SEARCH Journal

Spring 2024

Given the turmoil in the Middle East filling our thoughts and prayers ever since October 7th last, we are thankful that the key leaders of Dublin’s Jewish, Islamic and Church of Ireland communities agreed to come together to reflect on how people of faith should act and pray for peace in the Holy Land. Their conversation heads this issue of SEARCH.

Autumn 2023

PIONEER MINISTRY, as introduced and discussed in this year’s General Synod, has been a major talking point for the Church of Ireland this year. Granted that, for the Church’s very survival, we need to reach out to those whose spiritual needs have not been met by any church worship they have encountered, or who have never experienced the love of God in Christ, do we need a whole new structure to achieve that?

Summer 2023

Returning to an in-person Colloquium after the zooming of the pandemic, it seemed appropriate to look to the future by inviting speakers in the earlier stages of their career to look specifically at the depressing outlook for the future of our planet, and beyond. Hence our title ‘A New Look at the End Times’ and a line-up of participants who, if not under 35 as originally hoped, were at least all under 45.

Spring 2023

Guest editor Robin Stockitt writes: I have recently been inspired through reading a book entitled ‘The Salt Path’, which tells the story of a couple who lost everything and chose to walk the South West Coastal Path through Devon and Cornwall. In the process of their journey they came to fascinating and powerful insights. It is not a Christian book but it resonated with me as so many paradigm shifts and spiritual encounters in the Bible seem to occur whilst travelling. Indeed there is a strong Christian tradition of pilgrimage which acknowledges the potentially transformative effects of going on a journey.

Autumn 2022

THE LATE summer was dominated for many church people, in and beyond the Anglican Communion, by the question, “Will this Lambeth Conference see the break-up of the Anglican Communion?” Breakaway threats from the traditionalist side of the Communion against the Churches which are more open to new insights had become increasingly intense since the foundation of Gafcon and the Anglican Church of North America.

Summer 2022

BOTH the wide and the narrow views concern us just now. On the wide angle, we ask what the Churches can do for peace-making and justice in Europe and beyond; Bryan Kelly of TCD guides us through the challenges and opportunities. With a narrower focus, we ponder our vision for our own Church of Ireland, for “without a vision the people perish,” as Proverbs 29 warned us long ago.