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Tuesday, February 12, 2008
I'm Moving Again!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
At Week's End
Savannah,for you Jesus Christ came into the world;
for you he lived and showed God's love;
for you he suffered death on the Cross;
for you he triumphed over death,
rising to newness of life;
for you he prays at God's right hand:
all this for you,
before you could know anything of it.
In your Baptism,
the word of Scripture is fulfilled:
‘We love, because God first loved us.’
I'm sorry that I dropped blogging after Monday. Savannah's baptism ran late into the evening on Monday, Tuesday we dealt with getting some of the family to the airport and getting the car MOT, Wednesday Jen, Michael, April, and I left for the Cotswold. It got busy.
Savannah's baptism was beautiful. So many were involved, and while it did last almost an hour and 40 minutes, I
Trinity, Mellor, Wilpshire, and Langho all attended. Yvonne Pearson and Paul Davis took time away from Methodist Conference. Phil briefly appeared from sabbatical to lead the baptismal service. Jen's sermon was fantastic, and as soon as I get it "digitised" I will post it on my website. Michael and I presided at communion. Phil, as I said, led the baptism, but when it think everyone there had a great time. Folk from Bamber Bridge, came to part that is my
favourite part of the service, I spoke the words above to Savannah, and cried as I got to the "all this for you, before you could know anything of it". She was looking right at me when I said that. Then I surprised her as I dropped the cold water on her little head. Phil said that she gave him a look that shouted, "Help me!" She got over it quite quickly, and I took her around the church. Finally, Jen, Michael, April, and I answered the questions about raising and nurturing her in the Christian faith. The whole service was beautiful.April, Jen, Michael, and I had a great time in Oxford. We visited the cathedral where John and Charles Wesley were ordained (Christ Church) and the Bodleian Library. We also saw some of the points around the university that inspired C.S. Lewis's story where Lucy walks through the wardrobe in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. On the way home, we visited Coventry Cathedral, where the Germans bombed the original church. The diocese chose to build a new one beside the old rather than rebuild. They kept the ruins as a monument to peace and reconciliation.
Today, we have spent the day playing with Savannah (mom and dad took care of her for the past three days) and resting. Everyone leaves us on Monday, so we have a final day with everyone.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Ordained of God
Yesterday was a fantastic day! It
was everything I could have hoped it would be. The weather was 
great (not really a factor since we were inside, but the sun shone through the stain glass above the altar), my friends and family were there, as well as work colleagues. Yvonne (my superintendent) gave the welcome at the opening of the service as the superintendent of the Blackburn Circuit. The cathedral made for a wonderful venue, even if it was an Anglican cathedral - making it a little more formal than many Methodists would like! Organisation before hand left a little to be desired, but the President of Conference (Martyn Atkins) reminded us to be gracious if little things went wrong.
Jen and I walked in with the other ordinands in silence, taking our place
in the choir stalls. We followed the liturgy in the Methodist Worship Book, which was beautiful, but still strange for Methodists over here. I had heard of some past ordinands that always thought the service out of place for them, but it suited me. After the sermon, they called us up one by one to face the congregation. The President ask, "Are they worthy?" and the congregations responded loudly, "They are worthy!" I remember April looking at me as she said it. It was a beautiful moment. Each ordinand in turn walked up in front of the President to kneel. I remember my heart beating faster and faster as it got closer to my turn.
It happened quite quickly, but I met Jen in front of the altar and I knelt down, while the President, the Bishop of Chile (world church representative), and Jen laid hands on my head. It was a quick, but meaningful moment. Then I took my place with the other ordinands. The next part I was not expecting to be so moving when it happened, so I was caught off guard by the moment. A past vice-president presented us our ordination bibles (our only certificate) and said, "receive this Bible as a sign of the authority committed to you this day to preach the word of God and to celebrate the sacraments." She looked me in the eyes as she said this. Tears came in my eyes as I watched. After we were all ordained, the presidents announced we are ordained, and the entire congregation applauded. The communion was next, and each ordinand came to the altar with their family. It was beautiful as we knelt together in front of the altar. Yvonne offered the chalice to us.
After the service, we went to the crypt for a short reception. Folk from Bamber Bridge were
there and we got the group photo. Yvonne came down and she placed my new stole around my neck (that is not a part of the tradition here like it is in the United Methodist Church). Then the whole family came back for pizza at the Manse.
was everything I could have hoped it would be. The weather was 
great (not really a factor since we were inside, but the sun shone through the stain glass above the altar), my friends and family were there, as well as work colleagues. Yvonne (my superintendent) gave the welcome at the opening of the service as the superintendent of the Blackburn Circuit. The cathedral made for a wonderful venue, even if it was an Anglican cathedral - making it a little more formal than many Methodists would like! Organisation before hand left a little to be desired, but the President of Conference (Martyn Atkins) reminded us to be gracious if little things went wrong.Jen and I walked in with the other ordinands in silence, taking our place
in the choir stalls. We followed the liturgy in the Methodist Worship Book, which was beautiful, but still strange for Methodists over here. I had heard of some past ordinands that always thought the service out of place for them, but it suited me. After the sermon, they called us up one by one to face the congregation. The President ask, "Are they worthy?" and the congregations responded loudly, "They are worthy!" I remember April looking at me as she said it. It was a beautiful moment. Each ordinand in turn walked up in front of the President to kneel. I remember my heart beating faster and faster as it got closer to my turn.
It happened quite quickly, but I met Jen in front of the altar and I knelt down, while the President, the Bishop of Chile (world church representative), and Jen laid hands on my head. It was a quick, but meaningful moment. Then I took my place with the other ordinands. The next part I was not expecting to be so moving when it happened, so I was caught off guard by the moment. A past vice-president presented us our ordination bibles (our only certificate) and said, "receive this Bible as a sign of the authority committed to you this day to preach the word of God and to celebrate the sacraments." She looked me in the eyes as she said this. Tears came in my eyes as I watched. After we were all ordained, the presidents announced we are ordained, and the entire congregation applauded. The communion was next, and each ordinand came to the altar with their family. It was beautiful as we knelt together in front of the altar. Yvonne offered the chalice to us.After the service, we went to the crypt for a short reception. Folk from Bamber Bridge were
there and we got the group photo. Yvonne came down and she placed my new stole around my neck (that is not a part of the tradition here like it is in the United Methodist Church). Then the whole family came back for pizza at the Manse.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Back Home
Wow! What a week! I had a great time, and wish that I had started blogging earlier in the week to give an overall impression o
f the week. Well, at least you have the blog from yesterday and today - two out of five isn't bad. And you can always look on my colleague's blog (the one I mentioned yesterday). This morning began like many last-day-of-retreat. Packing, cleaning out the room, handing in the key, and the sense that something is ending. Of course, we almost carry on like this is just another day - still talking about the same things, still waiting for session to begin. It is a little different in our case as we will still see each other on Sunday morning at the reception into full connexion, and then I will see a few that evening at ordination (all 60 of us aren't ordained at the same place). So it wasn't so much "good-bye" when we left, but see you on Sunday. That makes for what my friend Jen calls a "fuzzy good-bye". And of course, we all work for the connexion, so it is possible to stay in touch!
The morning session touched on the subject of sustaining yourself. It was very helpful in the sense that our leader, Ruth, reminded us that CPD (the Methodist "rule book") says take at least 24 hours where you do not work - so if we need more, take it. And we don't have to include shopping at the supermarket. I think that was helpful. I have recently taken the view if Savannah is happy, then I take the time to be with her (I can get a lot of time usually where she isn't happy). She also told us that CPD suggests that we develop a hobby. I haven't taken much time to do that. I don't know if I want to focus on photography or learning to use all this functionality on the computer or pick up an instrument. The problem with the latter two would be that I would be using them with a goal in mind to use them in worship. She only touched briefly on finding friendships - something I have been on a soapbox for a while. It is
difficult to find friendships as a minister and I am very careful about friendships with church members because of the issues involved. She seemed to be in favour of them as long as the boundaries are set. That's difficult. Even more, most of the folk in my church are a good bit older than us. Overall, the lesson was very helpful. Also, during the session, she said something that spoke to me about my own church members - no matter how crazy they drive me, I still want them there with me this weekend. (Pictured, our leaders, L-R: Lucille, Steve, Ruth, and Paul).
