Seeker

Sun, sea and poverty

2012-03-02T09:54:00.001Z

I've just driven back through cold thick mist from an early morning medical appointment for my husband. It made me long to see the sun and have a bit of warmth again.

Some people in the UK seek sun and warmth on their holidays - the Caribbean being a popular destination for those who can afford to travel that far to escape the British winter. Consequently many people associate countries like Jamaica with sun, sea and beach rather than a place where, as well as wealth, there are areas of deep need, such as in the slum areas of Kingston.

Christian Aid partner S-corner has been engaged in community work in Bennetland, Kingston, Jamaica for the last 18 years. This is an inner-city area known for poverty and gun crime. S-Corner is named after the shape of the cross-roads where its clinic and community centre are located. One example of its work is providing elderly residents like Frederick with a hot meal.

The Count Your Blessings Lent calendar informs me today that £1.45 will pay for one person to benefit from a community health outreach session that S-Corner runs. Christian Aid suggests you give 20p for every time you have accessed free healthcare this year. Well, for myself I think that has been 3 times, so 60p. Now perhaps I should get my husband to count his - it will be a lot.

Parking Fines and Doctors

2012-03-01T09:44:00.001Z

I was annoyed yesterday. On returning to our car in a hospital car park after visiting a sick friend we saw the unwelcome yellow package stuck to the windscreen. It contained notice of an automatic fine, for parking in the wrong place. I should not have been annoyed. I chose to park there, in the hopes of "getting away with it." I didn't and shouldn't have.

What I should have been doing was to be grateful for medical services, free at the point of need, that were successfully providing the expert medical intervention our friend needed. There is a lot wrong with the UK's National Health Service. I don't believe the changes proposed in the government's Health and Social Care Bill 2011 will make things better. But - the availability of medical care here is still a blessing that some people in the world can only dream about.

The focus today in Christian Aid's 'Count Your Blessings' Lent calendar is Burundi. After years of conflict this African country is one of the poorest in the world. Life expectancy is 48.9 years.

In Burundi there is less than 1 doctor for every 20,00 people.
In Britain there are 42 doctors for every 20,000 people.

Christian Aid suggests you give 10p for every doctor at your local surgery.
There are 6 doctors at mine, so that's 60p.

Image: My Stethoscope, Creative Commons Licence

Recovering Livelihoods after Flood

2012-02-29T07:30:00.000Z

I am a complete wimp when it comes to floods, especially when driving. I will turn round and take another route when faced with even very shallow water across a road. It is so hard to judge how deep the water may become.

Thankfully I have never lived in a house that has been flooded, apart from minor internal plumbing incidents. Where we live now is unlikely to be flooded. Not too far away is a river that regular spreads itself over the water meadows and sometimes over the rural roads, but not this year so far. We have had so little rain.

I have never lost a friend, family member or property to floods. I can only imagine how devastating that must be, especially when floods affect a whole community.

Christian Aid's 'Count Your Blessings' calendar tells me today about Lal Chand Kumar. Like so many others he lost everything in severe flooding in Pakistan in 2010. This was the worst flooding in Pakistan's history with 20 million people affected. Christian Aid was one of many organizations who helped to meet immediate needs and continue to help survivors recover livelihoods and build new homes. If you want to know more, take a look at Making a Living after the Floods.

Christian Aid's partner CWS-P/A (Church World Services - Pakistan/Afghanistan) is supporting Lal Chand Kumar to train as an electrician so he can support himself and his family.

Christian Aid suggests you give 10p for every light in your home. I think we have about 30, so that's £3.

Image: Aerial vies of flooding in Pakistan by Flickr user DVID Creative Commons Licence

Safe water is a blessing

2012-02-28T07:30:00.000Z

Have you always lived in a property with running water, that is safe to drink? I have. As I reflected in an earlier post, Water, I mostly take it for granted. Today I am counting it among my many blessings.

It is only on camping holidays that I have experienced anything different. Then it was fun to collect water, because doing so was a novelty. One memorable holiday in Scotland in my childhood involved climbing down a steep path to a freshwater spring and then scrambling back up the hill to the field where we were camping. Apart from the midges, it was fun.

One week of that in fine weather was OK. We were camping in a crofter's field. The crofter was an elderly widow who lived alone, managing the croft without help, except at hay-making. She collected her water like that every day of the year, summer and winter. The water was said to be safe to drink but my mother insisted on boiling it before we consumed any.

According to Christian Aid's 'Count Your Blessings' Lent calendar 884 million people in the developing world use unsafe drinking water sources. The United Nations passed a resolution on 28 July 2010 declaring that access to clean drinking water and sanitation was a fundamental human right, but there's a long way to go before this need is universally met.

Christian Aid is involved in many water projects around the world. Just one example is the Ethiopa Water Action Project. Today the 'Count Your Blessings' calendar suggest giving 50p if you have always lived in a property with running water.

Image: Photo Rack - Free Stocked Photo

Change and changing environment

2012-02-27T07:30:00.003Z

How much time do you spend on the internet, for work or leisure? Some, obviously, or you wouldn't be reading this.

82% of the British population are now internet users, compared with only 0.2% of the population in Mali. But then, of its 12 million population only 22.9% are literate. Mali is a large land-locked West African country and one of the poorest in the world.

Today Christian Aid's 'Count Your Blessings' calendar starts a week about transformation, a "week for change". Christian Aid's work in Mali is about change and adapting to a changing environment, described on their website like this:

As Mali’s climate becomes increasingly dry, we’re supporting small-scale farmers adapt to the changing environment. These new methods not only build communities’ resilience to climate change, but protect the fragile environment. We’re also leading the way in developing green energy, creating new ways for people living far from the capital, Bamako, and the national grid, to earn a living.

Christian Aid suggests giving 50p for every hour of leisure time you will spend on the internet today. My total today is likely to be 2 hours, so that's £1, but maybe I should look at my weekly average?

Image of Mali flag from Wikipedia

First Sunday of Lent - Prayer with Music and Pictures

2012-02-26T07:00:00.020Z

This beautiful video is by ichurchvids. I-Church is a Christian community of the Church of England based in the Diocese of Oxford, UK, but you can worship with i-church from wherever you are now.

Walking for Freedom

2012-02-25T07:30:00.000Z

Day 4 of Christian Aid's 'Count Your Blessings' calendar focuses on the situation of the poorest people in India and what some of them are doing collectively to improve things.

Ekta Parishad is one of Christian Aid's partners. It is a people's movement whose aim is for India's poorest people to gain some control over resources for living, especially land, water and forest. It is dedicated to social action based on non-violent principles. 'Ekta' means unity. 'Parishad' means forum or space. Marginalized people are brought together to remind the government that it is its constitutional role to provide all the people with basic human rights and freedoms.

Ekta Parishad is currently campaigning for the government to hold to its land rights promises. The campaign's climax, starting on 2 October 2012 will be the Jan Satyagrah March when it is hoped that 100,000 landless peoples will walk together from Gwalior (near the Taj Mahal) to New Delhi - about 350 km. It is based on the 1930 Dandi march, a protest against the British salt monopoly in colonial India.

According to Christian Aid the Jan Satyagrah march is likely to be one of the largest non-violent campaigns the world has seen. Here's a trailer for it:

There will also be a March for Justice in Britain in October 2012. (Details from local Christian Aid offices.)

Christian Aid's 'Count Your Blessings' Lent calendar suggests today giving 10p if your local MP has held an open meeting in the last 6 months. If you don't know, give 20p and (in the UK) find out by visiting http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/

My MP is John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons. As far as I can tell from his website he hasn't held any open meetings in the last 6 months. Is he too busy with Speaker responsibilities?

Image: Taj Mahal: Creative Commons

Tax-dodging robs the poor

2012-02-24T09:23:00.001Z

Does tax-dodging rob the poor? I'll begin with a disclaimer. I can barely understand my own tax position. I'm not an economic or tax expert, so what I write could be challenged if you think you know better. But it's written in good faith based on information from organizations I respect.

Does tax-dodging rob the poorest people in the world? Yes, I think much of it does.

A significant means of tax dodging is by using tax havens which thrive on secrecy and allow companies to pay no or minimal tax. There are at least 60 tax havens in the world. Most have high levels of financial secrecy and no or minimal levels of tax. On paper more than half of world trade passes through tax havens. Multi-national companies often use tax havens for legitimate reasons, but many use them to secretly hold huge sums that would attract tax in other countries. Christian Aid's Tax Haven Briefing uses a simple example of a banana to explain how this works.

On day 3 of Christian Aid's 'Count Your Blessings' in Lent 2012 the theme is tax-dodging and how this adversely affects the world's poorest people. Christian Aid asserts that

"Tax dodging by some unscrupulous companies means developing countries lose more money annually than they receive in aid."

You can read more about this at Christian Aid's 'Trace the Tax' campaign page. This campaign challenges the financial secrecy that prevents poor countries collecting the taxes they are due.

War on Want states that developing countries lose an estimated £250 billion every year as a result of corporate tax-dodging. This is enough to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals several times over. Tax dodging and uncollected tax in the UK amounts to £120 billion a year, enough to double the funding of the National Health Service. It's the poor who suffer most from this, since tax enables governments to fund public services that provide clean water, health care, education etc.

I realize this is a complex ethical and financial issue but for some reason Jesus' words about the judgement of the nations comes to mind: Matthew 25: 31 - 46.

Christian Aid suggest you give 50p today if you have benefited from a tax-funded service in the last year. I've benefited from several. How about you?

Image: Photo Rack

Life-giving Trees

2012-02-23T09:58:00.000Z

I'm watching a pair of red kites flying to and from the top of a tree I can see from my study window. They are carrying huge twigs as they build this year's nest. I tried last year to capture this in a photo, but my camera isn't up to it.

If you've taken a good photo of a tree you could use it to help 'A Rocha' International plant 800 trees in Ghana where since 1990 one quarter of its forest cover has been felled. Here's how. Their free environment resource pack for use by churches is 'The Life of Trees and The Tree of Life'. It's coming soon, ready for World Environment Day on 5 June. It should be worth a look.

What a dreadful misuse of our planet that collectively we humans have cleared so much forest, often without thought to replacement or the devastating environmental results. The most widely recognized symbol of Christianity (the cross) is a felled tree. What a dreadful misuse of a valuable resource to crucify someone on a tree. The tree on which Jesus was crucified is not only a symbol of death but also of redemption, a tree of Life that the worst we can do cannot destroy.

Continuing with the 'Count Your Blessings' way through Lent, today Christian Aid suggests giving 20p if you can see a tree from your window. I can see at least 50 trees. What a blessing. Trees are beautiful. Trees are essential to life on this planet - something which we forget at our peril. There are numerous ways in which human life depends on trees.

Christian Aid's partner CPI is successfully helping the Quilombola people in the northern Amazon rainforests to exercise their legal claims for collective ownership of the lands they have occupied for generations. You can read more about Christian Aid's work in Brazil here. And why not take 90 seconds to watch this beautiful video about the Quilombola people.

Tree image: MorgueFile Free Photo

Is a Free Press a blessing?

2012-02-22T12:30:00.000Z

As I explained here I'm following Christian Aid's 'Count Your Blessings' Calendar through Lent, which begins today. The first few days have a justice focus. According to the 'Count Your Blessings' message today

"only 15% of the world's population live in countries that enjoy a free press"

I'm don't know what the research is behind this figure, but it is a sobering one. One could debate endlessly exactly what is meant by a free press. (How free is a press owned and controlled by a very few powerful individuals or conglomerates?) But I think I have to acknowledge I live in a country where the press is not owned and controlled by the government or generally subject to government censorship. So I am one of the blessed 15%. Access to a free press is a blessing. It is one means by which governments and powerful institutions can be called to account and people informed about what is going on in the world.

The 'Count Your Blessings' Lent programme suggests I donate 10p for every newspaper I have chosen to read this week. I've only read 2 so that's 20p. But am I cheating? I read a lot of newspaper articles on-line (for free) during the week - how do I calculate that?

Image: Newspaper vendor at Paddington 2005: Wikimedia Commons

What's Ash Wednesday and Lent about?

2012-02-22T07:30:00.000Z

For a reflection for Ash Wednesday see here.

Shrove Tuesday Decision

2012-02-21T07:00:00.000Z

Today is the last chance to plan how to observe Lent, which begins tomorrow. One of the things I've decided to try is Christian Aid's 'Count Your Blessings' daily calendar and use this as a basis for a daily reflection through Lent on this blog. Watch this space.

It's a simple idea, to take time each day to reflect, pray and be thankful for God's goodness and make that count through giving a donation to help support some of the world's poorest communities. For example on 28 February the calendar states that 884 million people in the developing world use unsafe drinking water sources. The donation suggestion that day is to give 50p if you've always lived in a property with running water. At the end of Lent, after keeping a daily record, the idea is to give the total amount to Christian Aid.

Christian Aid is an agency of churches in Britain and Ireland. It exists to help those in need regardless of religion, nationality or ethnicity. Its purpose is

to expose the scandal of poverty

to help in practical ways to root it out from the world

to challenge and change structures and systems that favour the rich and powerful over the poor and marginalised.

You can read more about Christian Aid on their website.

If you came here hoping to read about Shrove Tuesday try this.

What is Collops Monday?

2012-02-20T12:37:00.002Z

WHAT IS COLLOPS MONDAY?

