Somerset v Yorkshire, May 2011

Had a great day out with my Dad watching cricket last week. We always try (weather permitting) to see a game or two each season, a good excuse to overeat and catch up on the latest news. Putting the world to rights a speciality!

This time I took my camera along and took way too many photgraphs. But you have to take a lot in the hope that something photo-worthy will take place!

We were there for the first day of four and were well entertained. The final day saw a thrilling finish and Somerset go marching on! Looking forward to our next fixture, which is at the Cheltenham festival as Gloucestershire host Kent.

Eating Together

We had a fab lunch last week after the church service. Slow cookers were dusted down, salads tossed and puddings provided by the plateful. And a great time was had by all. This is the second time we have done this as a church and this time 59 people stayed to eat - about 60% of those there.

There really is something good about something as easy and as basic as eating together. Sitting and talking with people you sort of know but sort of don't. Even conversations over the washing up - and there was a lot of that!

People get to know each other better.

Single people get to eat with others, a rare treat so some of them say.

Church is supposed to be a family - and functional families eat together.

I've blogged before here - http://amiddleagedmanblogs.blogspot.com/2011/03/make-meal-of-it.html about how few families still eat together around a table. Recently my favourite parishoner has been reading the Bible with some teenage girls in the church and one remarked last night that her family all choose different ready meals and eat them whenever and wherever. She also said that what she had never had what I cooked before but that it was "lush", so she's always welcome! I think the girls are sometimes a bit bemused by the conversation and joking that takes place around the table amongst us but they learn to join in. It seems like they like it.

Seriously, the combination of bible reading and being with a family close up has great potential. We could really help or really hinder them! It's an exciting opportunity to help. I just mustn't give them food poisoning.

Picture posed by models!

Africa United

We had a great time watching this film together at the latest Reel Issues film night. And due to the generosity of the cinema owner, all the proceeds went to The Grace School and Orphanage in South Africa. So we raised just over £220 as well as enjoying ourselves.

A lovely film, about a group of children who travel from Rwanda to try to get to the start of the World Cup. More road movie than football movie, so don't be too alarmed if you aren't a soccer fan. It skilfully and subtly brings out some of the issues facing kids in Africa today. One to both laugh and cry at.

The playlist for the evening:

Taking Islands In Africa - Japan
It's Nearly Africa - XTC
Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) - Shakira
Radio Africa - Latin Quarter
South African National Anthem - Abaligani Brothers
Akehlulek Ubaba - Ladysmith Black Mambazo & Charlie Peacock

Reel Issues will take a break now until the autumn.

Reasons to be cheerful - 1,2,3

Sorry to be silent for a while. Have a whole host of things to catch up on, starting with three reasons to be cheerful that I had today.

1) The new dates and venue for New Word Alive next year and the excellent line up of speakers that they have announced. http://newwordalive.org/news/src/archive/05-2011/title/New-Word-Alive-May-2011-Update Already trying to decide whether I go to hear Rebecca Manley-Pippert or Richard Pratt when it comes to choosing seminars. Both are awesome.

2) The new Christianity Explored material came yesterday. I've used the older versions about a dozen times and rate the course very highly. From dipping into the new material, I am struck by the superb production on the new DVD and can't wait for the new course to start (straight after half-term).

3) The pigeons have eaten my brassicas. Admittedly, cheerfulness was not my first reaction but I was able to thank God that it really doesn't matter - we will still eat broccoli whenever we want it.

Woolacoombe to Braunton ~ 15.1 miles

Yesterday was the big day, I joined Natalie Husk on a leg of her 630 mile walk around the South West Coast Path for The Leprosy Mission. A beautiful walk along the coast in great walking conditions, dry, clear, warm but not hot. One of the congregation, a great old boy (early to mid-70s) joined me for it and all credit to him - he made it. Though he did worry me at one point after quite a few steps from beach to the road above us just as we left Croyde Bay.

Given the years I had on him I had to finish and I was surprised that it wasn't harder than it was. Having said that I had very heavy legs at the end of it. Probably longer than I have ever walked before. My favourite parishoner laughed at the way I got up off the floor last night but after a good sleep I was much refreshed this morning. I think I could possibly have done a stage today as well (as it was shorter and dead flat) and it makes me think I would like to do some more walking.

My overwhelming feeling at the end of it though (even more so than fatigue) was one of admiration for Natalie. It's all very well me doing a day and thinking I might have managed one today as well. But she did walk today - perhaps in rain. And she will walk again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day. Each day chipping about a dozen miles off her target of completing the whole thing. So much respect is due! She was a pleasure to walk with and easy company and if you want to sponsor her, there's a link on the Leprosy Mission page.

Fun to funky

Another occasion where I wonder what they teach in schools these days. I have a wonderful woman who has started as my administrator and two months in I was delighted by her great work.

Then today I played her Ashes to Ashes by David Bowie and she said she had never heard of it before. True she is still under forty, but I ask you. No wonder the clown looks sad.

I assured her that I would write a good reference.

Causing Trouble

Yesterday I went into an old people's home, which I do in a couple of places once a month to take a short service. In the course of talking to them I told them about the walk I am doing tomorrow and the reason Natalie is doing it was to raise money and awareness of the problem of leprosy.

All seemed to be going well until just after the end of the service when one old fellow asked if he could say something. Well, of course he could, it was his home after all. he said he wanted to comment on something the vicar (!) had said.

It soon became apparent that he hadn't quite grasped what it was I had been trying to explain because he launched into a pretty long diatribe of about 4 minutes or so (aided by an apparent ability to talk without pausing for breath) in which he told us that people shouldn't waste their time running 600 miles in the underpants but should use their energy to help old people look after their gardens or to do the church flowers or trim hedges instead.

After a while some of the other residents started on at him and I simply smiled at the woman who worked there and said, "Look what I've started. Bye." A fun time had by all?

Walkies

Can I refer you to a blog that I am following? Natalie Husk works for Leprosy Mission and is walking the entire South West Coast Path during May and June. That's 630 miles! I'm so impressed with her for doing this, she is raising awareness and money for those still suffering the effects of leprosy.