The final communion service was beautiful. They set up a nice display (pictured left) with our tiles (the ones mentioned yesterday, pictured right) surrounding the communion table. I think w
hat hit me most was when the
preacher, Lucille, said, "You only have two more 'go-to-beds' before you are ordained." It hit me, I am really going to be ordained on Sunday. Seven years of work - not really ending, but one stage ending. Then came the most moving part of the week. Steve stood at the front with the three other leaders and read the name of each ordinand. As our name was called, we stood. Steve read my full name (a long story because people over here just stumble over it). I can't explain the feeling, but it was a holy moment. The last two worship services, I haven't wanted them to end. I didn't want the week to end. At the same time, I knew it was time. My grandmother likes to say at the end of a visit, "If hasn't been said by now, it's not going to be said." I think she same applied here. There really was nothing more to do, and the next step is reception into full connexion and then ordination.
The family is gathering now. April's parents, my cousin Tori, and my aunt Anne have all been here since Monday. Dad, mom, my uncle Jim, and Tori's daughter Kendall arrived today. Jen and Mike will be here tomorrow. It all seems as if everything is converging. Well, I need to go because I am a little lost with the time. My week has been so regimented, that I don't now what to do next. So I better make sure I am prepared!
f the week. Well, at least you have the blog from yesterday and today - two out of five isn't bad. And you can always look on my colleague's blog (the one I mentioned yesterday). This morning began like many last-day-of-retreat. Packing, cleaning out the room, handing in the key, and the sense that something is ending. Of course, we almost carry on like this is just another day - still talking about the same things, still waiting for session to begin. It is a little different in our case as we will still see each other on Sunday morning at the reception into full connexion, and then I will see a few that evening at ordination (all 60 of us aren't ordained at the same place). So it wasn't so much "good-bye" when we left, but see you on Sunday. That makes for what my friend Jen calls a "fuzzy good-bye". And of course, we all work for the connexion, so it is possible to stay in touch!The morning session touched on the subject of sustaining yourself. It was very helpful in the sense that our leader, Ruth, reminded us that CPD (the Methodist "rule book") says take at least 24 hours where you do not work - so if we need more, take it. And we don't have to include shopping at the supermarket. I think that was helpful. I have recently taken the view if Savannah is happy, then I take the time to be with her (I can get a lot of time usually where she isn't happy). She also told us that CPD suggests that we develop a hobby. I haven't taken much time to do that. I don't know if I want to focus on photography or learning to use all this functionality on the computer or pick up an instrument. The problem with the latter two would be that I would be using them with a goal in mind to use them in worship. She only touched briefly on finding friendships - something I have been on a soapbox for a while. It is
difficult to find friendships as a minister and I am very careful about friendships with church members because of the issues involved. She seemed to be in favour of them as long as the boundaries are set. That's difficult. Even more, most of the folk in my church are a good bit older than us. Overall, the lesson was very helpful. Also, during the session, she said something that spoke to me about my own church members - no matter how crazy they drive me, I still want them there with me this weekend. (Pictured, our leaders, L-R: Lucille, Steve, Ruth, and Paul).The final communion service was beautiful. They set up a nice display (pictured left) with our tiles (the ones mentioned yesterday, pictured right) surrounding the communion table. I think w
hat hit me most was when the
preacher, Lucille, said, "You only have two more 'go-to-beds' before you are ordained." It hit me, I am really going to be ordained on Sunday. Seven years of work - not really ending, but one stage ending. Then came the most moving part of the week. Steve stood at the front with the three other leaders and read the name of each ordinand. As our name was called, we stood. Steve read my full name (a long story because people over here just stumble over it). I can't explain the feeling, but it was a holy moment. The last two worship services, I haven't wanted them to end. I didn't want the week to end. At the same time, I knew it was time. My grandmother likes to say at the end of a visit, "If hasn't been said by now, it's not going to be said." I think she same applied here. There really was nothing more to do, and the next step is reception into full connexion and then ordination.The family is gathering now. April's parents, my cousin Tori, and my aunt Anne have all been here since Monday. Dad, mom, my uncle Jim, and Tori's daughter Kendall arrived today. Jen and Mike will be here tomorrow. It all seems as if everything is converging. Well, I need to go because I am a little lost with the time. My week has been so regimented, that I don't now what to do next. So I better make sure I am prepared!
Thursday, July 05, 2007
On the Verge...
...of a new blog! I am reinstating the blog! Savannah's coming into the world took precedence over blogging, but I am back. I write this from Nantwich, Cheshire, where I and 50+ other ordinands have gathered to prepare for our ordination this Sunday. We won't be all together at the same service (only a few others I met here will be ordained with me at Blackburn Cathedral), but it has been great getting to know other folk from around the connexion. I knew only one very well (Derek Oldham from my old circuit) and one other fairly well (Gareth from the North Lancs Under 5s group). Other than that, everyone was new.It has been a great retreat. I have loved this week more than I thought I would. It has been a great time to sit and reflect, and be out of the circuit. I hate that it will have to end tomorrow (though I can't wait to see Savannah and April again!). Tonight's
communion was led by connexional evangelist Steve Wild, who led the service in the Primitive Methodist tradition. The retreat leaders served it to us in our seats, kneeling in front of us. Moving, and of course disturbing because we feel uncomfortable being served in that way. Overall, the week has been a great balance of free time and sessions.I am going to continue blogging for at least the next few days. Mom and Dad arrive in the country tomorrow. Jen and Mike come on Saturday. The ordination events continue on Sunday and Savannah's baptism takes place Monday night. It will be busy, but I also want those who can't come to be able to read about it online.
I met another blogger, who posted a link on his site to mine. He has some interesting thoughts on what's going on, so I recommened a visit to his site. His name is Dave and here is the link: http://42.blogs.warnock.me.uk/ Hope you enjoy!
I may write later on tonight - depends on how late I finish up!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Savannah Day Two
Day Two of little Savannah’s life finds her even cuter than she was yesterday – if that’s possible. She had a rough night with learning to breastfeed. She seems a little lazy, which means she may be taking after her dad. April said the night passed without much sleep as she and the midwife worked hard to get Savannah to ‘latch on’. When she finally did after much work, Savannah fell asleep! But by the end of today when I left, she seemed to get the hang of it.
Cards and email are flooding in, delighting April and me, even if Savannah knows nothing of it. She is a much loved little girl. Savannah also got her first visitors today. The first was Loraine, who attends Wilpshire Methodist, but also works there at hospital. Not long after, Mike & Pauline from Bamber Bridge called in and finally my superintendent Yvonne stopped by. I don’t know how impressed Savannah was, but April and I were glad to have some folk drop by.
I am alone at home now, and I can’t wait for April and Savannah to come home. I miss them both. I wake up excited at about 5:45 AM but quickly realised that I would be able to see her until the afternoon (dads are only allowed in between 11 AM and 8 PM). The doctors have given no indication about when April is ok to leave, but it can’t be soon enough for me!
Cards and email are flooding in, delighting April and me, even if Savannah knows nothing of it. She is a much loved little girl. Savannah also got her first visitors today. The first was Loraine, who attends Wilpshire Methodist, but also works there at hospital. Not long after, Mike & Pauline from Bamber Bridge called in and finally my superintendent Yvonne stopped by. I don’t know how impressed Savannah was, but April and I were glad to have some folk drop by.
I am alone at home now, and I can’t wait for April and Savannah to come home. I miss them both. I wake up excited at about 5:45 AM but quickly realised that I would be able to see her until the afternoon (dads are only allowed in between 11 AM and 8 PM). The doctors have given no indication about when April is ok to leave, but it can’t be soon enough for me!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Happy Birthday, Savannah Niamh!
What an amazing day! It began with a crisp, clear winter day – one like we haven’t seen much this winter. April and I got up early to leave for Royal Blackburn Hospital. At 9:15, the midwife took us to the operating theatre to prep April for surgery. The strangest feelings came over me. Both of us felt like we have been waiting for this for song long that it didn’t seem real. Then for me, I felt like I was in line for Space Mountain at Disney World – I keep wondering, ‘Do I really want to do this?’, accompanied by those feeling of panic! Of course, there were also the feelings of great excitement – neither of us could wait to meet her!