It's a day to feast on collops (slices) of bacon and, if you like, eggs as well. It's a British tradition that has largely died out. We had porridge for breakfast today.

WHEN IS COLLOPS MONDAY?

It's the day before Shrove Tuesday, which is the day before Ash Wednesday when Lent begins. This year Collops Monday is today. The date changes each year because Lent is the time of preparation for Easter which is a moveable feast. World-wide there are many traditions associated with the days before Lent begins. Often these are about carnival and fun before the austerity of Lent, as I highlighted last year in Rosenmontag. The Puritans did a thorough job of eliminating from the English calendar any merry-making that might lead to sin. This included Christmas for a while and I believe it is still illegal in England to eat mince pies at Christmas. But - back to Collops Monday.

WHY EAT COLLOPS OF BACON TODAY?

Like that of abstaining from meat during Lent, this tradition began for a practical reason. In the cold winters of the northern hemisphere pork and other meat preserved over winter by salting were a key ingredient of the diet. By February or March there would be little left which is why it made good economic sense not to eat meat in Lent, but wait for Easter and the new crop of spring lambs etc. So today the last slices of salt bacon might be cooked. These would be very fatty and the fat could be left in the pan to cook the Shrove Tuesday pancakes to use up the eggs. (More of that in tomorrow's post.)

DO CHRISTIANS HAVE TO GIVE UP THINGS IN LENT?

No, but some choose to do so as a spiritual discipline. Other's choose to take something on. Or you could do both. If you haven't decided what you are going to do David Keen has useful links in 'Lenternet' to get you started. In Monday Morning Blues Digitalnun refers to St Benedict's advice for making a good Lent and especially one element. St Benedict suggests that

whatever we do should be done ‘with the joy of the Holy Spirit’ and ‘looking forward to Easter with joy and spiritual longing’ (cf RB 49. 6, 7).

I have almost decided what I will do. I will let you know tomorrow.

Image: Bacon and Eggs from Wikimedia Commons

Glimpse of Glory

2012-02-19T17:29:00.000Z

morgueFile Free photo

Early this morning I saw a spectacular sunrise that transformed the appearance of the frosty fields and hedges that not so long before had been in darkness. In a way this was an ordinary experience. Sunrise happens daily even when we don't notice or can't see it. Today I really noticed it - a glimpse of glory. If only I could be more attentive every day to seeing what's there.

The poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote this

"Earth's crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God;

But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.

The rest sit round it, and pick blackberries."

The gospel reading for this Sunday, in the Common Worship Lectionary, is Mark's account of the Transfiguration of Jesus (Mark 9: 2-9). This mysterious event opens a window on another dimension, a deeper reality, revealing Jesus of Nazareth bathed in God-light. His close friends Peter, James and Johnwere led by Jesus on a night-hike up a mountain. There they saw Jesus, dazzlingbright and talking with the great prophet Elijah and the great law-giver Moses.

Images of light and fire were traditionally used todescribe God’s presence. No wonder Peter, James and John were terrified. They didn't know what to say. SoPeter blurted out the first thing that came into his head - it's good here, let's erect 3 tents. The disciplesdon’t show up well - one reason why for me the story rings true. I can understand Peter wanting to contain and prolong the amazing experience. As if one could contain and control God?

I don't think Peter, James and John were any more spiritual than anyone else, but they were chosen to glimpse God's glory in the face of Jesus. On the mountain they saw Jesus was greater than Moses or Elijah, greater than thelaw and the prophets. Moses heard God in earthquake and thunder. Elijahheard God in the‘still smallvoice’. Peter, James and John heard God when the cloud came down and a voice spoke, “This is my Son, the beloved;listen to him”. And then all they saw was Jesus and they walked down the mountain, back to the ordinary, with him.

Lent begins this week, on Ash Wednesday. During Lent, having glimpsed God’s glory through the gospel, how can we listen to Jesus? And what exactly does that mean?

Previous posts on the Transfiguration

Transfiguration

Awesome

How to Understand Social Media

2012-02-17T19:24:00.003Z

Just when I think I'm beginning to grasp what social media is about, everything changes and moves on. It's a pity about the spelling of doughnut, but I'm grateful to Mich Sineath for this photo explaining social media. At the moment I am not eating a doughnut and even if I was I wouldn't tell you on Twitter or 'like' doughnuts on Facebook. As for Four Square - please can someone explain to me what the point of it is? Apart from telling burglars you are not at home, or providing help for stalkers?

I am now going to share some supper. I won't tell you where. It won't be doughnuts, I won't create a photo or video of it. I won't be pinning up the recipe in Pinterest. Happy weekend to all!

Happy Valentine's Day?

2012-02-14T07:00:00.000Z

Last year in 'Ban Valentine's Day?' I suggested that 14th February is a day that provides an opportunity for:

making money
wasting money
sex
romance
appreciation
love

Today is 14th February, St Valentine's Day, so choose from any or all of the above. If you'd also like to smile at some of the absurdities of Valentine's Day, I recommend taking 2 minutes to enjoy this subversive short story by Ted and Co. Ted Swartz is a Christian who produces biblical comedy sketches. He calls it 'theater' but then he's American. I call it 'theatre' because I'm British. However you spell it, smile and enjoy.

Happy Valentine's Day from Ted & Company on Vimeo.

Today's synod result re women bishops

2012-02-08T19:27:00.000Z

I'm heaving a small, but slightly confused sigh of relief over the outcome of voting in General Synod this afternoon about the women bishops' draft legislation.

Thanks to Thinking Anglicans for publishing the text of the motion that was passed late this afternoon after about 3 hours of debate. Here it is:

Item 13 (as amended by item 35)

That this Synod,

(a) noting the significant support the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure has received in the Houses of Bishops, Clergy and Laity of diocesan synods, and

(b) desiring that the draft Measure be returned to the Synod for consideration on the Final Approval Stage substantially unamended so that it can be seen if the proposals embodied in it in the form in which it has been referred to the dioceses can attain the level of support required to achieve Final Approval, request the House of Bishops in the exercise of its power under Standing Order 60(b) not to amend the draft Measure substantially.

I'm now awaiting the interpretation.
I think I know what this means, but I could be wrong.

I think it means that the House of Bishops would be very silly to attempt a substantial amendment of the draft Measure, especially after 42 of 44 of the dioceses supported it and now General Synod is asking the House of Bishops not to amend it substantially.

On the other hand, what does 'substantially' mean?
And who knows what the Bishops will do with this?
Are we in for yet more C. of E. fudge?

What do you think happened today? In plain English?

Women Bishops and General Synod's debate today

2012-02-08T13:13:00.003Z

Salt and Light

Grace, love, wisdom and clarity are needed in the General Synod of the Church of England meeting this week and today debating legislation to allow women bishops.

If you read my blog you know what my view is. I just wonder when the Church of England is going to stop faffing about.

Rather than add to all the words flying about on this matter on Twitter and other places, I thought I would post a prayer.

The Additional Collect for last Sunday (3 before Lent) seems especially apt:

Eternal God,
whose Son went among the crowds
and brought healing with his touch:
help us to show his love,
in your Church as we gather together,
and by our lives as they are transformed
into the image of Christ our Lord.

Salute to Charles Dickens

2012-02-07T12:20:00.001Z

Image: Wikipedia

I can't let today go by without a salute to Charles Dickens, born 200 years ago today in Portsmouth, England.

My earliest ambition was to be a writer - an ambition that never entirely went away. It was nurtured by a love of reading. I owe this to several authors I discovered in childhood and especially Charles Dickens.

I was given his 'A Christmas Carol' when I was about 10 years old. Encouraged by my father, I swiftly moved on through the Dickens novels on the bookshelves at home. By 12 years I had read Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, David Copperfield and The Pickwick Papers. In my early teens I got through most of the rest - a fact that now astonishes me. I loved Dickens for the same reason that I enjoy serialized TV drama - the cliffhangers. It was these that encouraged me to persevere through some very long sections of descriptive prose. Dickens' novels also opened my mind and heart to social justice issues of his time (and ours) and contributed to my eventually becoming a social worker. But in my younger reading of Dickens, I just enjoyed the stories and the vivid pictures painted by the words.

Here's my current favourite Dickens' quote, but I can't find the source. Can anyone tell me?

"There is nothing better than a friend,

unless it is a friend with chocolate."

Queen Elizabeth II

2012-02-06T10:17:00.000Z

Image Wikipedia

60 years ago today a 25 year old woman, on holiday with her husband in Africa, received the news that her father had died. She had known since she was about 10 how his death would change her life, and that it was likely that one day these words would be spoken, "The King is dead. Long live the Queen!"

My father died just after my 26th birthday. His death was expected, but still a huge shock. I cannot imagine how the new Queen Elizabeth coped with taking on the weight of her role and duties as monarch at the same time as coping with her private grief.

I am old enough to remember 6 February 1952. I was a young child, but at school. The headmistress called the whole school into the hall for a special assembly and told us the King had died. I remember how shocked and upset she and other teachers seemed to be. She must have said that we now had a Queen, but I don't remember that. What I remember is that she explained we should expect to find that all the local shops were closed when we went home from school - as indeed they were. It was this that brought home to me that something significant had happened.

She has now reigned for most of my life. Whatever you think about the anachronism of monarchy in a 21st century democracy, it is a cause for celebration this year that Queen Elizabeth II has given such devoted service over 60 years. She is a model of Christian faithfulness and service to others. I thank God for her. You can read Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee Message here.

The Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral, at the direction of The Queen, prepared a prayer for her Diamond Jubilee. It will be used in the Jubilee Thanksgiving Service in St Paul's Cathedral on 5 June. But why wait till then? Her Diamond Jubilee begins today. Here's the prayer:

God of time and eternity,
whose Son reigns as servant, not master;
we give you thanks and praise
that you have blessed this Nation, the Realms and Territories
with Elizabeth
our beloved and glorious queen.
In this year of Jubilee,
grant her your gifts of love and joy and peace
as she continues in faithful obedience to you, her Lord and God
and in devoted service to her lands and peoples,
and those of the Commonwealth,
now and all the days of her life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

©Archbishops' Council 2012. Source here.

A Woman's Place is in the House - of Bishops

2012-02-05T20:05:00.001Z

It is more than time that women had a place in the episcopate of the Church of England, which has been discussing this for decades.
The matter of women bishops is once again before General Synod this week. Its members will need much wisdom and grace. I've been reading some interesting posts on this matter. Here are three that I recommend:

I missed it when first published on 24th January, but Andrew Brown's blog post, The Church of England's fudge on female bishops is breathtaking highlights what a ridiculous position the church is in as a result of attempts to hold together those who think women can be bishops and those who think they should not. Forms of concession are on the table for those who cannot accept a woman as bishop, but says Andrew Brown

Despite all these concessions, there will be female bishops, as there are already female priests, and these will be treated exactly the same as male ones – except by the men who don't want to treat them equally and who believe that God has called them to undermine women's authority wherever it appears.

Bishop Alan in his post No Woman No Cry hopes that this week

will not see Archbishops pootling around on a pinhead all over again trying to come up with some convoluted form of Discrimination Lite against women. The very attempt will amaze and disgust the vast majority of people in this country far more than any major player in the game of blowing ecclesiastical bubbles can perhaps understand. It undermines at a tectonic level any claims the Church may make in our culture about bearing, let alone being, Good News.

Savi Hensen writes in Ekklesia about Women Bishops and the Churches Core Purpose arguing that decisions about women bishops are likely to have a major impact on the church's mission and ministry.

The role of bishops is not merely administrative: they are there to nurture and support other clergy in their calling and, most importantly, to enable the priesthood of all believers, in all their diversity, so that the whole people of God in each locality can witness in word and deed to the good news of Christ.
The exclusion of any section of the Christian community from being even considered as bishops can have a demoralising effect on those who, at parish level, are seeking to live out their faith within an often sceptical society, and to help to build God’s realm of justice and peace in an deeply unequal and sometimes harsh world.
There has been growing recognition that both men and women are made in God’s image and that, in Christ, barriers are broken down: in the words of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Yet the church has often failed to communicate this effectively to the wider world, in part because this is not fully reflected in its own life. Some churches seem unsure how to respond when the Holy Spirit calls and empowers women.

You might also be interested in my previous posts on this:

Like a Mighty Tortoise

Women Bishops

Of Bishops and the Wearing of Purple Worsted

Process Proceeds Towards Women Bishops in the Church of England

Change

2012-02-04T08:04:00.000Z

I've been tinkering about with the look of the blog and changed it.

What do you think?

Better?

Or not?

Image: Wikimedia Commons

A Prayer Life or A Life of Prayer?

2012-02-02T09:39:00.000Z

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Today is the feast of 'The Presentation of Christ in the Temple' ('Candlemas').

It centres on the story told by Luke in chapter 2: 22-40 of his gospel, featuring Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and 2 elderly people, Simon and Anna.

The old woman Anna is the one who often doesn't get remembered as much as the others, but she deserves to be. In Tissot's painting (shown here) Anna's arms are raised in prayer and praise as she saw the sign of her deepest hope fulfilled.

