Cuddesdon in the Snow

A beautiful location, even more beautiful in the snow.

THE DIGITAL STORY OF THE NATIVITY

This is a great video. Worth two minutes of your time.

Happy Christmas

End of term - new things....

Again, I have left it rather long between posts on this blog. The consequence is that for the last few weeks I have been trying to think of something significant enough to write about to break my silence. But I have been lacking ideas and time.

Today we had the last of the first terms lectures. Being at Ripon College Cuddesdon, of course, it is not actually the end of term - we have a Theme Study Week next week. I am studying Liturgy.

Anyway, I have reflected on some of the things I have learnt this term which I had not expected.

• Poetry - A couple of lectures have used poetry to illustrate their points. As I read new books, I am findings that some poetry really resonates with me. Not just in a 'Oh, that is nice' but in a 'Of, now I get it' way.
• Art. We went to the pre-Raphelite exhibition at The Ashmolean which showed me a previously under nourished area of my soul. There was some really good (excellent) art work that was inspiring and moving - that told a story deeper than the first glance of the picture. It reminded me of the importance of taking time out - taking a pause. There is an irony here - being at Theological College is one of the busiest things I have done, and it is too easy to forget to take time, a pause to reflect. I wrote and talked about this before - see here.
• Drama. We did an unusual session where we had to make a tableau of a feeling or incident. I was pretty sceptical about this - what would it tell us about a situation, but it turned out to be really useful and enlightening. Feelings were exposed that were not previously identified, and people were able to identify other feelings and issues just from a still tableau.
• Being in Oxford. I had not expected to be so in awe about going to Oxford University for the lectures on Tuesday morning. However, waling in to the Examination Rooms in a morning still feels a privilege. At the start of term, walking into Oxford in the sun was special, and it remains special in the ice and snow.
• New worship experiences. Over the last few years, I have been hit time and time again by the Spirit moving when I have least expected it. Coming to Ripon College Cuddesdon was designed to give me a whole range of new experiences that I would not have other wise experienced. And that has happened. I have led a number of worship events, including the Book of Common Prayer Evensong (and am learning to sing!). Whilst I was incredibly nervous beforehand, I was very pleased afterwards to have completed it. The same for Compline, our Group reflective worship. I have been to more BCP services than I would have ever expected, and I am just about getting used to them!

Next week I will spend the whole week on Liturgy, and then I will be catching up with essays before Christmas. The New Year will bring a new term and a new timetable. Bring it on.

Of course, there are many things that have also confirmed previous expectations, about my preferred types of worship

It was a year ago...

It is hard to believe, but I first visited Ripon College Cuddesdon a year ago. Little did I really know that one year later I would be at college having experienced a Bishop's Advisory Panel. It all started .. well, no it started a long time before, but I took it seriously after a dream and a promise from God to take my somewhere beautiful yet frightening. I feel I have been through all those experiences already, and I am certainly somewhere beautiful now.

My diary entry for the two days is somewhat revealing about the pattern of college here at Cuddesdon.

12.00: Meet at reception
1.00: Lunch
4.00: Tea
5.15: College Eucharist
6.00: Dinner

7.30: Morning Prayer
8.30: Breakfast

Of course, we ended up doing far more than that, having interviews with both Martyn Percy and Michael Lakey, meeting students and being shown round the college.

More revealing is my journal entry (written a week later, when we were on holiday in Tuscany). It reads

A week ago we went, as a whole family, to Ripon College in Cuddesdon. It was to have a look around the college. I felt at home. I could have stayed there - I would go back now, it felt right. The people, the building, the place. Even (!) the worship felt good..... Visiting made it feel real, but also made the barriers feel real. We have a number of hoops to jump through - God willing.

 (Interesting notes from the same journal entry, I have recalled our meal we had that night - steak from a Tuscan butchers, fresh figs, grapes and plums, and Italian Ice Cream. The next day we went to Assisi - a fantastic day.)

The start of something new...