So, at 9:52 AM, Savannah Niamh (pronounced Neve) came into the world, a little shell-shocked, but soon wrapped in a blanket. At first, we saw her just after she was taken out of April – ok, kinda gross. The midwife then did all those things that midwives do after the birth (I don’t know about half of the test or checks they did), including measurements (54 cm or 21 ¼ inches) and weight (2.6 kg or 5 lbs 12 oz). She was so tiny! I don’t think I was prepared for how tiny she would be – neither was the midwife when the estimate she was told was nearly 8 lbs. I stood by the midwife, watching her – too scared to even touch her. I took a few pictures of her while the midwife continued her exam. Every once in a while I would reach out my finger to touch her, only to take it back quickly. April was still on the table while the surgical team finished her up. Then the midwife asked if I wanted to take her over to April. I did, but still scared, I tentatively picked her up. My eyes welled up immediately – I couldn’t believe she was mine. April and I both cried together as Savannah’s little eyes looked around. She actually looked like she was listening to me. She stayed awake for all of those first minutes. She appeared hungry, as she was making sucking noises. She got tired of waiting on mum, so her fingers found her way into her mouth. Everyone working at hospital has been terrific – we could ask for more.
No memory will ever overcome holding my daughter for the first time, watching her little eyes staring up at me, and then taking her over to April. She is the most beautiful little baby. It was so nice to hold her in my arms this evening as she slept on my chest. I finally had to leave, walking out of hospital to a light snow. Just a peaceful way to end the day.
So, at 9:52 AM, Savannah Niamh (pronounced Neve) came into the world, a little shell-shocked, but soon wrapped in a blanket. At first, we saw her just after she was taken out of April – ok, kinda gross. The midwife then did all those things that midwives do after the birth (I don’t know about half of the test or checks they did), including measurements (54 cm or 21 ¼ inches) and weight (2.6 kg or 5 lbs 12 oz). She was so tiny! I don’t think I was prepared for how tiny she would be – neither was the midwife when the estimate she was told was nearly 8 lbs. I stood by the midwife, watching her – too scared to even touch her. I took a few pictures of her while the midwife continued her exam. Every once in a while I would reach out my finger to touch her, only to take it back quickly. April was still on the table while the surgical team finished her up. Then the midwife asked if I wanted to take her over to April. I did, but still scared, I tentatively picked her up. My eyes welled up immediately – I couldn’t believe she was mine. April and I both cried together as Savannah’s little eyes looked around. She actually looked like she was listening to me. She stayed awake for all of those first minutes. She appeared hungry, as she was making sucking noises. She got tired of waiting on mum, so her fingers found her way into her mouth. Everyone working at hospital has been terrific – we could ask for more.
No memory will ever overcome holding my daughter for the first time, watching her little eyes staring up at me, and then taking her over to April. She is the most beautiful little baby. It was so nice to hold her in my arms this evening as she slept on my chest. I finally had to leave, walking out of hospital to a light snow. Just a peaceful way to end the day.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Countdown: 7 Days
Just one more week to go! It seems like it has been forever when we think back to all the events that we have covered in just the last nine months. From the Second Mile Team’s time in Great Britain, the trip to Greece (with the ill-fated flight of Alitalia – I STILL HAVEN’T GOT SO MUCH AS AN EMAIL ON MY LUGGAGE), finishing in South Ribble, moving to Blackburn, starting a new circuit, Christmas, and finally in the home stretch – all of this when April has been pregnant. Even though we will be unable to attend, we are glad that she will be here for Jen & Mike’s wedding (4 February). She won’t have a clue about it, of course. April and I are also waiting on word from our other seminary friends, Brandon and Jennifer. Jennifer is expected to give birth this week. Also, Sarah and Brian – I haven’t heard from them, either. Wow, births and marriages – big week for Duke Divinity’s class of 2004.Since April and I are not telling the name of the baby, we have simply referred to her as ‘baby’. We found if we used her name even around the house, we would nearly slip and give it away. Then this past week I got an email from our friends who still live in Durham, Warren and Kim. Warren, knowing my favourite orthodox saint, Athanasius the Great (4th c., that’s his picture), named her ‘little Athanasius’. So, that’s what we have been calling her: she became our child so that we might become parents.
Monday, January 01, 2007
A Midnight Visitor
Last night, not long after the Big Ben chimed the New Year, I saw a little movement around the fireplace. He hung out for a while in the fireplace before disappearing behind the wall. While he sat underneath our gas fire, I snapped this picture of him. April didn't see him, but when she awoke I showed her the photo. She is not impressed! As I am posting this, we can see his little head pop in and out. We don't know if he is a 'sentry' and there is more or if he is a 'loner'. Our property steward will come over in the morning to see the issue and we will probably have to ring Ribble Valley Borough Council. April wants this sorted out as soon as possible!
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Thoughts on the Final Day of 2006
The clock is counting down the final hours of 2006 as I type. Of course, it’s just past noon on the east coast, but here in the UK we have just four hours left in the year. I have never been a big fan of New Year’s Day because with all the excitement of Christmas (and my birthday), I have hated seeing December go away. For some reason, on this day I always think back to the final day of the 1900s. I remember getting ready for work that morning and watching the Today Show on NBC, thinking of the final hectic day of work which would be the most over-hyped day ever with all the Y2K mess. Nothing happened at the bank that year.
April and I have had a busy, but wonderful third Christmas in England. Advent was short, but we managed to fill in three prayer services. You can read about them on my Flickr account here. Christmas seemed busier with Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday. I had the usual morning service, followed by “A Christmas Miscellany” at Mellor’s “Christmas Around the Tree”. The day ended with my favourite moment of the year with ‘Midnight Mass’ at Wilpshire. We ended the weekend on Monday morning with a 9:30 AM service at Langho and an 11:00 AM service at Wilpshire. Even though it makes for a hectic day, I love the tradition of Christmas morning services here. To me, I think that’s the way it should be. We made it home in time to watch Serenity (via the webcam) open her gifts. She was quite funny and overwhelmed by Santa. She showed us the plate of cookies she left for him and shouted “He at them and he left one!” (which she ate!). We had lunch with a great family from our church. The rest of the week has been easy, as we travelled to Wales. You can see our pictures here.
I don’t know what form the blog will take in the future. I haven’t written in a while because I am not sure if I will continue it. My superintendent warned me that she was ‘Goolging’ her church’s name to locate their new website and my blog popped up. I never intended it for folk in the UK, but for folk back home (not that I have been specific about anyone over here, though). So, I am going to think about it and post my decision later.
April and I have had a busy, but wonderful third Christmas in England. Advent was short, but we managed to fill in three prayer services. You can read about them on my Flickr account here. Christmas seemed busier with Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday. I had the usual morning service, followed by “A Christmas Miscellany” at Mellor’s “Christmas Around the Tree”. The day ended with my favourite moment of the year with ‘Midnight Mass’ at Wilpshire. We ended the weekend on Monday morning with a 9:30 AM service at Langho and an 11:00 AM service at Wilpshire. Even though it makes for a hectic day, I love the tradition of Christmas morning services here. To me, I think that’s the way it should be. We made it home in time to watch Serenity (via the webcam) open her gifts. She was quite funny and overwhelmed by Santa. She showed us the plate of cookies she left for him and shouted “He at them and he left one!” (which she ate!). We had lunch with a great family from our church. The rest of the week has been easy, as we travelled to Wales. You can see our pictures here.
I don’t know what form the blog will take in the future. I haven’t written in a while because I am not sure if I will continue it. My superintendent warned me that she was ‘Goolging’ her church’s name to locate their new website and my blog popped up. I never intended it for folk in the UK, but for folk back home (not that I have been specific about anyone over here, though). So, I am going to think about it and post my decision later.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Advent Sunday
Today officially begins the season of Advent. It’s weird when it is nearly ten days after Thanksgiving (even over here I notice). Anyway, worship went well this morning. Not as well as last week, but I was at Wilpshire again for the second straight Sunday, so I was able to bounce off of what I said last week. I am continuing to press the need for a fresh way of looking at worship. I found out earlier this week that I have got some people thinking already about how we can move forward with worship. Still, I get a lot of ‘good sermon’ comments, which really don’t tell me much, but don’t know how much of this will turn to true change.
