Category Archives: life

if today was my last day …

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Bishop Alan blogs about two of the Steve Jobs quotes today. They are both worth pondering.

I was only a little aware that Jobs lived his life out in this way … and I guess that is why he has been such an influential creative.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “no” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.


Remembering I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart …


That is a pretty cool challenge and gutsy way to live
You can read the rest here.



the ‘flavour’ of Antigua

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Well … it’s been a few weeks since writing here. Most of you will know this is because of some wonderfully generous friends enabling us to have an amazing holiday in Antigua. This may be my only reflection on my time there, but it may be the first of a few or of many …. I am just not too sure yet!

In a very short space of time I fell in love with the island of Antigua. The island has an incredibly relaxed atmosphere which is difficult for me to explain.  Something can be expressed in the words of reggae and heat. Life has a slow rhythmic style due, I guess, to the heat.

I love to people watch and there were a number of things I noticed when watching the people of Antigua. People there seemed to walk proudly and calmly; due to the climate it was mad to rush about and so everything was done at a pace that seemed verrrry slow and took a little time of adjusting to. Some people adjusted to this fairly quickly and others seemed to have  difficulty with the slower pace.

I also noticed that people were interested in other people and they would chat for ages, no matter what they were doing, and they smiled easily and regularly. (in fact one of the the first things that hit me when we landed at gatwick was that people rushed and lacked a smile). Antiguan people particularly gave loads of time to children and young people, which hit me as a stark contrats to how children and young people are often portrayed in our media. Children were valued and encouraged.

The holiday was amazing and will be our ‘holiday of a lifetime’. The island is a very special place and the ‘flavour’ of Antigua, which I loved so much, has challenged me in how I should live now I am back home.
It has re-challenged my priorities of tasks vs people.
It has re-challenged my speed and aim of life.
It has challenged me to really consider what is important in life.

Now that I am back I am not embarrassed to admit that I am envious of the Antiguan lifestyle and, in many ways,  I wish I could still be there . The people there have managed to maintain something about life, people, relationships and priorities that we seem to have lost in the UK; and I think the most worrying thing is that most of us don’t even realise that we have lost them and are aware that there is an alternative. Although, I openly admit, I am not sure what that alternative is other than slow down, re-think …but our deadlines refuse us that grace!

Sadly I know the feelings and lessons from my time here will fade fairly rapidly as I adjust back to south east England living …. but I pray it does not all go and that I can carry within me some of the islands beauty that simply says ‘I have time ……..’

what do I believe?

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Over the last few months I have had some very interesting conversations on my travels both within and outside Medway.

In particular I have found myself in ‘debate’ with Christians who have a very legalistic view of our faith. I guess I am on sensitive ground here as I don’t want to berate or get into the whole ‘I’m right and you are wrong’ crap that flies around Christianity far too much. But I do, somehow, want to start a dialogue over how we live out our faith. It seems to be that there is a significant section (I have not researched enough to be able to say significant ‘minority’, significant ‘majority’ … so ‘section’ will have to do) of Christians that will excuse any behaviour by simply saying ‘well it is scriptural’ or ‘it is in the bible’.

The Bible is important. The Bible is the word of God. In that sense I am still a good evangelical; but we still need to ask what does that mean. I mean, when we say this is the word of God, what do we actually mean by that?

Do we mean that these words come direct from the mouth of Creator God and so cannot be altered in any way and are totally, irrevocably 100% to be adhered to the the exact infinite letter? Well … if we do there is a slight problem of age and culture to get around there. The most recent parts of scripture are some 2000 years old … and a lot more is older. This means this whole question is not as easy as some people would have us think.

I want to share a little incident from home that is relevant here. Around the dinner table recently one of my children said ‘that’s sick’. In translation he meant ‘it was brilliant, or cool, or amazing’. Only  few years ago, ‘that’s sick’ would have meant ‘gross, horrible, or maybe ugly’. In the space of just a few years one word ‘sick’ is being used in a totally different, and maybe even opposite, way than it used to be used.

If we were to write down that conversation and it was read in a few hundred years, let alone thousands of years, would the people have any idea what we were talking about? Would they have to try and second guess what was being said? Would they understand that ‘sick’ meant ‘amazing?’

There are plenty of other word we can use that we may or may not know what people were saying when they wrote them: cool, gay, yellow, slate, slag, waste, ace, acid, dabs, deck, dipstick, pad …. the list can go on and on and on.

I do believe the Bible is the word of God … but I do also believe it was written by humans who had only the language of their time and culture to be able to express what God was telling them. So, our task in discovering what it means requires that, first, we try to work out and consider what was being said at the time it was written – and that only comes after the complicated process of translation because (shock horror!) the Bible was not written in English ….. not even in 1662 BCP type English!  Here a knowledge of the culture and history of the time becomes very helpful, and I would say vital.