Her blog is at http://leprosyvoice.wordpress.com/ should you wish to follow her progress.

She asked for people to join her for a leg of the trip and walk with her and raise some money too. So, rather recklessly, I emailed her to join her for a day. She called my bluff and on Friday I am joining her in walking from Woolacombe to Braunton, 15 miles worth. I chose it because the drive there and back is a little shorter (a three and a half hour round trip all the same though), because it is described as a cross between moderate and easy and because it is breathtakingly beautiful. It won't let me show you an example but follow this link to see what I mean: http://www.flickr.com/photos/southwestcoastpath/5260558410/in/faves-55737292@N06/

I hope to post some pictures of my own afterwards but in the meantime I have frightened myself a little by measuring 15 miles on a car trip. It's a jolly long way!

Exeter City 2 Oldham Athletic 0

This was Exeter's second to last home fixture of the season unless they manage to make the play-offs and so we went to see what will probably be our last game of the season on Good Friday.

Exeter started a little nerously but a Scott Golbourne goal settled the nerves and a second from Jamie Cureton settled it. Given that last year we stayed up through a goal eight minutes from time on the last day of the season, to be ninth with three games to play is further proof of the impressive progress made under manager Paul Tisdale (who yesterday looked as if he had stepped out from playing crown green bowls judging from his attire).

Scott Golbourne scored the first.

Jamie Cureton scores - again. He's been a major reason for our improved showing this season.

Paul Tisdale - fresh from his bowls match.

I see that back on 21st August I wrote on this here blog that we'd finish somewhere between half way and the play-off places, falling a little short. After Saturday's results it is looking that, with Exeter on of three teams three points behind the team in that last spot and having the worst goal difference of the four teams in contention. But you never know and I would be love to be wrong!

Ryan Harley - signed by Swansea City and so might be a Premiership player next season. Not bad for someone we signed from Weston-Super-Mare. He's been terrific to watch.

Keeper Ben Hamer is officially leaving because his loan finished after this game. I reckon he might just be fed up with the players who mock him behind his back. He's been a great loan.

Exeter's final home league fixture is against local rivals Plymouth Argyle. A combination of cowardice and a family party mean we won't be going. At the time the fixtures came out there was speculation that this could be the day that Plymouth sent us down into League 2. It's not impossible that the very opposite might happen. One things for certain, both will need 3 points and it should be a cracker!

You can be too religious

This might be a bit of a mind stretch for some but Good Friday was another reminder to me that you can be too religious. In fact it always is. Let me explain.

1980s
When I first became a Christian I used to drop into the big church building in my town on Good Friday for part of their service. It went on for three hours and consisted of readings and silent meditations. I don't recall that we sang but perhaps we did. Looking back (and it's a lot of years ago so I may have it wrong) the impression I have is we sat around feeling more and more sorry for Jesus and the terrible things that were done to him. Always came home feeling a bit miserable.

1990s
Fast forward to a different sort of church which met in a school hall. Went, as usual, to the Good Friday service, where we did some of the same things but with a sermon and some singing. Over coffee afterwards the Pastor tells us that some of them are going to the pub for lunch and did we want to come along? I'm a bit non-plussed by this and say something about it being Good Friday. Later in conversation he points out to me that it's Good Friday because Jesus went to the cross for our sins, his death was our death and so, while it's a serious and sobering thing it's also to be celebrated. Dwelling on the events of Good Friday is a good thing to do - but if we leave with an overwhelming sense of misery and no joy then there is something askew.

2011
Yesterday we sang some traditional and modern songs about the cross and what happened there. Fifty of us took bread and wine together and knew that we were only able to do so because Jesus did everything to make us acceptable. It doesn't - thank God - depend on my religious performance, my service, or my merits. If it did I would be sunk.

I didn't go to the pub afterwards, I watched a football match instead. It is, perhaps, a sign of an increased spiritual maturity amongst us as a group that no-one expressed horror at the irreligious nature of their minister doing such a thing. Hopefully we are understanding together that these human rules regarding how to be religious are simply that, human rules. The Bible says - "don't let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival... or a Sabbath day." (Colossians 2.16).

No good trying to be more religious than the Bible!

What's Easter about?

Some of our church youth group spent some of yesterday in town asking 100 people, "Name something to do with Easter". We are using the results for a Family Fortunes style game in our Easter Service and I thought if I shared them then it might be of use to someone else.


Eggs 48

Rabbits 20

Chicks 7

Chocolate 5

Jesus 5

Crucufuxion / cross 5

Religion 3

Resurrection 2

Hot Cross Buns 2

Holy week 1

Don't know 1

No 1

Mmmmmm. Seems we have a lot of work to do.

More books that I've read in 2011

I've been slack in updating this list but then, I have been busy reading! A good batch of books too.

Living the Cross Centred Life - C.J.Mahaney

This was given me by a friend (thanks Stu!) and was a good solid read. In a time and place where some people get their knickers in a twist over the display of palm crosses in vans (according to the news today, anyway) this book reminds you of the centrality of the cross to faith. 8/10

Glory Days - Julian Hardyman

A book about living all of life as a follower of Jesus which highlights not only the need to bring all of life under his command but also enjoying the pleasures of life as well. In a book that celebrates beauty in life it is, fittingly, beautifully written. 8/10

Church Planting is for Wimps - by Mike McKinley

The idea is that church planting is for w imps because the really hard task is in revitalising a church that is on death's door. His situation was really extreme but I could identify with parts of it and it was an encouraging read. 7/10

The Work of the Pastor - William Still

I've heard this described as a modern classic and "unputdownable" but I managed to quite easily. Some gems in here but the style was probably a little old when written in the sixties and now much of it comes across as rather eccentric. Many great men love this book. I don't. 2/10

Respectable Sins - Jerry Bridges

Included here because I must have re-read it in the course of preaching a series based on it. It's been very well received by the congregation who - like me - have been very challenged by it's contents. Basically, there are no respectable sins, just those that we think don't matter. Great book. 9/10

Fortune's Always Hiding - John Lyall

Those of a theological nature may well be scratching their heads at this point, John was manager of West Ham United during their most successful league campaign - finishing third. Comes across as likable and decent, if a little bit Ron Manager in places. Needed to read something less heavy after William Still. 6/10

Worship Matters - Bob Kauflin

This is a book written for worship leaders in churches but as someone who - by default - often ends up doing this I still benefited greatly from reading it. The emphasis is on the character of the people called to the role rather than just their skills and that applies just as much to Pastors. 8/10

Sowing the seeds of love

Last night I went to the pub for a brief pint with my favourite parishioner and overheard on the next table someone telling his mates, "My dad was a Mod, he used to listen to things like The Jam."

