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Macclesfield voices of spirit
Judith Burrows
‘Here you engage your brain’
‘I think the new groups have changed the dynamic at the chapel, but I don’t
feel disadvantaged by not being part of them. This community is very
important to me – in many ways it’s like a family – and families don’t do
everything together.
‘The Sunday service lasts all week for me – it makes me examine myself
and how I relate to others. In our worship, you are always presented with
something unexpected. For example, I still vividly recall a service Michael
took on questions being more important than answers – and I often think
back to Michael ‘bowing to the question’.
‘Conventional church services don’t make you think. Here at King Edward
Street, you have to engage your brain.’
Judith Burrows has been attending Macclesfield Unitarians about four
years; she works as a lawyer, and manages a legal team in Greater
Manchester. She serves on the chapel committee, and is the minister’s
supervisor. She leads a busy life and normally attends Sunday worship
and committee meetings (and the publicity group).Judith was originally
confirmed as an Anglican.
‘A deepening, practical spirituality’
‘Practical spirituality is what we care about here, and what we are
developing. For example, in the Frontiers group, we’ve recently visited a
mosque and a local Tibetan Buddhist community, and have had creative
activity sessions including photography. Our spirituality is deepening and, at
the same time, it feels safe.
‘It’s good for our spiritual growth that Michael doesn’t over-intervene – he
will often show us a model, but then let us get on with it. It would be easy
to lean on Michael, he’s such a good minister, but he’s trying to teach us to
work together and do things for ourselves.
‘We do have disagreements here, and they can be deep and profound. But
they are not brushed under the carpet – they are raised, brought into the
open and then we try to resolve them.’
Chris Moore has been a member of the chapel for 12 years. He has served
on the committee in the past, but is not on it at present. He prefers to
concentrate on the spirituality groups, particularly Frontiers and the Holding
Circle. Chris was raised a Roman Catholic, and has for many years been
interested in eastern religion.
‘A place where I can be myself’
‘For me this chapel has a genuine spirituality that is ever-present, because
of the way we relate to each other. I know I can come here and be myself,
whether I’m feeling grumpy or tearful, I can still come.
‘Our minister, Michael, has a relaxed approach to worship, and his services
feel real – they are connected to my life. When a service ends, I continue to
explore what I have experienced in the service within our spiritual groups.
These groups have transformed our community; we share our struggles
together and we have deepened our understanding of each other.
‘Spirituality is the core of my life – it’s about everything we do, say and
think, the way we engage with others, the way we manage our lives.’
Stephanie Ramage has been a member of the chapel for 30 years, and is
a member of its management committee. She has worked as a teacher,
in a music shop and as a veterinary receptionist. She has had a life-long
involvement in creative work and is particularly interested in fabric art .
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