Sorry to not be blogging this week. The usual excuses...but a few new ones: I had a rather stressful preaching assignment for Thursday for Ascension day - an ecumenical service with Eucharist. I felt under a great deal of pressure to develop some ideas about Christ and the founding of the church - which I think I managed to pull off in the end - but it was touch and go until really the last minute.
Added to this stress I have had a nasty cough for a few weeks and I was starting to get really very tired of all the cough cough coughing. Eventually one of my parishioners suggested going to the local chemist and ask for the pharmacist's special cough medicine - called Black Magic (see above)! Well, I can tell you it has worked a treat...you feel absolutely no pain whatsoever and the cough submits very quickly to the black magic potion (if you click on the image above it gets big enough to see the ingredients of the potion - then you'll know why it is so effective).
Mark and Eva are both away for a few days (Eva in Colomendy of a school trip and Mark up Ben Nevis)...so I am home alone - which is lovely. Off to the supermarket now and then I shall potter about the house, eat cake and prepare myself for an evening of rubbish TV with nobody to fight over the control with (I have 3 episodes of primeval to catch up on).
Last year was capital of culture year here in Liverpool. This year it is the year of the environment. The city council published details of the initiative in November last year (more details here) and current plans for 2009 include:
* The introduction of a Green ambassadors programme which will ask everyone, old and young, to sign a pledge committing them to completing tasks to reduce their carbon footprint. These will range from reducing the amount of electricity used at home to planting at least one tree or shrub during the year. * Hosting special events in each of Liverpool's five neighbourhoods to promote debate about all things environmental. * Launching the city's very own designer bag for life. * Dedicating one school day for primary and secondary schools which will focus on green issues and the role young people can play in shaping our future world. * A celebration event to mark the completion of the £14m regeneration of Stanley Park. * Events which will encourage residents to get out into their local green spaces and learn more about the environmental wonders of the city's parks and gardens, their history and the impact climate change could have on them. * A major environmental conference to be held in the city. * Green Fayres selling organic, locally sourced products to be held across the city throughout the year. * Encouraging residents to get involved in conservation and become volunteers for their local nature reserves. * A green pantomime which will get the environmental message across in a fun way. * Making all city council vehicles, such as waste collection lorries, low-carbon to reduce emissions.
One story that caught my eye this week was that a school in Garston went back in time to see what it was like to live without electricity for a day. The North West tonight report (here) shows how they experienced school like Victorian School children for the day.
We have been looking at the story of creation in our Genesis series of sermons and bible studies over the last few weeks and it has certainly provided me with a lot to reflect on in terms of our responsibilities as stewards of God's creation. It may seem like a small step but I hope that the year of the environment has an impact on the way in which we view the environmental impact of our lives in the city.
This was an interesting article about how Jerry Dammers dealt with a racist friend. He speaks about his regret at not challenging his friend and points out that if he had been able to speak to him perhaps he might have altered his behaviour. I guess it is up to each of us to challenge inappropriate behaviour and language whenever we encounter it.
The Vision After the Sermon (Jacob Wrestling with the Angel) Paul Gauguin currently held at the National Gallery of Scotland
I am entering my final hours at St Deiniols and feeling quite pleased with my progress. I have managed to work on every chapter and make significant improvements to a large proportion of it. Spiritually I feel I have been able to get this whole thing in perspective and regained a peace around it that had fallen away during the last year at Trinity. A great deal of wrestling - emotional, spiritual, physical and intellectual has gone into these four days and I feel quite exhausted by also invigorated.
I have just over 2 hours left here - Mark and Eva are coming to get me at lunch time. So, I best make the most of these final hours. So, there will be no More playing on facebook!
It is 8.23pm and I have been hard at work here in the library all day. I worked until the library shut at 10pm last night and that is my plan tonight though I am finding it quite hard to keep going (hence the blog break). My cold is getting the better of me and I think I must be annoying the other readers with my sniffing and coughing...but so far no even a huff or puff from them (so polite). I am making good progress though. I am being very critical of my work and making some quite radical changes to the previous draft. However, I am going to have to be less radical and gather more pace tomorrow. I am about 1/4 of the way through it and one chapter (the one where I develop my practice as research - or what Sara refers to as the auto-ethnographic chapter!) in particular will need a great deal of attention - i.e. it is really pants.
