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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

50 WORDS FOR FORGIVENESS - Our Belfast Telegraph article 13.12.18

Scandalous Forgiveness.” That is the name of 2019’s 4 Corners Festival. We believe it is a vital theme for our city and country in our current political inertia and any possible vision we might conjure for a peaceful future. Forgiveness... Continue reading

Posted yesterday at SOUL SURMISE

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PERIPHERAL VISION - GMU THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 12.12.18

Peripheral vision. I love watching the wonder of peripheral vision. Maybe right now somewhere on the roads and streets and avenues of Northern Ireland, you might be benefiting from it - the driver with peripheral vision. A driver with peripheral... Continue reading

Posted 2 days ago at SOUL SURMISE

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SNOW PATROL LIVE AT THE SSE, BELFAST - 8.12.18

photo: Janice Gordon-Stockman At the end of Snow Patrol's Run the house lights go up and shine across a packed SSE arena. Every hand is in the air. Both hands. Every voice is blowing their lungs out. I am thinking... Continue reading

Posted 5 days ago at SOUL SURMISE

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We had the privilege of my dear friend Rev Doug Gay preaching for us in Fitzroy this morning. The lectionary readings of Malachi 3 and Luke 3 had Doug sharing God's desire to purify us, from our self indulgence and... Continue reading

Posted 5 days ago at SOUL SURMISE

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RAY CONNOLLY - BEING JOHN LENNON: A RESTLESS LIFE

I am not sure when I realised that I no longer liked John Lennon. That actually he was a bit of a twit. I know that it was a kind of conversion experience. It’s well over a decade now and... Continue reading

Posted 6 days ago at SOUL SURMISE

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SNOW PATROL - FILMS, COVERS, REMIXES ETC

In my new series of compilation playlists here is my Snow Patrol one. These are made up of the songs or version so songs that did not appear on official studio albums... 1. WHAT IF THIS IS ALL THE LOVE... Continue reading

Posted Dec 6, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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CHRISTMAS AT FITZROY 2018

DECEMBER 6th @ 6pm (5.15 for food) CHRISTMAS ALL OVER THE WORLD Community Carol Service with food, face paint and a disco pod DECEMBER 9th @ 11am FIRE + SOAP, SAND AND WATER second service in Advent with REV DOUG... Continue reading

Posted Dec 5, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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Advent is a waiting in hope. Jesus followers are hope representatives, hope breathers, hope builders... in little gestures... in social transformation. We are called to intentionally live lives of hope in the waiting reality of hope in our hearts, our... Continue reading

Posted Dec 2, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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FOR GOD'S SAKE, GIVE US SOME REALITY

photo: Christmas in Yemen by Igor Dobrowolski (from a Billboard series in Berlin) Jesus was not dropped into an idyllic nativity scene... but into a world of turmoil and violence... Advent reminds is that God is always present not distant... Continue reading

Posted Dec 2, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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TOMORROW IN FITZROY - 2.12.18

photo: Fiona McNeill Tomorrow morning (11am) in Fitzroy we will be lighting the first Advent candle and remembering World AIDS Day. That might best describe the morning. We will be starting the advent journey without sentimentality in a world full... Continue reading

Posted Dec 1, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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SINDY (Damnation Is All That You've Heard)

It was back in 2006 when I met Sindy BUT I remember her every World AIDS Day, and many other days of the year. She represents all those who have died of AIDS, all those who still live with the... Continue reading

Posted Dec 1, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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PEACE ON EARTH - BONO WRESTLING WITH THE CHRISTMAS ANGELS

(right at the outset of Advent, this U2 song gives us a reality check. Originally written around 2001, it only uses the U2 catalogue until that year...) Those of us who are believers in the Christian faith and as a... Continue reading

Posted Nov 30, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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DRIFTING BUT NOT ADRIFT (COMING TO TERMS WITH LOSS)

