We saw Oliver as a family last night.
Fantastic show and Rowan Atkinson’s interpretation of Fagin is very funny and incredibly well portrayed. There are very few people that can walk onto a stage and say only one word which causes the audience to laugh.
If you are into musicals and get a chance – try to see this before Atkinson leaves the show in July.
The news of Jade Goody seems to be hitting the nation in a sad way. Both Michele Hanson of the Guardian and Gareth of God is Not Elsewhere have very valid things to say.
Our prayers go out to her family, husband to be and children.
As I move into a new week, which will be a shorter one as I m taking some days off for half term, I have done a little reflecting on the last couple of weeks. I have been staring at the sky a lot and mulling things over.
It seems things are happening quite quickly and I am learning that through a mixture of waiting, observing and praying that God can do some pretty amazing things.
Some tales from the last two weeks:
A guy that has not even been able to give me eye contact for the months that I have been around, even when I sat near him at a council meeting, has suddenly starting talking to me. I asked him a question the other day based on something I knew he was interested in and now the flood gates have opened and when I see him he talks loads – it is amazing and I am quite excited.
I have come into contact with two young men in their 20’s that I worked with when I was a YFC worker. One has just got out of prison and they are attending the gym I go to daily. They were amazed that I could remember who they were after 10 years and I wonder if God has caused our paths to cross again.
Just on Friday two blokes came into ‘Spoons and were having a loud conversation with loads of ‘f-ing’ this and that. People sat near them and moved away. As I started to leave they smiled and called me over. I expected a hard time but after an initial bit if banter asked some very deep searching conversations and a little mickey take became the most spiritual conversation I have ever had with anyone in a pub.
When I arrived one morning a lot of the locals were gathered around a couple of tables and I made some comment about them being a great club. One person piped up ‘well you are a member now!’ That was an amazing thing to hear. I got my coffee and chatted a bit with them, hoping to be asked to join them, but that did not happen. Maybe this will happen one day.
This week I will cautiously enter a new phase of the ministry. It seems God has gathered together 6 people that want to explore a new way of being church. A few things have happened (like meeting all of the people ‘by chance’ in a 24 hour period) that cause me to think God is saying gather, eat and pray. This week I need to find and suggest some dates for us to do just that and explore what could be. While I am excited, I’m a bit terrified too! Talking about moving on is one thing, actually starting is another.
I shall continue with my mission of presence and waiting, and it seems that God is suggesting that both can happen side by side. So … watch this space!
It’s been a special weekend.
I have spent quality time with each member of my family (even my beautiful wife!) and I have been struck by how the children have rapidly grown.
Beth had a friend round on Saturday and it was a pleasure to see them being ‘young women’ and enjoying themselves.
I went to watch Bolt with Joe which was fun.
We had good friends over last night and demolished a few bottles of red wine, had great food and a good laugh.
This evening I am proud dad after listening to Tom give his first preach at the youth service tonight at St Mark’s. He spoke about love. His delivery was excellent, good humour, good speed, very audible and very listenable to – I was dead impressed!
It’s a really great feeling to see your children making themselves available to God, just can’t describe it! It’s amazing!
I bought a Flip Video today from Amazon who are doing a great deal with 23% off.
This is an amazing little video camera. It’s light, easy to use, auto focus and one button to use. It looks good, has been well designed and because you access the video files bu USB connection (which flips up) does not even waste battery power on file transfers like most other cameras.
It’s snowing outside and I’ve shot a little video in incredibly low light and it looks fine. The whole process from unwrapping, to putting batteries in, shooting the vid and uploading it on You Tube took less than 10 minutes. This is so simple to use and gives just as good an image – I’ve experimented in good light but to post that would mean showing me – and that ain’t gonna happen! You can see the unimaginative snow video here which was taken at about 10.30pm.
If you are looking for a great video camera go for the flip – its cool.
This is fantastic news!
