L'étrangère

Flying Visit

2007-03-29T10:36:00.000+01:00

Ok,

Next week, me and Mr C, daan saaarf.

On Weds i will mostly be in cafes in Reading. Come and find me and have coffee with me if you're around!

A few things

2007-03-27T11:05:00.000+01:00

Blogger is still a pain to get into, but I have persevered!

I'm back, baby!!

OK. I said I would post my questions for the postmodern none-apologetic approach thing. It will also help me, cos I need to get around to writing something soon, so you can tell me off via comments if i don't!

"What is the pont of different denominations?"

and

"Why does God let people suffer?"

My ponderings so far for denominations:
Churches are like families - there might be a brother who prefers to sit and read a book, a sister who'd rather have her music up full volume and a wacky uncle that people get embarrased by. In a postive vein; there may be differences - but we're glad they are all part of the family.

Ponderings on suffering. The short answer which needs considerable development is:
I don't know - but I do believe that where there is suffering God is right in there along side. There would be a personal illustration too. I want to eschew the whole, " well, sin, you see..." as that may be theologically correct - but i've never known it to comfort anyone going through real pain. And besides, there are plenty of more trad apologetic sites that people could get that from anyway.

Boo!

2007-03-13T20:37:00.000Z

Ha! Bet you weren't expecting that! Two blogs in the same month, must be some kind of miracle!

Anyhow, I've got a wee bit more motivation to blog now, as I will be needing some feedback from my lovely fellow bloggers. Grin :D
SU Scotland will be launching a swanky new website in July called "Ignite," about which more in a later blog (told you i had a new incentive). I'm part of a group that is responding to FAQ's about Christianity- however we are keen to eschew the traditional apologetic style of banging people over the head with impeccable logic until they submit to agreeing with you even though the arguments are less than convincing! (Actually, does that make the logic just 'peccable?!) Instead, we're hoping to be a bit more post modern in approach - being honest where we don't know, inviting young people to respond with their own thoughts and questions, and living in the tension of loving God, but not necessarily needing to know the answers. It will be an interesting experiment, as we're not really sure how it's going to go, and there don't seem to be many resources around about looking at questions people ask in a post modern manner! (Any suggestions?) We are pretty much making it up as we go.
What I'd like to do is pop the questions I've got up for folks to think about, then a couple of days later pop up my thoughts about it. I'd really appreciate feedback around what I write - does it hit the PM button, or does it fall into more trad apologetics? Would the tone/content relate to young people and most likely most importantly for me - how can I make it shorter! All constructive criticism welcome.

This of course assumes i will continue to blog - but if it ever takes AN HOUR to log into blogger (which ended up being more of an act of subterfuge than a straightforward log in) EVER AGAIN, then I may end up throwing the blessed machine out of the window/ blogging somewhere else!

Looking sheepish

2007-03-09T10:39:00.000Z

Oh the irony of the last post and the dates between the two! I have been shamed into blogging again by my pals from Matrix. My problem is still that in my head, I blog, and get a lot out of it - i just never actually get around to posting them!!

Right, enough about me.

MATRIX. Fantastic. Really thought provoking, and I got a lot out of it.

Things it's left me thinking about:

Developing the West end team(s). James Lawrence's keynote talk about the youth worker as leader was universally acknowleged to be the buisness. Very challenging, but also very equipping and very encouraging. His book 'growing leaders,' is likely to join the pile of books sitting on my shelf waiting to be read. It tied in well for me with the session on training volunteers, as I'm currently looking at what we can do with our fab volunteers to invest in them.

Anne Holt's 'Youth worker as Theologian was GOOD - but I now can't make sense of my notes as I've got a series of half written quotes!! I've checked the amaze website, but i've not found any posting of presentations yet as was promised. Still, it has only been 2 days!!

The session about emerging Church was REALLY good. It was mostly based on the fellas reflection on his own experiences, and a few sage words for those of us who are looking at the subject. I went not cos it's a latest bandwagon - but because there will be young people here who aren't shaped like the churches are, (pointy steeple heads?) and if they are going to be Christian they need to have some expression of Christ centred community where they can grow, and be accountable. So who is responsible for that? Is it a church plant? If so is it a youth Church, and how do i deal with the theological recoil that happens in my gut at that phrase? So I still have lot of questions, if anything more that before the session BUT I'm also clearer on other things - the gordian knot has unravelled a teeny weeny bit.

Other highlights were all the people there. It was great to have stimulating conversation, open exchange of ideas and a really good giggle. Oxford Dioscese posse, I salute you. Phil, you are Holy. Alice - you seem less little and shy - more like you have grown in confidence. Lev - I hope the withdrawal from5 alive doesn't give you the shakes!

Overall, it was better than the 'Deep impact,' conference that i went to - myabe because it was smaller, maybe because it was more focussed around equipping full timers to equip their leaders. My final thought it that i need to focus more on God. I think I've fallen into the trap of making the work the focus - but it needs to be a response to God's grace, not something that works out because of God's grace!

Bloggus intterruptus

2006-10-18T11:21:00.000+01:00

I've decided to give blogging another go. I've ummed and aahd, but all in all I still want to do it. I've still got misgivings about it, but it's probaly a useful discipine for me. It won't always be great, but I will give it my best shot.

I've now been in post for a couple of months, and it has been a really positive start. There is so much potential, a lot of great people, and quite a lot of coffee!

For anyone who might be interestd in what I'm up to, my role seems to be panning into 3 main areas;

- schools work - co-ordinating, developing and delivering accross the West End.
- Church work - working with volunteers and young leaders to support, equip and
help make the youth work integrated and sustinable accross the West End.
- 'fresh expressions,' - this is the fuzziest bit! The thinking is that there are likely to be young people who want to explore and develop their faith - but who woud struggle to identify with the expression of Church currently available. It seems that a 'youth church,' has been tried and not worked, so that whole area is one big question mark - but currently all the more interesting for it!!

I'm still very aware of how life used to be - settling into a new place hasn't always been easy, but slowly roots are pushing in, and new bonds are being made.

P.S. if i used to link to you, but the links have disappeared, they will go up again soon - once i remember how to do it!

Two things you needed know (and one thing you didn't)

2006-04-20T22:51:00.000+01:00

Firstly, you need to know we have a new addition to the family - no not that, silly!

After various misadventures with old computors, and 3 knackered computors and just over 6 weeks later, we have finally bitten the bullet and bought a new one, so I now have no excuse for not posting. Well, no good excuses anyway!

Second, I received a complaint from Mr Youthblog that I had him linked inncorrectly by his html. It's less painful than it sounds. The fault is now amended, so the multiplicitous THOUSANDS of you who have been unable to link to him through this blog may now do so. If you haven't popped by yet, it is DEFINITELY worth a look. Mr Youthlog, expect your sitemeter to be swamped. Don't say I didn't warn you!

And finally a giraffe has seven bones in its neck - which is exactly the same as a human.

I know, I know. Sometimes I just give you so much it's hard to take in.

Ringing the Changes

2006-03-30T18:50:00.000+01:00

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted - life got hectic, (ending job, move to Glasgow, etc!) then I was net less for the best part of a month. Scary how depenent I'd become on this interweb thing.

News to date:

I've heard from the uni chaplaincy job I applied for - they've still not shortlisted!
Meantime, I've not seen anything else I'd really like to do, so I'm applying for jobs that make me feel a bit ho-hum rather than hurrah-hurrumph-and-hooray, and am temping at the DSS to keep things ticking over. I'm currently trying to work out how to reform the whole benfits system (strictly unasked, and in the quiet spots!) because the whole thing seems like a complete mess.

The move went really well, Glagow is really cool, the flat still has lots of boxes that need unpacking, and it is so, so good to be back with my husband again, the only really pants bit is that I miss old friends and collegues so much. It's also VERY weird not being an established part of a Church community - we're visiting Churches, trying to work out where we could 'fit'. Four visits, two of which we'd possibly go back to. Maybe.

