Iona Runs!

Iona is doing a cross country run on Saturday. The school doesn't really do much in the way of preparation and we haven't had much time for practice at home, but I took her for a run around Furzton Lake this evening - just to make sure she could survive it!

She did very well. We did one lap in 15 minutes, which is roughly 1 1/2 miles. She was clearly confident and keen and determined to get round without stopping. To be honest, she gave me a run for my money! If she keeps this up it won't be long before I will struggle to keep up!

Obama wins!

I've been dozing on the sofa for the past three hours but woke up a few minutes ago. It's 4:00am and Barack Obama has just been "projected" to win the election. Here's the moment according to CNN:
The decision has been made. What will happen next? As for me, I'm off back to sleep...

The blank sheet

BBC website with no votes counted...

US Election

It's quarter past 11 on Tuesday evening. I've come in from my evening meeting and finished off a few jobs. I'm sitting down in front of the TV watching some of the coverage of the US election.

Obviously this is a significant night which will have consequences for millions of people, both in the US and elsewhere. Which way will it go? The polls suggest Obama, but American elections have sometimes produced some real surprises. As David Dimbly has just said, it's the voters that count not the polls...

In 2000 and 2004 I sat up and watched some of the results - more than a little depressed to see the US elect George Bush. I was particularly depressed in 2004 when they re-elected him after Iraq. I may sit up and watch some of the early results this year. I'd like to see a democrat back in the White House and hope that Obama is as radical as he appears...

Community Organising in Milton Keynes

At the Mission Partnership Assembly this evening Tim Clapton talked about community organising - a topical theme given the previous employment record of Barak Obama - on the day of the US election.

Tim has been working on this project for over a year and is hoping to bring the Citizens project to Milton Keynes. Things seem to be developing nicely and this could be really exciting.

Community Organising began with the work of Saul Alinsky in Chicago who wrote, "Rules for Radicals" which was published in 1971.

Tim described the process that the Citizens project will probably follow. It begins with the construction of a community alliance, made up of groups like churches, mosques, schools and other local groups. These groups then meet and engage in a process of serious listening through which key community issues are identified. There is then a democratic decision (with each group given one vote) which identifies the key issues that the alliance wants to address. The alliance then identifies the people who have the power to address these issues and acts to persuade these people to enact change.

He gave us a range of great stories including that of some nuns who helped persuade a bank to pay its cleaning staff a living wage by depositing small change from a large number of collecting tins on a Saturday morning...

This project could be really significant and I look forward to seeing where it will lead...

Money, money, money

As the world faces a "financial meltdown" or "credit crunch" there are similar problems in many of our churches.

In Milton Keynes we have been wrestling with the uncomfortable reality that we do have to live within our means rather than rely on an external subsidy. Bit by bit over the past few years, we have been slowly working to find ways of covering our own costs, through a process of increased giving and more realistic ministerial deployment.

Overall this has been working and I've been feeling very postitive, but there are still challenges ahead...

Firstly, of course, is the credit crunch and the impending recession. Our financial plans are dependent on increased giving: around 7% for Anglican share and 11% for the Mission Partnership. If people's ability to give declines then we will have some issues...

Secondly, there are the inevitable local issues. In Watling Valley these have recently come to a head because long term financial difficulties in one church have left them unable to pay last year's share in full and well behind on this year's.

If you combine the two you get local crises with no room for manoeuvre...

In Watling Valley there was a really super meeting this evening, between treasurers, church reps and the ministry team. Those present reflected on the current state of things and acknowledged that none of the churches would find share payments easy next year and would probably dip into dwindling reserves to keep themselves afloat. I think it was suggested that more than £20,000 would be needed... but I may have misheard...

In spite of the challenges, the mood was positive and a lot of valuable discussion took place. There was enthusiasm and a desire to maintain existing levels of ministry - to continue developing new work and develop greater capacity for mission.

One of the main themes was a desire to help church members understand the financial need by giving them more information about how their money is used. There was also a desire to find ways to address some of the popular myths about church finance, i.e. that the government pays for it all...

There is much to be done, but great potential for growth as we take our responsibility as stewards of God's gifts more seriously. There is also an opportunity to rethink how we use those resources and what we actually need.

"Sustainability" may sound like a dull concept, but it is crucial to the long-term survival of the planet. Only sustainable churches will have anything meaningful to offer a post-peak, environmentally challenged world...

Preaching Hat?

No, Jeff has not had a new hair cut, this is his new hat.

Apparently he plans to wear it for the Dons...

I have suggested that we should adopt this as a new style of liturgical dress - a preaching hat?

