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Stocki
Belfast
I am the minister of Fitzroy Presbyterian Church in Belfast, N. Ireland, author of Walk On; The Spiritual Journey of U2, and blog on where my faith and culture meets...
Interests: Jesus, where art and faith inter connect, music, peace and reconciliation, social justice, sport...
Recent Activity
MY TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL LONGLEY (1939-2025)
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I was walking along the Lagan this afternoon, at Ormeau Bridge, when I glanced down and noticed a social media message that Michael Longley had passed away. Within me, my heart cried "Nooooo". Immediately I thought that Belfast was less... Continue reading
Posted 7 hours ago at SOUL SURMISE
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IF YOU HAVE TICKETS YOU WON'T USE...
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I know how it is. You see a concert or event and you want to go. You book tickets immediately. You add a few tickets for friends that might want to come with you. Particularly when it is free, grab... Continue reading
Posted yesterday at SOUL SURMISE
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WHY I WON'T BE BLOGGING ON THE US INAUGURATION
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People have been asking. Are you going to do a blog on the Inauguration? No. I am not. I made a decision last April that I would turn the TV off every time he came on. My life has been... Continue reading
Posted 2 days ago at SOUL SURMISE
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CLARE SANDS AT 4 CORNERS FESTIVAL 2025
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I am imagining that a lot of you have not heard of Clare Sands. If you are a fan of Irish trad and the modern refreshing of it then let me lead you to her recordings and encourage you to... Continue reading
Posted 2 days ago at SOUL SURMISE
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MARTIN LUTHER KING AND BOB DYLAN - For MLK Day
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(this is a section from my book The Rock Cries Out. It seemed right to post it again on MLK Day, this particular year...) Long before Dylan joined the Vineyard Church’s Bible Study that was so widely publicised during his... Continue reading
Posted 3 days ago at SOUL SURMISE
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STEVE AND FR. MARTIN ON RTE TV - SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP
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It is the Week of Prayer For Christian Unity and on Sunday morning Fr Martin Magill and myself led a service of worship on RTE TV to mark the occasion. Worship was led by a small band blended from Fitzroy... Continue reading
Posted 4 days ago at SOUL SURMISE
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GLENN PATTERSON AT HOME AT 4 CORNERS FESTIVAL 2025
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It was a personal thrill that the first name we had booked for 4 Corners Festival 2025 was novelist Glenn Patterson. Over the coffee when we asked Glenn to become involved in the Festival we asked him where he thought... Continue reading
Posted 5 days ago at SOUL SURMISE
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STOCKMAN & FR MARTIN MAGILL ON RTE TV ON SUNDAY
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This week is the Week Of Prayer For Christian Unity (Jan 18-25) and on Sunday morning on RTE TV at 11am, Fr Martin Magill and I will be speaking on Sunday Worship. Members of our two congregations in Fitzroy and... Continue reading
Posted 6 days ago at SOUL SURMISE
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DENIS LAW (1940-2025) - A TRIBUTE
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Denis Law. I loved Denis Law. Law will always be known as a Manchester United player - Best, Charlton and Law. There's a statue of the three at Old Trafford. I would like to point out that in their years... Continue reading
Posted 6 days ago at SOUL SURMISE
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RINGO STARR - LOOK UP
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When I fell in love with The Beatles in the summer of 1976 Ringo Starr had been as successful as any of the other three in the solo years. Photograph and You’re Sixteen were huge singles and Ringo and Goodnight... Continue reading
Posted 7 days ago at SOUL SURMISE
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NIALL WILLIAMS - TIME OF THE CHILD
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With Time Of The Child Niall Williams has pushed his way through the field to become one of my very favourite novelists. Two men, whose intellect I admire, tipped me off one Sunday morning in the coffee area after Sunday... Continue reading
Posted Jan 15, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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TRIBUTE TO TONY BOOK (1935 - 2025)
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It was with sadness that I heard of the death of footballer Tony Book at 90 years of age. Tony was a footballing hero from another era. When I started supporting Manchester City in 1969 Book was the team captain.... Continue reading
Posted Jan 14, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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PEACE IN YOUR HEART by BLUE ROSE CODE - As Prayers At Fitzroy Communion
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I see you on the road Trying to find your way home And I wish you peace in your heart Bring your boat to the shore Don't be alone anymore And I wish you peace in your heart With a... Continue reading
Posted Jan 13, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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SURMISE IN THE LOCKERBIE GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE
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The unfriendly silence of innocent ghosts Lockerbie's sad sacred sombre space Lives, never wanting to be a headline, Dead, staring at me photo to face Sweet smiles, Satan's sovereign collateral The heart aching stretch to comprehend Catharsis in the words... Continue reading
Posted Jan 10, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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4 CORNERS FESTIVAL 2025 - WHY I AM EXCITED!