Anhow that is the potted history of the last few months, bare details! Getting the computor to work is still a bit wobbly, but I'll try and be more faithful in updating again!

Blessings!

And now for something completely different...

2006-01-16T00:01:00.000Z

I just had to put links in to about two of my most favourite links on the olde interweb.

This one never fails to make my laugh so hard that my ribs hurt. If you are particularly pet oriented, you may find it distastful, but then again, I do have a fairly sick sense of humor.

This is just beautiful - one man so amazingly musically talented that most women will start watching the clip vaugly thinking 'geek,' and by the end be thinking they have seen fewer men as handsome. I serioulsy never thought i would be this impressed by a ukelele. You will need quicktime to view it, but it is a mesmeric version of a well known song.

New in for 2006!

2006-01-05T14:07:00.000Z

Well, I have recovered from my new years hump - sorry for being so mopey!

This year is going to have MANY changes for me - We've already started packing up the house, and the first van load is heading up at the end of Jan... and the rest of it - and me - are following up to Glasgow at the end of feb. I've still not got a job lined up - i've still not even got much of an idea about what job i could do! I think i need to step back from ministry for a while, in a full time paid capacity, at least. I need to have some proper weekend and evening time to spend with my husband before we have kids - and to be honest, I'm feeling tired, and the thought of having to start all over again with a new youth group, a new set of volunteers makes me feel - tired. I figure that's a pretty good indication i need a break! And... to be absolutely totally and utterly honest... I don't want to wait too long to have babies!!

:)

ANYHOO! Watch this space - I'm waiting to find out where exactly God's going to take me!!

Lacking Inspiration

2005-12-05T12:37:00.000Z

I need a fancy dress costume idea by friday. Last year, I didn't plan, and ended up going as an 'angel' (white bed sheet, gold tinsel, sorted) at the very very last minute.

So far, the only suggestion was from my husband, which was 'a Christmas Pirate?'

ANY ideas welocme!

Genius!

2005-12-01T15:32:00.000Z

I've just found out about this from the BBC Website
Basically, some bloke called Dave Askwith got bored with the mind numbing signs he saw on his daily commute, and managed to persuade a maker of official looking signage to make some more interesting ones!
I particularly like the sign inviting people to 'pull leaver to release gravy onto sausages located in driver's comparment.'

The book of all the different signs is available to buy - looks like it will be good for a giggle, and may even proove to have some fruitful youth workerish illustrations...?

To be, or not to be, that is the question.

2005-11-17T12:05:00.000Z

I'm now officially excited about moving to Glasgow! I'm very sad to be going - but I've got three months left and I'm starting to go job hunting.

The only thing is, I really don't know what i should be or do! I don't want to go into a youthwork project, as Colin and I are pondering having little Campbells in a couple of years time, and I don't want to get 18 months or 2 years into a project and have to leave it, as I am having to do just now!

So. This begs the question... what am I going to do?

So far, I've got as far as playing Wizbit in a musical adaptation of the life of Paul Daniels, but am otherwise lacking inspiration.

Any suggestions?

Where is a decent whip made of chords when you need one?

2005-10-28T17:07:00.000+01:00

Ok. I'm a bit cross. Rant incoming.

This weekend, I was in London with relatives, and we decided to go in to St Paul's Cathedral.
At the time, i was so pleased - I was feeling really rubbish, and the prospect of being able to go and sit in the house of God, find some space and pray and try and get my head together and spend a bit of time in private worship really, really appealed. I just wanted to go and be with my Father, in a quiet way that is quite hard in the bustle of central London.

As we went in, we went through a revolving door, which had emblazoned in bold letters,

"YOU ARE ENTERING THE HOUSE OF GOD; THE MEETING PLACE OF HEAVEN AND EARTH." I admit, i did have a little shiver of anticipation.

However, it seems that in order to enter the house of God, a fee of nine pounds per person is applicable.

NINE POUNDS!!!!! This is me being incenced and furious!!!!!

I understand that it is an historic building, with architectural significance that is important - and expensive - to maintain. But to put a stroppy woman (not in this instance me, I'd like to clarify!!) on the door and to refuse people entry if they won't pay seems WRONG WRONG WRONG.
I'm pleased to say I resisted the impulse to tell them Christ had already paid the price.

I know, I know. Cheese.

Anyhow, we DIDn't go in - it was way to expensive for us to justify, either in terms of what we could pay - and I really BAULK at having to pay nine pounds to go and spend time in prayer in a Church. What kind of message does that give people? There are barriers and everything!!

We left through the same revolving doors we had gone in by, as as we left to go out into God's creation, with the noise, the smell, the rubbish, the grandure, the beauty, the tourists, the door told us,
"YOU ARE ENTERING THE HOUSE OF GOD; THE MEETING PLACE OF HEAVEN AND EARTH."

Fanfare, please!!

2005-10-13T11:00:00.000+01:00

Sarah and I are proud to announce the birth of our new blog, FeminYM.

We're looking forward to some thought provoking contributions from men and women alike, reflecting on the role gender plays in youth ministry, along with some stories, some practical advice, and support for women who need it!

Go on, go and check it out!

An alt (ermerging??) to do list

2005-10-07T10:17:00.000+01:00

Blatently nicked from one of my vicars, Rev Andrew Marsden, but i liked it, so thought I'd pass it on.

All of us, at sometime, will make 'to do lists,' be it written on a bit of paper, filed in outlook, or just a mental summary of the tasks approaching in the day ahead.

When Jesus summed up the greatest commandment, he said this, "Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love your neighbour as you love yourself."

Interestingly, he didn't seem to say ' go and accomplish lots, finish the filing, make sure the house is tidy, and everything is in order and then love the Lord your God..."

Would it make a change to the world, and to how people experienced Christians and Christianity, if our thoughts at the start of each day were not focussed around the tasks we all have in our busy busy lives; would it make a change if instead of starting the day with a 'to do' list, we started with a 'to love,' list?
How can I love God with all my heart, soul, might and strength today?
How can I love those I encounter in such a way that expresses God's love?

I've gone all ecclesiastes.

2005-10-05T17:52:00.000+01:00

Apologies for those who found my last post on the scary side, and thanks to those who joined me in my cynicism!

I suppose I've been feeling that 'there is nothing new under the Sun,' and also, having a few moments of 'meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless.'

I can now say why I've been like this -and it goes into the 'everything has it's season' categry of Ecclesiastes. My season at my two Churches is coming to an end. My husband has landed a job in Glasgow, and at Easter I will be leaving to move up to be with him in Glasgow, and start a new life together. It's even possible that my season as a full time youthworker is coming to an end. So I'm excited for Colin, I'm excited for our future together, but I'm also very unsure about what I'm going to end up doing - and I'm feeling a bit scared, a bit unsettled, and quite cynical. It's probably a protective coating, but there you go.

A professional cynic but my hearts not in it.

2005-09-29T10:55:00.000+01:00

I know I've a case of bloggus interuptus recently.

It's because I'm just tooooooooo cynical to blog without ending up ranting or slagging people/concepts/ stuff off, none of which I feel would be helpful, or edifying to anyone, least of all me. So I'm choosing to just generally keep sctum.

And my innner cynic really is ranting. About pretty much everything. From wholistic blogging, through to established church and emerging Church, music in pretty much every form, youth ministry/youth work, film, tv, purpose driven lives, I'm just fed up in general about pretty much everything, and feel like doing some growling and glowering.

So BAH HUMBUG! Grrr.

No sex, please, we're teenagers!

2005-09-07T11:14:00.000+01:00

I managed to catch the programme last night on BBC2 where 2 Christian youthworkers take 12 teenagers from very different backgrounds, and pop them into the 'Romance academy,' where they agree to abstain from sex for 5 months, and take time to explore issues around relationships, sex and their identity.