For me, as well, there are some clear standards and attributes that go with God and so I believe that what the Bible ‘says’ should mirror who God ‘is’. Surely that must be the case … mustn’t it?

I believe Jesus came to earth and that we can look to Jesus to see what God is like. Jesus being God in flesh is a pretty orthodox Christian belief (100% human and 100% God – too big for my brain to get around … but God is God!).

From the gospels we that Jesus is compassionate, loving and inclusive. So it follows simply that God is compassionate, loving and inclusive. It then follows in my mind that any interpretation from the bible for relevance today that is not compatible with those values does not fit with who God is. If biblical interpretation does not fit with the character of God then I query whether we have interpreted correctly.

So … it is not as straight forward as it may seem. I do not believe we can simply say ‘the bible says x and so we have to do y’ and then believe we are ok and right. I think it is more about finding out what the bible said then in a particular time and culture and why and then bringing that same practice into the here and now and living a way that displays the compassion, love and inclusivity of God. After all … there is no point being ‘right’ if the way we live is crap, discriminatory and abusive!

But saying all that … I refer to my opening remarks … I could very well be wrong … and I’d love to know what others who come here think …

to comfort all who mourn

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This morning Jean led morning prayer.

I have grown to acknowledge this group of words as being words of value and sustenance.
Today’s liturgy included this canticle:

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 12.0px; font: 14.0px Times}span.s1 {letter-spacing: 0.0px}
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me
because he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken-hearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,
to comfort all who mourn,
To give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit,
That they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
For as the earth puts forth her blossom,
and as seeds in the garden spring up,
So shall the Lord God make righteousness and praise
blossom before all the nations.
You shall be called priests of the Lord;
they shall speak of you as ministers of our God.

It’s a sobre reminder that in confusing and saddening times, that we are called to bring good news, to comfort the mourning ….. in short, to be helpful in thoughts, words and actions.

Following this Jean invited us to light candles which symbolised those who had been killed in Norway as we prayed for the bereaved, the survivors, the nation and those charged with bringing justice in this horrendous case.

We continue to hold the people of Norway in our thoughts and prayers

a mixed day

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Today was both a sad and an exciting day.
Sad for the cathedral and for the Diocese of Rochester.
Exciting for Adrian and the diocese of London.
Today was Adrian’s last official day as Dean of Rochester and he really will be very much missed.

On a personal note I could not have asked for a better training incumbent. I have always counted it a privilege to be able to learn at Rochester Cathedral from the whole of Chapter, but it has been amazing to have someone of Adrian’s calibre point me in the right direction, support me, challenge me and simply have time for me when I have needed time. I cannot express in words how much I have learned from this man. I will miss his open door, his wisdom and his sense of humour. Most of all I will miss his leadership example which is one of grace, respect and servanthood – a great example to have as a curate and one that I can only hope to aspire too, but dismally fail regularly.

Ww will all miss him hugely, but we are all immensely proud of him and feel honoured that our journey’s have crossed foe the time that they did.

Adrian moves on to be Bishop of Stepney which is an amazing role for a pretty amazing bloke.

If you are the praying type – please hold Adrian and Gill in your prayers over these next few weeks.

what’s your biggest regret?

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That’s a pretty amazing question to ask people that you do not know – in fact it’s probably quite a hard question to ask someone you do know!
I found this video via Cathryn’s blog.
It’s an amazing video – and some of you may well need a tissue or two as the answers become raw and honest.

It’s an interesting question to reflect on … regret … not in a negative way but as a way to remind and inspire us to take opportunities of the future.

what if Jesus really meant what he said?

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My thoughts have been following a theme recently; particularly since the video I posted on my last blogpost regarding Christians who seem top have lost the plot about who Jesus is, what he stands for and how Christians follow, or don’t follow, his example.

My wonderfully helpful mentor, Ian, suggested recently I read Shane Claiborne’s Irresistible Revolution. I enjoyed the book but was also made to feel incredibly uncomfortable as it is a thoroughly challenging read.

Thanks to Alice I have been been directed to this interview that Shane Claiborne gave to Esquire magazine when asked to address those who don’t believe. He reminds people of what the bible really says which sometimes gets him into a lot of trouble, such as:

‘It is so simple, but the pious forget this lesson constantly. God may indeed be evident in a priest, but God is just as likely to be at work through a prostitute … scripture is brimful of God using folks like a lying prostitute called Rahab and an adulterous king named David.’