On 14th January, as a #digidisciple at BigBible my post 'Anna: A Life of Prayer' was published as the 4th of my monthly series 'Blogging Women of the Gospels'. This series is intended for individual or group Biblical reflection or discussion. Here is what I wrote about Anna:

Do you know who you are? What do others see in you? How do you think God sees you? What do you most deeply hope for? I am thinking about these questions because of Anna. She was 84 years old. At that age some people feel invisible, unnoticed, useless. Or that others see them, not for who they really are, but as stereotypical old people – drains on society rather than contributors. In the Bible people of great age are seen more positively. To live long is to be blessed by God. Older people are honoured as elders, leaders, sources of wisdom.

This 4th post of my monthly series ‘Blogging Women of the Gospels’ is about Anna the prophet(ess). Her story is told in Luke 2: 36-38, but it helps to read her story along with that of Simeon so read all of Luke 2: 22-38.

Anna knew who she was.

She was Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, a tribe known for the beauty of its women. As a young woman, probably from about 14-21 years she was married. Then her husband died and, for reasons not explained, she remained a widow. Now she was 84 years old. For decades she fulfilled a calling to dedicate her life to God. Some of us have a prayer life. Anna had a life of prayer.

Others knew who Anna was.

She was Anna the prophet, the old widow who never seemed to leave the temple in Jerusalem, but spent all her time there in worship and fasting. Her fasting may have been a sign of mourning, initially for her husband, then chiefly for her people. She was recognized as one of a faithful minority who, is spite of many reasons to lose hope, continued against all the odds to long and pray for the redemption of her people. Did some see this dedicated life as a wasted life? When Jerusalem seemed more firmly under foreign domination than ever? And where so many had turned away from God and no longer trusted God’s promises?

God knew who she was.

She was Anna, a name that means ‘grace’ or ‘gracious’. She was a beloved child of God, full of the Holy Spirit, a woman of wisdom and insight, endurance and faithfulness. She was favoured by God as a prophet, one gifted to speak God’s word into current situations. She is the only woman in the gospels described as a prophet.

Anna’s deepest hope

When Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to the Jerusalem temple to present him to God, Anna saw an ordinary baby with a very common name, no signs, wonders or miracles. But like Simeon, with the eye of faith she saw in Jesus the light of hope for all people. She was seeing her deepest hope fulfilled and proclaimed this because she knew it to be hope for all.

Anna was looking for God but she already knew him, so recognized God’s grace in Jesus. Anna’s father’s name Phanuel means ‘face of God’ or ‘face to face with God’. Perhaps she learnt from Phanuel that while no-one can look on God and live, God’s image may be seen in a human life. And, prepared as she was by decades of prayer, God favoured her with a glimpse of his glory. It was in the face of a baby. And from then on she couldn’t stop praising God and talking about Jesus to all who were ready to hear. Anna’s family name ‘Asher’ means ‘happy’. I like to think she died happy because she met Jesus and knew her life of prayer had not been wasted.

For Further Study

Doug Ward has written a useful article ‘Anna the Prophetess and The Hope of All Israel’ exploring what Luke intends us to understand about Anna and her family background.

For Reflection

Frail elderly people are often rich sources of wisdom. How often are their voices heard in your church?
Has a child ever caused you to wonder or praise God, given you new insight – a glimpse of glory?
For what do you most deeply hope? How is that expressed in your commitment to prayer (and fasting)?

What Do Christians Believe?

2012-02-01T19:31:00.000Z

Image from stock.xching

I've just added a new button to this blog. Scroll down the right hand side-bar to a white box with the words 'Christianity, find out more'. If you click on this it will take you to the excellent website of the Christian Enquiry Agency.

This charity is an agency of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. It works on behalf of all the major UK churches and in partnership with many other Christian organisations.

If you or someone you know want to explore what Christians believe and learn more about its founder Jesus Christ, this is a reliable and easy to use starting place. You can also link to it here at www.christianity.org.uk. If you are not already familiar with this site, take a look and tell me what you think.

St Brigid and a fun poem

2012-02-01T10:18:00.000Z

Brigid of Ireland

If you are Irish you probably know about St Brigid as a favourite Irish saint, who died about 525 A.D. Or you may know about the Celtic goddess also named Brigid. The old legends and stories often confuse these two. There are very few facts about the saint. She was a friend of St Patrick, is said to have founded an abbey at Kildare and was hugely influential in the conversion of the people of Ireland to Christianity. She is often portrayed holding a crozier (as for an abbott), a lamp (of learning) and a reed cross. She and the abbesses who succeeded her in Kildare seem to have had a similar status to that of a bishop until the 12th century.

In the Church of England she is remembered on 1 February as 'Brigid, Abbess of Kildare'. If you want to know more you can read more about her here.

Among many other attributes Brigid is remembered for her generosity and not only with her own possessions. Here's a fun poem on that theme, from The Love Letters of Phyllis Mcginley.

THE GIVEAWAY

Saint Brigid was
A problem child.
Although a lass
demure and mild,
and one who strove
to please her dad,
St Brigid drove
the family mad.
for here's the fault in Brigid lay:
she WOULD give everything away.

To any soul
whose luck was out
she'd give her bowl
of stirabout;
she'd give her shawl,
divide her purse,
with one and all.
And what was worse,
when she ran out of things to give
she'd borrow from a relative.

Her father's gold,
her grandsire's dinner,
she'd hand to cold
and hungry sinner;
give wine, give meat,
no matter whose;
take from her feet
the very shoes,
and when her shoes had gone to others,
fetch forth her sister's and her mother's.

She could not quit.
She had to share;
gave bit by bit
the silverware,
the barnyard geese,
the parlour rug,
her little niece's
christening mug,
even her bed
to those in want,
and then the mattress of her aunt.

An easy touch
for poor and lowly,
she gave so much
and grew so holy
that when she died
of years and fame,
the countryside
put on her name,
and still the Isles of Erin fidget
with generous girls named Bride or Brigid.

Well, one must love her.
Nonetheless,
in thinking of her
givingness,
there's no denial
she must have been
a sort of trial
unto her kin.
The moral, too, seems rather quaint,
Who had the patience of a saint,
from evidence presented here?
Saint Brigid? Or her near and dear?

Blessing to end January

2012-01-31T19:22:00.000Z

For all of you who regularly read my blog and you who happened to stumble on this today, here's a gift for you - a blessing composed by John Rutter and sung by the Cambridge singers with beautiful images uploaded by fromwithintheheart.

Relax, listen, watch and enjoy.

Like a mighty tortoise

2012-01-30T19:44:00.000Z

A long time ago the Church of England decided that women and men can be bishops. The reason it has not happened yet has to do with how to make generous provision for those who believe that women cannot (or should not) be bishops. So it is still the case that in the Church of England it is illegal for a woman to be a bishop. This is not the case in many other Anglican provinces, including Scotland and Ireland.

"Like a mighty tortoise moves the church of God.
Brothers, we are treading where we've always trod."

"Like a mighty tortoise" the brothers and sisters of the C. of E. are crawling towards a resolution of this issue. 42 of its 44 Dioceses have voted for the draft legislation agreed at the General Synod in 2010 to go forward without amendment. However an amendment suggested (and defeated in 2010) by the Archbishops has to be considered again, for reasons better explained by others. Next week's General Synod has the next step (not the final outcome) in its hands. Its deliberations and voting will be key to what happens after that.

I want to see both women and men in all positions of leadership in the Church of England. I also strongly support the draft legislation, which does make generous provision for those who think only men should be bishops. I was delighted to discover today that The Church Mouse after several months break from blogging has returned, at least for a one-off post on this significant topic. Do read his post Ladies Hats - not just because I agree with it, but because it cuts through the legalistic gobbledy-gook so is easy to understand (even if you don't agree).

Another post today on this topic is at Thinking Anglicans that quotes in full 'The Case Against the Archbishops' Amendment' presented by WATCH.

Also see my previous posts on this:

Women Bishops

Of Bishops and the Wearing of Purple Worsted

Process proceeds towards Women Bishops in Church of England

How to Spell

2012-01-30T13:11:00.000Z

How good is your spelling? If you struggled learning to read and write in English or if English isn't your first language, you know how difficult it is to spell.

Like its pronunciation, its spelling is inconsistent.

Here's a few examples, but these are only the tip of the iceberg:

There are some rules but these only work for some words, for example the 'i' before 'e' except after 'c' rule only applies to 11 words.

Different sounds can be represented by the same letter or combination, for example 'ough' is pronounced at least 6 different ways, try 'cough', 'enough', 'nought', 'plough', borough', 'through'.

Many English words are homophones i.e. some words sound the same but have different meanings differentiated by the spelling, e.g. 'tea'/'tee', 'gait'/'gate', 'made'/'made'.

There are also many silent letters. For example: the 'k' is not pronounced in 'knee' or 'knight, the 'e' isn't pronounced in 'imagine'.

The commonest letter in English is 'e' and appears in the most inconsistencies. It can be used to change the way a previous vowel is pronounced, as in 'car' or 'care', 'mad' or 'made'.

Spelling and pronunciation of place names in the UK is a nightmare, even for those who have English as a first language. You have to learn each one individually, but if you ask the locals they may not agree - even between themselves.

UK English spelling is often different from US English spelling.

All this is a long-winded way to introduce this humorous spelling lesson ably given in less than 2 minutes by a man of 102 years.

Thanks to Church Mag for posting the video clip and eChurch Blog for drawing my attention to it.

Speak Up, Speak Out

2012-01-27T10:17:00.000Z

27 January Is Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK - a day I have not been able to ignore since visiting the Holocaust Museum at Auschwitz in 2006.

Today is an opportunity to to go on learning the lessons from history, not just from the Holocaust and Nazi persecution in World War 2, but also from subsequent genocides in many places in the world, such as Cambodia, Bosnia, Ruanda, Darfur.

This year the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is challenging us to consider what we see and hear around us and to use our voices to speak up against hatred and discrimination. Words are powerful. They can contribute to the common good and built up community. They can also hurt and destroy. Even one voice is powerful. The Speak Up, Speak Out campaign asks us to think about the language we use in person or on line when speaking about other people. Using derogatory terms about another person or group is to dehumanise them. It is a step along a road which at its extreme end leads to genocide. There is a horrifying example of this in the Ruandan genocide. Is that a journey we want to start?

Many people consider tackling the issues of equality and fairness to be the province of anti-discrimination law, of advocacy groups, or of government, to be addressed by discrete, often marginal programmes of activity directed at particular groups. But the greatest impacts on the opportunities open to individuals are made by everyday decisions in every part of society, most of which apply equally to everyone.

Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2010

The Holocaust Memorial Day Pledge is a commitment to challenge the language of hatred and to use words which respect the dignity of people around us. What's stopping you signing that pledge?

Previous posts on Holocaust Memorial Day are:

Holocaust Memorial Day (2010)

Telling Untold Stories (2011)

Persecution and Conversion

2012-01-25T07:30:00.002Z

Conversion of Paul by Caravaggio

There's nothing new about the persecution of Christians.

It began before the followers of Jesus were ever called Christians. They were people of "the Way" and seen as dangerous by political and religious authorities.

In the earliest days of the Christian church, one of its most zealous persecutors was Saul of Tarsus, who positively breathed "threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord". He was given authority to arrest Christians at Damascus and bring them bound to Jerusalem to be dealt with by the chief priests.

Saul (Paul) had almost reached Damascus when he was stopped in his tracks and fell to the ground. Today 25 January the church celebrates what followed from that event. Today's holy day is The Conversion of Paul. Paul's conversion was dramatic. Luke has 3 accounts of this in Acts. The one read today is Acts 9: 1-22.

Almighty God,

who caused the light of the gospel

to shine throughout the world

through the preaching of your servant Saint Paul:

grant that we who celebrate his wonderful conversion

may follow him in bearing witness to your truth;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one god, now and for ever.

Amen.

Collect for Conversion of Paul, Common Worship

Saturday Six: A Roundup

2012-01-21T07:00:00.007Z

Here's my round-up of six blog posts I've enjoyed or found interesting this last week.

A new blog which looks promising is the The Planetwise Blog, the official blog of A Rocha International. This has 3 authors. The first post, by Dave Bookless, is Whose World Is It Anyway? This is about a Biblical perspective on the ownership of the world as God's gift on loan to humanity.

I was interested in a post by Gillan Scott about Nadine Dorries' Sex Education Bill which had its 2nd reading in the House of Commons yesterday. His is a newish blog 'God and Politics in the UK'.

Significant Truths blog has a short post Don't Take Care, Take Risks with interesting links. The post is in admiration of Canon Andrew White and the work he is doing in Baghdad.

Leading Spiritually - What I learned from the Business World is the last in Christine Cline's series on 'Leading Spiritually'. I've been following this series and found helpful thoughts in all the posts.

If you like dogs, you'll like The Dog of a Hundred Faces by the Rev and a Dog. It's mainly photos with a relevant prayer.

And finally an extremely short post about the 24 hour absence of Wikipedia in It's Wikid on Phil's Treehouse blog

Image: Wikipedia, Etoile de six rais d'or

Blogs and Working Lives

2012-01-20T15:01:00.000Z

Should blogs be attentive to the working lives of their readers? This is an impossible question.

