I met up with the Pompey Pioneer yesterday who made the journey to Rochester and found me …. yes you guessed it … in Wetherspoons! He’s quite a good bloke … apart from a very misguided interest in Portsmouth Football Club!
We had a good couple of hours chatting away about ‘stuff’ such as mission and discernment and other pioneering things.
For me it was great to be able to hear someone else’s story and be questioned on mine.
Thanks Mark for your time!
We had another interesting gathering this afternoon. We took the theme of love from 1 Cor 13 as it was Valentines Day and each group of people brought something to share whether tht be music, liturgy, prayer ideas or something to help us in our looking at the Bible passage.
This was one of the most inclusive gatherings from an involvement point of view that we have had for a little while, possibly as most of us were able to join up together this afternoon.
After our worship together we chatted about the future. We agree that we need to move from our home, and we agree on the location we would like to move to. Watch this space – I think it’s exciting but I don’t want to post anything until I am 100% certain this is going to happen. We also seem to have pretty strong ideas of a name, and an explanantion of our name to sit alongside what we are trying to achieve and who we are. The light is starting to shine through the woods!
Who we are and what we are about is a challenge to us all, although it is summed up with words such as acknowledgment of all being on a journey, of being inclusive and of being participatory rather than merely consumerist. We come together as the body of Christ, accepting of all, with no expectations of each other, in order to learn more about truth together.
It has taken a long time to get to this place along with a lot of hard thinking, praying and talking; and I am pretty excited about where we seem to be at this point in time. I am, however, still very conscious of how fragile we are and how we, as individuals as well as a community, have very little control or knowledge over where we are going or how we get there. I guess there is a bit of a sense of the Abraham story here as we start to step out in faith.
It’s scary and pretty messy, but there is also something pretty beautiful about this group of people who are all on different stages of a journey with different views and different beliefs but yet are committed to each other and to what we are trying to create.
While in Seattle my new friends there seemed to use the word ‘awesome’ a fair bit. I think maybe they over-use it (but who am I to judge!) A few hours after our gathering, it started to sink in that we have made a pretty major step today. If that is so …. then that’s pretty awesome!
I have been encouraged this week by the response of Synod to the Mission Shaped Church report. An interesting motion has been passed and I am particularly intrigued by part b below (I have cut and paste the whole motion from Thinking Anglicans)
the actual report can be read here: (GS 1761)
Following debate, Dr Philip Giddings moved the following motion, which was carried by the Synod:
‘That this Synod
(a) affirm the mixed economy of traditional churches and fresh expressions of church, working in partnership, as the most promising mission strategy in a fast changing culture;
(b) encourage those responsible for vocations and training in dioceses and parishes to promote the imaginative recruitment, training and deployment of ordained and lay pioneer ministers in and beyond title posts;
(c) commend the making of Bishops’ Mission Order to integrate suitable fresh expressions of church in the life of the dioceses; and
(d) request the Mission and Public Affairs Division and the Research and Statistics Unit to gather evidence on the spiritual and numerical growth of the mixed economy church in general and fresh expressions of church in particular, and to bring a further report or reports to Synod in the next quinquennium.’
Those words ‘imaginative training and deployment of deployment of ordained and lay pioneer ministers in and title posts’ give me hope. My diocese has been great and creative in setting up my title post … but I am aware of lack of imagination or willingness in other areas.
It also fills me with some hope for the future, as I guess it will not be long before I will have to start to think about where this all goes next. What will happen to me after my 3/4 year curacy? It is a worry – and this gives some hope, although the gap in this proposal is the whole money issue. I’s great to encourage creativity in thinking, but creativity costs money – and there does not seem to be a lot of that around!
I’m sitting at the airport in Seattle with time to kill so thought i would use the time to mull over some immediate reflections on my past 3 weeks here with COTA.
There are things that I think I can transport across the Atlantic and try out almost straight away. I suppose I am surprised by this as I only came looking for principles. I did not think things that are domne here would transport into British culture all that well. But, I think I have come away with pub theology and sacred cocktails as real possibilities in a Medway setting, albeit with a little alteration here and there to take account iof cultural differences – not so much US and UK but more Seattle and Medway. I have no problem with the idea and name of Sacred Cocktails, but I suppose I do wonder whether ‘Pub Theology’ as a name may put people off, or may make it sound a lot more academic that it is. Drinking beer and talking about God (which is essentially what theology is) is not that great a title either … so, readers – any suggestions?
I have been thinking along the pub thing for a while I guess but thinking I need others to help plan. I have seen at COTA that a topic only needs to be chosen, and the date, time and location can be shared on Facebook. If people come they come and a discussion happens, if they don’t, then it doesn’t. I think I am going to go ahead and see if this will work in our local setting – if no one tries then we will never know – I do seem to know a lot of people that like to talk spirituality/theology/about God AND drink beer … so who knows!
I think I have had a COTA insight, as well, into principles of community building. COTA seems to have always set out to build a community rather than looking to plant a church. Community, friendship, caring for each other are all quite central to COTA. They are not perfect, and they would be at the front of the line of people to say that, but they do community pretty well. They know how to eat and party, but i think that has a lot to do with being a church of under 30’s, which add an excitement to church that is lacking in some places. These people like to hang out together, so giving opportunitiers for community to grow in this way is important.
I think, as well, though that this aspect showed me that COTA knows how to party, but they also talk about fasting but have not worked out how to do this yet. That’s an observation that they are aware of ratehr than a criticism and it speaks of balance more than anything else. I don’t think COTA is unbalanced (far from it!), but it could be at risk of becoming so if things like fasting are not explored. For our community in Medway, we need to grow community but also look to a balance in how we operate and work out our spirituality.