Felt very old....

25 years (and a bit) ago

Somehow I managed to miss it but earlier this year I should have remembered what was for me a very significant trip. 25 years ago I went to the Philippines to help build a playschool at an orphanage. It was only a six week trip but it was an amazing time - physically demanding, heart breaking, eye-opening. I was reminded of it when was looking through old slides recently. The two best pictures I have from that trip I've uploaded on my Flickr account and I include them here with the blurb. The Lost Boys This was taken in a compound in Manila. I was taken here 25 years ago to get an idea of the background of some of the kids that were in the orphanage I helped out in for six weeks. This and the endless slums were a rude awakening to a lad from the Cotswolds. These street children would be rounded up from the streets of Manila and be kept here until... when? The lucky ones, like Ruth (see other picture) ended up in a great orphanage and had a crack at happiness in life. These boys? Who knows. Cameras were strictly prohibited in here the authorities being less than keen to have conditions photographed but I had to risk it. It had a profound effect on me back then and it would probably do me good to go back and be involved in something similar again. Ruth Been looking at some very old pictures, this was taken 25 years ago. Ruth was a little girl who found a refuge in the orphanage that I briefly helped out at in San Antonio, a place on the west coast of the main island in the Philippines. I was there helping build a playschool in the orphanage and was there during the Marcos / Aquino election when Marcos was finally ousted - though it took Catholic nuns sitting in front of tanks to achieve it when he refused to accept the result. I wonder what Ruth is doing today, she would be in her early / mid thirties. It would do me good to go and help somewhere again and be reminded of some of the lessons I learnt all those years ago. I have a sabbatical in just over a years time. Maybe a few days doing something in the developing world might be called for. Thanks to Bob for scanning my slides and to Drew for a quick bit of PP work.

NWA 2011

Another good New Word Alive conference, just got back today. Highlights include singing acapella verses of hymns with 2,500 people in a big tent, David Cook's masterly expositions of Acts in the mornings, Archbishop Ben Kwashi speaking of faith in the midst of horrific persecution in his churches in Nigeria, eating chips while watching Masterchef (which has to be a metaphor for something) and meeting old friends and family, including someone we hadn't seen for nearly ten years and had no idea would be there. It was a good NWA without being a classic and we certainly intend being there - wherever it is held - in 2012. Now to plough through emails and try and remember what needs to be done and how much I have already done for Sunday.

Away for a bit

Just a quick note to warn you not to expect anything from me for a few days. Tomorrow morning we head north west for New Word Alive. This has been a very significant week for me in previous years and I am looking forward to the rest and refeshment that I am hoping it will bring again this year. A chance to think, chill, pray, talk, see old friends, make new ones and enjoy coffee, beach and scenary. Also five or six days away from a computer! More to follow on our return.

Pictures for an exhibition?

Wondering if you can help me here? We have our camera club exhibition in just over a week's time and we are all asked to exhibit four prints of A4 size and one of A3. If you have time would you rank these (some old and some new) for me and help me make the final choice? I am keen to know which you like best as I can only print one at A3. Thanks.

Sunset Now - Burnham Beach in November

Substituted - Steve Tully, Exeter City

Water Colours - Reflections of Cottages in Brixham

Misty Rocks - Kilve Beach, February

Joy! Drew and Anna's Wedding Day

A Shadow of Ourselves - From the Eiffel Tower, January

A Bit Peckish

Confession

After a great deal of good solid spiritual reading recently, which I have yet to blog, I am currently reading the collected Father Ted - The Craggy Island Parish Magazines. To quote the good priest himself, "It is disappointing when one spends up to twenty minutes preparing a sermon that one hears rumours to the effect that I am not taking the whole 'sermon thing' seriously."

I am generally as diligent as I can be in my preparation but for a combination of reasons - only some of which are valid - my second sermon was very underprepared. Between two and three hours at the most and so I never got to the stage of completion, let alone editing. Despite all this I managed to get up and speak for about twenty minutes.

Last night I got away with it, not a great feeling, though I'd confess to a slight feeling of relief but certainly not good for me - or my people. It worries me that I can get up and talk for twenty minutes with so little preparation. Not a nice feeling and - thankfully a very rare occurance. I need to keep it that way.

Signs playlist

Another Reel Issues tonight, where we watch a film at the local cinema and talk about it afterwards. Tonight we are watching Signs, the Mel Gibson film about faith, aliens and miracles (the signs of the film's name). I have been telling people it's not a science fiction film as such but as I was refreshing my memory on it this afternoon I fear I have mislead people. We'll see.

Again, for my own amusement I have compiled a few songs to play beforehand. Listening to The Killers and Prince a lot today as a result.

Sign 'O' The Times - Prince

Signs - Michael W. Smith

There's No Such Thing As Aliens - Sparks

Spaceman - The Killers

What Faith Can Do - Kutless

Lent Sermons - an aside

Well, today's hunt for something other than the usual (for me) in listening to sermons each day didn't go so well today. I decided to visit Preaching Today, a website that is worth subscribing to for the illustrations that it throws up for a preacher, once you have got past all the American sports illustrations, that is. Well, today I discovered that they have an audio sermon archive and that on the sidebar you can specify types of preacher - men, women and ethnic. Out of 864 sermons on the database, two are by 'ethnic' preachers and one is labelled as being by a woman. And she has the first name Howard, which makes me think it was probably an error in the database. So out of 864 sermons on the site, 862 are by white males. I guess I need to keep on looking.

