Following last night's Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at St. Geoffrey's here are the words to the carol that resulted in half the choir walking out in a huff!
Once in Judah's least known city
Stood a boarding house with back-door shed,
Where an almost single-parent mother
Tried to find her new-born son a bed.
Mary's mum and dad went wild
When they heard their daughter had a child.
He brought into earth a sense of heaven,
Lord of none and yet the Lord of all;
And his shelter always was unstable
For his mission was beyond recall.
With the poor, with those least holy,
Christ the king was pleased to live so lowly.
Can he be our youth and childhood's pattern
When we know not how he daily grew?
Was he always, little, weak and helpless,
Did he share our joys and problems too?
In our laughter, fun and daftness
Does the Lord of love suspect our gladness?
Not in that uncharted stable
With the village gossips standing by,
But in heaven we shall see him -
Which may not be up above the sky -
If in love for friend and stranger,
We embrace the contents of the manger.
Thanks to John L Bell for the corrective vision it provides.
Monday 21 December 2009
Saturday 21 November 2009
Services for tomorrow
Urgent news: the Rev Dr Alcine is currently suffering from 'flu.
The 8am service at St Geoffrey's is cancelled (please direct your wheelchair satnavs to St Myra's where Bertha is presiding).
The 10am service at St. Geoffrey's will be led by the churchwardens. Look for the liturgical dance in the middle of Mattins!
Don't forget at 6.30pm the alternative service at Fulkridge Chapel (bring your earplugs) as DJ Spiritual rocks da house of God, man.
The 8am service at St Geoffrey's is cancelled (please direct your wheelchair satnavs to St Myra's where Bertha is presiding).
The 10am service at St. Geoffrey's will be led by the churchwardens. Look for the liturgical dance in the middle of Mattins!
Don't forget at 6.30pm the alternative service at Fulkridge Chapel (bring your earplugs) as DJ Spiritual rocks da house of God, man.
Being ill and being human
So I foolishly went into work yesterday after a bad night full of phlegm and with a head like a pumpkin, a sort of Jack'o'Bear in a clerical collar. And after sitting, feeling uncomfortably warm in the office (and drinking tea, which is also a telling sign from this coffee-powered man), sneezing forcefully enough to send the castored-chair flying backwards, decided to head home, even deciding to miss an important meeting that evening.
Upon my arrival home I was sent to bed, and I'm glad I did what I was told. Then today, after another poor night and the same symptoms, I had to make the hard decision to say I shall not be at church, cancelling one service and dropping the other on my churchwardens.
And now, of course, although I'm definitely unwell, I feel something of a fraud. I've been able to do some desk work, and can concentrate on this and so forth. The two essential trips I've made today (both short distances on foot) have proved that I'm under par. Not so much a high temperature or headache, but slightly-reduced lung capacity. (And yes, I know that is something to watch out for with H1N1 too... not that I trust the various remote forms of diagnosis, especially after reading a recent New Scientist article.)
Add to that I've found a desire to be creative again (possibly arising from taking things easy for the last two weeks and the subsequent mid-week "week-end") - maybe even this blog has something to do with it. I find that I'm missing my old Geofiction haunt Eshraval too. I dropped out of that because I was finding myself unable to sustain the activity level needed (although nobody else seemed to worry about it!) So a I feel like I'm suffering from a sort of Chronic Creativity Deficit.
But, to get to the point, why do I feel a fraud? I decided to cancel appointments today, and on the strength of how I felt this morning it was right to withdraw from church services tomorrow. I still had to do a full morning of work, at least some of the stuff that had to be done. Why do I find it difficult to acknowledge the wisdom of stopping a while? Perhaps I just have an inflated sense of duty? I certainly feel that many folks in equvalent posts seem to work so much harder. Or is that just a reflection of tiredness?
Anyway, a blog post, and a real one, rather than humour. Which reminds me, I had a Poppleton moment some time back. I wonder if I can remember what it was? :)
Upon my arrival home I was sent to bed, and I'm glad I did what I was told. Then today, after another poor night and the same symptoms, I had to make the hard decision to say I shall not be at church, cancelling one service and dropping the other on my churchwardens.