As I said I am challenged by his words …. whether you have a faith or not, why not check out this article

As an add on comment, I guess I’m drawing attention to this because I am finding myself challenged in my role as part of the church, the Body of Christ. There is so much we can and should be doing, but we seem to make a mere scratch due to some political worry or other.

I believe the question in the title is a no brainer! Of course Jesus meant what he said … what I am asking is how do I follow and take those words seriously? I guess it’s the old question: ‘how can I live out my faith in the way Jesus would if he was here?’

ascension reality?

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Today is Ascension Day.
It’s not a day I have ‘grown up’ with from my tradition.
It features more that I am now based at a cathedral.
But … its is an interesting ‘event’ and, as Maggi points out, it is an interesting account to approach.

I am not sure what this story is about.
I am not even sure how to explain it.
I’m sure it will mean different things to different people at different times.

I have led morning prayer and the eucharist today where I have been put in a position to have to think a little more about this day and what it means to me.

Today … I think it challenges me.
As Christ ascended and
‘a cloud received him out of their sight’
this story today challenges me to look
above, beyond, ahead.
It reminds me I don’t know what is coming
and in that reminder
I become more aware that things won’t be like this for ever

It encourages me
to lift my eyes up from the ground
to look towards the sky
to see afresh the beauty of creation
and to dream again of how things could be

It’s very easy to become immersed in the everyday
and to lose sight of the reality
that we are part of an amazing creation!

lack of O2 killing me …?

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I thought yesterday was quite an interesting day if you were an O2 customer. There was a theft, or vandalism (or if you re into conspiracy theories … MI5 took down the network in connection with terrorist threats to the queen) or something that meant that the O2 network was ‘down’ for around half a day.

It was interesting because I got sucked into reading peoples comments on the support website. I went to see what the status update was and there were demands after demands for compensation, comments on how disastrous this was, and people very angry because they were unable to send or receive texts. I liked this comment in particular:

Comments = hilarity.
“Send everyone a text to tell them the network is down” – genius, pure genius.
“I pay £25 a month and I want compensation” – What are you going to do with your 83p? Don’t spend it all at once!
“I have a child in school” – generations of children went to school every day before mobile phones were invented. Most of them came home in one piece. They’ll be fine.
It’s almost worth the outage for the funnies. Good work, people – your self-inflicted misery is hilarious!

and this one really did make me laugh:

I have a date tonight and was meant to confirm the time and place… I’m stuck at work with just my phone on me that doesn’t work… what am I meant to do… is o2 going to compensate me for lost social life.. or even physical endulgence..

and the most sensible of all:

‘shut up … it’s only for one day!’

I was interested by two things in all this –

It seems we are becoming more and more of a ‘compensation’ culture. The cries for compensation on the support website are loud and numerous numerous, even though the person above asks ‘what will you do with your 83p refund?’ It seems we have come to expect a service and we don’t get that service then we have a right to be compensated. I don’t think that is a particularly pleasant side of our culture. I’m not sure what is says about where we are going as people … apart from always looking to transfer blame for our stresses onto other people. O2 gets blamed for a lot of stuff on the website … such as a persons decision to leave the arrangements for a date to the very last minute!

More interesting, though, is that it would seem that a large number of people, myself included, have allowed ourselves to become quite dependant on our mobile phones and communication structures. I wrote a while ago about the practice i notice when just sitting around of people, by habit, taking out their mobile phones every few minutes to see if they have missed a message. A friend responded that he felt connected and in community through his phone which is why he often checked. I guess if people feel connected through their phone then that would explain the anxiety for many yesterday … they were unconnected, they could not text, they could not be texted, they were no longer under the illusion of being in control – they were alone!

Did so many people really feel alone yesterday … is that why there was so much stress flying around?

never let me go

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I watched a disturbing film last night at the Other Cinema.

It touched on some harrowing themes around the sanctity of life as the plot centres around the fictional situation of clones being grown to supply major organs for others.

At times I was close to tears, at others frustrated by the lack of action or ‘revolt’ amongst the characters while at other times i felt quite sick. Throughout the film the ‘donors’ were told that usually after the 3rd or 4th donation that they would ‘complete’. Donors did not die … they completed … because they were not really human.

We had a great discussion after this film which drifted to the possibilities and how life is treated or looked at in society today. I guess the question or fear, with the technology for cloning already available and used everyday in agriculture, was how is the current balance on this topic between fiction and real possibility? We are possibly already in a  situation where we place different values on different peoples lives – the reactions over Bin Ladens death, the way protestors are treated by police, the values exposed by labels that people give to others … such as Chav, scally, townie and so on.

This could be a great topic and discussion to take up in pub theology.