Thought for the day
Robert Southwell's The Burning Babe read by Richard Wallace
The Burning Babe
BY ROBERT SOUTHWELL
As I in hoary winter’s night stood shivering in the snow,
Surpris’d I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow;
And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near,
A pretty Babe all burning bright did in the air appear;
Who, scorched with excessive heat, such floods of tears did shed
As though his floods should quench his flames which with his tears were fed.
“Alas!” quoth he, “but newly born, in fiery heats I fry,
Yet none approach to warm their hearts or feel my fire but I!
My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel wounding thorns,
Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke, the ashes shame and scorns;
The fuel Justice layeth on, and Mercy blows the coals,
The metal in this furnace wrought are men’s defiled souls,
For which, as now on fire I am to work them to their good,
So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood.”
With this he vanish’d out of sight and swiftly shrunk away,
And straight I called unto mind that it was Christmas day.
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Kingdoms of Europe card game, circa 1895 Jaques & Son, 102 Hatton Garden, London
Preached by the Revd Dr Brutus Green
Preached by Canon Dr Stephen Spencer
Preached by Canon Dr Stephen Spencer
The diocesan synod, as well as receiving all the usual reports from bishop's council, general synod and the diocesan board of education, heard that if everyone increased financial giving by the cost of one cup of coffee per week, the diocese's shortfall would be eliminated! The diocesan strategy, Transforming Church Together, TCT, was also discussed at length. The strategy can be summarised as: following Jesus, serving others, transforming communities. It is intended to enable churches to become more open and inclusive, and thereby, to achieve growth. Good news stories were heard of how the strategy had worked in practice, such as helping to turn a church around to make it much more effective in its local area, and on better terms with its neighbouring schools. The synod heard that, while, sadly, funding for Carbon Net Zero was paused at the end of 2025, due to financial constraints, work, intentions and commitment in this area has not ceased, and it is saving money on utility bills as a result. The synod voted to adopt the ten year financial plan. A written question was submitted about the need to increase diversity: the best we can come up with so far is... choose people to do things who are not like you, ask someone different! I shall attempt to do a short summary of each synod which I attend. I shall also undertake to write up all of last year's synods, in one document, but this involves condensing every set of minutes into a paragraph or so, and given that each is the size of a small book, that's quite difficult to do. We need four new deanery synod rep's, so please all put your names forward and be elected at the APCM. Thank you. Auriol Britton 21.03.2026
Preached by the Revd Dr Brutus Green
