On the tenth day of Christmas ...

Apple having put aside their Twelve Days of Christmas giveaway this year has given me the chance to get people thinking, praying, learning, listening (to some great music) and finding app's they might not have otherwise done: Day Ten ...


The Church
As the world begins to think about getting back to work I wonder how many of us who dare to assume we are 'saved' will be thinking about the work of the Church over the coming year. After all, it seems to me that we are more about keeping the customers happy and providing thing that tickle their ears. So many appear to put on the Sunday shows in the hope that the BOPs (Bums on Pews) will be happy with it - and that is surely part of the malaise that is stifling the Church and influencing the way that we are perceived by those 'in the world'!

The other part of the path to decline is surely the fact that we are so desirous of being 'liked' that we are willing to change what has always been and to declare that which was white to now be black, and vice versa, whilst declining to mention the grey areas.

The ABC (Archbishop of Canterbury) has called the Church to engage and to be engaging and in applauding the generosity of the British nation (something that defies the xenophobic Jingoism of some political types) lays down a gauntlet for the church he leads (and all Christians) to be outward looking. Having had the privilege of being present when the New Year message was filmed the most exciting and inspirational thing for me, the pinnacle of it all, was this:

'When we are at our best, living out the generosity of Jesus Christ, as that has formed itself in our national character; when we turn outwards and use our best resources to change this world in which we live; we see what a wonderful heritage we have - and the hope we can bring to the poorest, and those with the greatest suffering on the face of our planet.

So what do we hope for in 2015?

My hope and prayer is that we are the kind of country that goes on looking outwards; that is full of a generous spirit. Because when we’re generous we find joy and others find comfort and hope.'

Don't forget to Pray for Justin and Caroline
and the life and ministry together in 2015

The World
What can we say about this world of ours other than it is such a beautiful place and yet, like many parties, it's people that spoil it. From the religious bigots who just love to say 'No' and past the Atheists who claim logic, rational thinking and science and yet trot out the same old trite stuff repackaged (Religion starts all/most war, etc.) and along to the 'free to be' (meaning free be what they want and no one else's views matter and ending with the animals have spirits folk who seem to think this give some inalienable right to act as they do.

Yep, there's a whole bunch out there who don't dialogue and use the mask of 'righteousness' (self or God's) or 'science' or 'rights' and 'liberty' to hide the fact that at the end of the day it is all about them and what they want!

Look at Eastern Europe and see beyond Ukraine and other issues - things that could cause real problems - and ask yourself what's really going on?

Do the same with Israel and Palestine: two naughty children who use allies and media to garner support and make their wrongs right!

Look at Islamic State and the radicalised and passion-filled people who come from the West to fight with or against them. The attempts of some to create an East/West, Christ and Jew/Islamic conflict with the potential to cause the world to suffer (and yet even then the superficial claim that religion starts war will be hollow because this is about greed, power and wickedness - and that brings it back to humanity at the end of the day.

This year why not get into reading a newspaper (online will do) and finding out about the situations that appear on our screens and radios and try to look past the spin and manipulation.

You might be surprised to see whose fingers are on that smoking gun ;-)


A giveaway?
Today I want to make you an offer that will enrich your live and bring the joy of learning and dialoguing with others around the issues that arise from whatever it is that you choose to study.

A few months back I stumbled across a mention of futurelearn and upon searching on that found www.futurelearn.com where I found some excellent courses on WWI and writing fiction and (shortly) I will be embarking upon a passion of mine, the M42, not the motorway but the Orion Nebula which is located in, the constellation Orion.

There as a number of great courses from a number of great places of learning (and administered by the Open University) and the best thing is that these are free.

This is one of the greatest opportunities to experience education in a comfortable and accessible way - why not have a look?



Something to look at and listen to too!
A wonderful ten minutes of a great bloke - well worth a listen:

And of course something good to listen to too (as promised):

Almighty God, who wonderfully created us in your own image
and yet more wonderfully restored us through your Son Jesus Christ:
grant that, as he came to share in our humanity, so we may share the life of his divinity;
who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
 one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Same Sex Marriage and plenty of Jerks to be found

Most of them a combination of the knee and/or mindset variety!

Yes I know what those two überpointyhats, Justin and John, said at synod and I know that the house of purple have agreed that this is to be their view and so I have a few suggestions:

1. Would those who are screaming that this is all thrown in the bin and the bishops are opposed by all means necessary (especially with the threat of law*) to make the church conform to the wishes of 'everyone'* please pack it in now.

2. Would those who are celebrating 'a great victory' please remember that behind the words and actions are people who feel that their church might just be making decisions that act against that which they feel is right.

3. Would those who claim they are behaving in an acceptable manner because that's what 'they' would have done if it had gone 'their way'*** seek only to display the paucity of their own Christian understanding - for 'get them before they get you' or 'treat them the way they'd have treated you' are both unacceptable approaches.

4. Let's see how ubi caritas can be more than a catchy song tile and get down to embracing those with whom we might differ (and no Colin, I don't think there's a danger some of them will like it!).

