up” “It’s a great time to stop and reflect, quietly alone,…

30/01/2017

Hook Lecture Audio and Video – Religion and British Public Life

For the 2016 Hook Lecture, (originally planned to take place last November) Lord Bhikhu Parekh came to Leeds to discuss the role that religion plays in today’s multicultural society. Lord Parekh has helped shape the British understanding of multiculturalism and is now patron of the Commission for Religion and Belief in Public Life. In his…

10/01/2017

Pilgrimage Round Leeds December

The fourth wedge of LCI’s Pilgrimage round the Leeds Country Way walked from Barwick to Swillington, around the west side of the city boundary. We have walked almost half way round the city in four months! I am beginning to get a greater feel of pilgrimage, as it becomes a monthly habit, and we examine…

12/12/2016

Can Jesus Save the Bible?

LCI Council member, Revd Simon Hall, reports on speaker, author and theologian Michael Hardin’s visit to LCI and asks the question “How did Jesus read his Bible?” I spend a lot of time debating on Facebook. Probably not hours every day, but certainly minutes. Sometimes a lot of minutes. Now and then I can’t help…

08/12/2016

Revisiting the Parekh Report: Looking forward to the Hook Lecture

Dr Rachel Muers, Senior Lecturer in Christian Studies, and Deputy Head of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Leeds, examines the challenges of community and diversity int he aftermath of the Brexit vote. Questions about cultural, racial and religious diversity in British public life seem to become more intense and urgent every year.…

01/12/2016

Wisdom on the Way

Wisdom on the Way was the title for a short reflective series this autumn, convened by Leeds Church Institute and Leeds Christian Community Trust to support people working in urban communities in Leeds and beyond. The aim was to develop a small community of learning. Participants brought the content for each session and then discussed…

01/12/2016

Pilgrimage Round Leeds in November

“Third Wedge”, or “Northern Quadrant”? After a week of the first named storm of winter, Storm Angus, I wondered how much we’d have to weather walking the third wedge of Leeds Pilgrimage. But against all forecasts, we walked under clear blue skies, straight into brilliant sunshine; an unexpected gift. We didn’t come prepared to need sunglasses…

21/10/2016

Leeds Christians in Education Network Launch with Rev Kate Bottley

It felt like a Monty Python event… and now for something completely different! With the help of the inimitable Rev Kate Bottley, a new network was launched; “Leeds Christians in Education”. Leeds Church Institute treated educational workers, paid and voluntary, to an evening at Weetwood Hall Conference Centre with a speaker whose talk was more…

11/10/2016

Rise and Be

Rise and be From ‘Naked Soles’ by Gbemisola Adeoti Those who behead the mahogany and leave the Iroko trunk forsaken in the forest those who from the root cut the curling foresight of baobab and rupture the promise of maple, to them is never the last laugh. The dying stump will sprout in spring the…

10/10/2016

Cry, Damn You, Cry

CRY, DAMN YOU CRY An extract from an article by Professor Ivan Reid based on his experience in leading a group of British young people on a tour of Poland, together with a group of English speaking Polish youth, in 1967. The full article was first published in several languages in the magazine POLAND in…

04/10/2016

The City Wedge by Wedge

Our City wedge by wedge: stories and surprises on the Leeds Country Way Leeds Pilgrimage started in Horsforth, on what turned out to be one of the last days of summer, and paused at Golden Acre Park at a comfortable pub in the countryside. We walked through suburbs and green fields, meeting working people and…

22/08/2016

Stories of Hope

Stories of Hope: Signs of realisation of Kingdom of God in our context This article maybe of help to those who are living and working multi-faith and multicultural context. Awais Mughal-CMS Mission Partner UK God does not leave his people alone in crisis; He has periodically sent prophets and saints to those in need. Sometimes…

18/08/2016

Are we just going round in circles?

Are we just going round in circles? A Pilgrimage of Prayer for the City, round Leeds Country Way by Pippa Woodhams Several groups of Christians associated with Leeds Church Institute have been going round in circles recently, and we enjoy it so much, we’re going to do it some more. Our Wild City Retreats have,…

07/06/2016

Reading the Book of Esther the Jewish Way

Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz made it clear she is no eminent Jewish scholar. Yet at the event on Tuesday 17 May she provided participants with a Jewish understanding of the Book of Esther, locating it in the wider history of the Israelite people. We were then given the tools and opportunity to study the Book of…

24/05/2016

#StoriesOfLeeds

Daniel Ingram-Brown takes us on a journey through the city’s literary forests and festivals. Stories from the Forests of Leeds If you would like to purchase a copy of the book, details can be found here. Delivery 2-3 weeks. Imagine Leeds as a Forest in a fairytale. What characters, stories and values would emerge from…

19/05/2016

What attracts churches to Leeds Citizens?

What attracts churches to Leeds Citizens? Dr Helen Reid asks how participating in Community Organising can be a distinctively Christian endeavour. Perhaps the most common way Christians seek the welfare of their neighbours is through the pastoral care of individuals, families and groups, in contexts ranging from the local to the global. These approaches do…

17/05/2016

What’s new in ecumenical mission in Leeds?

What’s new in ecumenical mission in Leeds? by Clive Barrett MEMORY AS FOUNDATION “Leeds is a place where ecumenical things happen”. So begins the doctoral thesis of the late Lewis Burton, the first County Ecumenical Officer for West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council (WYEC),that looked at the history of inter-Church movements in the city. Leeds was one…

16/05/2016

Unfurling poetry, performance and prayer

Unfurling poetry, performance and prayer Revd Tom Lusty reflects on the experience of the ‘Unfurling’ poetry event at LCI on 21st April This year, as a family, we have once again become addicts of Britain’s Got Talent. A lot of the offerings have moved us. A case in point was two ballet dancers, now retired,…

08/02/2016

A Moral Pathway to a Sustainable City

by Revd George Otieno Perhaps my title, “A moral pathway to a sustainable city” may seem an odd one, but I am concerned to invite you to join me in the thinking about what such an odd title may mean as opposed to what we already know about pathway to sustainability. To do that, my…

02/02/2016

Face to Face with Arthur’s Call

Face to Face with Arthur’s Call By Stroma McDermott This year’s Hook lecture at Leeds Minster by Professor Frances Young provided a moving but theologically rich glimpse of Young’s journey of faith in the face of her eldest son’s severe learning difficulty. Young reflected on the deeper truths she had learnt about the Christian faith…