Now and again you come across an amazingly moving post of God at work in the unexpected.
God catching us by surprise if you like.
Just found such a post over at Moot.
dramatic acceptance
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Beyond Beach Huts
The Beyond Advent Beach huts over at Brighton look stunning again.
Wishing we were closer!
I always look at these and wonder what would be an appropriate and relevant idea in the Medway setting?
advent monolgues
Over the Dickens weekend we used some monologue scripts in an attempt to get people to stop and pause while they walked around the cathedral. The script seemed to work well and so I share them here.
we’ve lost the shock!
I have just about recovered from quite a full weekend with the Dickens Festival. I have been thinking further on some of the things that happened over the weekend. In particular, it has struck me again how shocking the Christmas story is and how some people have great difficulty focusing in on this very fact.
Thousands of people walked through the cathedral over the weekend. Out of those thousands a very small few were quite unhappy with the nativity cut out scene. Around 4 people, 2 on each day, berated me quite severely. They were unhappy because they thought the cut out was demeaning or insulting to ‘the Holy family’.
When we chatted with these people and attempted to explain that part of the reason we were encouraging people to “get in the Picture” was to show how ordinary everyday people could be chosen by God for extraordinary roles, it was clear these people were so incensed by the very idea that they were not going to listen.
The birth of Jesus is shocking.
God becoming flesh is unbelievable in itself.
God becoming flesh in a normal everyday unmarried girl was a massive shocking risk.
God becoming flesh in a filthy crappy stable is disgusting.
(I don’t use the word ‘crap’ lightly or to shock…. but come on people it was a stable, have you ever wandered through a cow shed …. the crap and stink are there in abundance!)
We have sanitised the birth of Christ and replaced the crap, stench and filth with warm fluffy western images that glow with peace and tranquility. It’s hard to fathom, but God chose not to be born in such wonderful surroundings, preferring instead the stench of the cow shed.
The whole plan is so unbelievingly shocking but I believe we have lost the shock; maybe this Advent is a time to mull over the shock factor of the birth of Christ.
Did the cathedral just breathe in?
The Dickens weekend went really well and was an exciting event to be with.
The cut out nativity scene painted by our fantastic Head verger, Colin, and used amazingly by Den and Sharron (thanks guys – amazing as ever!) seemed to be a real hit with loads of people, although over the 2 days I did have 2 complaints suggesting it was insulting to the Holy Family – I guess it was always going to upset somebody. I think, however, on the whole people appreciated the chance to be in the picture and we are able to suggest to the dissenters that it illustrated quite well how God could have chosen any ordinary to be the mum and step father of Jesus and so, instantly, become extraordinary! (if you had your picture taken and have lost the card you will be able to find them here when they are uploaded)
I think over the weekend we had thousands of people pass through the cathedral. many had questions, many more lit candles (over 2000 on the first day!) and took time to pause, pray or think. I know many of the team has some quite deep conversations,
My observations over this Dickens leave me with many questions, and I guess as well with some confusions. Questions / confusions / observations like:
How is it that people not connected with the cathedral have such strong views about when they think we are doing something wrong? Do they feel some ownership?
What do people think they are doing when they light candles?
Why do people queue outside the cathedral waiting for a service to finish?
What causes young people to be moved to tears as they listen to the choir rehearsing?
I made a joke over the weekend along the lines of the cathedral having times when it breathes people in by their thousands. It’s like a vacuum is created and the people flood in to fill it. It was strange; there were low times but then there were times when people just came, and came, and kept coming! It was as if the cathedral itself was taking a big breathe and people were being breathed in!
Well … maybe not the cathedral breathing in …. but the spirit that resides here!
Christmas Dickens Today – why not come see us!
This weekend sees the Christmas Dickens Festival hit Rochester. This is a great time of fun and a really good time to visit Rochester if you don’t mind crowds!
At the cathedral we expect anything up to 6000 people to pass through the building today. As well as welcome them, in keeping with our Benediction tradition of hospitality, we hope to be able to engage with people and encourage them to pause as they consider the meaning of Christmas.
Today pop down to have your photo taken in our nativity scene as part of Get in the Picture, or wander the building and find some quiet place to meet with God, or listen to monologues from the Christmas story characters, or light a candle for someone you care for or miss particularly at this time of year ….
The opportunities are varied – why not pop down and pop in for a while – it may be the last chance you get to pause before Christmas!
Homemade
Homemade is this weeks topic over at Photo Friday
The cakes were homemade by my favourite daughter and tasted great
Free Indeed??!!
Following some discussions I have both had here and am involved in currently this cartoon from Naked Pastor caused a wry smile of acknowledgment.
Urgent action for Burma
Dear friend
Urgent action for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Burma
For many years the United Nations has ignored widespread and systematic crimes committed by Burma’s military junta, including the destruction of more than 3,300 villages in eastern Burma, widespread use of rape as a weapon of war against ethnic minorities, the forced displacement of over 1 million refugees and internally displaced people, tens of thousands of child soldiers, and millions used as slave labour.