Any suggestions for other contemporary ecclesiastical costume?

Blog Feeds

A couple of people have asked me how to add blog feeds to a blog. Here are the instructions for use on blogger:

1. Click "Customise" at the top  right of the page.

2. Click "Add Gadget" in the column where you want to place your feed.

3. Click the + button next to "Blog List"

4. You can now alter the setting for you feed, indicating the title of the list, the order of the posts, the number of blogs displayed and so on...

5. To add a blog to the feed, click "Add a blog to your list" and type in (or paste) the URL of a blogs home page, i.e. without specifics about page or entry, e.g. http://timbeinganddoing.blogspot.com/

6. Click "Save" to complete the process.

7. If you want to add more blog feeds, just go back to the gadget and repeat stage 5.

It's fairly straight forward.

Near miss

A couple of church members had a near miss on Sunday while attending the service at St Mary's Shenley. A tree fell across the car park. Nobody was hurt but Anne P's car was badly damaged.

It's good news that no-one was hurt. 

Jigsaw Saints

To celebrate All Saints Day I took communion at ASL and then at Holy Cross - preaching sermons based on my reflections on Corfe Castle, Studland Bay and Brownsea Island.

A slip of the key at 8:00am meant that 1 John 3 was transformed into John 3 - which meant that the first reading was about Nicodemus and being born again. This made me reflect on the way turning points in history - or our stories - can be either positive or negative - but it's how you approach them that can produce blessings...

Back at All Saints I was able to try out a Light for the Lectionary session on the Beatitudes involving a giant eight piece jigsaw an empty wallet and some chains...

Janet at 50!

Tonight the friends and family of Janet Nelsey gathered at Servant King to celebrate her 50th birthday.

Janet and the Nelseys (sounds like a 60s band?) are Watling Valley stalwarts and this was a well deserved celebration with great food, dancing and (in spite of the rain) fireworks!

Congratulations to Janet and many thanks for her friendship, wisdom, laughter (and accounts) over the years - and best wishes for the future!

Talent

This evening the young people entered the talent competition. Iona and Emily played a top class performance on their violins, accompanied by Caribbean dancing by Izzy and Daniel. The host proclaimed this a first - but not a win unfortunately. We were extremely proud.

Six Foot Hamster Wheel?

A few weeks ago I posted on Facebook that I was trying to work out how to make a six foot hamster wheel. This started a train of curious comments... which I refused to answer with any real clarity...

Why would you need a six foot hamster wheel? It's easy - for a four foot hamster!

This was, of course, all Izzy's idea and her costume was a prize winner - coming joint first alongside a toilet roll rocket.

(For those who are keeping track, this is fancy dress win number five...)

The Apostrophe Police

Going on holiday is a great opportunity to moonlight for the apostrophe police.

Here are two great examples from our camp site:

Dont Forget

-

To Book Next Years Holiday

How many years?

And who is Dont?

Studland Bay

Apparently, it snowed in Milton Keynes today!

It was pretty cold in Dorset too, so we went to the beech and had a barbecue - somehow managing to cook and eat the sausages during the hour when it was raining...

Studland bay includes a stretch of beach open to naturists. I have to say I wasn't inclined...

Brownsea Island

We went to Brownsea Island today - coincidentally on the same day that Bill Oddie and Kate Humble started their Autumn Watch programme. We didn't see them but gilrs managed to get their autographs.

the island was crawling with BBC lighting and camera people who were rigging up everything in sight for the evening broadcaste. This included the church which had only recently had its first power point installed (they're a little behind our St Giles - which now has electric lighting and heating). The BBC however, required floodlighting, so laid out a network of heavy duty cables to light up everything in sight - nice to know that the licence fee is beeing used well...

Brownsea Island is a beautiful place - and the site of the first scout camp in 2007. We took pictures of the children doing their salutes by the memorial stone.

Althought the island will always be famous for its links with souting its had an interesting history with many twists and turns. At one point it was a hive of industry with 200 plus people working to produce clay pipes. For a while it was owned by a rich lady who removed all the islanders - who occassionally sneaked back to see how things were decaying... As with Corfe Castle, I found myself refecting on the histories that might have been: industrial zone, millionaire's hideaway, golf course, and so on...

New Minister in Woughton Parish

Cathi Williams (nee Brereton)
New Anglican Minister in Woughton Parish
I’m currently living and working in Middlesbrough, though my family are in the south, my parents just outside the M25 in Surrey, and my brother in London. I am married to Howard who is currently a full-time Dad and musician developing a business based from home writing and producing music. Our Daughter, Seren, was born in February.

