life
Well, another month closer to the next year, and a lot still unfinished in my life...
Things have been really sad here lately – a lot of deaths, some expected, some not, a lot of bad news. A lot of sadness, tears and grief and almost constant reminders about the fragility of life.
At points, that leads me into a ‘what’s the point of all this’ mentality, and at other times it makes me certain that trying to do the best I can at whatever I’m doing at that point and time is the only way to honour those who’ve passed away already.
We’ve had a lot happening in the world of church – the start of term feels like the start of a new year somehow. So, lots of people back from holidays, a sense of anticipation since we hired a new manager for the compassionate ministries centre (she is a local lady, and already has started some incredible work), hired a new one-day a week pastoral team member, and... well, just a LOT going on. The allotment project is nearly fenced in and our first days of proper gardening are coming up!! The extra space is finally in approval stages (which means a small portacabin going up behind the church, which means more space!!!), the childcare from 8.30-3.30 daily (run by a local lady and her friends, all duly Ofsteded) is almost ready to go. Some amazing things are happening – when we think about it, it is staggering, and always boggles my mind. Early on, we had the hope of The Crossroads Centre being a full-time ministry, but we always imagined it would be run by church people for the community. Our learning curve has been steep, and now we’re in a place where the community is essentially ennobled, envisioned, empowered and equipped to run The Crossroads Centre for itself. I can’t really describe what I mean but it feels very much like we are dwelling with people and accompanying them into where God is already at work. (hmm. Very emergent sounding).
We’re back in that very real tension between relational ministry and the programmes that develops around relationships in a congregational setting. The amazing thing... about our church (and actually it makes me laugh out loud) is that sometimes we try and start things (small groups, services, and so on) and they utterly flop. Really, flop. Then, about two years later, someone emerges who ‘has an idea’ and they want to implement it, and their passion drives the development of exactly what we were thinking.... Only better. You’d think I’d/we’d learn! It’s organic stupid.
I was out visiting today – I get quite hyper sometimes afterwards, and really enjoy visiting, but we also had some funny moments. One was when the man I was visiting with (the new 1-dayer) told an older lady, who is a delight, that he was an identical twin, and she said “Oh, that’s lovely. Is your twin a boy or a girl?’ The other thing she does which always makes me laugh is talk about the “hambulance”... I also came home with a slab of wedding cake, laden with some serious Jamaican rum. It’s just as well I didn’t eat it before I drove because I could’ve been in real trouble.
Other things– been reading a LOT, some things that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend (GloboChrist is one, Tokens of Trust another) and some things that I really have not enjoyed at all. (If you really want to know, e-mail me). Really. Not. At. All. Most of them are for the old PhD, which I’m seriously needing to work on... Need my first draft finished already, but since it’s not, then finished for December for sure. Crossing all the appendages of my body that will do that that I get it done, but sadly, have to keep uncrossing them to type... So there’s all my luck gone!
We were climbing a lot over the summer – which was good, and really stretching, and I’ve been cycling to the college almost every day. It is a lot quicker coming in the mornings than going home – I’ve found a great path that runs from near our house all the way out to a village not too far from the college, and it’s been great– no cars, hardly any people, a slight decline, and speed!! On the way home I’ve taken to riding through a park which is lovely and green. I don’t know why I don’t reverse the route, except for I have an idiosyncratic hatred of doing that...
The allotment is wonderful! Nearly half cultivated now, a lot of us trying hard, and seriously good food. When I think about the amount of Raspberries my mouth waters... Confessing that initially, none of them made it off the place, we would just wander through the bushes eating them, stained fingers, and juices swirling... Truly divine! We've made all our plans for next year and just need to get ordering... and digging...
umm, listening and liking Elbow, Royksopp, and some of the new coldplay album...
Right, can’t think of much else... Well, I can, clearly, but not for just now.
Things have been really sad here lately – a lot of deaths, some expected, some not, a lot of bad news. A lot of sadness, tears and grief and almost constant reminders about the fragility of life.
At points, that leads me into a ‘what’s the point of all this’ mentality, and at other times it makes me certain that trying to do the best I can at whatever I’m doing at that point and time is the only way to honour those who’ve passed away already.
We’ve had a lot happening in the world of church – the start of term feels like the start of a new year somehow. So, lots of people back from holidays, a sense of anticipation since we hired a new manager for the compassionate ministries centre (she is a local lady, and already has started some incredible work), hired a new one-day a week pastoral team member, and... well, just a LOT going on. The allotment project is nearly fenced in and our first days of proper gardening are coming up!! The extra space is finally in approval stages (which means a small portacabin going up behind the church, which means more space!!!), the childcare from 8.30-3.30 daily (run by a local lady and her friends, all duly Ofsteded) is almost ready to go. Some amazing things are happening – when we think about it, it is staggering, and always boggles my mind. Early on, we had the hope of The Crossroads Centre being a full-time ministry, but we always imagined it would be run by church people for the community. Our learning curve has been steep, and now we’re in a place where the community is essentially ennobled, envisioned, empowered and equipped to run The Crossroads Centre for itself. I can’t really describe what I mean but it feels very much like we are dwelling with people and accompanying them into where God is already at work. (hmm. Very emergent sounding).
We’re back in that very real tension between relational ministry and the programmes that develops around relationships in a congregational setting. The amazing thing... about our church (and actually it makes me laugh out loud) is that sometimes we try and start things (small groups, services, and so on) and they utterly flop. Really, flop. Then, about two years later, someone emerges who ‘has an idea’ and they want to implement it, and their passion drives the development of exactly what we were thinking.... Only better. You’d think I’d/we’d learn! It’s organic stupid.
I was out visiting today – I get quite hyper sometimes afterwards, and really enjoy visiting, but we also had some funny moments. One was when the man I was visiting with (the new 1-dayer) told an older lady, who is a delight, that he was an identical twin, and she said “Oh, that’s lovely. Is your twin a boy or a girl?’ The other thing she does which always makes me laugh is talk about the “hambulance”... I also came home with a slab of wedding cake, laden with some serious Jamaican rum. It’s just as well I didn’t eat it before I drove because I could’ve been in real trouble.
Other things– been reading a LOT, some things that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend (GloboChrist is one, Tokens of Trust another) and some things that I really have not enjoyed at all. (If you really want to know, e-mail me). Really. Not. At. All. Most of them are for the old PhD, which I’m seriously needing to work on... Need my first draft finished already, but since it’s not, then finished for December for sure. Crossing all the appendages of my body that will do that that I get it done, but sadly, have to keep uncrossing them to type... So there’s all my luck gone!
We were climbing a lot over the summer – which was good, and really stretching, and I’ve been cycling to the college almost every day. It is a lot quicker coming in the mornings than going home – I’ve found a great path that runs from near our house all the way out to a village not too far from the college, and it’s been great– no cars, hardly any people, a slight decline, and speed!! On the way home I’ve taken to riding through a park which is lovely and green. I don’t know why I don’t reverse the route, except for I have an idiosyncratic hatred of doing that...
The allotment is wonderful! Nearly half cultivated now, a lot of us trying hard, and seriously good food. When I think about the amount of Raspberries my mouth waters... Confessing that initially, none of them made it off the place, we would just wander through the bushes eating them, stained fingers, and juices swirling... Truly divine! We've made all our plans for next year and just need to get ordering... and digging...
umm, listening and liking Elbow, Royksopp, and some of the new coldplay album...
Right, can’t think of much else... Well, I can, clearly, but not for just now.
posted by erdreid at 22:04
3 comments
