Oxfordshire
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Kezia M’Clelland
I believe that ‘everything belongs’ and love to come alongside others as they rediscover themselves in fresh ways as seasons change. I come alive running in the Oxfordshire countryside where I live, holding a paintbrush, sharing a good conversation, or resting in silence. Having lived and worked overseas, I’m appreciating the gifts of a quieter season.
Asking questions about faith and spirituality has always been part of my life. My experience has been shaped by encountering very different expressions of faith in diverse contexts, widening my sense that there is far more space than I might once have imagined.
I’ve spent most of my working life in international development, coming alongside local communities working for children in difficult circumstances. This work has given me a broader perspective on how faith can often be held in the tension between what is and what we hope for. I have learnt a lot from watching people navigate uncertainty, and I am comfortable walking alongside those who are holding questions and who find themselves in times of change.
In different seasons of life, I found myself drawn to roles where I could come alongside others, and training as a spiritual director enabled me to do this in a more intentional way. Having been someone who tended to push myself too hard, I am learning to relax into letting things be as they are. It is a joy to share this journey with others, and my heart is for people to experience themselves as totally accepted and increasingly free to be who they really are. I seek to offer a warm, welcoming and gentle space where this can unfold.
More recently I’ve developed a love of running in nature, and have found that there is much wisdom held in our bodies. I love to share this approach with others, through connecting spiritual accompaniment with being in the outdoors and listening to what we might hear when we step beyond familiar settings. I also enjoy writing and painting, and in this season am returning to these childhood practices as a source of creativity and attentiveness.
A place that feels thin, holy, or spiritually alive to me
The Francis of Assisi pilgrimage path in Italy – I have been running along sections of it over the last few years
A book I return to because it stays fresh and keeps me company
‘A Timbered Choir’ by Wendell Berry – poems about being with trees that feel grounding and expansive at the same time
A question I find myself living with these days
How can I nurture community in ways I might not have previously thought about?
A simple daily practice that steadies me
A morning cup of tea before starting the day
A meal I love making for other people
I love to make a many-dish Lebanese feast if I have the time – I spent time living there and the food reminds me of many good friends and good meals!
A journey that changed me, outwardly or inwardly
Moving to Edinburgh as a student after never living away from my home in south east England expanded who I was in ways I didn’t expect
Something that reliably draws my attention back to what matters
Putting my hand on my heart and taking a deep breath
A piece of music that still stops me when I hear it
Alanis Morissette’s ‘Thank U’ – a reminder to me to be present with what is as it is, and I feel like I connect more with it now than when I owned the album as a teenager!
A moment when I realised something important had shifted for me
When I realised I could not keep going through cycles of pushing myself too hard and getting burnt out, and that I could ask for and receive help, and loosen my grip on things
Something ordinary I find unexpectedly meaningful
The small chats you have with people when waiting for a bus