Responding to Tommy Robinson’s Christmas rally – by Al Barrett Revd Dr Al Barrett is Vicar of Hodge Hill Church, Birmingham. He has contributed to a new resource: Joy for All: Supporting churches to respond to the co-option of Christmas by the far right The sh…

Lots of wisdom in this from @al-barrett.bsky.social gracetruth.blog/2025/12/05/r...

Bus Stop Nativity by Andrew Gadd. Image used with permission.

Good news of great joy for all

Christmas resources from a wide breadth of traditions in response to Christian nationalism.

A clear message of love for all our neighbours, resisting agendas of division and hostility

bit.ly/4a3619Q

#JoyForAll #ChurchesTogether

Thank you @al-barrett.bsky.social 🙏

When everything is falling apart, look to the compost heap for signs of new life… Do join us for this conversation: Composting Christianity 🤎
www.tickettailor.com/events/willi...

Liz Truss tweets 'Britain should keep the Elgin Marbles.Those trying to undermine our national culture should be taken on, not appeased.

Exactly Liz, nothing represents 'our national culture' more than Greek statues made in Greece by Greeks.

Thames Water lenders demand government blocks campaigners from legal action Creditors owed £13bn say ministers should prioritise ‘environmental betterment over punitive enforcement’

Holding people to ransom

Thames Water lenders demand govt block campaigners from legal action.

Their demands:
Exemption from environmental laws.
No fines, prosecutions for abuses.
Rocketing customer bills.
Continue with sewage dumping, cash extraction.

Let TW collapse. Nationalise for £1.

Disability and the Church of England: Tim Goode is always worth hearing on why we need to do so much better viamedia.news/2025/06/12/t...

Despair at Starmer’s ‘divisive’ language as he clamps down on immigration Backbench Labour MPs, unions and charities criticise the PM, who is urged to apologise for his ‘dangerous’ comments

Keir Starmer immitates Reform in his divisive speech.

Accuses immigrants of causing “incalculable damage”, making the UK “an island of strangers”.

Rightly faces backlash from unions, employers, MPs.

Silence on class war, inequalities, profiteering, lack of public services, fuelling frustrations.

“They found themselves made strangers in their own country”
— Enoch Powell's Rivers of Blood speech (1968)

“We risk becoming an island of strangers”
— Keir Starmer (2025)

If we really are becoming an “island of strangers”, one remedy is to get to know each other better.
Just a thought.

On this day four years ago, when Glasgow decided not to be part of an “island of strangers.”

“These are our neighbours. Let them go.”

#KenmureStreet

Government loses appeal over controversial anti-protest law Labour had fought to keep Suella Braverman’s legislation allowing police to crack down on ‘more than minor’ disruption

🔴 The government has lost its appeal over controversial anti-protest legislation introduced by Suella Braverman.

Civil rights organisation @libertyhq.bsky.social, which led the legal challenge, hailed the ruling as a major win for democracy.

hyphenonline.com/2025/05/02/s...

Labour: We hate immigrants!

Poll: Labour down 5 points.

Labour: And the disabled! We hate them too!

Poll: Labour slide continues!

Labour: Look! We’re going to stick hot pokers in trans women ok?

Poll: Labour on course for first ever negative polling percentage!

Labour: Stupid electorate!

Photographer Fatima Hassona killed ahead of Cannes documentary debut The Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassona, killed along with ten family members in an Israeli air strike on her home in northern Gaza, is the star of a documentary due to be screened at the Cannes film festival next month.

"In an earlier post, she wrote: "As for the inevitable death, if I die, I want a loud death, I don't want me in a breaking news story, nor in a number with a group, I want a death that is heard by the world, a trace that lasts forever, and immortal images that neither time nor place can bury."

Fab! Are you ok to email Liz? Be great to have you in the room Ben!

Come and join us see what is ready to be left behind as we sense how to make the churches that are needed for these times

Hospicing Modernity The book “Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism” was published in September 2021. If you are in Canada, you can purchase the book …

My co-host Al and I are both people who find ourselves in both the edge-places and the centre theologically, culturally, organisationally and know the good things and the painful things of church.
More info on Hospicing Modernity here: decolonialfutures.net/hospicingmod...

Hospicing modernity & church An invitation for those who hold responsibility in a church or spiritual community to read Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira. We will learn from each other as we share our experiences and practices, feeling and thinking together. Fortnightly online gatherings facilitated by Liz Slade (Unitarians UK) and Al Barrett (Hodge Hill Church). To sign up or find out more contact Liz on eslade@unitarian.org.uk)

I am delighted to be collaborating with @al-barrett.bsky.social on this - since starting to read Hospicing Modernity a couple of years ago I’ve been wanting to read it with people holding church-ish responsibility, and now the time has come.
Open to all who feel drawn to it.

