olympic reflections

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It’s taken a while to get down to writing anything since the Olympics. I guess I was not aware how much energy the Olympics zapped… and then we had a holiday …. but last night’s amazing opening ceremony for the Paralympics has been my personal inspiration to reflect on all that happened for me over that 3 week period.

First and foremost … what a privilege! I don’t think I have ever, or will ever repeat, volunteering in such an amazing, spectacular and special event.  Being a volunteer chaplain at the Olympics was such an amazing experience and quite a unique way to support, encourage and sometimes even challenge people. I must admit I started wondering how being a chaplain to the workforce (ie other volunteers) would work …. but we were clearly needed and welcomed by the other volunteers there.

I had four particular locations to look after as chaplain: Horseguards Parade, Wembley Stadium, Wembley arena and the Wembley Plaza hotel. In all four places I found people who wanted to talk, who wanted to be listened to, and who wanted to be prayed with or had someone they wanted me to pray for.

Being a football fan, having the opportunity to walk around Wembley stadium on a daily basis was kind of a schoolboy dream come true. On one occasion I found myself in one of the Wembley boxes praying with two people while we looked out over the empty Wembley which had a match the night before. We needed somewhere quiet and the box was to hand. It was surreal … looking out over the ‘sacred’ ground of Wembley while asking God to intervene in these peoples lives.  Of course … I took a pic … it had to be done!

I was amazed to find myself praying with people in stairwells, in the rest area, and even at the top of the Bowl in Horseguards while Beach Volleyball was played out below us. That was a unique venue in itself … and the press have made much of the amazing party atmosphere that was there. It was wild, and it was special and it may surprise some that amongst all that party stuff a chaplain was still needed and both of us there were always engaged with people from opening to close.

There are many amazing experiences that I will treasure for years and years to come. Those diamond moments of listening to people share their stories and being able to help them connect with God in some way were very very special. I was surprised by how many wanted to talk seriously about their lives and faith and how it all connected. The whole experience has left me with one new aim  …. to learn Portugese in the next couple of years so that I might have a chance to do it all again at Rio 2016! Yeh … I wish!!

Jubilee mosaic

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As an alternative to my Olympic postings, Im excited to share that Rochester Cathedral will be hosting Helen Marshall’s Jubilee Mosaic.

I’m looking forward to seeing this which opens on wednesday until the 19th August. If you plan to come and see it between 13th. and 19th. why not give me a shout and we can catch up over an amazing Deaf Cat coffee!

what next … update

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As an update to my ‘what next’ post I am really encouraged with the kind messages I have received.

I am also really encouraged to find out that Stewardship are happy to support me. Stewardship are a charity through which people can make donations to me who can also reclaim the tax on my behalf.

So … if you are one of those people who was thinking you would like to support me financially, then you can now download the relevant form here – thanks!

an olympic chaplain ….

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It’s been am amazing week – but then you have probably guessed that by the lack of action here on SHP.

I am one of the volunteer chaplains at The Olympics covering a couple of venues. My role is to support and be available to the workforce and volunteers that are giving up their time to help ensure that ‘the games’ run smoothly. The days are quiet varied – although I am in the same venues the number of volunteers and shift patterns means I meet an come alongside a great variety of people.

I have met loads of people, had loads of conversations, been surprised, been humbled and found myself in some amazing situations and places. Some of these I will share a little more of after the Olympics have concluded. In every conversation or encounter I have had (and there have probably been over 50 already) people are really ‘touched’ or ‘intrigued’ that there is a chaplain on site for them. Everyone has been pleasantly surprised rather than suspicious and we are quickly being seen as a support to people.

One particular highlight of last week was being one of the lucky people to attend the rehearsal of the Opening Ceremony in the Olympic Stadium. It was stunning … I can say that now as we are past Friday and you have all seen it. I came away thinking ‘Danny Boyle is a genius’. The sound, smell and atmosphere did not really relay that well through a TV screen but it was still exciting to watch at home.