To answer it presupposes:

the blog writer knows about the working lives of their readers

the blog writer has things to say relevant to the readers' working lives or the blog writer has things to say relevant to any form of work.

the blog reader wants to read stuff relevant to their work or the blog reader 'should' read stuff relevant to their work

As soon as someone uses the word 'should' in a question, it becomes an ethical question. So for someone like me with an MA in Applied Ethics the question is in danger of becoming far too complicated. It all depends on what you mean by 'should'. It could mean so many things, depending on how you dear Reader decide what you 'should' do, for example:

Do you decide what you should do according to rules, either rules you have set yourself or imposed by a higher authority such as national or international law, the church, Bible, God?

Do you decide what you should do according to principles e.g. 'the greatest good for the greatest number' or 'do as you would be done by'?

Do you decide what you should do according to values e.g. engaging in creative work is a 'good' to be valued?

Do you decide what you should do according to basic instincts or learned automatic responses e.g. applying the car brakes because you or someone else might die if you don't?

Do you decide what you should do according to self-interest?

Do you decide what to do according to your conscience? If so, how is this informed? What 'feels' right? Inner parental voice? Peer group? Biblical principles? Church teaching? God?

You can add your own ideas to the above list.

What about me? How do I decide what I 'should' do. If I'm honest it's a bit of all of the above list. My commitment is to try to live by Christian principles and values, based on the life and teaching of Jesus. I often don't live up to this, but that's the aim.

Should this blog be more attentive to the working lives of my readers? I don't know. What's your advice?

This is the 3rd in a series of posts belatedly answering questions put by the Vernacular Vicar a year ago in Blogging, Women and Spirituality. Yes I'm still catching up on this. The first 2 posts are:

What is Blog Spirituality?

Why do people read blogs in working hours?

Image: Wikimedia Commons, Lego Town Worker

Why do people read blogs in working hours?

2012-01-19T17:40:00.000Z

I've started so I'll finish. The previous post, 'What is Blog-Spirituality?' began to answer questions posed by the Vernacular Vicar in his post last year (as the Vernacular Curate), that I had just caught up on. (Call me slow if you like.)

I promised a series of posts in response to his questions. Here's the 2nd in the series.

One question he asked was why people read blogs more in 'working hours' than other times, for example weekends or public holidays? You may know whether or not the premise is true. Assuming it is, here's my 1st thoughts about why people might read blogs more in working hours.

Some Reasons Why People Read Blogs in Working Hours

Some read blogs in working hours because they are paid to do so, it's in their job description, so reading blogs is work.

Some read blogs in working hours as part of keeping up with new developments/people in their field, so reading relevant professional blogs is work.

Some read blogs in their work-place for relaxation during a coffee or meal break, so it's not work, but is OK.

Some read blogs during working hours instead of working because they find their work boring. This is defrauding their employer (if they have one).

Some read blogs because they are not at work but are awake.

Well, that's a start. Any other ideas? When do you read blogs? And why then?

What is Blog-Spirituality?

2012-01-17T19:04:00.001Z

Why do people read blogs more in 'working hours' and less at other times? What does this say about the implicit spirituality of blogs? Should blogs be attentive to the working lives of its readers? If more blog readers are women (which may not be true) is blogging an art that has a more female spirituality? What is blog spirituality? All these questions were raised yesterday by The Vernacular Vicar in his post Blogging, Women and Spirituality. (Whoops: just noticed his post was a year ago! Oh well, better late than never.) Rather than a brief comment on his blog post, I plan a fuller response in a series of posts. This one has some first thoughts on his last question, what is blog spirituality?

What is Blog Spirituality?

The question needs at least a PhD dissertation to do it justice, so it may be foolish to attempt an answer in a short post, even limiting it to a Christian spirituality of blog-writing by Christians. Firstly - some definitions:

What is a blog?

If you are reading this, can I assume you know what a 'blog' is? In case you don't, I'll use Blogger's definition that it is "a web site where you write stuff on an ongoing basis" and can be a personal diary, daily pulpit, collaborative space, political soapbox, breaking news outlet, collection of links, private thoughts, your memos to the world, or whatever you want it to be. Mine is a bit of all those.

What is Christian Spirituality?
One useful definition is: the quest for a fulfilled and authentic life, that involves

taking the beliefs and values of Christianity
and weaving them into the fabric of our lives
so that they "animate", provide the "spirit" and "breath" and "power" of our lives.

You can find a fuller discussion of what this means in this excellent article based on the book Christian Spirituality, an Introduction, Alister E. McGrath, Blackwell 1999, ISBN 0631212817.

My 1st thoughts on a 'Spirituality of Christian Blogging'

All these bullet points need unpacking!

Being faithful. "...whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus..." (Colossians 3: 17)

Being kind but not soppy. "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone." (Colossians 4: 6)

Being a servant. Christian blogging is a form of ministry i.e. service and gift to others in the name of Christ

Being prayerful - sustaining a relationship with God.

Being a disciple. Blogging can be a means of spiritual growth, a spiritual discipline, a way to learn and be transformed.

Being creative

Being vulnerable

Being open to change through engagement with God, other bloggers and experience.

Being a witness, an evangelist, a story teller, a signpost to the 'greatest story ever told'.

Being friendly, creating community.

Well, there's the headings for starters. I'd love to know your thoughts on this topic or links to other posts.

Photo (Creative Commons):Laptop auf dem Schoß (Foto: Stephan Röhl)

John Stott: Service of Thanksgiving

2012-01-14T20:59:00.008Z

Yes, there was a big sign saying 'No Photography'. I did see it on entering St Paul's Cathedral, yesterday morning for the London 'Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of John R.W. Stott'. But 40 minutes or so before the service started, I couldn't resist taking this photo from my seat. (We'd been asked to be seated at least 20 minutes before the 11.30 am start.)

As I turned off my camera and mobile the All Souls Orchestra began to tune up and I sat back to enjoy the orchestral and organ music before the service, which was as magnificent as its setting: Handel's Prelude in F Major, Elgar's Nimrod from Enigma Variations and then the Final from Guilmant's Organ Symphony in D Minor. The latter piece rose to a great crescendo of sound from orchestra and organ with all the stops pulled out so you could feel the building itself vibrating with the sound.

The music brought me to tears as did the silence that immediately followed in the completely full cathedral before we stood to sing Charles Wesley's hymn "Jesus! The name high over all" as the procession of Canons and other clergy entered including the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Chapter and the Bishop of London.

Then the first word of the Bidding given by Mark Oakley was 'Jesus'. John Stott would have loved that. Come to think of it, he had probably arranged that before he died. In my experience of his ministry its hallmark was his passion to point people to Jesus Christ as Lord of all and he did this in word, deed and character.

We heard tributes from Michael Baughen (former Bishop of Chester), Frances Whitehead (John Stott's secretary of 55 years), John Chew, (Anglican Archbishop of South East Asia), Robert Aboagye-Mensah (Presiding Bishop, Methodist Church of Ghana), Ruth Padilla DeBorst (General Secretary of the Latin American Theological Fellowship). There was: a wonderful 'Litany of Thanksgiving'; 2 Bible readings; a sermon by Timothy Dudley Smith (former Bishop of Thetford); more great hymns, an Anthem ('As by man came death' from Handel's Messiah) by All Souls Gathered Choir; an ongoing vision given by Mark Green of The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity and Chris Wright of the Langham Partnership International. Elisabeth Crocker sang 'Make me a channel of your peace' before His Honour Judge David Turner QC led us in a 'Litany of Commitment' before the final hymn 'Lord, for the years...'. John Sentamu and Richard Chartres led the final prayers and Rowan Williams gave the blessing before the recessional music: Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4.

It was an extremely rich feast over 90 minutes. All its ingredients, in one way or another, pointed to and gave praise and thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is why it was so profoundly challenging.

After the service D and I were unexpectedly treated to a leisurely lunch at the Law Society by a legal friend from our All Souls days (back in the middles ages). Then we just had time to walk back from Chancery Lane and over the Thames to the Tate Modern to meet our daughter for a drink after her working day.

Then the three of us walked back over the Millennium Bridge in the dark to the floodlit St Paul's and up the lift to the top of the One New Change shopping centre alongside it. From its roof terrace you get a magnificent view as you can see from my photo here.

Then our daughter went her way and we went ours back home. It's a day that will stay with me for life I think.

Here's the prayer which ended the 'Litany of Commitment'. I don't know who wrote it.

Lord Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever, pour your love into our hearts that we may preach, share and live the gospel in the world. Make our vision bright, our minds receptive, our service strong, our lives Christ-like, that we, loving you above all things, may give up ourselves, our time, our talents, and our resources for the sake of him who loved us and gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Advisory Group on Human Sexuality

2012-01-06T19:35:00.000Z

Perhaps I should entitle this post 'Church of England shoots itself in the foot - again!'

Yesterday I noticed the announcement that the Church of England has appointed a group to advise the House of Bishops on human sexuality. This is part of a process towards a consultation document to be produced by the House of Bishops in 2013. This is intended to propose ways forward following the 'listening process' the church has undertaken since the 1998 Lambeth Conference resolution on Human Sexuality.

What I failed to notice yesterday was the composition of the Advisory Group. They are:

Sir Joseph Pilling (former Permanent Secretary Northern Ireland Office)
The Rt Revd Michael Perham (Bishop of Gloucester)
The Rt Revd Keith Sinclair (Bishop of Birkenhead)
The Rt Revd Jonathan Baker (Bishop of Ebbsfleet)
The Rt Revd John Stroyan (Bishop of Warwick)

Notice anything about this list? Not even 1 woman, not even a 'token' woman. Maybe that's not possible. Maybe they all had to be bishops, for reasons I don't understand. And of course the Church of England has no women bishops (yet). But if they all had to be bishops, why is the Chairman Sir Joseph Pilling who is not a bishop?

Is an all-male group suitable to advise on human sexuality without the wisdom of any women?

Just asking.

Epiphany Joy

2012-01-06T07:30:00.004Z

A Prayer For the Feast of the Epiphany

Lord God,
the bright splendour whom the nations seek;
may we who with the wise men
have been drawn by your light
discern the glory of your presence in your Son,
the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Common Worship Post Communion Prayer for The Epiphany)

6 January is the Feast of the Epiphany, the start of the Epiphany season. Today's focus is the wise men who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus. Their story is in Matthew 2: 1-12. Matthew tells us that when these mysterious seekers with their toddler-unfriendly gifts found the house where Jesus was, they were "overwhelmed with joy".

Christine Sine in 'Epiphany - An Invitation to Follow Jesus' suggests moving into the season of Epiphany "with joy and gratitude, savouring each moment God gives us as a precious gift." Has anyone any simple suggestions of ways to do that?

For previous posts on the Epiphany see

Image: Feast of the Epiphany by Maria d.c. Zamora

Can Assisted Suicide be Right?

2012-01-05T11:32:00.000Z

Yesterday 2 men found guilty of the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 were sentenced at the Old Bailey, London to 'life' imprisonment. This was possible because UK law enshrines the principle of respect for human life and the 6th commandment "You shall no commit murder".

I am thankful that I live in a country that attempts to uphold such principles. I do not want to live in a country where the law attempts to distinguish between those whose lives are considered worth living and those whose lived should be ended, where a so-called 'right to die' could become a 'duty to die' or a duty to assist someone else to commit suicide.

I am totally opposed to any proposal to change the law in order to make assisted suicide legal, however carefully the legally parameters might be constructed. I see assisted suicide as murder, however compassionate the motives may be. I believe life to be a gift of God and it it not our prerogative to terminate that gift prematurely.

Having said that, I am only too well aware that life can become unbearable for some. The compassionate response to that should be to do everything possible (short of intentional murder) to relieve suffering, commit more resources to things like improved palliative care for the dying, better mental health provision. I do not want medical staff whose primary ethos is to save life, to be the people who could be required to provide drugs specifically in order to help their patients kill themselves.

I'm disappointed in the BBC whose headline today "Assisted Suicide: Strong Case for Legalisation" is rather misleading about the report of the Commission for Assisted Dying. The BBC's opening sentence refers to "a panel of experts", but this panel consisted of people in favour of a law-change, included no BMA representatives and is said to have been part-funded by Terry Pratchett and Dignity in Dying. So there is no way this is an impartial independent review into this very serious matter.

2 years ago, in March 2009 the Church of England produced a paper 'Assisted Dying/Suicide and Voluntary Euthanasia' which is definitely worth a read and I support the arguments against put forward there. That position has been briefly restated today by a statement from the Bishop of Carlisle, written in response to the report of the Commission for Assisted Dying.

This is a highly complex matter and I haven't done justice to it here, so over to you. What do you think?

9th day of Christmas and No New Year Resolutions

2012-01-02T19:20:00.001Z

Here are my New Year Resolutions.
You can't see any?
I didn't make any.
So I can't break any.
You didn't need to know that did you?
Not making resolutions doesn't mean I don't need to change.
I do, but the changes needed will take more than a resolution.
But you knew that didn't you?

Happy 9th Day of Christmas! Now where are the 9 ladies dancing? Tied down to a carousel in BC, Columbia and going nowhere poor dears.

Image of notebook: Creative Commons: 'niznoz'

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T19:05:00.002Z

It's New Year's Eve so here's some fireworks

- and below, a prayer for the New Year 2012, witten by Christine Sine with some of the traumatic world events of the last year in mind and posted on her website Godspace

God the eternal rock is with us,

From year’s beginning to its end,

In hard times and in good,

God is with us from year’s beginning to its end.

