Monthly Archives: March 2011

celebrate the pioneer Patrick

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Today is St Patrick’s day – but then you already now that as St Patrick’s day has become a well known and popular date across the world. If I was to choose a favourite saint it would always be St Patrick. People who now me smile at this as I think (I maybe wrong) that they think my delight in marking St patrick’s day has something to do with the occasion being marked with alcohol in a bog way across the world. This is not the main reason – although I am always happy to join with the Guinness and Jameson’s!

St Patrick landed in Ireland as bishop on March 25th 433.That happens to be our wedding anniversary – the 25th March bit, not the 433 bit – although Sarah would probably say it feels like it’s been since 433!

St Patrick was a pioneer – there is no doubt about it. Going to Ireland with the gospel message with the plan to stay in that one area. He didn’t just pop into Ireland, tell a few people, build a church and then pop off somewhere else. He stayed for the rest of his life. Such was his commitment to this group of people. It wasn’t an easy place to work but he loved the people, even up fronting England over it’s treatment of Irish Christians. I also admire the way that St. Patrick used the everyday stuff well – using a shamrock to explain the Trinity.

I think St Patrick would be worried by the ‘one size fits all’ approach employed by many to faith; but I wonder more what he would think of the ‘common’ practice to move priests to new locations every few years. St Patrick stayed in Ireland for 40 years  – it’s that sort of commitment I love about him.

So – go celebrate today – St patrick should be remembered well!

Pioneer open day

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There is another CMS Pioneer Training open day on May 19th.
Go to Jonny’s blog and check out the details here.
Still wishing something like this was around when I started.

crap n all!

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I have recently stumble across, via TSK, the blog of Jamie the very worst missionary. IT makes quite refreshing reading.

Here, I think, we have a woman who is committed to her calling but also committed to sharing the grittiness of her life as a missionary in Costa Rica. Some of her blog posts make you laugh, some like ‘I have a heart for you’ (written on Feb 14th) bring me close to tears.

Too often people in mission gloss over the crap and stuff and share just the exciting bits, just the ‘victories’ and just the bits they think people want to hear. jamie says it as it is ‘crap n all’. I shall be following Jamie from now on as God clearly beams out of her writings. Why not go check it out…

one small step

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On Sunday the gathering got together to look at the subject of ‘giving birth to a church’ using Acts 2 as our bible passage to look at. We asked the question of ourselves wondering how we can live out our faith in a way that is both attractive to others and meaningful for our lives as they are.

Sometimes it is just too easy to look at a church 2000 years ago and say, ‘ok … we need to do exactly what they did then.; Of course … we don’t! That was 2000 years ago and now is now – the faith is the same, maybe hassles are even the same, but the context is totally different. I guess it was this we were grappling with as a community of around 12 people.

As we reflected on where we have come from, it became clear that not all were aware of the gathering story, and that an issue we need to do something about. It seems we have traveled some way, but we are painfully aware that there is a long way to go. As someone pointed out – giving birth to something is only the beginning. The gathering has been born, but now we need to think about how we nurture and feed that so that we grow into a healthy vibrant Christian community.

I’m a fairly impatient person and I want to know where we are going – and I shared yesterday that for the very first time in anything I have done that I do not know where to go next or what to do. That frustrates me, but it does not worry me. I think that is a healthy position to be in. It means we are treading forward together quite carefully, trying to walk with God and allow him to take the initiative.

To be honest – I always knew being involved in starting something completely new was going to be challenge. the gathering is made up of an amazing group of people, and without them it would be a nightmare rather than just a massive challenge. Starting something new is, though, such hard work!

One thing we have agreed on, which I guess is pretty much the next step (and so, I guess, all we need to know at the moment) is that we need to spend more time together around a meal table simply getting to know each other better. I am quite excited by the thought of doing this – it feels the right thing to do and I think that is all we have to go on at the moment as to what we should be doing next. I think someones suggestion that this should happen in various places, both private and public, and at various times is a good suggestion.

As we meet to eat we will be able to share our stories, our dreams, our visions and our passions … and I wonder, just wonder, what may come from that.

(if you want to check out the gathering you can find us here or on facebook

‘my bowels …’

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The morning tends to start for me in the cathedral at 8am with Morning Prayer from Common Worship. I have come to find the receptiveness and the rhythm to be a real support for me. My one complaint would be that there are a lot of words and loads of scripture, much of which can wash over me a lot of the time, but nevertheless the rhythm and the discipline is a powerful way for me to start off my day.

