Rumours of my Death are highly exaggerated!

Say's it all really! After an extended sabbatical, which somehow involved almost the whole of Poppleton New University moving to a new campus, and locking me out of the office for several years, I'm delighted to find that Prof. Graham Oogle (Edinburgh) has allowed me access to my account.
Of course, you'll understand I have lots to do after being away so long... if I could actually physically enter the building. Which I can't. Mmmm....

Hope springs eternal

It is most definitely spring, and with spring come signs of life and growth. The garden, after all, is full of them. Perhaps that explains why we've been getting many of the moderately established but unwanted trees at St Geoffrey's hacked back, before they can continue in their unwanted growth.

At Poppleton New there are also signs of life. Not just the increasingly frantic scurrying of students, some of whom have realised they actually have a degree to study for rather than simply a night-life and a low-paid job to support it, but that dissertations are due any week and with exams to follow, earlier this year than has been common. More surprisingly I have been delighted and surprised that my attempts to encourage and support the Christian Alliance have resulted not only in a chance to speak to a regular meeting but also to speak to the International meeting as part of their campus crusade (chainmail optional!). And, as an upshot of preparing for that meeting I received a phone call on what would otherwise have been my day off and would otherwise have gone to my answering machine. From the secretary of Bishop Nigel no less, the suffragan Bishop of Brambling, "Can the bishop see you at University tomorrow at x.45pm?"

I can't say the communication was a total surprise, but it was still a little off-putting. I'd better explain. A few weeks back a colleague of mine pointed out that a rather nice University Chaplaincy post was up for grabs. It was, in fact, a post I'd considered applying for a few months ago. The reason I hadn't applied in the end was that it came up at the same time as the exceedingly good Diocesan Conference at Goosewell, when I realised that I would really rather stay in this diocese and plucked up the courage to speak to Bishop Rex about whether there were any possibilities. I had, however, heard nothing, and so decided when the post was re-advertised (something which seems to be happening too much lately) that I should go for it, although not before emailing Bishop Rex to let him know and ask whether anything was happening about making Poppleton New a Full-Time post. Interestingly, or providentially it was timed quite well for a Diocesan Staff Meeting, but that might have nothing to do with it.

So there I was, put on the spot by Bishop Nigel's secretary. Twenty-four hours notice and trying desperately not to second-guess bishops, who after all can travel in four directions, and all of them oblique!

I'm most pleased to report that Bishop Nigel had providentially seen our beloved Vice-Chancellor the day before, and, over the course of a wide-ranging discussion had broached the prospects of Poppleton New actually putting come money into the work of the Chaplaincy in the light of all the work it was doing and had received an encouraging response. (This comment to be noted in the light of the current 0.5 provision of yours truly and the need for institutional "buy-in"). Hence my hope and now-made appointment with our dear leader... And also, of course, the reason for almost-optimism in the Vicarage...

You heard it hopefully here first, but, of course you don't know who I am, or who the Bishop described as a "natural chaplain", and as the Vicar of St Geoffrey's Argleton would say, "I couldn't possibly comment". (But maybe, just maybe, after 5 years of groundwork things might be pulling together).

The Future is Bright, the Future is..... Grey!

Preparations for both the Summer Graduations and the 2011-12 intake are continuing apace as betrayed by frenzied activity around the Poppleton New campus (and no, I'm not refrerring to the escapades of the newly-arrived Language School students, to whom we say cheerful "Bonjour!")

Upon artful "Utilitarian School" fixings new floodlights are appearing, allegedly to "allow the rugby field to be more efficiently used" - although there are dark mutterings about the creation of a "killing zone" in the same location, guarding the approaches to several key buildings. The colour of the lighting gantries? Grey.

The Senate Building, with its tasteful exterior-cantilevered design is receiving a thorough jet-wash before the annual drought declaration, and possibly accidentally washing any slothful staff who should be passing by. Its colour? Grey.

The venerable varnished wooden benches, the beloved hangouts of many students and staff languishing before the entrance to Reception, vigilantly guarded by the Security Cohort, have been replaced by new, hard-wearing, easy to maintain metallic benches, which surely by oversight, are both convex and backless. That this might accidentally discourage slumbering upon them and providentially drive others into the refuge of the Cafeteria can only be good news to Poppleton New's balance sheet! Their colour? Why, grey!

Even the trustworthy green, open, litter bins have been replaced by smart new, lidded ones, doubtless Autons from the School of Applied Cybernetics, combining tidiness with security, in swish and utilitarian.... grey.

