I know there are some people among my readers who are not having the greatest of times in the romance department at the moment and when I saw this blog entry I thought it might well speak to a few of you. It's addressed to a woman but guys I hope you can see that it is equally applicable to you all.
"We will always have those moments in our life when we have that feeling that we cannot go on without a certain person. But then we lose that person and whatever we try to do cannot bring the person back. So we sit back and just wait to see if the person will return. As we wait, we find that there can be life without that person, after all. And before we know it, we find ourself going on with our life. Then one day we suddenly realize that the person we lost has not really gone, but has become one of the chapters in our personal Book of Life. We realize that our book has to be made up of several chapters, each one leading us to the next. A book with only one chapter will be quite boring. As in any book, each chapter plays a role in leading us up to the next, so that by the time we get to the final chapter we have been, and are, thoroughly prepared for the ending...will it be a happy one? It depends, I guess, on who it is who will make up the final chapter in your book. My own guess is...you have not met him yet. When you do...you will know that it is HIM. How? I don't know...all I know is that it will just feel right. If you don't know how that feels, it's because HE hasn't walked into your life yet. Just wait...and have a life...you will know HIM when you finally meet HIM. HE will not sweep you off your feet...HE will just quietly become a part of you."
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Love is in the Blog
I saw a wonderful thing today. A guy declared that he had become smitten with a girl through reading her blog:
"i fell in love with a blog today. i didn't think i would.but her writing was so beautiful... and she was so beautiful.with words and thoughts so familiar, yet previously unread~my heart beat quickens (must be that second cup of coffee).not that it matters, really.it'll never come to anything any ways.but you can always dream :)"
I think this is definitely one to watch people!
I had a look at the blog myself and it is wonderful. I particularly liked a post quoting some words of wisdom on loving and losing. I'm going to put this in the next entry.
"i fell in love with a blog today. i didn't think i would.but her writing was so beautiful... and she was so beautiful.with words and thoughts so familiar, yet previously unread~my heart beat quickens (must be that second cup of coffee).not that it matters, really.it'll never come to anything any ways.but you can always dream :)"
I think this is definitely one to watch people!
I had a look at the blog myself and it is wonderful. I particularly liked a post quoting some words of wisdom on loving and losing. I'm going to put this in the next entry.
Do not underestimate the power of the dark spud!
I saw this at somebody's blog on blog clicker (sorry I clicked before I saw which blog!) but I just had to share it with you. It made me grin.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
All dolled up!
Courtesy of Peter, a lovely bit of time wasting kinda fun! I'dlove to come up withsome kind of justification but there isn't one. You get to dress up dolls - it's cool!
Here, hopefully is mine!
Here, hopefully is mine!
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Adeste Fideles
The new book we are using for readings at morning prayer is being somewhat disturbingly serendipitous. Chris and I were only recently discussing the “faith alone” concept and then this morning we get the passage below from Clement, Bishop of Rome, here courtesy of the Corpus Christianorum. Chris had argued that faith alone was not enough because we also need God’s grace. Interesting as the man in question was really talking about faith alone and not knowledge or wisdom or good deeds. If we’re talking about what do WE have to do then faith is all we need. However if we’re talking about what is necessary then of course God’s love and grace are vital.
I think the important thing to remember in all this is that we do good works not in order to get to heaven but rather we do them because that is what we long to do if we know God’s love for us: to show that love to others. Well Clement sums it up much better.
… And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. What shall we do, then, brethren? Shall we become slothful in well-doing, and cease from the practice of love? God forbid that any such course should be followed by us! But rather let us hasten with all energy and readiness of mind to perform every good work. For the Creator and Lord of all Himself rejoices in His works. For by His infinitely great power He established the heavens, and by His incomprehensible wisdom He adorned them. He also divided the earth from the water which surrounds it, and fixed it upon the immoveable foundation of His own will. The animals also which are upon it He commanded by His own word into existence. So likewise, when He had formed the sea, and the living creatures which are in it, He enclosed them [within their proper bounds] by His own power. Above all, with His holy and undefiled hands He formed man, the most excellent [of His creatures], and truly great through the understanding given him-the express likeness of His own image. For thus says God: "Let us make man in Our image, and after Our likeness. So God made man; male and female He created them." Having thus finished all these things, He approved them, and blessed them, and said, "Increase and multiply." We see, then, how all righteous men have been adorned with good works, and how the Lord Himself, adorning Himself with His works, rejoiced. Having therefore such an example, let us without delay accede to His will, and let us work the work of righteousness with our whole strength.
I think the important thing to remember in all this is that we do good works not in order to get to heaven but rather we do them because that is what we long to do if we know God’s love for us: to show that love to others. Well Clement sums it up much better.
… And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. What shall we do, then, brethren? Shall we become slothful in well-doing, and cease from the practice of love? God forbid that any such course should be followed by us! But rather let us hasten with all energy and readiness of mind to perform every good work. For the Creator and Lord of all Himself rejoices in His works. For by His infinitely great power He established the heavens, and by His incomprehensible wisdom He adorned them. He also divided the earth from the water which surrounds it, and fixed it upon the immoveable foundation of His own will. The animals also which are upon it He commanded by His own word into existence. So likewise, when He had formed the sea, and the living creatures which are in it, He enclosed them [within their proper bounds] by His own power. Above all, with His holy and undefiled hands He formed man, the most excellent [of His creatures], and truly great through the understanding given him-the express likeness of His own image. For thus says God: "Let us make man in Our image, and after Our likeness. So God made man; male and female He created them." Having thus finished all these things, He approved them, and blessed them, and said, "Increase and multiply." We see, then, how all righteous men have been adorned with good works, and how the Lord Himself, adorning Himself with His works, rejoiced. Having therefore such an example, let us without delay accede to His will, and let us work the work of righteousness with our whole strength.
From Clement’s letter to the church at Corinth chapters XXXII-XXXIII
Monday, January 17, 2005
Milking it
Ok after some rather serious blog entries over the last couple of days, here's something a little lighter.
I just saw yet ANOTHER advert (for anchor butter this time) which featured cows with male voices. What is it with people in advertising? Do they not understand that the fundamentally important fact about the animals that produce milk is that they are FEMALE. Bulls do NOT produce milk. I mean, the people who produce butter MUST know, surely? Do they think that WE don't know? They can't assume that their customers are so ignorant. So why are Stephen Fry and Tony Robinson now joining the ranks of the Arnie-impersonating-"Milk it"-cow from Dairylea?
Ok. Rant over!
I just saw yet ANOTHER advert (for anchor butter this time) which featured cows with male voices. What is it with people in advertising? Do they not understand that the fundamentally important fact about the animals that produce milk is that they are FEMALE. Bulls do NOT produce milk. I mean, the people who produce butter MUST know, surely? Do they think that WE don't know? They can't assume that their customers are so ignorant. So why are Stephen Fry and Tony Robinson now joining the ranks of the Arnie-impersonating-"Milk it"-cow from Dairylea?
Ok. Rant over!
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Test of Faith
Hopefully there aren't too many people out there in the blogosphere who will be at All Saints' next Sunday because if so you'll be getting a bit of a sneak preview of my thoughts for a sermon on Christian unity.
In my work with other youth workers in the town and the diocese we have to find a common ground on which to meet. It is not only with youth workers from other denominations that this is necessary but also with those from the Anglican church who have a different tradition, theology or style of worship. The recent Windsor report which responded to the divisions resulting from disagreements over the appointment of homosexual priests to senior positions in the church shows how much we need to work on unity even within our own church.
In all these meetings we try to find the common ground. However the common ground is not difficult to find. That common ground is at the foot of the cross. The common ground is where Christ is at the centre.
I’ve been watching the second series of West Wing on DVD recently and in one episode the president meets with a Chinese asylum seeker who claims that he is being persecuted in China for being a Christian. The president has been advised that the refugees may have been coached in basic Christianity to secure asylum.
The president discusses how the Israelites used to use the word Shibboleth as a password to see if those trying to enter were Israelites (as the other local people did not pronounce it as the Israelites did.
Bartlett ponders how he can test whether a man is a Christian or not. In the end he asks the man about how he became a Christian what his church does and who leads it. He asks him to name any of the twelve apostles. The man responds by naming them all. He then turns to the President and says:
"Mr President, Christianity is not demonstrated through a recitation of facts, you’re seeking evidence of faith, a whole hearted acceptance of God’s promise of a better world. 'For we hold that man is justified by faith alone' is what St Paul said, justified by faith alone. Faith is the true Shibboleth."
In my work with other youth workers in the town and the diocese we have to find a common ground on which to meet. It is not only with youth workers from other denominations that this is necessary but also with those from the Anglican church who have a different tradition, theology or style of worship. The recent Windsor report which responded to the divisions resulting from disagreements over the appointment of homosexual priests to senior positions in the church shows how much we need to work on unity even within our own church.
In all these meetings we try to find the common ground. However the common ground is not difficult to find. That common ground is at the foot of the cross. The common ground is where Christ is at the centre.
I’ve been watching the second series of West Wing on DVD recently and in one episode the president meets with a Chinese asylum seeker who claims that he is being persecuted in China for being a Christian. The president has been advised that the refugees may have been coached in basic Christianity to secure asylum.
The president discusses how the Israelites used to use the word Shibboleth as a password to see if those trying to enter were Israelites (as the other local people did not pronounce it as the Israelites did.
Bartlett ponders how he can test whether a man is a Christian or not. In the end he asks the man about how he became a Christian what his church does and who leads it. He asks him to name any of the twelve apostles. The man responds by naming them all. He then turns to the President and says:
"Mr President, Christianity is not demonstrated through a recitation of facts, you’re seeking evidence of faith, a whole hearted acceptance of God’s promise of a better world. 'For we hold that man is justified by faith alone' is what St Paul said, justified by faith alone. Faith is the true Shibboleth."
Bridget Jones over Troubled Water
Well I just read some shockingly depressing news in another blog.
Apparently, "a high I.Q. hampers a woman's chance to get married, while it is a plus for men. The prospect for marriage increased by 35 percent for guys for each 16-point increase in I.Q.; for women, there is a 40 percent drop for each 16-point rise." and men would rather marry a traditional homemaker wife than a woman with a career as apparently they think a career woman is more likely to have an affair. Now hang on a second.... If a woman with a high IQ is LESS likely to get a guy how can they be MORE likely to have an affair. That is SUCH man logic!
Well anyway, this is NOT good news for me as my IQ is 155. I'm not sure I really want to work out the precentage odds left to me. Top IQ is 170. A point drop of 16 brings it far too close. So that must make my chances PRETTY slim. Ah well. I may as well give up then.
No I refuse to give up. It's not MY fault! I can't help being bright. It doesn't make me better than anybody else. In fact I have frequent ditzy moments as one of my earlier blog entries attests. Also I happen to be reasonably talented in the cooking department AND as a youthworker I'm pretty good with children. I may be rather disinclined to housework but who isn't? Intelligence does not proclude me from caring for others, from forming friendships... why oh WHY should my intelligence mean I'm less likely to marry?
How about some feedback from the guys out there. Are the statistics right?
Apparently, "a high I.Q. hampers a woman's chance to get married, while it is a plus for men. The prospect for marriage increased by 35 percent for guys for each 16-point increase in I.Q.; for women, there is a 40 percent drop for each 16-point rise." and men would rather marry a traditional homemaker wife than a woman with a career as apparently they think a career woman is more likely to have an affair. Now hang on a second.... If a woman with a high IQ is LESS likely to get a guy how can they be MORE likely to have an affair. That is SUCH man logic!
Well anyway, this is NOT good news for me as my IQ is 155. I'm not sure I really want to work out the precentage odds left to me. Top IQ is 170. A point drop of 16 brings it far too close. So that must make my chances PRETTY slim. Ah well. I may as well give up then.
No I refuse to give up. It's not MY fault! I can't help being bright. It doesn't make me better than anybody else. In fact I have frequent ditzy moments as one of my earlier blog entries attests. Also I happen to be reasonably talented in the cooking department AND as a youthworker I'm pretty good with children. I may be rather disinclined to housework but who isn't? Intelligence does not proclude me from caring for others, from forming friendships... why oh WHY should my intelligence mean I'm less likely to marry?
How about some feedback from the guys out there. Are the statistics right?
Saturday, January 15, 2005
This Jesus guy
At Morning Prayer this morning we had a reading from St Augustine's commentary on the psalms. It contained for me a wonderful exploration of the meaning of prayer and of our role in prayer. This was particularly interesting for me after my discussions with Ben G and others recently. It also has a fantastic explanation of Jesus as man and God. I wish I'd had that when I was writing my essay on christology! Anyway, I don't think I can say it better than Augustine so I'm just going to give you the text:
God could give no greater gift to men than to make his Word, through whom he created all things, their head and to join them to him as his members, so that the Word might be both Son of God and son of man, one God with the Father, and one man with all men. The result is that when we speak with God in prayer we do not separate the Son from him, and when the body of the Son prays it does not separate its head from itself: it is the one Savior of his body, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who prays for us and in us and is himself the object of our prayers.
He prays for us as our priest, he prays in us as our head, he is the object of our prayers as our God. Let us then recognize both our voice in his, and his voice in ours. When something is said, especially in prophecy, about the Lord Jesus Christ that seems to belong to a condition of lowliness unworthy of God, we must not hesitate to unite himself with us. Every creature is his servant, for it was through him that every creature came to be.
We contemplate his glory and divinity when we listen to these words: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made. Here we gaze on the divinity of the Son of God. Something supremely great and surpassing all the greatness of his creatures. Yet in other parts of Scripture we hear him as one sighing, praying, giving praise and thanks.
We hesitate to attribute these words to him because our minds are slow to come down to his humble level when we have just been contemplating him in his divinity. It is as though we were doing him an injustice in acknowledging in a man the words of one with whom we spoke when we prayed to God; we are usually at a loss and try to change the meaning. Yet our minds find nothing in Scripture that does not go back to him, nothing that will allow us to stray from him.
Our thoughts must then be awakened to keep their vigil of faith. We must realize that the one whom we were contemplating a short time before in his nature as God took to himself the nature of a servant; he was made in the likeness of men and found to be a man like other; he humbled himself by being obedient even to accepting death; as he hung on the cross he made the psalmist’s words his own: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
We pray to him as God, he prays for us as a servant. In the first case he is the Creator, in the second a creature. Himself unchanged, he took to himself our created nature in order to change it, and made us one man with himself, head and body. We pray then to him, through him, in him, and we speak along with him and he along with us.
Augustine of Hippo 354-430, Commentary on the Psalms
God could give no greater gift to men than to make his Word, through whom he created all things, their head and to join them to him as his members, so that the Word might be both Son of God and son of man, one God with the Father, and one man with all men. The result is that when we speak with God in prayer we do not separate the Son from him, and when the body of the Son prays it does not separate its head from itself: it is the one Savior of his body, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who prays for us and in us and is himself the object of our prayers.