Well, it has arrived at last. The new college term has started. This evening we had a great Welcome and college Eucharist (and renewal of Baptism vows). During the service there was a phenomenal rain storm, and a most spectacular double rainbow over All Saints Church welcomed us as we all left.

Tea afterwards was equally spectacular and it was great to start meeting new friends, and chat over coffee (and later a glass of wine).

There is a week of induction - where we get to know what is expected and get used to the format of each day. We start at 7.30 with Morning Prayer (Hilary and I will alternate on this), breakfast at 8.30 and then a morning of lectures and seminars. Afternoons are generally free for studying, with tea at 4.00, followed by Evening Prayer and Dinner (although I am not sure how many dinners we will get to). In addition, there are a variety of tasks and duties we complete as part of a team, including leading worship, security, bar duties, hospitality, etc. Plus, there are practical bits I would like to learn - things that I will probably never get the opportunity to do - I might even learn to sing!

Greenbelt 2010 (#gb10)

Last year we all went to Greenbelt, and it must have been some what of a success, because we returned again this year.

So much has happened, that is seems like a lot longer than a year has passed. Last year, whilst we went on our own, this year we went with a group of existing students from college.

Of course, we had a great time - even better because of camping with friends. And of course, the queues were the same as ever - but having been before meant that we were better prepared. So, when my wife wanted to go and see the interview with those behind Rev. (James Woods and Tom Hollander), we arranged to meet for tea in the queue. And we had a great curry picnic, before all going off to do our own things again - it made the queue part of the excitement rather than an ordeal.

Our experience was considerably different from last year.  But here are my Top Five from Greenbelt 2010.

1 - The entertainment

- it was in the Top 5 last year, but I enjoyed it even more this year. Jars of Clay, The London Gospel Community Choir, SHLOMO, and a whole range of bands / singers from The Performance Cafe.

2. The Tiny Tea Tent - we managed to miss this last year and the kids voted The Tank as their favourite coffee bar. But this year, whilst we still loved The Tank, we decided that The Tiny Tea Tent was our favourite. The aroma of different teas and the wood burner made it a wonderful place to sit and unwind.

3. Last Orders - okay, I only made it once, but I thought it was incredibly well put together, entertaining, and it meant I got to see Milton Jones withour having to queue up for ages.  Bunny belt was a great take on the festival as well (see the videos on Vimeo), together with Dave Walker's* insight on the activities of Greenbelters.
4. Beer and Hymns - better than last year. Okay, so with only one slot (come on Greenbelt) there were more people sat outside The Jesus Arms than inside (doing the 'and hymns' bit). Never the less, the atmosphere was fantastic and the belting out of favourite hymns is soul stiring and a great reminder that choirs are not needed. There was a warning at the end - that Beer and Hymns is there to promote hymns to people who like beer, bot to promote beer to people who like to sing hymns!

5. The overall atmosphere. Despite mixed weather, and the frustration of having to carry all our camping gear onto the site (from the car park which was almost a mile away), and some of the coldest August nights I care to remember, it was just fantastic, and summed up by the fantatsic rainbow over the site (there are better versions available, but this was my attempt at photographing it).

* note: I spotted Dave Walker on the site (although I don't think he saw me. He took what looked like a random photo, so I took the same photo. I am holding onto it incase it turns into some great inspiration for a cartoon at some point).

Rainbow over the Greenbelt Festival

Relay for Life

I am just about recovering from the Relay for Life 2010 in Kibworth. By the close of 24 hours, ove £65,000 had been rasied which is staggering achievement for our village. Well done to all those involved, especially the committee for organising it.

I was involved in the music/sound again. Here are a few pictures I took throughout the day.



It started with a warm up. About 500 people warming up before embarking on a 24 walking relay, comprised of 27 teams.

By 6 o'clock, I was shattered, and managed to get a short break and tea with the kids.





In the evening, there was a very moving Candle of Hope ceremony during which everybody walked round the course lit just by candles in memory of somebody who has suffered from cancer.