The programme was really good, with some great material to use in sessions with youth groups.
Attitudes to sex were really interesting - they had generally lost their virginity while drunk -(one in a toilet "it just sort of happened," HOW romantic!) and generally regretted it, saying 'it's not what is cracked up to be.'

One girl (with many nods from the others) seemed to feel cheated by the media portrayal of sex, saying that it seemed so easy, like it was what the relationship was ALL about ultimately, and it always was 'perfect.' "It's just not like that in real life." I wonder how many of our young people are under the same illusion?

The weekend away where some of them got plastered and a bit frisky also threw into relief the role alcohol plays in casual sex - and in general bad decision making!

Another good discussion starter was around sex as entertainment. It was soemthing to DO - and very few of them seemed to have any concept of it being some kind of 'relationship glue,' and where they DID, it wasn't " if we have a great relationship, then introducing sex could make it stronger and a REALLY great relationship. It was the heart breaking, " If we have an attraction, sex might mean he sticks around." (my words, not theirs, but that was the attitude some of them had).

It was also really encouraging to see how many of the young people had greater self esteem and felt more respected for not just doing it, even after only a few months.

So that's the useful stuff for the youth group - what about the Christian side, the youthworkers, the Church bit and the spiritual bit?

Dan put his foot in it early on by calling sex 'whoopsie,' which was deeply cringy, and he got the mick taken out of him something CHRONIC - but in his defense, the young people were able to pick up on it, and bond around it. Although it was embarrasing, it didn't seem to do any major damage, and actally served as an ice breaker! However, I'm certain ANYONE who ever knows or meets the bloke will never, ever, let him forget he said it!!

The Christian content was initially pretty low key, and the young people seemed to appreciate the approach taken by Rachel and Dan, in that they were up front about about where they were coming from, but not expecting the young people to do that themselves.

This changed RADICALLY, however, when they went over to the US to join a charismatic evangelical youth congregation and live with Christians, and go to Church serices, where people were waving arms in the air, going for Holy Spirit laying on of hands in a big way. Some of the young people were REALLy uncomfortable with this - but one guy had an experience which impacted him profoundly.

There were bits that really grated with me, I have to confess - the American Pastor, sitting facing the rows of uk teens as an informal discussion - not listenening to them, speaking over them, not taking their views on it was SUCH a "I know everything, I will impart my wisdom and you will learn" and my sympathies were very much with the teenagers, who were making some very good points, that weren't even being acknowleged. Don't even get me started on the ridiculous statement of 'you shouldn't date unless you're looking to get married' and the going up stairs analogy. Guff.

At first, I was secptical about WHY they took them to the services. Was this wise? Were they trying to convert them by stealth? Is that ok, or would a less in your face approach have been better?
Well - they knew they would be attending Church, so it wasn't 'by stealth' in that regard - but maybe they could have been better prepared - many of them didn't know what all the hands in the air stuff was, and it least if that could have been explained to them before hand, they might not have felt quite so weireded out by it.

The three girls who came out said it wasn't what they were expecting, they were expecting 'like in Britain where people just sit, and like, read from a book and listen and stuff,"

So what does that say about how we relate to youth in Church services? Is it bad that the girls found it too much - is familiar better?
I'm divided on this one. Initially, I felt a bit 'ooh, I don't know about this,' I wondered if it would really alienate the group from Christianity, if the youth workers weren't also trying to convert the young people, and if that was the honest thing to be doing?

On the other hand, part of me felt it was comparable to taking none Churched youth to Soul Survivor. Some find it hard to understand and initially feel alienated - but slowly, they start to 'get' what is going on. (not always, obviously - and that needs acknowleging, and dealing with appropriately).
Also, I'm not sure I know many adults, and even fewer young people who would go to a 'read from a book and listen,' service and come away with much of any reaction, much less feel that they had encountered something bigger, something more, something 'amazing, and awesome.'
We know that Christ DOES provoke a divided reaction - he did in life, he did in death, and he does in his resurection life today. "To one we (Christians) are the smell of death, to others, the smell of life." (2 Cor 2:16) That's not an excuse to delberately naff people off or treat them badly - but is it worth considering if doing something that could provoke negative responses as well as positive responses is worthwhile; particularly if provoking a negative reaction that can then lead to discussion which could enable growth is better than no reaction that allows people to stagnate where they are? It's probably down to how it handled.

I also found that while it was probably part of a strategy to get the teens to grow spiritually - even 'convert,' them, I've come round to thinking that's no bad thing.
Sex is about your whole self, mind, body, emotions, spirit. For Christian youth workers to have tried to tack it in as a 'God thought,' at the end would have been disingenous. They have stated explicity that the young people have to choose throughout, whether to keep the pledge, or break it, whether to engage with the services, or leave them, whether to decide to wait for marriage, or until a serious relationship shows up - and at every stage, they have been clear that whatever the young people choose, that's ok with them. If it was coming over as 'you have to conform, or we won't like you,' I'd be worried, but it doesn't, and I'm not.
Also - if we are serious about Christ, ANY Christian needs to be open to sharing their faith however they can as the opportunites present themselves, and not shy away from it, cos it's on telly and people might think it looks a bit stupid. Sometimes God asks people to do stuff that looks foolish to other people, and that takes us WAAAAY out of our comfort zones. Ask Noah, Joshua, Gideon, or manymanymany others if you don't believe me. The western Church is too tied into being comfortable, not challenging things, not rocking the boat, and we need a good, God sized poke. (to be clear, I'm not proscribing that that means everyone needs to become charismatics, ok? We just need a poke.)

Ok, sorry, rant over.
I was gald that Dan and Rachel were able to engage with the spirituality, as they were obviously comfortable with it, and to me it showed an integrity about them as people which I respect. I know it's not everyone's spirituality, and I know they will probably get knocked for that, but I'm glad they had the guts to honestly be themselves, and not try to be something they weren't infront of the young people. In front of millions of people.

It was a really good show - I'll be watching the next one!

My Soul Survived

2005-09-01T09:54:00.000+01:00

Brief reflections on Soul Survivor for this year...

The young people pretty much loved it. It has lead to some fab conversations ranging from 'what does it mean to love God,' to 'do I have to take the Bible literally,' with a whole LOAD of stuff in between.

Some young people have decided they were nominally Christian but now need to DO something about living it out - I'm priviledged enough to be going to a book shop with one today to buy her first Bible! Others have really started getting into the Bible, others have started wanting to serve the local Church. They've started praying for each other, they've started talking to each other more openly about their faith, and there is much more of a gathered community feel in the groups as a whole - they are really caring for each other. MSN has exploded!

For me, the worship and teaching wasn't where I was at, but that's ok, becuase I wasn't there for me, I was there to enable the young people, and they had a ball, and have all grown in their relationships with God, which was my prayer.

Personal highlights:
The weatabix face pack wind up.
Being pysically dragged to the skate park to have a go. For the record, I am a 'rodney.' (someone who is to skating what a muggle is to magic!) I struggled to get off the board, much to the amusement of my youth group!
Post communion, watching the group link arms, and being genuinely in communion together.
The shed tent (huge scout affair, able to seat 30 people) taking off in the foul weather. Shouldn't really be a logical highlight, but it is, because no damage was done, and one person actually had a God moment through it!!
Also the talk given by a 19 yr old. Totally without artifice, and from the heart - really resonated with my group.
Finally - seeing my group praying for each other, for those around them, and being so proud of each of them. They are really, really amazing people.

Parabolic Action #1

2005-08-31T17:56:00.000+01:00

"Do you like butter? " He picked the yellow flower, holding it up to her face.
"You know I do," she giggled, brushing it away, "Anyway - it's not even a buttercup."
"Doesn't matter - principle's the same. Come here a minute."
He tucked her hair behind her ear, weaving the flower through her hair. An awkward smile flitted across her lips - it was sweet of him - but the flower was nothing more than a common weed. Did he not realise it was just a weed? However, as she didn't want to seem ungracious or hurt his feelings she accepted the gesture.
"Hmm," he mused. "When I picked that I thought it looked a bit ordinary, but now it's in your hair, it looks really pretty. A flower for my flower."
In that instant, she saw differently. The ordinary transformed by grace into a treasure.