After church, April and I ate lunch with the curate of St. Gabriel’s Anglican Church (Adrian) and his family. They have two children, who entertained us and their young boy (3) took a liking to April. We hadn’t been in there 5 minutes when he wanted to show her his Bob the Builder drawing board. He and his wife are a few years older and it’s nice to have church people our own age. We discussed life in the church, living among church members, and how to draw more people into the church. He has had a lot of involvement with Alpha, and he is helping to encourage Wilpshire to get it started in our area. We have started a good relationship.
Yesterday, April and I did something we have wanted to do since our first Christmas in England (it’s hard to believe this will be our 3rd!): we went to the Dickensian Christmas Festival in Grassington. The Yorkshire Dales village transforms into a Victorian Christmas Fayre, complete with costumes, shoe shiners, town crier, and lots of stalls. It was an enjoyable day, even though the weather turned on us. The whole village gets involved and must take a lot of work. This is their twenty-fifth year.
This week begins one of my busiest since I arrived in Blackburn. Things like the Mellor Ladies Fellowship Christmas Dinner have been planned – that’s on Tuesday. Then there are things like staff meeting, churches together meetings, and some more spiritual things like Advent services. I will write about that as the week goes on.
After church, April and I ate lunch with the curate of St. Gabriel’s Anglican Church (Adrian) and his family. They have two children, who entertained us and their young boy (3) took a liking to April. We hadn’t been in there 5 minutes when he wanted to show her his Bob the Builder drawing board. He and his wife are a few years older and it’s nice to have church people our own age. We discussed life in the church, living among church members, and how to draw more people into the church. He has had a lot of involvement with Alpha, and he is helping to encourage Wilpshire to get it started in our area. We have started a good relationship.
Yesterday, April and I did something we have wanted to do since our first Christmas in England (it’s hard to believe this will be our 3rd!): we went to the Dickensian Christmas Festival in Grassington. The Yorkshire Dales village transforms into a Victorian Christmas Fayre, complete with costumes, shoe shiners, town crier, and lots of stalls. It was an enjoyable day, even though the weather turned on us. The whole village gets involved and must take a lot of work. This is their twenty-fifth year.
This week begins one of my busiest since I arrived in Blackburn. Things like the Mellor Ladies Fellowship Christmas Dinner have been planned – that’s on Tuesday. Then there are things like staff meeting, churches together meetings, and some more spiritual things like Advent services. I will write about that as the week goes on.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Where are the Men in Church?
What will it take to get men back in church? I went to Leyland Methodist Church (in my former circuit) to find out. Phil, the minister there, sent me an email earlier this week saying that a representative of Christian Vision for Men would be there to talk about what the organisation did. Out of the 6 million or so dedicated people attending church, less than 1 million are men (I think that was the figure). Part of the problem is that the perception of church that men have is that it is for wimps and women (or worse, considering the scandals that have hit the church in the last years).
The question is, how do you overcome that image? The speaker, a Baptist minister from Bath, provides an alternative plan to introduce ‘blokes’ to Christianity that approaches them in a way that they can be reached. It centres around getting guys together rather than trying to reach them one-on-one. For instance, guys talk to each other side-by-side rather than face-to-face, especially when they don’t know each other well. If you want men to talk, they would prefer to be doing something rather than just sitting there (like taking a walk). The starting point is doing something fun (sports, building, etc.) then moving into discussing Jesus (they suggest one off events with a speaker). After that, you move into courses like Alpha and finally into the church. Yes, it is a long process – he says that it on average takes 5 years and hearing the gospel 30 times. The benefit comes into how it gets families into the church and relationships with Jesus: if the children come, they pull 3½% bring their families; that goes up to 17% with the mother; but with fathers, if they come to Christ then 93% of their families will follow. I didn’t get to go to the second part tonight, but I hear they will put all their information online (see website above).
Also this week, I have really seen God move this week. We had a great service on Sunday. Everything clicked, and someone said they never saw so many people listening to what the preacher said. I had a good message, and I hate saying these things because I feel like I sound arrogant. Still, God was there! He continued to work last night at Lammack, where I led an ‘interest meeting’ (that sounds terribly boring) on Disciple Bible Study. I am passionate about small group Bible study, and I think Disciple is the best out there that looks at the entire Bible. I felt my passion truly came through, and we will start with a full group of twelve in January. There was a buzz and excitement to begin that rubbed off from me to them! My vision is to see God move in everyone in the Blackburn Circuit by changing people into disciples through studying the bible in small groups. I told them I might as well start at the top and look to get everyone in the circuit in Disciple!
The question is, how do you overcome that image? The speaker, a Baptist minister from Bath, provides an alternative plan to introduce ‘blokes’ to Christianity that approaches them in a way that they can be reached. It centres around getting guys together rather than trying to reach them one-on-one. For instance, guys talk to each other side-by-side rather than face-to-face, especially when they don’t know each other well. If you want men to talk, they would prefer to be doing something rather than just sitting there (like taking a walk). The starting point is doing something fun (sports, building, etc.) then moving into discussing Jesus (they suggest one off events with a speaker). After that, you move into courses like Alpha and finally into the church. Yes, it is a long process – he says that it on average takes 5 years and hearing the gospel 30 times. The benefit comes into how it gets families into the church and relationships with Jesus: if the children come, they pull 3½% bring their families; that goes up to 17% with the mother; but with fathers, if they come to Christ then 93% of their families will follow. I didn’t get to go to the second part tonight, but I hear they will put all their information online (see website above).
Also this week, I have really seen God move this week. We had a great service on Sunday. Everything clicked, and someone said they never saw so many people listening to what the preacher said. I had a good message, and I hate saying these things because I feel like I sound arrogant. Still, God was there! He continued to work last night at Lammack, where I led an ‘interest meeting’ (that sounds terribly boring) on Disciple Bible Study. I am passionate about small group Bible study, and I think Disciple is the best out there that looks at the entire Bible. I felt my passion truly came through, and we will start with a full group of twelve in January. There was a buzz and excitement to begin that rubbed off from me to them! My vision is to see God move in everyone in the Blackburn Circuit by changing people into disciples through studying the bible in small groups. I told them I might as well start at the top and look to get everyone in the circuit in Disciple!
Monday, November 27, 2006
A Tribute to Mike Shula
In 1984 college football took a hold of me. It was always in my blood, I suppose, but that year South Carolina went on a tear to reach a 10-2 record. Living in the state of South Carolina, one was either a Carolina or Clemson fan. Being a transplant to the state, I didn’t know who to choose but my dad’s partner in his accounting firm was a USC grad who used to take me to some of their games. With the excitement building in the state with USC’s run to the top of the polls, much to the chagrin of my dad (an Alabama grad), I became a Gamecock football fan.
All of that changed on Labor Day 1985, even before the demise of South Carolina who went back to their perennial 5-6 seasons, I watched a young Alabama quarterback take the offence down the field in the final minutes of the game after Georgia blocked a punt. Mike Shula led Alabama back to win 20-16, and on that drive I was forever an Alabama fan. Unlike my dad, who grew up in the heyday of Alabama in the 60s and went there in the 70s when ‘Bear’ Bryant still walked the sidelines, I watched Alabama skirt the edges of glory when I grew up. That year was magical to me, from that drive in Georgia, to crying when they lost to Penn State, to Van Tiffin’s last second field goal to beat Auburn. At the centre of it, I thought that Mike Shula was the greatest quarterback in the world, and in my sixth grade mind I couldn’t understand why he went to coaching in the NFL and wasn’t chosen in the first round of the draft.
Watching Alabama football got painful after a few years (late 90s, the Mike DuBose years), but I couldn’t help but be excited when my football hero from my youth was named the head coach at Alabama four years ago. He took over a team on probation, had a coach bolt from them, and another coach that got caught at a strip club. This was not the dream job that it once was. Anyway, Shula stepped in and for what he was given, he did well (a 10-2 season with a Cotton Bowl victory in 2005).
