A very rare morning finds me without an entry in my diary apart from morning prayers. Prayers finished I bump into two worthy gentleman fixing the light bulbs in the hall... both volunteers we have a happy time working as a team. Them doing the work and me telling them what a good job they are doing basically. I often feel that my job is like young Mr Grace in “Are you being served.” He used to come in at the end of the episode with his famous catchphrase: “"You've all done very well!”
I have been a lot of thinking about volunteers recently; it’s so easy to forget that most of the people I work with are basically pursuing their hobby. Or is that it? Most of my thinking about volunteers has focussed on them. Maybe I need to think about what it means to be paid.
We had the entrepreneurs event on Monday and what was striking about many of them was that they saw their work as what they did and that if they made money it was a bonus. Perhaps we, and by that I mean I am too hooked up on the paid thing... work is work whether we are paid or not. Maybe we need to find ways to value what we do which don’t relate to whether we are paid or not.
Hmmn, I need to do some thinking about that.
As for now I just want to say: “"You've all done very well!!”
Given that's what he said how appropriate it was that he was called "Mr Grace."
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Sunday, 7 February 2010
circle of life
As another thirteen hour Sunday draws to a close I find myself as taxi for the youth groups ten pin bowling. They are a small but really nice group of the young people every other organization forgot or at least lost touch with. Most of our current batch are church goers as well so I guess in all departments they are a bit odd.
It's been a busy day, highlights of which included a mad rendition of with jesus in the boat at cragg and holding baby lucy at mytholmroyd.
Tomorrow I will, with help conduct the funeral of Emily Foster one of my older members... Thus completing in a kind of circle of life thing something rather wholesome.
What it is to be part of a community.
It's been a busy day, highlights of which included a mad rendition of with jesus in the boat at cragg and holding baby lucy at mytholmroyd.
Tomorrow I will, with help conduct the funeral of Emily Foster one of my older members... Thus completing in a kind of circle of life thing something rather wholesome.
What it is to be part of a community.
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
new for old for new for old
Today I have been investigating potential furnishing changes at cragg... as we move towards a more concrete discussion about reordering the church.
We have quite an anomaly at Cragg in that we have the original font for the church. It's being used as a bird bath! We wonder if "modernising" the church might involve bringing the old back. We also want to remove the late victorian additions to restore the early victorian / late georgian box. We might take out the organ, a late victorian addition.
To make it modern we need to go back to an older state. An aweful lot of modernisation is a turning back of the clock.
I am now sat in another very boring meeting about safeguarding children... waiting for it to finish.
We have quite an anomaly at Cragg in that we have the original font for the church. It's being used as a bird bath! We wonder if "modernising" the church might involve bringing the old back. We also want to remove the late victorian additions to restore the early victorian / late georgian box. We might take out the organ, a late victorian addition.
To make it modern we need to go back to an older state. An aweful lot of modernisation is a turning back of the clock.
I am now sat in another very boring meeting about safeguarding children... waiting for it to finish.
Saturday, 30 January 2010
Broken
I'm in Bradley to lead a wokshop on baptism strategy. There are a lot of people here which either means people are really excited about this part of what churches do or we are all a bit lost and need help.
In the past we talked a lot about baptism policies... but it all got a bit legalistic and a bit lost.
People heard the church say "no" and rightly were hurt to be turned away.
I want to talk about how we can say yes.
It's a dangerous thing.
I guess saying yes is at the heart of all I do.
Like the song says: "I'm just a man who can't say no."
Another song is in my mind it's by julie miller.
It reflects the way in which many people come to us.
If they come like this how can we say: "no"
You can have my heart
Though it isn't new
It's been used and broken
And only comes in blue
It's been down a long road
And it got dirty on the way
If I give it to you will you make it clean
And wash the shame away
You can have my heart
If you don't mind broken things
You can have my life if you don't mind these tears
Well I heard that you make old things new
So I give these pieces all to you
If you want it you can have my heart
So beyond repair
Nothing I could do
I tried to fix it myself
But it was only worse when I got through
Then you walked into my darkness
And you speak words so sweet
And you hold me like a childTill my frozen tears fall at your feet
In the past we talked a lot about baptism policies... but it all got a bit legalistic and a bit lost.
