Journal: up to scratch

I've been feeling a bit ??? For a couple of days now and it seems people have been noticing this if the couple of emails relating to me looking 'tired' are anything to go by. Yesterday I bumped into a woman I met at a service recently - she pointed to a spotty, miserable tot, and said, "He's got chickenpox and he's not happy!"

But I was because I realised that that was the cause of the itchy spots I've been slowly growing and the caus of the itchy eyes and the tiredness and everything else!

So I'm hiding from people as I am usually around quite medically vulnerable types and although I have been told that I'm 'probably' not contagious, I cannot take that risk with the elderly and medically 'at risk' types.

So having just woken up (yes I know it's almost seven the next day) I'm writing this journal well after the day has bolted the stable to say how good the day was anyway. I did loads of (long-distance) pastoral stuff  and a bit of stuff behind the desk and put a bit of shine on the Hustings and the Dying - in the Ditch and more besides. Polished off a couple of things on the way to getting a new minister in St Chad's and am content. The only sadness came in my encounter with one of the 'little people' - the sort who challenge me because I can tolerate people who are inept and generally a bit useless, but get frustrated when the get in the way of sharing the Gospel. hey ho, guess they're sent to make me a better and nicer Christian!!!

So this is here a place marker - let's see that today brings forth :-)

Journal: Monotheism, tritheism and Islam

One of the things that Christians appear to either struggle with or ignore has to be made real in the form of the Trinity! If we look to the words of Deuteronomy 6.4 (the shema) we find ourselves faced with the statement: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one'

No doubt or hint of equivocation to be found here - and we believe that God is consistently one, one substance, possessing three distinct and separate natures. There have been, and still are, people who have one God and then the other two as subjective and inferior, other have three gods. God as the Creator and the Holy Spirit and Jesus as created was dealt with in the Church Councils - Sabellius, Arius, modal stuff where there's three form - each existing like ice, water and steam - all this stuff was dealt with and lines were drawn to uphold the Trinity as something solid, sound and consistent.

The thing is that many don't understand the concept and outworking of the Trinity at all and if this is true for the Christians, how on earth do we expect Muslims and others to understand that we Christians and not a bunch of polytheistic - well tritheistic - sorts?

This was the task before me as I taught at an Islamic school yesterday. The school was good in so many respects, the children were disciplined and well-presented, generally attentive and to be honest - pretty much everything you don't always expect from a state school (in my experience).

Moving on to the classroom, the questions were though out and a dialogue was established. I did stuff in a year nine class and then a mixture of years nine and ten - boys in the first, girls in the second - and I think ( hope, pray!) that we all got something from the experience.

One of the best ways to understand your faith is to try and explain it to others and having had friends from many faith (and no faith) groups and nationalities I have often had to become an apologist for the things I believe to be true and found in Christianity.

So in all, a stimulating and most excellent afternoon was had - after an invigorating shower in the morning (indulged in whilst fully clothed in a graveyard with others) - some administration (which, like the poor, it seems will always be with us - followed by some study, some music practice and then a rather interesting Bishops Certificate course where the topic on offer was 'the Trinity' (how's that for a coincidence?).

So a day in which to give thanks for so many things.
For those I have engaged with.
For the places I have found myself.
For the conversations had.
May the things that divide us be made things that bring understanding and respect.
The things that we use to condemn others never be turned against us.
And may the love of God, and of his image made real in the person before us, never be weakened by the meanness of our hearts.

Journal: Sound of silence

One of the greatest funeral challenges comes in the shape of the unsaid eulogy. Now usually I make sure that I have sufficient notes to do something regardless of whoever it is that is doing the eulogy, but the temptation to scrimp on a person's history is always with us and when a eulogy turns into a poem, you can find yourself on thin ice! Just saying.

Yesterday was an action packed event with a church service, a couple of crem' visits (with a Warden's meeting in the space between), kid's club and a dinner to speak at. Add to this a garnish of administration (which, like the poor will always be with us) and you have yourself a fairly rammed sixteen hours of vicaring.