Today, Mal Moore, the Athletic Director at Alabama, fired Mike Shula after a 6-6 year. Alabama eats coaches, and this one deserved better than he got. I am no expert (heck, I chose USC over Alabama [long story] and then went to Duke – not a football school), but Shula had Bama on the way up. They should given him two more years when his very young team would have matured. They didn’t give his website the rest of the day: now, if you type in http://www.mikeshula.com/ it directs you straight to rolltide.com.
To Mike Shula, I hope you continue coaching, and one day you meet Alabama in the National Championship and you win! I sat in the stands at Williams-Brice stadium in Columbia, SC, as a USC student and cheered for Alabama, so I will continue to pull for Alabama, but because of your touchdown drive that made Alabama football’s history come alive for one 11 year old.
All of that changed on Labor Day 1985, even before the demise of South Carolina who went back to their perennial 5-6 seasons, I watched a young Alabama quarterback take the offence down the field in the final minutes of the game after Georgia blocked a punt. Mike Shula led Alabama back to win 20-16, and on that drive I was forever an Alabama fan. Unlike my dad, who grew up in the heyday of Alabama in the 60s and went there in the 70s when ‘Bear’ Bryant still walked the sidelines, I watched Alabama skirt the edges of glory when I grew up. That year was magical to me, from that drive in Georgia, to crying when they lost to Penn State, to Van Tiffin’s last second field goal to beat Auburn. At the centre of it, I thought that Mike Shula was the greatest quarterback in the world, and in my sixth grade mind I couldn’t understand why he went to coaching in the NFL and wasn’t chosen in the first round of the draft.
Watching Alabama football got painful after a few years (late 90s, the Mike DuBose years), but I couldn’t help but be excited when my football hero from my youth was named the head coach at Alabama four years ago. He took over a team on probation, had a coach bolt from them, and another coach that got caught at a strip club. This was not the dream job that it once was. Anyway, Shula stepped in and for what he was given, he did well (a 10-2 season with a Cotton Bowl victory in 2005).
Today, Mal Moore, the Athletic Director at Alabama, fired Mike Shula after a 6-6 year. Alabama eats coaches, and this one deserved better than he got. I am no expert (heck, I chose USC over Alabama [long story] and then went to Duke – not a football school), but Shula had Bama on the way up. They should given him two more years when his very young team would have matured. They didn’t give his website the rest of the day: now, if you type in http://www.mikeshula.com/ it directs you straight to rolltide.com.
To Mike Shula, I hope you continue coaching, and one day you meet Alabama in the National Championship and you win! I sat in the stands at Williams-Brice stadium in Columbia, SC, as a USC student and cheered for Alabama, so I will continue to pull for Alabama, but because of your touchdown drive that made Alabama football’s history come alive for one 11 year old.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
South Carolina Wins!
After the poor showing for Alabama last week (who all year have shown similarities with South Carolina in that they both move the ball only to stop short at the goal line), April and I were finally able to cheer. Both Alabama and South Carolina had not beaten their in-state rivals the four previous years – Alabama went away with more of the same, but South Carolina managed to beat Clemson, 31-28. Give SC credit – they tried to lose. They tried hard. From throwing an interception at the end of a drive that could have sent them into halftime up 21-14, to intercepting Clemson and almost scoring a touchdown only to have the ball knocked out. Anyway, none of that matters now. South Carolina will definitively have a winning season – even if they lose in the bowl.
I plan to announce the game results at Wilpshire in the morning service tomorrow. It won’t mean a thing to them, but they will get a kick out of listening to me talk about it.
It would have been interesting for Alabama and South Carolina to have played this year - it could have been a field goal festival!
I plan to announce the game results at Wilpshire in the morning service tomorrow. It won’t mean a thing to them, but they will get a kick out of listening to me talk about it.
It would have been interesting for Alabama and South Carolina to have played this year - it could have been a field goal festival!
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Greetings from York and Happy Thanksgiving!
I am taking the day off since I would be doing so in the United States. The best way to have a day off is to get out of the Manse, even though April is still working and couldn't come. I chose to come to York because they have this neat Yuletide York website that said there are two Christmas Fayres going on, and I have been celebrating Christmas since late October anyway (you can see a post from last year that describes this obsession!). York is one of our favourite cities, anyway, and I can't get enough of the medieval atmosphere.
My day didn't start off too well as I got on the bus (I figured rather than drive I would catch the bus to the train station and train in - it's actually cheaper this way). I began to pay my charge and while the bus driver was telling me the cost, he pointed somewhere just below my nose so that I could pay. When I looked down his hand had more or less moved, so when I looked I saw a coin tray and proceeded to deposit my£1 coin in the slot that had a£1 coin marker. Well, that was the wrong thing to do! He said, "I said put it here [pointing to some depression right on the outside of this slot]. Now I have to take it to bits." I'm not kidding. I said, "Sorry, I didn't see." He responds, "Now I have to take it to bits!" in a quite agitated states. I apologised again and said that I simply didn't see. He got quiet. I said, "Is there anyway I can help you?" "No," he said, "I have to take it to bits." Well, I apologised again, and he had already started driving off. "I will be glad to go and explain and apologise to your supervisor for what I did." He ignores me. I stand there for a few more seconds and then walk to a seat thinking what a moron that guy is. When I arrived at Blackburn Bus Station, no one got off the bus - it continued on to Bolton, but I was scared to move so when no one else did for fear of getting told off again ("You got off now? Now I have to take the whole bus to bits!"). He got off the bus and returned a couple of minutes later, so when he opened the door, there I was again. I apologised again, to which he said nothing. So I responded, "Look, I am sorry that you can't make any money with your dream job of being Blackburn's biggest weenie and you had to take a job that you feel is beneath you, but you don't have to take it out on me." OK, no I didn't say that. I just wrote down his driver number that he had pinned to his shirt like a toddler in a Sunday School class. Here's to you, Bus Driver #96630. Actually, I find most transportation workers as being those who hate their job. Not all! Some have been very nice, but they seem to work under the impression that they shouldn't have to interact with people. Even in Germany when April and I visited there some two years. In Wittenburg, this bus driver seemed to feel it waridiculousus that someone would get on his bus that would only speak English! This is the birthplace of the Reformation, and he never encountered someone who didn't speak German and wanted to know how much to pay him???? Then there was the time that Jen Harner, April, and I went to London. On the way back to Preston, we stayed in Satan's coach - it was so HOT! We finally asked the conductor (?) if he could turn it down. He responded with an incredulity that anyone could imagine that the heat was too high and that person might need it cooler!
Anyway, my day picked up when I entered the train station to buy a Coke Zero. The friendly Asian man (that's Asian as Americans would probably say middle eastern. Which is strange, because I remember this Cosby Show episode where the little girl Olivia was berated by Denise and Dr. Hugstable for calling a person 'Chinese' instead of Asian-American. 'Asian-American' can hardly be descriptive for a different groups of people that span from the Pacific to thMediterraneanan - anyway, I am way off topic) This friendly Asian man behind the counter started asking me if I was from America, he asked where, and it was all around a much nicer conversation than the previous one with the Bus-driver suffering from some kind of job crisis. My train ride to York went along without incidence except that the tube of Wine Gums I bought had way too many black currant ones in it (they are gross).
Arriving at York, I wandered around the first Fayre, called St. Nicholas's. It was nice, but then again not much different than most fayres I see around England. The website said that there are supposed to be carolers strolling around, but I didn't see any. Maybe they will be out there this afternoon. Then I went to the other Christmas Fayre held at the medieval house called Barley Hall. Now this was more of what I was hoping for! All the stall owners were dressed in medieval period costumes and selling medieval (replica? is that how you describe it?) wares. I doubt that the place (though dusty) was as clean as it was in the 1000s-1500, but still it was a lot more interesting than what they had at the other one. I chatted with a guy from a group of medieval musicians about music of that time period and bought a Christmas CD of medieval music. Then I headed to York Minster for the 12:30 PM communion service. We commemorated the life of St. Clement, for it's his feast day, and the gospel reading was one from Luke which Jesus tells us not to take the seat at the top of the table, which made me feel a little bad about feeling morally superior to the idiot on the bus.