And now, of course, although I'm definitely unwell, I feel something of a fraud. I've been able to do some desk work, and can concentrate on this and so forth. The two essential trips I've made today (both short distances on foot) have proved that I'm under par. Not so much a high temperature or headache, but slightly-reduced lung capacity. (And yes, I know that is something to watch out for with H1N1 too... not that I trust the various remote forms of diagnosis, especially after reading a recent New Scientist article.)
Add to that I've found a desire to be creative again (possibly arising from taking things easy for the last two weeks and the subsequent mid-week "week-end") - maybe even this blog has something to do with it. I find that I'm missing my old Geofiction haunt Eshraval too. I dropped out of that because I was finding myself unable to sustain the activity level needed (although nobody else seemed to worry about it!) So a I feel like I'm suffering from a sort of Chronic Creativity Deficit.
But, to get to the point, why do I feel a fraud? I decided to cancel appointments today, and on the strength of how I felt this morning it was right to withdraw from church services tomorrow. I still had to do a full morning of work, at least some of the stuff that had to be done. Why do I find it difficult to acknowledge the wisdom of stopping a while? Perhaps I just have an inflated sense of duty? I certainly feel that many folks in equvalent posts seem to work so much harder. Or is that just a reflection of tiredness?
Anyway, a blog post, and a real one, rather than humour. Which reminds me, I had a Poppleton moment some time back. I wonder if I can remember what it was? :)
Monday 16 November 2009
Information Services News
Following successful trials we are pleased to announce the formal adoption of the new self-service lending system across all libraries. "This new system will streamline book management and allow students and staff to borrow books beyond normal opening times, as well as cutting down queues in regular hours," said Sylvia Lence, Deputy Head of Library Services.
The new system has drawn criticism for failing to indicate due return dates upon books themselves, instead issuing ATM style receipts. One recommendation arising from last term's pilot scheme was that emails should be sent to borrowers reminding them of return dates. Questioned as to why this recommendation was not being adopted, Ms Lence cited rising costs, adding that the receipts make very handy bookmarks, and thus constituted an improvement in service to borrowers.
Another member of staff, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed this. "Of course we can't afford to send reminders. Where else do you think we get the money for new books?"
The new system has drawn criticism for failing to indicate due return dates upon books themselves, instead issuing ATM style receipts. One recommendation arising from last term's pilot scheme was that emails should be sent to borrowers reminding them of return dates. Questioned as to why this recommendation was not being adopted, Ms Lence cited rising costs, adding that the receipts make very handy bookmarks, and thus constituted an improvement in service to borrowers.
Another member of staff, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed this. "Of course we can't afford to send reminders. Where else do you think we get the money for new books?"
Sunday 15 November 2009
New Chaplaincy Services, courtesy of the EuroLottery, sort of...
Pleasantly shocking news broke this week as the Chaplaincy of Poppleton New University unveiled plans to buy and convert existing facilities, including the Sports Bar, Dance Studio and Great Hall on campus until "plans for the new custom-build Crystal Chaplaincy facility are completed".
Speaking on behalf of the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Team, whose EuroMillions-winning syndicate last week netted them a cool £85M, Rev Dr Alcine said, "Well, given the current needs of the Chaplaincy and the encouragements of the Directorate to find bold and innovative funding streams we thought that £1 a week from the collections was a small price to pay for the chance of being freed from University-funding committees." Asked what the team most looked forward to in the years ahead their response was unanimous - the staff sauna meeting suite.
When questioned as to whether Dr Freeman-Guise, Lecturer in Gambling Theory at the New Poppleton Business School, would shortly be joining the Team, this reporter received a very pleasant smile and a new car.
Speaking on behalf of the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Team, whose EuroMillions-winning syndicate last week netted them a cool £85M, Rev Dr Alcine said, "Well, given the current needs of the Chaplaincy and the encouragements of the Directorate to find bold and innovative funding streams we thought that £1 a week from the collections was a small price to pay for the chance of being freed from University-funding committees." Asked what the team most looked forward to in the years ahead their response was unanimous - the staff sauna meeting suite.
When questioned as to whether Dr Freeman-Guise, Lecturer in Gambling Theory at the New Poppleton Business School, would shortly be joining the Team, this reporter received a very pleasant smile and a new car.
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