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The 4 Corners Festival is upon us again - January 31st-9th. For 13 years now January has had that added little bit of added adrenaline running through it as we count down, finalise detail and do press ahead of that... Continue reading
Posted Jan 9, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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IMAGINE - A SECULAR SONG... A PRAYER!
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photo: The John Lennon Wall in Prague by Paul Bowman Gareth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood sang John Lennon's Imagine at former US President Jimmy Carter's funeral. The commentators on BBC fumbled with why this song, a secular song, might be... Continue reading
Posted Jan 9, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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DOING WHAT JESUS DID - THE GOOD NEWS - New Year's Sermon 2025 - THE WAY #8
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My first sermon of the year was my eighth in a series based around John Mark Comer’s book Practicing The Way. A book about discipleship we had already looked at Being With Jesus. We had looked at Being With Jesus,... Continue reading
Posted Jan 9, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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A RECONCILIATION IN N. IRELAND MUSIC PLAYLIST
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My friend Jonny Clark asked a number of us on social media to recommend songs, poems, readings related to the Troubles for a North American group studying “restorative justice and reconciliation in Ireland and Northern Ireland”. I couldn't help myself... Continue reading
Posted Jan 7, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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SIOBHAN GARRIGAN - HOME IN A TIME OF HOMELESSNESS - 4 Corners festival 2025
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Siobhan Garrigan’s name has come up in 4 Corners Festival planning meetings for years. So, how delighted are we that she is coming to speak at the 2025 Festival. Why have we been so keen to have her. Well, Siobhan... Continue reading
Posted Jan 5, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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STOCKI'S FAVE 50 RECORDS OF 2024
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50 - MARY COUGHLAN - REPEAT REWIND That blues Irish voice always delivers and this time we get the special treat of Brian Wilson's God Only Knows. 49 - VAN MORRISON - DUETS AND NEW ARRANGEMENTS Oh some won't like... Continue reading
Posted Jan 5, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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RORY GALLAGHER STATUE AT THE ULSTER HALL
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I wrote a blog about the news that there was to be a statue of Rory Gallagher erected at The Ulster Hall in Belfast back in 2016. The good news is that it was unveiled today - January 4, 2025.... Continue reading
Posted Jan 4, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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RYAN MCMULLAN - REDESIGN
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If Ryan McMullan’s debut album was a character in a novel it would be some story, full of twists and turns and drama. As far back as August 2022, when he packed us into Belfast’s Custom House Square for a... Continue reading
Posted Jan 4, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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TRIBUTE TO WAYNE OSMOND - 1951-2025
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Wayne Osmond’s death hit me in my kardia, in a way that surprised me. It probably shouldn’t have surprised me. My entrance to pop music was as a 10 year old listening to my cousin Sharon’s 7 inch singles. They... Continue reading
Posted Jan 2, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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DR LORNA GOLD at CARING FOR OUR COMMON HOME - 4 Corners Festival 2025
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When we decided that the theme of the 4 Corners Festival 2025 was HOME? we first thought that it was obligatory that we deal with the planet as our common home and the second thought was that Dr Lorna Gold... Continue reading
Posted Jan 2, 2025 at SOUL SURMISE
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NEW YEAR'S SHORE
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A first draft surmise from our walk on the beach this afternoon Old Year’s Day Last walk On Ballycastle sands My soul drawn To debris all strewn across Beached, out of the memory of the Moyle Plastic bottles that it... Continue reading
Posted Dec 31, 2024 at SOUL SURMISE
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