I am loving it here though...the food is great, my room is very comfy, I have made a couple of good friends who are very interesting to chat to at meal times and over coffee. I just wish I wasn't feeling quite so rubbish...hey ho. As long as I get most of this done I will be pleased. Anyway, best get on.
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.
I have managed to avoid taking any form of exercise for a long time but tomorrow is the day that all this changes. I have an induction to the local gym which has been prescribed by the nurse at my new doctor's surgery (having had a check up she just happened to notice that I was overweight and a bit of a couch potato). I have signed up for Liverpool's healthy living scheme which allows me to see a personal trainer, join the gym and have my physical well being monitored over 12 weeks. I am not looking forward to this step at all. My aversion to exercise goes very deep and the thought of being the gym fatty feels me with horror but I realize that being affective here - the curate in two parishes in Everton - my health needs to be boosted.
So, I would welcome your prayers - for lethargy (oh I am very good at being too tired to go for a walk/swim/spin); for my sore arthritic feet which do not respond well to impact; for the poor person who has to motivate me off the sofa and in to the gym. But most importantly that I don't lose heart too quickly and keep at it.
Today I am off to Formby to see Sister June - the "healing nun" and my spiritual director. I am looking forward to some wise words and spiritual healing! Also, the drive to Formby is lovely and I can have a spot of charity shop shopping as well. Hope to be back by 2pm when I will do a bit of work in my office and some visiting later. All good I think.
I am thinking about a few of my Trinity friends who are getting ordained over the next couple of weeks - Mel must have started her ordination retreat. So, I'll be thinking about them for a while as they prepare for that. Last night I joined a housegroup (which will be meeting here on Wednesday evenings). We had a great time chatting and looking at Revelation - which I have to say was a challenge to me and a book I may need to spend some time studying in more depth. Having worked on the book of Daniel with Ernest Lucas last year I feel better equipped to return to this and peel away some of my layers of thinking.
Anyway, to the subject of this entry - Sense of Sound Choir are appearing on Songs of Praise this Sunday on BBC 1 - 4.35pm - 5.10pm. Of course I won't be able to watch it because I will be at real live church...having said that I will be taping it! They will be singing Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise which will be a real treat.
Pastime Paradise
They've been spending most their lives Living in a pastime paradise They've been spending most their lives Living in a pastime paradise They've been wasting most their lives Glorifying days long gone behind They've been wasting most their days In remembrance of ignorance oldest praise Tell me who of them will come to be How many of them are you and me
Dissipation Race Relations Consolation Segregation Dispensation Isolation Exploitation Mutilation Mutations Miscreation Confirmation.......to the evils of the world
They've been spending most their lives Living in a future paradise They've been spending most their lives Living in a future paradise They've been looking in their minds For the day that sorrow's gone from time They keep telling of the day When the Savior of love will come to stay Tell me who of them will come to be How many of them are you and me
Proclamation of Race Relations Consolation Integration Verification of Revelations Acclamation World Salvation Vibrations Simulation Confirmation.......to the peace of the world
They've been spending most their lives Living in a pastime paradise They've been spending most their lives Living in a pastime paradise They've been spending most their lives Living in a future paradise They've been spending most their lives Living in a future paradise We've been spending too much of our lives Living in a pastime paradise
Let's start living our lives Living for the future paradise Praise to our lives Living for the future paradise Shame to anyones lives Living in a pastime paradise
- that's a challenge to all of us I think! Best go and speak to Sister June about Stevie Wonder...
Last night someone stole Mark's camera from the house whilst Eva and I were in the kitchen - they came in through the open back door (less that 10 foot away from us). There had been an incident outside the house that lasted about an hour in total and was quite confrontational in the end. By the time Mark got back it became apparent that they had actually been in the house and removed the camera - the one that Mark uses for work and is quite valuable. Eva was reasonably ok about the whole thing but it has meant that today we have not gone to Wales for the night as a family as planned. I would have to be back tomorrow anyway and am too tired to get my act together to go so I am not going to make it at all - the others probably will get there for some of the time.
