bad vicar

Jonathan Swales posted this on facebook today and it made me chuckle so I thought I would share it with you. I am still battling with my PhD tweeking (feels more like a rewrite at the moment)...and I also feel like a 'bad vicar' (though not in the same way as the vicar in the video). I am neglecting my flock with all this PhD stuff and it is making me all figetty widgetty. I want to get out there and do stuff but I am in here doing other stuff...anyway, best get on with that stuff!

Lillie's baptism

Lillie (my step-granddaughter) was baptized today...and I baptized her! What an amazing privilege. I had been looking forward to baptizing someone ever since we sat up in James Steven's office at Trinity college and had a hearty conversation about the pros and cons of infant baptism (obviously my baptist brothers and sisters have a different perspective on the practice and the theological college seminar debate was 'full and hearty' as a result!). At that point I had no idea my first baptism would be of a member of my family. So, there you go...

So, we have been feeding hoards of people since mid-day and now they are moving on to more food and the wine has come out...I have 2 more services to take so I am sitting in my office. As my office is the quietest place in the house Lillie is in here with me asleep in her pram - so the new Christian and I are spending some down time chilling in the curate's office.

Anyway, I have 2 services to put the finishing touches to so I'd best get off...

all done

The exam is done and I am now free! The stress of this has been building for so long it feels very strange to be free of it. I can't really discuss how I did and I am finding it difficult to process the whole thing (I shall never speak of the exam again!). I now have a nasty headache and a lot of nervous energy. However, I have got a new haircut (I got a lovely head massage and sat in the massage chair for quite sometime which was great) and I also have collected my special linen black ordination trousers which were specially made for me. So, all is well.

I am sitting in front of the telly, awaiting a plate of chicken curry and a glass of white wine (it will be just a glass as I have a busy day tomorrow and my new boss is coming to stay - he arrives very late this evening). I have a few post-Trinity leavers chores to do and seeing as Liz H has gone into hospital (perhaps a baby might come out in the next 24hrs?) I have a few more bits and bobs to do than I had expected. It would be so great if she gives birth soon because I ould love to see the baby before I leave. I am actually very very excited about the prospect of a small Hassall child.

So, the next few days will be quite busy with meetings and parties. A wonderful combination - and quite typical of the Church of England. I will keep you posted.

odd day

Today has been quite strange, not least because I started off by being alone and going to St Peter's for the last time on my own. It was a lovely service and I got quite emotional saying goodbye - they gave me a the lovely ordination stole which I had asked Ann to make for me and some very useful books. I had got quite used to St Peter' and have appreciated the support of the vicar - Jenny Low. She really has been great for me and I will miss her.

After I got back I had a spot of lunch and then had to go off to get Eva from Badminton - I took Elise and Wayne with me because when I dropped Eba off we got stuck in the mud and I needed moral support. Eva had had a lovely time, she was completely pooped and all she wanted to do was eat and got to sleep. However, the reality of an early night was slightly different - it has take her ages to calm down and get off. So here I am thinking another day has past and I haven't got much revision done. I am starting to feel I am going to have to go into this exam a little more stressed than I had hoped. Anyway, I had better get back onto looking at the sacraments.

By the way - I was well peeved at the Eurovision result yesterday. I deciced having seen al the acts that I liked Israel and Denmark best (with Sweden next - but actually she was too strange for me to fully plump for in the end) I had a smidgen of respect for Russia but I have no idea why Uk came so low down - surely Spain (who got booed) didn't deserve to do better than us? Anyway, I have to say I don't know what to think about it all...will we ever be liked in Europe again? Are we such social pariahs that we can not even make it off the bottom 3? Very disappointed indeed! Hey ho.

babies and glastonbury

Mark has sent me on some excellent pictures of the new Belfast babies - Sam and Angie. What fantastic babies they are and everyone looks so proud and made up with the beautiful bundles of joy. many blessings to both families. I am unfortunately not going to be able to get over to see them when Mark, Joe and Eva go to Belfast for half-term. I have to stay here to revise for this stupid exam. Hey ho.

Today I have been to Glastonbury on a DOCTRINE OF GOD, CHRISTIAN HOPE AND LIBERATION module day out to explore Christian expressions of faith in the town and alternative spiritualities. It was a jolly good day: I sampled some good cake, had a walk round the Abbey, got some lavender oil from a shop under the Goddess Temple, listened to the curate of St John's church talk about her experience of being a priest in the town, listened to the Goddess Temple Melissa speak about her experiences and did a spot of shopping. All in a days work for an ordinand in the Church of England!

