Change and growth continue during challenging times!

At today’s AGM, we welcomed Richard Blackburn as the new Chair of the Whirlow Grange Limited board. Watch our video announcement here!

Jesus suggests that who we are today is salt and light enough to change the world, in his beautiful and challenging Sermon on the Mount.

Sunday was the Christian festival of Pentecost. This weekend we mark Trinity Sunday, contemplating the relationship of three persons at the heart of our understanding of the Christian God. These are fertile moments, offering both inspiration and grounding.

We are excited to be offering quite a few of Whirlow’s events online…..

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

For those who wish to become a Spiritual Accompanier, Sheffield Diocese plans to repeat its course at Whirlow this year.

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.

Resurrection Hope

Christ is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed!

Alleluia!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.