At lunch, the mom and daughter duo heard my accent and quizzed me about where I am from. They also wished me a Happy Thanksgiving (they met some other Americans somewhere). After lunch, I went back to the medieval fayre to buy the CD I wanted, and I was stopped by another medieval merchant curious about my accent. Then he and some other marketers asked me about living in Blackburn (with the high Asian population) and about President Bush, who has enough trouble of his own with the Democratic Congress. We all hoped for a quick end to the war in Iraq.
That pretty much brings you up to date with where I am. I am headed back out to see what else is going on in York and then hit the Evensong service back at the Minster before training it back home. For those of you still unable to believe that I actually posted two days in a row, I told you I would write more!
My day didn't start off too well as I got on the bus (I figured rather than drive I would catch the bus to the train station and train in - it's actually cheaper this way). I began to pay my charge and while the bus driver was telling me the cost, he pointed somewhere just below my nose so that I could pay. When I looked down his hand had more or less moved, so when I looked I saw a coin tray and proceeded to deposit my£1 coin in the slot that had a£1 coin marker. Well, that was the wrong thing to do! He said, "I said put it here [pointing to some depression right on the outside of this slot]. Now I have to take it to bits." I'm not kidding. I said, "Sorry, I didn't see." He responds, "Now I have to take it to bits!" in a quite agitated states. I apologised again and said that I simply didn't see. He got quiet. I said, "Is there anyway I can help you?" "No," he said, "I have to take it to bits." Well, I apologised again, and he had already started driving off. "I will be glad to go and explain and apologise to your supervisor for what I did." He ignores me. I stand there for a few more seconds and then walk to a seat thinking what a moron that guy is. When I arrived at Blackburn Bus Station, no one got off the bus - it continued on to Bolton, but I was scared to move so when no one else did for fear of getting told off again ("You got off now? Now I have to take the whole bus to bits!"). He got off the bus and returned a couple of minutes later, so when he opened the door, there I was again. I apologised again, to which he said nothing. So I responded, "Look, I am sorry that you can't make any money with your dream job of being Blackburn's biggest weenie and you had to take a job that you feel is beneath you, but you don't have to take it out on me." OK, no I didn't say that. I just wrote down his driver number that he had pinned to his shirt like a toddler in a Sunday School class. Here's to you, Bus Driver #96630. Actually, I find most transportation workers as being those who hate their job. Not all! Some have been very nice, but they seem to work under the impression that they shouldn't have to interact with people. Even in Germany when April and I visited there some two years. In Wittenburg, this bus driver seemed to feel it waridiculousus that someone would get on his bus that would only speak English! This is the birthplace of the Reformation, and he never encountered someone who didn't speak German and wanted to know how much to pay him???? Then there was the time that Jen Harner, April, and I went to London. On the way back to Preston, we stayed in Satan's coach - it was so HOT! We finally asked the conductor (?) if he could turn it down. He responded with an incredulity that anyone could imagine that the heat was too high and that person might need it cooler!
Anyway, my day picked up when I entered the train station to buy a Coke Zero. The friendly Asian man (that's Asian as Americans would probably say middle eastern. Which is strange, because I remember this Cosby Show episode where the little girl Olivia was berated by Denise and Dr. Hugstable for calling a person 'Chinese' instead of Asian-American. 'Asian-American' can hardly be descriptive for a different groups of people that span from the Pacific to thMediterraneanan - anyway, I am way off topic) This friendly Asian man behind the counter started asking me if I was from America, he asked where, and it was all around a much nicer conversation than the previous one with the Bus-driver suffering from some kind of job crisis. My train ride to York went along without incidence except that the tube of Wine Gums I bought had way too many black currant ones in it (they are gross).
Arriving at York, I wandered around the first Fayre, called St. Nicholas's. It was nice, but then again not much different than most fayres I see around England. The website said that there are supposed to be carolers strolling around, but I didn't see any. Maybe they will be out there this afternoon. Then I went to the other Christmas Fayre held at the medieval house called Barley Hall. Now this was more of what I was hoping for! All the stall owners were dressed in medieval period costumes and selling medieval (replica? is that how you describe it?) wares. I doubt that the place (though dusty) was as clean as it was in the 1000s-1500, but still it was a lot more interesting than what they had at the other one. I chatted with a guy from a group of medieval musicians about music of that time period and bought a Christmas CD of medieval music. Then I headed to York Minster for the 12:30 PM communion service. We commemorated the life of St. Clement, for it's his feast day, and the gospel reading was one from Luke which Jesus tells us not to take the seat at the top of the table, which made me feel a little bad about feeling morally superior to the idiot on the bus.
At lunch, the mom and daughter duo heard my accent and quizzed me about where I am from. They also wished me a Happy Thanksgiving (they met some other Americans somewhere). After lunch, I went back to the medieval fayre to buy the CD I wanted, and I was stopped by another medieval merchant curious about my accent. Then he and some other marketers asked me about living in Blackburn (with the high Asian population) and about President Bush, who has enough trouble of his own with the Democratic Congress. We all hoped for a quick end to the war in Iraq.
That pretty much brings you up to date with where I am. I am headed back out to see what else is going on in York and then hit the Evensong service back at the Minster before training it back home. For those of you still unable to believe that I actually posted two days in a row, I told you I would write more!
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Not Alone
April and I have been a part of a House Group since coming to the Blackburn Circuit. House Groups are more common at Wilpshire than at many other churches I have seen in Great Britain (which, honestly, isn’t a whole lot, but I get the general feeling that people who come to church are quite happy to do so, but please don’t ask them to share about their faith). The group we met with last night started just before I arrived, and they represent some folk who truly do want to share they faith with each other and grow spiritually. And they have a desire to see the church grow, as I found out last night. We had a fantastic discussion. They quizzed me on my vision for the church. They talked about how they saw the church now. They want to know how a church that has so insulated itself can ever reach out to anyone outside the church.
I have often sat at the front of the church and I, too, have wondered how the church can change. Many go simply because that’s what they have always done. It’s what is expected of them to do. Change is difficult for many of them, and they can’t see the need for it. Those in leadership roles see themselves as caretakers more than anything else. The objective is to keep things running as they always have. There is little planning for the future, and the evangelism program involves mostly hoping that others will come in – or hoping that they will get the right minister who will bring in people (within the framework that has already been set, of course!) Yet, I found that there are others out there who think differently, and they mostly ‘sit’ on their own. What I mean is they don’t seem to talk about their perceptions, their hopes. So, nothing changes because, well, the ‘stay the course’ folk are better organised (there may be a similarity to the political situation in the United States and the pummelling the Republicans, but I am not going down that road).
So over the past 18 hours or so, I have come to find a short-term vision. Gather the folk who want to see change together and let them hear each other. Part of it is that they don’t know that there are others who feel the same way! Those in this group who feel the church will never change can look at a couple of events that will force some sort of change. One of the things I said I am doing now is biding my time. By summer 2007, the choir mistress and her husband will have moved away when he retires. That opens up the question: what will become of the choir? I have an excuse that will move us to think about what direction we will take in worship (the choir mistress herself mentioned this in the last church council meeting – she said that may bring a worship group – and it was great because I didn’t have to say it!). It won’t be me to force the issue. There are a couple of other things that will happen that will allow me to ask questions that won’t be as threatening as if they appeared to be ‘coming out of the blue’. Of course, I need to have an alternative plan when the time comes. It has hit me today that I need to be working on this short term vision of gathering folk together to push for a real change.
I have often sat at the front of the church and I, too, have wondered how the church can change. Many go simply because that’s what they have always done. It’s what is expected of them to do. Change is difficult for many of them, and they can’t see the need for it. Those in leadership roles see themselves as caretakers more than anything else. The objective is to keep things running as they always have. There is little planning for the future, and the evangelism program involves mostly hoping that others will come in – or hoping that they will get the right minister who will bring in people (within the framework that has already been set, of course!) Yet, I found that there are others out there who think differently, and they mostly ‘sit’ on their own. What I mean is they don’t seem to talk about their perceptions, their hopes. So, nothing changes because, well, the ‘stay the course’ folk are better organised (there may be a similarity to the political situation in the United States and the pummelling the Republicans, but I am not going down that road).