Ponderings #2: Weigty issues

2005-08-30T12:52:00.000+01:00

I think I may need to loose weight. People keep asking me if I am pregnant. And then telling me i should be.

For the record - I'm not.

Swallows and Amazons...or Venzuelans.

2005-08-30T09:27:00.000+01:00

Had a lovely bank holiday suprise yesterday, ended up hosting Alvaro, Alehandro, George, Marienade and Myju for the afternoon. We had them out in the canoe - none of them had ever been in a boat before (alvaro had been on a ferry. Once), so it was fun watching them getting the hang of it. Or not! After, berry picking, ice cream making and BBQ. It was the first time we had met George, Alvaro's cousin, and it seems a Venezuelan teenager is not that different to a British one. He wasn't fussed by Windsor Castle, but his whole face lit up when he discovered we owned a playstation!

In addition, I made a new ugandan friend over the weekend(Richard, over with an organisition called Viva, who have helped him work his way out of poverty, by skilling him with computor skills) and a few weeks ago made friends with some romainians, (George and Maria - who I will have to blog about - very fun people!) and also become very good friends with the new minister at the Baptist Church, who is German.

So... the world will be mine. Oh yes - it will be mine. :-)' Cue evil laugh.

Know your Porpoise!

2005-08-17T16:09:00.000+01:00

One of my Churches (how greedy does that sound!) is having a big push to follow 'purpose driven life,' from the end of September, including youth and Children, so I am dutifully getting to grips with it.

The premise is good - getting people to think about worship, fellowship, discipleship, mission - I'm just not convinced by the delivery so far. Or the theology. Or the exegisis. So far, I'm afraid it's getting a 3 /10. But then, I'm only on day three, so maybe things will get better.

The main problem I'm having at the moment is that every other word seems to be 'purpose,' and my eyes are tired, and I keep reading such gems as,

"knowing your porpoise gives meaning to your life!"
"knowing your porpoise simplifiesyour life!"
"knowing your porpoise focuses your life!"
"knowing your porpoise motivates your life!"
"knowing your porpoise prepares you for eternity!"

Motivationaly inspirational as it all sounds, i can't but wonder if substituting the word "Christ" for 'your purpose/porpoise' might not be more useful.

We'll see.

Ponderings #1: Fridge magnets

2005-08-15T11:48:00.000+01:00

We spent a few days of our holiday in Tintagel, visting out best man, Kris. Now, Kris is the kind of bloke who is drawn to dark places that sell pints of beer, and in fact seems rarely to be without a pint of the foaming hop juice in his hand when he's relaxing. This lead to the following exchange:

Colin: I'm glad to see nothing changes - you're still a beer magnet as ever.

(beer magnet - one who draws towards himself/magnetises/attracts beer)

Kris: Yeah, I'd rather be a babe magnet, but hey.

(babe magnet - one who draws towards himself/magnetises/attracts the laydees).

Now this is where my train of thought derailed slightly. If in common parlance, this patteren were logically followed, it would mean that 'fridge magnets,' were things that attracted/ drew/ magnetised actuall fridges.

Which lead to some mental images which kept me amused for ooh, a good ten minutes!

Permission to land!

2005-08-14T20:40:00.000+01:00

Well,

I'm back - for 5 days before departing for soul Survivor.

I have so much to do, it is untrue, but I will endevour to do little blogs, otherwise I'll forget all about it, and not blog for months.

I've got a series of old fasioned blogs (written on that stuff, whatsitcalled... ah yes, PAPER) from the holiday, so I might stick some of them up. Mixed bunch. Be warned!

New years resolutions... sort of.

2005-07-25T17:25:00.000+01:00

I've decided the time has come to apologise for my lack of decent blogging recently. In excuseable, but solvable, I feel.

So in the spirit of new years resolutions, here are the things I need to do over the next 6 weeks. Please feel free to nag/ point out bitsI need to do!

Blog often, and spend some time thinking, rather than reacting.

Update my links to the blogs I read and websites I use.. Sarah if you're there, I may borrow for this bit!

Get some piccies up.

Get stuff in place to make sure Soul Survivor (week B if any of you lot are going) is a fabby and memorable experience for all 24 of the young people and all 6 of the leaders!

Get summer craft and music workshops out of the way

Re-locate the floor of my office. (It's a living parable, I tell you. The parable of the lost floor. One of the 'lost' parables that never made the final edit)

Get stuff for new youth group ready to run.

Do all the admin/ programme planning/ update records that needs to be done

And make sure NEW YOUTH COFFEE SHOP OUTREACH PROJECT (I'm excited about that one, can you tell!) a) has snappier title and b) is a rip roaring success that blesses the local comminuty and the Churches. No pressure!

It never ceases to amaze me HOW busy holidays are. Mentally, I'm preparing to wind down, like all the schools are and the the yps are, but the youth work and the washing up, never ever seem to get to a place where they are 'finished.'

Which reminds me of my last 'to do,' over the summer.

GO ON HOLIDAY AND RELAX!!!

Two weeks of camping in Cornwall in our new tent of cathedral like propotions. (Bishop not included). Me and my hubby alone for two whole weeks, bliss!

Beyond Belief

2005-07-18T15:50:00.000+01:00

Do you find that your bad breath causes a problem when trying to tell the heathen the good news?

Fret no more, my friends - I have the solution. Now you can witness simply by having minty fresh breath.

My other favourites - new testamints, for their returns policy if nothing else!

Thunder and lighting...

2005-06-24T15:53:00.000+01:00

Things today that have made me smile:

My year 6 group debating a 2 day school week, and being generally a lovely group to spend time with.

Pizza.

Hearing we have almost nearly defintely got a venue and council permission for a Church run cafe with 'value added,' youth and community emphasis.

Having a good conversation with Edd, who has shown up again. He was drunk, so what he will remember, I really don't know, but it was a good conversation, nevertheless.

Being befriended by a lovely cat in the garden.

Being ouside in a tunderstorm, soaked through to the skin, hearing rain thudding off the leaves from the forest around me and children squealing excitedly at the downpour, feeling utterly happy, and glad to be alive. I love thunderstorms!

I spy a band wagon...

2005-06-20T12:31:00.000+01:00

You are Ephesians.

Which book of the Bible are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

86%

Neo orthodox

79%

Emergent/Postmodern

79%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

57%

Classical Liberal

50%

Reformed Evangelical

46%

Modern Liberal

46%

Roman Catholic

39%

Fundamentalist

29%

What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

2005-06-02T13:34:00.000+01:00

I have come to a conclusion.

The DVLA is staffed by Vogons.

Seriously, I had to renew my car tax, which should involve me taking a form down to the post office, paying the good people there lots of money, and me walking away poorer, but legal.

However... Said form did not arrive, so I made enquiries to find out how I could still be poor and legal. The answer was I had to fill in another form, which would require extra documentation, which would enable to to fill in another form so I could then fill in a form to take with me to the post office.

Vogons, I tell you.

It's not that I have anything against administrators. Quite the opposite, if fact. My own admin skills being somewhat challenged (my filing is not so much a 'system,' as an 'intention,') I am eternally grateful to anyone who can help and guide and be generally administratively useful. However there is a definite line that sometimes get crossed that goes from helpful administration to sheer bloodyminded paper creating that means you end up having to fill forms in to fill forms in to fill forms in. The kind of mind that could come up with this, quite frankly, scares the bejibbleys out of me.
I mean can you imagine going home to someone whose mind works like that? Before you ate, you would have to triple scrub your hands, send tests off to a laboratory, and get independent confirmation that your hands were indeed, clean.