I am trying to get an early night and sort my reading out for tomorrow. So, best get off and do that.

finance

Today we had a visit from the clergy finance people to talk about stipends, housing and pensions. I am just starting and already thinking about my retirement (in 25years time!). I have to say it is a very scary thing for me to think about money but I guess I need to have a bit of think about it. We will be in dire straits if we don't plan ahead but Mark has decided that he is going to make lots of money and all will be well. I am hoping this is true but I might just seek some professional help just in case.

It is a very hot day and I am not getting very far with my revision. I have spent the last 20mins or so trying to bid on a top hat on ebay. I want one for 'events' - I really wish I had had one for Julian and Andrew's do (see pic above and for a load more pictures see Mark's Picasa site). Anyway, after many days trying I now have a 1930's silk top hat (for £20). Oh joy.

I am off to a Brownie meeting with Eva in a short while and Becky's over for tea so best get on.

mission, liberation theology and cleaning

This is what I have been doing...thinking about mission, reading about liberation theology and cleaning the dirty house (my it was unclean). Now I am very tired and I still don't feel I have done enough. When will it all end? Well, I can tell you that in 8 weeks it will all be over (bar the inevitable shouting). In 8 weeks time we will be back in Liverpool unpacking boxes and panicking about the Park Palace project - and a whole new type of stress will begin. Until then I am here trying to make sense of this last essay and feeling guilty because I just can't get enough done. Hey ho.

So, I am going to post here 2 small talks which took place at the Church Mission Society (CMS) HQ Oxford at the Global Connections Thinking Mission forum on 27 February 2008. I attended this conference and these two speakers offered particularly interesting perspectives on 21st century Christian mission. The first is Paul Davies speaking about The Base Ecclesial Communities which emerged in Latin America in the 1950s and 1960s were centred on the poor, emphasized people over structures, had lay leadership, and were prophetic rather than priestly.



Paul Davies part 2



The second is Jonny Baker - 'Bath water or Baby? Must we ditch traditional church structures to do mission well?'

mothering sunday

Yesterday was a very busy but rewarding day. I was woken up by Mark and Eva - toast and flowers, homemade cards and a homemade bag. Eva was so lovely and kind, I got a fantastic text of Elise and I really felt loved and cherished.

I was leading and preaching at St Peter's church Lawrence Western. Jenny had very generously allowed me free rein for the service and I had asked a few Trinity friends to come and help me. It was so good to be able to say to all the people who work so hard week in week out at the church that they could have a week off and all they had to do was turn up and worship. The new Church of England Mothering Sunday liturgy, found in New Patterns for Worship was a wonderful resource for the liturgy. I had planed this a few weeks back and it was great to work through it live with the congregation. My biggest challenge was to plan and deliver a service that was accessible enough just in case any children did turn up but not all age because the majority of the congregation is 60+yrs. As it was there were 3 children that just turned up off the street (8year olds on their own with no parents), one family with 3 children, another 11year old who had come with her grandma and Eva (who played the recorder and said the opening blessing). I felt the service went well and there was a great feeling of support and generosity toward myself and the other students. I felt very blessed by the service and the community.

The Trinity team came back for coffee after the service and I got some great feedback (thankfully all seemed well). Geoff stayed for dinner and we chewed the cud for hours and hours...joined by Lizzie May later on and occasionally Mark and Elise. I had a lovely day.

After a brief but necessary doze I went out to Foundation - another fantastic alternative worship service inspired by Babette's Feast. The group showed clips from the film, served food and shared stories. There was some inspired liturgy and creative ideas (including blessings in bottles). It really was the perfect end to a lovely day. I was very tired and happy as I went to bed thinking about writing an essay on Daniel and leading chapel this week at college.

women and men

The difference is:
Women can't be Bishops...

I got an email today with the following press release from Women and the Church (WATCH). It made me feel a bit sad, but it doesn't surprise me.

"At the recent meeting of General Synod, members were told by the Chair of the
Legislative Drafting Group that it was “highly unlikely” that the vote on women
bishops would be taken by July 2010."

Thinking Anglicans covers the issue and there are some useful comments here.

It just feels like the Church of England isn't ready yet and even though that isn't really a good enough excuse I would rather the motion was truly successful at Synod than it be either rejected or just get through. I feel weak in the face of this reality and it makes me sick to think about inequality continuing. Meanwhile the (mostly) male Bishops of the world (though many aren't actually going) meet at Lambeth shortly and so many talented and capable women are still not welcome.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...and, real men "p**s against the wall"
this is quote from the sermon below...(warning it contains reference to urination)


(thanks to Dave Walker and The Real Live Preacher for the link to this.)

weekend

Liturgically accurate purple hair!