The next two weeks I will be continuing as a chaplain at the Olympics and really can’t believe how cool and exciting this role is. The role is rewarding, I love meeting new people and being a listening ear and being … well … a chaplain to them … and for the next two weeks I’m part of the Olympic Family! Wow!!!

so … Rob … what are you doing next?

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This post has taken a while to write … the blog has been quiet as I have thought hard and done stuff ‘behind the scenes’ about the immediate way forward and even more so on how to communicate that to friends who regularly read this blog.

It probably will not come as a surprise to many of you that read here that I am still convinced of my calling as a pioneer;  to work with but outside the church and beyond in a way that enables me to meet with people outside the walls of the church. I believe in th church, but also believe the church needs to be working differently to reach and support different groups of people. I think that’s called ‘one size does not fit all’.

A few years ago, after Mission Shaped Church report was published I responded to what I believe was a call from God to consider ordination with a view to being a pioneer minister rather than the more traditional route of parish priest. Being creative, working with people in fresh ways to investigate more about faith and to look for opportunities of how to work together and journey together rather than avoid each other … these are things that I have realise energise and excite me.

As a pioneer, my desire has not been so much to share my faith, although that has happened, or to try and convince people of my faith, although that seems to have happened as well, but more to try and be a positive influence, to give opportunities for questions, and to be a blessing to those that I have come across. I have a great desire to be good news in my community, to encourage and to support when its been possible. In short, I have tried to be a friend to people.

I now seems like ages ago that I started doing this ‘pioneering stuff’ with some trepidation as I knew no one. Four years down the line I find that I have made some good friends in the Rochester High Street area. I have learned lots from these people and have grown to love and respect them as the good bunch of people they are – but now is not the time to talk about that stuff …. that will come later in September when I move on from Rochester.

In September it will be with some sadness that I leave Rochester and the cathedral as my curacy comes to an end. Curacies in the Church of England are always a maximum of 4 years … and I have let this run its full course. My last Sunday at the cathedral will be on 2nd September, while my last day as pioneer curate in Rochester will be on Wednesday 5th September. That still sounds a little way off but I guess this will come quickly as between now and then I have a 3 week Olympic chaplaincy and a 10 day holiday in the diary.

My role as a pioneer in Rochester was to develop a new way of being church for people that don’t currently go to church. the gathering is a group of people who are traveling together and exploring faith together. I believe we are some form of new monastic community and we consider how we live our lives. We are at an early stage in our life together as we move towards becoming a ‘church’. Over the last 3 or so years we have met in various places and learned lots together about journeying and faith and inclusivity. This group is slowly growing as we pick up others on the way who are asking the same sorts of questions that we are …. those being more about how we live out faith rather than what each individual believes in detail. This means the community holds together people that don’t agree on some issues … and that is a good thing.

As we started to talk about what happens next after my curacy it soon became clear that the diocese only really has the resources to offer me parish ministry next. (I think a number of dioceses are in the same position). The diocese looked at parishes which would suit a pioneer and we considered some, and the opportunities were quite exciting. After much prayer and discussion, though, we felt we could only move to a parish if we could move the gathering there as well. This has not been possible due to distances involved away from Medway.

So … as we feel God is calling us to carry on what we have started and continue travelling with the gathering we (me/my family/the bishop)  have made the decision that I will become an SSM (self supporting minister) pioneer minister / priest missioner in Gillingham from September and accountable to local people. Obviously it is a risk to give up a whole salary, but I guess this is what ‘living by faith’ and ‘following your convictions’ is all about.

I won’t pretend all things are hunk dory … I’m excited by a new start (as any pioneer would be), but I will be sad at missing some great people and I don’t mind admitting that I’m pretty scared as well about starting again and trusting God with our finances. Even as I write it I sound like some religious fanatic … but yes I really do believe God will provide …. and if I’m honest I hope I will still be able to say the same in December!

If you are the praying type, maybe you could pray for us. As you pray maybe you could consider as well if you could support us. I am currently looking for people to support us both in money and prayer. If you wish to consider supporting in that way and want to know more detail please read the letter here and we can go from there.

