Mrs Beamish

I have been sent this by a fellow curate...having had a 'moment' during the peace this morning it rings a strange bell.

advent sunday

Today is advent sunday and we lit the first candle on the advent wreath today...and the new Church of England advent website - why are we waiting - has put up it's first posting. We open the chocolate advent calendar tomorrow.

Having been down to Bristol for my Trinity College graduation ceremony yesterday I am feeling a bit tired today (it was great to see everyone again) so must get back to afternoon tea and a sit down before the evening service.

harvest

Today I have been preparing for the harvest service tomorrow at St Peters. There has been photocopying to do, tins to buy, bread to make, sermon to write (I say sermon it is more like telling two all age stories based on Luke 12. 13-21 - the Rich Fool and Isaiah 11.1-9 - A Vision of God's Universal Peace.

We are going to use some of the material from the Loaf Service - Christian Ecology Link's Food Campaign. We are going to make bread at the beginning of the service so I am preparing the dough a bit later so that all that has to happen tomorrow is some shaping at the beginning of the service, a quick rise and bake. To be honest I would quite like to be tucked up in bed with a lemsip. I have been fighting off a cold for a few weeks now and I feel like I am fighting a losing battle. I am freezing cold and Mark, Elise and Eva have all succumbed to it. Still, I am enjoying getting stuff ready and making the harvest loaf is going to be great.

I though I might be able to get out tonight to wish Dilys happy birthday but the combination of harvest prep and feeling like death warmed up probably means I am best being at home (also Eva is not that keen to go out for a curry!). I hope Mark is feeling well enough to go on all of our behalf.

back to church

We didn't do anything specific for back to church Sunday - though I did notices this article (thanks to the Church Times Blog) about a Merseyside church who seem to be an unexpected hit with the Daily Post. Good news I think!

Yesterday was, as ever, a busy day. I was preaching at St John Chrysostom Church on Philippians 1.21-30 in the morning. I really struggled to get this sermon sorted out this week but I think it went ok. My main point was that in this part of the letter Paul gives his readers permission to live with the tension (and not try to fix it) between the “now and not yet” and stand on this shifting ground with confidence. I think the sermon was preached by me for me really. I am a terrible one for trying to pin stuff down - particularly in relation to God's plans!

We had a big Sunday dinner with Elise, Wayne, baby Lillie, Andrea and Paula - roast pork, roast potatoes and parsnips, cabbage, peas and carrots. Followed by crumble. Yum Yum. we then sat and watched Penelope. It was a lovely afternoon.

I then went out to the Deanery evening service which was led by Kip Crooks (who is leading our parish weekend away as well). He was speaking about Art and Faith...which was very interesting. We also had a celebration for Henry's 30 years of ministry. 30 years in Everton no less. Very impressive I have to say!

So, that's my news. I am feeling a bit coldy this evening and have had a day in my office to catch up on bits and bobs. I went out for a few visits this afternoon but other than that its been planning for services, writing emails, poking about with my PhD and faffing. I have an evening off so must go and enjoy some crap TV.

my list

looks like this:
- Finish writing our Will - boring, depressing but necessary (the co-op do a great will writing service)
- Sort out risk assessment for church
- write up notes taken at meeting with Environmental Health man
- write a funding report
- look at and sort electoral rolls
- Write a sermon for Sunday
- Write the talk for Women's Fellowship today (which I have done!)
- phone hairdresser and sort appointment for me and Eva
- go food shopping or make a list and send someone else
- read minutes etc for meeting this evening and find out where meeting is and where to park etc
- get trainers for first gym visit on thurs
- make cakes for Sunday
- plan pastoral visits for next few weeks

There are lots of other bits and bobs but this is where I am up to just now. I am off to Women's Fellowship shortly to speak, drink tea and eat cake (it is a hard life) and I have started to plan my preach for Sunday so am on course - Philippians 1: 21-30! Like Paul I am dealing with the tension between the desire for the new heaven but enjoying the cake in the old earth (Paul obviously worded his argument differently)...will there be cake in heaven?

sunday sunday

Yesterday was Sunday and contrary to popular belief it is not the only day that I work - but it is the most concentrated working day, in that everything focuses on church. I am not sure I have had a typical Sunday yet but I will talk you through yesterday:





7.30am woke up (as usual)

8.30am woke up again (Eva hadn't properly woken up so I fell asleep again)

9am got up

there is a gap here where time is variously spent on these things: eating, praying, panicking about my sermon, choosing which clergy shirt to wear (does my bum look big in this? etc), fretting about the washing, bossing the family about, finding keys, finding sunglasses, finding bags, making a list, getting the cake ready (I took the cake I made for ordination to church for finishing), finding the keys (again) walking the 15 steps to church.

10.30am arrive in church - today I was at St John Chrysostom (hence the short walk). I was greeted with much warmth and excitement. I handed over my cake to Nell who was on kitchen duty and then prepared for the service. On this occasion preparing for the service amounted to putting my careful prepared sermon, bible and notes =under the lectern, visiting Sunday school, praying with Henry and others in the vestry and making sure I had the appropriate books.

I am still getting used to the services in both churches - every church has it's own way of doing things and it can be quite confusing but I am starting to get the hand of the various new ways.

my sermon went ok (I think), everyone seemed to be with me on it - it is always hard to distinguish between your own agenda and what God might like to have said at any given moment. I guess you put the ideas out there and hope for discernment. My Romans 8 sermon threw out a number of ideas and I got some good feedback and comments. I also got good feedback for my porter cake - which went down very well! I am not sure which went down best - sermon or cake!?

I was home by 1pm - and due out again at 2.30pm so I had some lunch and a sit down (nearly fell asleep). Some of us from both churches went to the Cathedral for a service for the visiting Lambeth Bishops who have been staying in the diocese. It was a moving service. It was great to pray with and for them. I know Lambeth is going to be a challenging time but also hope it is an opportunity for Bishops to catch-up, relax and be edified by being in communion with each other!

I was back by 5.30pm and flaked out on the sofa! That was me pretty much done for the day. I did watch George Gently on BBC1 which was a reasonable way to end the day...