People heard the church say "no" and rightly were hurt to be turned away.
I want to talk about how we can say yes.
It's a dangerous thing.
I guess saying yes is at the heart of all I do.
Like the song says: "I'm just a man who can't say no."
Another song is in my mind it's by julie miller.
It reflects the way in which many people come to us.
If they come like this how can we say: "no"
You can have my heart
Though it isn't new
It's been used and broken
And only comes in blue
It's been down a long road
And it got dirty on the way
If I give it to you will you make it clean
And wash the shame away
You can have my heart
If you don't mind broken things
You can have my life if you don't mind these tears
Well I heard that you make old things new
So I give these pieces all to you
If you want it you can have my heart
So beyond repair
Nothing I could do
I tried to fix it myself
But it was only worse when I got through
Then you walked into my darkness
And you speak words so sweet
And you hold me like a childTill my frozen tears fall at your feet
Broken
I'm in Bradley to lead a wokshop on baptism strategy. There are a lot of people here which either means people are really excited about this part of what churches do or we are all a bit lost and need help.
In the past we talked a lot about baptism policies... but it all got a bit legalistic and a bit lost.
People heard the church say "no" and rightly were hurt to be turned away.
I want to talk about how we can say yes.
It's a dangerous thing.
I guess saying yes is at the heart of all I do.
Like the song says: "I'm just a man who can't say no."
Another song is in my mind it's by julie miller.
It reflects the way in which many people come to us.
If they come like this how can we say: "no"
You can have my heart
Though it isn't new
It's been used and broken
And only comes in blue
It's been down a long road
And it got dirty on the way
If I give it to you will you make it clean
And wash the shame away
You can have my heart
If you don't mind broken things
You can have my life if you don't mind these tears
Well I heard that you make old things new
So I give these pieces all to you
If you want it you can have my heart
So beyond repair
Nothing I could do
I tried to fix it myself
But it was only worse when I got through
Then you walked into my darkness
And you speak words so sweet
And you hold me like a childTill my frozen tears fall at your feet
In the past we talked a lot about baptism policies... but it all got a bit legalistic and a bit lost.
People heard the church say "no" and rightly were hurt to be turned away.
I want to talk about how we can say yes.
It's a dangerous thing.
I guess saying yes is at the heart of all I do.
Like the song says: "I'm just a man who can't say no."
Another song is in my mind it's by julie miller.
It reflects the way in which many people come to us.
If they come like this how can we say: "no"
You can have my heart
Though it isn't new
It's been used and broken
And only comes in blue
It's been down a long road
And it got dirty on the way
If I give it to you will you make it clean
And wash the shame away
You can have my heart
If you don't mind broken things
You can have my life if you don't mind these tears
Well I heard that you make old things new
So I give these pieces all to you
If you want it you can have my heart
So beyond repair
Nothing I could do
I tried to fix it myself
But it was only worse when I got through
Then you walked into my darkness
And you speak words so sweet
And you hold me like a childTill my frozen tears fall at your feet
Friday, 29 January 2010
Tension
This has been a week for visiting the cinema. Without a proper day off I have takent he opportunity to run away whenever I can to watch a film. So I went to see Avatar one afternoon... a bit wow. You will believe there are seven foot high blue people.
I went to see Up in the Air last night for Catherine's birthday... it was brilliant - a picture for our times. It's about a man who's job it is to tell people they are fired. It's also abotu our need to have a home. Go see it!
I am also trying to prepare for Sunday and Candlemas, which marks the fulcrum between Christmas and Easter an our need to keep the two things in tension.
I remembered a poem abotu this and wondered what people thought.
Christmas Is Really For the Children
Christmas is really for the children.
Especially for children who like animals,
stables, stars and babies wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Then there are wise men,
kings in fine robes,
humble shepherds
and a hint of rich perfume.
Easter is not really for the children
unless accompanied by a cream filled egg.
It has whips, blood, nails, a spear
and allegations of body snatching.
It involves politics,
God and the sins of the world.