School visits

I had a week that included standing in front of three different classes and being asked any question they wanted recently. The kids were Year 4 and Year 6. I tried by best but as you can see, some of the questions can be pretty random. Some of those that I remember are listed below:

• We are doing about weddings at Brownies at the moment. What would your top wedding tip be?


• Why do we say that Jesus was God's son if Mary was his mother?


• If you had a fantasy pet to represent your job, what would it be?


• How often do you use your organ?


• You do a lot of weddings and funerals - how many divorces do you do?


• What about the dinasours?


• When you do a baptism, how long do you hold them under for?


• Who created God?


• What are you favourite parts of the job?


• What are your main beliefs?

I really enjoy these sessions, the hour flies by, I also try to remember that who I am will probably make more of an impression than the answers I give. So I try to be a good ambassador by being friendly and kind and the like and I also try not to be too remote or strange because sadly most of the these kids know nothing of church and are starting from scratch. So friendly and normal are what I aim at. Whether I pull it off is another matter!

Lent Sermons - an update

I'm finding this a really useful thing to do. I'm listening to a wide variety of people on different parts of the Bible, although I am aware that virtually everyone I am listening to is white, middle-aged and male. This is largely because so far I am almost exclusively listening to people I know. And I know a lot of people who are broadly like me. Most are friends, some aquaintances and some people who are rather famous and I have heard preach live and on mp3. I've enjoyed listening to friends, knowing the preacher helps in a lot of ways. But maybe it's time to go off-piste for a while, to try a few random choices and listen to some people I don't know. Any suggestions? Watch this space.

Lent Sermons

Confession time - forgot all about this yesterday until about 11pm and so went sermon-less for the day. Hopeless, hey? It's another reminder why I need forgiveness in all areas of my life! So one this morning and I plan to catch up by listening to another when I make cottage pie for tea tonight.

Really enjoying doing it, so it wasn't reluctance on my part, just a combination of forgetfulness and being distracted by other things. As is so much of life!

Photo competition

Last month I almost got my first point in a camera club competition, tomorrow night is our next monthly competition. The theme? Kitchen cupboard. I ask you! I am anticipating a number of shots of jars and packets. Either that or cute children or cats emerging from a cupboard. Really struggled for inspiration and so have ended up taking more pictures of a cheese grater than is healthy for anyone.

I have just narrowed it down to two shots, question is - which of the two do I enter into the competition? The blue one, the silver one, or none of the above?

Get your souvenirs quick!

I don't know how long this will remain on the web. Assuming it's genuine, it's possible that once it's realised it'll disappear pretty quickly. But the link here is very funny. Someone might need to get a new picture editor.

http://www.guandongenterprisesltd.com/

Hospital Visit

I don't generally like visiting in hospital, I find the oddness of the situation makes for stilted conversation, certainly from my side anyway. But sometimes you are aware that something very precious and hard to explain is going on. I had a couple of visits like that earlier this month, visiting one of the old men from the church.

At the first one speaking was clearly hard work for him. He gasped out whispered sentences with long pauses for recovery. Hearing him was hard because the fellow next door was deaf, or else was being treated for shouting the whole time.

After a while I felt that I ought to leave him to rest as it was clearly hard work for him. I prayed for him and as he held my hand he whispered the words of his favourite hymn, "In heavenly love abiding".

The second visit saw him hardly stir. He was sedated and very tired and I just sat with him a while and prayed quietly for him. He showed some signs of stirring when I quietly hummed a hymn to him as if he was doing all he could to respond but it was clear the end was very close. I silently said my goodbye to him and the following morning he passed away.

John Wesley said of his people that they died well. John was 97 and he died as he lived, thankful to God for all he did for him and trusting him right up to the end. In a couple of hours I will be conducting his funeral. It is a privilege.

253

The book 253 is by Geoff Ryman. It is the story of 253 characters on a Tube train, each one described in a total of 253 words split under three sections - outward appearance, inside information and what the character is thinking or doing. It's an interesting exercise which sometimes intrigues but more often frustrates because you really want some development in the story. In the end it feels a bit like junk food, you keep consuming it but it isn't as substantial as you hoped.

The Tube meets with a tragic end (it's flagged pretty early so no great spoiler to tell you) and it's interesting to have a snapshot of a diverse group of people and the state of their souls just before the accident. With the awful events in Japan on our screens everyday, it has an even greater poignancy right now but because there is no plot or shape to the book (which is probably the whole point) I am marking it down as a mere 5/10.

Some have gone to glory...

A very full week coming up and so I spent some of my Sunday afternoon preparing a PPT to show to the three school classes I am speaking to. It's of what we are like as a church and how we are different to the local CoE church.

One of the pictures shows the church during a service and was taken nearly five years ago. I remarked to my wife on how different the building looks (seats for pews etc.) and how different the church (i.e. the people) is now. Her reply was excellent, "Yes, some have gone to glory and some have gone to the Methodists".

Where are the women?

I've been really enjoying the sermon a day thing (I know, I'm odd) but as I update it each day was aware straight away of how male the list was going to be. Today I listened to a terrific sermon by a female of the species. All four have been good but this was perhaps the best so far. (I have to be careful here because I know each of them!)

Begs the question, where will I find other good preachers who are women? For obvious reasons - lack of opportunity, lack of experience - we have a rich heritage of men who preach well but far fewer women. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd be very grateful.

A sermon a day keeps...

I don't intend to post on each sermon that I listen to this Lent as I try to listen to one each day. But I have added a Lent Sermons heading in the top right hand corner of the blog to reference what I have heard. You can click on to them to listen to some of them - perhaps not all as some might be on CDs that I have bought and not listened to yet.