I said these were early reflections – I possibly have more but then this nlog would be long and I have 10 hours on a plane ahead in which I can reflect more!
I believe as time goes on this experience is going to ooze more and more thoughts and reflections into my mind and possibly yhis blog, and hopefully into my practice.
If all goes well, in 2 hours I will be in the air and on my way home – I’m really looking forward to seeing my family!
It’s been a good day with COTA today.
It’s been Martin Luther King day, which we reflected in our prayers at the start and the end of the day, but for most of us that have been in the group together we have learnt a lot about the origins of COTA and how it works and so on.
Today I have been particularly excited by some of Karen’s comments. My mind map is getting bigger and bigger with thoughts and questions which ill be a nightmare to print off when I get home, but hey I’ll come to that problem when I get to it.
Some of the things that have been exciting to hear from Karen today and that I need to think more about:
‘my role is to guage the spiritual temperature of the community’
‘I am the guardian and overseer of how we celebrate word and sacrament within COTA’
‘As a community we are asking what does it look like to live as a ‘priesthood of all believers’
Those comments encourage and excite me. Certainly with members of our fledgling community I have spoekn of myself in terms of guardian of the community. I guess I have thought that relationship was more to the people of the community but can see a lot of sense in that guardianship, because of who I am, actually being about ensuring we engage with and celebrate both word and sacrament. That it not to say I am the only person that can do stuff – but that it my role to ensure we maintain integrity as far as the sacraments and looking at scripture go.
I need to reflect on whether a failing of mine in the past few months may have been in my reluctance to take a lead withing the group as far as Eucharist and what we cover in worship goes. I have been quite laid back because I want to welcome peoples contributions. COTA, and Karen in particular, still are able to do that while Karen still has a firm leadership role within it; but a role that still encourages participation and creativity within worship. It’s not an autocratic leadership role which is what we all wish to avoid!
The idea of gauging the spiritual temperature has also challenged me. As Karen spoke the words it ws as if something clicked into place in my mind. I think a problem of leadership within Fresh Expressions may be that we worry too much about styles of leadership and become over sensitive so that we can miss the obvious. Gauging the spiritual temperature and then seeking to put things in place as a response to that holds with it quite a strategic outlook. OI think I need to give this some more thought – as ever what I write here are intial thoughts and actions – I am thinking aloud so please do feel free to add your thoughts!
COTA has a number of people fulfilling different roles. 3 people are paid but the big majority are volunteers. One of those volunteers has become the iconographer for COTA. The picture is one of her creations which I find stunning!
Well i’ve arrived and I’m blogging from Seattle before I hit the sack!
WE drove well through the snow (thanks Andrew) The 10 hour flight was an epic – we left late due to the snow – and I spoke to 2 lovely people, Dan, an American, and Natasha, a Russian. It was a pleasure to fly with them and be able to get to know them a little better.
I was met at the airport by Jordan, after a painless entry into the USA ( much easier than than getting out of the UK!!)
After traveling from the airport to the Abbey, I then went for a drink, or two, with Karen before returning to my home for the next 3 weeks … which is a great room on the ground floor of Jeanette and Ned Olson’s room.
First impressions … this is great and I am incredibly excited to be here …. if a bit tired (I have been awake for 24 hours!) … so nite
-X-
The case is packed (even weighed and if the spring balance is accurate it is below weight), I’m checked in, I’ve even printed my boarding pass and, all being well, I should take off from Heathrow tomorrow at 2.20pm on a Britsh Airways flight to Seattle.
If you have missed this – I am incredibly excited to be on a 3 week placement with Church Of The Apostles and looking forward to learning lots from the community of people there as well as sharing a little bit about what I do in Rochester and pioneer ministry / fresh expressions. This is being viewed, quite rightly, as part of my training!
I will land tomorrow just after 4pm local time and will be met at the airport and attend vespers at 6.00pm in St Paul’s chapel … an excellent way to start my time with COTA.
I feel a sense of excitement as well as nervousness. I can’t believe it is over 10 years since I have properly traveled. I also feel a sense of loss … planning a trip away is exciting and I’m really pleased to be going, but I know I will miss my family here – please, when you remember to pray for me on my travels, also remember to pray for Sarah, Tom, Beth and Joe. I think it’s tough on them.
Now seems a good time to thank all of you who have made this possible – you know who you are. It’s a great opportunity and everyone tells me how much I will love it … and I’m sure they are right!
I hope to blog here about my experiences ….so watch this space!
A few people have drawn my attention to Beyond Church in Brighton are doing the Beach Hut advent thing again as last year (you can still see the BBC news report on lasts years event here). This year, as well, so the rest of us can enjoy the experience they have published a paper Beach Hut Advent Calendar.
I ordered mine which arrived yesterday and simply everyone that has seen it has wanted one and ordered it. It just looks beautiful and will be a great addition to our house in the Advent season.
You can check it out here but I guess if you want to order one you’ll need to be quick as I can’t see these hanging around for long!
A number of you have asked me whether my Seattle trip which I blogged about here is going ahead.
Apologies for not saying earlier. The trip is happening, the flights are booked, I have my ESTA authorisation and am getting excited at the thought of sharing with the COTA community in January. I fly to Seattle on Jan 13 and will land at Heathrow on Feb 4th. All I can say is ‘cooooolm and big big BIG thank yous to all the people that have helped this to happen – you are stars!!
It’s not that far away timewise as Christmas will speed things along …. I’ll say more as we get closer, and no doubt a lot more on my return!
The Shiny Headed Prophet 