It is not good for people of a nervous disposition.
They would do better
to think on rabbits, chickens
and the first snowdrop of spring.
Or they'd do better to wait for a re-run of Christmas
without asking too many questions
about what Jesus did when he grew up
or whether there's any connection.
Steve Turner
I went to see Up in the Air last night for Catherine's birthday... it was brilliant - a picture for our times. It's about a man who's job it is to tell people they are fired. It's also abotu our need to have a home. Go see it!
I am also trying to prepare for Sunday and Candlemas, which marks the fulcrum between Christmas and Easter an our need to keep the two things in tension.
I remembered a poem abotu this and wondered what people thought.
Christmas Is Really For the Children
Christmas is really for the children.
Especially for children who like animals,
stables, stars and babies wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Then there are wise men,
kings in fine robes,
humble shepherds
and a hint of rich perfume.
Easter is not really for the children
unless accompanied by a cream filled egg.
It has whips, blood, nails, a spear
and allegations of body snatching.
It involves politics,
God and the sins of the world.
It is not good for people of a nervous disposition.
They would do better
to think on rabbits, chickens
and the first snowdrop of spring.
Or they'd do better to wait for a re-run of Christmas
without asking too many questions
about what Jesus did when he grew up
or whether there's any connection.
Steve Turner
Sunday, 24 January 2010
Holocaust Memorial
Today I am at an interfaith debate at Halifax Minster. There is a lecture from a rabbi and response from the other faiths on the subject of Zionism. No fireworks, little emotion and a lot of sensible talk.
I don't know why but the fact that the rabbi is called Brian" seems a bit incongruous.
Brian talks in a calm way about being in a place of pain... refering to the event that defines modern Jews - the holocaust. We are all survivors of the holocaust because who knows who would have been next.
"Do we blame christians for the holocaust?"
"No," he said.
"Could it have happened without christianity?"
"No, because christianity made jews a bad thing and from this point the jump was smaller."
Jews were made powerless first... the rest follows.
As a Christian I accept sadly my part in the holocaust - Israel is their response to their powerlessness. Much of the terror in the world a consequence of Israels existance.
But as someone who has christians in my congregation who were once jews, I worry that for Brian no-one is allowed to convert...
"Where was God in the holocaust?" he says.
"God was weaping with me in the camp..."
God is weaping in Haiti.
God is rejoicing with those who find faith in Jesus... because there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over many righteous people who don't need to repent.
I hope we can continue to weep together but also have the grace to rejoice at the new life of faith people find in faiths other than our own.
I don't know why but the fact that the rabbi is called Brian" seems a bit incongruous.
Brian talks in a calm way about being in a place of pain... refering to the event that defines modern Jews - the holocaust. We are all survivors of the holocaust because who knows who would have been next.
"Do we blame christians for the holocaust?"
"No," he said.
"Could it have happened without christianity?"
"No, because christianity made jews a bad thing and from this point the jump was smaller."
Jews were made powerless first... the rest follows.
As a Christian I accept sadly my part in the holocaust - Israel is their response to their powerlessness. Much of the terror in the world a consequence of Israels existance.
But as someone who has christians in my congregation who were once jews, I worry that for Brian no-one is allowed to convert...
"Where was God in the holocaust?" he says.
"God was weaping with me in the camp..."
God is weaping in Haiti.
God is rejoicing with those who find faith in Jesus... because there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over many righteous people who don't need to repent.
I hope we can continue to weep together but also have the grace to rejoice at the new life of faith people find in faiths other than our own.
Saturday, 23 January 2010
no regrets
I am out to the wive's dinner and we are being entertained by an aging rock star. It's really very good... As the lights flash and he works his way through the back catalogue.
"there's no regrets" he sings but I can't help thinking he might have one or two as he sings to this select bunch in a Mytholmroyd church hall.
"there's no regrets" he sings but I can't help thinking he might have one or two as he sings to this select bunch in a Mytholmroyd church hall.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Square Eggs
It's been a frustrating day when nothing has been easy and every bit of writing a struggle. Like laying square eggs! I don't know why it varies so much... Some times you can only wait to be inspired.