So over the past 18 hours or so, I have come to find a short-term vision. Gather the folk who want to see change together and let them hear each other. Part of it is that they don’t know that there are others who feel the same way! Those in this group who feel the church will never change can look at a couple of events that will force some sort of change. One of the things I said I am doing now is biding my time. By summer 2007, the choir mistress and her husband will have moved away when he retires. That opens up the question: what will become of the choir? I have an excuse that will move us to think about what direction we will take in worship (the choir mistress herself mentioned this in the last church council meeting – she said that may bring a worship group – and it was great because I didn’t have to say it!). It won’t be me to force the issue. There are a couple of other things that will happen that will allow me to ask questions that won’t be as threatening as if they appeared to be ‘coming out of the blue’. Of course, I need to have an alternative plan when the time comes. It has hit me today that I need to be working on this short term vision of gathering folk together to push for a real change.
Friday, November 17, 2006
A Baby Story
Earlier this week April and her class from St. Michael with St. John over the Pennines Primary School took a trip to the Lancashire Museum in Preston. She said that it’s actually a great museum. In the two years we lived in (or at least near) Preston, we never ventured there. It just never crossed either of our minds to try it out. Anyway, her class is studying World War II and the tour guide took them wanted the class to hear what an air raid siren would have sounded like. Well, the siren was loud (of course – it wouldn’t have been much use otherwise), but it was louder than expected. When it sounded out, April felt her stomach convulse (or something like that). Evidently the baby didn’t like what was going on and curled into a ball or something. April said it felt like a contraction almost and could only imagine the baby trying to duck for cover (which would have made for good survival skills had she been in England during the Bombing of Britain). The baby and April are fine.
Speaking of babies and April’s future role as a mother, I found a blog article online (I don’t remember how – I was directed to it as I was looking for reflections on the lectionary passage for the week) that talked about a woman early in her pregnancy and her fight to not become one of them. By ‘them’, she means one of those people that everyone expects to ‘gush’. I thought about April and how many expect her to gush over every little thing that happens to her. April isn’t that much of a gusher to begin with. Now, if you catch her in the moment, then she does get excited, but it stops soon after. Some of it is exciting – like when the baby kicks, when she gets baby clothes (which has actually has got old now that she has so much, it’s not the same) or when she grows out of her trousers (actually, that wasn’t so exciting for her). Still, for April to glow about it, you have to catch her in the moment, because after it happens, April moves on. I think we were both caught off-guard by the loss people feel over the ‘drama’ that is a girl getting fatter.
In other news, today I attended the dedication of the new Cuerden Church School in Bamber Bridge. Other than an awkward conversation with one person, I had a great time (well, even that wasn’t bad – just weird). I walked into each of the classrooms and enjoyed the surprised looks on the children’s faces as they saw me walk in. One class all tried to talk to me at the same time. Another class was under a stern warning not to talk at all, so they just snuck a wave to me. A few thought I had gone back to the United States and were really surprised to see me! It wasn’t a long service, but still a lot of fun. I had seen the folk from the church a couple of weeks before, but many from the school I hadn’t seen. April was the topic there, too. They also asked if she is getting bigger. Of course the warnings came pouring in. Sylvia (a Bamber Bridge member) and Mark (my successor) took great pleasure in telling me how my time will no longer be my own for 20 years.
Oh! And I just noted that my last post was my 100th! So, here is number 101!
Speaking of babies and April’s future role as a mother, I found a blog article online (I don’t remember how – I was directed to it as I was looking for reflections on the lectionary passage for the week) that talked about a woman early in her pregnancy and her fight to not become one of them. By ‘them’, she means one of those people that everyone expects to ‘gush’. I thought about April and how many expect her to gush over every little thing that happens to her. April isn’t that much of a gusher to begin with. Now, if you catch her in the moment, then she does get excited, but it stops soon after. Some of it is exciting – like when the baby kicks, when she gets baby clothes (which has actually has got old now that she has so much, it’s not the same) or when she grows out of her trousers (actually, that wasn’t so exciting for her). Still, for April to glow about it, you have to catch her in the moment, because after it happens, April moves on. I think we were both caught off-guard by the loss people feel over the ‘drama’ that is a girl getting fatter.
In other news, today I attended the dedication of the new Cuerden Church School in Bamber Bridge. Other than an awkward conversation with one person, I had a great time (well, even that wasn’t bad – just weird). I walked into each of the classrooms and enjoyed the surprised looks on the children’s faces as they saw me walk in. One class all tried to talk to me at the same time. Another class was under a stern warning not to talk at all, so they just snuck a wave to me. A few thought I had gone back to the United States and were really surprised to see me! It wasn’t a long service, but still a lot of fun. I had seen the folk from the church a couple of weeks before, but many from the school I hadn’t seen. April was the topic there, too. They also asked if she is getting bigger. Of course the warnings came pouring in. Sylvia (a Bamber Bridge member) and Mark (my successor) took great pleasure in telling me how my time will no longer be my own for 20 years.
Oh! And I just noted that my last post was my 100th! So, here is number 101!
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Christmas Fayres and Baby Showers
OK, I think I am barely averaging once a week, and to those who still loyally read, I do apologise. I would like to say that I will promise to be better, but I don’t need the extra guilt.
Anyway, this has been a good week. April had her first Baby Shower on Friday. This will likely be her only one, as baby showers are an American tradition. My former American colleague from South Ribble (Ellen) organised it and taught the British women about the ‘American baby thing that Ellen is having [them] do’ (as Kathleen, also from South Ribble, described it to me). She had a great time. It was mostly folk from our old circuit. I got out of the house and headed to Leyland to hang out with Phil, whose wife Maria helped Ellen organise everything. He and I had a great time also. It gave us the chance to catch up. We talked about the ministry, and it was just an encouraging night for me.
Yesterday, I participated in the ‘coffee morning crawl’. It’s kind of like a pub crawl without the alcohol, which might make Bric-a-Brac stalls, tea, biscuits, and cake more interesting. Langho had an Autumn Fayre in the morning and then Lammack (another circuit church) had a Christmas Fayre in the afternoon. It was good to talk to the folk at Langho and get to know them better and to meet some new folk at Lammack. Still, there aren’t a lot of people my age running around Christmas Fayres.
Today I led worship at Langho. I wrote a good sermon, but I need to work on it. It read better than it preached. I might use it again in a couple of weeks if I can get the bugs out of it and steer it more toward the other church’s situation. This afternoon I officially kicked off Advent preparations. It’s a little later than I would have liked, but we had a great meeting and got some great ideas for three mid-week Advent services we will hold in December on Thursday evenings. I planned around them ‘The Lost Messages of Christmas’. Week One will be ‘Produce Fruit in Keeping with Repentance’, hosted by St. John the Baptist. Week Two follows with ‘Do Not Be Afraid’. We end with Week Three, ‘With God All Things Are Possible’. The services will focus on providing a quiet space with a short, led meditation and the rest of the time will include prayer stations or whatever they feel led to do.
This week looks more of the same. If anything exciting happens, I will write.
Anyway, this has been a good week. April had her first Baby Shower on Friday. This will likely be her only one, as baby showers are an American tradition. My former American colleague from South Ribble (Ellen) organised it and taught the British women about the ‘American baby thing that Ellen is having [them] do’ (as Kathleen, also from South Ribble, described it to me). She had a great time. It was mostly folk from our old circuit. I got out of the house and headed to Leyland to hang out with Phil, whose wife Maria helped Ellen organise everything. He and I had a great time also. It gave us the chance to catch up. We talked about the ministry, and it was just an encouraging night for me.
Yesterday, I participated in the ‘coffee morning crawl’. It’s kind of like a pub crawl without the alcohol, which might make Bric-a-Brac stalls, tea, biscuits, and cake more interesting. Langho had an Autumn Fayre in the morning and then Lammack (another circuit church) had a Christmas Fayre in the afternoon. It was good to talk to the folk at Langho and get to know them better and to meet some new folk at Lammack. Still, there aren’t a lot of people my age running around Christmas Fayres.