So … that’s my update …. its a time for me to look ahead and start to dream what might be … hopefully I will keep bumping into some of you … so, that’s my update … see you around!

ordained to …..

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A few people I know have been ordained deacon or priest this last weekend. This time of year always causes me to stop and consider again the promises and commitments I made at my own ordination … and when I do that it can sometimes be quite a scarey experience.

I am also reminded of these words that Richard wrote in a card to me on the day I was ordained. I have returned to them regularly throughout the last four years.

These last few weeks have also brought out some more interesting thoughts on the experience of ordination …. a reflection of 25 years of being a priest by Stephen Cherry and an interesting 17 ten steps starting on June 8th from Steve Tilley who works at Holy Trinity Nailsea where I was youth worker centuries ago! Two interesting articles … go read …

the weekend ….

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The weekend was a good and varied one.
Tom started work at Bluewater.
Beth went shopping with Sarah to buy things that newly 16 year old girls buy. I sit somewhat stunned to think Beth is now 16. We left Nailsea a few months before she was born … and that only seems like a little while ago.
A lot of work was done on the allotment. I managed around 15 hours from Friday night to Sunday afternoon and so a lot was done. One of my new allotment friends, a great guy called Dave, also did a massive amount on my plot while I was at the cathedral on Sunday morning and it is really starting to look like an allotment plot rather than a jungle with a few vegetables growing here and there. dave has achieved in 1 day what it would have taken me weeks to do – the generosity of people is an amazing thing!

The main highlight of the weekend was, however, celebrating a good friends birthday on Saturday night in Maidstone with a good group of friends. We went to MuMu in Maidstone which was simply an amazing experience and a beautifully wonderful place to spend an evening. The experience was amazing, as was the food and the service and the staff were fantastic. If you need a great place for a celebration then go to MuMu!! I hope we can return in the not too distant future.

But for now …. it’s Monday … tell me why ….

strong opinions … weakly held

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I am still receiving daily thoughts from Father Richard Rohr. On some days his writings really grab me, pull me up short or hit me in the gut;  and on others what he writes seems to tie in with conversations I have been generally having.

This week Rohr writes: ‘Almost all religion begins with a specific encounter with something that feels “holy” or transcendent: a place, an emotion, an image, music, a liturgy, an idea that suddenly gives you access to God’s Bigger World. The natural and universal response is to “idolize” and idealize that event. It becomes sacred for you, and it surely is. The only mistake is that too many then conclude that this is the only way, the best way, the superior way, the special way that I myself just happen to have discovered. Then, they must both protect their idol and spread this exclusive way to others.’

As I read those words this week, many conversations around this ‘there is only one way’ theme came to my mind. I seem to have had lots of conversations with people, a lot (but not all) have been with other Christians, who seem to be very concerned with being right and making sure we are all ‘right’ in the same way. This outlook, coupled with the idea that this one idea then needs to be protected does, I think, result in people becoming entrenched in arguments. If you feel you need to protect an opinion or a viewpoint then it becomes very difficult to really hear the opinions and interpretations of others and miss the prompting that may tell you that your opinion needs to alter slightly or even be ditched and changed altogether.

I overheard a statement in the pub the other day …. ‘I have strong opinions, but they are weakly held’. It was said in a joking manner, but I think it sums up an excellent outlook. To my simple mind and thinking, that short stament, for me, somes up how I attempt to sit with my theology and my understanding of how I should live out my theology in my everyday life.

I am starting to believe that having an outlook that says, ‘this is my opinion but I may be wrong and so I am genuinely interested in what you think’ means that dialogue stays open, that surprises happen and that understanding develops in new ways. It gives space for God to simply be God! (Of course it goes without saying that as an anglican priest this all happens in relation to my prayer and bible study life (ie I don’t just rush off with the latest great ideas …. I am a thinker and mull things over …. I don’t think i’ve made a snap decision since about 1970!!!))

