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 MoreReflections
Updates from Whirlow
Tuesday 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.
Read MoreOpening times from 23 to 27 March - plus Chaplain's reflection
* On Monday March 23rd, Tuesday March 24th, Wednesday March 25th, Thursday March 26th and Friday March 27th, the Chapel is likely to be open between 10am and 12 noon *
Read MoreProgramme amendments - latest
In response to the latest news about Coronavirus, Whirlow Spirituality Centre is cancelling its programme of events - at least until the end of April. This includes the weekly Reflective Communion and Space to Be.
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Whirlow chapel is a gift, given in love and built by many people. Some of them are no longer with us. Jennie Starkey, who died in June and supported us financially, is just one. Thank you, Jennie.
With thanks to Jennie Starkey
Our developing ministry is founded on the faithful support of many people like Jennie Starkey.
A regular worshipper at Holy Trinity, Millhouses, Jennie responded to an appeal to support Whirlow Spirituality Centre and was a regular giver for a number of years. She attended the opening and dedication service in 2009, where she met Archbishops Rowan Williams and John Sentamu. She was 96 when she died.
Angie Lauener, Diocesan Spirituality Advisor, assistant priest at Millhouses and part of the Whirlow community, has placed a stone on the Whirlow cairn in Jennie’s memory. She heard about her death while on a beach, picked up a stone as she reflected on and gave thanks for Jennie’s life, and has placed it on our cairn. It is now a lasting symbol of the way Jennie - and so many others - have acted as rocks that supported this place.
Retreat Association Icon at Whirlow in July
Jesus’ encounter with the Woman at the Well is depicted in the Retreat Association Icon, visiting Whirlow from July 17th to August 4th this year.
Visitors will have opportunity to spend time with the icon and obtain resources associated with it if they wish.
A day on the use of icons in prayer led by Chris Ellis will take place on July 22nd, while the icon is in situ. Other events in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit will also use it as a focus.
By John Coleman, or IkonJohn, the icon’s subject is taken from John’s gospel, chapter 4. This scene was chosen by the Association for its universal appeal and its themes associated with retreat and spiritual direction.
Joy and Anna look forward to working with John Harrison - who’ll join the team at Whirlow on April 29th!
John returned to his native Sheffield recently, having followed a career in the IT industry and latterly in Christian conference centre management. John is married to Liz and has three adult children.
Now settled in the beautiful Peak District, and a keen hill-walker, John “likes nothing more than exploring the local moors and edges with a pair of binoculars and Bella the spaniel.”
We’re excited to see how things will continue to change and develop with John in post, offering his considerable skills and experience as our Admin and Operations Co-ordinator.
There will be specific time set-aside to welcome him over coffee, after the communion service on April 30.
Meet John - our new Admin and Operations Co-ordinator!
Spiritual Growth and Transformation course @ Whirlow
Applications are now been taken for the next ‘SG&T’ course, which will take place at Whirlow Spirituality Centre between September 2019 and February 2020.
The course is designed to help participants discover who they truly are, in Christ.
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