Journal: How will they hear?

One of the challenges we have in the Church is that of being engaged with the Gospel and those around us as clergy become increasingly stretched and increasingly ignorant. If we are in the same place with Jesus that we were yesterday then we have effectively gone backward - this is something I have believed almost since I signed up to follow the Christ, because it is so very true - we need to be extending our understanding of the Bible and the way people interpret it and live it out.

Whenever I visit clergy, whenever possible, I have a squint at their bookshelf to see what they're reading (and I ask them too) and the sadness is that many of us stopped reading pretty much about the same time we left college or perhaps finished our curacies. The upshot of this is that we find ourselves becoming stuck in a deepening rut and as we do it's harder to move forward and eventually we fail to see the light!

Someone I engaged with recently told me that they would love to read but are 'too busy'. Another person said that they were happy with their faith as it was and didn't need to be seeking out 'new stuff'!

So I've decided that I'm going to ask everyone I meet what they are reading and what's new before them and try to encourage some dialogue with books and with each other because it's not paper and processes that will win the day but Prayer and people and a keener sense of our calling and relationship with Jesus. And I have decided to review the books I read to encourage others to do the same - and who knows, we might even get a night in the pub for us too?

How will they hear if we don't find God's voice and relay it to others and help them hear it for themselves too?

In other news, today was superb: a bit of admin', Communion followed by home Communions, followed by some pastoral stuff and then at 4pm my day ended and it was me time. Watched a film (White House Down) - visited the Ditch to say thanks for the help on Monday - watched an episode of Wallender and had an early night. A pretty amazing day full of blessing and ending with a tired but content spring in my step. What more can we ask for?

Tomorrow you'll find me on the streets in Tamworth for the whole day as we pick up the 'Dying Matters' awareness week again. Looking forward to loads of interaction and the buzz that people bring. Sublime day in prospect.

Lord, for all that has gone I thank You - for the lives touched, connected to You and the stories heard, I am so very grateful. Lead me on deeper into You. help me to learn new things and to meet new people enthused by the power of Your love and enabled by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Help me to forgive and tolerate as you forgive and tolerate my foolishness.

Hallelujah or what?

Journal: I'm different!

I can't describe the feelings that the closing day has brought me. Well I can but it would sound trite and the potential to do it an injustice is so great I guess I can but say, "Wow!".

Somewhere in today there was a gentle funeral service, some wonderful home Communion visits, some funeral prep which left me positive and blessed, some pastoral encounters and an evening spent with a great bunch of people as we studied and formed our individual theological positions and found ourselves united in it.

I was once told that life is like a giant slinging tile puzzle, you can't lift the tiles to set the order - the classic 'fifteen tile game' being something I think we all know - so you have to move in sometimes unexpected directions to get them into the right place; and when you do you have numbers or letters in the right sequence or a picture or whatever. This is what the Christian life is like with the objective being to see Jesus at the end of the game!

During the course of the day I was told on a few occasions that I am, "Not like 'normal vicars'!" As thankful as I am for being able to maintain my personal brand of weirdness, I have to say that I don't think I've met a normal cleric yet. So today I challenge one of those who had uttered the comment as to what they meant. At first they were a bit shocked and quickly told me that they meant it as a compliment. I responded by telling them that that's what I'd taken it as and was merely wondering what is was that made me 'abnormal'. "Not abnormal. Different!" Was the response; and before I could ask how, they told me. 

At the end of the encounter I found myself feeling blessed by who I am for in the words used to describe me were little squares on another person's puzzle and they were moving to show the face of Jesus becuase of their encounters with me. And through their encounters with me they were encountering Jesus, the Christ. 

This is all I life for, to make Christ known and to make for a passionate, engaged and redeemed image of the invisible God in every person I meet.

Please God, don't ever let me be whatever a normal cleric looks like, let be look and smell and be like  Jesus in the lives of those I encounter. May I be a pleasing aroma, a child who basks in the love of the Father at whose feet he plays, a man of the word and one who will always come alongside.

Lord for the day past I thank You.

For the noise and the mayhem that is me, I ask that you use what You can and recycle what distracts.

For those for whom I have been a blessing - thank You.

For those I have failed to help as I should - bless them and give me another opportunity.

