
Ponderings
Ponderings are my blog articles, beginning in September 2020, following our move back to Cambridge for retirement.
At the beginning of the 1662 Ordering of Priests, the Bishop mentions to the ordinands three 'weighings' that they should have in remembrance:
'to how weighty an office and charge ye are called';
'we have good hope that you have well weighed and pondered these things with yourselves long before this time;
'that you will pray to the God the Father that...' 'by daily reading and weighing of the Scriptures, ye may wax riper and stronger in your ministry'.
25. Life Beyond Death - Heaven and Bach. Radio 4 Lent Talk
19/04/2025 from Ponderings

My BBC Radio 4 Lent Talk on Sun 13 April 2025, 7.45-8pm, audio file and script. Last in the series of six, by various presenters, on the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed.

24. Creative, Collaborative Mission - Video Podcast Berkeley Divinity School at Yale
09/04/2025 from Ponderings

Dr Hannah Black interviewed me for her 'The Leader's Way' video podcast of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, published 24 Mar 2025. Start 7 mins in.

23. The Oxford Handbook of Mission Studies: Book Review
07/03/2025 from Ponderings

My book review, for Studies in World Christianity (Mar 2025), of The Oxford Handbook of Mission Studies (OUP, 2022), edited by Kirsteen Kim, Knud Jørgensen and Alison Fitchett-Climenhaga.

22. Time for a Mary After a Martha? The Next Archbishop of Canterbury
12/02/2025 from Ponderings

I consider the six post-war Archbishops of Canterbury, reflect on the archiepiscopate of Justin Welby, offer descriptions of six Church of England bishops who may turn out to be among the candidates to succeed him and outline the process of choosing the next Archbishop. This Ponderings was first published on Covenant, the online journal of The Living Church, in two parts. Part One (sections 1 and 2) on Mon 10 Feb 2025 and Part Two (sections 3 and 4) on Tues 11 Feb 2025.

21. Extraordinary Women of the Bible Guildford Exhibition 29 Oct -17 Nov 2024
25/10/2024 from Ponderings

From 29 Oct to 17 Nov 2024 there will be an exhibition, 'Extraordinary Women of the Bible' at St Mary's Church, Guildford, Surrey, of Silvia Dimitrova's 7 paintings and Graham Kings's 7 poems. On 15 Nov, 7.30pm, there will be concert of Tristan Latchford's 7 anthems on the poems and paintings.

20. Blessings and Meetings: Matthew 5 and 25
29/06/2024 from Ponderings

My imaginative exploration of the links between the Beatitudes of Christ (Matthew 5) and Christ hidden in his missionary disciples (Matthew 25) intersperced with four of my recent poems. Published originally on Covenant 18 and 19 June 2024.

19. Extraordinary Easters
17/04/2024 from Ponderings

I remember, and reflect on, three extraordinary Easters in 1986 (Kajiado, Kenya), 2010 (Salisbury Cathedral) and 2023 (Chesterton, Cambridge). Published first on Covenant https://covenant.livingchurch.org/2024/04/04/extraordinary-easters/ 4 April 2024 and republished with permission.

18. Kingston to Cambridge without a Camel
26/03/2024 from Ponderings

In June 1999, Joseph Galgalo and I walked 95 miles, with 22 other friends, from 'Oxford to Cambridge with a Camel', to raise funds for camel-based nomad schools in northern Kenya.
On Sun 30 June 2024, for our 25th anniversary, Faith Galgalo, Joseph's 25 year old daughter, and I with friends, will walk 9 miles from 'Kingston to Cambridge without a Camel', to raise funds for Bubisa School, one of the schools funded in 1999.

17. Quintet of Quips and Quibbles
06/02/2024 from Ponderings

Four of my new short poems, Quips, and one longer poem, a Quibble, written during an eight-day silent retreat at the Jesuit Centre, St Beuno’s in North Wales, Aug 2023, published originally on Covenant 2 Feb 2024.

16. Coronation and Commonwealth: Heft and Weft
20/11/2023 from Ponderings

My article, in a special edition on Religion and Commonwealth Values, in The Round Table, the Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs, 2023, Vol. 112, No. 5, 543-544. Originally published here. For my previous article in The Round Table, 'Desmond Tutu: Gravitas and Hilaritas', click here.