He prays for us as our priest, he prays in us as our head, he is the object of our prayers as our God. Let us then recognize both our voice in his, and his voice in ours. When something is said, especially in prophecy, about the Lord Jesus Christ that seems to belong to a condition of lowliness unworthy of God, we must not hesitate to unite himself with us. Every creature is his servant, for it was through him that every creature came to be.
We contemplate his glory and divinity when we listen to these words: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made. Here we gaze on the divinity of the Son of God. Something supremely great and surpassing all the greatness of his creatures. Yet in other parts of Scripture we hear him as one sighing, praying, giving praise and thanks.
We hesitate to attribute these words to him because our minds are slow to come down to his humble level when we have just been contemplating him in his divinity. It is as though we were doing him an injustice in acknowledging in a man the words of one with whom we spoke when we prayed to God; we are usually at a loss and try to change the meaning. Yet our minds find nothing in Scripture that does not go back to him, nothing that will allow us to stray from him.
Our thoughts must then be awakened to keep their vigil of faith. We must realize that the one whom we were contemplating a short time before in his nature as God took to himself the nature of a servant; he was made in the likeness of men and found to be a man like other; he humbled himself by being obedient even to accepting death; as he hung on the cross he made the psalmist’s words his own: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
We pray to him as God, he prays for us as a servant. In the first case he is the Creator, in the second a creature. Himself unchanged, he took to himself our created nature in order to change it, and made us one man with himself, head and body. We pray then to him, through him, in him, and we speak along with him and he along with us.
Augustine of Hippo 354-430, Commentary on the Psalms
Love is all around us
This week has been a bit of tricky one, as implied in an earlier blog, someone I know rather well has been having boy trouble. I reflected on it myself, being as I am still single. For me the fascinating thing has been bouncing ideas of my plethora of male chums on the matter.
I particularly liked the contrast between comments from Chris and Tim. Chris reassured me that men are not stupid and that if this boy had said that he "had a new girlfriend" this was probably a subtle hint. Chris is convinced that this chap KNOWS that this someone likes him. Later chatting to Tim I reported that Chris had told me that men are not stupid.
"Oh yes they are!" He said.
Why do people get hurt so often in this whole love business? Well the thing that has reassured me about humanity and its goodness is the love that all my friends show me. However it was Chris who came up with the greatest wisdom... not his own but borrowed from The Imitation of Christ where Jesus' message is summarised as: "It is for my sake that they must be loved."
The message being that we love each other not for our own sake, not for the sake of those we love but for the sake of God.
Coupled with listening to In Christ Alone by Stuart Townend, this was a great source not of comfort, but of reassurance. It does not matter that I'm single. What matters is that I love and am loved by many people, even by a few people out there in the blogosphere. :oD
I particularly liked the contrast between comments from Chris and Tim. Chris reassured me that men are not stupid and that if this boy had said that he "had a new girlfriend" this was probably a subtle hint. Chris is convinced that this chap KNOWS that this someone likes him. Later chatting to Tim I reported that Chris had told me that men are not stupid.
"Oh yes they are!" He said.
Why do people get hurt so often in this whole love business? Well the thing that has reassured me about humanity and its goodness is the love that all my friends show me. However it was Chris who came up with the greatest wisdom... not his own but borrowed from The Imitation of Christ where Jesus' message is summarised as: "It is for my sake that they must be loved."
The message being that we love each other not for our own sake, not for the sake of those we love but for the sake of God.
Coupled with listening to In Christ Alone by Stuart Townend, this was a great source not of comfort, but of reassurance. It does not matter that I'm single. What matters is that I love and am loved by many people, even by a few people out there in the blogosphere. :oD
Friday, January 14, 2005
Oh what a tangled web..
I am watching season two of West Wing that's come through at last!
Within it was a FANTASTIC speech from President Bartlett. In response to a homophobic radio presenter.
"I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleaned the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be?
My chief of staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police?
Here's one that's really important cause we've got a lot of sports fans inthis town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7 If they promise to wear gloves can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point?
Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother, John, for planting different crops side by side?
Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads?
Think about those questions, would you?"
As he delivered it I thought... THAT sounds familiar. I read that on the internet. How fabulous that somebody copied that and put it out on the net.
Yes. I was right that it was put on the web. However it was put on the web BEFORE it was on the show.
Apparently Aaron Sorkin read it online and tried to find the author to give it a credit but was unable to do so.
From the web to the television screen.
Think on, blog pals.
What you say now could be on West Wing next year!
Within it was a FANTASTIC speech from President Bartlett. In response to a homophobic radio presenter.
"I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleaned the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be?
My chief of staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police?
Here's one that's really important cause we've got a lot of sports fans inthis town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7 If they promise to wear gloves can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point?
Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother, John, for planting different crops side by side?
Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads?
Think about those questions, would you?"
As he delivered it I thought... THAT sounds familiar. I read that on the internet. How fabulous that somebody copied that and put it out on the net.
Yes. I was right that it was put on the web. However it was put on the web BEFORE it was on the show.
Apparently Aaron Sorkin read it online and tried to find the author to give it a credit but was unable to do so.
From the web to the television screen.
Think on, blog pals.
What you say now could be on West Wing next year!
Out of time!
So who is the one person in history or literature that I'd like to meet?
BOY that is a difficult question! Who came up with that one?
Well there's a list I'm afraid....
Leonardo da Vinci - he was cool. He drew. He did science.
Matthew Paris - he was a chronicler. He painted. He observed nature and thought about science.
Gregory of Tours - Bishop and chronicler
Bede - historian and monk
There's a theme developing!
BOY that is a difficult question! Who came up with that one?
Well there's a list I'm afraid....
Leonardo da Vinci - he was cool. He drew. He did science.
Matthew Paris - he was a chronicler. He painted. He observed nature and thought about science.
Gregory of Tours - Bishop and chronicler
Bede - historian and monk
There's a theme developing!
What is the average flying speed of a swallow?
I didn't knwo what to blog about today. It's been a bit of a week one way and another. So I asked my blogless friend (sorry my CURRENTLY blogless friend - go on u know u want to!) what I could blog about. Once she had stopped talkng about cheese... her very sensible suggestion was to ask you all a question. Excellent suggestion but I'm not sure what to ask.
Do you come here often?
(does anyone ever REALLY say that!)
Anyway I'm trying to think up a question not a chat up line - good thing too because I am deeply rubbish at the whole chat up/dating business.
So the question for the day is.....
If you could meet ONE person from any time or place, real or fictional who would it be and why?
If you're very good I'll think about that one too and make it my next blog!
Do you come here often?
(does anyone ever REALLY say that!)
Anyway I'm trying to think up a question not a chat up line - good thing too because I am deeply rubbish at the whole chat up/dating business.
So the question for the day is.....
If you could meet ONE person from any time or place, real or fictional who would it be and why?
If you're very good I'll think about that one too and make it my next blog!
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Wisconsin Actually
Before we leave the topic of Wisconsin entirely... A friend reminded me that it gets an EXCELLENT press in Love Actually. It is the place that the English dork Colin Frizzell goes in search of a beautiful American woman and succeeds in finding FOUR!
So there are definitetly NO moose there ;0D
So there are definitetly NO moose there ;0D
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Dogma part 4: Wisconsin
Metatron: Aaah, Bartleby, was Wisconsin really THAT bad?
Apparently not, according to my friend who lives there (although he was careful to point out he doesn’t hail from there!). Although it’s not a place you can walk around barefoot that often (according to another reliable source!)
The Metatron says these words to the fallen angel Bartleby who preferred the prospect of the end of all existence to staying in Wisconsin where he had been banished for all eternity after rebelling against God.
Well what does Wisconsin stand for? It stands for all the STUFF (as my young people would say) that sometimes makes us want to give up absolutely everything in preference for feeling nothing. Sometimes we all have the feeling that we'd rather everything was different if it meant that one tiny part of life as different.
So what is the Wisconsin in your life? Is Wisconsin really THAT bad?
Apparently not, according to my friend who lives there (although he was careful to point out he doesn’t hail from there!). Although it’s not a place you can walk around barefoot that often (according to another reliable source!)
The Metatron says these words to the fallen angel Bartleby who preferred the prospect of the end of all existence to staying in Wisconsin where he had been banished for all eternity after rebelling against God.
Well what does Wisconsin stand for? It stands for all the STUFF (as my young people would say) that sometimes makes us want to give up absolutely everything in preference for feeling nothing. Sometimes we all have the feeling that we'd rather everything was different if it meant that one tiny part of life as different.
So what is the Wisconsin in your life? Is Wisconsin really THAT bad?
Dogma part 3: Ideas vs Beliefs
Rufus: Mankind got it all wrong. Taking a good idea and building a belief structure around it.
Bethany: Are you saying having beliefs is a bad thing?
Rufus: I just think it’s better to have ideas. I mean you can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier.
An interesting concept here.
I've been thinking quite a lot about beliefs this evening. I am very much aware that the second years of SAOMC are meeting for the first time tonight and that I am not with them. It's not without regret that I'm not there but it was time to move on. I miss you guys. Let me know how you're doing!
Also this evening I have had a long discussion with my friend Ben about the nature of prayer and intercession. We have a curious habit of chatting over MSN about fairly HUGE theological topics. This is usually as the result of Ben (a Roman Catholic) asking me (an Anglican) about certain beliefs which he (and, as he would say, the established church) holds and whether or not I share the belief.
So far I've avoided being burned at the stake as a heretic. Though I'm not sure if this is only because I'm far enough away! ;o)
I like Rufus' idea of having ideas not beliefs. In the modern world where we have seen a resurgence of extremists dying and killing for their beliefs I am rather inclined to think that ideas are safer.
Is it better to have an idea of what God is like than to have a belief that might be wrong?
Certainly I think we have sometimes overcomplicated things by "taking a good idea and building a belief structure around it" Often the clearest conception of God and our relationship with God is not through highly intellectualised academic theology but through our own internal idea of God.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Dogma part 2: John 10.10
Bethany: You have issues with Catholicism, I take it?
Serendipity: I have issues with anyone who treats God like a burden instead of a blessing like some Catholics. You people don't celebrate your faith . . . you mourn it.
Serendipity: I have issues with anyone who treats God like a burden instead of a blessing like some Catholics. You people don't celebrate your faith . . . you mourn it.
(courtesy of Useless Movie Quotes)
I was reading Messy Christian's exploration of membership of the church. Her reflections are fascinating for me, a cradle Christian. I've always been a member of a church so I can't understand what it would be like to be a non-member. For me being a member of the church really is about being a member of a family. Like any family it has its good times and its harder times, its strange old uncles and somewhat wayward cousins. I am rather proud of my church at the moment as we've raised over £1000 for victims of the tsunami (that's aside from other personal donations made before we started collecting) and we've also supported a local coffee shop which gave all its profits from Sunday's trade to the DEC. Lots of parishioners sat together in the coffee shop and talked, demonstrating that the church really does celebrate life. It's a small step but it was there.
Yet we're still not going so far as to demonstrate celebrating our faith not mourning it. Any ideas how we can do that?
Dogma Part 1: What Would Jesus Drive
This is really the title of a program coming up on Channel 4 about car drivers in America and links to a marvellous speech from Dogma
Rufus (the Thirteenth Apostle) : "Back in the old days with J.C., we used to walk everywhere. Did you ever hear of a fat apostle?"
So what would Jesus drive? well as my friend Chris said earlier today. He wouldn't. He'd walk. With a staff and without a second shirt.
Rufus (the Thirteenth Apostle) : "Back in the old days with J.C., we used to walk everywhere. Did you ever hear of a fat apostle?"
So what would Jesus drive? well as my friend Chris said earlier today. He wouldn't. He'd walk. With a staff and without a second shirt.
From Drama to Dogma
Having been thinking about how the Jerry Springer Opera may more may not offend Christians, I'm watching Dogma again this evening. Wonderful film. An exploration of God and faith vs religion and dogma.
I was going to comment on a few witty one-liners but there are just TOO MANY good ones!
So the next few blogs will be focussed around a few choice quotations courtesy of Useless Movie Quotes .
I was going to comment on a few witty one-liners but there are just TOO MANY good ones!
So the next few blogs will be focussed around a few choice quotations courtesy of Useless Movie Quotes .
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Blog around the world
At the suggestion of someone who left a comment on my blog, I recently joined blog explosion. Through this bloggers surf each other's sites and in return for this other people are invited to view their site. Basically the more blogs you look at the more bloggers look at your site. Sometimes the blogs aren't that inspiring but I've come across some really fabulous blogs that I might never have found except through blog explosion. I've also had hundreds of new viewers (though only for a precious 30 seconds in most cases I'm sure!)
Seeing all the blogs made me think I really needed to spruce mine up a bit - hence some of you who've been checking out the blog for a while might have noticed the new links and graphic. I've now got a blogroll of some of my old favourites and a few new treasures from blog explosion.
Well my aim is to get someone from every time zone eventually. Then it really will be a blog around the world. Of course until I find a good candidate for each it will be under construction!
Seeing all the blogs made me think I really needed to spruce mine up a bit - hence some of you who've been checking out the blog for a while might have noticed the new links and graphic. I've now got a blogroll of some of my old favourites and a few new treasures from blog explosion.
Well my aim is to get someone from every time zone eventually. Then it really will be a blog around the world. Of course until I find a good candidate for each it will be under construction!
Saturday, January 08, 2005
The still small voice...
At Pulse (our youth club) today, in addition to the very cool radio controlled car races, we helped prepare for the prayers at our worship tomorrow. We prepared a large altar frontal with the blue of the sky and a white rainbow which we're going to build up to the full technicolour with heart shaped pieces of paper in the seven colours of the spectrum.
In my talk to the young people I focussed on Tilly Smith, the young ten year old from Surrey, who saved a beachful of people in Thailand because she had learned about Earthquakes and Tsunamis in Geography at school a few weeks before. I wanted the young people to know that they can do things that have an impact on the world. The first thing I asked them to do was to cut out one of these hearts for the prayers tomorrow.
So we gave each of them the a square of paper and got them all to fold the paper in half. Then I asked them all to hold that piece of paper up in the air and be quiet whilst they thought about the people in SE Asia, the people who would use the piece of paperfor prayer the next day. It was then, gradually, that the little miracle occurred. The room went silent. There was a buzz. They really did GET IT. Whether or not they each prayed is irrelevant. They were there and they were in the prayer. I stopped myself from spoiling it all with words. We just moved from there to the place where they could cut the paper into a heart shape.
In my talk to the young people I focussed on Tilly Smith, the young ten year old from Surrey, who saved a beachful of people in Thailand because she had learned about Earthquakes and Tsunamis in Geography at school a few weeks before. I wanted the young people to know that they can do things that have an impact on the world. The first thing I asked them to do was to cut out one of these hearts for the prayers tomorrow.
So we gave each of them the a square of paper and got them all to fold the paper in half. Then I asked them all to hold that piece of paper up in the air and be quiet whilst they thought about the people in SE Asia, the people who would use the piece of paperfor prayer the next day. It was then, gradually, that the little miracle occurred. The room went silent. There was a buzz. They really did GET IT. Whether or not they each prayed is irrelevant. They were there and they were in the prayer. I stopped myself from spoiling it all with words. We just moved from there to the place where they could cut the paper into a heart shape.
