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Rob Slater-Carr

@revrobsc.bsky.social

156 followers 251 following 131 posts

Married to a wonderful woman | Owned by a lazy dog | Theology | Politics | Live near York | always a Geordie | C of E | Writing at apilgrimspath.substack.com

Posts Replies Media

Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Sigh. These right-wing loons with their weird, unbiblical, vision of Jesus are, at best, irksome. At worst, they're dangerous. The Christ was a Palestinian Jew, not He-Man.

Kintsugi Christ, as painted by Alex Merry. Shown as the Palestinian he was.

Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

😂👏👏👏

Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

A government that promises to restore hope has, by its own grammar, admitted that hope has gone. Today, the King read his speech. Meanwhile, the PM lost control of his Party. On visible and real power, & where the pilgrim places their hope. apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/the-door-t...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

The Door That Slams

On The King's Speech, The Slammed Door, And The Throne That Does Not Change

Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Spent a lovely afternoon in Parliament catching up with old friends and colleagues. Fascinating to see various MPs in huddles or circling PCH. We certainly live in interesting times!

Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

You don't need to command people to do things they want to do. I wrote about sabbath, Venice, and what we're afraid we'll hear in the silence. open.substack.com/pub/apilgrim...

open.substack.com

Why We're Afraid to Rest: A Reflection from Venice

Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

The fitness industry promises to extend your years. The beauty industry promises to disguise them. Social media lets you build a fantasy of yourself. Then a priest dips a thumb in dirt & says you'll die. Why millions queue up for that truth every year, a link 🔗 open.substack.com/pub/apilgrim...

open.substack.com

Remember You Are Dust: Why Ash Wednesday's Hardest Words Might Set You Free

Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

I find "your kingdom come" difficult to really mean. If I genuinely wanted God's kingdom to come, I'd have to surrender control, release security, and trust God's justice over my interests. That's uncomfortable. Which is probably why we need to pray it. apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/the-pilgri...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

The Pilgrim’s Prayer Part 3: “Thy Kingdom Come”

When God’s Dreams Invade Reality

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

There's a Methodist preaching station on my village green— a stone pulpit in a cottage wall. Did Wesley preach from this ledge whilst doubting his own salvation? New post on the faith that keeps walking when feelings fade: apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/fellow-pil...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

Fellow Pilgrims: John Wesley

John Wesley's Doubt: The Preacher Who Struggled With Assurance

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

We can't claim life is sacred whilst abandoning the dying. We can't insist on natural death whilst offering no help through its difficulties. Our credibility depends on being present with those dying badly. Are we? My reflection: apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/when-compa...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

When Compassion Conflicts: Learning to Sit with Death’s Hard Questions

Signpost #17: Assisted Dying

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

I oppose the bill. The slippery slope isn't theoretical—it's documented in every country that has legalised assisted dying. Disability advocates' warnings are real. But what troubles me, too, is this: churches preach opposition whilst embodying absence.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

The priest warned me: "This one's different." The woman we visited had chosen Medical Assistance in Dying. She wanted to talk to a priest. That was Toronto, 2018. Now the UK debates its own assisted dying bill. What I learned then matters now.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

"I can't pray to someone called Father. It makes my skin crawl." An honest struggle with the Lord's Prayer. What do we do when the word "Father" carries trauma? Can we redeem the language Jesus gave whilst honouring real pain? Sitting with these questions: apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/our-father...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

The Pilgrim’s Prayer Part 1: “Our Father”

The Most Dangerous Word

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Reposted by Rob Slater-Carr

Christian Aid @christianaiduk.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Let us unite in prayer and advocacy this Week of prayer for Christian Unity. Where there is war, pray for the restoration of peace. Where we are divided, draw us together. Where suffering is ignored, stir us to act. Together we can shine a light on injustices around the world 🙏

Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

John of the Cross called it the "dark night of the soul"—not God's absence but God's presence felt as absence. Julian of Norwich wrote "all shall be well" from isolation during plague. They knew: winter is formative, not failure. Rest Stop: open.substack.com/pub/apilgrim...