It's Vogon, through and through.

And the end result? Well, my carefully filled out forms were put to the side, with a comment of , 'You don't actually need those forms'. (Cue incredulity and internal aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrg from me)
'Have you got form V2/5? Ahh, no that's not form V2/5, that's form V2/5 supplement. If you look closely you can see, in the small type.'
I'm afraid that at this point it all got a bit too much for me, but the lady behind the desk must have noticed, as she softened instantly from Vogon to granny.
"Actually, I can still do it from this form, although you really do need to get a copy of the other form as soon you can." And then she gave me the kind of advice that lovely, helpful administrators give.

And so, I left. Poorer, but thankfully, legal.

The Body of Christ?

2005-05-26T23:13:00.000+01:00

Found this delightful article giving the biblical bonkers approach to diet and obesity, which gives an interesting twist to the recent debates about obesity and school dinners etc.
It's pretty much a 'WWJD' diet plan, or rather a 'what would Jesus eat?!'

Unfortunately, it seems the answer to this is 'mostly bread,' which for Christian Atkins aficionados is naturally going to provide a huge spiritual crisis.

The good news is, our Lord was apparently partial to a drop of red! ;-)

Confession

2005-05-13T13:44:00.000+01:00

Early warning: This blog may get personal and raw. Those of a nervous disposition, or who feel uncomfortable with people talking about emotions should look away now.
Those of you who care about me, or who are just plain nosey - read on.

The confirmation service last night was everything I had hoped for and more. When I said I was feeling spiritually dry, that was only part of the story. Truth is, for a while i've felt like I've been struggling on so many fronts, spiritualy, emotionally, professionally. The problem with ministry is that it doesn't have the same boudaries as secular work. You can't leave work at home; if you are struggling spiritually, your work suffers, and there is a lot more self identity at stake. If something is not going well, everything gets knocked.
And I have been struggling - one of my Churches seems really disappointed with me, relationships are fraying, I'm feeling frustrated, unworthy and like I'm failing. And as much as i try and rationalise, to see the big picture, to recognise that people's expectations were too high or that I'm not God and can't achieve everything, there is still that niggling doubt at the back of my mind. What if my critics are right? What if I'm just not good enough?

This has been compounded by other youthwork related things - offhand comments from people I look up to that have been unintentional, off the cuff, but that have wounded me. Me being shy - which normally I manage to hide and get over - but recently i seem to have had a spate of foot in mouth hide me in the corner and ground swallow me up moments. Again I've been left feeling that I don't have an opinion worth hearing, and that even if I do I don't want to say anything for fear of it coming out wrong and looking foolish.

And how have i reacted to this? Mostly by switching off. I've not blogged, so I've not had to think. I've avoided people and situations that could be painful, I've busied myself so I don't have time to think, I've avoided God, and guess what - it hasn't worked. I also became lower, and more tired and more stressed- to the point where alarm bells were starting to go off - and I knew I had to start addressing things, but just didn't feel I had the resources to do so.

I reached crisis point a few days ago, when a dear friend twigged within minutes what was wrong, and was able to put me right on a few things. Other people will always have opinions of me that might not be what I would wish, that comes with ministy. But the one opinion of me that counts is God's, and that is the one opinion I had put to one side. Of course i know in my head the 'how God sees you,' speil - I'm a youthworker, for goodness sake, I deal with people who have low self esteem on almost a daily basis! But somehow, I needed it to sink in. Of course, having avoided God, I've been ministering in my own strength (hate that phrase, but can't better it just now) and getting things wrong, and feeling worse about myself.

So I've started reconnecting with God, if I am feeling spiritually dry, I'm the only person who can take responsibility for that and do something about it. And God's been talking back.
When we had a time of confession, as I prayed, I had a picture in my minds eye. It was of an anatomical heart, connected at the base, but ripped open down the middle. I knew the pain I had been in was in that picture, and as I confessed bad attitudes, anger and division with individuals, the heart 'zipped' up. The words that follwed were these:
" You bring pardon and peace to the broken in heart
Christ have mercy - Christ have mercy.

You make one by your spirit the torn and divided
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy."

There is hope yet!

Another great moment was that the bishop invited the congregation to use the water in the font to cross themselves to remind themselves of their own baptism. I took the opportunity to do so after communion, and as I re committed myself to Christ, the words "Christ claims you for his own," echoed round my head. I was reminded by something i once read by Mike pivilivichivichichivhi (or however you spell it!) He was pondering how differently people would treat you if when you got baptised God opened heaven up and said " n you are my child, and I'm really pleased with you" He then went onto point out that actually, Jesus has said exactly that through his death and resurrection. Post communion, this was really helpful, and some of the notion that God loves even me sank in a bit.

This was the prayer after communion, which I have stuck on my mirror to pray every day, because every word resonates.
"God of mercy,
by whose grace alone we are accepted
and eqipped for your service;
stir up in us the gifts of your Holy Spirit
and make us worthy of our calling;
that we may bring forth thr fruits of the spirit
in love and joy and peace;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen."

I'm still feeling a bit vulnerable and weak, but I think now I am more preapred to face some of the hard conversations and decisions I need to, because for the first time in months, i feel like God's the one with the steering wheel, the map and the compass.

More bishops than you can shake a big curley stick at!

2005-05-12T15:56:00.000+01:00

So, today's a good one!

Went into a primary school expecting to have to give the hard sell on why Row:D would be great for the year 6 there, and within five minutes of being there, the Head said, "This sounds great, we've been waiting for someting like this for years, when can you come in?"

God really prepared the ground on that one!

Also really excited about the confirmation tonight, the young people getting confirmed are a great bunch, and it's going to be great to see them take this step. Also Bishop Steven is normally good for a sermon, so again, very exciting. (Never seen two bishops in one week before - I wonder if you could turn it into a game, bishop bingo, or something?) Wish everyone always felt like this about going to Church!!

Doing the Lambeth Walk

2005-05-11T15:31:00.000+01:00

Well, I have finally gotten round to blogging about last weekend, which as weekends go was quite a good one.

Ian McDonald and myself took a group of young people from the diocese to Lambeth palace to meet the Archbishop and engage in some reflection around 'food for the journey;' looking at the place of the Bible and Holy Communion in your Christian journey.

Some of the highlights -
The presentations by the young people to the whole group after the discussions. They were so creative, profound and inspiring. It made me glad and lucky to be part of their journey.

The interaction between the young people and Rowan Williams. He was very approachable, easy to talk to, and was able to engage with them well. It was great to see how many of them gave spontaneous gifts at the end of their presentations, albeit in a very tongue in cheek way, but it was so comfortable, and not awkward in any way.

Getting to know the folks in out group - so encouraging to meet other young people with a vision and a passion from around the place. Also getting to know some other youthworkers, particularly a woman called Annie from Guilford dioscese. Her comittment, and her love were so tangible, I reckon her youth are really lucky!

On a personal note, the teaching worship and communion were deeply appreciated and needed by me. I have been feeling spiritually so dry recently, and I realised that I had not had a chance to be taught or worship in a context where I was not involved in some way since Easter day. I know this is a struggle for many youthworkers, and if any of you who drop by have any handy tips and hints, I'd be gald to hear them!

Terrible thing, envy

2005-05-06T10:35:00.000+01:00

Well, one of my young people has had their work experience confirmed, and I have to say, I am envious. She is a budding electronic engineer, and has landed a stint working at McLaren.

On the McLaren F1

HOW

COOL

IS THAT?

I have to say though, since she landed this, her popularity with boys in the youth group has risen exponentially, and I am very disappointed with their obvious shallowness and cynicism. I think I may have to do a session to combat this.
I am also concerned that the transition from school to the workplace could prove very stressful for the girl in question, and combined with her being a young female in a male dominated environment, I feel that perhaps I should arrange to visit her, just to show my support and pastoral care, and maybe see if I can wangle a test drive.
I am also thinking that it would be a positive step to campaign for a 'take your youth worker to your work experience day and let them tinker with interesting things and sit in and drive impossibly cool cars,' I can really see it taking off and being a valuable excercise.