Following this, there were a number of bands. Combine Skavester did some excellent cover versions, including a ska version of Poker Face.



On Sunday, Christ Church (Smeeton), St Wilfrid's (Kibworth) and the Kibworth Methodist Church all closed their doors and joined together for an open air service at the Relay for Life.

Proof that God exists?

Some people may take this as proof that God exists. Certainly the Church Mouse does.

 In June, the Lord Mayor of Leicester confirmed that he was cancelling prayers before council meetings. 

And then, about a month later, his trouser's fell down at a children's event.

It is worth reading the comments. I particualrly like

Forty years from now, the kids who were present will be telling their grand-children about "The day the Mayor's trousers fell down".

EDIT:
This has gone global.

National Papers - here is The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/30/lord-mayor-leicester-trousers

In India
http://news.oneindia.in/2010/07/01/dietingbritish-lord-mayors-pants-fall-down-inpublic.html

USA
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpps/news/offbeat/uk-mayor-apologizes-after-pants-fall-down-dpgonc-20100701-fc_8432221

Associated Press
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5h0VuqbcEa8FHOSRs2FM6mWpqD-zA

The Next Steps...

Later this year, we (that is me, my wife, children and assorted pets that we have not mis-laid on the way) are moving.

We are all going to Cuddesdon, in Oxfordshire, where both my wife and I will be studying for Ministry Training, as part of approaching Ordination in the Church of England.

This is a big move for the family and there are many questions which remain unanswered. Over the next few weeks we have to:

• decide what to do with the house - this has been the family home where both the children have spent most of their lives;
• sort out new schools;
• sort out the clutter that grows up around a family; and
• complete what seems like endless amounts of forms.

But I have now handed in my notice at work, and it has been announced at church what we will be doing. And this is not a recent development. Due to many years of dithering of mybehalf, and the long discernment process the church embarks upon, we have known that this may happen. And it was back in February that I attended the Bishops Advisory Panel (Hilary attended her panel a month later).

Happy St. George's Day

Today we celebrate St. George - he of the slaying dragon fame.

Now there are lots of debates about St. George, and the myth of the dragon, which almost certainly came back to England after the Crusades.

But at this moment, we ought to remember that St. George was a Palestinian Christian. At the time, there was a great amount of persecution (something which remains to this day), and when George was a Christian soldier, an edict was issued that all Christian Soldiers should be rounded up, and half of them 'sacrificed to pagan Gods'.  It was at this time that George stepped forward and proudly proclaimed his faith - a proclamation that results in his death. Before his death, he gave all his wealth to the poor and needy.

George never visited England, but he is a real example of the diversity that makes our country.

We share him, as a patron saint, with a number of other countries including Palestine, Russia, Greece and Ethiopia (which provides a good link to the youth groups sleep Ethiopian sleep over tonight).

Number One for Easter

What is Number One for Easter?

There is a campaign to get a Christian song at Number One in the charts for Easter. And I can't fault the idea - it is the most important time of the year, and it would be great to get some more Christian songs on 'main-stream' radio (Although I did hear Mary Mary - Praise You playing on Burton's Radio the other day).

Invade The Airwaves is a online campaign to have a Christian number one at Easter.


The campaign is run by Alistair Kent and consists of growth strategies in three main areas: Facebook, Churches and Wider Media.

The song is called ‘History Makers’ by Delirious? and Delirious? are donating all their profits from the UK downloads to charity projects supported by Martin Smith’s CompassionArt – Creating Freedom from Poverty.

You can get more information on the campaign from Invade the Airwaves
 
They have details of a range of sites where you can download the single here
 
Play.com seem to have the single at the lowest cost (65p).

A good story

This is a good story, it is worth looking at the video.





It comes from Christian Vision for Men.

Other links that are worth looking at

http://www.rejesus.co.uk/

Christian Enquiry Agency

Talk - the importance of pausing

I have recently given this short talk a couple of time. People have seemed to like it, so I thought I would pop it on here in case anybody wanted to read it, or use parts of it.