So I have got out of the house and come to get my hair cut. The place is packed which makes me wonder if other people have writer's block as well.
I am talking at the methodist lady's group tonight so maybe that will fire me up... Or maybe not.
In the meantime I am hoping my haircut has the opposite effect to samson's close shave.
So I have got out of the house and come to get my hair cut. The place is packed which makes me wonder if other people have writer's block as well.
I am talking at the methodist lady's group tonight so maybe that will fire me up... Or maybe not.
In the meantime I am hoping my haircut has the opposite effect to samson's close shave.
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Thaw
Today the big thaw is really kicking in and I find myself in durham taking my daughter back to university. It is tipping it down but not in the metro centre which for short while was the largest shopping centre in Europe.
What is perhaps more surprising is that it was built with church finances partly as a contribution to regnerating the area.
I'm not sure we would do this now but I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's too risky, or perhaps other people are now leading. Needless to say the church is no longer an investor in shopping malls... Which is probably a good thing... I wonder if we could make a church in a shopping mall?
What is perhaps more surprising is that it was built with church finances partly as a contribution to regnerating the area.
I'm not sure we would do this now but I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's too risky, or perhaps other people are now leading. Needless to say the church is no longer an investor in shopping malls... Which is probably a good thing... I wonder if we could make a church in a shopping mall?
Monday, 11 January 2010
Lucy
I have just heard that Tim and Sara Ordway have had, after a laborious labour, a little girl called Lucy who is 7lb 4oz. I am so excited and wish all of them the very best.
The coming of a baby to a family is an interesting thing...
When Jon and Jo had Matilda they said it was a community baby and sure enough within a very short time she had been baby Jesus three times and probably talked to by every person in our town. She will be brought up by her parents, by her church and hopefully by her community as well.
I can ask for no more for Lucy and can't wait to meet her.
The concept of the Commmunity baby is really important I think and even is the basis of why we all pay for the schooling of children even when we don't have them ourselves.
If as John Donne says no man is an island but all part of a great continent then if the death of someone effects us all so does the birth of someone does as well.
So let's all raise a glass and give a prayer of thanks for Lucy.
We don't need to go to the extent that my father did, when my brother was born he wasn't there, he went out for a drink with the doctor!
The coming of a baby to a family is an interesting thing...
When Jon and Jo had Matilda they said it was a community baby and sure enough within a very short time she had been baby Jesus three times and probably talked to by every person in our town. She will be brought up by her parents, by her church and hopefully by her community as well.
I can ask for no more for Lucy and can't wait to meet her.
The concept of the Commmunity baby is really important I think and even is the basis of why we all pay for the schooling of children even when we don't have them ourselves.
If as John Donne says no man is an island but all part of a great continent then if the death of someone effects us all so does the birth of someone does as well.
So let's all raise a glass and give a prayer of thanks for Lucy.
We don't need to go to the extent that my father did, when my brother was born he wasn't there, he went out for a drink with the doctor!
Friday, 8 January 2010
Snowy days
After ninety seven years Ernest Hill was sent on his way today after what was a simple but kind of heroic life. The chapel at Norland looked beautiful marooned in the snow and everything went off well... I suppose, though, everybody was a little quiet and reflective. So much for the day job.
The morning leading up to this was somewhat surreal as I was invited with quite a small select group to meet the Diocesan boundaries commission which is looking into whether we should merge diocese. One idea that came up was to have a diocese of West Yorkshire. As we talked and theoretically moved deaneries and parishes around I wondered as to how people would feel on the ground.
I am not sure how bothered they would be after all in there day to day parish life it would have little effect on them.
A bit like the looming election - on the day after it would we really have a brave new world?
Or rather the same world slightly "tweaked."
I don't think Ernest Hill would have cared two hoots, he certainly wont now.
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
The end of the world
Went into Hebden for a strategy review committee which went remarkably well and quickly. I was surprised when I called at the local corner shop to discover that it had sold out of bread, as had the coop...
"Panic Buying" the girl explained.
When I got back I discover the house is in semi darkness, a rare thing, because my teenager had decided that with the snow we mgiht have a blackout and it was our duty to reduce the amount of electricity to prevent it.