Springtime for Jerry and Daytime
Ok so I am watching the Jerry Springer Opera right NOW.
I can certainly say that many of the expletives are just pointless and rather too obvious and patronising attempt to recreate the language of "people like that" which is even more bizarre in the curious dissonant style of modern opera.
Well i'ts no Don Giovanni, La Boheme or Aida! I'm swtiching to Billy Connoly. Probably MORE expletives but all of them REAL and unforced. I never find Billy offensive because he doesn't intend to offend. Perhaps that's my issue with the Jerry Springer thing. There's an intention to be offensive. Billy intends to amuse or to make you laugh. It is so often true that it is the thought that counts!
It is our intentions which determine the tone of whatever we do and which colour the way people receive us.
I can certainly say that many of the expletives are just pointless and rather too obvious and patronising attempt to recreate the language of "people like that" which is even more bizarre in the curious dissonant style of modern opera.
Well i'ts no Don Giovanni, La Boheme or Aida! I'm swtiching to Billy Connoly. Probably MORE expletives but all of them REAL and unforced. I never find Billy offensive because he doesn't intend to offend. Perhaps that's my issue with the Jerry Springer thing. There's an intention to be offensive. Billy intends to amuse or to make you laugh. It is so often true that it is the thought that counts!
It is our intentions which determine the tone of whatever we do and which colour the way people receive us.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Opera shun review
Thank you to the anonymous comment with this link to an article written by a Methodist Christian who has seen the Jerry Springer Opera and was able to dispel a few myths about the content and outlook of the show
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Springer is Sprung... er?
I've just been listening to a discussion on the radio (on the Jeremy Vine show) about the controversy surrounding the proposed screening of The Jerry Springer Opera which contains some 8,000 expletives including those which are deemed particularly offensive as well as portraying the Virgin Mary as a victim of rape by an angel and similarly dubious and pejorative portrayals of Jesus and God. An unprecedented number of objections has been received by the BBC some 15,000 letters of protest. Indeed I know someone who has written.
Now I am all for exploring the issues of society through art and literature. I am also not of the belief that religion should be exempt from such scrutiny and exploration. However I think that, by the sound of it, this opera is using references to Mary and Jesus in order to shock as much as possible.
The discussion on the radio was between an art critic called Nicholas De Jong and a Christian preacher called John Blanshard. De Jong came across as aggressive and dismissive. Blanshard defended his position humbly and yet forcefully.
Here are some great highlights though:
Nicholas de Jong Have you SEEN the show?
John Blanshard: No and I haven't committed adultery
but that doesn't mean that I don't know it's wrong!
and my personal favourite...
Nicholas de Jong "We don't live in a theocratic state, thank God" (!)
Now I am all for exploring the issues of society through art and literature. I am also not of the belief that religion should be exempt from such scrutiny and exploration. However I think that, by the sound of it, this opera is using references to Mary and Jesus in order to shock as much as possible.
The discussion on the radio was between an art critic called Nicholas De Jong and a Christian preacher called John Blanshard. De Jong came across as aggressive and dismissive. Blanshard defended his position humbly and yet forcefully.
Here are some great highlights though:
Nicholas de Jong Have you SEEN the show?
John Blanshard: No and I haven't committed adultery
but that doesn't mean that I don't know it's wrong!
and my personal favourite...
Nicholas de Jong "We don't live in a theocratic state, thank God" (!)
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok
Hazel and I had great fun this afternoon taking the decorations off the large church Christmas tree (of whacky star infamy). Now we could have done this the traditinoal climbing the ladder and carefully removing everything method in order to reduce needle droppage but as the tree (which was of exceedingly poor quality but given to us for free so...) had already thrown needles all over the floor of the church we thought we'd be a bit more... shall we say original?
Ok so it was partly that the VERY tall ladder is somewhat unwieldy and one of us had a sore back but there was also a tenny bit of mischievousness going on I think, if we're honest!
So there we are with a 15ft tree covered in gold and silver baubles and two sets of lights. We start by picking off the baubles we can reach.Then after that we start unpeeling the lights at the bottom. As we get high however, we can't reach any more baubles or untangle the lights from the upper branches, we reach an impasse.
Then comes a little gentle shaking of some lower branches and the gently *ping* of baubles hitting Victorian restoration wooden floor. A little gentle hopping and looping of light cable (unplugged - worry not!) from mid height branches. We now have a three quartes bare tree surrounded by a little green sea of needles.
Second impasse. Then a lightbulb appears above Hazel's head and a big grin grows on her face. "I'll be back in a sec" she says and goes off to the back of the church only to return with a long extendable pole (and a personal fanfare!). Champion!
So now proceeds the exciting task of unhooking the upper echelons of the lights from the tree. Of course in the process of this we occassionally knocked off the odd bauble here and there. Then the exchange of mischievous glances and the removal of baubles becomes the aim! Much excitement of bouncing baubles! Very cool.
We managed to clear the whole tree (except the star which was secured firmly with wire to the very top) ready for collection by the council tomorrow. It does however now look ABSOLUTELY dreadful! I do hope the Mothers' Union won't mind when they come for their service tomorrow!
Ok so it was partly that the VERY tall ladder is somewhat unwieldy and one of us had a sore back but there was also a tenny bit of mischievousness going on I think, if we're honest!
So there we are with a 15ft tree covered in gold and silver baubles and two sets of lights. We start by picking off the baubles we can reach.Then after that we start unpeeling the lights at the bottom. As we get high however, we can't reach any more baubles or untangle the lights from the upper branches, we reach an impasse.
Then comes a little gentle shaking of some lower branches and the gently *ping* of baubles hitting Victorian restoration wooden floor. A little gentle hopping and looping of light cable (unplugged - worry not!) from mid height branches. We now have a three quartes bare tree surrounded by a little green sea of needles.
Second impasse. Then a lightbulb appears above Hazel's head and a big grin grows on her face. "I'll be back in a sec" she says and goes off to the back of the church only to return with a long extendable pole (and a personal fanfare!). Champion!
So now proceeds the exciting task of unhooking the upper echelons of the lights from the tree. Of course in the process of this we occassionally knocked off the odd bauble here and there. Then the exchange of mischievous glances and the removal of baubles becomes the aim! Much excitement of bouncing baubles! Very cool.
We managed to clear the whole tree (except the star which was secured firmly with wire to the very top) ready for collection by the council tomorrow. It does however now look ABSOLUTELY dreadful! I do hope the Mothers' Union won't mind when they come for their service tomorrow!
Monday, January 03, 2005
Reduces the signs of aging
The signs of aging currently being experienced...
Aching limbs after rigorous barn dancing last night (do I actually HAVE muscles there?)
Realising I've been listening to Classical music and no other kind for several days.
Remembering too many sketches repeated in a documentary about Eric Morecambe.
The thought that I would have to EXPLAIN who Eric Morecambe is to my young people.
Being called "mum" by one of my young people!
So other than purchasing small pots of over-priced skin cream (I used to be an Avon lady. Trust me there's little difference between the expensive and the cheap creams!) how do I reduce these signs of aging?
Well my current strategy involves a hot bath with rejuvenating blend from Culpepper's, a chilled glass of wine and some music (drat it's currently Vivaldi - is that me STILL being old?)
Aching limbs after rigorous barn dancing last night (do I actually HAVE muscles there?)
Realising I've been listening to Classical music and no other kind for several days.
Remembering too many sketches repeated in a documentary about Eric Morecambe.
The thought that I would have to EXPLAIN who Eric Morecambe is to my young people.
Being called "mum" by one of my young people!
So other than purchasing small pots of over-priced skin cream (I used to be an Avon lady. Trust me there's little difference between the expensive and the cheap creams!) how do I reduce these signs of aging?
Well my current strategy involves a hot bath with rejuvenating blend from Culpepper's, a chilled glass of wine and some music (drat it's currently Vivaldi - is that me STILL being old?)
Know me know my blog
I've been exploring the very deep rabbit hole that is the blogosphere and it's reconfirmed:
My Bloginality is ENFP!!!
My Bloginality is ENFP!!!
Dreaming Spires
I drove over to Oxford today to meet some friends and go shopping and was pleased to catch a glimpse of Christchurch as a friend of mine gave me the great news that he will be singing there from October 2005. This is excellent because he was extremely keen and he also has a fantastic voice. It also gives me yet another excuse to go to one of my favourite places now and then. I mean I'll HAVE to go and hear evensong sometimes now, won't I? In Richard's honour I purchased a CD of Christchurch College choir singing Vivaldi's Gloria which is now resounding throughout the downstairs.
Yet it's not only the whole university thing with Oxford (I have no connections myself with that institution) I just lvoe the busy rush of the place and the fact that I have no duties there. I've spent time on retreat in Oxford and often go there for a day when I need to do a load of forward planning (using my "Oxford Office" as Ian calls the Coffee Republic!) without any distractions from emails and MSN.
Of course the added bonus of some amazing book shops for the occasional resource is a pleasant distraction not to mention the other fabulous shops. I was very good today and was tempted only by the sale at HMV and even there I was restrained and only bought two CDs, the aforementioned Vivaldi and Adiemus, Sanctuary.
It's a curious thing. I bought two "classical" CDs which is not entirely within character but recently I have been listening to Classic FM as I've driven (rather a lot) through the English winter countryside to visit friends. When I looked at my CD collection, however, I discovered that much of what I enjoyed hearing on the radio doesn't feature at all so I decided to begin a campaign of rectifying that a litte. I know that in fact I used to have more classical CDs but some which I had gathered during my university years got subsumed into my Dad's collection when I was living at home and a few are still there (including a much-missed Hildegarde von Bingen collection!). I retrieved the Vaughan-Williams last year as I just COULDN'T live without that one but I don't really have the heart to repurloin the others.
So if I'm seeking to rebuild a collection of classical music on CD what else do I need? Suggestions anyone?
Yet it's not only the whole university thing with Oxford (I have no connections myself with that institution) I just lvoe the busy rush of the place and the fact that I have no duties there. I've spent time on retreat in Oxford and often go there for a day when I need to do a load of forward planning (using my "Oxford Office" as Ian calls the Coffee Republic!) without any distractions from emails and MSN.
Of course the added bonus of some amazing book shops for the occasional resource is a pleasant distraction not to mention the other fabulous shops. I was very good today and was tempted only by the sale at HMV and even there I was restrained and only bought two CDs, the aforementioned Vivaldi and Adiemus, Sanctuary.
It's a curious thing. I bought two "classical" CDs which is not entirely within character but recently I have been listening to Classic FM as I've driven (rather a lot) through the English winter countryside to visit friends. When I looked at my CD collection, however, I discovered that much of what I enjoyed hearing on the radio doesn't feature at all so I decided to begin a campaign of rectifying that a litte. I know that in fact I used to have more classical CDs but some which I had gathered during my university years got subsumed into my Dad's collection when I was living at home and a few are still there (including a much-missed Hildegarde von Bingen collection!). I retrieved the Vaughan-Williams last year as I just COULDN'T live without that one but I don't really have the heart to repurloin the others.
So if I'm seeking to rebuild a collection of classical music on CD what else do I need? Suggestions anyone?
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Ye olde Blogge
I happened to be trying to find a website I'd heard mentioned on the radio a few weeks ago and I found a whole list of the sites that had been recommended. Among them was something far too fun. There is a site where you can build your own historic tale based on the Bayeux Tapestry. I just hope I don't use up my blogging time on tales of "the curious man" (No seriously that's what one of the images is called!")
Firmly Resolved
I made a decision to give up New Year's resolutions this year! Trouble is... like all resolutions I find it hard to keep. I rather feel that I ought to make a resolution about something. One friend suggested I should resolve to be tidier. In fact I've been trying that for a while - clearly it hasn't been too effective though if she hadn't noticed! However the office certainly needs a bit of re-ordering and that's on my agenda for this week. Yet I don't that's REALLY a resolution surely?
So maybe, for once, in resolving NOT to make a resolution I will KEEP a resolution!
So maybe, for once, in resolving NOT to make a resolution I will KEEP a resolution!
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Prayer
Had a fascinating discussion this evening with two friends about all kinds of things but one of the big issues we discussed was PRAYER. Does it work? What are we doing when we pray for people? Does it have a greater impact on God, on the person we prayer for, or on ourselves? Are we aligning ourselves with God? (with God's plan or God's thought or God's love for us) or are we really asking for things and expecting them to happen?
In my prayer life I consider myself to be building a relationship. The more time I spend with God the better I understand God (yet and also the more I realise how much I can't encompass God!) just as in any other relationship. I believe that God calls us to live our lives in a particular way and often to do particular things but I don't believe this is predestination. I have a firm belief in God's desire for us to make a choice to follow what God wills for us. I'm also aware that I for one don't always do exactly what God would will me to do but that doesn't mean that my life is going WRONG according to some pre-ordained plan.
In my prayer life I consider myself to be building a relationship. The more time I spend with God the better I understand God (yet and also the more I realise how much I can't encompass God!) just as in any other relationship. I believe that God calls us to live our lives in a particular way and often to do particular things but I don't believe this is predestination. I have a firm belief in God's desire for us to make a choice to follow what God wills for us. I'm also aware that I for one don't always do exactly what God would will me to do but that doesn't mean that my life is going WRONG according to some pre-ordained plan.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Widow's might
I have just been looking at the horrifying news that the death toll is now 114,000 but known to be set to rise still further. In the face of this disaster we all seek to do what we can. It is not for most of us to rush to volunteer to go and help. No doubt a vast horde of well-intentioned amateurs would cause more problems which would outweigh any benefits. So surely for those of us with means the task is to give and to give according to our means.
If you want to do that (from the UK) you can either call 0870 60 60 900 or visit
www.dec.org.uk From elsewhere in the world I think this link to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent should work.
Today I am proud to be British and indeed European because the United Nations has published the money pledged by various countries. The UK shows a generosity that is pretty exemplary for such a relatively small country. If I were Indian I should be even more proud as the government has declined help and declared its intention not only to provide for those in their country affected but also to send help to Indonesia.
So here are the figures for intial pledges from the BBC, courtesy of Reuters and the UN:
World Bank $250m
UK $96m
EU $44m
US: $35m
Canada: $33m
Japan: $30m
Australia: $27m
France: $20.4m
Denmark: $15.6m
Saudi Arabia: $10m
Norway: $6.6m
Taiwan: $5.1m
Finland: $3.4m
Kuwait: $2.1m
Netherlands: $2.6m
UAE: $2m
Ireland $1.3m
Singapore: $1.2m
(These changed as I typed this blog entry so they maybe out of date when you read.)
As someone who works for a church I know the difficulty of discussing levels of giving with people. My understanding of international economics is not what it could be but I'm sure I'm right in thinking that the US is a bit bigger than us. Could they maybe not dig a little deeper. I'm currently watching Season One of West Wing and I'm sure President Bartlett would be a little more generous!
To my American Friends... this is not a dig at your country really. Well ok maybe it is a bit. Justified though, surely?
