Time Out
I am starting to discover some of the problems with ministry. I still love it and that is great however, there are times when I need moments of escapism. Those moments when I can just put work to the back of my mind and think about other things. I was talking about this with a colleague of mine recently and we both agreed. The problem is that even when you have been away on holiday the moment you arrive home work is there immediately waiting. Waiting in the piles of post, in the emails, in the telephone messages and wham no time to adjust, work immediately there.
I'm not talking about the God stuff, that would be silly I would hope and want like others that God would be with me wherever I am, no it's the church stuff and it is that which I need a break from. Not cause it's bad or I don't like it but just because if I don't it will consume me. Friday is my day off, I was going to come home from dropping B off at school and hang around at home. Inevitably that means checking email of which there are work related messages and before you know it, well you can guess the rest. So today conscious decision on the way home call and see a colleague (and friend) whose day off it is as well. Cup of coffee some quick lessons given to his dog on laying out a blog and then off to the shop at the City of Manchester Stadium.
I didn't buy anything but P made up for it, coming out with a full bag, we followed that with a coffee and a sticky bun and suddenly I forgotten everything I was meant to forget. A lovely morning! Now the only problem is what to do with the afternoon?
Labels: Football, Friends, Ministry, Stuff
And Some Say I Only Work One Day!
Saturday back down to earth with a very big bump.
I was running an elders training day here at Whalley Hall.
The surroundings were superb, the food great and the Church I was working with were eager. I was running the presentations and talking and a colleague was facilitating when they broke up into groups. This meant I had time to do a little exploring of grounds and pond.
Eventually after a lot of hard work(and I mean hard work) I think we left having made a decision!
Labels: Church, Ministry
Happy Easter
Blog by bullet points:
K poorly
I'm shattered
Happy Easter
We are off to Scotland following church
Hooray
Labels: Holidays, Ministry, New Year, Stuff
Words
.....are so powerful, they can heal or hurt, cause pain or make people laugh, they can cause division or bring back together. Today however, they were totally, totally insufficient! There are days when my job is brilliant and days like today when in its not so great. Having said that I am just so honoured to have shared those precious moments with them.
Labels: Ministry
Don't Believe Everything in the Newspapers
Merlin
commented that journalists were thinking of going on strike. Well quite frankly if
this is the standard of their work, hurry up and walk out. The main story is that 'prisoners have keys to their cells' suggesting they (even in closed jails) are free to come and go as they please. Let me explain how it works (any self respecting journalist could have discovered this with a little research, ah but then, no story) so there are two locks on a cell door. Lock number one, lets call that the main lock is controlled by the prison officer/offcial. It renders the door locked at all times unless opened by a main cell key. Lock number two for which the prisoner has a key is only effective if lock number one has already been opened, with me so far?
So then, if lock number one is opened, say when the prisoner is allowed out of his cell for work, exercise, association or eating a meal, then he can lock the door using lock number two to prevent someone else pinching things. Apparently this has to be done as a recent D*ily M*il survey revealed there are a high number of thieves in jail! So you see prisoners are not running around the jail swapping their latest pl*y st*tion 3 games and the prison officers still have the power. Just thought i'd clear it up, oh and by the way for all of you who think prisons are like holiday camps, change your travel agent!
Labels: Ministry, Prison
Fits and Starts
...........would be a good way to describe how I have blogged latley and in truth since I started. I have considered knocking all on the head on more than one occasion but still decide to come back. So I guess what I am trying to say is that you will have to live with my erratic behaviour.
Had a really busy day today so not going to write much but just leave you with some pics,some are from my birthday at the beginning of the month others just give a sample of the month that was.
My Pressie from Sally (It was the bunny salt and pepper grinders not the breakfast)
My Pressie From Liz (You can change the slogan on the t shirt)
The Windermere centre (U.R.C training place where I went on a conference)
Millie the Mad Dog
The Lent Bible Study (Lunch With Luke)
Comic Relief Cakes
So that was the month that was!
Labels: Blog Stuff, Church, Lent, Ministry, Stuff
These Mean Streets
*Warning Serious Post on its Way*
Many others of you cannot have failed, just like me, to have been shocked by recent events on the streets of London concerning the deaths of teenage boys. The levels of violence seen over recent weeks surely will have shocked even the hardest hearts. However, the sad thing is for London read Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, many of our major cities have experienced similar problems over recent months, years.
It will sadden at least one who reads this blog to know I’m not a huge David Cameron fan, however, I read a quote today that I could not help but agree with he says
“This goes beyond any one policy or any one government. I think what we need is to recognise our society is badly broken and we need to make some big changes, starting now." I find myself for once agreeing with his words if not perhaps all the sentiments I suspect that may lie behind them.
The problems we are seeing today across our cities are much bigger than individual governments or policies. I wonder how much it has to do with the nature of a keep itself to itself society. I know that often fear (and with good justification) prevents us from becoming involved, however, there becomes a stage when we need to stick our heads above the parapet and say enough is enough.
