How can we use the experience of darkness to lift our spirits, challenge our hearts and minds and draw us closer into the heart of God?
Catherine Bird is Superintendent of the Methodist Church in the London Borough of Hackney. She regularly speaks at the Greenbelt festival, attracting large audiences. Catherine was ordained as a Presbyter in the Methodist Church in 1997, having previously worked in social policy and research in the voluntary sector. She served for 15 years as part of the World Methodist Council during which she Chaired its Committee for Social and International Affairs, and is an experienced Spiritual Director and leader of retreats, including in 2013 for Embrace (formerly Biblelands). Cathy is an experienced writer of liturgy and hymns, and her work has been used widely in various forms of worship and published in The Preacher (Journal of the College of Preachers), Magnet and the Methodist Recorder. She is also the writer of study material for the story telling initiative "Applecart".