We are excited to be offering quite a few of Whirlow’s events online…..
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Updates from Whirlow
Called to Love and Let Go (Tuesday Reflection, 26 May)
Called to love and let go
The words spoken by Jesus in today’s bible reading come at a time of high emotion and significance. He prays to his Father in heaven for the friends and work he leaves behind; they will all need strength to walk through what follows.
Read MoreTuesday Reflection and Simple Quiet Day resources, 19 May
These things …
Jesus understood that it is difficult - perhaps impossible - to consistently trust in eternal good or Divine presence during times of uncertainty and ‘bad news’. He spent time reassuring worried friends.
Read MoreTuesday Reflection, 12 May
Be At Peace
In John’s gospel, Jesus tells his friends he is leaving them his peace on the very same day he is betrayed and arrested. His crucifixion takes place the following afternoon.
We might be forgiven for thinking his offer of peace is misguided or that he expects too much, given what was about to take place.
Read MoreTuesday Reflection, 5 May
Are You Listening?
In the rather strange exchange between Jesus and the religious leaders that is recounted in today’s reading from John’s gospel, we are asked to think about the elusive possibility of recognising a divine voice.
Read MoreSpace to Reflect (Taizé) - May 2020
You are invited to join us virtually for this month’s Space to Reflect, which would have taken place at 7pm on Sunday in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.
Read MoreTuesday Reflection, 28 April
Breakfast Invitation
The gospel accounts in the bible describe several meetings between Jesus and his friends after his crucifixion. These encounters with the risen Christ include a fish breakfast on the beach.
Read MoreTuesday Reflection, 21 April
Thomas: From Incredulity to Worship
Thomas the disciple is remembered for his ‘doubting’. This might seem a harsh judgement: a closer look at the story reveals more subtlety.
Read MoreArt of Spiritual Accompaniment course - at Whirlow in September!
For those who wish to become a Spiritual Accompanier, Sheffield Diocese plans to repeat its course at Whirlow this year.
Read MoreTuesday Reflection, 14 April
Mary Encounters the Risen Jesus
Jesus called Mary to be the first Apostle: “Go tell my brothers…. “ Today we will think about what he might call to us.
Read MoreEaster Day Reflection
Holy Saturday Reflection
Waiting and Grieving
It is the end of Holy Week.
Jesus of Nazareth has been executed and lies in a tomb. All hope and promise are gone. There is nothing more to say.
Read MoreHoly (Good) Friday Reflection
Looking on from a Distance
Yesterday, on Wednesday and on Tuesday, the Holy Week stories we reflected on dealt with moments of intimacy with Jesus, in the week before his execution.
Good Friday is much harder to face.
Deserted by everyone, Jesus experienced great pain and trauma completely alone. We cannot comfort ourselves by taking action: today, it is not within our power to be at his side or to alleviate his suffering.
Read MoreHoly (Maundy) Thursday Reflection
The Last Supper
In Christianity, the last supper - the evening on which Jesus and his closest friends celebrated the Passover / Pesach - has great significance.
The gospel story is loaded with emotion. These events took place hours before Jesus’ arrest.
Since then, the drama has become a focus and a ritual of our faith. Here is an intersection of past, present, future and eternity remembered and recreated each time Christians celebrate Holy Communion.
Read MoreHoly Wednesday Reflection
Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet
At the mid-point of this holy week, we reflect on the way Jesus humbled - even degraded - himself as he washed his friends’ feet before dinner.
Perhaps he was inspired by the woman who anointed his feet? This moment challenges all of us, and those who love Jesus in particular, as we anticipate the execution.
Read MoreHoly Tuesday Reflection
The Anointing
Today, we invite you to reflect on gospel writer Mark’s account of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet in advance of his betrayal by Judas. (Earlier we have looked at the entry into Jerusalem and the cleansing of the Temple.)
This is a moment of love and joy in the dark week of Jesus’ suffering and death.
Read MoreHoly Monday Reflection
The Cleansing of the Temple
On this first opportunity to sit with the Holy Week story, we invite you to reflect on gospel writer Matthew’s account of Jesus going into the Jewish temple after he had entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. What he did there was not just surprising - it was shocking.
Read MoreSpace To Reflect - Palm Sunday
We would have been gathering in the Chapel for Space To Reflect this evening, to mark Palm Sunday.
On that day, Christians remember Jesus entering Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, to noise of wild celebration. A few days later, he was crucified just outside the same city.
We cannot be together but you are invited to share in our chaplain's reflections, to read the bible readings associated with this day and to reflect on the story in your own space and time.
Picture courtesy of Avishai Teicher and Creative Commons.
Stories in a time of isolation: Sarah & Ed
Sarah is part of the community at Whirlow and has been rebuilding the Cairn on our front lawn. She and her son, Ed, who is brain-injured, were happy to work on it together during these quiet days.
Read MoreClosure of Whirlow Spirituality Centre
Given the most recent Government advice, Whirlow Spirituality Centre will now close until further notice. This includes closing at those times we had planned to be open for personal prayer and reflection.
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