For those of us with faith are we not indeed called to this way of life. When Jesus calls us to follow him, it is a call not into a comfortable existence but rather to costly discipleship. It is not as many would have us believe all about raising our hands in the air in constant worship. Rather we are called to roll our sleeves up and get stuck in. These problems are not ones we simply can throw money at or send a couple of youth workers out in a gesture of mission. These problems exist across our society and require us to become involved with our neighbours.
I spent two years working with and worshipping with the people of Moss Side. Moss Side, Manchester famous for its own drug and gun culture, yet strangely they are not my lasting memories of the place. The lasting memories I have are of the people and their struggle to let the world know that there is life behind the headlines. That beyond the newspaper stories and human tragedy is a community struggling to live alongside one another.
Within the churches there are people who daily witness to the kingdom of God, who live that costly discipleship not afraid to engage with those around them both young and old in the hope that they can witness to another way of life. When I went to minister among them I wonder what contribution I made but have no doubt about the impact they had on me. This is not a community that is unaware of its problems or a community that is afraid of facing reality. It is however, a community sick and tired of the rhetoric and empty words delivered by politicians (now matter if for once they are right or well meant).
The problem is the very society these politicians now create, a society that we also have to blame ourselves for. A society of increasing personal wealth and greed, a society where individual status means value. A society where power equates to having a voice, a platform, a medium in which to be heard and therefore to have an opportunity to change your circumstances.
Working in the prison has brought me into contact with members of ‘The
Gooch’ and ‘The
Doddington’ two of Moss Sides infamous drug gangs; they have all shared the same characteristics. Just below the
façade of bravado and strength lurks the fear of a small child. When a Twenty Seven year old gang member (he had done well to make it to such a grand old age) was asked “how do you live every day looking over your shoulder wondering if it will be your last” he broke down in tears and replied “you just gotta be tough”.
Have you, is this the society we have created, where kids from the age of nine or younger need to be tough and carry guns in order to be heard. I hope those of us who hear the call of God in our lives and indeed those who don’t have the courage to stand up to the way of costly discipleship and enable glimpses of how the kingdom of God could just look. When Jesus was asked what should be done to receive eternal life he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ Is this not what lies at the heart of the Christian gospel, at the heart of the Good News we are called to proclaim and live?
I want to finish this post with the story of Patsy
Mckie. Patsy
Mckie lives in nearby
Hulme. She is a member of New Testament Church of God and chair of an organisation called Mothers Against Violence. One day in 1999 her son Dorrie left home to play basketball as usual, however he never returned. Dorrie died after having been shot three times in the chest. Whilst it would appear that he was not involved in a gang, he had through association (he lived in the area and had friends) become mixed up with the drug culture that exists in this part of South Manchester.
Patsy told me, “The Church needs to become involved with the community. Too often we become hung up about places, but it is the people that matter”.
Her belief is that the church needs to be involved in bringing about social change not just spiritual change. “In Matthew 25 Jesus tells us that when he was hungry we fed him, naked and we clothed him - the church has a responsibility to feed and cloth the young people of our community.”
Patsy continued by saying, “The Church needs to pray, support and educate these young people”. She finished by telling the story of a young man who, when asked “Why do you carry a gun?” answered, “People don’t listen to me, when I carry a gun everyone listens”.
*Post Script*
By the time I had finished writing this post and came to link the Cameron quote it had been moved, to be replaced by more news worthy stories like Celebrity
BB's Danielle having got back with Teddy
Sheringham, need I say more about our society and our media!
Labels: Church, Faith, Ministry, Stuff
Here Are The Results From The Stockport Jury
Blogger tells me this is my 100th post kind of appropriate I think.
Well following my final preach with a view today, following a weekend of meeting with the church, following the same procedure the week before both churches met this afternoon to decide whether to call me as their minister.
I am pleased, no ecstatic to say that you are now looking at the new minister for The Heatons and Edgeley Road URC's with some involvement at Christ Church Reddish.
This is for us the end of a long journey thank you for those who have been praying, please do not stop because I believe that this is where the real hard work starts.
The last few years have been a roller coaster, but then the thing about roller coasters is once you get on them you don't want to get of. So our journey continues with a God who continually disturbs, challenges and unsettles us from our complacency. Long may it continue!
Labels: Church, Ministry
Waiting
Its the eve before my final preach with a view. Its the point that the last three and a half years have been leading to. Its the night I should be so excited about, in around 12 hours I'll know where my next six years will be, the Church collectively will have confirmed my call and reccomended my Ordination. Yet i'm scared, what if they say no, where do we go from here, back looking again, back to discerning once more. Yet this feels so right, so perfect, so filled with God and so like we are being called. God give me you peace, your patience and your Grace.
Labels: Ministry
A Big Weekend
Funny thing happened Saturday morning, the morning after the party but it's worthy of a post of its own.
So this was the first of my two big weekends. This week church 1 next week church 2. Saturday we went for a social so we could meet church members and they could meet us and the Sunday I preached.
We feel it went well the people were great and we really enjoyed ourselves, we hope they did too, perhaps just perhaps this could be the one. Role on next weekend............... watch this space!
Labels: Ministry
Did I Really Eat That Much!
Woke today feeling decididly dodgy, poorly tum so won't go into graphic detail. Before Christmas well back in November actually we joined the gym, the idea being to get fit. All was going well until Christmas arrived and with all the events at church that needed attending the gym kind of went by the wayside for 2 weeks.