(Rumours that the concrete foundation so recently laid in close proximity is to serve as the base for a watch tower, replete with searchlights, have been coolly disputed by the new Executive Dean for Corporate Promotion, Dr Gunnar Grey, as has speculation of corporate rebranding to the new and dynamic shades.... of two-tone grey.)

Low Tide

And so after the high there must be the low. I was in two minds when I was preparing for interview, and got progressively more positive and enthusiastic as time went by, although careful not to take it for granted and to try to be ready for a "no": after all there were four candidates. Despite all that, sleep hasn't been too good the last couple of nights.

Then this morning, "I'm sorry, but..." and the news that I wouldn't be going off for a new exciting Chaplaincy job next academic year. Feedback was good, and the news that in the end no-one had been appointed (the second successive time this has happened for me) brought some consolation, but not really, since as the job is for the benefit of others, a non-appointment is not so much a no-score draw as a loss for those being served, the students of the University.

So. Not only are we still here, but likely to remain so for another school year. On a positive note I must record that all things went very well on Sunday, with a noticeably younger congregation (amazing what the desire for Christenings does!). There are people we really could do with keeping, which would be beneficial to the work of the church here. Although that might not necessarily be to the benefit of their faith... Jesus ushered in a movement and we turned it into an institution. Maybe I need to just keep the institution of the parish ticking over, and get on with encouraging faith and new life in those who are showing signs of interest, even though they are from beyond my remit, so to speak. In which case I need more energy and enthusiasm... which I suppose is a prayer, in it's own way.

I have nothing against the town, either. GLW is happy here, and moving would have been hard for her, even if LMP is desperately excited at the idea of moving, while LM has only one real friend she'd miss at the moment. Perhaps it really is time to go and chat to NiceNew(is)Bishop...

I do need more structure, that's for certain. Anyway, I'm not sure what this will accomplish, if anything, so I'd better shut up.

First, and Second, Thoughts?

It's been a long time since I blogged here, but this is the only place I can really make this entry. It might even simply be an exercise in catharsis...

I'm currently wrestling with the possibilities of a job move. I've made no secret of my desire for a Full Time HE Chaplaincy post, and was interviewed for one last year that, obviously, did not come to pass. Now I have another one coming up later this week. And, of course, I'm torn. It looks like a good post, with lots of potential in the best sense (i.e. a solid base to build upon and move on, rather than simply somewhere with lots of problems). It would cause my "career path" to move in a very distinct direction, away from the needs of running a church, or being too hidebound to a denomination, even into a notional 5 day week. Even if that last should be treated with caution, being absolved from having to steer a church, and with all the expectations of parish ministry, is a big plus. It would not only mean a move, with all the dislocation for the whole family that it entails, but renting or buying our own property.

None of these things are, in themselves major problems. They are not deal-breakers. At the same time I know that my Good Lady Wife is very happy here, all the more so since leaving my church to go somewhere else - and it has had major benefits for me, and our relationship. Likewise the children are settled. I still love my Uni post, and feel that things are really beginning to go places now, that I've got the connections and experience of the place that really count. And the parish? Well, it remains the weak point, the area I'm least motivated in, feel the least comfortable, least happy and in many ways the least effective (although I love the contact work with those on the fringes and in the schools). All in all I suppose that means I could be a lot unhappier. (Maybe I'm just resigned to my fate, in the parish at least).

I still can't hide the desire for the FT Chaplaincy, and this is a very good opportunity. All I can do is go and see, do my best at interview and presentation, and try to discern the best way ahead. When I start thinking about it I do find the prospect exciting, but I can't say I'm jumping up and down saying "this is mine! I really want this!"

We said 5-7 years here, and we haven't quite reached the lower limit. At the same time, these opportunities don't come up every day and I really don't want to have to move children from Secondary Schools, which gives us a deadline, if not an imminent one. My worst fear is to be stuck in this post and not be able to escape. Ideally, of course, I'd like to be able to lose one half of my role and for the other to be full-time, but although I believe in miracles, I think that's a miracle too far! Even then I can't hide the fact it would make a lot of sense to move further north, on many counts.

So, all in all, it's a little confusing a present. If you're the praying type, then prayers would be appreciated, and if not, I suspect you'll understand how I feel about this anyway.

All I can ask is that I will have a clear answer after Friday. Whether it's a polite refusal, a definite offer and a real feeling of rightness, or a definite feeling of "no, this isn't for me!"

Catharsis? A definite maybe!