I will choose some by some friends, some of the more famous preachers, some reasonably random ones. The only rule is that the sermons are not allowed to be on anything I am preaching on this week.

Make a meal of it

Last week I preached the last in the series of Meals With Jesus and a few days beforehand a survey came out that reveals some alarming things about how today's families eat. The research, commissioned by Bisto, says:

* More than half of families no longer eat their dinner together in one room, instead eating in up to four different rooms in the house.

* One in five children eat dinner alone in their bedroom.

* 61% of families are too busy to sit down and eat a meal together.

* If they do eat together, 59% admitted they prefer to send text messages, watch television or go on the internet than talk with the rest of the family.

I find this so scary! Anecdotal evidence says that lots of teens feel that they can't talk to their parents, some self-harm and many say that they have considered suicide (how seriously, who knows?) It seems that our eating habits are only adding to the problem.

We get plenty wrong as parents but I am glad that we always eat together at least daily. It's a time to talk and catch up and sometimes to laugh, cry or argue. But we do it together.

Cast Away Playlist

This week's Reel Issues was Cast Away, the Tom Hanks film about a driven career man who has an enforced halt placed on his life when he finds himself on a desert island. As well as issues around time and loneliness and relationships, there is an angel theme that is very strong in the film too, providing a nice link with another recent Reel Issues film, It's a Wonderful Life.

As usual, for fun, I put together a playlist for the music beforehand...

Blondie - Island of Lost Souls

The Primitives - Crash

Joe Jackson - Got the Time

David Bowie - Time Will Crawl

M People - Fantasy Island

Sheryl Crow - Maybe Angels

Next month we show Signs, the Mel Gibson film about faith.

Fat Tuesday

Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday today, known as Fat Tuesday in some parts of the world. (My favourite parishioner tells me that Mardis Gras literally means 'Greasy Tuesday'.) So I celebrated in style with doughnuts, cakes, and a roast dinner today. I met up with some ministry mates for the day and the agenda was have coffee and eat, read and pray, eat, walk in the New Forest, drink tea, pray, eat. And then leave with more food. It was the first time we had met up and I hope it becomes regular - lonely old business sometimes.

After all that excess, what to give up for Lent? Alcohol? Unlikely.

I don't usually do anything extra for Lent but this year I have decided to listen to a sermon every day. Might seem like a penance to you, what could be duller? But there are some great bible teachers out there on the interweb and I am a better person when I am taking in God's word. I very much enjoy listening to things done well. So watch this space. Day 1 tomorrow.

Graham Swift - The Light of Day

A good few days away in cloudy Brixham, a chance to read as well as mess around as a family. Got back on track from my slightly wobbly reading choices with Graham Swift's novel. Having enjoyed Last Orders previously, this was a fairly safe choice. Lots of short chapters in this one, an intriguing novel about a private detective with a dubious past who falls for a client. The investigation takes an unusual turn and I probably can't say much more without giving things away, though it's not too tough to see what is going to happen as you go along. 8/10 from me.

The smell of grace

We have been doing a short series on "Meals with Jesus" and today did the third of them, the breakfast that Jesus shared with his disciples in John 21. This has to be one of my favourite chapters in the Bible. After John 18 Peter has crashed and burnt and we were speculating this morning where Peter, or any of the rest of us, would be if John finished his gospel at verse 14.

But Peter, who denied Jesus three times, is forgiven as the breakfast makes clear. Jesus invites him for a meal of fish and bread and the end result is that Peter is not only forgiven but given gospel work to do. Astonishing! There is hope for all of us.

To underline the lesson I cooked fish during the sermon. Some hate the smell, some love it. But it's the smell of grace. Delicious!

Books of 2011, so far

I'm away for a few days with the family to wander around Brixham and read some more. I love to read on holiday. I've done okay on the book front so far this year though and neglected to blog accordingly.

So far it's been:

One Day - David Nicholls 9/10
Winner of the Galaxy chocolate book of 2010 or something but don't be put off by it's popularity to a mass market, it's great. Two students get together on the night of their graduation and the book devotes a chapter to each subsequent anniversary of that date. An easy read but Jonathan Coe likes it too, so it must be intelligent as well.

Last Night In Twisted River - John Irving 9/10
I'm a sucker for Irving, Owen Meaney being an all-time fave. This is him doing what he does so well, again. Echoes of Owen Meaney too in the bizarre death of a mother-figure. The rest of the novel deals with the consequences of a father and son as they go into hiding over it. And, of course, there are bears and wrestlers and writers in this book too.

The Fry Chronicles - Stephen Fry 5/10
Bit disappointed in this. After a while his constant apologising for his background and being miserable about himself get a bit wearing. And I suspect that the interesting stuff about his manic depression is missing - unless it started after this period in his life. Went to two lectures at Cambridge all the time he was there apparently. No wonder he missed out on his first. Ending rather infuriating, mentions a cocaine habit and then tells us we have to wait until the next book for that story.

Preachers, Keep Yourself From Idols - Derek Tidball 6/10
And now for something completely different. This is a month old, from IVP. Thought it would be good to read about the traps preachers can fall into and one or two of the chapters were rather fine. Overall not so great though.

It's Only A Movie - Mark Kermode 4/10
Another autobiography - of sorts. I guess it was a bit specialised for my tastes in terms of some of the films he obsesses over. Some unpleasant stuff on censorship and what is okay to watch - we'd disagree on some of those things but I've never been into horror at all. Don't really get on with his writing style either, all a bit too overblown for me.

As these have been read in the order they appear here, you can see that I need to up my game!

PS - John Irving's book had a fascinating note at the end on how he writes his books. He cannot start to write, he says, until he knows the last sentence. And that last sentence doesn't change in the rest of the process.

From the last sentence he works out a plan to find out how the story comes to that end point. He maps it out to work out a beginning and the characters and where everthing fits. This takes him 12-18 months. Only then does he sit down and write the thing. It took him three years to write "Last Night on Twisted River" once he had his road map in place - which he says is fast for him. Having the germ of the story in his head for twenty years helped him write 'so fast'.