God almighty is faithful,

Present in each day and every moment,

Drawing close in every act and deed,

God is faithful through all eternity.

God is trustworthy,

Yesterday, today and forever,

Sustaining, enlivening, making all things new,

God the eternal rock is with us this day and evermore.

Looking for something different?

Try my previous New Year's Eve posts:

On Not Making a New Year's Eve Resolution

Hogmanay

Image: by Anthony Cramp, Creative Commons

Skipping a Day

2011-12-30T12:10:00.000Z

30 December 2011 is a day the people of Samoa have decided to skip. They are going straight from Thursday 29 to Saturday 31 December - but only this year. Those with a birthday on 30 December can look forward to a proper celebration on the right day on 30 December 2012.

The nation is close to the International Dateline and since 1892 it has been officially east of the line in order to facilitate commerce with trading partners in the US and Europe. This made the line a strange shape around the Samoan islands. When persuaded by the US to change from west to east of the line in 1892 they did this by repeating a Monday. Samoa now does far more trade with countries like Australia, New Zealand, China and the Pacific rim so (calendar wise) Samoa is moving west. They will now be 1 hour ahead of Wellington, New Zealand instead of 23 hours behind.

This change has created a dilemma for the 7th Day Adventist Church which observes the sabbath on Saturday. Samoan 7th day Adventist Church leaders have said they will continue to observe their holy day on what would have been Saturday, so from now on will be observing it on Sundays. According to the New Zealand Herald church members in the village of Samatau have decided not to follow this rule but will observe the sabbath on the new Saturday.

I'm not sure how all this relates to the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. After all the Gregorian calendar Saturday is not Saturday in the Julian calendar is it? Or not always?

At least the Samoans are only losing one day. When Britain finally adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752 (2 centuries after the Pope had first introduced the change) we "lost" 11 days. Wednesday 2 September 1752 was followed the next day by Thursday 14 September. If we'd made the change in the 16th century we'd only have lost 10. Just to confuse matters further we still use the Julian Calendar for the start of the UK tax year in April.

And talking of losing days where has the last year gone? It's the Running Clock problem again. Is time moving faster or am I getting older? If time is short, what's most important?

Image: Dolphin Leap (author: Sbork) from Wikimedia Commons

The Forgotten Christmas Story

2011-12-28T17:47:00.000Z

Today is Holy Innocents Day - a day to remember the part of the Christmas story we may want to forget, in order to keep Christmas 'happy' and continue an escape from things that make us miserable or afraid.

The massacre of infant boys by King Herod as told in Matthew 2: 13 - 18 doesn't often feature on Christmas cards - that would be too grisly. Such cruel images would spoil sentimental Christmas pictures. But a nostalgic and sanitised Christmas card scene was not the world into which Jesus was born and it is not the world in which we live.

In a world where so many vulnerable children do suffer neglect, hunger, abuse and even murder, where tyrants still crush the powerless, the story of the murdered babies of Bethlehem still speaks into today's real world. The grief of parents who suffer the death of their children, for whatever reason, is still a universal story. The suffering of those forced by oppressive regimes to flee as refugees still goes on.

Image: photo of wood-sculpture in the grounds of Our Lady of Guadalope Abbey, New Mexico, depicting "Rachel weeping for her children". Source of photo is here.

Third Day of Christmas

2011-12-27T17:46:00.000Z

It's the 3rd day of Christmas. (There are 12 days of Christmas).

My true love hasn't yet presented me with 'Three French Hens' today, so I'm making do with this image of a painting by Annalein Beukenkamp.

My true love is at this moment offering tea and Christmas cake, so this won't be a long post.

It is alleged by some that the 'three french hens' in the song 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' represent the virtues of faith, hope and love. Alternatively they could refer to the 3 gifts of the wise men from the East who visited the infant Jesus. On the other hand the song is probably pure nonsense and just for fun.

Christmas Vespers

2011-12-24T22:00:00.007Z

Christmas Vespers by Michael Praetorius composed in 17th centuy, sung by Toronto Consort, with selection of paintings from 16th and 17th centuries. Enjoy and ponder.

Christmas Eve Round-up

2011-12-24T12:32:00.000Z

Here's a Christmas Eve Round-up. Pour a glass of wine. Enjoy.

Firstly, just for fun, here are Christmas Greetings to the people of 'Great Britain' from The Simpsons, posted today by The Church Sofa here. People of Cornish ethnic origin may especially enjoy this.

From the Simpsons' kitchen, you might like to move to a field somewhere near Bethlehem. I love the imaginative tale of a shepherd about burnt porridge, a terrifying angel and a baby in Thinking Anglican's post today 'Burnt Porridge'.

There's a moving article by Archbishop Rowan Williams published in today's Times newspaper. If you don't want to pay to get behind the Times pay wall, you can read it for free here 'In Congo or in Croydon, God is there for us.'

Finally, from 'Good in Parts' an inspiring and short Christmas message 'Light Looked Down and Beheld Darkness'.

Paradoxes of Christmas

2011-12-23T19:58:00.000Z

Paradoxes of Christmas
Rich	Poor
Heaven	Earth
Full	Empty
Love	Hate
Hope	Fear
Faith	Doubt
Spiritual	Physical
Divine	Human
Light	Darkness

Christmas is so full of paradox. Some of these are expressed beautifully in the first 14 verses of the first chapter of John's Gospel which is usually read at Christmas. Pete Broadbent has posted a reflective poem on John 1: 14 as follows:

In the contradiction of the gods of Mammon and the lords of Misrule

In the pavement legalities of occupation and assertion, injunction and counterclaim

At the interface of tourist and worshipper, occupier and passer-by

He pitched his tent among us.

In another place and time, where the Eagle standard spreads its wings

In the tyrant rule of Herod, toying with Magi and butchering children

At the Royal City – subject today to another occupation

He pitched his tent among us.

In a culture where “reality” is pathos and everything has a price

In the lives of poor and privileged, Pharisee and refugee

At the cusp of history, at this time and at all times

He pitched his tent among us.

Come, transforming Christ, manger born and Spirit led

Take hold of what is tawdry and bring your kingdom’s joy

Take lives which ache for vision and instil eternal hope

And pitch your tent among us.

I also like an older reflection on this in a sermon by Augustine of Hippo from the 4th//5th century AD:

“The Word of the Father, by whom all the cycles of time were made, When He was made flesh, caused the day of his birth to take place in time;And in this human genesis willed to have one day, when no day opens without His divine command.With the Father He precedes all the ages of the world,By the Mother He set Himself on this day in the courses of the years. The Maker of man was made man, That the Ruler of the stars might suck at the breast; That the Bread might be hungered; The Fountain, thirst; The Light, sleep;The Way, be wearied by the journey;The Truth, be accused by false witnesses; The Judge of the living and the dead, be judged by a mortal judge; The Chastener, be chastened with whips; The Vine be crowned with thorns; The Foundation, be hung upon the tree; Strength, be made weak; Health, be wounded; Life, die.He who was before all the ages, without any beginning of days, Son of God, deigned in these days just past to be the Son of man; And He who was begotten of the Father, not made by the Father, was ‘made’ in the mother whom He had made; That here and now He might spring from Her, who except through Him could no-when and no-where have been.”

– St. Augustine (354-430), Sermon CXCI (on Christmas)

Mary: the Hope-Bearer

2011-12-21T19:46:00.001Z

Image by He Qi

I'm thinking a lot about Mary the mother of Jesus at the moment. It must have something to do with Christmas. In this blog, I wrote about Mary's reaction to the message she received from the angel Gabriel in 'How Can This Be?' and 'Pondering an Announcement'.

This December I've pondered Mary as 'Hope-Bearer' and wrote on this as a #digidisciple at The Big Bible Project. This post was first published as 'Hope-Bearer' on 14 December 2011 at The BIGBible Project as the 3rd of my monthly series 'Blogging Women of the Gospels'. Here is what I wrote:

What is your picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus?

When I was a child, Mary of Nazareth was the coveted role in the nativity play – the only decent role for a girl who enjoyed playing with dolls and dressing up like a grown-up. Then, when I was about 14 or 15, I learned that when Mary was pregnant with Jesus she was probably about my age. I began to see how difficult was the real-life role Mary played. A few years later, when I was pregnant at Christmas, I listened to Bible readings from the first 2 chapters of Matthew’s and Luke’s gospels and knew that every pregnancy is, in a sense, a miracle. Not that every pregnancy is welcomed, especially if the mother’s fiancé is not the father.

Who would believe the story of the angel Gabriel’s message?

And how could Mary believe it at first? You might not agree, but I don’t think she did – at first. No wonder she asked the angel, “how can this be, since I am a virgin?” With the reply, “the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…” Gabriel revealed that Mary’s relative Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant, although old and previously infertile, because “nothing will be impossible with God”. Was it this that gave Mary courage to say “Here am I, the servant of the Lord”? But when the angel left I imagine Mary in a state of considerable confusion and probably fear. No wonder she hurried to Elizabeth’s home, some distance away. Was she fleeing or was she sent?

How did Mary cope in those first weeks of miraculous but inconvenient pregnancy?

It’s interesting following @natwivity this year, a creative retelling on Twitter of the Christmas story by the main characters. Here are some of the tweets by or about #Mary. Be warned: they are not very ‘Merry Christmassy’ as these are about Mary’s situation immediately after the angel Gabriel’s visit.

#Mary Why is life so unfair? He’ll drive me out of this town.
#Mary I’m packing my stuff and running away. I don’t need this.
#Mary I am alone and leaving. I am walking through the darkness. Can I hold on? Can I hold on?
#Jerusalem Daily Young Pregnant Woman Missing after Row with Boyfriend. Last seen walking out of Nazareth clutching small bundles of clothes.
#Mary I don’t know where I am going. I just know I can’t go back. #Castout.
#Mary Struggling along the dusty road desperate and scared.
#Mary Who am I? Just another fearful soul. That is all. Just another running scared. This is too much for me.

With that picture of despair, why is this post called ‘Hope-Bearer’?

If everything is fine in the world why would anyone need hope? Doesn’t the light of hope only have meaning in relation to the darkness of despair? Some people who have been through the deepest darkness become the most powerful symbols of hope. Does anyone like that spring to your mind? Other than Mary?

Based on the account in Luke 1: 39 – 56 I imagine the young Mary finding safe refuge in Elizabeth’s home, her fear giving way to joy because of the older woman’s confirmation that what the angel had told Mary was really true – impossible though it might seem. The longings and hopes of her people were to be fulfilled in the child in Mary’s womb. She was to give birth to Jesus, the Hope of the world. And so she sang her song of praise – the ‘Magnificat’, about the powerful being brought down, the lowly lifted up, the hungry filled with good things and the rich sent away empty.

For further reading

Other than Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2, Jesus’ mother Mary is mentioned in the following places in the gospels: Matthew 12: 46-50; Mark 3: 31-35; Luke 8: 19-21; John 2: 1-11; John 18: 25-27. The only other mention in the New Testament is in Acts 1: 13-14 where Mary is shown as within the community of early Christians.

For Reflection and Discussion

Imagine you are Mary’s mother or father. You discover your daughter is pregnant and she says she hasn’t had sex with Joseph yet, or any other man. What would you think, say or do?
In what sense is Mary a hope-bearer?
Who are significant hope-bearers today?
How can you be a hope-bearer?

No Time to Blog

2011-12-19T19:08:00.000Z

Just when I have most to say, I really have no time to blog.

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Watch this space - but only if you have nothing better to do!

Being Good News for Homeless People

2011-12-13T10:32:00.000Z

More than 3000 people sleep rough on the streets of London each year. The average life-expectancy of a homeless person in England is 42 years. To find out more about Streetlytes-UK click here. It is one of the charities supported by the Church Urban Fund.

Festive Greetings

2011-12-08T19:12:00.001Z

It's that time of year again - the time when Christmas greetings start to arrive by snail-mail, e-mail and other means.

Usually the manner of the greeting reflects the personality, profession or world-view of the sender. Take lawyers for example.

Someone once said that to be a good lawyer you need the mind-set of a 10 year old. When one of our sons was that age, we understood exactly what was meant. To protect his privacy I won't spell out the details, other than to say he was gifted in complying with the letter of the law while identifying and exploiting the loopholes in parental instructions.

It won't be any surprise to regular readers of this blog, that I like Christmas greetings to be exactly that - CHRISTMAS GREETINGS, not 'Seasons Greetings' or any other variation on that theme. That doesn't stop me enjoying the humour of this festive greeting allegedly from a lawyer.

A 'Lawyer's Festive Greeting' is posted today by Catherine Fox on her Close Encounters blog. She writes that she was sent it by a barrister friend, but does not name the author. Do take a look at her blog - always worth a read, but if you are short of time, here is the quote in full:

Festive Greetings

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. In addition, please also accept our best wishes for a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2011, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make this country great (not to imply that this country is necessarily greater than any other country or area of choice), and without regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual orientation of the wishers.

This wish is limited to the customary and usual good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first. 'Holiday' is not intended to, nor shall it be considered, limited to the usual Judeo-Christian celebrations or observances, or to such activities of any organized or ad hoc religious community, group, individual or belief (or lack thereof).

Note: By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher at any time, for any reason or for no reason at all. This greeting is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. This greeting implies no promise by the wisher actually to implement any of the wishes for the wisher her/himself or others, or responsibility for the consequences which may arise from the implementation or non-implementation of it.