For those who frustrate me and cause me to stumble by my wrong responses: bless them and change me.

As the song has it:

Lord You have my heart and I will search for yours: Jesus, take my life and lead me on.

Lord You have my heart and I will search for yours: Let me be to You a sacrifice.

Journal: What an amazing week

Holy Week has to be one of the most challenging and blessed weeks of my year as it provides the chance to reflect on the passion of the Christ. This year has been made better by the fact that although the diary is rammed solid, it has space to reflect and ensure that everything is done in slow time - and that makes such a difference.

So today had space to get out to meet and enjoy people, take Communion out, double check the remaining services and do the second stations service of the week. Next up is the tenebrae - always a moving experience.

The rest of the week becomes more crowded and frenetic as the we remember a new commandment  and a Passover meal; and then Good Friday itself is so full on with all that the is.

Lord, have I mentioned how much I love You and the life I have?
I thank You for our family - back together for Easter.
I thank You for the Church family who continually bless and challenge me.
Help me to be the person I need to be for all before me.
To make the right decisions and to never avoid doing what is right.
To recognise the moments when I am wrong and resist, or repair, rather than wound.
Strengthen my resolve and my commitment - helping me to do what I should and not what I can.

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You 

because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.

Journal: 'Don't they know who we are?'

Had a great conversation in which my explanation of the Brexit negotiations (The first call for the EU negotiations is to preserve the interests of the member states and those who live and conduct business in it) was met with: "But don't they know who we are?"

I don't think I'd want that put into the mix after watching  'I, Daniel Blake', 'Viceroy's House' and 'United Kingdom' because I fear they might already know enough :-(

Today saw the final funeral of the month, preparations for the second ADCM of the year, the last home Communion of the week (been a good week - managed to get round to eight households), a generally strange Kid's Club (for reasons I can't quite put a finger on) and a bit of the old spiritual warfare - or as we have it in the vicaring business: "A pretty ordinary day!"

The UK, having decided it is no longer playing in Europe, is expected to resolve a number of issues before the European nations start talking about trade. Now I can't see what this is any surprise as I'd want to know whether I want you in my house before I start to talk about working with you, so why should U.K. / EU relationships be any different?

As the pawns begin to be moved I notice that there is a hint of attitude that says that Europe could do very nicely without the UK's participation in security and defence matters, which means,"Don't threaten to take your toys away, because we'll merely say "Not a problem, bye!" and move on!"

I am saddened by this whole thing and don't expect this, like any divorce, to be a joyous and positive experience for either of the parties, but the stance, "Do you know who we are - you can't live without us," is weak and destined to see tears before bedtime. This is not the opportunity for us to 'become great again' but the opportunity to go it alone is terms of trade whilst adhering to EU rules and regulations (if we want to trade in the EU that is) without having any say in their creation. This is not a regaining of independence and the days when the world was painted red on the maps. This is an opportunity for a different UK (should that be England and Wales?) where the disenfranchised, the poor, homeless and unemployed can be dealt with properly - but all I hear is immigration.

Today has been a day where God's call on this nation to seek Justice, exhibit mercy and live as a nation who, rather than ask,"Don't why know who we are?" instead lives humbly because we know who we are.

God calls us to welcome those who are strangers in our midst and we have the instruction to treat them as if they were nationals: To treat them as we'd wish to be treated. A grain of corn first has to die before it can bring forth a harvest. Perhaps there is something about our nation that needs to die before we can become something that flourishes and is fruitful too?

Lord, for the encounters today: I praise You.
For the places Your light has shone because I have carried Your light, I give you thanks.
For a nation which seeks to leave and yet retain all the benefits of membership, I pray for an awakening and an awareness of what we have begun and pray for the relationships with those outside our nation and for the relationships within it.

Lord, graciously hear us and take not Your Holy Spirit from us.

Journal: As Q1 ends

I'm actually looking forward to a week where there are no funerals to be conducted. As much as I enjoy them immensely and regard them as one of the best bits of the ministerial role, this last month has effectively seen a funeral for every working day; many of those I did the service for being people I knew.