Ok, Ok, I know, but a girl can dream, can't she?

VROOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Just checking in!

2005-04-14T16:41:00.000+01:00

Seem to have been really hectic recently, hence lack of blog - arrg! We're hosting the Row'd training session tonight, which I'm really excited about - if this gets taken up by the local Churches, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that every year 6 child in the area could have a chance to hear about the basics of Christianity and be given the opportunity to plug into some local youthwork, which I happen to think is very cool, if not quite a challenge for the local Churches!

I enjoyed a rare night to myself last night, so Colin and I took ourselves off to see the film Sahara. How to describe it... an American war ship gets lost in the African desert, (no, really) bringing plauge and pestilence to the area. Or it possibly could be the massive toxic waste dump next door posing as a solar energy plant, (no, really) run by an evil frenchman, (no really),which unless he is stopped by our brave heros (armed with little more than some rope, eyeliner, a few camels and 150 yr old explosives against an army run by an evil African warlord with tanks and guns and helicopters and stuff) risks poisining the entire earth? It was, erm, utterly far fetched, a bit sexist, riddled with plot flaws, cliques and absuritities, and was completely devoid of anything that could be used usefully in youthwork ... however in spite of all of this it somehow managed to be quite entertaining and laugh out loud! More of a 'cheeseburger,' of a film than a pan fried fillet of Salmon on a bed of leaves, if you get me!

Right, off to get row:d :)

Better late than never!

2005-04-03T21:43:00.000+01:00

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!

Normal blogging will resume soon. I have realised I have become a phantom blogger - I've blogged in my mind, but not actually put hand to keyboard - and have also been thinking of comments to leave on people's blogs and then not leaving them which is very antisocial of me!

Some of the more memorable moments over Easter:

Playing 'I went to the shops and I bought...' with a group of yps and one of my vicars (I have two, as I work for two Churches, it's not just that I am greedy!) and the lad before the vicar decided he would buy a man thong, so the vicar then had to say " I went to the shops and I bought a man thong." He's a good sport!

Finding an adder hiding in the materials for the easter garden. Hadn't included that one in the risk assessment! Thankfully it was dead, but there was a moment of 'mild peril.'

Another moment of personal 'mild peril,' when I went into St Michael's pastoral centre, the alarm started doing its 'put your code in before I go off' beeps, but a LARGE spider was sitting over the keypad... and i am really totally truely terrified of spiders - it is a little known fact that they are capable of eating an entire human arm in one bite - even the little ones. However, I really didn't want the alarm to go off, as it would have been just plain embarrasing for the police, vicar and church wardens to turn up with me a gibbering wreck (and minus an arm). So i ended up trying to chuck stuff in its general direction out of my handbag (I knew there was a reason for all the junk I keep in it) in an attempt to scare the spider off. The good news is that I managed to get the spider to move before the alarm went off. The bad news is that I accidentally scored a direct hit, and it is now an ex spider.

A really great Maundy Thurday night vigil. Great atmosphere, a really good giggle, and spiritually it seemed to speak to the young people who came.

A fantastic response at the Easter Big Breakfast. We got the young people to go and hunt for 'pieces of egg,' and outside we hid lots of letters 'E' and lots of 'GG' letters. In the talk we looked at the E standing for 'Ego' and sin being the consequense of Ego coming first, and the 'GG' being either God's Grace/ God's Goodness.
We'd got lots of creme eggs for them, and after the talk we invited them to come and get one. We also gave them the option of bringing their letter E up to leave at the foot of the cross if they wanted to put their selfishness and sin to one side, and receive God's grace. We also challenged those of them who are already Christians about what they doing with the grace they have received. They were asked would they take they chocolate egg home, and keep it on the shelf, and not eat it because the wrapper looked pretty, and they already knew what it would taste like? You can imagine the response to that! So we asked them if they had done that with their faith -not really taken the wrapper off, not really gotten into it, not spending time in prayer or getting into the Bible because they already know what it's like? So we challenged them to unwrap what God has given them, get into giving, serving, praying, spending time with God - and if they wanted to do that, to leave a bit of the foil wrapper at the foot of the cross. They didn't have to, they were able to just come and get an egg if they wanted to - but the floor was littered with bits of foil and letter 'E's. I know some of them will have done it just cos their pals did, and I know some of them still won't have picked their Bibles up - but all the same, it was pretty cool!

Right, I'm blogging off!

;-)

For moments like these...

2005-03-23T13:20:00.000Z

We did a session (topically!) on the death and resurrection of Jesus last night, and i finished by playing a song that contains the lines, "you would rather die than go to heaven without me."

One of the lads came up to me afterwards, and said, "that song, that line about how Jesus would rather die than go to heaven without me - that was REALLY powerful; I've never thought about it like that before."

I got home, did a little dance, and have been smiling ever since!

Passion in fashion

2005-03-17T13:08:00.000Z

Passion seems to be an appropriate theme for this blog for two reasons. Firstly, I watched the passion of the Christ for the first time this week, Second, because I am reading a book by Kenda Creasey Dean called 'practicing passion.' which is a theological construct of youth ministry based around passion - Christ's, the young people's and our own.

So firstly.. the Passion of the Christ.
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this one, as I heard such mixed reviews from Christians whose opinions and tastes I respect.
In the event, my reaction was mixed too. There were bits in there that I found dubious in the extreme. (Raven and eye incident, anyone? Not biblical, gratuitously violent, and as to what it says about God... don't even get me started!)
Yes, it was VERY violent and bloody - for me that was actually quite a barrier. I'm really squeamish, I hate violent films, and the fact that for most of the film Jesus looked inhuman because of the levels of disfigurement to his face and body made it hard for me to identify with him as a character in the film. I had to call on my imagination of the life of Jesus, the Jesus I know in order to try and make that identification. For me, that was where the Miracle maker has the edge on this film - the start of the Mm reminded you WHY Jesus was such an amazing man, whereas you needed to supply that context for yourself in this film!

However - in spite of this, there was a turning point for me. I think it was the flash back to the last supper. The familiar words of 'this is my body, broken for you,' and 'this is my blood, shed for you,' took on a real significance - one that you KNOW is there, but can so easily be glossed over or not appreciated in the context of all the words we normally use. At this point, I had to acknowlege that yes the film was barbaric - but actually, crucifixion IS! The sanitised pictures and portrayals we see of Jesus with a mere trickle of blood, looking serene and at peace... well, why? Are we saying it didn't really hurt? That because Jesus is God, he could somehow cope with it better? That becoming sin, becoming what was most abhorrent to him was a peaceful experience for Jesus? Do we limit the extent of God's passion expressed for us by limiting the suffering God endured? Do we therefore limit our own passionate response, because we haven't fully taken in what happened that day?

I'm blogged out for now - will bloc on the book next time I'm in!

Technically yours

2005-03-09T17:06:00.000Z

Well I've finally been shown how to link blogs to mine, so I can get started! I've done 2 already... although I'm not sure if one of them is working :-/

Still failing to import pictures and banners and blogflotsum so I'm flying the flag of the technically inept still!

Going global

2005-03-08T21:05:00.000Z

So far, it's tuesday, and I'm having a very cool week, making lots of contacts in interesting places!
I've had a comment on my blog from someone I've never met before, from the states. I've had a letter from a youth worker in Mityana, uganda, and I've made a friend who is Polish,
(jak sie masz, by the way!) all in two days!

My plan for world domination advances on target.

Mwhahahahahahaha.

The problem with schools and hospitals...

2005-03-07T21:19:00.000Z

The problem with schools is that you just can't get the staff - in one school the head teacher has to double as the cook.