Our little trip to that London was a great success. Mark and I really needed some time away together on our own - something we didn't realise we needed until we were o the train and chitter chattering about all the stuff that's been going on and our future plans. The show was very funny and it was good to see Terry (Kilkerry) Titter making an appearance as Malcolm. I really properly laughed out loud which I feel I haven't done for ages. Mark and I went out for a mighty fine curry after and I got hiccups.

Our hotel was very comfortable and once I had my earplugs in I slept like a log (until the fire alarm went off in the morning - it was a false alarm but I was alarmed!). Saturday was spent walking about in the sunny cold London day. We went to the National portrait gallery, to Covent Garden and just potterd about until we got the train back at 3.15pm. Back for tea and to see Eva before bed.

Today I slept quite a lot, went to Sainsbury's (I don't usually like shopping on Sunday but seeing as yesterday was taken up and we had no food in for the week so it was a bit necessary). Then I went to Candlemass at St Peter's which was quite hectic but well worth the effort. Jenny had prepared a great service and it was good to see a few children there. I played the guitar and generally helped out - mainly on naughty boy monitoring duty. We changed the vestments to purple for lent (at least my hair now reflects liturgical colours).

We have roast beef for dinner and I need an early night. The wind is blowwing hard outside and I am looking forward to Antiques Roadshow - I think I am getting old!

downside

Today was the Federation (united colleges - Anglican, Baptist, Methodist - in Bristol) quiet day. I and a group of other members of the federation spent the day at Downside Abbey. The Abbey is a Benedictine Community of Saint Gregory the Great in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Radstock, Bath. It is also a school.

We spent the day with Dom Alexander reflecting on church unity. I spend the day reading and meditating on Colossians. I don't really know why I was drawn to the book but it was a very profitable time for me as I thought about how Paul (or the Pauline pretender) encouraged the Colossian church to focus on the headship of Christ and unify around their faith in the gospel. A Church that was in danger of splitting is encouraged to "let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful." Colossians 2.15.

Being one body, one church is very difficult at the moment and it breaks my heart to think that we can not agree enough to unite around this vision. Today was a time for hard thinking about what I would be prepared to give up for the sake of unity. It was a challenge and I am still thinking...

Archbishop delivers ‘Holy Grail’ to Pope

This was the headline from the Yorkpress news today. I was very excited - after all it would be remarkable if, after Indiana Jones et al couldn't find it, the grail had been in York all this time and the Arch- Bishop had decided to hand it over to Rome for verification. Unfortunately it turns out that this holy grail is of the beer variety, brewed in Yorkshire at the Black Sheep brewery. What a laugh the Bishops must have had as the cracked open the crate. The mental image of the moment is forming in my mind as I write.

generating kindness

My sermon went ok today - not as fluid as I had hoped but nevertheless it was fine. People were very kind to me and as I had asked 5 people to give me feedback they said some nice things and some useful things which I am most grateful for.


As I mentioned yesterday I gave each member of the congregation a red advent star with a verse from Romans on it. At the end of my sermon I encouraged them to write the name of someone who they felt needed God's hope and asked them to pray for this person during the rest of advent. I then read out the verse as a blessing. It was a simple thing but it seemed to resonate for a number of the older people who spoke to me after the service about how it had moved them and how they now felt they would be able to focus their prayers for hope. One lady, who has recently suffered the bereavement of a close family member, told me that she had put up her tree which she said 'nobody would see', and she hadn't got a star to put on the top. She was so pleased that now she had! Something so fragile and small as a red paper star had offered a bit of advent hope to her. Anyway, someone will see her tree because I hope to go to her house for a cup of tea sometime this week.

If you are up for generating kindness then do take a look at the re:jesus blog as we are discussing inventive ways to be kind at Christmas.

sick

both Mark and I are not well - I have a virus (cold sore, head ache, sickly), Mark is cream crackered - he's been working all week, then sorting Eva out and being in charge of the house and because I am busy and ill he takes the brunt of domestic chores. It is grim when we both are ill. He's gone to bed and I am bathing Eva. It is shame that we aren't firing on all cylinders because we had 2 invites out this evening. Firstly, we were asked overt to the Broadway's to the private view of their exhibition; secondly Steve Tunnicliff and Adam Bond asked if we fancied a curry. We hardly ever get out and we end up doing nothing, going to bed early and, in my case, reading Moltman's The Crucified God (Oh Joy).