I can’t think of anyone who would be better for this role and lead the incredibly wonderful and exciting movement that YFC is. I guess my one regret is that I am no longer there to see and be part of the exciting things that will happen.
There will be many tears when Roy goes, but being able to hand the ND onto someone of Gav’s caliber will add excitement to that sadness.
Well done Gav!
Quite an amazing thing happened in ‘Spoons today. I have noticed a guy who has been wary of me, not giving eye contact even when we were sat near to each other, never returning the good morning I offer. Recently we were sat in a meeting together and his facial expression gave no hint of recognition.
Today I asked him one question about the meeting, which was around something he and his wife are amazingly involved with and a conversation started which lasted for a good 30 minutes. The guy shared where he lived, his other hobbies, where he worked before he retired, what he did before then and so on.
It struck me again that people don’t know how to relate to the ‘church’ or what are seen as professional church people. As a wearer of a dog collar I am seen as ‘the church’ and I wonder whether the avoidance is uncertainty, or maybe even embarrassment, about what to say or maybe what my response will be to what they say. Some see it as a sign of holding some power or authority.
A few days ago someone suggested to another guy that he should talk to me. His immediate response was ‘I have nothing to confess’ and so closing the conversation as if to say that is the only way I know how to relate to church. Persoanlly it was quite a painful moment with a clear rejection forcefully called across the pub. I don’t believe the guy was having a go, or even that he was avoiding me but that this was more of an uncertainty of how to act or behave or what to say. Limited knowledge of what church is about results in limited options of how to relate and understand it. Sometimes I really wish I could be present without my dog collar … but if I did the anonymity of that would achieve very little to my mind.
Today’s conversation was great and interesting and hopefully will go some way to showing that I am not there to hit people with religion, but merely to be there for people, whatever that may mean.
It seems to me that we need to break down barriers and be available to people. I am wondering more and more whether this is done by finding the right connection, whether that is a similar interest or finding the right question to ask or right comment to make. That certainly seemed to be the case today. I think I am seeing more and more that is is up to me to be proactive in this by observing what is happening and taking opportunities if they come.
Another thought is that my pro-activity results in making myself publicly vulnerable and giving all the power to the other person. If I greet, ask a question or make a comment the other person has the power to answer, ignore or ridicule. I think it is right to give the power to the other person, but its only recently that I have come to understand that this is in fact what I am doing. By stepping out I become vulnerable and I wonder if in some way by doing so I give the perceived power of the dog collar away.
One of the more innovative and exciting shop fronts in the High Street is Nucleus.
To quote from their website: ‘NUCLEUS ROCHESTER is a unique temporary retail outlet showcasing a huge array of affordable creations by Medway based artists, designers, musicians, writers, arts graduates and students.’
It’s been fun to pop in regularly as different Medway artists are displaying their work. I think I am correct in saying that this is a one of a kind location where local artists have an audience. The pieces on display are creative, beautiful, stunning and affordable.
I popped in today and found out that they are having an Art Auction on Thursday at 7.00pm with viewing starting at 6.00pm. The timings work great for me as I usually attend Evensong on Thursday, which this week will be over just after 6.00pm, and so I intend to pop along to see what happens and whether I can win with a bid on an original piece of work.
I’m mentioning this here as I wonder whehter they may be others who could be interested.
Yesterday I had planned and expected to be a deacon, and carry out the ‘deacon’ role, in two very different environments. In the morning I was to deacon in 10.30 Eucharist at Rochester cathedral and in the evening at the MOOT Eucharist.
What may surprise many is that I encountered innovation, refreshment, delight and surprise in both services. I always feel a great sense of serving when I am in the role of the deacon. The preparation of the table, the placing of the bread, and the pouring out of the wine have become very powerful and symbolic parts of worship. Particularly as I pour the wine I find myself thanking Jesus for the act we are remembering.