If you want to do that (from the UK) you can either call 0870 60 60 900 or visit
www.dec.org.uk From elsewhere in the world I think this link to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent should work.
Today I am proud to be British and indeed European because the United Nations has published the money pledged by various countries. The UK shows a generosity that is pretty exemplary for such a relatively small country. If I were Indian I should be even more proud as the government has declined help and declared its intention not only to provide for those in their country affected but also to send help to Indonesia.
So here are the figures for intial pledges from the BBC, courtesy of Reuters and the UN:
World Bank $250m
UK $96m
EU $44m
US: $35m
Canada: $33m
Japan: $30m
Australia: $27m
France: $20.4m
Denmark: $15.6m
Saudi Arabia: $10m
Norway: $6.6m
Taiwan: $5.1m
Finland: $3.4m
Kuwait: $2.1m
Netherlands: $2.6m
UAE: $2m
Ireland $1.3m
Singapore: $1.2m
(These changed as I typed this blog entry so they maybe out of date when you read.)
As someone who works for a church I know the difficulty of discussing levels of giving with people. My understanding of international economics is not what it could be but I'm sure I'm right in thinking that the US is a bit bigger than us. Could they maybe not dig a little deeper. I'm currently watching Season One of West Wing and I'm sure President Bartlett would be a little more generous!
To my American Friends... this is not a dig at your country really. Well ok maybe it is a bit. Justified though, surely?
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Post Diluvian thoughts
Life goes on as normal here and yet still we hear of more and more dire news from South East Asia. 50,000 now thought dead. Almost the population of my town. Yet the busy rush of the SALES continues. I had to take back a shirt my Dad had bought me in not quite the right size and was overwhelmed by the vastness of the hordes of people bustling around the things they don't really need and may not really want and still lining up at tills to buy them.
I may think I NEED a winter coat, another pair of jeans and a pair of smart trousers yet what is that compared to the people needing housing and consolation. I sit here in my warm house and consider the possibilities of various boxes for Christmas chocolates and yet I know that there are people out there, across the seas, asking reporters if they have any clean water or food they can spare.
So my challenge, once again, to those in the blogosphere who read this is to consider what exactly they really NEED from those sales. Even the small donation we might make of sending our money rather than spending it in the sales is a poor example of us showing Christ to the world.
The BBC site offers a list of places you can give money:
Cafod
Care International
International Federation of the Red Cross
Medecins Sans Frontieres
Oxfam
Save The Children
Unicef
World Vision
To which I might also add
Christian Aid
The situation reminds me of that parable of the kingdom in Matthew 25(35-40).
"for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' "
I may think I NEED a winter coat, another pair of jeans and a pair of smart trousers yet what is that compared to the people needing housing and consolation. I sit here in my warm house and consider the possibilities of various boxes for Christmas chocolates and yet I know that there are people out there, across the seas, asking reporters if they have any clean water or food they can spare.
So my challenge, once again, to those in the blogosphere who read this is to consider what exactly they really NEED from those sales. Even the small donation we might make of sending our money rather than spending it in the sales is a poor example of us showing Christ to the world.
The BBC site offers a list of places you can give money:
Cafod
Care International
International Federation of the Red Cross
Medecins Sans Frontieres
Oxfam
Save The Children
Unicef
World Vision
To which I might also add
Christian Aid
The situation reminds me of that parable of the kingdom in Matthew 25(35-40).
"for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' "
Monday, December 27, 2004
Driving home for Christmas
After the morning service on Christmas day I drove my friend over to her family near Henley and then carried on to my brother's house in Abingdon. On my journey I had the privilege of seeing the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside on Christmas morning. It was so beautiful. Once in Abingdon my sister-in-law served us a most splendid Christmas dinner and we had a wonderful family day of presents and card games and chatter. Being a church youh worker I then had to drive back for our Sunday service yesterday and having rediscovered my car form the snowball that encased it I drove back through an even more picturesque frosted Christmas card scene. There were merry carols on the radio and then the news came on.
Woah...
During my drive home I heard the dreadful news of the tidal wave in South East Asia. They thought thousands might have been killed but the numbers of confirmed deaths was then 500 in Sri Lanka alone. Later in the day it had risen to 2,000. Then 5,000. This morning I awoke to hear the figure was 10,000 and at lunchtime it was 20,000 now the BBC says 23,000. Words cannot describe the terrible times these people must be going through. The devastation, the not knowing who is alive and who is not. The clear up after this will be a long drawn out, painful and expensive process.
Words may fail us all at this time but at a time whe we have all been with our families or missing those who are not with us we can surely empathise with those people whose lives have been shattered over these last days. Yet more than that, at this time of giving we can spend a little less in the sales and send some of our great plenty to the vast need of these people.
The way to do that is through the Red Cross. You know you need to. So do it.
Woah...
During my drive home I heard the dreadful news of the tidal wave in South East Asia. They thought thousands might have been killed but the numbers of confirmed deaths was then 500 in Sri Lanka alone. Later in the day it had risen to 2,000. Then 5,000. This morning I awoke to hear the figure was 10,000 and at lunchtime it was 20,000 now the BBC says 23,000. Words cannot describe the terrible times these people must be going through. The devastation, the not knowing who is alive and who is not. The clear up after this will be a long drawn out, painful and expensive process.
Words may fail us all at this time but at a time whe we have all been with our families or missing those who are not with us we can surely empathise with those people whose lives have been shattered over these last days. Yet more than that, at this time of giving we can spend a little less in the sales and send some of our great plenty to the vast need of these people.
The way to do that is through the Red Cross. You know you need to. So do it.
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Christmas Actually
Ok so I'm doing the Bridget Jones-esque pre Christmas viewing of Love Actually accompanied by Lebkuchen and brandy and trying to work out whether it is an excellent film or a terrible one. Of course when we watch a film we often seek a character with whom we canidentify. So which one is more like me?
Well one of them seems a kinda obvious choice because she is named Sarah (she has a crush on some gorgeous foreign guy - named Carl I think). Then there's the writer hiding himself away from the world and typing his book (at a French villa with an amazing view - if only). The ever so caring Emma Thompson who is marvellously matter of fact and full of down to earth wisdom (I wish!). I think the young people I work with might suggest that I'm like Hugh Grant as the prime minister - well when he's dancing badly anyway! I rather like the boundless optimism of Colin Frizzell heading off to Wisconsin to find his perfect mate (especially the fact that is works out in the most LUDICROUS way possible!)
Yet in many ways I wish that I were more like the youngest character in the film. I think the film really reflects the words of Jesus challenging all of us to become like children if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven. Many people find this concept a little strange but as someone who works with young people, I think I know that what it means. Jesus' message surely is that we need to return to that simple, honest wisdom that young people can possess. Sam has what Ian described as the best line in the film:
"What could be worse than the total agony of being in love?"
The film is very much about that kind of love... romantic love. Well at least it is on the surface. Beneath the soppy love stories and passions of forbidden office romance, the film talks a lot about the love of family and of friends and it is this LOVE, actually, that I think is the real hidden treasure of this film. Emma Thompson's love for her children and brother as well as her wayward husband is a splendid example of selfless devotion. The relationship between bereaved stepfather Daniel and his stepson Sam is just wonderful and a great example of work with young people that pushes the boundaries. The friendship between Billy Mack and his life long friend and manager is a fabulous example of enduring love not only despite people's foibles but in fact because of them. This is the greatest example of love in the film for me; an enduring faithful, through-it-all kind of love. The fact that it is not a romantic love is good news for those of us who are single. It reminds me of the wonderful love of my friends and family. It is also contrasted rather clearly with Alan Rickman's evident lack of fidelity to his wife. No scene compares to that dreadful image of Emma Thompson being oh so together and then bursting into tears in the bedroom before returning to being the perfect wife and mother.
The other curious thing is that the film talks a lot about Christmas being a time when we tell the truth and a time to be with the people we love. Now much as both of these are excellent sentiments, as I was discussing with our lay reader last week, neither is the TRUE message of Christmas. Maureen had heard about one of the many schools that was not doing a nativity this year. One of the teachers defended the decision saying that they had, of course, focussed on loving each other "which is what Christmas is all about." Well, in fact, no, it's not. Loving each other isn't THE message of Christmas. The message of Christmas is that God gives us SALVATION because God loves us. The coming of Christ is not a lovely little story about a baby and everyone being smiley. The coming of Christ is the continuing story of God's plan for the world and the offering of God's son as an example of selfless service and sacrifice to secure the world's redemption. So Love, actually, is not what Christmas about. It is about welcoming Christ into the world and welcoming Christ into our lives. The schmaltzy song near the end of the film says it all (though not as it means to!)
I don't want a lot for Christmas,
There's just one thing I need,
I don't care about the presents
underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
more than you could ever know
make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is You.
Well one of them seems a kinda obvious choice because she is named Sarah (she has a crush on some gorgeous foreign guy - named Carl I think). Then there's the writer hiding himself away from the world and typing his book (at a French villa with an amazing view - if only). The ever so caring Emma Thompson who is marvellously matter of fact and full of down to earth wisdom (I wish!). I think the young people I work with might suggest that I'm like Hugh Grant as the prime minister - well when he's dancing badly anyway! I rather like the boundless optimism of Colin Frizzell heading off to Wisconsin to find his perfect mate (especially the fact that is works out in the most LUDICROUS way possible!)
Yet in many ways I wish that I were more like the youngest character in the film. I think the film really reflects the words of Jesus challenging all of us to become like children if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven. Many people find this concept a little strange but as someone who works with young people, I think I know that what it means. Jesus' message surely is that we need to return to that simple, honest wisdom that young people can possess. Sam has what Ian described as the best line in the film:
"What could be worse than the total agony of being in love?"
The film is very much about that kind of love... romantic love. Well at least it is on the surface. Beneath the soppy love stories and passions of forbidden office romance, the film talks a lot about the love of family and of friends and it is this LOVE, actually, that I think is the real hidden treasure of this film. Emma Thompson's love for her children and brother as well as her wayward husband is a splendid example of selfless devotion. The relationship between bereaved stepfather Daniel and his stepson Sam is just wonderful and a great example of work with young people that pushes the boundaries. The friendship between Billy Mack and his life long friend and manager is a fabulous example of enduring love not only despite people's foibles but in fact because of them. This is the greatest example of love in the film for me; an enduring faithful, through-it-all kind of love. The fact that it is not a romantic love is good news for those of us who are single. It reminds me of the wonderful love of my friends and family. It is also contrasted rather clearly with Alan Rickman's evident lack of fidelity to his wife. No scene compares to that dreadful image of Emma Thompson being oh so together and then bursting into tears in the bedroom before returning to being the perfect wife and mother.
The other curious thing is that the film talks a lot about Christmas being a time when we tell the truth and a time to be with the people we love. Now much as both of these are excellent sentiments, as I was discussing with our lay reader last week, neither is the TRUE message of Christmas. Maureen had heard about one of the many schools that was not doing a nativity this year. One of the teachers defended the decision saying that they had, of course, focussed on loving each other "which is what Christmas is all about." Well, in fact, no, it's not. Loving each other isn't THE message of Christmas. The message of Christmas is that God gives us SALVATION because God loves us. The coming of Christ is not a lovely little story about a baby and everyone being smiley. The coming of Christ is the continuing story of God's plan for the world and the offering of God's son as an example of selfless service and sacrifice to secure the world's redemption. So Love, actually, is not what Christmas about. It is about welcoming Christ into the world and welcoming Christ into our lives. The schmaltzy song near the end of the film says it all (though not as it means to!)
I don't want a lot for Christmas,
There's just one thing I need,
I don't care about the presents
underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
more than you could ever know
make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is You.
A Wing and a Prayer
A friend of mine ordered me the first season of The West Wing on DVD for Christmas and Amazon were so efficient that it arrived at my house a few days ago. Unfortunately I was expecting a delivery so I opened it and it wasn't gift wrapped (despite his specification that it should be!) so I figured I could start watching them!
I love the The West Wing but I only picked up on this during the second season. So currently I am exploring the joys of the undiscovered territory of a series I've not watched. Right now I'm watching the Christmas episode which is rather pleasing but last night I caught an episode in which Josh (the deputy chief of staff) is given a card with instructions as to what to do in the event of a White House evacuation to Air Force One during a Major Incident such as a nuclear attack.
Josh's first question really showed the depth of care in this guy. He said "So do I let my staff know where to go or do they have their own cards?" The blank look from the NSA man said it all and Josh slowly realised that his staff would not be joining him, that he would leave them behind. In his angst he breaks all protocol and speaks to his colleague Sam to ask him how he had reacted when he was given the card. Unfortunately Sam's response is one of bewilderment. He has no card. Josh is forced to recover the situation whilst realising that yet another friend is not one of the elect.
This made me think about the idea of the Rapture.
I've had occasion to discuss the concept of the rapture with some of my friends from my theology course and with other colleagues. Sometimes these discussions have been rather flippant and light-hearted including jokes when a handful of us have been waiting for the others and wondered whether they have all been "taken up" and at other times the discussions have been a little more serious and debated what we actually think about the whole idea of atonement, the afterlife and what happens at the end of the world.
The idea that a few elect will be taken up when others are left behind is something I find difficult to reconcile with the God whose love I feel with me at all times. Human parents almost invariably find it impossible to be angry with their children forever no matter what they've done and I think God LOVES us more than any human parent loves their child. I can't imagine the idea of a loving God leaving people behind. That's not even considering the repurcussions for families and friends of some being taken and some being left.
Josh's reaction for me exemplifies the reaction I would expect of anyone who would be worthy of being of "the elect". He hands back the card. He says that if there is going to be a disaster he wants to be with his friends, with his family, with the people that he loves. He doesn't want to be saved without them. This is not the petulance of a child saying he doesn't want to go if his friends aren't going. This is a deep and true expression of love. The self-sacrificing love which God shows us and which God calls each of us to offer to Him and to each other.
"For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."
I love the The West Wing but I only picked up on this during the second season. So currently I am exploring the joys of the undiscovered territory of a series I've not watched. Right now I'm watching the Christmas episode which is rather pleasing but last night I caught an episode in which Josh (the deputy chief of staff) is given a card with instructions as to what to do in the event of a White House evacuation to Air Force One during a Major Incident such as a nuclear attack.
Josh's first question really showed the depth of care in this guy. He said "So do I let my staff know where to go or do they have their own cards?" The blank look from the NSA man said it all and Josh slowly realised that his staff would not be joining him, that he would leave them behind. In his angst he breaks all protocol and speaks to his colleague Sam to ask him how he had reacted when he was given the card. Unfortunately Sam's response is one of bewilderment. He has no card. Josh is forced to recover the situation whilst realising that yet another friend is not one of the elect.
This made me think about the idea of the Rapture.
I've had occasion to discuss the concept of the rapture with some of my friends from my theology course and with other colleagues. Sometimes these discussions have been rather flippant and light-hearted including jokes when a handful of us have been waiting for the others and wondered whether they have all been "taken up" and at other times the discussions have been a little more serious and debated what we actually think about the whole idea of atonement, the afterlife and what happens at the end of the world.
