Weird experience today – I had lunch with my wife!
We went out with friends we have not been able to meet with for ages and when thinking how we could find time in 4 busy diaries decided that lunch was goig to be the easiest.
It was good having lunch, chatting and looking out over the Medway.
Must do it more often!

I’m just starting to think about getting ready for the last SEITE weekend of the year; another weekend away from home, another weekend with people who have become good friends, another weekend preparing for future work.

It’s quite weird thinking about revving up to study and reflect on stuff, when everyone else is visibly winding down with the weekend, good weather, bbq’s etc. in sight. While those people are having fun, we will be in lecture theatres thinking about ‘preaching’ – not a subject that really inspires me. To be honest, I think the age of the preach in church is well over!

I don’t think I go anywhere else where a supposed ‘expert’ stands in front of people and speaks without reproach. It just does not seem natural! For years I have heard the church acknowledge that the best way people learn/discover is to be involved in dialogue or action; and yet – we keep the preach. In my church we know that people learn in different ways, and yet we keep the preach!

I can’t remember where I read it, but I smiled when I saw on the page that ‘preaching is the sacred cow that needs to be killed’. In fact I gave a loud yes!!! There are so many better and more engaging ways to look at the bible. We still need people with Bible knowledge – I’m not saying we don’t – I just think we can use the skills of these people in a much more effective and engaging way.

I dream of a place where together we can look at scripture, where together we can discuss how it applies to life in our 21st century communities, where together we can hear of each others experiences, where together we can support and challenge each other, where together we can chat about difficult passages, where together we can see different meanings and still get on, where together we move forward on our journey with God. Is that too much of a dream?

Looks like I’m going to have a fun weekend then!

Well … at least this is the last one!

On Monday 19th June Aung San Suu Kyi will be spending her 61st birthday under house arrest. She is allowed no visitors, her phone line is cut, her post intercepted and she is being denied proper access to medical care.

TAKE ACTION TO FREE AUNG SAN SUU KYI!

Protest in London: Monday 19th June: 12.30-2pm, Burmese Embassy, 19a Charles St, W1J 5DX. Nearest tube: Green Park.

Take action from anywhere in the world.

Click here for information on sending a birthday card to Aung San Suu Kyi, and emailing the regime demanding her release.

Please send a card or an email – such a little act that can have profound consequences.

“Aung San Suu Kyi is
a modern icon of
moral courage.”
Bono

Tom is at home these last two days of the week. His school sets the children work while the teachers do reviews with parents and students. It does seem a bit of a doss to me – having 2 days off to give 10 min interviews, but hey it seems to work.

Proud day today as the review is full of A’s and B’s – can’t think at all where he get the brains from – must be his mother! 97% in the Geography exam, however, is definitely the Ryan blood within him. I do ask myself – how on earth do you get 97%!!??

After the rain stopped today we went to Gillingham pier for a couple of hours as Tom loves fishing. He didn’t catch anything, but again I was proud as he casts seemingly miles and has great patience as he watches his rod. It wag a simply fantastic opportunity to just chat, just be ourselves, with no interruptions. Just to be Dad and Son seems to be a rare opportunity – but one that is excellent. I miss doing this, I need to do it more – before it is too late and he is no longer interested in his old codger of a father!

The great day had a great end with the screen in the garden again for England’s glorious and convincing victory over Trinidad and Tobago. Mmmm – did I mention I only really watched the match from the 85th minute and it looked like they played excellent to me! Anyway – when was the last time in the World Cup that we qualified first and with a game to spare. This time, we may have made a meal of it, but we have qualified the easy way!

Still – the highlight of the day – sitting with Tom, chatting and watching the rod for bites – cheers Son for a cool day!

I had my appraisal today at South Mimms with Richard. It’s good to look back at they year and think about the next one ahead. Seems like I’m doing a good job – always good to know!

On the way home the traffic was a nightmare (40 mins to do 3 miles!) so I popped into Lakeside, bought some stuff at Decathlon (the best sports shop ever!)grabbed a coffee at Starbucks and looked around Borders where I grabbed some things for making cards and a book on dream interpretation.