Ethically Challenged

Rev Dr Alcine wonders whether it is ethical to consider that attending a PCC meeting with a heavy cold, and the subsequent effects it might have in streamlining the leadership of St Geoffrey's, might actually constitute a "good thing"?

Cyclical, cynical or something else

One of the features of the wider catholic tradition is the use of a Lectionary, a fixed cycle of readings in an attempt to ensure a balanced diet of scripture over a fixed period. It's three years in the case of the Revised Common Lectionary. This has been widely adopted, having spread far beyond its Roman Catholic roots, into Anglicanism and beyond. It allows the harassed preacher to escape from his or her hobby-horse subjects, but also allows the creation of a personal library of sermons, which every three years you can bring out, dust off, adopt, adapt, improve, or ignore.

It's invaluable, there's no doubt about it. But if I repeat a sermon from three years ago, virtually verbatim, to the same congregation, what does that say about me as the preacher, and us as the church?

It could say that I am lazy, uninspired, overworked, or all three.

But it could be because what I said then still applies now. I firmly believe that there are timeless truths to our faith, just as much there is the need for change and adaptation to fit the needs of the current time.

So if I preach the same sermon to pretty much the same congregation (making allowances for those who have moved in, or on, and including that endless churn of families who appear for a few weeks or months, get what they want and move on, hiding our numerical decline), what am I saying?

Am I being too harsh if I interpret that as saying that nothing has actually changed in the last three years? Could it be that the people who benefit most might actually be the transient ones, the sparrows coming in from the darkness for a few brief moments and then flying out?

Am I being too harsh a critic of myself? Of my congregation? Or am I, by posting this here, on my anonymous blog (and, maybe, to the safely-screened readership of my Facebook friends) actually colluding with such lack of change and failure of faith? My own, and that of others?

A Ghost of a Post

Anyone who has been bereaved knows something of the feelings of loss and the hope that something has gone wrong and their loved one will re-appear. Likewise losing, or missing out, on a dearly-loved or wanted job, can be somewhat like a bereavement. This might explain something of the feelings I have had today upon hearing that a job I seriously wanted, was interviewed for, and failed to get, then did not appoint at the end of the process.

I have to admit to being considerably cheered up by some of the conversation with a trusted Third Party (who should know), along the lines of "if they didn't appoint you, how could they have not appointed anyone?" Said Third Party was trying to work out a little more of the institution's reasoning.

In a way I've "seen a ghost", the ghost of a post, and with it, all the feelings of the possibilities, the what-ifs...

The point is, they are going to re-advertise. And, if the advert does not bear the phrase, "previous applicants need not apply".... well, I really don't know.

Self-examination is a dangerous thing. Discuss.

The seed for my ruminations this morning, as much as an exercise in waking my brain as any cod philosophical thoughts, stems from a long chat and a short phone call. The short phone call was from one of my worshipping parishioners to inform me of the death of one of my non-worshipping ones. However, even that statement is open to discussion as the non-worshipper was known as part of the wider social family of the church, and I can't be sure I'd never seen her within the walls, but if so, only an incredibly irregular basis. Incidentally I than found out where she lived, which is an enormous property that has intrigued me since my arrival.

It occurred to me that I didn't know her faith status, that I didn't know what she believed, although if you asked her she would have probably said something like "of course I'm a Christian."

I find it a little worrying. Surely as the parish priest I should be concerned about the faith, or lack of it, of all my parishioners? And of course I am, but all at a rather remote and impersonal level. I cannot claim to display, as some would put it, a "passion for the lost". Which begs the question of how seriously I take my charge and my calling, and the whole raft of issues about what "lost" is anyway. I'll leave that open, simply because if I do go that way I'll be here for at least another hour and come out with no clear answer either, other that I am human and fallible and need to rely upon the power, providence and grace of Almighty God. All I'll note in passing is the reference of that previous sentence, an appeal to Almighty God, and make explicit that I believe in the standards revealed by inspired scripture, incarnation and present inspiration as mediated by the Holy Spirit.

From an individual I barely knew, to another about whom I know much, and from their own lips, one of "my" students. There is no denying that K is in a mess. Mentally, physically and emotionally, with a self-image that is completely out of kilter, seeing threat in every unfamiliar situation and ready to take offence, or worry that offence has been caused in virtually every situation. And that's without the accompanying self-harm by inaction, and depression. Speaking to K yesterday I got the impression that most, if not all the problems, go back to self-image. If the baseline for the image of self and reactions of others is wrong, then all else that follows is wrong too. I hesitate to use the word paranoia, as I am not a psychiatrist, but it certainly fits in at least the popular usage of the word.