The idea that a few elect will be taken up when others are left behind is something I find difficult to reconcile with the God whose love I feel with me at all times. Human parents almost invariably find it impossible to be angry with their children forever no matter what they've done and I think God LOVES us more than any human parent loves their child. I can't imagine the idea of a loving God leaving people behind. That's not even considering the repurcussions for families and friends of some being taken and some being left.
Josh's reaction for me exemplifies the reaction I would expect of anyone who would be worthy of being of "the elect". He hands back the card. He says that if there is going to be a disaster he wants to be with his friends, with his family, with the people that he loves. He doesn't want to be saved without them. This is not the petulance of a child saying he doesn't want to go if his friends aren't going. This is a deep and true expression of love. The self-sacrificing love which God shows us and which God calls each of us to offer to Him and to each other.
"For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Golden Years
This evening our church celebrated the golden wedding anniversary of two of our parishioners. It was a wonderful service which talked of love and hope and joy. I found it rather refreshing to be singing something other than Christmas carols. However the whole concept of a GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY was something which I found both encouraging and the tiniest bit depressing. This is something so very rare in a society where one inthree marriages end in divorce which is very sad. On a more personal note it's something I'm rather assuming I will never do. I'm thirty and currently single. For me to reach such a milestone would necessitate me finding a life partner within the next few years AND surviving to beyond the age of eighty. Of course it also requires me finding a life partner of equal longevity (or a slightly younger man with a few spare years I suppose!). Some big challenge. However it's not about the length of time but about the devotion. I admire Ellie and Percy, without ending, for the fact that they have devoted themselves to loving someone and loving God for all that time. Through my life and my words I try to show God's love to those around me. Yet I think there is no better way to evidence God's love than through a long marriage which has ridden the waves of trouble and surfed the froth of joy. I hope to partake in that some day but for now, to all those of you who are married, can I urge you to see it as a sign of God's love to those aroudn you not of lovey-dovey cuteness but of an enduring through-it-all love which is what God grants to us all.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Easy as pie
Well I am sitting in the living room covered in flour and surrounded by wrapping paper with the prospect of a "pass the parcel" to wrap still before me. However I am the proud creator of what must be some of the finest mince pies ever crafted by human hand! Four dozen of them too (less one - which broke I might add!) Unfortunately I have more to make tomorrow or on Thursday as we need some for our Crib service on Christmas Eve, some are for our most excellent verger (without whom Christmas would just not be happening at All Saints') and others are for friends and family as gifts.
This may not seem like much of a success to some but, for me, successfully making pastry which doesn't require water to paste it together and which actually tastes not only not disgusting but actully delicious is something of a success. I have always been apalling at making pastry. This apparently has something to do with having warm hands (though I've never thought they were that warm!) I had almost given up all hope of being able to make pastry when a few years ago I discovered that you can make pastry in a blender. I did succeed in making some at my parents' house with the blender there a long time ago but I hadn't been able to repeat this since I moved into my own place as I didn't have a blender. Now however, courtesy of the lovely Ami who gave me a blender for my birthday I have now been able to make a semblance of being a pastry chef! Thank you sweetie! I shall of course be bringing some round for you.
This may not seem like much of a success to some but, for me, successfully making pastry which doesn't require water to paste it together and which actually tastes not only not disgusting but actully delicious is something of a success. I have always been apalling at making pastry. This apparently has something to do with having warm hands (though I've never thought they were that warm!) I had almost given up all hope of being able to make pastry when a few years ago I discovered that you can make pastry in a blender. I did succeed in making some at my parents' house with the blender there a long time ago but I hadn't been able to repeat this since I moved into my own place as I didn't have a blender. Now however, courtesy of the lovely Ami who gave me a blender for my birthday I have now been able to make a semblance of being a pastry chef! Thank you sweetie! I shall of course be bringing some round for you.
A Star is born
The local Church of England primary school came to church today for their last assembly of the term and as they were focussing on the story of the Magi, David used the star I made for the top of the tree as part of his talk. Apart from getting a round of applause for it which was rather funny, he said it was new and wonderful. So it was a SPECIAL star just like the star the wise men followed to find Jesus. He urged all the children to follow special stars like that rather than just anything that shines and sparkles. I rather liked that.
Monday, December 20, 2004
Carols and Lessons
Well it was our church's Nine Lessons and Carols last night and it had more than NINE lessons for me!
The additional lesson was one in dealing with nerves. I had volunteered to sing a solo in the last carol the choir were singing. Now I can stand up in front of a church FULL of people and read, lead prayers, preach and even do an impression of a big monster. Yet singing fills me with adrenalin fuelled terror. However I know that God gave me a voice for singing and therefore I know I should use it to God's glory.
I am told that the solo sounded "excellent" and "wonderful" so I think it must have been worth the wobbling knees and the lightheaded clinging to the choir stall to stay standing.
Yet aside from THIS lesson... there are others there too.
We sing Christmas carols at this time of year and the words are very familiar but do they have lessons for us? Is there a decent theology to be explored in carols?
Some crackers.... (and that's "good ones" not biscuits, or treat-filled theologically sound additions to the Christmas dinner table!)
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient good as he
Well let's "unpack" that shall we...
Jesus says that to enter the kingdom of heaven we must all become like children so this applies to ALL of us not just the under 12s. Mild... Jesus as MILD? Now Jesus being kind I can believe. Gentle, yes. MILD? That implies a lack of gravitas that just doesn't reflect the character of Jesus for me. Obedient. Unquestionable. Yes. Obedient even unto death. "Good as he". This is where I have the real trouble. Christians must all be as good as Jesus. That's just not possible. Yes we should all AIM for this but we KNOW that we are weak, and that we've all sinned in our lives. Not one of us could EVER be as good as Jesus.
Here's another one...
"above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by"
Now my knowledge of astrophysics isn't up to the second part. Are stars silent? I always think that they make a kind of twinkling small tubular wind chimes kinda sound but I know that's rather fantastical. And blogging of fantastical... Jesus in a dreamless sleep. Really? Did he not have dreams? As someone fully divine and fully human surely he MUST have dreamed as humans do. Just imagine what those dreams might have been.
Ok another quick one to finish...
Away in a manger...
AWAY? Away where? Am I missing something?
The additional lesson was one in dealing with nerves. I had volunteered to sing a solo in the last carol the choir were singing. Now I can stand up in front of a church FULL of people and read, lead prayers, preach and even do an impression of a big monster. Yet singing fills me with adrenalin fuelled terror. However I know that God gave me a voice for singing and therefore I know I should use it to God's glory.
I am told that the solo sounded "excellent" and "wonderful" so I think it must have been worth the wobbling knees and the lightheaded clinging to the choir stall to stay standing.
Yet aside from THIS lesson... there are others there too.
We sing Christmas carols at this time of year and the words are very familiar but do they have lessons for us? Is there a decent theology to be explored in carols?
Some crackers.... (and that's "good ones" not biscuits, or treat-filled theologically sound additions to the Christmas dinner table!)
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient good as he
Well let's "unpack" that shall we...
Jesus says that to enter the kingdom of heaven we must all become like children so this applies to ALL of us not just the under 12s. Mild... Jesus as MILD? Now Jesus being kind I can believe. Gentle, yes. MILD? That implies a lack of gravitas that just doesn't reflect the character of Jesus for me. Obedient. Unquestionable. Yes. Obedient even unto death. "Good as he". This is where I have the real trouble. Christians must all be as good as Jesus. That's just not possible. Yes we should all AIM for this but we KNOW that we are weak, and that we've all sinned in our lives. Not one of us could EVER be as good as Jesus.
Here's another one...
"above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by"
Now my knowledge of astrophysics isn't up to the second part. Are stars silent? I always think that they make a kind of twinkling small tubular wind chimes kinda sound but I know that's rather fantastical. And blogging of fantastical... Jesus in a dreamless sleep. Really? Did he not have dreams? As someone fully divine and fully human surely he MUST have dreamed as humans do. Just imagine what those dreams might have been.
Ok another quick one to finish...
Away in a manger...
AWAY? Away where? Am I missing something?
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Wit crack away!
Ok the challenge to find a theological justification for crackers was taken up by Ian with great enthusiasm. Though I do have to say the justification for the little jokes (and the recent addition of trivia questions which confused people intothinking they're jokes which really AREN'T funny!) is still lacking. Any takers?
I'm all out of blog...
I'm afraid the blog is suffering from the fact that I've been doing a bit of book writing today. I found myself more in the mood for writing one of the characters so I did some of that. Unfortunatley, ladies and gentlemen it means you don't get much from me on here. You'll just have to start saving up to buy the book!
Cracking news...
Ok I've just heard from two sources that Americans don't have Christmas crackers. How strange is that? I know that the pathetic nature of cracker jokes is probably uniqely British but surely we could manage to export this tradition? I mean, does this mean that Americans don't sit wearing silly paper hats after their Christmas dinner? Where do they get those handy little screwdriver sets for glasses that seem to appear nowhere but in crackers? I just can't imagine a Christmas dinner without a succession of crummy jokes and where would you get those except from a cracker? In our small group this morning we discussed all those things that we do at Christmas that don't actually relate to the Christmas story and it really is most of it and of course crackers was on that list. Well I couldn't find any theological justification for them! Anyone willing to have a go?
Friday, December 17, 2004
Hallelujah Caught us
An interesting discussion arose this evening when we were at The Royal Albert Hall waiting to hear Handel's Messiah.
I've never been to hear it before (though I have sung it and performed sections from it) but Mike and Wayne reliably informed me that it is traditional to stand for the Hallelujah chorus. Apparently this is because George III stood when he first heard it because it moved him so much. I had no recollection of this custom (of course when I sang it I was standing anyway!) but didn't remember seeing people stand for anything except the national anthem. Fortunately when the moment came the conductor in fact indicated that we should all stand and we duly did so.
The interesting thing is I am used to standing for the Hallelujah as I do so every Sunday when we sing Alleluias before the Gospel reading at the Eucharist. The idea of this being that standing is a sign of respect. Is this what the audience was doing this evening? Who was it for? What was the standing ABOUT?
The other thing the evening taught me was that some people clearly didn't get educated in theatre and concert going as I did when I was a child (I sound like such a granny!). My parents brought me up to know that ou only clap at the END of a piece of music (hence only twice in the Messiah; at the interval and at the end) and that you don't HUM along to music at a concert no matter how tempted you might be. Also if you need to pass people to get to your seats you FACE them and thank them politely and apologise for the inconvenience.
I have to admit that the Americans were right in saying that the British were deeply lacking in manners!
I've never been to hear it before (though I have sung it and performed sections from it) but Mike and Wayne reliably informed me that it is traditional to stand for the Hallelujah chorus. Apparently this is because George III stood when he first heard it because it moved him so much. I had no recollection of this custom (of course when I sang it I was standing anyway!) but didn't remember seeing people stand for anything except the national anthem. Fortunately when the moment came the conductor in fact indicated that we should all stand and we duly did so.
The interesting thing is I am used to standing for the Hallelujah as I do so every Sunday when we sing Alleluias before the Gospel reading at the Eucharist. The idea of this being that standing is a sign of respect. Is this what the audience was doing this evening? Who was it for? What was the standing ABOUT?
The other thing the evening taught me was that some people clearly didn't get educated in theatre and concert going as I did when I was a child (I sound like such a granny!). My parents brought me up to know that ou only clap at the END of a piece of music (hence only twice in the Messiah; at the interval and at the end) and that you don't HUM along to music at a concert no matter how tempted you might be. Also if you need to pass people to get to your seats you FACE them and thank them politely and apologise for the inconvenience.
I have to admit that the Americans were right in saying that the British were deeply lacking in manners!
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Mrs Fiona Charming...
I was chatting with one of the young people this evening and our conversation turned to the different attitudes of men and women to relationships. It reminded me of something that I've often talked about with female friends with frankness and with male friends to looks of horror.
All the women out there will KNOW that, at least once in their life, they have wondered what their name would sound like with the surname of some guy, a friend, a cutie they've just met... It's a thing we do. It's inane. It's plain BIZARRE really but we do it. I know I did it when I was at primary school and more embarrassingly have done it within the last five years (I won't confess to anything more precise!) More than that... women (and it really is NOT just me here) have this curious tendency to leap ahead and start considering what lies in the future with someone they may not even have begun dating.
Guys just don't seemed to be wired the same way. Well for a start they don't NEED to consider what their name would sound like with a different surname but I'm sure they don't even begin to consider how some woman's name would sound with THEIR surname. It's inconceivable. Men certainly don't appear to be doing the pie in the sky future planning either. For them the question is "how's it going?" not "where's it going?" It seems a terrible stereotype but the men I know seem to be far more logical about relationships and we women do seem to get all emotional about them.
Which attitude is more healthy? I've seen lots of women go through heartaches because the futures haven't shaped up. The "happy ending" hasn't turned up. Yet do women benefit from this activity? Well it can be wonderful fun to dream about happy futures. Surely it's half the fun of the dating game. This means the guys might be missing out. Of course seeing dreams fade or shatter is not pleasant and the guys are fortunate to miss out on that.
As much as I know that I've indulged in this kind of craziness in my time, and I know it has been painful at times, I wouldn't trade places with the guys for anything. They can keep their cool logic, I think. Give me the emotions any day!
All the women out there will KNOW that, at least once in their life, they have wondered what their name would sound like with the surname of some guy, a friend, a cutie they've just met... It's a thing we do. It's inane. It's plain BIZARRE really but we do it. I know I did it when I was at primary school and more embarrassingly have done it within the last five years (I won't confess to anything more precise!) More than that... women (and it really is NOT just me here) have this curious tendency to leap ahead and start considering what lies in the future with someone they may not even have begun dating.
Guys just don't seemed to be wired the same way. Well for a start they don't NEED to consider what their name would sound like with a different surname but I'm sure they don't even begin to consider how some woman's name would sound with THEIR surname. It's inconceivable. Men certainly don't appear to be doing the pie in the sky future planning either. For them the question is "how's it going?" not "where's it going?" It seems a terrible stereotype but the men I know seem to be far more logical about relationships and we women do seem to get all emotional about them.
Which attitude is more healthy? I've seen lots of women go through heartaches because the futures haven't shaped up. The "happy ending" hasn't turned up. Yet do women benefit from this activity? Well it can be wonderful fun to dream about happy futures. Surely it's half the fun of the dating game. This means the guys might be missing out. Of course seeing dreams fade or shatter is not pleasant and the guys are fortunate to miss out on that.
As much as I know that I've indulged in this kind of craziness in my time, and I know it has been painful at times, I wouldn't trade places with the guys for anything. They can keep their cool logic, I think. Give me the emotions any day!
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
We Tree Kings
Mike, Wayne and I decorated my Christmas tree this evening and I must say it looks FABULOUS. This is no surprise as the baubles were positioned with much greater precision and meticulous care than usual. Mike spent ages putting the lights on and Wayne acted as the tree ornament police not allowing two ornaments on the same branch!
