Coming Soon
After many months of writing, meditation and contemplation I am nearing the end of my first book on spirituality
For too many years spirituality for me was intellectual and physical. It’s not.
I have come to understand that spirituality is distinct from rational thought. Spirituality is not an activity of the mind, an act of thinking. I have come to recognise that to grasp this is hard but not impossible.
In my book I explore what it might mean to reduce the dominance of our mind and body over our lives. This reduced influence creates space for what I can best describe as that part of our being which we call spirit. How do we access the spirit that is within us? What difference does spending time in the realm of the spiritual make to our lives? How do we know we have had a spiritual moment?
Watch this space…
It’s Not About the Furniture will draw you into the world of St Paul’s Centre and the journey of some of its people.
The process of writing this book brought to the fore that “The journey has not been easy. The ride often felt like a rollercoaster, completely out of my control. Loneliness and fear were often a constant companion, along with thoughts of giving up and running away. So why carry on?”
One reason to carry on is a memory of being in Albania giving out food donated by the people of Crewe to Kosovan refugees: A tall, thin man, wearing a green tartan waistcoat (donated, I’m sure) held my right hand with his. I didn’t catch his name, just the expression on his olive-skinned face sat beneath a mop of grey hair. He stroked his chest over his heart whilst looking me in the eye, so captivating I could not look away. In a moment of pure, naked humanity he moved his left hand from over his heart and placed it on mine. “Thank you,” he said.
How do you respond in moments like this? Our hope is that It’s Not About The Furniture will bring some insight into our attempts to respond with compassion and humour when faced with the challenge of brokeness and fractured hopes…
“It’s Not About the Furniture drew me in at once to the world of St. Paul’s Centre, the charity operation in Crewe where Wykes and his merry band of colleagues tackle some of society’s most entrenched problems—poverty, hunger, and homelessness – with faith and (second-hand) furniture. Wykes writes with intimacy and a large dash of humour about the challenges and triumphs St. Paul’s has faced over the years, weaving together a story that is by turns amusing and inspiring. Above all, his book is a testament to the mysterious workings of faith, to how God aids those in greatest need, restoring hope and dignity to lives that once seemed lost. I was moved tremendously by this story, and heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the ins and outs of Christian charity work in the twenty-first century” – Macy Halford, Author
One of the projects I’m writing up is the story of individuals I encountered during my sabbatical.
Over a few weeks in the summer of 2019 it was my privilege to take a trip. Along the way, five random encounters in four countries over three weeks touched me and sparked a thought for a story. The people I met and journeyed with have names you are likely not to be familiar to you. Moving through Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and France at a time when my Nation was busy breaking our ties with Europe was enlightening. I didn’t reach it but I’m told had I visited Rome I would have no doubt walked through St Peter’s Square and looked at the famous balcony where the Pope makes his public appearances. When standing looking at the balcony a glance to the left reveals the huge stone statue of St Peter holding a key. In fact, everywhere you look there are keys because keys are the symbol on the Papal coat of arms. Millions believe that Jesus gave the fisherman known as St Peter the keys to unlock the kingdom of heaven.
My journeys purpose was rest, refreshment and the re-positioning of my personal worldview. Reader, I invite you to join me as I left all responsibility behind for a pause in the madness that surrounds us.
‘The Sabbatical’ grapples with our responsibility for the times in which we live whilst holding ourselves personally and spiritually before God. Follow my Reflections
Rob Wykes 
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