open.substack.com

Rest Stop #19: Spiritual Dryness in Dark Months

Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

The question won't leave me alone: Should all Christians live like Acts 2, or only the specially called? How much is enough? What does generous sharing look like in YOUR context? Full post exploring this history and these questions: open.substack.com/pub/apilgrim...

open.substack.com

When Christians Stopped Sharing Everything

The Ancient Path: Post 4

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

The irony: Monasteries renouncing wealth often became wealthy. Their discipline and innovation made them economic powerhouses. The pattern repeats. Francis founds mendicants (begging orders) to renew poverty. Within generations, they need reform too.

Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Around 270 CE, Anthony of Egypt heard Jesus's call to sell possessions and give to the poor. He did it literally—gave away everything, went to the desert. Monks tried recovering Acts 2 economics in communities where it might actually work.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

What did the church gain? - Resources for hospitals, schools, and charity at scale - Institutional stability for long-term mission - Capacity to preserve manuscripts and educate thousands What did it lose? - Economic radicalism - Countercultural witness - Eschatological urgency

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

313 CE: Constantine's Edict of Milan changes everything. Religious tolerance + lavish church-building programme + episcopal estates = institutional transformation. Within a generation: house churches → basilicas. Hunted criminals → estate controllers.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

The system didn't last long. Within years, Jerusalem Christians were poor enough to need relief from Antioch. A few decades later, Paul was still collecting money for them. But briefly, Christians actually lived Acts 2. Then they stopped.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Acts 2 economics weren't theory—they were an eschatological conviction. Jesus was coming back soon (they thought). Why hoard property when the kingdom was breaking in? Pentecost created family bonds that made sharing natural.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

The church in Acts 2 shared everything. "No one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common." My former church owns millions in property and assets. What happened in between? 🧵

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Augustine of Hippo's "Confessions" is the anti-self-help book. Instead of "10 steps to your best self," he offers: "I tried everything and still couldn't change myself. Then grace broke through." New post on Augustine and why you can't change yourself. apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/augustine-...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Tommy Robinson's numbers tell the story: September rally (crosses, nationalism): 110,000 December carol service (actual worship): 1,000 When nationalism met Christianity, 99% left. This movement weaponises faith; it isn't faithful. #ChristianNationalism apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/atlantic-c...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

Atlantic Crossing

How American Money and Ideas Are Reshaping British Faith: Signpost #13

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

We're waiting for something spectacular. Divine intervention we can't miss. But incarnation never worked that way. God tends to arrive in unremarked places. Tonight, watch the margins. That's where He shows up. New Rest Stop: apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/on-the-thr...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

On the Threshold: Christmas Eve's Holy Waiting

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

What if God becoming flesh 13.8 billion years ago means God assumed not just human nature but stardust, cells, evolutionary history—the whole cosmic story? Deep incarnation theology that connects Christmas to creation care. New on A Pilgrim's Path. apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/stardust-a...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

Stardust and Spirit

God With Us: Part 4 – Deep Incarnation and All Creation

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Incarnation is God's most political act: entering through refugees, announced to the unclean, having a mother who sings about rulers falling. We spent centuries making Christmas safe. God intended it to be subversive. Finding dangerous Christmas again: apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/the-revolu...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

The Revolutionary Baby

God With Us: Part 3

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

I've written about what's happening in British Christianity, why our established church complicates this, what's at stake, and what we do now. Part 1 of 4 exploring Christian nationalism's UK emergence. New at A Pilgrim's Path 👇 apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/crosses-at...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

Crosses at the Rally: What’s Happening in British Christianity?