It was also handy having a tall person to put up the decorations in high places as my step ladder went walkabout at the church hall a couple of months ago.
However the transatlantic divide kicked in when we were listening to carols to "the usual tune" or "not the usual tune" depending on your country of origin! It's amazing how wedded we are to the things of our upbringing. We like thngs the way we have known them. This also came out in the "star first" or "star last" debate. Our family has ALWAYS put up a particular star before any other decoration and always put the star on the top of the tree before any other tree decorations. Mike said his family always put it on last and I INSISTED that the star HAD to go on first. Yet when he pressed me for a reason I REALLY couldn't think of one other thna some vague muttering about the Star of Bethlehem. I realise this was MY justification for why we always did it but I don't know if it was THE reason!!
It was also handy having a tall person to put up the decorations in high places as my step ladder went walkabout at the church hall a couple of months ago.
However the transatlantic divide kicked in when we were listening to carols to "the usual tune" or "not the usual tune" depending on your country of origin! It's amazing how wedded we are to the things of our upbringing. We like thngs the way we have known them. This also came out in the "star first" or "star last" debate. Our family has ALWAYS put up a particular star before any other decoration and always put the star on the top of the tree before any other tree decorations. Mike said his family always put it on last and I INSISTED that the star HAD to go on first. Yet when he pressed me for a reason I REALLY couldn't think of one other thna some vague muttering about the Star of Bethlehem. I realise this was MY justification for why we always did it but I don't know if it was THE reason!!
The saga continues
Well I was VERY excited today as I received THREE parcels! Well one of them was at 7.35 which was a little TOO exciting for this sluggabed! Two of the parcels were in fact things I'd ordered other people for Christmas but ONE of the parcels which actually came to the office was FAR more thrilling...
It was an ordinary looking jiffy bag with my name and address written on it in large friendly letters but what was on the inside was FAR from ordinary. For inside that white jiffy bag was something I have been waiting for... something extremely cool. Perhaps I should say someONE extremely cool.
You may have guessed it! PRAYER BEAR II has arrived!
The timing is perfect because I was hoping to involve Prayer Bear in my Christmas talk to the young people and now I can - YAY!
It was an ordinary looking jiffy bag with my name and address written on it in large friendly letters but what was on the inside was FAR from ordinary. For inside that white jiffy bag was something I have been waiting for... something extremely cool. Perhaps I should say someONE extremely cool.
You may have guessed it! PRAYER BEAR II has arrived!
The timing is perfect because I was hoping to involve Prayer Bear in my Christmas talk to the young people and now I can - YAY!
Monday, December 13, 2004
Sixpence none the richer
My bible study this morning was all about possessions and wealth. Certainly a good choice for the approach to Christmas. I left the house feeling relatively confident that I'm NOT that materialistic... but it went down hill from there really.
Firstly I got to drive my friend Mike's car which is a lovely sporty Honda. It was fabulous fun. 5 gears of "heavenly" power! I admit that getting into my sweet and much loved fiat panda really did feel a let down after that. Charlie (the car) is my pride and joy, a great down-to-earth sensible and reliable car despite much dissing by some people and a curious veneration as being COOL by some of the young people.
This feeling of being rather poor was dashed, however by a look at Care International's Rich List and discovered that there are 5,369,961,190 people poorer than me. Woah! I am, apparently the 630,038,810 richest person in the world in the top 10.5%. Somewhat humbling indeed.
Firstly I got to drive my friend Mike's car which is a lovely sporty Honda. It was fabulous fun. 5 gears of "heavenly" power! I admit that getting into my sweet and much loved fiat panda really did feel a let down after that. Charlie (the car) is my pride and joy, a great down-to-earth sensible and reliable car despite much dissing by some people and a curious veneration as being COOL by some of the young people.
This feeling of being rather poor was dashed, however by a look at Care International's Rich List and discovered that there are 5,369,961,190 people poorer than me. Woah! I am, apparently the 630,038,810 richest person in the world in the top 10.5%. Somewhat humbling indeed.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Burnfest VII
Just back from BURNFEST VII which is the seventh in a series of fireworks parties. This term totally undersestimates the magnificence of BURNFEST however! It is USUALLY some time around 5th November but this year it was "LATE BUT GREAT" because Coz is only just back from a year in Oz.
After two years of arriving late as a result of getting LOST I managed to be EARLY this year. The trouble was I got there by a VERY strange route the first time, having gone wrong quite early on and then asked some lovely people (unsuccessfully) for directions to Tom's Farm (only to discover later that this wasn't the name of the farm just the name of Coz's friend who lives there, hence it's his farm!!!). The SECOND time I drove there I could only remember getting there the strange getting lost way and so got lost again but in a DIFFERENT way, curiously enough!!!
Fortunately this year I had it sussed!
The evening began with the merriment of sparklers (shiny, pretty!) and lots of catching up with my old students. Then a guy started doing some fire stick juggling which was rather cool. Even more cool though, when one of the fire stick end went out, my handy youthworker-who-has-light-candles-in-church lighter came to the fore! I was only a little unnerved as I stood there hold a lighter under a parafin soaked baton and he said "the parafin might drip a bit"! I escaped unscathed however!
After that was munching on bangers,of the sausagey kind. Scrumptious!
Then the huge bonfire, complete with Red Dwarf characters and a rather sad looking reindeer, was lit to the accompaniment of "I'm a Firestarter" and the chill of the December night was off-set rather splendindly.
After much gazing at the wonderfully flickering flames, we wereled by torchesto the field and standing at a "safe" distance of indeterminate length we watched a cracking display of fireworks, courtesy of Coz and the Committee of Burning. There were some girly ones for the girlies (oooooh.... ahhhhhh) and some EXTREMELY loud one's for the tough guys plus a Catherine Wheel for Catherines! It was just glorious.
After that we went back to the now somewhat smaller bonfire for the toasting of marshmallows. The bonfire was smallER but still required a stick of at least 3ft to hold a marshmallow and cook it without cooking your arm! It really was VERY WARM!
More chat with my old students and the usual chance to chat to Coz's rather curious collection of curious friends including those of dubious nicknames - USW you know who you are! This led into a fantastic rubbish joke telling contest which Ruth DEFINITELY won with her "3 men walking into a bar" joke!!
Well I am now home and theproud owner of my second Burnfest Polo Shirt! This year I learnt my lesson, however, and ordered a large shirt so it could fit OVER my many layers for the occasion!
After two years of arriving late as a result of getting LOST I managed to be EARLY this year. The trouble was I got there by a VERY strange route the first time, having gone wrong quite early on and then asked some lovely people (unsuccessfully) for directions to Tom's Farm (only to discover later that this wasn't the name of the farm just the name of Coz's friend who lives there, hence it's his farm!!!). The SECOND time I drove there I could only remember getting there the strange getting lost way and so got lost again but in a DIFFERENT way, curiously enough!!!
Fortunately this year I had it sussed!
The evening began with the merriment of sparklers (shiny, pretty!) and lots of catching up with my old students. Then a guy started doing some fire stick juggling which was rather cool. Even more cool though, when one of the fire stick end went out, my handy youthworker-who-has-light-candles-in-church lighter came to the fore! I was only a little unnerved as I stood there hold a lighter under a parafin soaked baton and he said "the parafin might drip a bit"! I escaped unscathed however!
After that was munching on bangers,of the sausagey kind. Scrumptious!
Then the huge bonfire, complete with Red Dwarf characters and a rather sad looking reindeer, was lit to the accompaniment of "I'm a Firestarter" and the chill of the December night was off-set rather splendindly.
After much gazing at the wonderfully flickering flames, we wereled by torchesto the field and standing at a "safe" distance of indeterminate length we watched a cracking display of fireworks, courtesy of Coz and the Committee of Burning. There were some girly ones for the girlies (oooooh.... ahhhhhh) and some EXTREMELY loud one's for the tough guys plus a Catherine Wheel for Catherines! It was just glorious.
After that we went back to the now somewhat smaller bonfire for the toasting of marshmallows. The bonfire was smallER but still required a stick of at least 3ft to hold a marshmallow and cook it without cooking your arm! It really was VERY WARM!
More chat with my old students and the usual chance to chat to Coz's rather curious collection of curious friends including those of dubious nicknames - USW you know who you are! This led into a fantastic rubbish joke telling contest which Ruth DEFINITELY won with her "3 men walking into a bar" joke!!
Well I am now home and theproud owner of my second Burnfest Polo Shirt! This year I learnt my lesson, however, and ordered a large shirt so it could fit OVER my many layers for the occasion!
Follow that star...
Ok just a quick one to let you know I've had some more feedback on the star...
From a young person:
"Its... well... odd"
However I am resovled that the star STAYS.
David the vicar says:
"I think it's great. I'm with you!"
So the star shines on. Hurrah!
From a young person:
"Its... well... odd"
However I am resovled that the star STAYS.
David the vicar says:
"I think it's great. I'm with you!"
So the star shines on. Hurrah!
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Blog diss
I absolutely LOVE doing my blog. It gives me the chance to make sense of the day a little, to reflect on everything that has happened. I can cherish and rejoice over the good, untangle the mess of the rest and consider where I might improve on things if I can. Blogging also give me the opportunity to WRITE which is something I love very much and yet... and yet there are problems with blogging. So I will now, if I may diss the blog!
There are times in one's life when it is just NOT possible to blog away something that has happened. Times when the blog just isn't the place. Being a public medium, I simply can't write about EVERYTHING that happens, not only in my job but also in my personal life (or what there is of one, as someone in ministry!).
Of course, BEFORE I began blogging, I didn't have an opportunity to unpack stuff at all in this way and yet now that I DO have my blog, it is sometimes a little strange for me to be unable to use the blog for some things.
Today is one of those days. I have STUFF (as my young people would call it) that is just not bloggable and as is so often the case with STUFF it just gets in the way of the rest so I can't think of anything else to blog about. Even watching Cool Runnings with the young people has just left me NEARLY able to blog. There's a little blog tickling at the back of my brain but not materialising as yet.
Sorry guys... you'll have to wait. Anyway, the sermonette for tomorrow's all-age service calls. It may be on the SUBJECT of waiting but it can't wait any longer!
There are times in one's life when it is just NOT possible to blog away something that has happened. Times when the blog just isn't the place. Being a public medium, I simply can't write about EVERYTHING that happens, not only in my job but also in my personal life (or what there is of one, as someone in ministry!).
Of course, BEFORE I began blogging, I didn't have an opportunity to unpack stuff at all in this way and yet now that I DO have my blog, it is sometimes a little strange for me to be unable to use the blog for some things.
Today is one of those days. I have STUFF (as my young people would call it) that is just not bloggable and as is so often the case with STUFF it just gets in the way of the rest so I can't think of anything else to blog about. Even watching Cool Runnings with the young people has just left me NEARLY able to blog. There's a little blog tickling at the back of my brain but not materialising as yet.
Sorry guys... you'll have to wait. Anyway, the sermonette for tomorrow's all-age service calls. It may be on the SUBJECT of waiting but it can't wait any longer!
Friday, December 10, 2004
Non Angli sed Angeli
Ok I've had SOME feedback on the star from two of our flower arrangers. Now these must be ARTISTIC people, yeah? With an eye for design and style, wouldn't you think?
Well Liz and Pat thought the star looked good and were SHOCKED that anyone had dissed it.
Feeling pretty much better now.
Then I'm reminded of a rather unnerving fact... I volunteered to sing a solo at the Nine Lessons and Carols service next week. Eek! What was I thinking? I'm not BRAVE! 300 people and just me singing. Reading, sermon, making an idiot of myself doing a monster impression, admitting to a lifelong desire to be a pirate (that was in front of 500 actually!) all no problem... but SINGING? So why does singing make me so much more nervous than speaking? I'm not entirely sure but three or four years ago I would NEVER have done the solo but I've gradually gained in confidence for doing them. Though I am STILL nervous about it!
Well I've done it now. No backing out. It's a lovely tune in fact. Cool, funky medieval discordant thing. Just hope it's discordant in the right places!
Well Liz and Pat thought the star looked good and were SHOCKED that anyone had dissed it.
Feeling pretty much better now.
Then I'm reminded of a rather unnerving fact... I volunteered to sing a solo at the Nine Lessons and Carols service next week. Eek! What was I thinking? I'm not BRAVE! 300 people and just me singing. Reading, sermon, making an idiot of myself doing a monster impression, admitting to a lifelong desire to be a pirate (that was in front of 500 actually!) all no problem... but SINGING? So why does singing make me so much more nervous than speaking? I'm not entirely sure but three or four years ago I would NEVER have done the solo but I've gradually gained in confidence for doing them. Though I am STILL nervous about it!
Well I've done it now. No backing out. It's a lovely tune in fact. Cool, funky medieval discordant thing. Just hope it's discordant in the right places!
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Angles on the top of the tree
OK so this afternoon, the wonder that was the Blue-Peter-esque star, which I created out of three coat hangers, a rope light and a lot of frustraion, was finally attached to the top of the 5m tall Christmas tree we have in church.
There can't be many churches that can boast a "map of France" on the top of their tree. Yes indeed the "STAR" element of our tree topping is not entirely clear as a result of the difficulty in making rope light make an angle instead of a curve.
Although it didn't look exactly perfect, Hazel the Verger and I were rather please with our efforts (despite the large number of pine needles falling in our hair and sticking in our jumpers.
One difficulty with it is that the lights seem to return to "FLASHING" every time we switch them off, even if we LEAVE it set on "STEADY ON". This means that whenever we first switch it on it looks VERY tacky! Switching it off and on again does seem to make it change mode... sometimes. Oh dear.
However we have had some other feedback so far...
From one of my young people who was in playing the organ as we put up the star:
"It's ... modern!"
From a friend (ha!)
"Sarah I have never seen a more hideous adornment on a tree. Ever! It's tacky and oh my word it's FLASHING!"
From a diplomatic primary school teacher:
"It looks like a very young child has drawn a star and you have copied it in lights."
From another young person:
"It's er... brave!"
From another friend:
"I like the freehand shape BUT I think it would be better in just white. You could put it in your front window."
Indeed I LOVE my star, even if it is and maybe BECAUSE it is flawed. I will await further feedback and if it is all negative then it WILL be adorning my front window.
We're not putting the decorations up in my house until Monday anyway so the star has at least until then to receive judgements. Anyone wishing to view, please do pop in to All Saints'.
There can't be many churches that can boast a "map of France" on the top of their tree. Yes indeed the "STAR" element of our tree topping is not entirely clear as a result of the difficulty in making rope light make an angle instead of a curve.
Although it didn't look exactly perfect, Hazel the Verger and I were rather please with our efforts (despite the large number of pine needles falling in our hair and sticking in our jumpers.
One difficulty with it is that the lights seem to return to "FLASHING" every time we switch them off, even if we LEAVE it set on "STEADY ON". This means that whenever we first switch it on it looks VERY tacky! Switching it off and on again does seem to make it change mode... sometimes. Oh dear.
However we have had some other feedback so far...