This greeting is void where prohibited by law.

Hallelujah!

2011-12-07T08:58:00.001Z

Here's a great performance in an unexpected setting - a Christmas Food Court Flash Mob and the Hallelujah chorus from The Messiah - with thanks to Handel for composing it, Perpetua for sharing it yesterday on her Perpetually in Transit blog and AlphabetPhotography for uploading it to YouTube. I hope it didn't spoil anyone's hoped-for quiet lunch.

St Nicholas Day

2011-12-06T15:24:00.000Z

Image from post by Vee Jay Burns

I woke this morning to find that St Nicholas hadn't filled my clogs with sweets.

It's probably my fault. I didn't put out my clogs last night.

And it was the eve of St Nicholas Day.

And I didn't leave any hay for his horse.

But I don't have any clogs. And I don't have any hay. And I'm not Dutch.

So I don't put out clogs and hay on St Nicholas' Eve.
So St Nicholas has passed me by.

It is his day today, so I'm giving a nod in his direction. It is certain that Nicholas was Bishop of Myra (then Greek, now in southern Turkey) in the 4th century. That is perhaps the only uncontested fact about him. Most of the legends about his life probably developed in the medieval period. But I think his reputation for generosity to those in need, love of children and concern for sailors may of grown from things that were true of his character and lifestyle. You can read more facts and legends about him here.

J. Rosenthal and C. Myers wrote an interesting comparison between St Nicholas and Santa Claus which I quote below:

Santa Claus belongs to childhood;
St Nicholas models for all of life.

Santa Claus as we know him, developed to boost Christmas sales - the commercial Christmas message;
St Nicholas told the story of Chirst and peace, goodwill toward all - the hope-filled Christmas message.

Santa Claus encourages consumption.
St Nicholas encourages compassion.

Santa Claus appears each year to be seen and heard for a short time:
St Nicholas is part of the communion of saints, surrounding us always with prayer and example.

Santa Claus flies through the air - from the North Pole;
St Nicholas walked the earth - caring for those in need.

Santa Claus - for some - replaces the Babe of Bethlehem;
St Nicholas, for all, points to the Babe of Bethlehem.

Santa Claus isn't bad;
St Nicholas is just better.

Do you celebrate St Nicholas Day with any special traditions?
If you do, I'd love to hear about them.

Mediation and St Andrew

2011-11-30T13:06:00.000Z

Whatever you think about today's one-day strike of public sector employees in the UK, you'll probably agree that a useful person in a dispute is a good mediator - who brings people together, gets to know the issues and those involved well enough to help them find common ground, listen to one another and negotiate.

Today is St Andrew's Day. The apostle Andrew, one of the first disciples Jesus chose, is remembered for bringing people together. Specifically, the gospels record that Andrew

told his brother Peter about Jesus (John 1: 35 - 42)
brought a boy with a few loaves and fishes to Jesus (John 6: 1 - 15)
told Jesus about foreigners wanting to meet Jesus (John 12: 20 - 26)

Andrew didn't do anything extraordinary, just what all Christians are called to do. He passed on to others what he had seen, heard and experienced of Jesus. He brought people to Jesus and he told Jesus about people who wanted to meet him. In the end, tradition has it that it cost Andrew his life, crucified, far from his Galilean home, on an X-shaped cross.

For the relationship of Andrew the Apostle with Scotland see here.

Happy St Andrew's Day!

Image of Saltire: Creative Commons: from St Andrew's Day post on mediaresearch.wordpress.com

Barking Dogs on Eve of St Andrew's Day

2011-11-29T17:18:00.000Z

Commons Wikimedia: Unidentified Argiope

This handsome creature is Argiope, a spider who spins silver webs starting with a diagonal cruciform shape, against which it aligns its legs.

It is sometimes known as the St Andrew's Cross spider.

Tomorrow is St Andrew's Day - more of that tomorrow.

There are some odd superstitions associated with the eve of St Andrew's Day, mostly connected with finding a mate.

I don't believe any of them, but it's fun to speculate how these traditions started.

ARE YOU A SINGLE WOMAN? Do you want to marry? Then today is the time to listen out for barking dogs and note where they are. Why? Because your future husband will come from that direction - so they say.
NOT HEARING ANY BARKING DOGS? Never mind. Ask St Andrew's help. Sleep naked tonight and your future husband will visit your dreams - so they say.
TOO COLD TO SLEEP NAKED IN NOVEMBER? Then wrap up warm and sit up to midnight. At midnight look for a sign that you will have a husband - this might be difficult to identify.
YOU HAVEN'T SEEN A SIGN? THEN MAKE ONE. Throw your shoe at a door. If the shoe falls with the toe pointing towards the exit you'll be married within the year - so they say.
HAS ALL THAT MADE YOU HUNGRY? Why not eat an apple? But first peel it carefully, so you remove the whole peel without any break. then throw the peel over your shoulder. As the peel lies on the floor what letter does it most resemble? That will be the first letter of your husband's name - so they say.

Why do such superstitions persist? Do you know any other St Andrew's Eve traditions or variations of the above?

A Time to Remember

2011-11-28T08:30:00.001Z

I don't usually post sermons, but if you are recently bereaved what follows may be of help.

Here is (more or less) the short address I gave yesterday, Advent Sunday afternoon, at a "service of thanksgiving and remembrance for loved ones". It immediately followed a time of quiet prayer.

The Bible reading was Psalm 130.

Whether our bereavement is recent or longer ago, learning to live with the death of someone we love is hard and often very lonely. In this ‘time to remember’ I invite you to do 3 things:

look back
look up
look forward.

Look back to remember.

Memory is such a precious gift. For some, the person you love, but see no longer, has left you with wonderful memories to cherish. You are grateful for who they were, the love they gave you. Some may also have painful, hurtful memories. But each person we remember today left their mark on our lives. So we honor them, by acknowledging honestly what they were and still are to us. The memories may bring smiles or tears, make us feel grateful or guilty, at peace or angry, loved or abandoned. Even all those emotions on the same day. I don't know how you feel. God knows. He loves you and the one you have lost.

As we look back to remember, let’s look up to God. Turn to God whose healing presence is with us here, now. We are looking up to God simply by being here in this service. The trouble is, when grief strikes, even a long time after a loss, God can seem far away. When someone you love dies, even if you once had faith, God can seem silent and uncaring. It may be that the only prayer you are able to pray is something like the first verse of the reading from Psalm 130:

“Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord.

Lord, hear my voice!”

If even that seems too hard, let your tears be your prayer and let others pray for you.

We look back to remember. We look up to God for the help we so much need. Let’s also have the courage to look forward in hope to the life we have yet to live. Today is the beginning of Advent, a season of waiting for the coming of the Lord. The Psalmist wrote:

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,

and in his word I put my hope”.

What are the grounds for hope for those who mourn? Hear again words from Psalm 130:

“…put your hope in the Lord,

for with the Lord is unfailing love,

and with him is full redemption”

God is love. We know this because of Jesus: who wept at the death of his friend Lazarus; who died on the cross, in darkness. God, in Jesus Christ,

“bore our griefs and carried our sorrows”.

He died to bring us back to God, so we can be healed. There is no depth of grief that he doesn't share with us. Jesus’ death left his family and friends weeping bitterly. But when Easter came - so did joy. When Jesus rose from the dead, hope was reborn. For the Christian, death isn’t the end. God is God of the living and the dead. Nothing can destroy God’s love, not even death. The great Advent hope is that at the last God will make all things new, God himself will wipe away every tear,

“death will be no more,

mourning and crying and pain will be no more”.

We can look forward in hope to life as we put our hand in the hand of God and allow him to lead us in the way of Jesus, the way to Life.

We have an opportunity in a moment to light candles as an act of remembrance. St John’s gospel talks about light shining in darkness and the darkness being unable to overcome it. Lighting (or looking at) a candle in memory of someone we love can say, that whatever darkness we’re going through, we can dare to live with the hope that God is with us and holds our loved ones in his care.

God loves you and those whose memories you cherish today.

So may the candles be a sign:

that you remember
that you want to look up to God
and you dare to look forward in hope.

Image: Creative Commons: Candle by quimby

Advent Waiting

2011-11-27T18:20:00.000Z

I love this Advent meditation by Christine Sine, encouraging waiting for the coming of Christ. The music is Christ Child Lullaby played by Jeff Johnson. On this 1st Sunday of Advent that's all I want to post.

Nothing Impossible: Elizabeth's Story

2011-11-26T16:41:00.000Z

Do you know Elizabeth's story? This post was first published on 14 November 2011 on the Big Bible Project as the 2nd of my monthly series 'Blogging Women of the Gospels. Here is what I wrote:

Watch out

Watch out for Elizabeth’s story on the Twitter Nativity, starting soon. You can follow ‘Natwivity’ on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook. If Elizabeth’s voice seems absent from this year’s ‘Natwivity’, what’s stopping you tweeting for her? Elizabeth’s story sometimes gets forgotten in telling of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. But without Elizabeth’s encouragement and insight, who knows what might have happened to her young relative Mary?

Elizabeth’s pregnancy was as unexpected and seemingly impossible as Mary’s.

Disgrace and Disappointment

Elizabeth was a good woman, from an elite family. She was married to a priest – Zechariah – for too many years not to have produced the expected children. Zechariah and Elizabeth were a faithful but childless couple. In the 1st century people assumed infertility was the woman’s fault. Elizabeth felt the reproach of her community. They called Elizabeth ‘barren‘. This was a disgrace. Her husband could have divorced her for that, but he didn’t. Luke writes that Zechariah and Elizabeth “lived blamelessly”. From a religious viewpoint they obeyed God, doing everything right. Did that make it feel all the more cruel for Elizabeth that month after month she faced the evidence of continuing childlessness? Did she wonder if God was punishing her? Did she constantly pray for a child? Did she lose faith when God didn’t provide the hoped-for blessing of maternity? Did she give up hope? Then, as her child-bearing years ended, when she probably felt too old for motherhood, how easy was it to accept being pregnant? When other women of her age were grandparents, was she embarassed by her condition? Until she first felt the movement of the baby, did she fear that her womb growth was a disease?

Nothing Impossible

The name ‘Elizabeth’ means ‘oath of God’ – a reminder that God fulfils his promises. While on temple duty her husband Zecariah received a promise from God delivered by the angel Gabriel, no less. Zechariah didn’t believe what he was told, that Elizabeth would bear him a special son who would bring joy and turn the hearts of many back to God. He thought that was impossible. He and his wife were too old. But, as the angel explained to Mary, in telling her that even Elizabeth had conceived in her old age, “…nothing will be impossible with God”. Elizabeth’s pregnancy, like that of the matriarch Sarah, is a sign of God doing something unexpected when all hope seemed gone.

Grace and Joy

Elizabeth’s child was to be called John, meaning ‘God is gracious’. As John the Baptist he was to prepare the way for Jesus the Christ. Before John’s birth it was Elizabeth who, in Luke’s gospel, was the first person to call Jesus ‘Lord’. It was to Elizabeth’s home that Jesus’ mother Mary hurried, perhaps for reassurance and shelter during her ‘impossible’ pregnancy. In Elizabeth, Mary found the encouragement of a wise older woman, who was also in a difficult situation, but who welcomed her with much more than the expected greeting. As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting her unborn child somersaulted for joy. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and sang out loudly to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?…” How immensely reassuring for Mary to hear those God-inspired words.

Read all Elizabeth’s Story

It’s worth reading and pondering the whole story. In the New Testament, only Luke’s gospel tells it. Read it in Luke 1: 5-80.

For further thought and discussion

Who has been an ‘Elizabeth’ for you? Someone who was ‘there’ for you when you needed it?
Is there a ‘Mary’ needing your encouragement or mentoring?
What examples do you know about (or have experienced) that give you evidence that “nothing will be impossible with God”?

Image: Creative Commons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/x1brett/5289196287/

Forbidden Word: Nice

2011-11-25T19:35:00.001Z

I loved Mrs P when I was 9-10 years old. She was one of the most engaging and creative teachers I had at school. Things she said stayed with me.

Mrs P forbade the reading (in and out of school) of a well-known children's author Enid Blyton. She gave 2 reasons: her pupils were far too intelligent to waste time with such simplistic drivel; Enid Blyton only ever used one adjective and this was 'nice'.

'Nice' was a word Mrs P. would not allow her pupils to use. She considered this lazy because, as she told us, her pupils were capable of finding adjectives that more precisely and creatively said what we meant. I can only imagine how she might have responded to the American phrase, 'have a nice day' - she would have challenged this this with some edgy questions.

We couldn't say 'nice' at school. At the same time there was a clearly understood code of conduct that we "gels" were expected to "be nice". Not that the forbidden word 'nice' was ever said. What was expected was courtesy, kindness, consideration and respect for others and so on. Nothing wrong with that - the world needs more of those qualities. But there is a 'but'. Problems arise when the need to "be nice" overcomes the imperative for truth to be spoken, bullies challenged, hard questions to be asked of people in power.

Some years ago a journalist published her research about what the Church of England was like, based on visits to churches and personal interviews. (I've forgotten who this was. Perhaps someone can remind me.) She decided that a distinguishing characteristic of the Church of England was its "niceness". I think she found this slightly endearing, but - what a condemnation. How has it happened that so many people think that to be a Christian is the same as being "a nice person"?

