All the best plans go wrong!
You may be wondering why I stopped the daily blog reports from the residential, you may have thought I was slain in the spirit for 4 days, or drunk from malt, or you may not give a … hoot! For some reason the powers of Kings school put a halt to my blogging – I could not et online, which was a shame as I had loads to write.

On to a few highlights from the rest of the week:

Day 5 – Wednesday
We had a really informative day with Delbert Sandiford from Southwark Diocese looking at racism awareness.
During the afternoon we were given free time and Sarah and the children came to visit for a few hours. It was great to see them, but really really painful to wave goodbye from a Canterbury car park. I was surprised how sad I felt and realised it’s usually them doing the waving. The rest of the afternoon saw a quiet ‘Rob the Recluse’ in his room watching some DVD.

During the evening we visited Pinocchios for a meal. Good people to spend an evening with, but not great food so I won’t be going there again! We then caught a couple of beers before not being allowed back in to the cathedral grounds and having to walk miles (I exaggerate) to another gate.

Then more table football … Rob and Jeremy still so easily the champions!

Quote of the day Delbert:
‘we can only see others through the prism of our own culture, and God is present in all cultures and heritages’.

Day 6:Maundy Thursday
This was probably the worst day of the week, looking at denominations. I’d like to say interesting – but I just don’t care! I’m not saying I don’t want to know what others believe, just that I am not interested in hearing how they all started. Today was difficult, and in the last lecture I fell asleep 4 times, hopefully I didn’t snore… but I think I might have woken up just before I stared to dribble!

Football and whisky in the evening – Rob and Jeremy still champions!

Quote of the day … ‘you’ve only got 12 churches!’ but can’t remember what it means – sorry it’s an ‘in joke’!

Day 7: Good Friday
This day I got my essay dome during the afternoon and Gills won their 5th in a row!

The morning saw SEITE students attending the Liturgy of the cross in the cathedral. I am always telling people that they need to step outside their comfort zone. Today, I did just that! I was disturbed by lines of people queuing to kneel at and kiss the cross. I could not fathom what was happening, but I could see that for others, who I have come to care about and respect, were involved in a very deep and meaningful worship act.

This evening we went to the pub and I was able to ask some of these friends what was happening. Through this I was able to understand a little more of why they see this events as personally important to them. If the church could have the level of dialogue that we had in Simple Simons that night, with mutual trust, an honest desire to understand, a commitment to question without offending and a genuine desire to remain friends – then maybe we would see less schism in the church.

One of the beauties of a course like SEITE is that it gives this opportunity to learn from people from other traditions. Today I was able to ask and learn, when before I probably would have dismissed and forgotten. The difference, I think, is observing people you are starting to know and value as friends, because then it is a lot harder to dismiss pratices as you naturally wish to understand.

The evening saw Rob and Jeremy, yet again, win table football and so obviously this is a good omen for England in the world cup this year!

Day 8: Saturday!
My birthday – yahoo!
People sang Happy Birthday at breakfast – ahhh that was nice.
I gave away all my spare specsavers vouchers to people who did not believe I was 41!
I was given a really nice card and little birthday cake form my initial years students – they are all cool!

It was great to get home after a good lecture from Jane Williams and just rest and relax with Sarah and the children – well I opened some pretty cool presents really in the DVD, CD and book line. The we went out for a curry that evening which was just wonderful – the New East India in Gillingham is simple the best curry house!

Coming home has been great. I have really missed the family and I feel like I have missed a week of theirs. They feel like they have missed a week of mine. It seems more and more that separate lives are becoming more of a reality which I am uncomfortable with, but not sure what to do about it. Maybe that’s just life?

Anyway … that was the week away – thanks to those of you praying.

It was great to be there, a great privilege to be in Canterbury over Easter week, and a great bunch of people to be able to spend it with – the photos will be in flickr very soon!