From one of my young people who was in playing the organ as we put up the star:
"It's ... modern!"
From a friend (ha!)
"Sarah I have never seen a more hideous adornment on a tree. Ever! It's tacky and oh my word it's FLASHING!"
From a diplomatic primary school teacher:
"It looks like a very young child has drawn a star and you have copied it in lights."
From another young person:
"It's er... brave!"
From another friend:
"I like the freehand shape BUT I think it would be better in just white. You could put it in your front window."
Indeed I LOVE my star, even if it is and maybe BECAUSE it is flawed. I will await further feedback and if it is all negative then it WILL be adorning my front window.
We're not putting the decorations up in my house until Monday anyway so the star has at least until then to receive judgements. Anyone wishing to view, please do pop in to All Saints'.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
AIM for Pastoral Care
I am a regular user of MSN and AIM to keep in touch with fellow youth workers, young people, friends and colleagues.
The curious thing is that SOMETIMES you can get very deep over MSN, often in a way you can't if you're face to face with someone. It's like being on the phone but even less vulnerable. Not ony can the person at the other end not SEE you, they can't HEAR you either. This can make communication difficult but it can also make it easier if you're discussing something deep and personal.
In the last couple of days I've been held by some very deep convos on MSN. Whether it's discussing women bishops, celibacy and the Immaculate Conception with my friend Ben, hearing about a break up with a boyfriend or discussing Christianity and homosexuality, I find I can have time to choose my words carefully (though I don't always manage to type them as carefully as I'd like). I can refer someone to a website with information (or indeed read yet another Roman Catholic tract! - Thanks mate!)
What's actually amazing about being in touch with my young people via MSN is that, when I am sitting at my desk planning youth events or reflecting on things, I have the tangible presence of the young people with me to keep me with them in mind. On a very basic level I can ASK them for their opinions about things (ok today's was do you REALLY want to play sleeping lions at the Christmas party?? really????). However on a deeper level, it helps me to avoid that administrative spiral that one can get into when planning an event which forgets the PEOPLE and focuses only on the EVENT. I am reminded that what youth work is ABOUT is about building relationships with young people so that we can encourage and inspire them and that it is NOT about WHAT we do, rather the FACT that we do it or even just the fact that we are THERE.
One of my young people said tome today:
"u no since our chat i been feeling alot beta dat gd int it?"
I was thrilled.
This week so far I have preached, produced, the newsletter for next term, created a flyer for our next event and sent that out to all the young people, I've spent the day planning and reflecting with the vicar, I've been to morning prayer, I've written a letter with details of some forthcoming services yadda yadda...
Yet all this is NOTHING (a clanging cymbal you might say) ...
For one young person I made the day better. Wow!
You don't get many jobs in life where you can list that among your achievments.
The curious thing is that SOMETIMES you can get very deep over MSN, often in a way you can't if you're face to face with someone. It's like being on the phone but even less vulnerable. Not ony can the person at the other end not SEE you, they can't HEAR you either. This can make communication difficult but it can also make it easier if you're discussing something deep and personal.
In the last couple of days I've been held by some very deep convos on MSN. Whether it's discussing women bishops, celibacy and the Immaculate Conception with my friend Ben, hearing about a break up with a boyfriend or discussing Christianity and homosexuality, I find I can have time to choose my words carefully (though I don't always manage to type them as carefully as I'd like). I can refer someone to a website with information (or indeed read yet another Roman Catholic tract! - Thanks mate!)
What's actually amazing about being in touch with my young people via MSN is that, when I am sitting at my desk planning youth events or reflecting on things, I have the tangible presence of the young people with me to keep me with them in mind. On a very basic level I can ASK them for their opinions about things (ok today's was do you REALLY want to play sleeping lions at the Christmas party?? really????). However on a deeper level, it helps me to avoid that administrative spiral that one can get into when planning an event which forgets the PEOPLE and focuses only on the EVENT. I am reminded that what youth work is ABOUT is about building relationships with young people so that we can encourage and inspire them and that it is NOT about WHAT we do, rather the FACT that we do it or even just the fact that we are THERE.
One of my young people said tome today:
"u no since our chat i been feeling alot beta dat gd int it?"
I was thrilled.
This week so far I have preached, produced, the newsletter for next term, created a flyer for our next event and sent that out to all the young people, I've spent the day planning and reflecting with the vicar, I've been to morning prayer, I've written a letter with details of some forthcoming services yadda yadda...
Yet all this is NOTHING (a clanging cymbal you might say) ...
For one young person I made the day better. Wow!
You don't get many jobs in life where you can list that among your achievments.
Monday, December 06, 2004
Bishop to King's Fore
Reading the book I bought for a friend on Randall Davidson (a biography from 1938) while on the train home this evening, I read a lot of the correspondence surrounding the huge controversy that surrounded the proposed appointment of a bishop, with a notable role played by the Bishop of Oxford.
People may well tell me that they already knew about this whole thing but it wasnews to me. I don't know much about any bishops who were alive after the thriteenth century so it was new for me!
Interestingly the objections to Henson as proposed bishop of Hereford were not surrounding his personal life (as in more recent times) but on the basis of his supposed disagreement with some of the fundamentals of the creeds. There wasdoubt as to whether he believed in a virgin birth and the ressurection of the Jesus. Not to knock the recent press submissions by notable church leaders but I was deeply impressed by the rhetoric and discourse of the people involved.
The big difference with this early 20th century episcopal controversy was that agreement was reached and Henson was consecrated as Bishop of Hereford and indeed soon thereafer Bishop of Durham, in fact.
Actually what really made an impact on me were not the public letters to the Times, as impressive as they were. No, what really touched me were the private letters, particularly those between Henson and Archbishop Davidson.
Despite all the ecclesiastical wranglings and politics, these letters clearly reflect two men seeking to serve God, the Church and the people.
As he approached his sometime much opposed consecration, Henson wrote of his sorrow that his relationship with is future fellow bishops would be more problematic as a result of the vehemence of some of their opposition to him but he resigned himself to forgiveness:
"To forgive an injury of that kind is a duty which I shall endeavour to fulfil, but to forget is hardly in my power."
An honest human response there.
He went on to look towards his preparation for this new stage in his service to the Church:
"Ordinarily some measure of devotional retirement is permitted to a man on the verge of so momentous a new departure. That has been denied me, and I have instead to carry to my Consecration a mind harrassed and fatigued, and a wounded heart. Were it not that Consecration carries me into a Presence where a Higher Equity and a more Generous Charity than that of the Bishops may be counted upon, I could hardly stand it at all." (30th January, 1918)
Such a heartfelt openness had a great impact on me. It makes you think that retreats really ARE important, eh guys?
The Archbishop responded with some advice for his early days as bishop. He does not recommend a great display of authoritarian wisdom but a veritable model of servant leadership:
"... watch eagerly for any who among the clergy or laity are in sorrow or sickness and go quietly and unobstrusively to see them - say parents whose son has been killed [in the war] - or clergy who are ill, and if they happen to be among those whose criticism of your appointment, or whose protest against it, is known to you I should doubly be anxious - in absolute simplicity and privacy and without fuss - to tell them now of Christian comfort. I believe that to do this would be in accord with the dictates of your own heart, even though the 'natural man' in any of us might give a pull the other way! It is an hour when the 'natural man' has to be pushed behind us, and the servant of Christ do his true part." (10th February, 1918)
Wow!
Davidson's letters had me captivated all the way from Canterbury to Victoria and again from Marylebone to High Wycombe but I think his reflections on touring the Western Front were most notable as displaying his incredibly engaging humility. After his time there he concluded:
"I thank God for all the lessons of these nine days, and I trust I may find it possible to do my work a little less inadequately in consequence." (May, 1916)
People may well tell me that they already knew about this whole thing but it wasnews to me. I don't know much about any bishops who were alive after the thriteenth century so it was new for me!
Interestingly the objections to Henson as proposed bishop of Hereford were not surrounding his personal life (as in more recent times) but on the basis of his supposed disagreement with some of the fundamentals of the creeds. There wasdoubt as to whether he believed in a virgin birth and the ressurection of the Jesus. Not to knock the recent press submissions by notable church leaders but I was deeply impressed by the rhetoric and discourse of the people involved.
The big difference with this early 20th century episcopal controversy was that agreement was reached and Henson was consecrated as Bishop of Hereford and indeed soon thereafer Bishop of Durham, in fact.
Actually what really made an impact on me were not the public letters to the Times, as impressive as they were. No, what really touched me were the private letters, particularly those between Henson and Archbishop Davidson.
Despite all the ecclesiastical wranglings and politics, these letters clearly reflect two men seeking to serve God, the Church and the people.
As he approached his sometime much opposed consecration, Henson wrote of his sorrow that his relationship with is future fellow bishops would be more problematic as a result of the vehemence of some of their opposition to him but he resigned himself to forgiveness:
"To forgive an injury of that kind is a duty which I shall endeavour to fulfil, but to forget is hardly in my power."
An honest human response there.
He went on to look towards his preparation for this new stage in his service to the Church:
"Ordinarily some measure of devotional retirement is permitted to a man on the verge of so momentous a new departure. That has been denied me, and I have instead to carry to my Consecration a mind harrassed and fatigued, and a wounded heart. Were it not that Consecration carries me into a Presence where a Higher Equity and a more Generous Charity than that of the Bishops may be counted upon, I could hardly stand it at all." (30th January, 1918)
Such a heartfelt openness had a great impact on me. It makes you think that retreats really ARE important, eh guys?
The Archbishop responded with some advice for his early days as bishop. He does not recommend a great display of authoritarian wisdom but a veritable model of servant leadership:
"... watch eagerly for any who among the clergy or laity are in sorrow or sickness and go quietly and unobstrusively to see them - say parents whose son has been killed [in the war] - or clergy who are ill, and if they happen to be among those whose criticism of your appointment, or whose protest against it, is known to you I should doubly be anxious - in absolute simplicity and privacy and without fuss - to tell them now of Christian comfort. I believe that to do this would be in accord with the dictates of your own heart, even though the 'natural man' in any of us might give a pull the other way! It is an hour when the 'natural man' has to be pushed behind us, and the servant of Christ do his true part." (10th February, 1918)
Wow!
Davidson's letters had me captivated all the way from Canterbury to Victoria and again from Marylebone to High Wycombe but I think his reflections on touring the Western Front were most notable as displaying his incredibly engaging humility. After his time there he concluded:
"I thank God for all the lessons of these nine days, and I trust I may find it possible to do my work a little less inadequately in consequence." (May, 1916)
Canterbury Sales
Went to Canterbury today to see my friend Craig and do a bit of the ol' Crimbo shopping.
Having thought I was well progressed in my purchases I sat down last night to look at what I had bought and realised I was nowhere near half done - oh dear!
However I made great progress today. I also managed not to buy anything for me (well nothing for me personally, I did pick up three youth work resources!!!)
The WORST thing about Christmas shopping has to be the fact that I cna't blog about any of the really cool things I bought cos I know some of the people they're for read this (some regularly, some from time to time).
All I CAN say is that Craig can testify to the total COOLNESS of the gifts for Kathryn and Colin and for Mark and Sarah!!!
Fellow bibliophiles will be pleased to hear that in my browsing through the second hand stock at SPCK, I managed to find a most EXCELLENT book about Randall Davidson for my friend who is studying the church in the First world war.
It's always really cool to find a book that is USEFUL and readable (to which I can attest as I read a lot of it on the train home). More on that in the next blog.
Youth workers out there may giggle (so Ian will be pleased!) when I say that I found a book from the 80s on PARISH YOUTH WORK. I thought I'd see how much things have changed!
Having thought I was well progressed in my purchases I sat down last night to look at what I had bought and realised I was nowhere near half done - oh dear!
However I made great progress today. I also managed not to buy anything for me (well nothing for me personally, I did pick up three youth work resources!!!)
The WORST thing about Christmas shopping has to be the fact that I cna't blog about any of the really cool things I bought cos I know some of the people they're for read this (some regularly, some from time to time).
All I CAN say is that Craig can testify to the total COOLNESS of the gifts for Kathryn and Colin and for Mark and Sarah!!!
Fellow bibliophiles will be pleased to hear that in my browsing through the second hand stock at SPCK, I managed to find a most EXCELLENT book about Randall Davidson for my friend who is studying the church in the First world war.
It's always really cool to find a book that is USEFUL and readable (to which I can attest as I read a lot of it on the train home). More on that in the next blog.
Youth workers out there may giggle (so Ian will be pleased!) when I say that I found a book from the 80s on PARISH YOUTH WORK. I thought I'd see how much things have changed!
Saturday, December 04, 2004
The Saga of Prayer Bear
I'd like to tell you a little story. Are you sitting comfortably?
Once upon a time, a new youth worker travelled many miles to a place called High Leigh to join with other youth workers. They journeyed there for a conference which was called Matrix.
The new youth worker spent many happy hours learning about youth work and meeting exciting new people during the day and in the evenings she and her friends talked for hours, getting to know each other better and better. It was a happy time.
While they were there, the people organising the conference ran a contest. They asked all the youth workers in the land (well all those who were there!) to tell them about any mistakes that had been made during the conference and offered as trophies two piggy banks. Now many youth workers endured trials to reach the box in which these comments were stored and the new young youth worker was one of these. She went on a long search and finally found these so called piggy banks to discover a great mystery.
They were not in fact piggy banks at all but two money boxes one shaped like a cow and the other like a bear. In a moment of pure inspired imagination she wrote these words and placed them in the box for answers.
The dawn of the last day came, crisp and frosty and as the last sessions finished, the youth workers gathered in the great hall for the final farewells. Before that great company of youth workers, the host announced that the time had come to announce the winners of the contest. First, the cow was awarded to someone who had made a very witty comment and then a hush descended on the room as the second winner was announced. The winning comment was:
The greatest mistake was in this competition because you said we could win a piggy bank but in fact they’re a cow and a bear
The new youth worker stood up to face all her fellow youth workers and the bear was launched into the air and flew towards her. Had she been one of those sporty youth work types she would probably have caught the bear but the poor little bear was fated to be won by a less than spatially aware youth worker and so plummeted to the floor and bounced pathetically on the hard floor. Yet soon the new youth worker swept the bear up in her arms and all was well.
The bear travelled home with the new youth worker in her battered black carriage and as she journey an idea grew and the bear received his name.
“I shall call him prayer bear”, said the new youth worker, “and young people will write their prayers on paper and place them in the bear and the bear will keep those prayers close to his heart.” She wasn’t sure but she thought she saw the little plastic bear smile.
And so it was that Prayer Bear was named.
And Prayer Bear came to meet all the young people at a place called Pulse. He had a special place, just for him with his own sign. Quietly, young people would come and would write their prayers on little pieces of paper and they would give them to Prayer Bear and he would keep them by his heart.
So life went on happily for Prayer Bear. When he wasn’t at Pulse he lived on a shelf where the new youth worker lived with a lovely view of trees and sky.
Then one day at Pulse, some of the young boys had a naughty thought. They thought, “what if we hide Prayer Bear? We could hold him to ransom.” And so the boys hid Prayer Bear behind a curtain and left a note for the new youth worker demanding the purchase of certain Play Station games “or Prayer Bear gets it!”