For this reason and for so many others, I will never write a novel!

Suffering for my art

Well, it sounds better than simply saying that I slipped on some rocks while out trying to take some photos yesterday. Bit bruised and wet but nothing serious - the camera was fine. I was on Kilve Beach in Somerset, a remarkable place and experimenting with some welding glass and the tripod. You then convert to black and white and hope that you have something useful to show for it. (The welding glass is too dark to see through and so there is a lot of guesswork involved).

The effect is to slow everything right down and so the misty effect is in fact where the tide washes in and gives it this dreamy quality. It's not quite there but it's the best of my first attempts.

100 not out

After I had been here a while I got a call from the then Church Secretary, who told me that one of the church members was going to be 100 in the next few days. He then went on to say that the church's policy on such occasions was for the Pastor to take some flowers round. I had just arrived from a young church with hardly anyone over pensionable age and it amused me to think taht I had joined a church which had any kind of policy on what to do in the event of a member celebrating their 100th birthday.

On reflection I think he rather overstated it in terms of it being a policy as such, no-one else around here seems to know about it. Still, it is a nice thing to do and so I repeated the experience again today, with another lady from the church reaching her century. The flowers from the church joined the other buckets full - but what else do you buy someone in this situation? She was in good spirits and enjoyed showing off her cards. Wonder when I'll next be called upon to exercise the policy?

When I consider your heavens...

We're in the middle of nowhere (well, Hothorpe Hall to be exact) and part of what makes this Living Leadership conference great is the location. The people, food, focus of the studies and facilities are great too. Woke up to a beautiful sunrise this morning and was treated to some wonderful starscapes (is there such a word?) this evening.

Not done any post production on these as the software is on the other computer but I hope they give a sense of the surroundings. The one with the stars is a 76 second exposure which explains why the stars have left little trails - the earth's turning cause it, not camera shake! Even though the night was very black, the bottom half shows the light polution form a nearby town, though I don't mind the orange effect it gives this. Freezing cold but a lovely night to be out.

"When I consider your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

what are mere mortals that you are mindful of them,

human beings that you care for them?"

Psalm 8:3-4

God TV

Off today to a three day pastoral Refreshment Conference which, if it is as good as last year's, will be very good indeed. The focus is more on you and God, less on you and the job. Ministers need to hear this from time to time.

Thought I'd post this in the meantime. One of the drawbacks of getting Sky to watch the sport is that you get a lot of rubbish thrown in for free, including the religious programming. There is some good stuff. There is a terrible amount of dross and I shudder for how many will be put off or led astray by the theological pornography that some peddle. Strong words perhaps but I get very angry at some of the rubbish (being polite again) that is peddled by charlatans. And reading my Bible I think Paul had something to say about some of them too.

Anyhow, (keep it light, keep it light)I like the cartoon and the link is below in case you want to see more of the man's work.

http://asbojesus.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/godtv.jpg?w=600&h=240

I will come back more mellow...

Chocolat Soundtrack

Tomorrow evening we have the next Reel Issues. This is where the church rents the local cinema to watch a film and discuss it's themes afterwards. Chocolat is the choice to kick off 2011, with Cast Away, Signs, and Africa United completing the spring line up. I can't make this one (nothing to do with Exeter City being on Sky, I'm away at a conference) but I put together the soundtrack anyway. Here it is, Scritti Politti's 'The Sweetest Girl' only losing out due to length...

The Drifters - Sweets For My Sweet
Shanks and Bigfoot - Sweet Like Chocolate
Sammy Davis Jnr - The Candy Man
Heaven 17 - Temptation
The Archies - Sugar, Sugar
Deacon Blue - The Chocolate Girl

The King's Speech

Contains spoiler - if you have been living down a well for the last month.

Finally caught the film that everyone is raving about last night. It has done terrific business around here and I've heard nothing but rave reviews but I didn't think it was all that, to be honest. Well acted and a great cast and everything but the story itself just seemed a bit lame to me. Man has stammer, meets another man who helps him, end of. (Sorry if I've just spoilt the film for you.)

Perhaps I lack sympathy. I mean, speaking in public - how hard can it be?

I say this very tongue in cheek, I have vivid memories of drying when called upon to say a few words. The first one was as a kid when asked to say thank you to the person who presented the prizes at school one year. They chose me as someone who hadn't won a prize - a feat I managed to replicate every single year of my school career.

Actually, speaking in public is really daunting for a lot of people, something I can forget these days as I do it every week. Proof? The cinema owner rang me to record the film information for the cinema line for him this week. His usual person is away and neither he nor any of his staff would do it.

A tramp in the forest

Was in the Forest of Dean for a meeting today and so thought I would make the most of it and take a walk in the woods while I was at it. There is a Sculpture Trail there near Coleford and inspired by the brilliant talk given at Camera Club this week by the exceptionally talented and humble Tony Howell, I thought I'd get out and do some landscape photography. Sadly the weather was very dull and grey, so don't think I came back with any great pictures but it was good to get out and walk, think and pray. Mistakenly read that the Trail was 2-3 miles when it said 2-3 hours. It was 7 miles and took me 3 hours as I was stopping to take pictures at decreasingly regular intervals. Saw perhaps a dozen people in all that time and two of those were from the Guardian asking the occasional visitors what they thought of the government's plans to sell off large swathes of forest. Gave them nothing coherent.

The sculptures were not that great, though there were a couple I liked. My favourite was Cathedral a large stained glass window hung high in the trees at the end of a pathway. It was the one I was most keen to photograph and (sadly) the one at the furthest point from the car park.

To see a really talented landscape photographer, check out Tony's site. He's a world class pro, living just down the road here in Burnham.

http://www.tonyhowell.co.uk/

Modern Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSkT5XykJzo


Here I tend to do a lot more funerals than weddings, so it's always a pleasure to do the latter. However I am very glad that no-one has thought to do this at one that I've taken yet. From the look on the Minister's face, I think that this is for real rather than a set up job. Hope this doesn't become a trend!

