We’ll be sorry to see you go Hess!

You have done us proud over the years – maybe again in the future!

Hess the legend speaks here

Today Tom is 12 – Hapy Birthday mate!
How can 12 years go by so quickly?

It’s really weird to know I can remember minute details of that day 12 years ago in the hospital in Bristol, and yet I can forget things that happened only last month, week – or even earlier today!

AS just after 6 this evening I was able to say to Sarah that I knew exactly what we were both doing – Sarah was being tken off for a bath and I ws left in the delivery suite holding the 15 minute old Tom – I guess it must have been an important and speial moment. In fact, I even remember our first conversation on that day!

I remember the joy, the elation, the excitement which was all mixed with an awe, an amazement that we had created this fantastic little person as well as a good dose of fear and anxiety as to whether I was ready to be a dad, and a hope that I would not be a dad like mine!

I often wonder where that love for Tom came from. It’s clear it was there, but its also clear that it was there for Tom before he was born. I loved the child in the womb before I knew anything about him or her.

I wonder if that is something of the image of God within us. As God loves us unconditonally, is there is inbuilt love within humanity for their own? Is that a mark of the creator within us?

Another thought – I still know the excitement of that first love for Tom and when I think of it I think it must reflect in a a very minute way the love that God feels for each of his creations; and I guess he experiences some of those fears and anxieties for us as well.

Happy Birthday Tom!

I have the hardship of YFC staff conference here for the next week.

In past years they have not had an internet connection available so it will be a case of no blogging till next week.

Have a good week – I think I will!

This weeks Church Times devotes it’s middle pages to looking at the MPH campaign and what still needs to happen.

Personally, this time last year I was full of enthusiasm and felt we could do something major. Great thins have happened, but I do feel more than a little let down by my MP, my party and my government on this issue – so much more could easily have been done. Why, for example can’t debt be written off earlier, and what is the issue for rich countries with only 0.7% of their income going towards aid? It’s less than 1%, such a small amount with the budgets that these people deal with. It’s saddening that despite the profile of poverty and its effects that still these countries refused to be moved to compassion, even when it involves such a miniscule percentage!

So … poverty is not history yet – which means we keep campaigning. I remember feeling similar after the Free Nelson Mandela concerts … nothing happened, so what did we do – we kept campaigning, supported ANC, continued writing letters and just let our voice be herd again, and again, and again!

Poverty isn’t history yet – so we need to do this again!

There is no clear policy yet on what happens with the MPH campaign in 2006. It may just hand on to outhers, or it may reform in a new partnership as essentially the big push was for the year of 2005 with the unique opportunities 2005 gave. And what a campaign – 31 million people from 84 national coalitions campaigned to raise awareness and demand action – and still governments just did the minimum!!!

Poverty isn’t history yet so there are still things we can do in 2006:

– Go to the MPH website to explore options for ongoing involvement.
– sign the Micah Call
– contact your MP through the stop aids website
– do stuff with the Jubilee Campaign
– keep in touch with the trade justice movement

This morning I have finished all my assignments and so can breathe a huge sigh of relief! It feels pretty cool to know that I don’t have to worry about these 3 assignments anymore and can think about the rest of the term.

The big assignment was on prayer and I have just sent out my latest weekly prayer diary which led me to think on how amazing prayer actually is – see my comments on the Heel of Heaven for what I mean.

It’s amazing and humbling to know that this week, as in other weeks, that there are around 30 people praying for me during the week, 30 people joining with God at the foot of the throne – it gives me a confidence I cannot describe – thanks people!

(oh … if you’d like to join the 30 with a weekly mail let me know!)

Roy has been very funny and clever here.

I’ve also uploaded our snow pics into Flikr.

This evening we dismantled the Christmas tree and moved it to the back garden. From here it will be chopped and recycled – some friendly, and some not so friendly as the children love the noise the pine needles make on the open fire when we have one. It’s like New Year’s Eve all over again. If you are going to try it – make sure the fire guard is very in place as the sparks do fly noisily.

I hate taking the tree out as it means Christmas, the season of fun, friends, families, is all over and we are back to reality and work.

Today I got 500 word of my essay done – only 2000 to go! I’m hoping that means I am now on a roll!

Found this great new blog which is going to be a favourite for collecting quotes from.

The last couple of offerings:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain

Each day holds a surprise. But only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us. Let’s not be afraid to receive each day’s surprise, whether it comes to us as sorrow or as joy. It will open a new place in our hearts, a place where we can welcome new friends and celebrate more fully our shared humanity.

Henri Nouwen

This blog is going to save hours of time for loads of us!
Thanks Len!

… is something I hear and say a lot.

Problem – what is ‘the box’ and have I even been thinking inside it yet?

2006 has been quite quiet for me on the blogging front so far. I have found myself ‘word dry’ with nothing of worth to write about. In addition I have been immersed in books on the history of daily prayer and mulling over what angle I can take.

I am currently thinking along 2 lines; the possibility that the prescribed liturgy in the form of daily office is nothing other than an attempt to control the people rather than a genuine and honest desire to enable people to worship. I’m not sure – it may work!

My other idea is to look at the rise of new contemporary (or is it the re-discovery of)Celtic orders of Office such as from the Northumbria Community, Iona and so on and how these have adapted from other services of daily prayer and what it is they are trying o achieve.

As it looks at the moment I am struggling and grasping for inspiration!

In my reading and investigation, however, I have been thinking on the whole subject of worship generally. IN my research I found this quote from Penham:

‘Worship is to enable us to reach up to grasp the heel of heaven, to glimpse, albeit imperfectly and fleetingly, the life of heaven, to plug in, for a moment, to the worship of the angels and the praises of the saints … we do not create worship; we simply join ourselves for a while to the perpetual worship around the throne of God.’

Isn’t that an amazing thought!

I really have grown up in an environment of where worship is about what we bring, giving ourselves to God and all of that. I still believe there is truth in that outlook. To worship (and prayer is part of this) as the whole church, however, must include the part of the church that is not here, but that part already in heaven – the angels and the saints!

To think that I am joining in each morning with the party going on around the throne of God is simply mind-blowing! I’m even smiling as I type!