15. World Premiere in Wren's Church, St Stephen, Walbrook
25/04/2023 from Ponderings

I describe the excitement of commissioning a short film to be made by Fugue State Films of the world premiere of Tristan Latchford’s seven anthems, ‘Celebrating Women in the Bible’, 14 June 2023, at Wren’s masterwork of a parish church, St Stephen’s Walbrook, London. Published originally 24 April 2023 on Covenant here.

14. Confluence, Crossed, Raid: Three Poems in Holy Week and Easter 2023
24/04/2023 from Ponderings

At St Andrew's Chesterton, Cambridge, our local church, I wrote three poems on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Day 2023: 'Confluence', 'Crossed', and 'Raid'. On Sunday 16 April 2023, I preached an All Age Sermon using them at the church. Video here. They were published originally on Covenant 17 April 2023 here.

13. Elizabeth The Gracious
18/10/2022 from Ponderings

I reflect on the meditative mourning of the late Queen Elizabeth II, my new anthem (with music by Tristan Latchford) written for the Vigil service at St Bartholomew-the-Great, London, and the State Funeral and Committal. First published on Covenant 26 Sept 2022 here.

12. Will this summer’s Lambeth conference unite the Church?
13/06/2022 from Ponderings

The background, preparations and prospects for the Lambeth Conference 2022 at Canterbury, republished from my article commissioned by Prospect Magazine.

11. Book Review of the History of the Cambridge Theological Federation
18/03/2022 from Ponderings

My book review of 'The Cambridge Theological Federation: A Journey in Ecumenical Learning', edited by Mary Tanner and Ian Randall (CTF, 2022) published originally in the Ridley Hall, Cambridge, Lent Term Newsletter, and republished here with permission.

10. Resilience: SPCK Founder's Day Sermon
25/02/2022 from Ponderings

My sermon at the SPCK Founder's Day, St James-the-Less, Pimlico, London on 15 Feb 2022, published originally on Covenant and republished with permission.

9. Desmond Tutu: Gravitas and Hilaritas
12/02/2022 from Ponderings

'Desmond Tutu: Gravitas and Hilaritas' my article for The Round Table: the Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs (Routledge, Feb 2022).

8. Influence of a Great Anglican: Simon Barrington-Ward
28/01/2022 from Ponderings

My Credo article, 22 Jan 2022, commissioned by The Times, on Simon Barrington-Ward, including mention of Exchange of Gifts: The Vision of Simon Barrington-Ward (Ekklesia, 2022) edited by me and Ian Randall.

7. Imaginary Interview about Nourishing Mission: Theological Settings
19/01/2022 from Ponderings

An imaginary interview with Graham Kings about Nourishing Mission: Theological Settings (Brill, 2022) published orginally on Covenant here and republished with permission.

6. Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide: Silver Jubilee
20/03/2021 from Ponderings

The five ways in which the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year: launch of 'Friends of the Centre'; launch of a book of global Anglican perspectives on prayer; a history of the Centre; five lectures, 'Transfiguring World Christianity'; and a book of 25 essays, Connecting Christianities.

5. Women in the Bible
23/01/2021 from Ponderings

The journey of a multi-artform project - art, poetry and music - inspired by seven biblical women, from commission to publication and performance.

4. Three Popes
09/12/2020 from Ponderings

In my Ponderings for December 2020, I reflect on the three most recent popes, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis, by interweaving comment, poetry, and autobiography. The article was published originally on Covenant, the weblog of The Living Church, on 8 Dec 2020, and is republished here with permission and thanks.

3. Review of 'Imagining Mission with John V. Taylor'
16/11/2020 from Ponderings

My Ponderings for November is my review, commissioned, and accepted for publication in 2021, by the journal Modern Believing, of the book Imagining Mission with John V. Taylor by Jonny Baker and Cathy Ross (SCM Press, 2020). My poem, 'Thanksgiving: Bishop John V Taylor' was published in Nourishing Connections (Canterbury Press, 2020) and may be seen here.

2. Nourishing Connections: Podcast, Web Discussion, World Premiere Concert
23/10/2020 from Ponderings

In my second Ponderings, for October, I describe five events which are part of the book launch of Nourishing Connections.

1. Nourishing Connections: Introducing the Website
06/09/2020 from Ponderings

In this, the first of my Ponderings, I introduce this new website, 'Nourishing Connections: theology, mission, poetry'.