Now the new youth worker knew that these boys were not bad. In fact she thought it was slightly amusing that one of them had somehow smuggled Prayer Bear out of the building and waited to see what they would do next.
She didn’t know that Prayer Bear was hidden. She didn’t know that Prayer Bear was so near. She didn’t know.
Prayer Bear was a little confused. He still had a view of sky, though the trees were different. He couldn’t see the new youth worker any more, as she sat at her desk. He was a little cold right by the window but he was happy enough.
Then one day, someone saw him there, behind the curtain and took him away to a new place but where he went, we do not know.
When the new youth worker saw the young boys next she smiled and she asked them where Prayer Bear was. They grinned and went to the place where they had hidden Prayer Bear but he was gone. They looked shocked and although she thought, at first, that they were kidding, she soon realised that they really had thought Prayer Bear would be there. The new youth worker was sad but knew there was little she could do. She only hoped that Prayer Bear found a good home and that, maybe, one day he would return.
Years passed and Prayer Bear was still absent and the new youth worker began to be the not so new youth worker. The time approached when she would again travel many miles to a place called High Leigh and her thoughts turned to Prayer Bear. She thought, “I believe he must be having some marvellous adventures somewhere but perhaps he has a brother out there somewhere?”
And so the not so new youth worker began her quest. She searched the Internet for moneyboxes. She scoured the web for bears. Yet nowhere could she find an image of Prayer Bear or the chance of finding one of his siblings. She was very sad.
Then inspiration struck once again. She decided to look not for Prayer Bear but for the friend he had been separated from at that place called High Leigh. So she began to search for the cow. She scrolled through images of cow moneyboxes on the Internet and saw many bovine novelties. Then at last, she saw a face she hadn’t seen in many months. There was the cow she had seen at that place called High Leigh. The cow lived with some people called the Strawberry group. She followed the trail to the cow and there, right there on the screen, was the twin brother of Prayer Bear.
And so the not so new youth worker sent word to these people called the Strawberry Group, that she would like to invite Prayer Bear’s brother to come and live where his brother had lived. Then she waited expectantly for the day that Prayer Bear II would arrive.
Once upon a time, a new youth worker travelled many miles to a place called High Leigh to join with other youth workers. They journeyed there for a conference which was called Matrix.
The new youth worker spent many happy hours learning about youth work and meeting exciting new people during the day and in the evenings she and her friends talked for hours, getting to know each other better and better. It was a happy time.
While they were there, the people organising the conference ran a contest. They asked all the youth workers in the land (well all those who were there!) to tell them about any mistakes that had been made during the conference and offered as trophies two piggy banks. Now many youth workers endured trials to reach the box in which these comments were stored and the new young youth worker was one of these. She went on a long search and finally found these so called piggy banks to discover a great mystery.
They were not in fact piggy banks at all but two money boxes one shaped like a cow and the other like a bear. In a moment of pure inspired imagination she wrote these words and placed them in the box for answers.
The dawn of the last day came, crisp and frosty and as the last sessions finished, the youth workers gathered in the great hall for the final farewells. Before that great company of youth workers, the host announced that the time had come to announce the winners of the contest. First, the cow was awarded to someone who had made a very witty comment and then a hush descended on the room as the second winner was announced. The winning comment was:
The greatest mistake was in this competition because you said we could win a piggy bank but in fact they’re a cow and a bear
The new youth worker stood up to face all her fellow youth workers and the bear was launched into the air and flew towards her. Had she been one of those sporty youth work types she would probably have caught the bear but the poor little bear was fated to be won by a less than spatially aware youth worker and so plummeted to the floor and bounced pathetically on the hard floor. Yet soon the new youth worker swept the bear up in her arms and all was well.
The bear travelled home with the new youth worker in her battered black carriage and as she journey an idea grew and the bear received his name.
“I shall call him prayer bear”, said the new youth worker, “and young people will write their prayers on paper and place them in the bear and the bear will keep those prayers close to his heart.” She wasn’t sure but she thought she saw the little plastic bear smile.
And so it was that Prayer Bear was named.
And Prayer Bear came to meet all the young people at a place called Pulse. He had a special place, just for him with his own sign. Quietly, young people would come and would write their prayers on little pieces of paper and they would give them to Prayer Bear and he would keep them by his heart.
So life went on happily for Prayer Bear. When he wasn’t at Pulse he lived on a shelf where the new youth worker lived with a lovely view of trees and sky.
Then one day at Pulse, some of the young boys had a naughty thought. They thought, “what if we hide Prayer Bear? We could hold him to ransom.” And so the boys hid Prayer Bear behind a curtain and left a note for the new youth worker demanding the purchase of certain Play Station games “or Prayer Bear gets it!”
Now the new youth worker knew that these boys were not bad. In fact she thought it was slightly amusing that one of them had somehow smuggled Prayer Bear out of the building and waited to see what they would do next.
She didn’t know that Prayer Bear was hidden. She didn’t know that Prayer Bear was so near. She didn’t know.
Prayer Bear was a little confused. He still had a view of sky, though the trees were different. He couldn’t see the new youth worker any more, as she sat at her desk. He was a little cold right by the window but he was happy enough.
Then one day, someone saw him there, behind the curtain and took him away to a new place but where he went, we do not know.
When the new youth worker saw the young boys next she smiled and she asked them where Prayer Bear was. They grinned and went to the place where they had hidden Prayer Bear but he was gone. They looked shocked and although she thought, at first, that they were kidding, she soon realised that they really had thought Prayer Bear would be there. The new youth worker was sad but knew there was little she could do. She only hoped that Prayer Bear found a good home and that, maybe, one day he would return.
Years passed and Prayer Bear was still absent and the new youth worker began to be the not so new youth worker. The time approached when she would again travel many miles to a place called High Leigh and her thoughts turned to Prayer Bear. She thought, “I believe he must be having some marvellous adventures somewhere but perhaps he has a brother out there somewhere?”
And so the not so new youth worker began her quest. She searched the Internet for moneyboxes. She scoured the web for bears. Yet nowhere could she find an image of Prayer Bear or the chance of finding one of his siblings. She was very sad.
Then inspiration struck once again. She decided to look not for Prayer Bear but for the friend he had been separated from at that place called High Leigh. So she began to search for the cow. She scrolled through images of cow moneyboxes on the Internet and saw many bovine novelties. Then at last, she saw a face she hadn’t seen in many months. There was the cow she had seen at that place called High Leigh. The cow lived with some people called the Strawberry group. She followed the trail to the cow and there, right there on the screen, was the twin brother of Prayer Bear.
And so the not so new youth worker sent word to these people called the Strawberry Group, that she would like to invite Prayer Bear’s brother to come and live where his brother had lived. Then she waited expectantly for the day that Prayer Bear II would arrive.
Friday, December 03, 2004
The importance of being SaraH
OK this is just a quick one. I've had that rare opportunity to watch TV a lot as I've been off sick. This evening after the delights of Little Britain (Extremely funny with the bonus of Antony Stewart Head AND Nigel Havers appearing - does life GET any better???) I switched over to QI on BBC 2 with Stephen Fry, Alan Davis and guests. One of the discussions was about abbreviations used by doctors and nurses on patient notes. Now I have a friend who's a nurse so I knew about this phenomenon but I learnt a few new ones tonight. A special one for my friend William is NFN (normal for Norfolk!) but the one that rather unnerved me was SARA (Sexual activity related accident) Now, in true Anne Shirley style, I'm always fairly particular about the H on the end of my name and I get a little bit niggled when people miss it of. With this new knowledge, in future I will be even more insistent!!!
Day two in the big bunged up house
Well I'm feeling a lot better today, although a brief trip into work to ensure cover for some thnigs I should have been doing showed me that I really wasn't up to it all. Forty minutes and I needed to keel over and sleep.
My voice is more reliable but I still don't dare try singing. Hopefully it should be back for my preaching on Sunday. The irony of this is that I'm going to be talking about John the Baptist and "the voice crying in the wilderness"!!! I might just be adding something about losing my voice. I'll let you know how it goes!
My voice is more reliable but I still don't dare try singing. Hopefully it should be back for my preaching on Sunday. The irony of this is that I'm going to be talking about John the Baptist and "the voice crying in the wilderness"!!! I might just be adding something about losing my voice. I'll let you know how it goes!
Anonymity
Apparently a friend of mine was unable to make an anonymous comment on the blog today. I hope no one else has experience this problem. This blog is set up so that you should be able to comment even if you don't have an account on blogger.com . Of course the way to ENSURE that you can comment is to get your own blog! This also means I can check out who you are and where you're at philosophical and all that jazz which is kinda fun.
So anyway, apologies to Ian. I have double checked it and the system says he SHOULD have been able to comment but perhaps blogger.com was exercising some kind of editorial veto. Were you trying to be TOO funny, Ian? ;0D
So anyway, apologies to Ian. I have double checked it and the system says he SHOULD have been able to comment but perhaps blogger.com was exercising some kind of editorial veto. Were you trying to be TOO funny, Ian? ;0D
Thursday, December 02, 2004
A voice in the wilderness
Well today has been a rather curious one as I've been off work with a hideous cold. I spent the entire morning sleeping fitfully and the afternoon resisting sleep so that I might have the chanc of sleeping tonight. My head is feeling much clearer now, most of the time but my throat is still horribly sore and my voice curiously changeable. It is quite unbearable not to know exactly what sounds is going to come out when I open my mouth. This must be what it's like for teenage boys when their voices break (though for a much briefer period I hope). Guys I don't know how you coped. It's truly unnerving.
As a result I have spent most of the day without talking (thank God for the joy of the occasional text!). Those of you who know me will have no difficulty unerstanding how much of a change this must be! Worse still, I am supposed to be preaching on Sunday morning and indeed singing with our church choir at the local theatre in the evening. Currently I can't envisage being able to do either but I remain hopeful. There is even less hope of me being able to be at all useful when I'm supposed to be visiting the Scouts tomorrow night!
Work commitments aside...
The worst thing is that I have to stop putting on CDs that I like a great deal as my inclination is to sing along to them and this only results in a poor rendition of the frog chorus and then protracted coughing.
For those of you wondering... yes I am VERY bad at being ill. I get extremely fractious and bored if I'm not up to reading, writing, talking or any of my other favourite pursuits! At least I can still listen to my friends' tales of variable blogness!
So anyone out there who's nearby, do pop round! Or you could call!!!
As a result I have spent most of the day without talking (thank God for the joy of the occasional text!). Those of you who know me will have no difficulty unerstanding how much of a change this must be! Worse still, I am supposed to be preaching on Sunday morning and indeed singing with our church choir at the local theatre in the evening. Currently I can't envisage being able to do either but I remain hopeful. There is even less hope of me being able to be at all useful when I'm supposed to be visiting the Scouts tomorrow night!
Work commitments aside...
The worst thing is that I have to stop putting on CDs that I like a great deal as my inclination is to sing along to them and this only results in a poor rendition of the frog chorus and then protracted coughing.
For those of you wondering... yes I am VERY bad at being ill. I get extremely fractious and bored if I'm not up to reading, writing, talking or any of my other favourite pursuits! At least I can still listen to my friends' tales of variable blogness!
So anyone out there who's nearby, do pop round! Or you could call!!!
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
The Day After Tomorrow
No this isn't a blog about Friday!
I had Hazel and Ashley round this evening to watch the DVD of The Day After Tomorrow with me. I bought this so that the young people could watch it whilst I was in Canada (otherwise I would certianly have RENTED it rather than purchasing it!).
Now the basic premise of the film made me a little dubious to start with but watching it only increased my disbelief, rather than suspending it!
Ok this might be the influence of knowing some climatologists at university and having some especially sceptical friends with me when I first saw the trailer but come ON... was it even VAGUELY convincing?
Well putting all that lot aside...
There was an interesting division of the audience this evening.
At the end of the film, the survivors are being taken down to non-ice age Mexico where the American government is operating out of the consulate. In the helicopter there's one guy with his dog. My friend was REALLY pleased that the dog survived (thousands of people died but.... in Independence Day style the dog's ok!). However SHOCKINGLY I was pleased to see that the Gutenburg Bible survived - rather than being burnt to keep them warm (to be fair they did have a WHOLE library of other books to keep them toasty!).
Ok so which one of us is more sad? I leave it to my blog readers to judge! Ashley concluded we both were!!!
Interesting aside though... and ok it's not about the dog but about the book!
They were there in a library burning whatever they couldto keep warm in the scary sub zero temperatures and two of them started arguing over the merits a a cople of authors and endeavouring to justify saving them. Forestalling their literary angst, another guy points out:
"There's hundreds of Tax law journals down here we can burn for sure!"
However let's play the game....
Ignoring the rare books.... (and the Bible)
and considering that ALL the decent libraries in Europe have gone so the collections in the US might be the only place to have these books...
Which books in that library would you have saved from the life giving flames?
For me I think I'd have saved C. S. Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet series, some Agatha Christie - classics! The Dream of Scipio and An Instance of the Fingerpost, Portuguese Irregular Verbs, Winnie the Pooh, ... ok I'm getting in danger of freezing to death - what about you?
I had Hazel and Ashley round this evening to watch the DVD of The Day After Tomorrow with me. I bought this so that the young people could watch it whilst I was in Canada (otherwise I would certianly have RENTED it rather than purchasing it!).
Now the basic premise of the film made me a little dubious to start with but watching it only increased my disbelief, rather than suspending it!
Ok this might be the influence of knowing some climatologists at university and having some especially sceptical friends with me when I first saw the trailer but come ON... was it even VAGUELY convincing?
Well putting all that lot aside...
There was an interesting division of the audience this evening.
At the end of the film, the survivors are being taken down to non-ice age Mexico where the American government is operating out of the consulate. In the helicopter there's one guy with his dog. My friend was REALLY pleased that the dog survived (thousands of people died but.... in Independence Day style the dog's ok!). However SHOCKINGLY I was pleased to see that the Gutenburg Bible survived - rather than being burnt to keep them warm (to be fair they did have a WHOLE library of other books to keep them toasty!).
Ok so which one of us is more sad? I leave it to my blog readers to judge! Ashley concluded we both were!!!
Interesting aside though... and ok it's not about the dog but about the book!
They were there in a library burning whatever they couldto keep warm in the scary sub zero temperatures and two of them started arguing over the merits a a cople of authors and endeavouring to justify saving them. Forestalling their literary angst, another guy points out:
"There's hundreds of Tax law journals down here we can burn for sure!"
However let's play the game....
Ignoring the rare books.... (and the Bible)
and considering that ALL the decent libraries in Europe have gone so the collections in the US might be the only place to have these books...
Which books in that library would you have saved from the life giving flames?
For me I think I'd have saved C. S. Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet series, some Agatha Christie - classics! The Dream of Scipio and An Instance of the Fingerpost, Portuguese Irregular Verbs, Winnie the Pooh, ... ok I'm getting in danger of freezing to death - what about you?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)