God seems to have been bugging me about dreams recently in the whole Mind Body Spirit fair setting. In the Old Testament dreams play quite a major role in a few places. I’ve been thinking that if we run a stall at a Mind Body Spirit fair here in Kent then maybe Dream Interpretation is something we could offer. While at Borders I picked up a book that looks like it says some stuff; so I’ll read it and then see how that fits with example from scripture. Maybe this is a mad and wacky idea – but I think it’s worth thinking about at the moment – even if it gets the ‘prompting’ of God off my back.

As for my current dream – at the moment that is easy! My dream is that on July 9th David Beckham lifts the world cup. Is that shallow?

I ws challenged today by this meditation:

I see your hands
not white and manicured,
but scarred and scratched and competent,
reach out –
not always to remove the weight I carry,
but to shift it’s balance, ease it,
make it bearable.
Lord, if this is where you want me,
I’m content.
No, not quite true. I wish it were.
All I can say, in honesty, is this:
If this is where I’m meant to be,
I’ll stay. And try.
Just let me feel your hand.
And, Lord, for all who hurt today –
hurt more than me –
I ask for strength and that flicker of light,
the warmth, that says you’re there.

Eddie Askew
Many Voices, One Voice

I find myself to be quite sickened by these events on a beach in Gaza at the weekend.

I feel quite angry at the injustice and disregard for human life. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters – all Palestinian, all dead, all killed by the Israeli military while enjoying themselves as a family, on their rest day, on the beach.

I think of the times I have rested on the beach with my family, my friends. I think about how this could have been my family, my friends, my loved ones if I had been born in a different place.

I am not sure if I am sickened or angry, probably both, to see Tony Blair today welcoming, shaking the hand and smiling with Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister. I wonder what that picture, so soon after these killings, will say to the rest of the world. I wonder why the meeting cannot have been postponed out of respect. I wonder if any other country who had committed such an act would be welcomed with smiles at Number 10?

It was the penultimate SEITE session this evening. One more session and this weekend at Kent University and I am free …. until September when we all kick off again.

I have started to reflect on this year at SEITE and thinking on what I think I have gained / contributed / learned. Ultimately I am asking if my life and faith are richer due to 12 months of SEITE experience!

As I reflect I think ‘yes!’ my life is richer due to the great people I have met, and those that have become good friends. I would not have met these wonderful people in any other circumstances, so SEITE has been a success just for the new relationships alone! Interestingly, I have just seen a copy of a report on me – every report this year on me speaks of the importance of relationships to me – weird that!

What have I learned as I have reflected theologically? I have learned there are far more questions than there are answers. I have also learned there are others out there struggling with and asking the same questions.

Contributions – I dunno! But I hope I have made the odd person laugh here and there and feel valued as a new friend of mine too! I also hope I have challenged others in the way that others have challenged me. I’m not fishing for comments there either!

So, I welcome the break, but I do look forward to continuing this interesting journey; just not quite yet!

Ok, maybe the England match was not a great match to watch, and there were some interestingly dubious decisions by the manager, but at the end of the first day’s play of Group B, England top the table with 2 point lead! I think thanks go to Brent Sancho of Gillingham and Shaka Hislop more than to the England squad but we’ll take those points however we can.

We had a few friend around and rigged up a big screen in the garden – this is where we shall be watching all the England games – anyone that knows me a s a friend is more than welcome to join us!

I’ve just booked my ticket for this on Saturday 15th July.

I’ve just been able to start reading ‘Emerging Churches’ by Gibbs and Bolger as I’ve finished SEITE work – interesting that I’ve read the first 4 chapters in only a couple of hours which is much quicker than the other books I have had to read. It’s definitely one of the most readable and best books I have read in a little while.

The day looks excellent and I am really looking forward to hearing from Ryan Bolger and particularly Karen Ward

Hoping to see some new and old friends there too.