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Sunday Service

Hey, it worked again today. Always a surprise. Really it is.

Bible for Duffers helped when we did our bible study on this passage a week or so ago with that great line that was the theme: for compassion you need flexibility. Nice. But, as always, it was a good struggle to pull all the bits together: thoughts from Duffers, events in the world, what we did last week, the tree and the progress of that, yet the wee miracle wove it's thread and in my mind at least, we were a community again this week and we moved.

Good prayer for the Prayers for the World. That was a good conclusion.

But why does it always surprise me? I don't know. When you look at all the different strands on paper, you wonder. But the space that is created by the people there, and the willingness to become that particular community on that particular day, unique for that one hour, make the magic happen. Thanks.

It also works the other way around, but that's a different story.

Photos 2

All the photos I have have been posted but I'm sure there are quite a few others so if you have any of stuff that's going on, send them in and we can post them.

What's aye been

Did you know there were no communion tables for over a hundred years after the reformation and when the first one appeared in Govan in Glasgow a 1000 men had to be called to quell the riots! The things you find out.

So many ways to use that story...

Photos

I'm trying to post images to the blog. Some seem to work and a couple of albums don't and it is really annoying. So more images will be posted down the sidebar in due course when it all works. Hmmm, then I'll get on with stuff fdor Sunday.

Arts Worker

Here's a wee bit about the art worker as it stands at the moment. There are four areas to the project:
1: School work and after-school workshops
2: Special interest groups - retired, unemployed, single parents etc
3: Community issues like sectarianism, drugs etc
4: Environment - taking part in Clydebank re:built and local installation art

These are four big areas and we need to know the needs of the community to respond to them so we're meeting the local SIP manager to help us do a community audit and find the needs.

Then we work with SPARC which is West Dunbartonshires Community Art Project and employ a worker with them and whose remit will be within our area building up connections, resources, ideas and we'll all be part of that. We'll work with adults and young folk and the aim is to respond to needs creatively, recognising the poverty of economy in Clydebank but also the poverty of potential and allow people to see for themselves, as a community what may be possible. It is there to suprise us too as much as anyone else.

There has been a lot talked about it so far in the Session who is completely behind it and in the steering group. I've got notes somewhere... It is just a belief in a million different forms of art that help people to communicate with the community and themselves and all of us together: a new language. The medium is important and everytghing from DVD to spray art, from labyrinths to drama, from puppets and paintbrushes will be used to engage people and find ways to talk about unemployment together throuigh art, about community and loneliness and sectarianism, working on projects together with other denominations across barriers, and for peolple to invest their ideas in the resstructuring of the community.

All grand words and ideas and sometimes a bit clinical sounding but it is the best we've ever done in trying to connect with the local community and care for it and release potential: ours as much as anybody elses.

There are going to be local worskshops for folk to attend and see what it is like and the things we can get up to so watch this space.

Questions?

Social Justice

There is a good ongoing discussion (Transformation) about doing some justice in the congregation and why it doesn't happen overtly. I'd like to keep that going because some good truths are revealling themselves that we always knew were there but never voiced.

But I also want to blog on what to do about it. Is it we/I haven't given people the chance to respond?  It is difficult enough to get fair trade coffee regularly which is nonsense. Maybe in your face preaching might do it. Maybe just start with an open invitation to everyone to meet at start a group. Maybe have someone take the service from Poverty Alliance or Building Brighter Futures or something like that.

I'm all ears and I'm ready to hear.

Alternative Presents

We gave everyone an alternative gift catalogue on Sunday so instead of buying us all fairly useless presents we buy fairly traded presents like camels and donkeys and chickens and health packs and classrooms for others. I really hope this takes off in the congregation and people start posting stuff on the noticeboards of things they've bought, not to show off - heaven forbid, but simply to encourage others by example.

Maybe folk will get together and save up for stuff to buy from the calalogue or organisations will buy a gift "for the congregation" like a farmers kit or a share of a mango plantation. What if the Gap bought the Sunday School 100 school meals.

I know one person whose family took a decision together to buy alternative presents and now each person receives one £25 present from the WHOLE family so everyone get's one present and the rest goes to others.

How many ways can you use it...

Transformation

I was at a conference this afternoon for Priority Area Congregations. I was leading one of the workshops about looking at needs and once you've found your needs you can then respond and encourage them. And then do the same as that for the whole community. It was all based on Maslow's model of needs.

Anyway, There were some frightening stories and a whole lot of things came together about poverty and debt and subtlty of need and being the church. And I haven't worked through it all yet but there were a whole lot of connections with our Community Art Worker project and how that can help people see beyond where they are and empower them to move beyond it. Simple thinks like vision and confidence.

I got in contact with people from Poverty Alliance who will come along to the church and talk to us about stuff and help us steer the Arts Worker Project towards areas where there is greatest need. And will help us understand some stuff we pay little attention to.

I think, while we are on the edge of some serious priority area issues in our parish, we don't understand many of the issues. We know what they are called but have no real language to use or experience that makes the issues real to us in a contemporary context. Nor do we really have any context in which to understand faith and reality mixing together.

So poverty alliance will work with us in that area. Knowing why you do stuff (beyond the level of intuition, which in itself is extremely important and definitive) obviously makes everything more focused, and real. So as David Cameron (who?) says - let's keep it real.

I've got the blues no more

This from Sandra, who clearly needs to do more painting... (you are a complete star)

THE NEW ME

I was long and white, with boards to ignite,
chit chat and laughter on many a night;
But I’m old and I’m cracking, I look such a sight
So I’m getting a facelift, I can’t hide my delight

I’ll be clean and tidy, with bright blobby boards
They’ll be flocking to see me, in ones and in hoards
I’ll be orange and yellow, purple and pink
My boards will be read. What will the Session think ?

So out came the rollers, all gleaming and white
The brushes, the poles : I got such fright,
As they opened the pots, Oh what will I do
The horror, the shock – I’m going to be BLUE !!

My right side “light”, my left side “dark”
My sticky out bits – oh this is no lark
I’m meant to contrast, but they’re now very wary
They think the new me, is just too scary !!!!

So the Rt Reverend Roddy, with his head held low
Sneaked back each evening, determined to show
That blue can be calming, inspiring and warm
For it was HIS choice of colour, and he’s all forlorn

But I like the new me, I’m different and cool
my cracks have been filled, and we’ve broken the rule
for blue isn’t cold -  I think I look great
for you all to see me, I just can’t wait !!!!!

My blues have been painted away

Yup!, they sure have!