"How near civilation is, at any time, to collapse" he said cheerily.
First we ran out of sledges
Then schools
Then bread
We might run out of grit sometime soon and then where would we be?
Sweden probably.
Not so bad then.
"Panic Buying" the girl explained.
When I got back I discover the house is in semi darkness, a rare thing, because my teenager had decided that with the snow we mgiht have a blackout and it was our duty to reduce the amount of electricity to prevent it.
"How near civilation is, at any time, to collapse" he said cheerily.
First we ran out of sledges
Then schools
Then bread
We might run out of grit sometime soon and then where would we be?
Sweden probably.
Not so bad then.
Snow
Stuck at home with the snow again... woever is dreaming of a white christmas needs to wake up. We had our first Wii related incident today and after an over vigorous tennis slice resulted in a right hook to someone's jaw we have consigned it to the dining room.
We had snowy bus ride to Hebden and ooed and ah'ed at the snow which was beautiful but annoying.
Tomorrow we will all have to start trying to be normal again as people carry on working round it... but for now the fire is blazing and the strategy meeting I am supposed to be attending in Hebden tonight looks even less attractive!
We had snowy bus ride to Hebden and ooed and ah'ed at the snow which was beautiful but annoying.
Tomorrow we will all have to start trying to be normal again as people carry on working round it... but for now the fire is blazing and the strategy meeting I am supposed to be attending in Hebden tonight looks even less attractive!
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Mental Health Day
It’s been a mental health themed day today. Following an early journey to Cragg in the very thick ice and light snow that looked very pretty but froze the car up solid and reduced the congregation by half to the young and the really keen, bless ‘em.
From there to Mytholmroyd and a slightly manic family service in the hall. The service arose from a conversation about what church would like to our community… a party was the answer and so that’s what the worshipped looked like today. We had balloons, freaking out our balloon phobic, party poppers and bouncy choruses. We posted letters to ourselves making pledges for the New Year. We had a lovely time.
The mental health theme followed the jollifications – that’s the danger of “jolly” worship.
I once talked to someone about why they liked Anglican worship and they said that it was still bearable even when you were feeling well… miserable! Church should not be a place that you can only go when you are happy.
“come to me you are heavy laden and I will give you rest” said Jesus, not “come to me if you’re really happy so that we can have a good time together.”
Still it was good to be happy together and share our sadness’s after the service.
This afternoon a quick visit to Todmorden to a sick lady who made a warm scene surrounded by her family. On hearing my voice she told me to go away , she didn’t want to see me… she’s not well so I slipped away but was a bit hurt anyway. Our mental health is so precious it’s a wonder we don’t take better care of it.
We have gyms for our bodies, should we have gyms for our mental health…
Perhaps that what churches should be.
Saturday, 2 January 2010
Getting Ready
It's family service tomorrow and I am agonising how to make the thing more celebratory. I find myself stressing like the host for a party... but what host would decide before hand what we were going to talk about?
The celtic types at Iona have a lovely bit of liturgy for communion that has pinged me back into place:
The celtic types at Iona have a lovely bit of liturgy for communion that has pinged me back into place:
He was always the guest.
In the homes of Peter and Jairus, Martha and Mary,
Joanna and Susanna, he was always the guest.
At the meal tables of the wealthy
where he pled the case of the poor, he was always the guest.
Upsetting polite company, befriending isolated people,
welcoming the stranger, he was always the guest.
But here, at this table, he is the host.
Those who wish to serve him must first be served by him,
those who want to follow him must first be fed by him,
So I guess I am not the host at this particular New Year party, merely a steward...
where did I put the party poppers?
New Year's Day
It's new year's day and a resolution to start blogging again. It has been a happy sabbatical but I have missed the discipline of thinking things through at the end of a day.
I have also missed the open conversation with the world... Or who ever is reading.
Today has been a clearing up day after yesterdays very successful party. Not sure what makes it successful but the combination of a mixture of ages and a colision of the various universes that our household travel in made for a very jolly time.
The food and alcohol probably helped too.
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