Reflecting in the day I found myself ticking 'hoped for' many boxes.
Dead honoured - yep.
Gospel preached - every opportunity I had.
Pastorally engaged - pretty much, although wilted a bit by the afternoon with my engagement and wasn't as sparkly and whatever as I could have been.
Prayer - felt a bit of a 'cat's lick and a promise' day once daily office was squared away.
Abrasiveness - kept being smiley and suffered fools (and there were a few yesterday) pretty well: Must be growing up a bit!
Worship - loads of it.
Paperwork and admin' - enough to avoid drowning :-)

So Lord, we've come through another day together and survived.
Thank You for today - let's do it again tomorrow, perhaps with a bit of 'slow time' in it. (Did I really used to teach time management?)

Journal: A good send off

what a stunning day! It was another long one but it totally rocked as we did a back-to-back services with Communion and then a funeral for one of our lovely ladies. Add to this some home Communions and a bit of admin (which like the poor, will always be with us) and that's a day nicely discharged.

The funeral was amazing and the place was so full we had people standing - a real tribute to a superb woman. We had tears, laughter, hymns and a Mikey Cyrus song sung too. Who said Anglicans were caught up in boring church :-)

The Crem' was nicely balanced and ticked all the right boxes too and the gathering afterwards was a joy to behold. Oddly, though I don't usually go to the wake thing I've found myself at two this week and enjoyed them and the interaction. Perhaps I should impose myself more?

Another high spot came in the delivery of a Royal Signals flag for a funeral I have next week. Having asked around, no one seems to have one and so the only answer was to add to my collection of the things. This is a real value-added element and something that makes the service for some people.

Now planning to scatter ashes on the spot in the country where a young courting couple spent their romantic evenings fifty years before - a nice touch and something I've only done once before (found out later it was the place where the plans for their first child were laid down - which made for red faces for some, including the first child!!!!). Ever been sorry you asked about the significance of a place or something?

Home Communions are just so very cool and it's nice to see faces light up because you've arrived rather than because you're leaving (and I know a few that applies to) which is the view some have of clergy.

Mental health is a big issue and it's getting bigger by the day. One is so interesting that having mentioned it to some people who deal with that sort of thing, they've decided to make it a problem shared, which is unusual - but welcome. If only there were more support workers, crisis team staff, mental health units and enthusiasm for this area. So the prayer continues (as does the standing in the gap).

Lord, for all I have seen and been and done today, help me to be a blessing and to learn from all that has been. May tomorrow with its funerals, visits and unexpected be filled with You and Your presence.

And thank you for today.

Ho, ho, ho

Holy cow!

Been one of those Saturdays with paperwork rather than people have taken up all my time, but I've cleared away so much it has to be good - even if it's only because I won't have to do it again!

Was looking to having a quieter run into Christmas this year but once again I have almost as more stuff than time to do it in :-(. And that is destined to leave me knackered,

But hey ho, 2017 is getting filled up and 2018 is also starting to show signs of healthy engagement ahead. So what can I do but thank God for the day God, comment my sleep to Him and look forward to a great Sunday in prospect.

This Week - A retrospective

Well, here we are with another week gone and Sunday beckoning. I have been asked to give a brief review of the week that was for someone who wanted to consider various sorts of ministry (apparently we are an estate church!). So here goes:

Sunday: Couple of Common Worship communion services, Annual Church meeting
PM BCP Evensong.

Monday: Daily Office, Staff meeting, Drop-in session (free tea/coffee/cake and biscuits),
PM  funeral visit, administration, Kid's Club, paperwork, Men's meeting (yum!)

Tuesday: Daily Office, Church's Together meeting,
PM administration, home visits, Chaplaincy

Wednesday:  Daily Office, Missioner work
PM Missioner related (office), Funeral and interment, school visit, visits, Housegroup (new)

Thursday: Daily Office, Communion service, drop-in session (free tea/coffee/cake and biscuits),
PM Pastoral visit, School Assembly, paperwork, Missioner teaching session (an expert being anyone away from home!)
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Friday: Daily Office, broken computer!!, funeral (Crem')
PM 3 hours off (Sarehole Mill), Kid's Club, office stuff,

Saturday: Daily Office, service planning, chaplaincy

And that's the week done and dusted and ready to go again.

Hope this helps!

A, very, brief look at my week (now you can see why I love this ministry lark!).