The problem with schools is that the food is just no good - in this school, lunch (as cooked by the head) is the only meal most of the 250 pupils will get all day. Did I mention that everyday it is porridge, and it's almost impossible to keep the flies out of it?

The problem with schools is that the buildings are in such a bad state of repair. The kitchen the lunch is made in doesn't have electricity, running water, or even all four walls and a complete roof.

The problem with schools is lack of equipment. This school struggles even to find paper for the pupils to write on.

The problem with schools is that the teachers are underpaid. Half the teachers in this school have not received any of their pay from the government. The other half have shared the wages they do get with them.

The problem with hospitals is lack of beds. There are bed frames, but no mattresses, few blankets, no bedding. The hospital wing for bones and joints has 120 patients whose bed is the floor.

The problem with hospitals is lack of equipment. Children who cannot breath for themselves have no access to respirators, or ICU levels of care. There is no electricty for any machines. Their only option is to wait to die. There are no fridges to keep any vaccines in - any that come in need to be used immediately. Otherwise they get thrown out.

The problem with hospitals is poor sanitation. They have no running water.

You may have guessed by now that this is not some pre election rant about the state of our schools and hospitals, and that the school and hospital in question aren't in this country. Next time some one claims that our public services are 'practically third world,' I'm really going to have to try hard not to punch the tv.

Last night I went round to see my youth leader, Karla, and her daughter, Abby who have returned from their trip to the Church in Mityana, Uganda, and we spent the evening looking at their photos, and chatting about the people they met and their experiences.

I was left feeling totally overwhelmed, really angry, utterly humbled and utterly gutted.
Every photo showed the basic needs that people in the community have that aren't being met.
There was so much that needed to be done, it was a case of where would you even start to begin? There was so much unnecessary suffering - at the school, there are 50 boarders, for whom the nearest thing they have to a parent is the lady who is also the headteacher and the cook. Moses, the youthworker, who is younger than me, is bringing up his three teenage neices in a house smaller than our living room, as his brothers and sisters have all died.
The sheer amount of poverty and suffering was overwhelming. I've heard the stats, I've listened to the news reports, I've seen the pics, but somehow this made it so real. What's harder to get my head around is that that is just one town. There is a whole country where this is life. Stuff that there is a whole CONTINENT. I feel so sick and so angry, it is wrong, wrong, wrong.

And then, Karla and Abby brought out a bag of gifts that the young people had sent over to us. I really can't begin to convey the sacrifice that this was for them, they have so little. I just hope we can convey how precious these gifts are to our young people, and that they can get passionate about justice for the poor. There really is no option not to.

Multi talented

2005-03-04T09:24:00.000Z

Further to yesterday's blog...

My husband thinks skilling up the young people to be able to cook is a good plan. He also feels we should give them practice in 'life management skills,' ie doing our hoovering and ironing!!

Not sure what the young people would have to say about that one!

Food for thought

2005-03-03T16:47:00.001Z

Both Simo and Sarah have posted recently on Jamie Oliver's programme about school dinners, and there has been much chewing over of how Jamie has a good point, what we eat is really important - yet how often at youth events do we feed our own young people pizza, donuts and a whole host of other high fat/ sugar foods that can't really be thought of as very balanced!

And this got me to thinking, well, why not include a healthier approach to food? One of the things that Jamie did that worked was getting the young people to cook their own food.

Now here's the thing you see, I can cook, and as someone once said to me 'you are the best resource you'll ever have for youthwork,' it would make sense to use the skills I DO have with the youth - so why not cooking too?
After all, many of the young people I'm working with now will be leaving home in two or three years, and it makes good youthworkerish sense to give them life skills too!

Then add into this the fact that one of the hallmarks of a healthy community is that they eat together - at youth groups we often snack together - but maybe we could grow and deepen some of our relationships by growing the quality of time we spend eating, and even cooking together? Many of my enduring friendships have had a strong element of food in them. (I'm not referring to my relationship with either chocolate or coffee, btw!)

Of course, can't miss out the spiritual bit - so how about using the time as an opportunity to look at the passage where Paul talks about spiritual milk vs more chewy spiritual stuff (translation according to me!) and getting them to think about what their spiritual life is, and where they get their fuel from - and maybe getting into growth.

Alternatively, I'm sure bits of the film 'Supersize me' could be used to reflect on how what we put into our bodies affects us - and lead this into a discussion about how what we put into ourselves affects who we are and who we become. It could lead to some useful reflection on discernment; how far is what we put into our bodies and our minds useful, or not?

Conveniently, I'm meant to be hosting /providing a meal for a group of young people on Sunday. I think the menu may just have changed!

The nature of the (youthworker) beast.

2005-02-25T10:21:00.000Z

Some are born great youthworkers.

Others achieve great youthwork.

Others have youthwork thrust upon them.

The more I talk to volunteer youthworkers, the more the last one seems to be true for so many people involved in Church based youth work. One of my volunteers here has even admitted that she thought she was waaay too gifted to be 'stuck with' the youth, and only did it, because no-one else would - but now she is soooooo passionate about working with young people, and how important they are - and actually I think she is probably one of life's real naturals both with the young people, and with youth work in general. She now feels that this is her ministry, her calling.

I wonder if too often volunteers feel scared, under equipped and intimidated, and feel like the youthwork is thrust upon them, something to do out of duty. I hope that those who feel like that can really experience the joy and the challenge of working with young people, and catch the bug. Maybe that is what changes the youthwork - moving from feeling under-equipped and burdened, to having it as a passion? Moving from 'we'll do something because we really ought to provide for the youth, and no -one else will,' into 'lets put the best we can into these people, because they are just so brilliant they deserve the best!'

I don't know, just some ponderings.

As for me?
I'm aiming for the middle one!

Randomation

2005-02-25T09:52:00.000Z

It's a bit of a funny ol' place at the mo.

There was a big funeral at Church yesterday - hard, because one of the young people had to burry his dad. Hard, because it's a bit close to home with my family at the mo too.

Yet there's good stuff happening too - both Churches are moving forward really positively, we've sent out one of our youth leaders and young people to the Church in Mityana, Uganda, and the young people have been great in contributing things to take to the youth there.
We've also finally got started in putting ROW'D together as a proper useable resource - it's a six week course, designed for year 6 which gives the basics of what Christianity is about, as well as some useful life skills. They've run it at St Sebs for about 4 years, and at the end, the group is invited to 'find out more about Christ.' Nothing heavy duty, committment wise, but it has been excellent in building the youth group up, and a real first step in faith for many of them! Other local schools have shown an interest, so we're hoping to be able to support other local Churches to run it in their own primary schools.

I know I should be really excited about this... and a lot of other things, but at the moment the world just seems to be a bit of an ugly, confusing, beautiful place.

Everyone else is doing it...

2005-02-21T16:35:00.000Z

Talking about snow, that is.

We've had NONE.

Not even a slushy shower.

Not a flake.

It's not even that cold. :(

Praise Land

2005-02-14T14:02:00.000Z

Don't know if anyone else caught the episode of the Simpsons on Friday, but it was genius! Ned builds a theme park 'Praise land,' dedicated to the memory of his deceased wife Maud, based around Christianity, which everyone thinks is rubbish and boring, until visitors start to receive 'miraculous' visions. Useful to youth workers everywhere - and adults too - for themes of prayer, what and who do we worship, miracles, gift of tongues, how we experience God, how God speaks to us, how we speak of God to others!

Also, for the line where Lisa shows up to a french class that is not hers.....

CLASS: (realising she's in the wrong place) heeeheee heeeheeehhee
Teacher: EN FRANCAIS!
Class: haw haw haawhawhaw!

aah, love it!

Matrix.... REVOLUTIONS*

2005-02-12T00:27:00.000Z

Am too excited to sleep just now, having returned today from the Matrix conference, and am still buzzing with ideas, hope passion and excitement. I want to write about what I need to blog about over the next few days, it can't possibly all explode out at once, even though it wants to!