To draw the two together, if my parishioner has harboured the impression and personal assessment that all is well in their relationship with God, they must face the consequence of the judgement, and, I hope, the mercy of God. As must I, and every living human. Likewise K assesses their position in the world by reference to all fellow students and asks "why do I bother?" and "why do they hate me?" (but not, notice, "do they actually hate me?") To me this continues to reinforce the need for a set of absolutes by which we may judge ourselves, and so obtain some indication about that which is right and wrong with our lives.

For myself, I appeal to the standards of the Christian faith (all the while acknowledging that varying interpretations exist, yet remain within a coherent package) - revealed by inspired scripture, incarnation and present inspiration as mediated by the Holy Spirit.

Advent, like Lent, is meant to be a season for self-examination in the light of God and the expectations of both the first, and second, coming of Jesus Christ. So this is part of my contribution.

And with my brain working, after a fashion, I need to get to work!

Bishop's Day for Clergy

Rev Dr Andreas Alcine, writes:

I was most pleasantly surprised by the Bishop's Day for Clergy yesterday. What could have been a rather stodgy day turned out to be very good indeed. I seem to have worried the powers-that-be, but in a good way. Over the lunch break I had two conversations, both apparently genuinely independent of one another. Firstly I had the Area Dean, who I only see infrequently, ask how I was, and gave the honest response rather than the "church" one. I was genuinely surprised to be asked "What would help? What can we do to help?" It feels like a long time since I felt there might be help. So much so that I had to admit I couldn't give an immediate answer, although the wicked thought about removing some of the more troublesome members of the PCC crossed my mind. I don't think the Diocesan Arsonist doubles as Diocesan Assassin..."

And as if that wasn't enough I then had NewBish sidle up. It appears that the Interesting Opportunity Up North, that didn't come up trumps, had asked for references before the interview, rather than after, and as FriendBish was in unavailable, that he had picked up the notes and provided. I was further stunned by his indications that it might be possible to uncouple the two 0.5 posts, being able to keep the 0.5 Chaplaincy at Poppleton New, and leaving St Geoffrey's to their death wish and me to do something else. This definitely bears further investigation, thought and prayer. The possibility had never crossed my mind. Obviously I want to go FT Chaplaincy, but retaining the current post while while working in a Team/Assistant position, would be an improvement over the present. There are still lots of questions to be asked, and plenty of hurdles, and the whole thing might be a flash in the pan, but nevertheless I am much cheered by this.

The actual "official" day was good too, although I'm not too sure how useful the discussion groups were of themselves. More often than not they reveal more about ourselves, weaknesses and prejudices than provide helpful material for others, and I speak as the worst offender! However NewBish's ruminations on Jesus' teaching on Alms-giving, Prayer and Fasting can best be described as 'considered, gently-provocative and thought-provoking' (such as the observation not only that Jesus considers alms-giving and fasting as core values when we might not so readily do so, and noting that alms-giving, however, we interpret that, has nothing to do with maintaining either the cost of ministry covered by the Parish Share, nor the fabric, and therefore falls into an entirely separate category from the giving we do on a Sunday, except with the relation to the outward giving of the church as moderated through the PCC).

I could write more, but sadly the other business of the day and weekend needs attention, and won't do itself!

Rhetorical Question

If I really dislike this part of the job so much, why do I keep doing it?

Possible answer factors include, faithfulness (however unwilling), family, and lack of clear alternative (including the truth of possible homelessness!).

Needed saying. :(

Enough is enough

I've said it before, in a longer format, but I'll say it again; I've had enough of this place. I don't seriously believe that anything we've done here will stand, because so few have bought into it, or really believe in the mission of the church. If it is of God it will stand, if not, it will fall, and I don't believe the inherited pattern and the social life is of God. Faith is irrelevant, because there is no real corporate demonstration to the parish in terms it can understand. At best the church will limp on for another couple of decades (if that), at worst it will reach a point of catastrophic collapse faster than they think, maybe as little as 5 years.

Now the Uni, that's a different matter...

And with that, I suppose I'd better go back to work.

What I did in my holidays (the unexpurgated version)

For some time now I've said I need to process a lot of thoughts from the summer holidays, and as part of the process, the Chaplaincy conference. A few days ago I managed to produce a form of them as the Parish Letter, also reproduced in my public blog. However, like Christmas Letters, there is that information which is widely spread, and that which is kept a little closer to the chest. So here is the public letter, and marked out by italics a rather fuller version. It's not perfect, or complete, but it covers most of the ground, I think.