The whole day has been spent sorting stuff out. The police didn't go until 2am this morning and I was up at 8am sorting insurance etc. We have spent the day dealing with forensics, visitors and various other robbery related issues. I am completely knackered and know that a night under canvas is just not what I need. So, I am definitely staying to try to get a better nights sleep.
Having felt very demoralized earlier this morning and emailed a few people for prayer support and just to get it off my chest I am beginning to get it into perspective and realise that I can not let this take over the way we live and work here. But the reality is this isn't an isolated incident and I think we need to up security and vigilance and yet keep a balance of healthy city living. We are very well supported here - lots of people have called, the archdeacon has been round, the police dealt with the situation (slowly) but in a measured way and the insurance company have been good about it. So, we have a great deal to be grateful for. But your prayers for protection would be appreciated and once again please pray for the boys and girls who came into our home and the surrounding area. Boundaries need to be set and I need to be a bit tougher.
So, today has been a rubbish. But I must say a big thanks to everyone who is praying for us! Really really big thanks. xxx
Rather annoyingly I still have yesterdays headache today. Don't really know what I am doing wrong...I've had lots of sleep, I have tried very hard not to read, watch tv, play on this computer and even took some time out of work this afternoon. But, here I am still feeling like a small thunderstorm is raging inside my brain. I also feel sick and am a funny shade of grey. The morris dancers are in church and I am in charge this evening (not as tricky as it sounds as they only need me to open up, fetch the football when they kick it over our fence - some boys who don't morris come to kick a football about - and close up at 9pm). I had intended to spend some time with them this evening but my headache won't deal with watching young people hop and bounce to loud music so I am pottering about instead.
It is Eva's birthday tomorrow - so we have a late afternoon/ evening of 9 year old fun ahead (burgers, a film, presents etc). Henry and I are taking a funeral tomorrow and I hope to finally get out and deliver the Everton Telegraph with Henry and some of the St Peter's church gang in the morning. So, I am hoping this headache will disappear over night (like the rain). If you don't mind putting a word in to God about the headache it would make tomorrow so much easier. Thanks.
I have got half way through my first week as a Deacon and I am having a blast. I am not saying it is laugh a minute because it isn't but it is fantastic!
Today I went to see Sister June in Formby to have a pray and a chat. June is affectionately know as 'the healing nun' as she is an excellent healer (I know God does the healing! but you know what I mean?) - she uses bach flower remedies to promote self healing. Now, I haven't worked all this completely into my theology of healing but I have always found going to see June, praying and focusing on healing very useful. I have been to visiting June for about 8 years and her support is invaluable. June came to my ordination on Sunday and wanted to have a chat about a few things (she is concerned that I get enough space to myself, say no when I need to and look after myself). I accept all June's advice even if I am unable to take it!
Having made the journey to Formby it was rude not to stop into Waitrose for Key Lime Pie (not on June's list of advice), I will be enjoying a slice soon!
In other news...I found out be theology degree results today. I got a 2:1...and I am made up! After all that stress - particularly over the exam - it seems a bit of an anti-climax. I can't believe that I am not dancing in the streets of Everton but it doesn't seem all that important any more. I am sure it will come in useful. In fact I am going to be preaching on Romans 8 in a couple weeks so I will be grateful for Steve Finemore and his exacting exegesis bootcamp. Perhaps later I will allow myself to celebrate with a glass of wine and a few nibbles. Yes, I think I will!
I have lived in Liverpool since I was 18years old. I came here to study drama, pop music and be an actor. I spent a couple of years in a theatre company in Leeds during the mid 1990's returning to start an academic career at Edge Hill University in 1998. In 2001 I started to explore the possibility of full time ministry in the church of England. After a long period of discernment I started at Trinity College, Bristol in 2006 and trained be a vicar.
I was ordained as a Deacon in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral in June 2008 and ordained priest in June 2009. I am serving as the assistant curate at St John Chrysostom and St Peter's churches, Everton.