Things that have struck me:
Tony Campolo
Creativity and redeemed imagination. My need to re visit some uni lecture notes on the same subject, and my art stuff!
The people I've met - new contacts, new friends, fellow bloggers (who I WILL link to my site as soon as I've worked out how to!!)
Tony Campolo.
Grey cells, and how much I appreciate being made to think, and need to do more and get on with writing the book!
God's grace, faithfulness and goodness in my own journey.
God's provision, wisdom and answered prayers.
Alt worship experience

Also -the absolute, vital importance of vision - not as in 'our mission statement,' (I know a Church where this is 'not without Jesus.' Quite!) I mean something much more profound, a vision for the Kingdom. So often what we do is about Church. Jesus didn't preach Church, he didn't say, "the Church of God is at hand... The Church of God is like this..." Jesus was about God's kingdom, about kingdom values, where the hungry are fed, the broken are made whole, the oppressed are freed, where male and female are equal. We need to stop worrying about building God's Church, and start concentrating on building God's KINGDOM. If we are about building this, radical, revolutionary Kingdom, God will take care of the Church end of things - if God wants the Church around, and growing, it will be around and growing!

Robert Beckford was right in his talk - we do take revolutionaries*, be it Luther-King or Marley, and sanitize their messages to make them safe and palatable.
Tony Campolo was right - we do it to Jesus too, sanitize him and make him safe, re-model him in our own image. We dilute his message that is every bit as revolutionary* today, and hear a gospel that is comfortable. Yet how are we embodying those kingdom values? How do we respond to the hungry, the broken, the oppressed, the 'other.' Are we imitators of a revolutionary Christ?

I also want to revisit uni notes and re -explore Gustavo Guttierez (His 'A Theology of Liberation,' is THE seminal text for liberation theology, recommended read) and some of the African theologians who have successfully constructed a theology of inculturation and examples of the praxis that comes with this. There are all sorts of links going round in my brain about parallels with inculturating the gospel into youth cultures/postmodern cultures, along with the notion that if the western Church can learn from these and really take it on board (internalising the theology, tradition and experience, rather than being glad it 'works over there,') there could be some very interesting and fruitful dialogue. it might even prove revolutionary! (Although that's probably just lil ole me getting a bit over excited - it has been known!)

*(Tony Campolo made the interesting observation that even the word 'revolutionary,' has lost some currency - a toothbrush is now described as 'revolutionary,' and Sarah I'm surprised YOU missed that one, sweetie!! ;-)

Anyhow, night owl as I am, it's late even for me to be thinking logically. (Deep apologies to anyone I may have spoken to/grunted at over brekkie, btw. Don't do mornings!!) So I'll leave it here for now, and continue with ranting/ reflecting/storytelling/narrating tomorrow(delete according to your own jargonistic preference ;-)

A Scandalous Confession

2005-02-08T17:09:00.000Z

Today, I bought Fruit and Fibre.

VOLUNTARILY.

Spooky.

For better, for worse

2005-02-03T18:35:00.000Z

Working for the Church can be hard sometimes, but amazingly rewarding too!
We had a fantastic weekend, we took our young people away, and had activities and teaching. many walls were climbed, and many obstacles overcome! I love that, seeing a young person achieve something they didn't think they could, seeing the penny drop for the first time, or just having a great conversation. It is such a priviledge and a joy to work with young people!

I also have to work with adults, who are an altogether more complicated group of people!! I'm in the process of having some quite difficult conversations with various adults within the Church. It's forcing everyone, me included to ask to hard questions, and I suppose this is where the nitty gritty of 'bearing with one another in love,' kicks in. We humans are a messy, messy bunch, with an incredible capacity to hurt and misunderstand. It's in situations like this that Jesus' teaching has to apply, love has to be real, and the committment to struggle through in community has to be there. Thankfully we seem to be getting there, but I know its going to get worse before it gets better!

On a lighter note, my real life for better for worse is a wonderful man, even if he does put COLOURS in with the whites!!!

Emergent... from under the duvet.

2005-01-27T10:03:00.000Z

I've decided I should get round to doing a semi serious post, rather than rambling inanely. However, I am having a 'snuggled under the duvet,' moment due to not being well, so I don't really know how well my brain is working. (If anyone is curious - it's viral labyrinthitis - that'll teach me for looking at those alternative worship web sites).

Anyhow... on to emergent/emerging Church. This is something I've only recently become aware of, and something I find fascinating, exciting and challenging. I totally get where it is coming from. I'm working for the Church, because that is where God has called me to be, but if that had not happened, I can easily see how I would feel disenfranchised, and struggle to relate to the practices and politics of the established Church. So it makes a whole lot of sense to be asking questions about how to be a Christian in community with other Christians, worshiping, sharing faith and serving the needs of others - but not being tied down by a building or a 'but this is how we've always done things,' attitude.

I still have some pretty big questions about it though, and I'm sure these will come up in subsequent posts. One that has come home this week is a chap who has turned up at the Church desperately in need of help. He's got a home for the first time in 13 years, but he owns nothing, and has no means of getting any money for food or anything until the benefits system kicks in, which could take up to 3 weeks. He's got some pretty serious problems, but really seems to want to work them out. The response from the Church has been great, people are feeding him, befriending him, spending time with him, going with him to various appointments to support him, getting help from appropriate agencies, and a group of men have offered to be around for him as a group that will be with him no matter what as he sorts himself out. The community is really working. But what if the Church had just been an informal network? Where would Ed have come to?
I know Church is flawed, and I know that because I'm part of it, and I'm flawed. I know Emergent Church will prove to be flawed too, because it is a network of humans, who will still bicker and rant and lash out, and eventually it will cease being dynamic, and become established - because that is what happens to every human movement over time!

That's not to say it's wrong though. Not at all. I'm really excited by how God has been moving in it and using it. There are a whole lot of lessons the established Church can learn about thinking creatively about faith and worship and community.

I suppose I just hope that as things develop, that there will be grace and love between the emergent and established Churches, that neither one will be of the opinion that 'they've got it wrong, we've got the best way of being Church.' There is always more to learn, always more mistakes to be made, always a better way of doing or being.

Anyway, my head has started spinning again, so I'm of to reatreat under my duvet, and become re-aquainted with those heros of british daytime TV, Fern and Phil.

Spreading a little love around

2005-01-24T08:42:00.001Z

You know when you have those horrible dreams when you have insects with itchy horrid legs crawling on you? Loads of centipedes, or spiders, or nasty, biting flies? Or when you're watching an advert for nit mousse, or your friend tells you their child has nits and you start to feel itchy - or you hear that someone's dog has fleas and your skin gets that creepy, crawling feeling, and no matter how much you know it's in your mind, you still have a really strong desire to itch and scratch? And you know you shouldn't, and you know the itchyness is in your mind, but your skin is creeping and you just HAVE to sratch? You know that feeling? Are you feeling that?

Well GOOD. I have the MOTHER OF ALL INSECT BITES, and it ITCHES.

I just felt I should spread it around a bit, so others can share in the experience. It would be selfish to do anything else.

On NOT Following the Crowd. Much.

2005-01-16T22:23:00.000Z

I have finally succumbed to peer pressure. (maybe that should read 'Sarah pressure,') Here is the result. Still feeling a bit unsure about the whole process and no doubt will give my aforementioned friend a whole load of grammatical and spelling errors to correct!

I'm hoping this will get better as time goes by, with more links and swankier looking bits on it. Bit of a technophobe, so may be smiling sweetly at The Man, although I'm sure he will laugh at me for doing this in the first place. Still, we both laugh at each other lots, so no change there then!

Hmm, this could turn out to be quite good fun!

At the very least , it's going to be a great distraction from doing anything more constructive!!