November 2025

‘As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,

so may the light of your presence, O God,

set our hearts on fire with love for you.’

These wonderful words are used at the start of Morning Prayer each day. It is a rich and powerful prayer asking God to not only go with us into a new day, but also that we may be changed by God’s presence with us. Hence our love being a vehicle of God’s love in the world.

This is a powerful prayer for our day and age, as the world so much needs the love and light of Christ in so many ways. We can pray it for ourselves and we can pray it for others. Our world leaders, our peace makers, those who put their own lives in danger for the sake of others. November is the month of remembrance, where we give thanks for those who have given their lives in the pursuit of peace, and we reflect on our own calling as peacemakers where we are, in our homes, in our communities, in the decision we make and our reactions to others.

The prayer however is not just practical, it is also spiritual. What does it mean to have our hearts set on fire with love for God? That takes time and devotion, it takes prayer and worship. I am thrilled when I meet a new Christian whose heart is on fire with love for God. Those who come for confirmation are usually our best evangelists showing others what a change Jesus can make, and enthusing others with the joy of the gospel. For those of us who have been followers of Christ for many years, this prayer can be a challenge, and therefore a good reminder day by day, that we need to regularly rekindle faith so we blaze with God’s love and light. In a month when we think about remembrance, and light bonfires and watch fireworks, do take some time to pray this prayer in your own heart, so we can all be set on fire with God’s love as we make Jesus known.

- Bishop Karen

December 2023

In my former parish, there were various experiments we made to make the most of the unique atmosphere of preparation and excitement accompanying Advent.

October 2023

October is one of those months when the leaves begin to change and fall, and somewhat comical excuses come into conversations about why things don’t work. Leaves on the line may well be a technical problem for the railways, but we all know it also means, somewhat ironically, why is it somethings just don’t work as they should.

September 2023

Harvest, in the agricultural sense, is well past. All is safely (or soggily) gathered in and the appealing blocks of barley and hay baling our landscape into a pop-up sculpture park have all but disappeared. The Church’s Harvest celebrations

July 2023

I write this at the end of no mow May, and during a week when we are remembering to care for God’s acre, so I am thinking about all those who serve in many ways tending our churchyards and enabling them to be places where God’s creation and God’s presence can be experienced. Thank you.

June 2023

One year ago, I became your bishop with that great service in the cathedral. It has been the fastest year in many ways, with changes coming at us all with a post-pandemic pace that has somewhat stunned us all.

May 2023

How does one crown a king? After much rehearsal and with a steady hand, I suspect – and bated breath around the globe in that solemn moment...

April 2023

I wonder whether we can remember how we were feeling 3 years ago as we approached Easter? Lockdown feels a long time ago, however I was reminded through an article read recently that we have all experienced a major trauma in our lives which we have somehow lived through.

March 2023

On Saturday 25 March, there are only 274 shopping days left until Christmas! This timely reminder comes not to send you to the shops, but to remember that there are nine months until Christmas comes round again.

February 2023

I write this on an early wet dark evening in January. Candlemas marks the end of the Epiphany season and lights are once again lit reminding us to rekindle our faith as we enter the season of Lent.

January 2023

The recent Census findings that Britain is now a minority Christian country has caused many in the media to reflect upon the declining significance of the church within our nation, not least as we approach a coronation service in which the Christian underpinnings of the monarchy and our nation state will be much in evidence.