abbotsford.org.uk

The Nativity

Many of you will know of the new film called The Nativity coming out in December. You can find previews here if you wish to get an idea about it. I have no idea what it will be like but I am thinking about going to see it. Just for a laugh (a deeply theoloogical laught, that is, in the same way Sarah and Abraham laughed, in the same way Jesus laughed, in the same way God laughs...) so if anyone is interested, especially as it has come up so often in Living the Questions then let's have a trip to the cinema.

I've just discovered that the angel Gabriel is played by Alexander Siddig who plays the doctor in Deep Space 9. So it's already got Trekkie fans on board. But will there be the Borg?Unfortunately there are three wise men in it but I think there are camels instead of donkeys and there doesn't seem to be a nit or head louse between anyone. And of course Mary is beautiful as she would have to be of coruse - to sell a film rather than be the handmaid of God, or am I being cynical? Again.

However we did our own version last night with the Sunday School which you'll see later in December. It's going to be great.

Back to the beginning

At last we're here, where the prophets curse and ramble and suppose and scream and advocate. It's Advent. Not Christmas. That's a long way away so 10 points off everyone who mentioned it from now on.

It's a fabulous bit of the year. The church has been redecorated for the season. It's minimalist. It's thin. It's fresh and clean and like a blank canvas. I think It is one of the best Craft Daft have done in terms of theology, in terms of preparation, in terms of wondering and space to allow us to listen to the words of the prophets in these four weeks.

So, the reading this week is from Jeremiah. It's short but I think we might extend it backwards Jeremiah 33:14-16 but you can start at verse 10 if you wish. You can start wherever you like in actual fact. The bit that we're meant to take from it is the stump of Jesse (father of King David and this ancestor of Jesus).

If you were a prophet and you knew something was happening, what would you scream? This?

It's a blank canvas. What do you want to write all over it? You can do haiku if you wish or anything else. I'm waiting but we haven't got long... That's the ppoint maybe. That's why there's a bit of screaming and pointing and a little wildness going on.

Bit of problem

There seem to be a bit of a problem posting things at the moment. Or at least I am having problems replying to stuff. I have 7 Haiku poems ready and waiting to be posted but just can't get them out there (well maybe 7 is a bit more than reality) however, clearly you are all having this problem too.

I have no control over posting to the blog in terms of how to do it, and what to do when it goes wrong. That's one thing I don't have sleepless nights over which is great.

Fingers crossed it will all be up and running very shortly.

A new game

Michael has come up with a fabulous idea for a new game. Now that the original draws to a close tonight the new one will run for a week too.

Haiku.

Pardon me.

In his own words, with examples:

Woke up with idea for maybe new blog stream/, or worship party or anywhere else (or dump in bin).

A Christmas haiku writing stream

Here are some that I came up with in the shower. (I hope they have 17 syllables – some words I was not sure about!)

Humans hold their breath
Animals are hushed
None dare say ‘Emmanuel’

A lowly stall,
A baby crying,
How strange this Eternal Promise

The rich dine on high,
The poor die below.
Heaven’s answer – a baby

I was never able to write Haiku at school. At least I can't remember ever being able to do it but I'm game for this game. So a Christmas Haiku. Okay? Now you've got something educational, creative and theological to do during your lunch breaks.

By the way, Michael says you get bonus points for rhyming, and even more bonus point if you can have two contrasting images brought together in a resolution (ie the last one above).

Go with new enthusiasm, dedication and hope (that Michael doesn't have any more showers)

A Prize

A prize to whoever can draw the strands of the story (wee game) together and finish it. Points will be awarded for content, imagination, zeal and sudden insight into theology. Entries to be submitted by Wednesday evening on the wee game stream.

Enough's enough

Noah!

I don't know what kiind of influence you have but for goodness sake, can you not do something about this rain. I can't remember it raining for quite so long as heavily as it has over the last ten days. It's just been amazing. I love being cooried up in by bed with a good book while the rain batters itself against the window but I can't get away with that at 2 in the afternoon. I tend to have to go out in it. So if you can do something the nation would be eternally grateful. Not impressed with global warming, because it will just be like this more often.

Paradgims

Just picked this up from another blog. I think it will speak to us all perfectly. The longer, fuller, deeper article for your entertainment and education is with me and you can get a copy if you email me.

There is one leverage point that is even higher than changing a paradigm. That is to keep oneself unattached in the arena of paradigms, to stay flexible, to realize that no paradigm is ‘true’, that every one, including the one that sweetly shapes your own worldview, is a tremendously limited understanding of an immense and amazing universe that is far beyond human comprehension. It is to “get” at a gut level the paradigm that there are paradigms, and to see that that itself is a paradigm, and to regard that whole realization as devastatingly funny...

A Conference

Me and a couple of others from the congregation were at a conference today. It had some good stuff and you'd be bored too soon if I unpacked it all. It was about a sorvey about why people come to church or come back to church and who influences that and trying to see if there were any patterns.

One of the comments was concerning those who come for Baptism etc and the comments that are often raised about how folk don't know what to do. So the suggestion is go and visit a church you’ve never been in before and see how uncomfortable it is. Then you’ll know what it is like or others who come for baptism etc. Or go into a betting shop. Have you a clue as to what to do?

Another interesting comment was that whatever happen to people in coming to church it is always messy. there is no one way, correct way, standard pattern ect. This we could already guess, of course, but it does reflect on our lives as church folk, and the patterns and expressions we expect of folk.

There was lots of other stuff. I need to process it a little more. Then I'll blog about it later.

Entry

Stop reading this and get on with writing the wee game from yesterday. Very funny...

A wee game

Given the length of the string of replies to the Saturday Blog a few days ago, here's a wee blog-game. I'm going to write a wee sentence that is the beginning of a story and, by association of ideas, the next person who writes in reply has to continue to sentence or paragraph of the story in their own way and we'll see where it takes us to.

Once upon a congregation...