The importance of pausing.

Life seems to be going faster and faster. Adverts tell us that we need it bigger, faster, quicker, sooner. Internet connections are always on, we are always contactable, mobiles, e-mail, text, Twitter, broadband and mobile broadband. Coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi. I was on a bus the other day that had free Wi-Fi. We are not important unless our calendars are full – if I can make time today to see you today I can not be important.

But what is missing?
As we get more, the whole of society seems to be searching. Something is missing. Depression is still prevalent. We have more than people have ever had in the history of the world, yet we are less content than ever.

Who gets pushed out when we allow this to happen? Because we sacrifice something when we wish for another hour in the day, or another day in the week, or we seek the magic wand, or the time machine – just in order to get things done. Or we say 'Yes' to something but really don't have the time to do it.

Well, I have found that I need regular pauses. Just pausing. P A U S E

Its like a moment out, touching base. Somebody said that the lack of peace is a sure sign of the presence of sin. Yet pausing gives me the chance to see God's hand at
work, whether it is in the clouds in the sky, the beauty of a blade of grass or the love of Jesus shining from somebody else. It gives me some peace. I hear the inner – quiet – voice. I let Christ take the initiative. 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you' (John 14:27) He said.


Now I am not saying, for one minute, that a moments of peace – three minute retreats – is a replacement for Bible Study, regular prayer or holy communion. More, a top up throughout the day. It gets me from prayer to Bible study.

And it is not the same as a quiet day or a retreat. But a moments peace, I see, is a bit like drinking enough water throughout the day. We are told we should drink two litres of water a day and when we drink enough, we cope better. Yet drinking it all at
the start of the day would not be as good as has having a drink throughout the day. So it is with pausing. I can and do pray at any time – going to a meeting, coming out a meeting – in the middle of a meeting. Yet the pause is special – I don't seem to have changed, yet I am made new.

Mark suggests Jesus did the same. 'Everybody is looking for you.' led Jesus to say 'Lets go somewhere else' (Mark 1:35-39).

The importance of my pauses are that they don't have a purpose related to what I am doing. It is not a time to reflect on what I should do next, or to contemplate the outcome of a meeting, or preparation for worship. It is not about completing jobs, or ticking boxes on to do lists.

But it is an intentional break, a slow down. It does have a purpose – to re connect me with God. I maybe sat in an office, the front room at home or out on the patio staring up at the night sky. I might be looking at the chickens, stroking the cat or watching my kids play. I am trying to ensure that I see God, and the beauty of His creation, in everything I do and everywhere I go.

If you like quizes, try this one about Pausing. And you might like this book (ask me if you want to borrow my copy).

Google Street View - now in Kibworth

View Larger Map

Google's Street View now covers most of southern Leicestershire, including the main streets in Kibworth. You can move around the village and explore the main roads. Most people's faces seem to have been blurred out - although I think you can still recognise a few people.

Thanks to Simon Harvey for the 'heads up'.

Frank Skinner says 'Persecute me I'm after the Brownie points' | Times Online

This is a fascinating read - brilliant, funny, witty and incisive

Persecute me I'm after the Brownie points | Frank Skinner - Times Online

RIP - Percy the Peacock

For as long as I have lived in Kibworth, a Peacock - called Percy - has wandered up and down the High Street. Unfortunately, I heard he died the other day. A sad loss to the village.

What has happened to the weather?

What ever has happened to the weather this year? We have a tremendously cold winter, yet we are told that spring has started earlier than ever. And now, in Lent, it is snowing hard again.

Mind you, looks lovely from the warmth of home.

Lent - what to give up this year?

Last year, for Lent, I followed the Love Life Live Lent campaign from the Church of England. Each day they gave a suggestion for something to do. I must admit, that I do not remember what most of them were - although one stuck - giving blood - which I have now done three times in the last year. You can read about my first first exploits of giving blood here.