Thanks to Stuart James' of eChurch Blog for directing me to Elizabeth Scalia's post The Shushing Tyranny of "Be Nice"! She has insightful comments on the question 'Does Christianity demand niceness?' Here's a snippet:

Jesus, it seemed, preferred someone who would speak a slightly edgy truth over someone who would be “nice,” but dishonest. Being himself All Truth, dishonesty in the guise of niceness could not serve him.

In fact, Jesus said many things that probably make our modern niceniks squirm in the pews: “Let the dead bury the dead!” (But Jesus, how dismissive!); “I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother. . .” (You’re so divisive!); “Shake the dust from your feet as a testimony against them!” (Hater!); “Get thee behind me, Satan,” (Jesus! Peter was just trying to be nice!).

Image (Creative Commons): 'Have a Nice Day' by Leo Reynolds

Why I've stopped sitting on fence about Anglican Covenant

2011-11-23T13:04:00.000Z

Image Credit

I have followed arguments for and against the proposed Anglican Covenant.

The more I read and heard the more confused I got. I'm the sort of person who likes to see all sides of a question before I make up my mind. Other people can see this as indecisive or negative. When someone suggests a good idea I will think about what's bad about it and vice versa. This leads to uncomfortable fence sitting.

Today I've jumped off a fence and come down against the Anglican Covenant. In some ways I am sad about this as I have great admiration for the Archbishop of Canterbury and it was his proposal.

What is it that has decided me? It's the speech given by Perran Gay to the Truro Diocesan Synod which is helpfully quoted in full on Lesley's Blog today. Have a look. It doesn't take long to read (unlike the Anglican Covenant itself.)

The Revd Canon Perran Gay presented a well-argued case against the covenant. It's got me off the fence, so somewhat late in the campaign I've joined the No Anglican Covenant.

Thank you Lesley for bringing this speech to my attention and for arguing the case so strongly for so long.

Music for Cecilia

2011-11-22T13:18:00.000Z

What better than Handel's Ode to St Cecilia for today's commemoration of Cecilia, a Christian martyr who died at Rome about 230 A.D. Handel's music is beautiful. The manner of Cecilia's death was not.

The reason she became the patron saint of music and musicians is based on a romantic legend that she continued to praise God after her incomplete beheading. There are some truly ghastly descriptions of this but the Wikipedia article about Cecilia glosses over some of the more horrendous fantasies about her death. Ignore those and enjoy the music.

Friday Five

2011-11-18T13:03:00.000Z

I've read some excellent blog posts this week and I want to share five with you:

Best autumn picture on Penelope Episcopal's Wordless Wednesday post on her 'You Cannot Have Too Large a Party' blog.. Only 4 words in the post with a stunning picture illustrating 'fall' (well she is in the USA).
Best sermon idea for Christmas season by David Keen on his 'Opinionated Vicar' blog.
Most moving post 'Where Stories are found' by Anita Matthias on her 'Dreaming Beneath the Spires' blog.
Most heart-warming story in Retailer Gets Christmas on David Cloake's 'The Vernacular Vicar' blog.
Best preparation for the weekend, including advice to "expect miracles at parties" in Vacare Deo by Digitalnun on her 'iBenedictines' blog.

All of these have lightened up my week. Thank you.

Image: Compound of 5 tetrahedra from Wikipedia by Robert Webb of Great Stellar Software

Sick people, shoemakers and swans

2011-11-17T12:57:00.000Z

What have sick children, sick adults, shoemakers and swans got in common? Hugh of Avalon, Bishop of Lincoln is seen by some as patron saint of all these. Images of him often include his pet swan who was said to be grief-stricken by his death.

I don't really go for the idea of 'patron saints'. It's never occurred to me to invoke St Hugh's aid for swans in trouble, not even for the strangulated swan of Buckinghamshire's emblems. (Sorry, it's really a royal swan with a royal chain round its neck.) But then I'm a Protestant. All the same I think Hugh is worth commemorating today, even though he died in 1200. Hugh is buried in Lincoln Cathedral, England. His funeral was attended by King John of England (who helped carry his coffin) and the King of Scotland as well as archbishops and bishops. He had earned huge respect.

During his time as Bishop he spearheaded many reforms and was not afraid to stand up against the most powerful in the land, including the Kings Henry II, Richard 1 and John, especially where issues of justice were concerned. For example, he not only protested against unjust forest laws but excommunicated the king's chief forester. He courageously attempted to protect Jewish people who were numerous in Lincoln and were persecuted during Richard 1's reign. Leprosy was common in England at the time and Hugh is said to have cared with his own hands for those affected.

You can read a very short Lincolnshire note about him here or a fuller Catholic Encyclopedia biographical article.

Here's the Church of England collect for today:

O God,
who endowed your servant Hugh
with a wise and cheerful boldness
and taught him to commend to earthly rulers
the discipline of a holy life:
give us grace like him to be bold in the service of the gospel,
putting our confidence in Christ alone,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Photo (Creative Commons) 'Mute Swan Cob, River Nidder, Salisbury' by Brian Robert Marshall:

St Margaret of Scotland

2011-11-16T19:43:00.000Z

Window in St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh Castle

Last month I enjoyed revisiting the oldest building still surviving in Edinburgh. This is a 12th Century chapel within Edinburgh castle dedicated to St Margaret and built by her son King David 1 of Scotland.

Today is her commemorative day as she died on 16 November 1093.

Entrance to St Margaret's Chapel

Margaret's mother was Hungarian and she was probably born there about 1045 and grew up in the Hungarian court, later moving to England. Her father Edward the Atheling was son of the Anglo-Saxon King of England Edmund II ('Ironside'). When William the Conqueror invaded England (1066) Margaret's family fled to Northumbria and attempted to return to mainland Europe from there, but were shipwrecked on the Scottish coast. King Malcolm III of Scotland (whose father Duncan had been killed by Macbeth) protected Margaret's family and married Margaret about 1070. Margaret and Malcolm had 8 children, including 3 Kings of Scotland (Edgar, Alexander I and David I) and a Queen Consort of England (Edith = Matilda, wife of Henry I of England).

East Window in St Margaret's Chapel

Margaret was only 47 years old when she died of ill-health, a few days after her husband and one of her sons died (fighting the English - King Malcolm did a lot of that.)

In her lifetime and since she acquired a reputation for holy living, faithfulness to the Roman Catholic church, religious reform and charitable works. She is said to have had a civilising influence on her husband and the Scottish royal court.

Turgot, Bishop of St Andrews was commissioned by Margaret's daughter to write an account of Margaret's life. You can read it on-line in a beautifully illustrated English translation with 19th century editorial footnotes here. (The original was in Latin.) I also enjoyed reading a later historical essay by David McRoberts about St Margaret Queen of Scotland.

We Will Remember Them

2011-11-11T08:30:00.004Z

The last 4 minutes of the 1968 film 'Oh What a Lovely War' brings home in a particularly poignant way the tragic loss of life in World War 1.

We will remember them.

And may our remembering

be such as makes for peace.

Will You Virtually Outlive Yourself?

2011-11-10T17:09:00.000Z

It's the classic desert island castaway story from the days before modern communications make it harder to be cut off anywhere. The castaway writes a message, seals it in a bottle and throws it out to sea. The hope is that one day the ocean currents will take it where it will be washed up on some distant shore. Someone will read it, understand and send a rescue boat.

Even if rescue comes too late, at least someone will know the castaway was there. It's an act of faith that someone somewhere will take an interest. Rather like burying a time capsule under a church floor, as has been done recently in a church where I serve. Is it buried for ever? Or will it one day be found by future restorers, stone masons or archaeologists? If it's found, what will the finder make of the contents? Will they understand the language or will English usage have changed out of all recognition?

It was a really interesting post a month ago by Vicky Beeching about 'How do we handle death online?' that set me off on this train of thought. I started a blog post in response and it has sat in my 'draft posts' box ever since. Vicky refers to the project of Adele McAlear at Death and Digital Legacy.com who explores the

"relationship between death, social media and technology through research, speaking and writing about digital legacy. She seeks to help people understand the personal, social, legal and business implications of all that they leave behind."

She raises pertinent questions about digital legacy, such as:

* What should you consider about your digital legacy today?
* What are the business implications of death online?
* How is technology changing the mourning process?
* How do families deal with a digital legacy?
* What are the policies of the online services?
* Who owns your content after you’ve passed on?
* What policies do online services have for digital legacy?”

Some of my blog posts are written in advance of a pre-scheduled automatic publishing time and date. I could die between saving and publishing, but the post would still publish. Would that be a problem for my family and friends, if I appear to virtually outlive myself by publishing a new post after my death? Some people schedule their tweets in advance on Twitter. What if they die before publication? My gallows humour suggests that 'rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated' might be a suitable tweet in such circumstances.

I'm grateful to those who are asking these questions. Getting to grips with the personal implications is going to take me a little longer than finishing this post.

What about you? Have you got it all sorted? Do your nearest and dearest know if or how they could close your on-line accounts or announce your death on Facebook or anywhere else? If you blog, have you thought of drafting a post mortem post to be published only in the event of your death? How could that be arranged anyway? But meanwhile, for who knows how long, our virtual lives will continue after our deaths like messages in bottles that someone might read and understand years later.

Image (CC): Monochrome Message in a Bottle by Jens Auer

All Saints Day at St Paul's or anywhere

2011-11-01T13:19:00.000Z

If you were stuck in St Paul's Cathedral, London, today (All Saints Day) and could choose a saint to be with you there, who would you choose? There are some I wouldn't want, like St Simon Stylites who sat for years on top of a pole saying nothing. I’d prefer St John the Baptist who might find locusts and wild honey to eat. On the other hand what he had to say could be too uncomfortable.

In St Paul's Cathedral, St Paul would be the obvious (but not comfortable) choice. I like the way Paul used the word 'saints' to mean something very different from unusually special people who end up with a halo in a stained glass window. Whenever St Paul wrote to a church he wrote "to the saints...", all the Christians in that place. His letter to the Romans begins, "To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints...". It's a calling most of we Christians don't live up to at all well. We "called-to-be-saints" are saints-in-the-making, ordinary fallible people who make mistakes. We're not perfected saints in heaven. Well you knew that didn't you?

Do you know the story of the boy whose teacher asked him, "what is a saint?" He'd recently been taken to visit a cathedral with magnificent stained-glass windows with pictures of saints. He thought for a moment, then said, "a saint is someone the light shines through".

How well the light shines through a window depends on the properties of the glass, how well it's crafted to let the light pass through and how clean it is. But, as long as the light is bright enough some rays get through even the dullest rough glass. However much daylight reaches the inside of a church through its windows, it's always brighter if you step outside.

St Francis of Assisi is said to have taught his monks that even should they be entranced by a vision of heaven, if a tramp knocked on the door and asked for water then turning to help the tramp would be the real heavenly vision. Turning away from the tramp would be to turn away from God's face. Peter Kreeft points out that the real saint is the one who sees who the tramp is: Jesus.

Martin Luther and a great sound

2011-10-31T13:21:00.000Z

On 31 October 1517 Martin Luther, a German Roman Catholic priest and theologian, one of the key inspirators of the Protestant Reformation nailed his 95 thesis to the chapel door of the University in Wittenburg. In doing so he challenged the corrupt practices of the church of his day and called for debate on those issues. Some Protestant churches observe today as Reformation Day. The Church of England commemorates Martin Luther today.

So, remembering him, if you enjoy organ music, listen to this magnificent work based on Luther's hymn, 'Ein Feste Burg ist Unser Gott' (a mighty fortress is our God). Luther's original words are based on Psalm 46. Here is Willem van Twillert playing Max Reger's Phantasie uber den Choral, 'Ein Feste Burg is unser Gott', Opus 27 on the organ of Grote of Magdalena Church, Goes, The Netherlands. I love the way the organist needs not one but TWO stop pullers to assist him!

St Paul's, protest and reaction: a round-up

2011-10-30T17:24:00.000Z

Here's a quick round-up of comments that have caught my eye or ear in the last few days, in relation to the Occupy London Stock Exchange protest and the behaviour of the church.

3 days ago, after Giles Fraser's resignation as Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral (London) Dave Perry's post The Christian Church in an age of protest: no signals no hope? says (among much else worth reading) that Christianity is

in tune with popular outrage at the economic and social chaos which the elites of the global banking and financial systems have brought down upon the masses worldwide. For the church to offer no signals and no hope at a time like this is just unforgiveable. It empties the gospel of meaning and reduces it to something vacuous, facile and futile.

2 days ago, in Capitalism and the Church of England, Lay Anglicana's blog enjoys the irony of the fact that the address of the London Stock Exchange is Paternoster Square. (Pater Noster = Our Father, just in case your Latin is a little rusty). The words 'Our Father' are of course the opening words of the Lord's Prayer. Her thoughtful post has links to other commentators worth reading on the current occupation outside St Paul's.

1 day ago Richard Littledale wondered how a moment of kindness on the church's part has led to a debate about the wrong question. The 'wrong question' being 'what would Jesus do? He points out the danger of hi-jacking Jesus as a poster boy to support a particular view. He asks how has a critique of capitalism turned into a debate about the church? His story about the rabbit disturbed by protesting mice and the role of the fat cats might be an oversimplification of a complex problem, but hits a nail or two on the head I think. Read it here.