I wrote this the summer after my mother died... a coming to terms with. I can’t believe the summer is over Seems like it was yesterday We took the bus to plane to bus To take ourselves the long way... Continue reading

Posted Nov 29, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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VAN MORRISON - ASTRAL WEEKS

50 years ago Van Morrison’s iconic record Astral Weeks appeared like the rarest of meteorites appearing in a night sky without warning. It is an acoustic, ambient blues and jazz fusion with pain, death, love, romance and transcendental yelping that... Continue reading

Posted Nov 29, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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SCANDALOUS FORGIVENESS - 4 CORNERS FESTIVAL 2019

“Forgiveness. What does that look like?” Those are the words of Fr Brian Lennon at a panel event during 2018’s 4 Corners Festival. A question had come from Alan McBride, sitting in the audience. Alan wanted to know if it... Continue reading

Posted Nov 28, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT LIVE AT THE RYMAN

A couple of lines into Bradley Cooper singing Maybe It’s Time in the movie A Star Is Born and I was saying “Jason Isbell”. Now Isbell has been treading the boards for the guts of 20 years with first Drive-By... Continue reading

Posted Nov 25, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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TOMORROW IN FITZROY - 25.11.18

Tomorrow morning (11am) in Fitzroy we arrive at the last Sunday of the Church year - Christ Is King Sunday. In a world full of borders, back stops, arrogant politicians and a fragile Primer Minister we will be hearing Jesus... Continue reading

Posted Nov 24, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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THE BEATLES (WHITE ALBUM) box set

So my Desert Island disc would always be The Beatles or as it is commonly known, The White Album. Oh, it is not my favourite Beatles’ record. That is Abbey Road. It is not the best Beatles’ record. That is... Continue reading

Posted Nov 23, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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GOING TO CHURCH IS GOOD FOR KIDS... SAYS A HARVARD UNIVERSITY STUDY

I have been saying for many years that even if I was an atheist I would send my children to Church. There are so many skills emotional, mental and social, as well as the seemingly obvious spiritual, that I have... Continue reading

Posted Nov 21, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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MUMFORD & SONS - DELTA

Delta is Mumford & Sons growing up record. Now of course, they have been big boys since Sigh No More dropped, to a success they never dreamed of, a decade ago. For years following that success, they lived in the... Continue reading

Posted Nov 20, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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NOT WHAT WE BELIEVE... WHAT WE LOVE

Yesterday morning, something happened during the sermon. It happens a lot but not with the same power as it did yesterday morning. Something broke in. It wasn’t in the notes in front of me. It wasn’t in any of my... Continue reading

Posted Nov 19, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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TOMORROW IN FITZROY - 18.11.18

Tomorrow morning (11am) I will be preaching an appropriate text in this week's Brexit apocalypse, looking at Mark 13's "little apocalypse". With the help of Charles Manson's commentary of The Beatles' White Album we will be asking about the fear... Continue reading

Posted Nov 17, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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STREET LIGHTS - HOMEWARD BOUND

Bono and Gary Lightbody singing Paul Simon together. What a lovely thought. Well, you can download it now! U2 might be just finishing a long tour and Snow Patrol might just be about to arrive in Ireland on a similarly... Continue reading

Posted Nov 16, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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UNDER THE SIMPLISTIC SECTARIAN SURFACE - OUR COMPLEXITIES

I met a man in a British Army uniform awhile back. As we shook hands shared names I was astounded. He had one of those Irish names that shouted Catholic. Knowing what we were both thinking, he laughed and carried... Continue reading

Posted Nov 15, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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DEACON BLUE LIVE AT THE ULSTER HALL, BELFAST - 13.11.18

photo: Janice Gordon-Stockman Backstage before the gig, I reminded Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh that they ended their last Deacon Blue tour in Belfast and here they were starting their 30th anniversary Tour in Belfast. Last time they were relaxed,... Continue reading

Posted Nov 14, 2018 at SOUL SURMISE

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