Dear friends,

No matter what the calendar tells us, about when the number of the year changes, I suspect for most of us with young children or in active employment, the New Year has already started. Come the beginning of September we swing into a pattern that was formed in our infancy. I’d guess it’s a hard one to break. Holidays have passed, obligations have returned. It’s all up-, or down-, hill to Christmas, depending upon your point of view.

(That is I find it an uphill struggle, but in many respects a spiritual downhill journey. Not in the sense of rolling downhill, rather in the sense of it often being of declining personal spiritual value in the fulfilment of obligations and expectations, rather than personal, worshipful engagement.)

So what, if anything, did you do over the summer? What have you learned? Here’s the Vicar’s answer to that old back to school chestnut – what I did in my holidays.

First there was the opportunity to escape and to be looked after by others. Unless you’ve ever worked from home, and with the constant mental presence of work; with the expectation that every phone call and every ring of the doorbell is likely to result in another job, it may seem a little hard to understand the need to escape completely.

So many people tell me that my vocation is a 24/7 one, and despite replying that I am rarely troubled “out of hours” (that is, from roughly 11pm to 8am) the pressures and expectations, whether external or self-imposed, remain. Why else would I disconnect my phone line about 9pm on the evening before my day off and not reconnect it until 36hrs later? And, of course, it's not just me, it's the whole family.

Sadly the presence of mobile phones and all-pervasive internet access is spreading this phenomenon all the more widely to all the more people; which is probably bad news.

It is bad news. It should not be expected except in clearly defined circumstances. The vast majority of things just are not that important!

Love it or loathe it, whatever the source, overwork over a long period is bad news.

I love the Uni work. It has challenges I understand at a far deeper lever and a structure, and yet a freedom, that I enjoy. I dislike, sometimes loathe, the parish work.

Getting away allows a clearing of the mind and the space to pray. It’s an opportunity both to re-order your own thoughts and for God to re-order them for you, through the places you go and the people you meet. And in case you hadn’t noticed, the Gospel authors remind us that Jesus also made the habit of getting away from it all.

I do not make and take the time I should, whether on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. Preacher, teach thyself! And I didn't actually consciously pray very much while we were away. What I did was rediscovered my family: how to spend time with LM without an argument, how much LMP loves me, how to spend time together contentedly with my GLW, how to simply be. We did worship, at a Baptist church, which brought back many memories of my Pentecostal days. And good though it was, it gave much food for thought; a family-orientated service, concerned to welcome the stranger and visitor, but very much still wrapped in church-speak and attracting only the churched. The outward focus of the church was evident, but how many were being attracted inward?

Then there was Greenbelt, the annual Christian festival which many years ago was at Castle Ashby. Did you know that it’s been going 37 years? (I’ve been for 20, non-consecutive, years). If the family holiday was the chance to relax, Greenbelt was the chance to encounter. We camped once more with the Anglican Franciscans and joined into the communal rhythms of prayer, praise and eating, as well as having the chance to engage with speakers and be entertained and challenged. Greenbelt helps me reset the clock, to realise both the good and the bad, the changes and the things that I’ve failed to change. It’s not about guilt but honesty, and honestly giving it all back up to God and about seeking to get it right “next time”.

The astute reader will note a complete lack of comment over what I learnt, feel I've got wrong or was challenged by! Camping with the Franciscans was a liberating experience in respect of being part of a catered for community and in both GLW and myself getting in free, on contributors' wristbands. It was especially helpful when GLW went down with food-poisoning on the last night, which meant that at least the following day there were enough hands to help dismantle the tent once everything had been removed and mostly packed. However, going as a family radically reduced the flexibility, meaning that most activities were dominated by the needs of the children, especially when LM decided she wouldn't go to the children's part of the festival! We only heard one speaker, although I did manage to get some space and attend a panel discussion on the possibilities of virtual community.

One, almost accidental challenge, was the realisation that it's time, at least at a personal level, to find a different worshipping community to hang out with. When I started visiting, and later, assisting with the Franciscans, their rhythms and manners of worship were a radical and valuable departure from my charismatic pentecostal practices. Over time, however, the different has become the normal. The assistance in liturgy and worship has instead become another manifestation of work. The change is no longer as good as a rest, because it isn't a change. Maybe the time for being a member of the Franciscans' “Fifth Column” (as Brother Hugh and I joked), a hanger on, or 'pendulant', has passed. Whether this is true or not any further family outings to GB will probably remain based with them simply due to the benefits of community camping.