I have a busy weekend ahead of me. It is academic awards at Trinity on Saturday - I can't get to the ceremony because there isn't childcare and Eva has her penultimate dance class before she has the Christmas show. I have a very large shopping trip to do - we haven't been to the shop since last Fri and have been living on Birthday leftovers for a week (tonight's pasta bake whilst being quite tasty used up all the remaining veg). Jenny Low is coming over for afternoon tea, as she is a vicar I shall we uttering the immortal lines (More tea vicar) with relish (though milk is traditional - see what I did there?). Sunday I might skive off morning church because I think I need a rest but I am just as likely to decide to get up and go. In the evening is Foundation middle sized service - all things in common? which I hope I will get to (as long as I have completed my sermon, read some stuff on Paul's attitude to the cross, and had at least 3 hours cuddling with Eva).

i thought I'd lost my mum

It has been a bit of a full on emotional roller-coaster of a weekend. I have an abscess on my neck which is now so big it is pressing on a nerve and sending tingles down my arm and up my face and head. I am taking antibiotics but they are grim and I just want to crawl into hole in the ground until it gets better. But unfortunately that wasn't possible because I had my first preach this morning at Christ the King, Bradley Stoke. I have to say I did feel a bit self conscious with my abscess but hey ho. The most amazing thing was that despite my nerves and the fear it was ok. I felt very close to God and very loved. I have no idea if I am going to be any good at preaching - at the moment I would say the jury is out on that one - but I dislike it less this evening than I did last night.

Anyway, as well as the abscess and the preach I also had the stress of think I had lost my mum - by which I mean I couldn't find her. Since my Dad died she and I phone each other nearly every day and I thought we knew each others movements. However, this week I spoke to her on Monday but despite my calling her each night she didn't call me back. I was beginning to worry so called my brother who didn't where she might be. So, I called my Auntie Susan who believe me knows everything that is going on everywhere. For some reason my mother's whereabouts alluded also her. So, we sent out search parties. Aunties Susan went over to her flat and broke in using the (not so) secret key. Eventually she found a neighbour who told her that my mum had gone for a sewing holiday week! I have absolutely no recollection of my mother telling me about this sewing holiday...but I do have a nasty infection so she may have informed me during a fever and I forgot (but I really don't think that is what happened). Oh how the tables have turned. Not long ago my mother would chastise me for not letting her know where I was. Now it's me who is the nag. But seeing as she had a minor heart attack just over a month ago I think it is perfectly reasonable for me to be a bit anxious. Suddenly Virginia Water seemed a long way from Bristol...how much further it is from Liverpool - It has made me think about how to plan Mum into our move back. It needs careful thought and prayer.

harvest

This weekend is St Peter's, Lawrence Western harvest supper (which was tonight) and Harvest Sunday service (tomorrow). Many Trinity people have gone to the New Forest for the Trinity College weekend away but I thought I should stay here to help with St Peter's stuff. I am very pleased I did because I have met some really amazing people today who are doing volunteer work at the Rock (the community centre that is next to the church). I was very impressed with the amount of work they put in to doing events for the older people in Lawrence Western - particularly providing lunches and special dinners such as today's harvest supper. Though I am not sure it would be appreciated by anyone outside their age group it was great to see them having such a good time together. This is one of the biggest issues for the church community there - the people who go have known each other for 40-50 years, they are a tight group, they have particular ways of doing things - how will new people fit into this? How will new things happen? How will younger people or families fit into their patterns? Anyway, I am not full up with quiche, potatoes and ham as well as apple pie and chocolate swiss roll. So, I am happy enough. But cakes and chitter chatter doesn't appeal to everyone.

I have put Eva to bed and am thinking about going to my bed myself. Mark is away in Wales with Lisa and Aide - they have been up a mountain! Elise is off out with her new boyfriend - Wayne. So, I don't have to be awake to talk to anyone. I have to be up for church at 9.30am so I should really get an early night to my body feels like it has had a lie in. I have the paper to read and a chapter in the Lawrence Western local history book to finish. So, that'll send me off nicely.




If you don't know who to give your harvest offering to this year can I suggest Farm Africa. FARM-Africa is an international non-governmental organisation that aims to reduce poverty in eastern and South Africa. They work in partnership with marginal farmers and herders, helping them to manage their natural resources more effectively and build sustainable livelihoods on their land.