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ruthh.bsky.social
Vicar in Newcastle. PhD student at York St John: feminist ecclesiology and women's vocations. Apparently I'm "surprisingly orthodox"!
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On Friday I went to the Roman settlement at Vindolanda for a birthday treat. 22 years ago, while doing my A Levels, I started teaching Latin using the Minimus Mouse books, which are set at Vindolanda, and thought "I'd love to go there some day." Better late than never! #TinyJoys

submitted 1 day ago • 8 comments

Living round the corner from Aldi, I am generally fairly good at resisting the temptations of the middle aisle. But today I went for milk and paracetemol, and came home with flowery boots, gardening gloves, and 6m of rainbow bunting. Oops!

submitted 1 day ago • 5 comments

Enthusiastic toddler at the altar rail today: "May the Lord bless you and keep you" "YES" "and give you peace." "YES" "May you always know how much Jesus loves you. "YES" "And the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit "YES" "be with you now and always." "YES, YES, YES" *high five* #TinyJoys

submitted 1 day ago • 1 comment

Having a very wise and wonderful spiritual director is a truly enormous joy. The fact she lives near a cafe which serves a very delicious savoury cream tea surely qualifies for #TinyJoys.

submitted 5 days ago • 3 comments

What if kids learned about a God who is expansive, inclusive, and tender from the very start? These children’s books are reshaping faith with feminine imagery, justice, and belonging at their core:

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

On a train for the next 3 hours. The children sitting opposite have very excitedly opened their magazines - evidently a Big Treat - and are exclaiming delightly over the toys and stickers that come with them. Lovely! Except... one of the magazines comes with a whistle... 😱

submitted 11 days ago • 6 comments

Out now: OutSkirts—a defiant, beautiful collection of LGBTQIA+ writing. 25% of proceeds support The Proud Trust. #LiftToTheSky Buy it. Read it. Raise something real. 🌈 www.amazon.co.uk/dp/... #OutSkirts #LGBTQIA+

submitted 14 days ago • 0 comments

My poem 'A Lesbian Priest Goes To Pride' is included in #OutSkirts. I'm really looking forward to reading the whole collection. Perfectly timed publication for Pride month!

submitted 15 days ago • 1 comment

“The blessing of God… wild and free and dancing out of reach.” — Ruth Harley, “A Lesbian Priest Goes to Pride” 🙏 Queerness is sacred. #OutSkirts drops June 2. #QueerFaith #LGBTVoices #Pride

submitted 16 days ago • 0 comments

Pleased to report that both these books went down well this afternoon - one at a Christening, and the other (a brief extract from it) at Benediction. I didn't use either for this evening's marriage prep, although either - or both! - could be relevant for that too.

submitted 15 days ago • 0 comments

Busy day tomorrow, so I'm sorting out all the resources I'll need. Just grabbing a couple of key texts off my shelves... and reflecting on how endlessly varied parish ministry is. #CofEPeeps #Narthex ✝️⚓🕯️

submitted 16 days ago • 0 comments

There are few better moments in priestly ministry than when you bless a baby at the altar rail, and they give you that very intense stare, and then track the movement of your hand with their eyes as you make the sign of the cross. Love it! "Let the little children come to me..." 🥰🕯️✝️⚓ #TinyJoys

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment

Thoroughly joyful Ascension Day mass: 20 adults and a very smiley baby; enthusiastic singing; beautiful liturgy; a real sense of the spirit. Followed by a fantastic assortment of snacks, a glass of fizz, lots of fun conversation... and a bit more singing, for good measure. #TinyJoys #CofEPeeps ✝️⚓🕯️

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment

This is such brilliant news. Leah is exactly the sort of bishop the church needs - wise, generous, compassionate, and absolutely reliant on God.

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

Are you a teacher or headteacher in a Church of England school, needing time to rest, read, reflect and recharge? The APR offers bursaries for teachers to go on retreat. Do let the staff of your local C of E school know! All info on promotingretreats.org/bursary #retreat #teacher #teaching

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

"It's not that they're unsupportive, they're just nervous that it might be a bit controversial to talk about." I've heard this twice today: in a meeting about LGBTQ+ people in the church, and one about women in ministry. And I just... it's not good enough, is it?!?

submitted 20 days ago • 16 comments

Thought I'd have soup for lunch as a treat. Turns out to be a particularly delicious curry, courtesy of our local mosque. I'm calling that a freezer roulette win! 😋 #TinyJoys

submitted 21 days ago • 1 comment