A bigger issue though, is the one that GB perpetually stirs; the question of a relevant faith and a relevant church. Frankly little of that shown by much of the established or long-standing churches, seems relevant or attractive to those beyond our doors. Not just my own area of responsibility, but the evangelical and outward-looking Baptist church from holiday. It reveals my serious frustrations with a church, as revealed in a PCC meeting upon our return, far more concerned with the necessity of keeping an ancient monument in good order and ensuring the delivery of a Christmas Bazaar according to a traditional pattern over the delivery and living of a liberating and transformative faith!

The final piece of the learning wasn’t a holiday, but still part of the process. The first week of September was a reminder of my other “hat”, the Anglican-Methodist Higher Education Chaplains’ Conference. Four days of looking at the dreams and realities of Chaplaincy work. Space to worship, to think, to explore, and as much as anything else, to pass on stories and experiences from our Chaplaincies, finding out what does and doesn’t work, and so gaining ideas for the future.

The conference reinforced many of the issues raised at GB. My frustrations, even loathing, of so much of the expectations and realities of parish life, for example. I have commented publicly before about things I feel I was not ordained to do, or do not need to be ordained to do, and how they dominate my working life. There are other parts of the calling as expressed in the ordination service that I do not and cannot achieve, yet feel very strongly called to be doing, as well as being far more affirming and fulfilling. It may well be very likely that to succeed in our Christian mission to the wider world that we may need to learn to function far more as Chaplains, than as Parish Clergy. It involves a recognition that church and faith are marginal, rather than central, to the life of the wider community and making that our starting point, being “out there” rather than staying within our walls and trying to get others to come to us. The church is dying, and has been bleeding to death for maybe as long as centuries, always stemming the flow enough to cling on, but bereft of lasting vitality and growth in so many areas. The Bishop of Lincoln mentioned how he has a parish priest exercising a mainly episcopal ministry over 26 parishes, supported by readers, commissioned lay workers and general laity. Like it or not, that is the way things are going.

Also I formed the impression, and I can only use those words, that my position is most unusual, at least in terms of those attending the conference. While a significant number of colleagues were performing their ministry half-time I appeared to be the only one in sole charge of a parish in the other 0.5 as opposed to being a member of a team. I'd be interested in knowing whether that is borne out in fact...

It wasn't all doom and gloom, far from it. There was plenty of hope, creativity and faith, but much of it allowed to flourish exactly because it was freed from the straitjacket of parochial institutionalism.

Whether we have idea or not, one thing we can be sure of is that the future holds change, whether in the parish or the university.

I'm preparing to jump ship! I told Bishop Frank that I would hold on for another two years unless an opportunity I couldn't refuse came up. And one is shortly due to steam over the horizon, and I intend to make it my own, unless some serious problem becomes apparent.

Society and our lives amidst it are not static. God is to be found in the present, and if he’s to be revealed to others in the present, than we need to be in touch with the present too. I’ve been challenged over the past weeks about how much we as the church, here and nationally, are really in touch with the present. Do we recognise the needs of the now?

No, I don't think we do!

Do we see the way ahead?

Likewise I suspect not, or if we do, I strongly suspect that we are in denial. If we had taken these things on board we would be doing things differently. I do not have all the answers. We have to find them together. We need each other.

And what are we going to do? Change shouldn’t be a matter for despair; growth can be as much a product of change as decline; potential and problem are merely the opposite sides of the same coin.

If we do not change, the church will wither. Sadly, despite some signs of growth, and despite a generally-stated agreement of the need for change and a stated willingness to see it, there remains a deep-seated and largely-unconscious corporate mindset that ensures the ship of the church is continuing to sail full speed ahead towards the reef, and that the minor course corrections effected are woefully inadequate. For all the work that we as a family have put in, as much as my own personal labours, and coupled with the awareness of my own frailties, such as an unwillingness to maybe be as blunt as I should, it's feeling rather as if our exertions, if not totally in vain, are running close to exhaustion. I don't think there's really any church will to live in anything other than a state of limping decline. I'm sure there is faith, somewhere, but don't see that coupled to any real actions that will make a difference. Those who have been running the show want and deserve to step back and let others do it, except of course there are precious few others, and they are expected to run the show in the same way as it has been for God knows how many decades.

As we approach our Feast Sunday, the 803rd (arbitrary) birthday of our church, we can be re-assured that God does not change.

