For four years, give or take, I lived in a flat on the border of Hulme and Moss Side, most of that next door to another ministerial student, her husand and her young children.  Clare McBeath had a heart for the iner city, and its feisty people, so it was no surprise when she moved to East Manchester to take up her permanent post as a part time minister to a tiny congregation.

 'Crumbs of Comfort: Prayers from the City' is a wonderful, creative, poignant, powerful collection of prayers and liturgies that she and her colleague Tim Presswood have written out of their experience.  I guess I am privileged to have shared in one or two fleeting moments of that story and I have loved reading and remembering (re-membering?) them.

Alas, Google does not find this book, nor does Amazon, but it is published by Inspire and its ISBN numbers are  1-85852-3 10-9 and 978-1-85852-3 10-1.  It has a turquoisey-blue cover with a cityscape.  At £12.99 it is good value, especially as it is filled with wonderful colour illustrations.

And whilst in the same theme - here's my own little 'crumb' for today!  Tonight I am off to an 18th birthday party, one of only three church people to be invited by one of our former Sunday School members.  She was quite clear who she did and did not want to invite from church, so I am honoured and encouraged.  Probably need my earplugs for the disco and to hide during the karaoke but otherwise...  Bless you Zoe.