Yesterday I had the privilege of experiencing this in two very different settings. In the morning the Girls Choir sang magnificently Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass. To have the familiar liturgy set to such powerful jazz music was simply amazing. I have found an mp3 sample here. (although our girls sounded much better!) This was a great and worshipful experience and I went away that morning smiling at the thought many have that cathedrals are stuffy and lack innovation!
Last night I had another privilege of deaconing at the Moot Eucharist. A different experience again with a community of people that are battling and learning what it means to live as Christians in the city of London. The theme of this service was ‘accountability’ and after an interview with Brandy and Travis, which you can hear on the Moot podcast, we were presented with some challenging questions. Questions that I need to spend a lot of time considering.
Questions like:
how much do you reflect on the way God and others love you for who you are?
how do you relate to others about your spirituality?
how do you get beyond your own thoughts and feelings and help others?
There were a lot more … but those are the 3 I’ve chosen to focus on first.
Two amazing services which displayed integrity, creativity and innovation while maintaining the centrality of the importance of Eucharist. And people wonder whether the diversity within the Church of England is a good thing!!!!!
This is the latest update from The Burma Campaign UK.
Now that Burma is out of the news, I fear that humanitarian crimes will just continue unopposed.
Please take time to write to your MP and click on some of the links below.
Life in Burma is horrendous and nothing will happen to change that unless there is continued and strong international pressure to have a level of justice.
It’s frustrating that after 38 UN visits still nothing has changed. There are still over 2000 political prisoners. Aung San Suu Kyi is in her 13th year of house arrest for the crime of winning an election!
Please do something so that Burma fades into the mist of yesterdays news
Dear Friends,
A United Nations envoy has just returned from Burma and has yet again failed to secure the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma’s 2,130 other political prisoners. UN envoys have now made 38 visits to Burma and have consistently failed to achieve any progress towards democracy and human rights.
Stronger action is needed. These prisoners have done nothing wrong. They have been imprisoned for calling for freedom and human rights. The United Nations Security Council must bring in a binding resolution to ensure that Burma’s political prisoners are released. We need your help to make this happen.
TAKE ACTION – IF YOU LIVE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
Take 2 minutes now and write to your MP and urge them to support Aung San Suu Kyi by signing Early Day Motion 343* (Early Day Motions are similar to a parliamentary petitions – read more below**).EDM 343 calls for all the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all Burma’s 2,130 political prisoners. The EDM demands that the British government uses its position on the UN Security Council to get the Security Council to take action.
We’ve made it really easy for you. Just go to this page and click “Take Action, Click Here”. Then all you do is put in your details (so we can find your MP for you) and personalise the message we’ve drafted for you. We take care of the rest!
TAKE ACTION – IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE THE UK
Take 2 minutes now and email UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon and the UN Security Council from this website and urge him to make it his top priority to secure the release of all Burma’s political prisoners.An update from inside Burma
This week Burma’s imprisoned democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was allowed out of her house arrest for a few short minutes to meet with the UN Envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, and the Central Executive Committee of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD).Suu Kyi called on the UN to prioritise the release of all 2,100 political prisoners in Burma.
She once more bravely stated that she is willing to talk to the Burmese regime at any time, but the regime is refusing to come to the negotiating table.Aung San Suu Kyi is only kept safe because of her high international profile. You, as one of her supporters are helping to keep her safe.
Thank you
Johnny Chatterton
Campaigns Officer
Burma Campaign UK
http://www.burmacampaign.org.ukP.S. You can find out more about Aung San Suu Kyi here
P.P.S For the latest news from the Burma Campaign UK join our free email list here.
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* What is Early Day Motion 343? EDM 343 is available to read here.**What is an Early Day Motion? Early day motions are a bit like petitions that are exclusively available to MP’s. They allow MP’s to raise issues that are important to them and are a record of what the British Parliament are concerned about. You can read more on Parliament’s EDM page or on Wikipedia.
The Burma Campaign UK
Registered Company No. 3804730
Registered office address
28 Charles Square
London N1 6HT
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