I am frustrated that this is all (apparently) about rights and the call to responsibilities (personal and corporate), submission and living out the teaching of the Church as living examples are all passing some by. We behave more and more like some secular (un)Friendly Society than a bunch of people who are called to unity, love and witness. Where's the prayer? The Compassion? The act of being a paraclete?

So in a nutshell:

STOP IT!

And pray for this man

* Think I've found something in the Bible about taking people to law - says: 'don't'

** Here 'everyone' is taken as meaning 'me and those who think like me'

***This isn't about having gone one way or the other as I understand it, merely the most unusual step of unequivocal 

Church of Wonga

Now as much as I don't agree with payday loans, they are of course better than the alternative, which is two large geezers knocking on your door to 'enquire' why Mr X hasn't had his money yet!

Just as payday loans were applauded for removing some of the the poor from the vagaries of the 'loan shark' (and we still have them and people 'helping' those around us get further into debt) the reality is that Justin is on the right track with his championing of Credit Unions and low-rate payday loans, helping to replace white goods without increasing the burden of debt and more.

One of those I spoke to on Friday said that 'the Church' ought to stick to i's own business and keep out of the financial world - after all, they said, 'You don't see banks opening churches now, do you?'

What a thought - perhaps Errol Damelin, Founder of Wonga, ought to draw up battle lines and open the Church of Wonga - Motto: 'Why not count on tomorrow to pay for today?'

I have to say that I think he looks the part - so why not? After all, money is the focus of many of those I meet and so a church that looked towards the accruing, spending and general worship of the stuff would be popular - and you could always take out a loan for the repayments (errr, I mean, offering!)

The reality is that Damelin and his organisation are meeting an obvious need - that's what business does.

What Justin is doing is trying to meet that same need, but in a better way, and this has to be good for everyone - well everyone except those who make money out of lending it that is) - and this has to be applauded and acted upon (Church is often poor at the former and invisible in the second of these).

For my money (and prayers), Justin has chosen his battlefield well - he just needs the CofE to be more circumspect in its investments now. Still, he looks good in the shirt!

He, and the CofE, will look even better when he's taken it off ;-)

But one bungler destroys much good.

Today as I read the passages set for the daily office's morning prayer I was challenged by some words from Ecclesiastes chapter nine:

'Wisdom is better than weapons of war,  but one bungler destroys much good.'

Ironically I turned on the radio to hear that the Secretary of State for Education was making an(other?) 'embarrassing turnaround' over his plans for a British baccalaureate. It seems that once again the man with his hands on the future of our children's education (and therefore it follows, their futures) has once again been a bit of a bungler.

No sooner had this news passed that we turned to a report on a Mid-Staffordshire NHS trust by Robert Francis QC. The report explained how nurses were being investigated and how some would find their careers ended - and having read the abstracts I sure this is right) and yet throughout the report not one person pointed the finger of guilt at those who managed the place and surely set the condition by which patients and their families were so sorely treated. It seems that at the root of the problem is a multitude of bunglers - and despite the NHS featuring large in the Olympic celebrations as a jewel in the crown of our nation - many bunglers are destroying that which is good!

When I worked in industry we used to refer to people being promoted to the level of their incompetence - the greater the bungler the higher they went until they were placed somewhere where their incompetence was minimised (and conversely their salaries maximised).

Reading complaints of the Staffs debacle it appears that many of those running our hospitals, rather than be censured, have been rewarded - how on earth can this be justified or defended?

The ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is to be found in many places and sectors - the politician and NHS executives whilst being the creme de la creme of bungling are not isolated places - so when you see bunglers - bin them!

And of course this goes for Church too - let's hope the new ABC is up for the task as we seek to bring an orthodox, effective and inclusive church to the fore - A church that will criticise those who abuse the system (Well done for the banking comments Boss!), who oppress the poor, who seek to legitimise injustice and to reward the bunglers.

Pax

Caption Contest - the Welby Edition

As suggested by one of my colleagues - here it is, the Welby connection 'Caption Contest', so come on you clever people, get creating:

A new dawn and a new episode of 'Church of England's Got talent?' 

Happy Tuesday

Canterbury - Under starter's orders!

So here's the front runners

York (John Sentamu)

Coventry (Chris Cocksworth)

London (Richard Chartres)

Durham (Justin Welby), and

Norwich - (Graham James)



Perhaps not so odd is the fact that Slough Comprehensive and Oxbridge educated Welby is being mooted as having his nose in front as they come under starters orders. A good establishment choice and a sound man too!

Coming up on the inside is Liverpool's (James Jones) a bit of a favourite since the Hillsborough report.

Chris Cocksworth is up there with Graham James billed as a 'compromise' candidate (which must be a mixed bag for him).

Chartres is the orthodox candidate and Sentamu would (in my opinion) be exceedingly interesting and would make the communion (and the CofE) a very interesting place indeed.

But whoever it is that gets the nod, let's p[ray for the selection panel and the person chosen that the decision and the man is God's choice for our denomination here and worldwide.

Pax