(I am partly posting this in order to remember where it is when I talk about a person's new status in Christ when they become a Christian). Don't be put off by that though, it's pretty funny of itself. Check out the link.

Swindon Town 0 Exeter City 0

What is it about football that drives otherwise reasonably sane men (in the main) to drive for over three hours to watch a game of football in sub-zero temperatures? And for no reward goal-wise either.

Been a long time since I was at the County Ground, which must still be my second most visited ground. It was the nearest place to watch proper football as a kid yet it's still twenty years since I went to see West Ham in an FA Cup match. That was a 0-0 draw too.

The closest that the game got to a goal was this disallowed effort from Swindon, for whom man of the match O'Brien was devastating on the left wing. Both sides hit the bar and in truth it was my team, the visitors, who will be happiest with the point.

Good to meet up with my good friend Andy who sportingly pretended to be a Grecian for the afternoon. Actually they could sponsor his hair products these days! It was he who pointed out that the Family Stand and it's sponsors don't seem like an obvious partnership (look again at the picture at the top).

Junior School Assembly

Was in the Primary School of my favourite parishioner yesterday to take the assembly. This is something that I do every few weeks and I always enjoy, though trying to talk sensibly to infants and juniors together is quite a large age range. The Head is very supportive and encouraging and she even lets me just go in and tell stories from the Bible rather than have to follow the theme that is being used for the rest of the term, which is fine by me.

I used the wonderful Jesus Storybook Bible with them again, reading them the story of the calming of the storm and projecting some of the beautiful pictures on the screen too. (Example above from the story of Noah's Ark). Then started to teach them "What kind of man is this?" which is a kids song by Dave Godfrey, listing some of the things Jesus did. The first verse is on Christmas, second verse on some of the things Jesus did (included aforesaid storm calming) and then finishing with a verse on Easter. The theory is that kids will remember what they have heard as they sing the song over the next couple of assemblies.

I think it went okay, without being world beating. Did get some good feedback from one of the older boys at the end - a big thumbs up and smile and the words, "Cool trainers, sir!"

Makes it all so worthwhile....

Water drop

I joined a Camera Club a couple of months ago and was daunted by some of the work they are doing. I still am but they are an encouraging bunch and they are happy to advise and help someone like me. Last night was a practical night and using their know-how and with some luck I captured this. I joined to get better and I could never have done this before, so somethings happening!

Respectable Sins - 1) Ungodliness

Don't tend to think of myself as ungodly, so it was a bit of a shock to read the chapter in Jerry Bridges' book on ungodliness. I approached it thinking that it might be interesting and put it down thinking God had done a number on me.

Bridges defines ungodliness in this way. It's a long quote but worth reading:

“Ungodliness may be defined as living one’s everyday life with little or no thought of God, or of God’s will, or of God’s glory, or of one’s dependence on God. You can readily see, then, that someone can lead a respectable life and still be ungodly in the sense that God is essentially irrelevant in his or her life. We rub shoulders with such people every day in the course of our ordinary activities. They may be friendly, courteous, and helpful to other people, but God is not at all in their thoughts. They may even attend church for an hour or so each week but then live the remainder of life as if God doesn’t exist. They are not wicked people, but they are ungodly.

Now, the sad fact is that many of us who are believers tend to live our daily lives with little or no thought of God. We may even read our Bibles and pray for a few minutes at the beginning of each day, but then we go out into the day’s activities and basically live as if God doesn’t exist. We seldom think of our dependence on God or our responsibility to him. We might go for hours with no thought of God at all. In that sense, we are hardly different from our nice, decent, but unbelieving neighbour. God is not at all in his thoughts and is seldom in ours.” Respectable Sins, p54.

Ouch! This is too much like me. How self-sufficient do I kid myself I can be? How much of my prayer life is based on "Help!" or "Please bless my 'To-do' list"?

The passage that we looked at in church about this on Sunday was James 4.13-16 which warns us:

13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.

Verse 13 sounds like the sort of thing candidates on the Apprentice say in the boardroom to try to impress Lord Sugar with.

Verse 14 reminds us we don't know what tomorrow will bring (and how true that turned out to be on Monday!) and that life is brief. So we mustn't be too quick or too certain in making our plans.

Start of the year we are all filling in diaries and calendars. Whose plans are they? Whose agenda? Have we even asked the boss? Or do we still figure we are in charge?

(The photo is of Siena in Tuscany. We were going there for our tenth anniversary. Then tomorrow happened - in the form of a car clutch needing replacing - and we went for a picnic instead).

Little things mean a lot

Lovely gesture on Saturday from a friend in the church who brought a meal round for us on the basis that my favourite parishoner had been off work ill and, to quote them, "I looked really tired last night".

A very simple and thoughtful gesture which was really appreciated and I was touched that they hadn't asked (which I would have inevitably politely declined) but had simply gone ahead and brought round the meal.

I did however feel a little guilty because a great deal of my tiredness was self-inflicted, what I like to refer to as "Ashes fatigue". A great 3-1 series win but I'm very glad that I can get back into some healthier sleep patterns now that the urn is coming home.

Changing Rooms

To see in the New Year, last week in church we looked at the new wardrobe that Christians are given to wear. It's out with the old and the way we used to live and in with the new, the way that we are supposed to live. In Paul's letter to the Colossian church (chapter 3) he describes it in clothing terms.

This is what we used to wear...

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

This is the new outfit...

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Hardly rocket science, is it? To put it another way, we can't sing 'Jesus is Lord', or 'Jesus is King' and just live however we feel like living, can we?

The trick is to remember the new outfit - the uniform that we are expected to be wearing, if you like. And not to go rooting through the bin-bags for the old stuff again.

This is the introduction to the series we are starting on "Respectable Sins" based on / nicked from Jerry Bridges' excellent book of the same name. Looking forward to getting into it again tomorrow.

Today I am 62

Thanks to the Wii Fit Plus I took a test to find my fitness age this afternoon. First time I did this (before Christmas) I was 36. This afternoon I was 62. This puts me at the same age as Elton John (pictured above when he was a mere 61). Actually, that jaw line....