Signpost #12: Part 1 of 4 on Christian Nationalism

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

C of E bishops + Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal, Church of Scotland, Salvation Army leaders condemned "corrupting the Christian faith to exclude others." The C of E launched "Outsiders Welcome" campaign directly countering Tommy Robinson's carol service. This isn't partisan. It's theological.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Here's what worries me: Christian nationalism corrupts the gospel. It turns good news for ALL people into tribal identity for SOME people. When Muslims hear "Christ is King" as threat not invitation, when seekers see crosses at anti-immigration rallies—our witness is destroyed.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

This isn't about patriotism (Britain is great). It's about idolatry—when national identity becomes sacred, when "British" = "Christian," when crosses become weapons instead of welcome. There are 4 types of "Christian nationalism." Only one is dangerous. But the categories blur.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Sunday evening: video arrives in WhatsApp. Trafalgar Square, September. Wooden crosses held high. Thousands chanting "Christ is King." A bishop declaring Britain is "at war." Monday morning: three friends ask, "Is that what Christianity looks like now?" We need to talk Christian Nationalism. 🧵

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

New Rest Stop on learning to wait in darkness without despair 🕯️ apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/the-coming...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

The Coming of the Light

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Advent promises the same: "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light." Not people who avoided darkness. People walking *through* it.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

The winter solstice in 11 days promises light returns—not because darkness is defeated, but at darkness's deepest point. After the longest night, each day lengthens. Barely noticeable. But the direction has changed.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Maybe darkness isn't just light's absence. Maybe it presses in, thick and present, to teach something light cannot.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

But I've been thinking about why Advent begins in darkness. Why the incarnation happened at night. Why our ancestors marked the winter solstice—the longest night—with fire and feast.

Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

I hate this. December's early darkness exhausts me before I've even eaten dinner.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Yesterday, the darkness arrived at half past three. By four, I'd switched on every lamp in the house. By five, I was pacing restlessly past windows that had become black mirrors.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Next week: Mary's revolutionary song. Why the first Christmas was political.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

If this Advent is dark for you—illness, loss, depression, loneliness, doubt—you're not failing Christmas. You're living Advent's true spirit: honest waiting in darkness for light we haven't yet seen. "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is a cry from exile. Advent knows about mourning.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

The incarnation means that when we ask, "Where is God in this?" the answer is: right here. In the room. In the ravaging. In the grief. Not as an external fixer but as a fellow sufferer. Not explaining grief or loss, but present in it. Emmanuel = God-with-us, not God-explaining-to-us.

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Advent week 2: When God stops explaining. We want theodicy—reasons why suffering exists. God offers something different: presence. Not explanation from outside but solidarity from within. New post in the God With Us series 🕯️ apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/when-god-stops-explaining

apilgrimspath.substack.com

When God Stops Explaining

God With Us #2 - The Incarnation and the Problem of Suffering

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Part 1 of an Advent to Epiphany series is live. This week, the scandal of particularity. open.substack.com/pub/apilgrim...

An image of hands holding a budding plant with the words "God With Us: An Advent to Epiphany Series" and "Why This Person, This Place, This Time?"

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

How do we know what's true? New post exploring biblical authority, cultural distance, and reading Scripture faithfully when ancient texts meet modern questions. 5/5 apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/how-do-we-...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

How Do We Know What’s True?

Pilgrim’s Essentials #10: Scripture, Tradition, and Authority

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

The challenge: these don't always agree. Tradition says one thing, reason suggests another, experience confuses both. That's why we need community discernment, not just individual interpretation. 4/5

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Christians have always used four sources to interpret Scripture: the Bible itself, church tradition, reason, and experience. Not four equal authorities. But four streams flowing together into understanding. 3/5

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

This is the crisis point for many Christians: ancient texts meeting modern values. Some say "Scripture says it, I believe it." Others say "that was cultural, it doesn't apply." Both miss something crucial. 2/5

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Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Your church is reading Paul's instructions about women, slavery, and head coverings. Someone asks: "Do we follow all of this or none of it? How do we decide?" The room goes quiet. 1/5

Rob Slater-Carr @revrobsc.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

New post: walking through the Great Schism to understand why Christians still disagree about authority—and whether we're doomed to repeat history. Spoiler: probably, unless we learn from it. 4/4 apilgrimspath.substack.com/p/1054-the-y...

apilgrimspath.substack.com

1054: The Year Christianity Broke In Two

Why Orthodox and Catholic Christians Still Can’t Share Communion

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