Hospicing Modernity & Church. An invitation for those who hold responsibility in a church or spiritual community, to read Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira. We will learn from each other as we share our experiences and practices, feelings and thinking together. Fortnightly online gatherings, facilitated by Liz Slade (Unitarians UK) and Al Barrett (Hodge Hill Church). To sign up or find out more, contact Liz on eslade@unitarian.org.uk

‘Hospicing Modernity’ is the book of the moment for me. I’m so excited to be collaborating with the fabulous Liz Slade to invite you to join us in exploring it together, and how it might transform our approaches to church and world.

And great to meet you too, Stephanie!

A poster with Behold the Men in large red letters The rest of the text read: Continuing the conversation Join us for a wide-ranging conversation in response to the publication of Behold the Men: An introduction to critical theologies of masculinities, edited by Queen's colleagues Robert Beckford and Rachel Starr. Saturday 29th March 2024 2pm - 5pm The Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham Speakers: Robert Beckford Al Barrett Carlton Turner A.D.A France-Williams Carver Anderson Eddy Aigbe Karl Rutlidge Simon Sutcliffe Drinks and snacks will be provided. To attend the event, please register here: https://queens.jotform.com/250341999354869

Join Robert Beckford, Rachel Starr and various contributors to 'Behold the Men', which we published in January, at an event this Saturday responding to the book.

2-5pm at @queens.ac.uk

Speakers include @al-barrett.bsky.social

You can register here: queens.jotform.com/250341999354...

Conference poster, listing speakers Rt Rev Rosmarie Mallet, Rev Dr Liz Shercliff, Rev Dr Leah Robinson, + Rev Dr Charlie Bell joins too.

You can still book for in person /online, to join us at @watch-notequalyet.bsky.social Conference next Saturday morning. It’s an important one.
@churchofengland.org
Cost won’t be a barrier:
please contact via our WATCH Secretary if we can sort that. #NotEqualYet

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/not-equal-...

'Who owns land is one of our oldest and darkest secrets... so I'm excited that the government have announced plans to open up the Land Registry'

Was great to speak with @mrjamesob.bsky.social yesterday about uncovering who owns England:

youtu.be/gqS5OMVCL-E?... (1hr 25mins in, 11.50-12noon)

New scheme to offer campers unprecedented access to wild spaces across Britain A new partnership will give campers exclusive access to rewilding sites and a chance to join in with conservation efforts Campers looking for a back-to-nature experience this summer will be able to wild camp on land that was previously off-limits across…

New scheme to offer campers unprecedented access to wild spaces across Britain

Wealth gap 2022 (it’s gotten worse)

There is no way for for “democracy” to function in a world that looks like this

French lower house votes through left's wealth tax on ultra-rich Thanks to abstention by far-right MPs, the 'Zucman tax' was adopted by the Assemblée Nationale, on Thursday. It is unlikely to be approved by the Sénat. The Finance Ministry has been preparing a much ...

French lower house votes through wealth tax.

A 2% minimum tax rate on the wealth of individuals whose net worth exceeds €100m.

It is not yet law.

UK needs to do similar to reduce inequalities. Instead govts penalise low/middle income families and make poor pay more for crumbling infrastructure.

Extremists would not need to create an authoritarian state in Britain: Starmer is doing that for them | George Monbiot The PM and his ministers are supporting illiberal laws that hard-right authoritarians could apply with zeal, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

Keir Starmer is on course to facilitate the far-right winning not only the next election but he is actively executing far-right policies from the neoliberal playbook.
Thread
www.theguardian.com/global/comme...

Or in a similar kind of vein, Sharon Blackie’s ‘When Women Rose Rooted’ is awesome.

If you loved Grounded, then Ruth Allen’s Weathering is gorgeous. More narrative than the first one, but deep, connective stuff.

Thanks Joy. 🙏🏽 I agree. Better out than in, as they say…!

Lit candle next to a cross hanging on a wall, picture of the Holy trinity to the left

Early morning prayers for those preparing to attend #GeneralSynod

Prayers for helpful, Spirit led discussions and decisions

For wisdom in navigating the difficult issues needing to be addressed

Thanks to all making this commitment, may you be strengthened by the grace of God in the coming days