Despite these appalling crimes, no government is speaking out on this issue. The British Government should urge the United Nations to establish a Commission of Inquiry, which would investigate these crimes and could lead to prosecutions. So far the British Government has remained silent.
Please write to your MP and ask them to support the call for the United Nations to investigate crimes against humanity in Burma.
Take action by clicking here.
Or you can post a letter to your MP. Below are suggested points for you to include in your letter:
* State your concern about crimes against humanity in Burma. There is well documented evidence including from UN General Assembly and Commission on Human Rights resolutions over many years of widespread torture, forced displacement, sexual violence, extra-judicial killings and forced labour and that civilians are deliberately targeted.
* For many years, the United Nations has ignored widespread and systematic human rights violations and war crimes committed by the military regime.
* Ask your MP to sign Early Day Motion 238, which calls upon the British Government to urge the United Nations to establish a Commission of Inquiry into these crimes and to support the International Labour Organization referring the dictatorship’s use of forced labour to the International Court of Justice.
You can send your letter to your MP at:
House of Commons
London, SW1A 0AA
Campaign Update
Our campaign for a global arms embargo is working!
Thanks to your emails, momentum for a global arms embargo against Burma is growing as Timor-Leste becomes the 32nd country, and the first Asian country, to back an arms embargo.
Switzerland also announced its support for a global arms embargo against Burma in October and in August, Australia announced its support for a global arms embargo for the first time.
We need to build a global consensus on a UN arms embargo against Burma, in order to help overcome expected opposition at the Security Council by Russia and China. We are targeting 10 countries at time, asking them to support a global arms embargo. Please take action here.
Aung San Suu Kyi update
In recent weeks, Aung San Suu Kyi has managed to use sanctions as leverage to persuade the Generals to resume dialogue. She met the regime’s Liaison Minister twice in October and she also met the UK Ambassador and the deputy heads of the Australian and US missions in Burma. However, so far it has only been low level officials talking about talks.
Meanwhile, the number of political prisoners is rising. There are currently more than 2,100 political prisoners and at least 128 political prisoners are in poor health due to the harsh prison conditions, transfers to remote prisons where there are no doctors, and the denial of proper medical care. The dictatorship has also increased arrests and harassment of democracy activists, and is escalating attacks against ethnic civilians.
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Previous editions are available here.
Many thanks for your support.
Anna Roberts
The Burma Campaign UK
All are welcome here!
I realise my blog reflections are falling behind – I am reflecting on what is happening and wondering a lot, but I seem to be low on energy as it comes towards the end of the day to actually start to get things down in written form so that I can reflect further.
Yesterday was an amazing day at the cathedral. In the afternoon I ‘led’ the Medway Primary Schools Carol service – well one of them as there are 4 this week! The experience was a great joy because the excitement and wonder on the faces of the children was simply amazing as they gazed around this massive space (which we take for granted) in which they were expected to speak and sing. I hope I was able to welcome and put parents and visitors at ease – my few mistakes, such as forgetting to pray (what a poor priest I am!!!) all seemed to help relax the atmosphere a little. The service had a great feel to it and people seemed comfortable and I felt excited by this as many of those present would not normally visit a church let alone a cathedral. People felt included and welcome which I consider to be very important.
In the evening I was part of the World Aids Day service which was again a massive privilege and a very very moving experience. During the playing of certain pieces of music and lighting of candles in memory of those who had died or were bereaved due to HIV/AIDS it was hard to keep back the tears and at one point I failed, or maybe it was a success (?), as I was reminded of a lost friend.
The service was very much about people being welcome in the cathedral. For lots of reasons many who were there that evening, whether that be due to their sexuality or their state of health or whatever, do not normally feel welcome in church. As I reflect on the service I think my tears were not just for my lost friend, but were also just as much for my fellow brother and sisters who were sitting ‘uncomfortably’ in the chairs because of experiencing an unwelcome attitude in church. As I write, the thought of people rejected by Christians and/or because of their sexuality brings tears of sadness and anger to my eyes.
I just wish people could open their eyes. Last night I spoke with a couple. These 2 men shared how they were there to remember friends who had died from AIDS. As we chatted the love these two guys had for each other was amazingly obvious. It was obvious in their look and treatment of each other and I remember wishing that people who find this difficult to comprehend could just be there and see this clearly for themselves.
The love was real, the love was beautiful and this love had Christ at the centre – how can this be viewed as so wrong by some people?
As I drove away from the cathedral that night I became excited again – my experience had been one of welcoming in those that usually feel very excluded and on the outside.
My prayer is that the warmth of Christ that they experienced that day will draw them back to God, somehow, someway and somehow.
Amen
The Shiny Headed Prophet 