Today though has been a day where bread and wine were to the fore and I managed to fit in an early Communion service at St Francis' before heading off out to enjoy visiting friends. It's odd, but after all these years it still doesn't feel like work when I'm out visiting - and I hope it never does get to feel like that. The evening saw me engaged with cadets, always a joy.

It's been a day when the benefits system of our land has been to the fore as well as I have been exposed to the challenges faced by others as they find benefits stopped, suspended and changed. The problem is that the mechanisms in place are inadequate and unable to manage to stop one benefit and start the other so that the outcome is something consistent and contiguous: And that means pain and fear and frustration for the claimant as they deal with the situation before them.

Some struggle so much that they become frozen in time, like a rabbit in the headlights, and this is not helped by the often low quality provision before them!

Lord, help us to stand with the marginalised and the poor, the disposed and the damaged people before us. You call us to act in their behalf and to make things work for them in terms of equity and justice. Mobilise your church we pray.

I thank You for the work of foodbanks and the charities with offer friendship, counsel and support - strengthen the arms of those who work with them and the consciences of those who might give aid to support them.

Journal: where did that day go to?

I knew it was going to be busy but . . .  That has to be the label for today!

Started early and ended in the next day as funeral preparation, a funeral, a sneakily added home Communion, music practice, bishops certificate (I'm sure that should have an apostrophe) and then a tidy up of the church building for a funeral and more admin were found to be in the box marked 'today'.

A nice funeral - not sure why we went in so late but the person in front wasn't going to rush even though they could see it was drifting away from them. But we made a good fist of it and clawed five minutes back for the next persona and did it all with the star of the day taking their bow. The Gospel was preached and the dead honoured: Doesn't get much better than that really.

That said, there appears to be an increasing trend, a return to the early days when I started doing funerals, to plaster saint those who have gone; not sure I'd be comfortable saying what the person in front of me said. The day is coming when the hearts of all will be revealed and the deeds done in the darkness witless be exposed to the light, so we need to check that the things we are and do accordingly - and one of the ways of doing this is the examen; an action much like this.

There were so many joys to be found in today:
1. Lord, for the opportunity realised and taken to bring bread and wine into the day of one person, I give You thanks. To be able to stand as friend and priest is the ultimate joy for me and to minister You in word and sacrament, and proclaim your love, is a privilege and joy beyond measure.

2. For the. opportunity to minister your grace and proclaim your gift of life realised as we pay our respects to a departed loved one, my gratitude for the role and the access to things it receives knows no bounds. As I think of those who have gone before and those left behind, commending them to Your grace, love and mercy, and holding those who remain in Your love and my prayers, I offer You my hands and heart.

3. I thank You for the opportunity to correct error. Help me always to study Your word that I may neither preach, nor live, in error. Take my mind and discipline me to be true and authentically Yours. may I revel in the label 'born again' and may I never be captured by the disease of numbers and the lure of the clink of coins.

4. For the places today where my careless word or thoughtless action has wounded, I lay this and those I may have wounded before You. Create in me a clean heart and a willing mind to minister Your Grace to all. Those who have been blessed by our encounters I can but credit to You and give You thanks.

Lord, You know my needs and my very thoughts are known to You before a word leaves my lips.
You know my needs and my wants and deal with them accordingly.
You provide my daily bread and prepare a way before me that I might follow Jesus, the Christ.
Forgive me my sins as a model for the way I should forgive others, minister to me as You would have me minister to others that I might learn and be made whole in, and for, and through, You.
For You are my hope, my health, my love and my life.

Journal: Friday Fun

What a stonking day with four visits done before Lunch!

I love getting to meet and have a conversation, reminisce, and get to have Communion with people where they are. So many high spots as we celebrated progress with matters medical at one end of the scale and contained our concern at the lack of it elsewhere. Tea drunk, Communion celebrated (for it the Church that celebrates whilst the person serving it up presides), family proclaimed. Pure bliss.

Pastoral conversations today were limited to no more than a handful outside of the Communion but even they were positive and encouraging - no new fires on the horizon - the flames that were once to be found are now (apparently, and hopefully as they seem) dying embers.

Kid's Club was a joy and amidst the games of snooker and pool (no Wii this week) and the birthday celebrations there was the joy of educational progress and more stable life experiences. Not the busiest we've been but having past twenty kids in the place it felt full enough. A wonderful part of the ministry in this place - another of the real joys.