It's a scandal that we don't!

He still desires that all may come to know him in Jesus Christ, and that we play our part in his mission. How we do it has to involve change, but his truth does not change. If our works are rooted in faith and following him then they will prosper, and if they are not, they will fall, and something else will take their place.

I find myself almost praying that it will fall. Only from death can new life spring. We believe in a resurrection faith; first there has to be a corpse. Well, we certainly aren't prospering...

So that’s something about what I learned and thought over my holidays. What about you?

With every blessing, as ever,

Stuart

And strange as it may seem, yes, I actually am happy. As Fraser in Dad's Army said “Aye, we're all doomed” but he didn't reckon on the resurrection power of the living God!

Starting them young...

Most pleased to see that St Geoffrey's Church of England Voluntary Aided School is paying proper attention to the minutiae of theological discussions, not just with regards to iconoclasts and iconodules, but also the difference between homoousious (Jesus as being homooúsios with "God the Father" — that is, they are of the "same substance" and are equally God) and homoiousios (similar in substance with God the Father, but not equally God).

And all this in year 3! Most impressive!

At least, that's how I interpret studying "images of Jesus and how different people believe him to be."

On books and bookishness

It has only taken two years, but I have finally sorted out which of the books I kept from Dad's massive library will be staying and which will be going; hopefully to the council library service. However, two especially noteworthy reflections have presented themselves.

Firstly, it has taken an external influence to get it done - we need the guest room to help put up a friend for a few months until he can find new accommodation. (And there are still thousands of CDs too).

The second thought was a little more disturbing. I have not been able to access most of my books for those two years, as they have been obscured by rows of CDs and boxes of books. I haven't read much in years, and so to see so many good, hardback books in the boxes, and having to decide to let them go, has reminded me a lot of about Dad and my nature. There is every reason to presume that most of them had never been read. Instead they had been bought simply because they looked interesting, on offers in Borders or Waterstones or Amazon. I can't quite say my purchases were made in the same bulk (as I have not had the same bulk of disposable income) but the motivation looks suspiciously similar.

And as a final thought. What did I read, when I read more? Science fiction? Yes, but not seriously for maybe 15 years. Theology? Yes, but mainly as required by the theology degree, and even then my study is full of books I have never read. History? Yes, but only for the purposes of researching alternate histories, geofiction and the like. Which begs the question as to why I don't carry out research in that way anymore . The answer lies in the changes of technology. I live behind a computer screen, arguably too often. Now I look on the internet first, rather than heading into the library and searching contents tables and indices.

There is room for more thought here, methinks.

Running on...

...Faith? ...Alcohol? ...Empty?

Probably a combination of all three, but the last seems most likely. Doing by and large the same thing, week in, week out, and with precious little input. The other half of the "job" is energising and enjoyable, but that's also been getting harder of late. Except it's closer to plodding...

There are frequent days when I wonder why I bother... but then again I'm not sure what else I could do. My faith isn't going, or anything like that, but my enthusiasm for the church part of it certainly isn't very strong! I'm in a rut, and whether I like it or not, a rut doesn't leave much space for innovation - it's not quite "going through the motions", but the only revolutions are the ones that send you on in exactly the same direction, or as I sometimes think many would like, back the way we came! :)

Seeing Graham Kendrick last weekend was good, but the stresses of family didn't help. Never mind.

And of course I'm blogging this in a notionally "public" environment, when I meant to use my anonymous space and now don't have the time to change it.

To quote, as best as I can remember, Michael card:

Sometimes we soar in the power of his might,
On our own at the best, we can plod.
The Kingdom we look for is just beyond sight;
We are pilgrims to the city of God.

So, time to re-engage "plod" mode, and continue Plodding to Paradise.

Hints of Successful Time Travel Research!

Since when does a round-robin email from Information Services spark questions of time travel? Well, readers may be interested to seer the text for themselves:

Reminder ! On 2010-03-13 00:00:00 Exchange, staff email , will be unavailable due to scheduled maintenance until 1900-01-00 00:00:00

Dr William Ho, Senior Lecturer of Temporal Physics at Poppleton New University, said "I can neither confirm nor deny that the department has cracked the problem we set ourselves," although he did confirm that the department enjoyed extremely close connections with Information Services, including frequent night-time intensive use of the computing reserves of PNeUNet.

