Deborah and Rupert

Great wedding this afternoon. Deborah and Rupert.

Deborah is going to be "Mrs Clarke" at Christ the Sower in Spetember. She is the granddaughter of Ron Cramp who I've known since coming to Shenley.

Biblothon Twitter Feed

1. Just popped up to St Mary's. Nigel and Barbara are on to Hosea - they'll reach the New Testament this evening...8:16 PM Aug 13th from Power Twitter
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2. Just read second half of Lamentations and first 12 chapters of Ezekial.4:12 PM Aug 13th from TwitterFon
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3. Finished Jeremiah 19 and third stint of Biblothon. Off to a meeting...12:41 PM Aug 13th from TwitterFon
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4. Somewhere in Jeremiah. Time for a quick sandwich before I read again.12:04 PM Aug 13th from TwitterFon
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5. Just finished Isaiah with a flourish of righteous retribution11:25 AM Aug 13th from TwitterFon
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6. Finished second Biblothon stint. Time to go home for breakfast.6:03 AM Aug 13th from TwitterFon
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7. Sky beginning to get lighter... Morning all5:50 AM Aug 13th from TwitterFon
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8. Psalms now over - finished with a triumphant "Praise the Lord!" Anne is now kicking off Proverbs...5:49 AM Aug 13th from TwitterFon
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9. Have just read Psalm 117. Looks like Anne Jones will get 119 - lucky her...5:03 AM Aug 13th from TwitterFon
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10. Have just read Psalms 79-89 as part of the St Mary's Biblothon...
    

Finished

The St Mary's Biblothon finished at 2:00pm today. All in all this was a great event. The atmosphere was fab and it was really good to be in the building as people were coming and going - listening, chating, reading or just sitting...

The evening before, I finished my own personal challenge and read the final chapter of Harry Potter to the children. Seven books in four years...

They want me to either start again(!) or read it onto tape for them... or can I persuade them to let me read something else?...

Hymn Choosing

Good session with Margaret and Veronica this morning choosing hymns for St Mary's - we got as far as All Saints Day...

Biblothon

The St Mary's Biblothon started this evening at 7:30pm with a short service led by Anne Jones, Kike Kahn and Mike Morris. Anne told us about the project and how it had been inspired by Pam who was interviewed on the radio about it. Mike Morris listed some of his favourite passages from the Bible and thanked the team for some positive PR.

The actual reading got underway with Mike Morris reading Genesis Chapter 1: "In the beginning..."

This sponsored read of the Bible will now continue for 72 hours (ish) non-stop. Feel free to pop in an listen for a while, sponsor a reader or volunteer to join in...

St Mary's Biblothon

St Mary's Shenley are reading the Bible today - the whole thing from Genesis to Revelation. They start this evening at 7:30 - and hope to finish before Saturday - certainly before the wedding I'm due to take on Saturday afternoon. Should be fun!

New Priests for Milton Keynes

On the evening of Sunday 5th October David Bell and Liz Baker were ordained priest at All Saints' High Wycombe. Bishop Alan led the service and his chaplain, Rosie Harper, preached, comparing ordination to the experience of opening a big pot of Marmite, only to be drenched in beetroot juice - a true story apparently.

Dave Bell: I originate from Liverpool but spent most of my earlier years in Cardiff. After a few years in Weston-Super-Mare I went to Bishop Otter College in Chichester where I trained as a PE teacher. I taught in various schools in the South East as Head of PE and Games and teacher of Geography. After selection I trained on the Oxford Ministry Course and enjoyed placements at Woodhill Prison and St Mary and St Giles in Stony Stratford.

I am now an NSM curate at St James Church, New Bradwell in Milton Keynes. I am married to Kath and have three children, Saskia (18), Lydia (16) and Tim (13). My full time job is that of a teacher at Chesham Prep School, who have been very supportive over my ministry during my three years of training and beyond.

I love sport and my son and I have season tickets for the MK Dons but I also like rugby, hockey and many other team games. I enjoy going to the gym and cycling.

St James is a great church to work in and I have been made very welcome there by the congregation and the local community. Chris Collinge is my incumbent and she has been a great source of energy and humour over this last year. I look forward to continuing my Curacy there and furthering my experience.

(Dave Bell was previously a member of St Mary's Shenley in the Watling Valley)

Liz Baker: I am serving my title in the Ecumenical Parish of Watling Valley where I work as a part time Assistant Curate. This is a parish with five churches with very different characters, expectations and congregations, and during the past year I have been working with all five, getting to know the people and the area. It has been a challenging and exciting year and I am looking forward to new responsibilities and challenges ahead.

I live at the Well Community where I work ad Director of the Well Project. 'The Well' (a work of the Society of the Sacred Mission (SSM) ) is and Ecumenical and Interfaith Community. Our name is taken from the story of Christ and the woman of Samaria and informs community life along with our five core values of Spirituality, Hospitality, Inclusivity, Peace and Justice and Sustainability. We offer retreats, an annual programme, a healing ministry, and we welcome guests and volunteers. We have a substantial Theological and Spiritual Library. Our focus 'creating community... making for encounter' emphasises bringing people together for hospitality, worship, support and to work for social justice. Life within the community, both stimulating and challenging, has enabled me to fulfil my calling to ministry.

I am married to Robin (who works part time as a Quaker Prison Chaplain at Woodhill) and we have 4 children, James 28, Iain 26, Catriona (Catie) 18 and Taran 17. We have lived in Milton Keynes since 1986 and have both been part of the Ecumenical movement and members of Milton Keynes Quaker Meeting for most of that time. We are both Associates of SSM.

My other interests include drama and movement, history and archaeology, writing and time permitting, long distance walking.

Please pray for Dave, Liz and all those ordained for ministry in our deanery, archdeaconry and diocese.