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Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

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Choristers on May Morning, William Holman Hunt

By Anita Mathias

Choristers at dawn on Magdalen Tower on May Morning–a tradition which still continues today!

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Burn-Out Vanishes When We Rediscover Purpose
A Walk Through University Parks, Oxford
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Walking Away from the Dreaming Spires; Walking Away from Joy

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Anita Mathias: About Me

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Recent Posts

“An Autobiography in Five Chapters” and Avoiding Habitual Holes
Shining Faith in Action: Dirk Willems on the Ice
The Story of Dirk Willems: The Man who Died to Save His Enemy
On Checking In Before you Fly
The Spiritual Practice of Bible-Walking
Deep peace in times of political turmoil
On Returning Home to yourself, and The Things you Love More than Yourself.
Every Prison has a Door… (and We Usually Have the Key!)
The Life-Changing Practice of Meditation
Life by the Inch

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anita.mathias

Writer, Blogger, Reader, Mum. Christian. Instaing Oxford, travel, gardens and healthy meals. Oxford English alum. Writing memoir. Lives in Oxford, UK

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Thoughts on avoiding the holes we habitually fall into, and BELATED images from one of my favourite active holidays https://anitamathias.com/2019/11/11/an-autobiography-in-five-chapters-and-avoiding-habitual-holes/

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I am inspired and moved by the story of Dirk Willems, a hero of the Reformation who lost his life to save his enemy, and have written a little book about him.
It's on http://Amazon.co.uk https://amzn.to/2Bk9Shl and on http://Amazon.com https://amzn.to/2VQOSYN
Please do consider reading it & reviewing it. I would be immensely grateful. Thank you!

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Okay, an unabashed Latergram on our first day in Iceland in Thingvellir National Park. Isn’t it dramatic. And a short blog https://anitamathias.com/2019/10/16/on-checking-in-before-you-fly/ #thingvellirnationalpark #iceland #travel #beauty #joy #adventure #life

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Family walks in assorted parks and gardens. On my new spiritual discipline of Bible-walking, listening to and engaging with Scripture on the hoof. https://anitamathias.com/2019/10/06/the-spiritual-practice-of-bible-walking/ #walkingandpraying #walkingwiththeword #biblewalking #walkingwiththelord

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I am in New York for a couple of weeks, for my niece Kristina’s wedding. We are having an amazing time, and I have taken a zillion pictures, and it is hot. So here’s a #latergram album from our trip to cool Iceland last month. I have also blogged on experiencing deep peace in times of political turmoil.
https://anitamathias.com/2019/09/17/deep-peace-in-times-of-political-turmoil/ #iceland #ringroad #icebergs #glaciers #glaciallagoon #beauty

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I don’t know how to do justice to an amazing trip to Iceland... glacial lagoons, icebergs, glaciers, volcanoes, puffins, seals, geysers, black sand beaches, and these aren’t even my best pictures, but here’s a start.
And here’s a blog https://anitamathias.com/2019/08/25/on-returning-home-to-yourself-and-the-things-you-love-more-than-yourself/ #icebergs #glaciers #glaciallagoon #iceland #travel #love

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So, some architectural delights from our week in Krakow, Poland. Jagellion University, one of Central Europe’s oldest Universities reminded me a little of Oxford.
AND I’ve blogged: https://anitamathias.com/2019/06/26/every-prison-has-a-door-and-we-usually-have-the-key/
#krakow #poland #architecture #delight #jagellonianuniversity

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So, our daughter Irene was baptised and confirmed into the Church of England, today, Pentecost Sunday, at the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Oxford, by the Bishop of Oxford, Stephen Croft.
It is a beautiful and historic building, where Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer were tried, and Cranmer recanted his previous recantations of his Protestant faith, thrusting the hand which signed them into the fire, first.
In this church, John Wesley preached, before founding Methodism, and Newman, before converting to Catholicism, and Pusey, before founding the Oxford Movement.
So a great site to think about faith, in all its guises...
Irene was going to be confirmed at our current church, St. Andrew's, Oxford, 4.5 years ago, but I had just had major surgery 3 days before that, and though I insisted on an early discharge to see her confirmed, I was drifting in and out of consciousness, and I selfishly asked her to wait until I could see her baptised and confirmed. (She had been dedicated as a baby in America, but not baptised.)
And of course, her adult profession of faith, and her adult decision to follow the mysterious but joy-giving ways of Jesus has brought me even more joy than it would have 5 years ago, and she said she's glad she waited, because she is now even more deeply rooted and grounded in her faith.
And it was one of the more beautiful services I have been to... the most gorgeous, soul-stirring music, Haydn's Mass (all in Latin!!). A beautiful aesthetic experience as well as a spiritual one!
Congratulations, Irene Mathias

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The Old Jewish Cemetery at Krakow, once descrated by the Nazis. I find graveyards so peaceful, and particularly Jewish ones, with the poignant piles of stones and the ancient history.
And in other news, my latest blog on practising meditation over the last two years https://anitamathias.com/2019/06/07/the-life-changing-practice-of-meditation/

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