Happy New Year

Back from an all too brief break between Christmas and New Year, think I took the bank holidays and one day's leave this time. Must remember this when I feel tired early in the New Year. Lovely to see friends and family we then came home to (more) Christmas cards, a credit card bill and a funeral request. Back in the saddle for tomorrow's service, the first of 2011 as we start thinking about "Respectable Sins", inspired by Jerry Bridges' excellent book of the same name.

New Year's resolutions? I am old enough to know better.

However...

I could do with eating and drinking less, exercising, praying and sleeping more. I'd like to improve as a photgrapher, do some more writing (an ambition so vague that I fear it will never happen) and .... oh, you know, the usual. Who knows what the year holds? I guess I want to be faithful in good times and bad - perhaps the best resolution I can make this year.

All the best everyone.

Wish I could be like Isaac Watts

Had a great Christmas with family and some good services over the holiday. Boxing Day was very low attendance wise, just 35 of us due to Christmas services and the lethal ice that was covering town, but still a lovely feeling of being family together.

Well, after a day off yesterday I am briefly back in the saddle today for a (quite a) few hours in order to be able to take the rest of the week off. But I had to do this today or a) take it with me when I visit friends, or b) have nothing to preach when I get back on Sunday.

As I was looking for the words of a different hymn, I found this classic first verse of an Isaac Watts hymn. It's a pretty good argument for the updating of the language in hymns and translation of the Bible.


Blest is the man whose bowels move
And melt with pity to the poor;
Whose soul, by sympathizing love,
Feels what his fellow saints endure.

Yawn, yawn Pope - been there done that

I see that the Pope did the Radio 4 Thought For The Day today. This is clearly a big news story but I have to say that I beat him to it by at least 13 years (the memory is a little hazy).

Mine was at Word Alive, a conference for students (in those days) and I was nominated by the people I worked for (UCCF) because I had played around at student radio at one time. Looking back it was a tremendous risk on their part, not sure how playing the Milltown Brothers on university radio was any help for the task in hand.

So it came to pass that I had a carefully scripted and timed Thought for the Day recorded live in front of several thousand people at The Gaiety Theatre, Skegness as part of the student celebration. A nerve wracking experience that took way longer than it should. I remember the director telling us we weren't saying 'Amen' correctly at the end of the prayer so he recorded doing it lots of different ways. We also had to record a period of silence in case the Queen Mother or someone similar died overnight, before the broadcast went out.

UCCF representing students from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, we had representatives from each nation doing the prayers and the splendid Geoff Baker led the worship. The theatre has since been demolished and Butlins (did I mention this was where we were?) have redeveloped the site.

We still go to the conference, now New Word Alive, located in North Wales, and now open to all. It's a positive oasis in the calender and an annual event that we prioritise in the calender every year. Does the whole family the world of good.

Actually, as I write this I realise that I didn't really do Thought for the Day at all, it was Morning Service. The Pope wins after all. But has he ever done Morning Service in Skegness?

Billy Graham on Christmas

"But when I looked into the crib or the manger and saw that little baby who was going to rise to become the greatest teacher that ever lived, to die on the cross for my sins, to know that I'll be forgiven because of what He was doing, it absolutely transformed Christmas for me."

Billy Graham on Christmas from an interview with Fox News, 20/12/10.

Fuller interview at http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=34303

Animated Jesus Storybook Bible

Another resource that would be useful for a Christmas service. Too late for me to use this year but could be useful to someone out there?

The Jesus Storybook Bible is a fabulous piece of work. It tells in about 40 stories the story of the Bible and is a particular favourite because of the beautiful illustrations and the fact that it shows how the whole of the Bible (Old Testament and New Testament) fit together and point to Jesus. It is so good that about three years ago we read the stories one a week in church to give young and old a simple Bible overview. Probably about time we did it again, actually.

Well, now it comes with moving parts. This is a clip I found telling some of the Christmas story. I do hope this means that they are animating the whole thing. Click the top right hand link under Our Friends Eclectic to see it for yourself.

BBC's Nativity

Watched the first of the BBC's The Nativity this evening, it looks promising. Written by Tony Jordan, better known for his work on Eastenders, Life on Mars and others, it seems that researching and writing the nativity story changed him - even though there's no chance of him attending a church this Christmas. There's an interesting interview with him in the Telegraph on the subject:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/8210800/Tony-Jordan-interview-The-Nativity-has-changed-me-and-thats-the-gospel-truth.html

The Tardis and the Stable

A friend has posted the following quote on his Facebook page and it's very useful for a service this Christmas.

'There is your hope lying in a manger. He is much bigger than he looks.'
J Wilson (no idea who he/she is I'm afraid).

I think it ties in nicely (or could be made to!) with this quotation from C.S.Lewis' The Last Battle.

"It seems, then," said Tirian, smiling himself, "that the stable seen from within and the stable seen from without are two different places."

"Yes," said the Lord Digory. "Its inside is bigger than its outside."

"Yes," said Queen Lucy. "In our world too, a stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world." It was the first time she had spoken, and from the thrill in her voice, Tirian now knew why. She was drinking everything in even more deeply than the others. She had been too happy to speak.

It was this quote that has got me thinking and so I have called the Christmas Day sermon, "The Tardis and the Stable". I remember another friend using line about the Timelord and the Lord of Time; will be nicking that too!

Carol Service resources

This is a bit late but a couple of pieces that I am using in church over the next few days.

The New Zealand kids nativity is a great piece of video for a Carol Service. I am using it in the Crib Service on Christmas Eve and it even comes in HD.

The quality of the Lego Nativity is not so high but it's engaging and I plan to use it this afternoon in what is usually one of our biggest services of the year (only our Kids Holiday Club Service is bigger). With all the ice on the ground it will be interesting to see if that is the case this year.

You can see both videos by clicking the link under "Our Friends Eclectic" in the top right hand bit of the page.