Later there was the finishing off of the Sunday service and all that entails - funny how some seem to think that the Sunday happenings just happen to happen without planning, predation and study. Must remember to offer them a go at it some time :-)

Somehow the 'third of a day off' things didn't happen - hard to stop when you're having such a good time innit?

So Lord, 

for the obvious places where You have been found - I give You thanks,

for the surprising places where You became noticed - I praise You,

for the people whose lives You are changing - I applaud You,

for loving and using me - I'm astounded, humbled and blessed.

May today have sown seed, may tomorrow see me reap the harvest of Your love.

This place of reflection is here for me to dialogue internally and gain insight and perspective. It first appeared in this current form for some of those looking at creating their own journal as part of the their journey to discerning vocation. The Morning prayer is there also for that same purpose: to create the discipline of prayer. 

Journal: Theodicy and stuff

The night ended with a couple of hours of great conversation on the subject of evil and God's part and out response. It was quite a challenge and quite a journey, and loads of fun. But before we got there I had a trip to buy comestibles of the Communion kind and some material for house groups, so I had a trip into Brum - and that started the day of well (as any trip to a shop what sells books always does).

The filling in this enjoyable sandwich was home Communions and pastoral conversations and so, it has been an almost perfect day I guess. A day in which I find myself smiling consistently and almost foolishly.

Add to this the fact that Anselm popped in with his ontological argument for the existence of God and Epicurus had a pop at God for not giving him however many number he needed to win the lottery!

So the encounters, the challenges, the pace and the overall content was great: Thank You Lord.

Hopefully I looked like Jesus to those around me and I was God's man in the place.

Thankfully God's love and grace were evidence in large quantities.

Lord, for a day passed when I can reflect upon the many blessings you have given me, I can but praise you and head for bed a very happy and content man.

Hallelujah.



This place of reflection is here for me to dialogue internally and gain insight and perspective. It first appeared in this current form for some of those looking at creating their own journal as part of the their journey to discerning vocation. The Morning prayer is there also for that same purpose: to create the discipline of prayer. 

Journal: on the road again!

But unlike the.one hit wonder of the same name, I know this will be topping my charts again next week! But what a great day - Communion, time for a chat with people, a quick meeting and then into the proper stuff as I found myself moving around the squares and spending time with people. It was something really enjoyable and extremely important too. There were even snowflakes for a short time  too!

Theological reflection came into the equation in a big way as 'kenosis' (the 'emptying oneself of Phil 2) and the Lord's Prayer (which we might say but perhaps don't understand) muscled their way in. Lots of good stuff to ponder and make my own.

Add to this stuff surrounding unexplained deaths and that the day summed up in a nutshell.

Lord, for the engagements and interactions I have had today I am truly grateful. I love Your people and enjoy what I do (other than the paperwork and politics that is) immensely. May those I have met have been blessed and enlivened by the encounters as much as me. For the things where I have been your man, I bless you; for the tings where I might have been less than I should have been, I look to your live, correction and forgiveness.

Help me never to usurp but always work with.

Help me to see past the flaws of others and affirm the best in them, creating even more good things in them and their situations where I can.

And for the food and forgiveness that has been mine; the fellowship and relationship that have blessed; Your presence and enabling that was present: Lord, I bless You.

What you got for me tomorrow?

This place of reflection is here for me to dialogue internally and gain insight and perspective. It first appeared in this current form for some of those looking at creating their own journal as part of the their journey to discerning vocation. The Morning prayer is there also for that same purpose: to create the discipline of prayer. Dialogue, insights and experience of others concerning this entry is always welcome - all grist to the mill.

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!).

Home Communion - Happy Meal

People often ask me what the little black box I have with me at times is.

I usually explain that I'm taking out a happy meal to someone and explain that it's a home communion set.

In a different place a conversation I've been having got me thinking about what toy I would have to have in it as this is the usual question that follows is "What toy do they get?"

So here's a question for those outside - if you were putting together a happy meal of the Christian variety, what would you include as your toy?

ps. I can't think of a happier meal than the Eucharist as it celebrates forgiveness, reconciliation to God and receiving a name (for once we were a people who had no name and now . . . )

Enjoy