So … strong opinions, weakly held ….. firm ideas, gently owned, ….. sound views, lightly embraced …. all of which needs space to listen … to ourselves, to each other and to God.

pub theo: transgender questions?

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pub theo gathered again last night ….one person on their first visit asked how long we had been meeting and I was shocked to realise that next month will mark our second birthday. Maybe we should do something special to mark the occasion on July 30th…. maybe go for a drink or something!

Tonight we started with a great question which ws presented on facebook a little while ago: if we are made in Gods image and created male and female and that is how he wants us to be and us not to change our sex. Then what about people who are born Hermaphrodites, born with both parts, What happens there? What Sex did God create them? Did we cause a flaw somewhere? or was that how it was meant to be? how can some one determine another person’s sex when they are born?

The discussion was lively ad healthy with people having pretty strong views. These views ranged from people needing to be encouraged to accept their body / identifiable gender to views of complete acceptance and non – judgement to all. There were differing views between those two views as well.

This whole area really grabs me as a while ago I wrote a short presentation questioning this which I concluded in this way:

I argue for hope in a God finishing what he started which demands an alternative Christian view of engagement, passion and transformation in this area. We consider before us a person in turmoil, confused, ill at ease and in the wrong place, but desiring transformation. To my mind this is like the image of a small Christian community waiting for Jesus Christ.
This is not someone to reject, to be repulsed or afraid of and neither is it someone to deprive of surgery; this is someone to embrace, to admire and allow to experience the transformational love of God. ‘Maybe not God given by birth, but God given by the ability of medical science developed through the God given talents of compassionate human beings.’

If you arw that interested and want to read the talk n its entirety it may be accessed here under ‘Approaches and Methods in Theology’, which was the module I happened to be studying at the time.

Following this we discussed rules verses living as a way of living out our (Christian) faith. We also spoke a lot about whether there was one way to live as a Christian, and whether that would be a good or bad thing if there was.

once again …. a great heated discussion …. see you next month!

Be aware

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I have been reading more of Developing Consciousness. Actually I ahve read a few more pages because the book really demands that I out it down, contemplate and put some stufff into action. After accepting I am in the right place, Vesey encourages me to become aware of what I am already aware of.

Vesey explains this by asking his reader ‘what does it mean to see? To really see, not just to look an observe, but to take in the marvellousness of sight. The miracle of seeing. Th wonders of colours, of light and shade, of shapes and contours ….we might really see if we are in exceptional circumstances, but most of the time we are just looking as to what is going to come next’.

My consciousness, my awareness, my ‘seeing’ seems to have become functional. I prayer walk a couple of times a week around Rochester. I remembered as I was reading Vesey’s view here that I used to take my camera on my prayer walk. Because I had the camera I noticed cours and shade, i heard birds singing, I was aware of smells … simply because I was looking, listening and sniffing them out. On my walks with my camera I saw a lot more, I noticed patterns, and came back with questions based on my observation and assault on my senses from everythign around me.

I have not had my camera with me for a little while, and I have noticed that I have been noticing less. My observation has become functional; I look to see where I am going, to avoid obstacles and to ensure a safe arrival. My journey around the streets of Rochester has become bland and sterile. It has become so, because I have stopped looking, listening and noticing.

The last 2 days I have attempted to wander in a more alert state and really notice what is around me. On the allotment I have noticed the smell of the fresh earth exploding as weeds are pulled up has filled my mind with the scent of promise and potential. On passing though the cathedral I have noticed the walls have come alive again as the sun and colour has danced from window to window and stone to stone, and been conscious that this has been so for hundreds of years, connecting me with those that have gone before, and those that will come in the future. In Deaf Cat I have noticed the combination of chilled tunes caressing my ears with the aroma of seriously good freshly ground coffee permeating my nasal passages enticing me to stay in good company that little bit longer.

The days have come alive as I have noticed the beauty of the completeness of God’s creation. Today has been such a rich day as I have noticed so much more beauty around me as I have used my sense to listen … really try and listen.

Vesey says: real wealth lies in our ability to appreciate our experience. I think he may have something there!