I had planned for today to meet P the minister I currently am on placement with so he could talk over the coming events. Just to clarify this weekend is the first of the two weekends I go to preach with a view at 2 churches that i may potentially become minister at. Saturday we go as a family for an informal social and Sunday I preach, this is then repeated the following weekend at the other church, so as you can imagine as the time gets closer the more nervous I become.
So back to the story. The idea was we would go out, talk over the service, chill and help me prepare, then go back to my house meet P's wife and along with K go for a meal at our local
Italian restraunt.
I had this bright idea P my like to join me at the
gym, then make full use of the pool,spa,steam room and sauna. Did I really eat that much was the first thought through my head as I stood on the scales and oh my gosh this hurts was the second as I commenced my exercise program. Still they do say no pain, no gain (or loss in this case).
So work out complete we chilled and chatted and helped my head into the kind of place it needed to go. I am optomistic for the next couple of weeks, it feels so right.
Not only does it feel right for me but also for the rest of the family and I have never seen God playing with their emotions. Experience has taught me that God would not call me to a place where I would be happy and fullfilled if it meant my family would be miserable. I guess my reservations though are about not counting my chickens before they are hatched. P shared with me that his experience of God had always been that if something was not right the door was closed almost immediatley and that it was not dangled in front of you only for it to be taken away at the last moment. I do so hope he is right.
Anyway after our relaxation and weight loss program we went out for Italian, no problems there though cause my tummy ache kicked back in and I came home and threw up, not the weight loss program I quite had in mind!
Labels: Gym, Ministry
New Year New Who Knows?
New year celebrations were good, and a little last minute, having only decided what to do on Boxing day. In a rash moment we thought we would host a party at home for neighbours and friends who like us had not yet thought about what thay should do.
I guess one problem is children. Not that i believe my children to be a problem you understand, it's just that some people don't always welcome children at their parties (having met other children this I can understand). Anyway to cut an already long story........ we decided to hold a children friendly party. We kind of thought it would end up the five of us eating left over mince pies and singing Auld Lang Syne to each other at midnight. However, it would appear we were not the only ones who were unorganised as we had about 25 here in the end. Entertainment was provided by the S*ny Pl*yst*tion and
S*ngst*r followed up by
B*zz the big quiz for the more intellectual amongst our number (if you believe that....) any way twas a good night.
New years day we rose slowly along with those who never went home, and were then rejoined by some of those who did and there were then 18 of us for breakfast. The party then split two ways, the majority went for a walk around
Chorlton Water Park. However, three of us went to Eastlands to see Man City versus Everton (sadly for him one of our number was an Everton fan).
Now I know I had a mini rant about City before Christmas but as Craig pointed out on that same post, I must and I am now well happy. Further proof there is a God, Christmas is a time of hope, God is a City fan and 9 points from 12 is not to be sniffed at. In case you havn't got the drift yet we just kept winning yay!!!!!!
Victory over Everton by 2 goals to 1 however, the Everton fan in our midst was not quite so elated.
So any way victory done and dusted we returned home to our respective houses and in my case found the rest of my family fast asleep in bed. So having woke them all up it was a quick turnaround and back out for a meal for 17!
Location was
Asian Fusion in Chorlton where we were rejoined by Liz who had spent some of her New Years eve with us (see her blog). Meal was good especially my fish starter, not quite a replacement for the Punjab (not that we were trying) but if we just want a local place to eat v.good.
The next bit of the night was a bit unplanned with most of the 17 ending up back at our house for more S*ngst*r and B*zz. Now under normal circumstances i would never blog pictures of individuals making fools of themselves whilst singing along to Duran Duran. But then not most people would post pictures of you dressed in an elf outfit. So here is evidence that Liz is in fact a closet Duran Duran fan (that's something she didn't put on her five things you don't know about me).
Well the 1st ended on the 2nd if you know what I mean and we all went to bed tired, happy and well and truly having welcomed in the new year. Now all that is to come is preaching, meeting new churches and waiting to see if we know where we are going ooh it's scary!
Labels: Football, Ministry, New Year, Stuff
I'm Alive!
Sorry for the long period of silence, the half term holidays went and along with them my desire to blog. I have been busy but if i'm honest I was just not ready or wanting to blog, anyway for the time being I'm back.
Lots happened since then most of the going out stuff you will have learnt about from
Liz (lucky she does blog). I guess the other big piece of news is that I have been invited to preach with a view of becoming minister of two churches in the local area. I am really excited about this bothe churches will require hard work because there is lots of good stuff happening, but I never wanted a quiet life. Te family are happy because there is enough to keep Dad quiet and beacause it is local. So if you have some time prayers would be appreciated I preach the first two weekends in January.
Well that's enough for a starter I won't bore you with long lists from the past two months but try and blog at least once a week from now on (where have you heard that before). It was
Caroline who promted me to blog again, she wrote that she had updated her sidebar to remove blogs no longer kept up to date, I checked to see if I was still there!
Speak soon!!!!!
Labels: Blog Stuff, Ministry
