Graham Turner

Photograph of Graham Turner

For over thirty years, Graham Turner served in a variety of parishes, mainly in urban neighbourhoods, before becoming a full-time prison chaplain. Through community enterprises and businesses, he worked to overcome social injustice while also exploring a range of contemplative traditions to deepen his own faith as well as others’.

After an initial engineering apprenticeship and electronics degree, he studied theology to enter the Anglican ministry. Now retired, he works as a mentor, spiritual director and trustee of a poverty reduction charity.

He is passionate about removing the mystique that surrounds faith so others can embrace the mystery that can transform us and our world.

Social Distancing and Leveling Up

GUEST BLOG: Graham Turner, author of God’s People and the Seduction of Empire and Alternative Collects, challenges us to help close the gap between the rich and the poor. For those of us who live south of the border, the sound of a thick Glaswegian accent is as alien as it is ra…

Added about 2 years ago.

Finding New Beginnings Through Embracing Grief

GUEST BLOG: With a new liturgical year just around the corner, we’re focusing on some of our liturgical resources as part of our November #ThemeOfTheMonth: New Beginnings. In this week’s blog Graham Turner, author of Alternative Collects: Prayers to a Disruptive & Compassionate God…

Added about 3 years ago.

A Prayer for Ash Wednesday

A prayer by #BookOfTheMonth author Graham Turner for Ash Wednesday. We are marred by the madness of contemporary living      and brought low by the strength of our rebellion. We are tired and exhausted      by resisting the brutal forces of egos taken too seriou…

Added about 4 years ago.

A Prayer for the Sunday next before Lent

A prayer by #BookOfTheMonth author Graham Turner for the Sunday next before Lent. It is good and frightening for us to be with you, Lord. You both comfort and terrify us. The mighty light that burst brightly at the birth of creation      shines into our inmost beings. We are …

Added about 4 years ago.

A Fresh Approach to Praying the Lectionary

WATCH: Praying can be an ongoing struggle, but this inventive collection could reinvigorate your prayer life. For over thirty years, Graham Turner has served in a variety of parishes, mostly in urban neighbourhoods. Through community enterprises and businesses he has worked tirelessl…

Added about 4 years ago.

Prayer, Covid, Presidents and Loss of Control

GUEST BLOG: It is easy to adopt the collective delusion that we are generally in control. #BookOfTheMonth author Graham Turner shows that letting go of this notion and embracing our situation could lead to a welcome renewal of our relationship with God. For us to adopt this delusion that we are…

Added about 4 years ago.

The Coronavirus and Liminal Space

WATCH: How do we make sense of what is happening to us as a world community as the coronavirus spreads across the globe? For over thirty years, Graham Turner has served in a variety of parishes, mostly in urban neighbourhoods. Through community enterprises and businesses he h…

Added about 5 years ago.

A Prayer for the Fearful

A prayer by Graham Turner for us all as we struggle to deal with the global COVID-19 pandemic. Lord of Life,    today we are a fearful and anxious people. As the viral illness intrudes deeper into our lives    we feel its threat and the menace of its violence. We are…

Added about 5 years ago.

Empire, Climate Change and Political Populism

GUEST BLOG: #BookOfTheMonth author Graham Turner tries to make sense of today’s world by learning some lessons from the Old Testament. It seems that we are drowning in national and global news that is truly alarming. Climate change issues and political populism assault our senses. I am de…

Added about 5 years ago.

The Passion behind the Book: God's People and the Seduction of Empire

GUEST BLOG: For over thirty years, Graham Turner has served in a variety of parishes, mostly in urban neighbourhoods. Through community enterprises and businesses he has worked tirelessly to help overcome social injustice while also exploring a range of Christian traditions to help deepen his own …

Added about 5 years ago.

The Accidental Author

GUEST BLOG: How does someone who swears he will never write a book become a published author? Graham Turner describes his experience of writing God’s People and the Seduction of Empire, our September #BookOfTheMonth. It seems to me there are two sorts of authors. There are those who as ch…

Added about 5 years ago.

Graham Turner: My Experience of Prayer

GUEST BLOG: In a deeply moving personal account, Graham Turner reveals his experience of prayer. Graham is author of Alternative Collects: Prayers to a Disruptive & Compassionate God. A little while ago I was asked by my local church if I would say something about my experience of prayer. It …

Added about 6 years ago.

The Inside Story on Alternative Collects

GUEST BLOG: Graham Turner reveals the story behind his radical new prayers, which will both challenge and nourish. The most important things in life are often messy and require our attention. Sadly, we do not always give these the time they deserve. I find that prayer is just like this; it a mess…

Added about 7 years ago.

Alternative Collects: Prayers to a Disruptive & Compassionate God

Graham Turner reveals why and how he wrote these radical new prayers, which will both challenge and nourish. Some of us have grown up with the church’s weekly collects and have taken them for granted as part of the liturgy. Others have stumbled into them when they joined a congregation that…

Added about 7 years ago.

Can anything good come out of Washington?

GUEST BLOG: Graham Turner, priest and author of God's People and the Seduction of Empire: Hearing God's call in the modern age, offers his perspective on current global events, and reflects upon the importance of faith in response to the demands of empire.  Hopefully we are all appalled by t…

Added about 8 years ago.

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