Also yesterday, but I only caught up with it today is an interview with Bishop Alan of Buckingham by Krishnan Guru-Murphy of BBC Channel 4 News. Watch it. Here's someone in the church hierarchy talking some sense.

Photo (CC) 'Unlikely Campsite' by shaundon

Who Needs a Drink?

2011-10-27T18:28:00.001+01:00

Water Can Be Art (CC) http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcarlosn/3933670165/in/photostream/

"Water can be art, or can be drink, it's up to you, but actually, we need water" is what Jose Carlos Norte has written about this image - an interesting comment about both water and art. I used this image on 14 October for my first #digidisciple post at The BIGBible Project. This was the first of a monthly series about women of the gospels. Here is what I wrote:

Welcome to the first of a monthly series: ‘Blogging Women of the Gospels’. Not that any woman in the Gospels had a weblog, but their remarkable stories still resonate with lives in the digital age. I begin with an unnamed woman fetching water – what millions of women still spend hours working at each day, leaving little time for much else, as this 34 second video from Water Aid highlights.

As I turn on the tap and clean water fills my glass, it’s shocking that millions in today’s world don’t have that luxury. The story of a woman’s unexpected meeting with a man resting at Jacob’s Well is also shocking. He asked her for a drink of water. A simple request, you might think. But she was shocked. So were the man’s friends when they returned from buying lunch. If you don’t know the story you can read it in John 4: 1-42.

What was so shocking about this story?

SHOCK ONE: Jesus, a Jewish man, spoke alone with a woman who wasn’t his close relative. This was not proper. Observers might assume the conversation was a sexual proposition.
SHOCK TWO: The woman was a Samaritan. Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans, considering them polluted by their history of intermarriage with Assyrians and their different ideas about God and worship. They certainly wouldn’t share a drinking container with them. But Jesus needed a drink and asked the woman to give him water from her bucket.
SHOCK THREE: Jesus claimed to be able to give a spring of water gushing up into eternal life, so those who drank it would never thirst again. Who did he think he was? God? But the woman asked Jesus to give her this living water.
SHOCK FOUR: The woman was shocked that Jesus saw her situation and spoke the truth about it, “…you have had 5 husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband”. What shocks me is that many interpreters assume this to mean the woman was particularly immoral. She fetched water at noon, possibly to avoid other women’s company. Did they treat her badly? Did she lead a scandalous life? Or was she the victim of a series of tragic circumstances – widowed, abandoned, divorced or abused? Like many women with no voice and no power today?
SHOCK FIVE: The woman discussed theology with Jesus. Women weren’t considered capable of such discussion – that was men’s business. Jesus took her question about worship seriously and answered it. He didn’t accuse her of diverting discussion away from her marital history.
SHOCK SIX: The longest recorded discussion Jesus had with anyone was this one – with a foreign woman with a complex past.
SHOCK SEVEN: The first person in John’s gospel to whom Jesus revealed himself as the longed for Saviour was this woman.
SHOCK EIGHT: The woman left her water jar to go to tell people in her town about Jesus. Has the church lost that sense of urgency? If so, why?
SHOCK NINE: The first evangelist to non-Jewish people wasn’t a man like Philip or Paul, but this woman and we don’t even know her name. A woman was considered an unreliable witness but John records that many Samaritans came to believe in Jesus because of her testimony. And all this happened because Jesus was thirsty and needed a drink.

For further thought or discussion

Who needs a drink now of life-giving pure water? (Physical or spiritual)
If you could ask Jesus one question, what would it be?
Is there one thing about Jesus you are passionate to share with others? Are you doing this on and off line?
What for you are the hardest cross-cultural boundaries to bridge? Does social networking help this? Or does it tend to encourage on-line ghettoes of like-minded people?

Water

2011-10-14T17:09:00.002+01:00

Water is such a precious commodity. People like me, with easy access to clean drinking water from a tap at homes, take it for granted most of the time. I never wonder if water will flow at the turn of the tap. I don't have to get up early and walk miles to the nearest supply, carrying heavy water containers home on my head, shoulder or back. The only time I have ever had to walk to fetch water is while camping and then it's been fun and only for a week or so and only across a field.

It's shocking that about 1 in 8 of the world population do not have access to safe drinking water. Diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation result in about 4000 child deaths per day. If you want to help change this, have a look at Water Aid, an international non-governmental organisation with

"a mission is to transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world's poorest communities".

Water has been on my mind recently as I've thought about how one woman, whose daily chore of fetching water from a well led to an unexpected meeting with a traveller who she couldn't stop talking about. I don't know her name. I know who she met. His name was Jesus...You can read the story here.You can read some of my thoughts about it on my #digidisciple post at the Big Bible Project: Who Needs a Drink: Woman Fetching Water. You can also find a reflection about this story here: Living Water and (with a video of a modern monologue of what the woman might have said) here: Thirsty.

Photo by Joost Nelissen

A Commitment to Blogging

2011-10-12T19:54:00.000+01:00

I don't have to blog. No-one is paying me to do so. It doesn't make any difference to whether or not I eat. I can write a post when I feel like it and have the time. When I don't I can just leave the blog alone for a few days or weeks. So why do it at all? Because I enjoy it. Even if no-one reads it I would probably still do it.

Now I've taken a new scary step in the blogging world. I've committed myself to posting on the 14th day of each month as a #digidisciple on the BigBibleProject. My focus is 'Blogging Women of the Gospels'. There are some wonderful stories and they all resonate with experience of people today. Some things are timeless. When I listed them (including those without names) I was surprised how many there are. This could keep me busy for a long time!

My first #digidisciple post will be published on Friday 14 October at 2 pm. This is about an unnamed woman in John's Gospel who was such a credible witness to Jesus that many come to believe through her. Signing up on the Big Bible Project as a 'digidisciple' has meant getting to grips with Word Press. I submitted my first post for review/editing this morning and have now been told it's ready and scheduled to go. Maintaining this new regular commitment will probably be a challenge - but I like challenges. And no, I won't get paid for that either. I hope some of you will read it. I will cross-post here from time to time.

Is blogging a vocation or a compulsion? Just asking.

Whoever has ears, let them hear!

2011-10-10T16:21:00.000+01:00

I'm pleased to hear from the BBC that Lambeth Palace has confirmed that the Archbirshop of Canterbury's hoped-for meeting with President Mugabe of Zimbabwe is to go ahead.

Yesterday Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury preached to 15,000 Anglicans in a sports stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe. His inspirational sermon was on the gospel of the day, Matthew's version of Jesus' parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22: 1-14). It included some very direct references to the suffering of the church in Zimbabwe and criticisms of Mugabe's regime.

Here is is the concluding section:

Dear friend in Christ, you have given so much to the Church worldwide and to your neighbours in this great and troubled country. Day by day, you have to face injustice and the arrogance of 'false brethren' as St Paul would call them. You must often have prayed with the Psalmist, 'We have been treated with so much contempt. We have been mocked too long by the rich and scorned by proud oppressors' (Ps 123.3-4). Yet you must know that we give thanks to God for you – for your patience and generosity and endurance. Your life here is tortured by uncertainty and the constant risk of attack, yet it speaks to all of us in the worldwide Communion of the victory of Jesus Christ and the undefeated will of God to welcome people into his Kingdom and to seat them at the table of his Son so that we can celebrate the marriage of heaven and earth in the fleshly life and death and resurrection of the Lord. 'We have put our trust in him and he has rescued us.' Today we are able to enjoy a foretaste of that rescue and that heavenly feast in the Eucharist. And the free invitation of God to be reconciled and healed, to leave behind the paths of violence and injustice, is once again spoken out as we gather – spoken out to this country and to the whole world. What can we say or pray except to cry out with Our Lord, 'Whoever has ears, let them hear!'

The full text is here.

A prayer for the people of Zimbabwe: Lord, have mercy

Thanks: a Round-up

2011-10-07T17:18:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I promised a round-up of some bloggers who have helped me on my way, challenged or amused me. There really are too many to list or thank, but here are 5 for now. Please do not be offended if you think I should have included you. I'm grateful to you all, especially those who write the blogs I regularly follow. You can see the list towards the bottom of the right-hand sidebar. Many, many thanks.

That "snapper-up of unconsidered trifles" Autolycus was one of the first people to comment on my blog when it was a baby. Thanks to Autolycus and the link in his post Belgium Invades I now know what Rockall looks like. This huge rock (tiny island) was just a name in the shipping forecast before. This post includes a video clip of the brilliant Flanders and Swan with their song 'Rockall'. Autolycus regularly posts excellent photos with well-written comments, mostly London based and with an eye for the unusual.

The Beaker folk of Husborne Crawley blog often makes me laugh. It's a satiricial blog - it's meant to amuse. It also often makes me think and I think that's also the intention. I like their disclaimer which begins, "None of the content of this site is remotely related to reality...." This is not true of course, it often has uncomfortable echoes of reality which is why it is funny. An example is the recent post 'If Ministerial Selection were like the X-Factor' caught my eye this week.

The artist Jean Haines has a blog called Watercolours With Life. Her posts, often with photos of work in progress are a joy to read or just look at. She has a very positive and encouraging attitude that has helped convince me that it is OK to enjoy playing with paint, even if my results mostly end in the bin. It's time I took her advice to heart, particularly that in her last Tuesday's post Injections of Positivity.

Digitalnun whose posts at iBenedicines are well worth reading, definitely deserves a mention. I have learnt so much from them. The recent post on Control of Speech suggests that until we have learnt something about speech we can't understand silence. I'm still trying to work out what that means. I'm wondering if blogging is a preparation for the silence of which she speaks, or whether her blog posts emerge from the discipline of silence.

Finally thank you to Tabloid Watch, a blog I've just discovered, for explaining here what that cat story was all about - or not.

Image, issued under Creative Commons by 'toettoet'

Missed marking the 200th Post

2011-10-06T10:46:00.000+01:00

Yesterday's post was the 200th published on this blog. So this is number 201. Not many in 2 years and 5 months - not compared with people who regularly blog daily. But more than I thought I'd manage when I cautiously began blogging back in May 2009.

I'm annoyed I missed marking the 200th post in some celebratory way yesterday. I blame my house keys - they decided to get lost. (Yes, it must be their fault. It couldn't possibly be mine, could it?) So I blogged about lost keys instead. A comment on that post suggested I should change the blog name to 'Finder' but I'm sticking to Seeker. The reason I chose that name is still important to me. You can find the explanation on my 'About' Page. To save you time, here is what I wrote there:

Why is this blog called Seeker?
I chose the name when I started blogging as a complete novice in 2009. I've stuck with it. It fits. A saying of Jesus I find challenging is "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" (Matthew 6: 33). 'Seek' in this context means 'strive for', not just a leisurely exploration. So I'm sticking with the name because it challenges me. I hope some of my posts may challenge you. On the other hand (you can tell I'm an Anglican) I am comforted by belief that the true 'Seeker' is God who reaches out in love to 'seek and save that which is lost'. So even when I mess up, which I do, I know there's a way back which God has prepared. I hope you will also find that Way and that Love.

Tomorrow I hope to do a round-up of other bloggers who have helped me on my way, challenged or amused me. Watch this space...

Lost Keys

2011-10-05T19:31:00.001+01:00

Do you hate losing things? I do. Today I lost my house keys. I've tried every technique:

retracing my steps
accusing my husband of pocketing them
looking in the places where they should be
looking again where they should be
looking in unlikely places - the fridge, the washing machine, in the bed, the laundry basket etc.
looking again in unlikely place
relaxing with a cup of tea hoping for inspiration
having another cup of tea
forgetting about them and working on a sermon
forgetting about them and blowing paint across paper with a straw (watercolour technique)
praying to find them (yes - my last resort in this case!)
contacting some other people
giving up and writing this post instead

Professor Solomon boasts of having an 'amazing method' for finding lost objects, based on his 'Twelve Principles':

Don't look for it.
It's not lost - you are.
Remember the 3 C's
It's where it's supposed to be.
Domestic Drift.
You're looking Right at it.
The camouflage effect.
Think back.
Look Once, Look Well
The Eureka Zone
Tail thyself
It wasn't you

Well, I've worked through all these. I still haven't found my house keys. Professor Solomon then suggests a 13th Principle which involves calling off the search, relaxing and accepting the object is lost. I wish I could do that easily. In Professor Solomon's 'Final Word' I read:

"Remember, lost objects can be found.

They want to be found.

And they will be found—by SYSTEMATIC SEARCHERS.

Searchers for whom finding things is not a chore, but a challenge.

Searchers who—instead of ransacking their own house—sit down, don their thinking cap, take a sip of tea, half-close their eyes, and murmur:

“All right, the game’s afoot!”

Searchers who conscientiously apply the Twelve Principles.

Searchers like yourself."

I can't agree that my house keys "want to be found" - they are not sentient beings.
Jesus told a story of a woman searching for a lost coin, sweeping every inch of the house until she found it. I thought of that while looking for my keys. It's one of 3 'lost' stories found in Luke's gospel (chapter 15), the others being the lost sheep and the lost son. All show something of God's love for 'lost' people and the activity of Jesus in searching out the lost, socialising with people thought disreputable by the religious leaders, not giving up on them.

Image of keys by rastmo