Questions had been asked last month about the sudden appearance of a large quantity of funds in what had appeared to be a dormant Temporal Physics Coffee Fund. Dr Freeman-Guise, Lecturer in Practical Stock Market Manipulation, had speculated that the sum matched that which would be generated by "about 110 years" of compound interest upon an investment of 1 old penny. When questioned further on the matter Dr Ho merely smiled and offered this reporter a jelly baby.

Honesty Box

There was a programme on a little while ago, and I can't remember whether it was on the TV or Radio, which sought to address the question about whether art could ever be a substitute for faith. I didn't find out any more than that, and my gut reaction might be summed up as “Maybe, but...” in the sense that art might well engage with the senses of otherness and the unaswerables of life, but couldn't in my opinion replace faith, although I'm sure others would disagree (although there could be a very interesting dialogue upon whether art can bring salvation.... and just what this salvation thing is anyway.)

This, however, is no more than a preamble, a setting of the scene.

I was providing the weekly free tea and coffee at the more arty of Poppleton's two campuses (campi?) this afternoon when a group of folks came along into the foyer and constructed nothing less than a black plywood booth, looking for all the word like a Confessional, although I'm not sure how many of the students would have even understand the term (after all I understand the concept although it is alien to my experience). But the similarities didn't end there. It turned out that this was part of a piece for Poppleton's main theatre – the Republican and Bradway. Students were being invited individually into this miniature version of the 'Big Brother Diary Room' (as the staff handling the task called it) to recount their tales of student drunkeness and high jinks, captured as a 'talking head' responding to questions being given by either an interviewer behind the partition wall or a very clever computer program (I'm unsure which). The end results were to be edited into a sort of rolling video montage for a piece of art entitled “Honesty.”

So why this little reflection? Well, on the one level I was struck by the similarities of an individual ensconsed within a plain box recounting their “sins” to a invisible listener, hidden behind a screen. Art, perhaps, imitating church, if not faith.

But then, maybe not so similar, perhaps? After all, here were willing volunteers (or at least compliant passers-by) recounting events or the sake of art. Events that, I strongly suspect, they would regard not as sinful, shameful or in any real way as wrong.

Initially I was a little worried that my presence there in the foyer might hinder the art work, but then I realised I was not even a part of the equation. If anything the presence of the project brought me, and by extension the Chaplaincy, to greater prominence, if only as a purveyor of warm beverages.

So the “Honesty Box” provided just that. Not, maybe, an awareness of sinful humanity's need for a gracious God, but a reminder of both the willingness of people to open up with true (or, from their conversations, not so true) stories, but also of the gulf between the givens of the oft-called Pre-modern mindset of faith and the Postmodern mindset in which we find ourselves.

PCC see sense, "divine intervention a definite possibility."

In shock news from St Geoffrey's a source who wishes to remain anonymous disclosed that the decades-old tradition of Car Boot Sales wasn't worth the effort of the declining number of folks who "wanted (their) Bank Holidays back".

Speaking upon guarantees of anonymity the vicar said "This is clearly a case of divine intervention, getting them to see the obvious in less than 10 years."

Maybe of even greater importance is the apparent manifestation of multiple Were-Lemmings faced with the approach of the next Annual Parochial Church Meeting. "Once one member of the council decided to go, now it appears many more are also jumping." The long-term implications of this phenomenon are far from clear. Rev'd Dr Andreas Alcine was heard to say it will either "Kill or cure" - while trying to hide what one parishioner described as "an evil smirk." Reports of cartwheels in the street and cries of "Chaplaincy here we come" have been strenuously denied by sources close to the Vicarage.

A Little Too Easy?

OK, my blogging has been woefully lacking of late, and even this is intended to be a quick one.

Regular readers may know that I have very definite plans for "career progression", which sounds far too managerial, suffice to say that I know where I want to go, what direction I should be going. That path is into Full-Time University Chaplaincy. It's an area where jobs can be highly-sought after, and highly-prized. I wouldn't call it an easy job and I would expect long hours and hard work.

All this means that the latest job advert I've seen has left me somewhat incredulous - an historic Oxford College, a regular pattern of Sunday and weekday worship (of rather traditional bent at present, boo hiss) Diocesan Scale stipend (£23k), "possible" housing allowance (since having children is an excluding factor for most accommodation), and this is what I find had to believe, a 35 hour week (averaged over the year) and 38 days off over the year including Bank Holidays. A Thirty-five hour week! To include Sunday worship! Pastoral care of 500 or so students and no more than 200 staff.

Am I tempted? At face value, absolutely - except that knowing me I'd be unable to work as little of 35 hours!