But I am trying to work out what to give up, or do, for Lent this year. I have thought about giving up technology - but not only do I think I would find that very (too) hard, work may have something to say about it. Infact, it would partly become 'giving up work' for Lent, which is not really a sarfice, unless the salary went as well.

Previously I have also followed The Carbon Fast - Tearfund will email you, and post a recommendation, each day on twitter, with an action that you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. It is a great thing to do, but again I feel that it would be cheating to simply do what I have done before (although I think I will follow it, to check that I am still doing what I promised to do).

And of course, the 24/7 Prayer is back in Kibworth. Last year, it ran from the building that has become The Well. If you went, you will remember a building that certaintly felt less than fully ready. Walls were not plastered, electric sockets were at jaunty angles and there were signs up of where you could and could not go. There were some great pictures and messages left on the walls (see here for some of them). This year, of course, The Well, is up and running. The cahristy shop is open weekdays and weekends, courses and drop in sessions run for all ages and the tea room serves hot and cold drinks. I suspect, therefore, that the 24/7 Prayer will be very different, and the organisers have arranged some activities - see The Well for details.

In Leicester, +Tim is doing a series of 40 minute lectures in the Cathedral, followed by questions and coffee. Each one starts at 7.00pm

24 February: How will Christianity change in the New Millennium?
3 March: How do we teach values to our children?
10 March: Should politicians do God?
17 March: What price should we pay for our planet?
24 March: Is Jesus unique?

Unfortunately, being on Wednesday's, they clash with my course, so I can not attend these.

There are some interesting resources. I might keep an eye on Churches Together in England and Ireland - see http://www.ctbi.org.uk/424. Maybe I will add this Lent course to my plan?


So, on Shrove Tuesday, I am still thinking about what to do/not do for Lent.

Freecycle

Having done loads (but still loads to do) in the kitchen, I have put some items of Freecycle. Available at the moment:

One Double glazed window unit, measuring 1760 x 1020, with three openers.

Our New Kitchen

We are doing our kitchen up.

As of Wednesday 3 Febraury, 2010, most of the preparatory work has been done.

The old kitchen has been ripped out, the ceiling replaced and replastered, and the drains moved.

Over the next few days, things will start to change.

The next steps are:

• doors in
• decorated
• floor down
• new kitchen units fitted.

Friday 5 February
Been a long hard day. The brick work was cut out for the door - and all the rubble and plasterboard was loaded in to the skip and taken away. (The plasterboard is recycled in to cement - apparently). But then we had a real trouble getting the door fitted and, although we go it in, at 8.00pm we called it a day (or a night really) without it being finished.

See some of the photo's below:

How the kitchen used to look:

Clearing ready for demolition

 Units cleared

Ceiling ripped down

Making good the walls

New drain being layed

New stop tap - this needed moving so we could put the doors in

Pipes ready to fit new radiator to - the kitchen will be warm at last!

New water supply pipes

The drain - all installed now

Starting to remove the block work ready for the door

Hilary starts demolishing the back wall!

Our first ever skip

French doors - in at last.

I know it is not that exciting - but the electrics are almost finished

Plastering around the French Doors

Lighting installed in kitchen

















At the end of the fourth week (of a two week project!) Units are now in. Just finishing off now.

Power from Palm Oil

I seem to be annoyed at certain things. My recent notes about apples from China, is an example. Because it seem ridiculous that we - with a climate that is great for growing apples - should expend so much money and energy on importing them. I felt - and still feel - that this is particularly true when it is for something like apple juice. This seems to be an ideal way of (a) smoothing out demand - we do not have to eat a massive supply of apples during late autumn, but could use our harvest and keep it throughout the year, and (b) apple juice is an ideal way of using those mis-shaped and damaged fruit that we seem so reluctant to buy in the supermarket.

Anyway, I was similarly annoyed when I read that planning permission has just been granted to build the UK's first Palm Oil fired power plant.