In the cathedral we have the privilege of being able to move around different parts of the cathedral to help us pray during different seasons. During Lent we pray in the starkness of the crypt – not the cosy Ithamar Chapel which many will know and where the gathering gets together … but in the larger body of the crypt. It tends to feel very wilderness-y and is sparse, bare, grey etc etc etc.

To mark the 400th anniversary of the King James version this Lent all the BIble readings during morning and evening prayer are from the KJV. It’s been a long time since I even looked at the KJV but I have to admit that there is something about the poetic language of the version which can give a whole different image or impression to think about.

This mornings reading brought a smile to our faces: Jeremiah 4: 19 – end. In our normal NRSV version the reading starts ‘my anguish, my anguish’. The King James starts …’my bowels, my bowels’  … which produced a snigger as well as getting us to engage with the reading in a fresh way … certainly expressive! Maybe there is something in this ‘older’ language after all ….

open the fist

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This morning I spoke about lent being an opportunity to give up our old images of God and allow God to show us more of the real him. I guess I started to think about this last year during Lent while reading Maggi Dawn’s Giving It Up and was challenged about this again after recently reading these words of Bishop Tom Wright: ‘We need God to show us where our images of God have become too harsh, too weak, too small, too fragile, too stern.’

As I reflect over a number of conversations I have had with quite a few people over the last couple of years it strikes me that there are a lot of people with an incredibly harsh view of God. They have an image that God hates them because of their lifestyle, or because they are not good enough. There are others I have chatted with who try to box God and protect him, worried about discussing their faith too much in case all their beliefs come crumbling down – personally I see no point in worshipping a God who you feel you need to protect!
Imagine holding something there that you wish to protect, something precious, something that you do not wish to be harmed. Look at your fist. What you have in there is safe and secure. No one can harm it or steal it. No one can take it from you. It is safe and you know that.
But …. look at your fist again and ask yourself a question – how can I receive anything new? How can God add to my understanding? How can God show me more of who he is?
A fist protects and holds, but it can’t receive.
You need an open hand to receive
Why not open your fist … now you can receive – but the risk in opening your hand is that you can lose what you have tightly held grasped safely in there for a while, maybe even years.
I wonder if Lent is a time to open our hands. 
To give up our false images of God.
I think it’s a tough task, but this Lent I am making time to allow God to show me what false images or God I have and then I’m going to try to let them go

melting sun

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this weeks Photo Friday topic is ethereal
larger image here
if you want to ‘vote’ go here
(number 161)

old habits …

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Today I had an unexpected interruption. I had a phone call from a  young woman asking if she could meet up today to talk about pioneer ministry. Immediately I said I needed to look at my diary – but then laughed at myself as I realised there was nothing in my diary – it is the exception if there is!

It seems old habits die hard. I left YFC two and a half years ago when checking the diary and squeezing time in to get another meeting in was necessary. Today, though, I have space to be with people.

This evening I have been reflecting upon my initial ‘I need to check my diary’ response. Was that really an old habit taking it’s time to die or was it simply myself not wishing to show that my diary is empty? Was it me trying to appear busier than I am? Was it me trying to say I am important and at the centre of my little universe again …. less than 24 hours after Ash Wednesday reminded me that I am a mere person and that it is all about God! Seems there is a loty of work for me to still grab the message and believe it!

I like meeting new people and I was glad to meet up in wetherspoons today to listen to this person’s story and hear about her vision, which is both exciting and hard work … as is all ministry. I really hope and pray that she finds people to support her in this vision.

… from dust you came …

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Today has been Ash Wednesday.

I have just returned from the cathedral with an ash cross on my forehead. It was placed there with the following words:

‘remember that you are but dust, from dust you came and from dust you will return. Turn from sin and be faithful to Christ.’

That may seem quite morbid, and there are definitely resonances with a funeral service there; but I think this simple acts serves a good purpose at the start of lent as it reminds me of my mortality.

Life in our western, technological, 21st century, materialistic world where life can be prolonged, where any food can be eaten out of season, and where we can purchase anything from ebay presents us with an illusion – the illusion that we are in control. Th illusion, I guess, that our little worlds do revolve around us.

This evening  a small ash cross, two simple lines,  serves as a reminder that it is actually all about God.

This lent I will be endeavouring to spend more time in prayer and contemplation as I seek to lose the illusion that it’s about me, and regain a truer image of God.

King Philip IV prank

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Improv Everywhere have been up to their amazing missions  – this one in an art gallery.
The question, or is that confusion, of the older gentleman is quite amusing.
I am still thinking we should try something like this here – any ideas?