For the last three years, MWiB has run an annual writing competition inspired by the life, writing and work of Revd Julie Hulme. Each year submissions of meditative or reflective writing were invited, of no more than 500 words, in prose or poetry, on a given theme. These are original pieces of work, not previously published either in print or electronically.
Julie was a Methodist minister and a prolific writer. She was the last President of Women’s Network in 2010-11, becoming the first Vice-President of MWiB in 2011-12. Julie’s approach to prayer was always enquiring and explorative, asking basic questions such as “What works for me in prayer?” and “What doesn’t?” and most important of all, “Why?” and “Why not?”
She explored forms of spirituality developing outside the Church, especially as these related to the building of confidence; how ‘everyday’ faith empowers us; how such ‘everyday’ faith is related to various aspects of contemporary culture and how a greater understanding of ‘everyday’ faith can revitalise Christian spirituality. Her main method of research was to pay close attention to her own responses, explore the ideas in relation to the Bible and express what she was discovering in writing and in art.
She died of cancer in early 2014 in her mid-50s, leaving behind a rich legacy in the form of her writings on the theme of Abundance. This material was made available on the website www.imaginingabundance.co.uk some months after her death.
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An archive of all the winning, runner-up, and commended entries will be available to read and download here in June 2019.
[Image above by Mikhail Pavstyuk on www.unsplash.com]