Today I led worship at Langho. I wrote a good sermon, but I need to work on it. It read better than it preached. I might use it again in a couple of weeks if I can get the bugs out of it and steer it more toward the other church’s situation. This afternoon I officially kicked off Advent preparations. It’s a little later than I would have liked, but we had a great meeting and got some great ideas for three mid-week Advent services we will hold in December on Thursday evenings. I planned around them ‘The Lost Messages of Christmas’. Week One will be ‘Produce Fruit in Keeping with Repentance’, hosted by St. John the Baptist. Week Two follows with ‘Do Not Be Afraid’. We end with Week Three, ‘With God All Things Are Possible’. The services will focus on providing a quiet space with a short, led meditation and the rest of the time will include prayer stations or whatever they feel led to do.
This week looks more of the same. If anything exciting happens, I will write.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Hyning, Official Opening, and All Saints
My week began with the end of my holiday, but as I mentioned, I didn’t move straight back to work in the circuit. I headed to the southern part of the Lake District, just north of Carnforth. Twice a year, the Under 5s (that’s those in their first 5 years of ministry, not first 5 years of life) take up residence in the Our Lady of Hyning Monastery for 24 hours. The hospitality of the Bernadine nuns who live there is always top notch. They do a great job, and many even remember me from previous visits. One of the nuns, the one in charge of the kitchen, tries to force more food down on me. She seems to have pegged me as the one who will always have seconds (I think it has to do with my being an American, and the impression folk have here is that Americans eat a lot). The time way was very restful. Ken, our probation secretary, led some sessions on the Psalms. We divided into groups and wrote our own. It’s harder than you think. We also did the talking through how things are going. It’s good to be open and honest about how things are going at the church.Ordination Update: I spoke with Stephen to find out where I am in the ordination works for this summer. I didn’t receive a packet from the connexion a month or so ago, and Derek (from my old circuit) rang me up in something of a panic because I wasn’t on the list. Stephen (chair of district) says that he confirmed that the connexional office made a mistake, but as of yet I still don’t know where I will be ordained. Stephen is pushing for Southport, where Derek will be ordained.
Getting back to work in the circuit has moved forward better than it has after most holidays, I think, in part, because of the two extra days at Hyning. I am still trying to get to know my three churches, difficult with three communities. I simply don’t see them as often as I did when I had two churches. Friday night, one of my stewards from Wilpshire hosted the Sunday School for a Bonfire Night Celebration. He burned a lot of old garden rubbish, along with a bunch of other stuff. Actually, tonight is the official Bonfire Night (a celebration of the foiled plot to blow up Parliament in the early 1600s) – as I write this, I hear fireworks going off.
Yesterday, April and I celebrated our sixth anniversary – by going to Bamber Bridge! Yes, our former church officially opened their new building. We sat with our old staff team and dedicated the building for the work of God. It really was great to be back with so many friends. I didn’t feel connected to the new building – it was beautiful, though, but I have no memories of it. The Bamber Bridge folk feel right at home, which is fantastic. I never worried about them, but before going in, I think they were a little cautious. Through all this, I felt ok that it wasn’t me up there leading the service. I mean, there is a part of me that wishes I could have been the one to lead them in, but even though I don’t know my three churches very well, I feel like I am where I belong. Stephen (again, chair of district) recognised April and I, telling me at the dinner following the service that he felt that we needed to be thanked for what we did during those 18 months of ‘homelessness’. I appreciated that, and Stephen usually senses those things very well – it’s one of his strengths as the chair of district.
Today, we celebrated All Saints Day at Wilpshire. Many Methodists don’t do that over here (a perceived idea of it being ‘too Catholic’), and I find that most appreciate it when introduced to it.
Finally, I am watching the news coming out of the US – election coverage for Tuesday, but more so the fall of Evangelical leader Ted Haggard. My prayers are with him, and his family.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
The Yorkshire Dales and a Service of Light
Update: if you read the blog before the morning of 30 October, I left out the links that I mention. I have updated them so that if you click on the words highlighted or underlined, you will go to the website it mentions. For instance, to see our bed & breakfast, you can click ont the words 'Our B&B' below.
Today is the last day of our holiday – well, actually April has one more day off and then a teach work day. For my part, I leave tomorrow for Hyning Monastery for an Under 5s retreat (this is for those in their first five years of ministry). It’s an overnight retreat, and I will be back on Tuesday. Not exactly time off, but not straight back to the ‘grind’.
We spent the first few days of our week in the Yorkshire Dales, stopping over in the village of Aysgarth. Our B&B was not far from the famous Aysgarth Falls, probably the most famous waterfalls in the dales. Many movies have been filmed there, including the fight seen between Robin Hood and Little John in the Kevin Costner version. It’s just a beautiful area, and not at all far from us. For me, the Yorkshire Dales are much better than the Lake District, but then again, I guess it is all up to personal preference. Not far from Aysgarth, we visited Masham (pronounced ‘Massam’), where there are two local breweries (Theakston and Black Sheep) that specialise in what is called ‘real ale’ (see the link for more). There’s actually a family connection, as both breweries descend from a 19th c. brewer (again, see the links if you are interested). At Theakston, we met the chairman of the board on our way out. He must have heard our American accents, but we think he may have been less interested when he found out we live in Lancashire. Still, it was cool to meet him. Over at Black Sheep, they have a fantastic bistro/bar that reminded us of the bars/bistros that we ate at in Durham and Columbia. And the food was fantastic. Of course, it wasn’t all beer tours. We called in on a former residence (or prison, rather) of Mary, Queen of Scots, Bolton Castle. If you want to see our tours, click here for our photos.
The rest of the week was pretty washed out. The weather turned bad. I mean, really bad. We came home Wednesday afternoon and it really didn’t stop since then (the rain, that is). We hid out in the house for most of the week, taking day trips around the area. Friday we went to the Americanised mall, the Trafford Centre. I wanted to see what it was like, and even more so the Christmas decorations – yes, they have already been put up. It was beautiful, and it felt a little bit like home (not just the decorations, but the mall itself).
Finally, today we moved closer toward All Saints Day. We attended a ‘Service of Light’ for children who had died – both before and after birth. We entered Aidan’s name on the registry and her name was read out with the other children. It was a moving service, and a way for us not to forget her even while we expect her sister to come in February.
Today is the last day of our holiday – well, actually April has one more day off and then a teach work day. For my part, I leave tomorrow for Hyning Monastery for an Under 5s retreat (this is for those in their first five years of ministry). It’s an overnight retreat, and I will be back on Tuesday. Not exactly time off, but not straight back to the ‘grind’.
We spent the first few days of our week in the Yorkshire Dales, stopping over in the village of Aysgarth. Our B&B was not far from the famous Aysgarth Falls, probably the most famous waterfalls in the dales. Many movies have been filmed there, including the fight seen between Robin Hood and Little John in the Kevin Costner version. It’s just a beautiful area, and not at all far from us. For me, the Yorkshire Dales are much better than the Lake District, but then again, I guess it is all up to personal preference. Not far from Aysgarth, we visited Masham (pronounced ‘Massam’), where there are two local breweries (Theakston and Black Sheep) that specialise in what is called ‘real ale’ (see the link for more). There’s actually a family connection, as both breweries descend from a 19th c. brewer (again, see the links if you are interested). At Theakston, we met the chairman of the board on our way out. He must have heard our American accents, but we think he may have been less interested when he found out we live in Lancashire. Still, it was cool to meet him. Over at Black Sheep, they have a fantastic bistro/bar that reminded us of the bars/bistros that we ate at in Durham and Columbia. And the food was fantastic. Of course, it wasn’t all beer tours. We called in on a former residence (or prison, rather) of Mary, Queen of Scots, Bolton Castle. If you want to see our tours, click here for our photos.
The rest of the week was pretty washed out. The weather turned bad. I mean, really bad. We came home Wednesday afternoon and it really didn’t stop since then (the rain, that is). We hid out in the house for most of the week, taking day trips around the area. Friday we went to the Americanised mall, the Trafford Centre. I wanted to see what it was like, and even more so the Christmas decorations – yes, they have already been put up. It was beautiful, and it felt a little bit like home (not just the decorations, but the mall itself).
Finally, today we moved closer toward All Saints Day. We attended a ‘Service of Light’ for children who had died – both before and after birth. We entered Aidan’s name on the registry and her name was read out with the other children. It was a moving service, and a way for us not to forget her even while we expect her sister to come in February.
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