My current parish is a small church, St Chad’s, in a socially mixed part of Middlesbrough. A small stream divides the parish, to one side is deprived with all the usual associated problems, the other side is better off.

Working in a small church has been a challenge, not least in finding enough people to get everything done. Nevertheless we have moved forward, becoming more outward looking as a church and developing a relationship with the Methodists who, while their building is being renovated, are currently worshipping with us on the first Sunday and in our church hall for the rest of the month. We have also enjoyed our collaboration on NE1 (the North East’s version of Soul in the City), Hope08 and the ongoing Genesis youth work project.

My curacy was in the same deanery working in a very tough urban parish in Middlesbrough. The parish has shrunk by about half through demolition since I started work there in 2000. After my training incumbent left, I covered their interregnum for a year before moving to my current post.

I have a particular interest in Fresh Expressions / Emerging Church. I have become more and more aware of the gap between church and secular culture and I am convinced we have a responsibility to express the gospel in a way and language that people have a chance of understanding. Associated with this interest is my creative approach to ministry, both in terms of doing new things and in the sense of using music and visuals in a contemporary way.

A quick word about my life pre-ordination: I worked for USPG (Anglicans in World Mission) for five years. My work came in two halves, firstly managing the short term programmes (overseas gap years and ‘Root Groups’ doing community work in UK deprived urban areas) and secondly looking after all people coming and going through USPG from the Anglican Province of Southern Africa. I travelled about once a year on USPG’s behalf to this part of the world.

Before this I had studied Geography in Durham, spent a gap year in India and studied Land Resource Management in Silsoe.

Howard, Seren and I are very much looking forward to our move to Milton Keynes and to getting to know you all. I am excited by the opportunities and challenges this role presents.

Corfe Castle

We spent the half term break in Dorset which is an amazing place. We've been before but are always delighted to find new places to explore.

The first trip out took us to Corfe Castle which is slowly being "restored" to an appropriate state of ruin.

It was destroyed by one side of the civil war who didn't want the other side to use it - thereby robbing the wealthy of a stately home - but providing the National Trust with a picturesque ruin.

I often wonder what would have happened had it not been blown up in the cause of peace? Could it have been a royal residence? - or Dorset's equivalent to Alton Towers?

Probably no God?

The big subject of discussion on the Christian Blogsphere today is the bus poster campaign being organised by Richard Dawkins and friends. The buses will say: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life".

Obviously, there's no such thing as bad publicity and the Methodist Church have offered to send them a few quid in support - and in grateful thanks for raising the profile of spiritual issues.

Peter Leeson is questioning why someone would want to spend £36,000 to announce that there is "probably" no God.

Bishop Alan is posting Atheist gospel songs...

It's all good fun of course - unless you are about to have your house repossessed and could really do with 36 grand...

Like many people I'm not that bothered about the campaign and fully expect it to start evangelistic conversations all over the country - so well done Dawkins for promoting discussions about faith.

Here are a few oblique comments of my own:

"Probably" - well, that's got to annoy the committed atheists. "Probably" implies an agnostic position which means there's something to discuss. If I was an agnostic I'd be inclined to hedge my bets, rather than stop worrying and enjoy my life. What if God's waiting to get me?

"Stop worrying and enjoy your life" - tricky advice if you're poor, sick or dying. The only people I know who are actually able to stop worrying and enjoy their life are those who have found a hope which transcends the difficulties of normal human existence. They don't embrace hedonism but life in all its fullness - in the midst of darkness and despair. Those who can dance while living through apartheid - who can sing songs of freedom while oppressors reign - who can smile in the face of their own death - these are the people who are able to project real peace. This advertising slogan suggests a shallow peace for those struggling with "religious" guilt - when real peace comes in the embrace of grace which acknowledges brokenness rather than denying it... or is that a bit deep for Dawkins?

I look forward to seeing the next slogan. I wonder what they'll come up with next:

Jesus probably didn't turn water into wine. Get yours at Odbins.

Noah probably didn't build an ark. Learn to swim.

Jesus was probably not born on December 25th in the year nought. No more Christmas presents!

Loosing files

Something happened to Microsoft Word this afternoon and it refused to save. Not only did it refuse to save, it also deleted the original file that it was attempting to replace! Horror of horrors! Two days worth of work up in smoke!

I tried to recover the files using the usual tricks but found nothing. Imagine my feelings...

After a number of fruitless attempts, I changed the file settings to display hidden files and managed to find some interesting documents which tracked changes made to my file. I was then able to use these to recreate most of the original. After an hour of work I had rebuilt it from the various textual jigsaw pieces... Blessed relief!