abbotsford.org.uk

Interpretative Artwork

We've been invited to a consult tomorrow night about some artwork to be created for the two path along the canal. If you'd like to come along (I know it is short notice) that do come to the Lesser Town Hall at 7.30 tomorrow (THursday) evening. You'd be made very welcome.

eco-echo

So what does it mean, to be green?
How have we as a congregation become more green aware?
What difference has it made to those who lean towards green-gospel living and what about those who don't? Have we any new green apostles?
Are we more aware?
What changes have happened in our living as a green congregation?

Who wants to be first in the confessional?

Chocolate Teapots for 4th February

Hey, February already. Soon it will be Christmas. I was talking to someone recently about having a real-time lectionary which would mean Advent would start nine months before Christmas and Easter would only come around every 33 years. Somehow I don't think that will work. But it's worth wishing for.

Anyway, what the lectionary does give us over these few weeks are some great stories and this coming week we've got Jesus and the fishers fishing all night catching nothing until Jesus has the bright idea of flinging the net out the other side. "Okay, wise guy," says Peter, "we've been here all night. There ain't nothing here. Left or right, it's not going to make any difference." (so like today's politics)

"Just try it, for me, pleeeeese."

And wow, "How did that happen?" mutters Peter rather loudly and with a couple of shifty eyes drilling into Jesus he throws his suspicions to the wind and jumps in (not the sea, he does that later) but the Culture of God and realises, this has got nothing to do with fish, but transformation, doing something different, trusting the one who calls.

Yet maybe the church does think this is just about fish and a nice miracle story that proves Jesus has power. One leaves us in effect, unaffected. The other makes us wish we could swim a bit better. Which one are we willing to believe?

And, just say we went with the jump-into-the-culture-of-God-right-up-to-our-necks version, what hymns would you find yoruself singing as you hauled those fish aboard? And what would you like to see waiting as a symbol in our gathering place? And what word would you like to hear shouted on Sunday morning?

Nitting the Headlines

Hey, I didn't know this and only found out by chance tonight googling a few words about the church. We're in The Independent newspaper, or at least we were in it in the middle of November. You have to scroll down the article to John McFall's comments, about a quarter of the way down, and there we are.

Hame'll dae me

I have to say I was ever so reluctant to leave San Francisco yesterday morning in the cool summer like morning of clear sunshine and mild weather where the sky was blue and the trees shone green. But back to the snow today in London, cancelled flights because of the weather and some sharp weather. I'm hoping the kingdom has weather like San Francisco.

Came back to a huge pile of mail, mainly from the Presbytery and all about the presbytery plan. I used to be the convenor (you can tell from the smile on my face) but now just watch from the sidelines and curls up are the confrontation is causes and the selfishness it brings to the surface. I'm hoping the kingdom has it's presbytery plan already sorted out, of that there are enough ministers to go around, or even better, there are no ministers.

Also came back to the need to arrange a whole lot of stuff, from Living the Questions to CAOS to services to various other meetings mainly for the Community Arts Project. And there's another things I'm sure about the Kingdom: it has a secretary, or at least someone compitent with administration (unlike myself) but more importantly, it's also alive like this place, with lots bubbling away.

So all that would make a nice combination: San Franciscan weather, vitality like Abbotsford and no ministers. It's amazing that you can find the whole kingdom in just one postbag.

Sunshine and Labyrinths

Hey, we're having outdoor worship tomorrow morning (being Sunday). Bet you're not doing that at home! We'll be in the middle of a labyrinth in the sunshine (hopefully) remembering all the differeing congregations we all represent. I'm just trying to think how to describe Abbotsford, clearly and honestly. So any words you can suggest would be gratefully received. Hey, we could make that the latest competition. How do we see ourselves.

There are 18 writers and editors here from a mixed bag of cultures and backgrounds: Anglicans, Presbyterians, Uniter Churches of the US, Canada and Australia, Lujtherans and me. But you know, granted everyone is on the left of centre, liberal side of the church, it would make a fabulous church if we could only all get together. So little difference that is of any significance and lots of humour which I think is a holy gift if we'd only lift it as high in importance as theology, doctrine and tradition.

One day maybe, when we all find ourselves in the middle of a labyrinth together and realise there is only one way out!

Earthquake

It's okay, it's hasn't happened yet but all the doors in the centre here and lots of other places have emergency procedures for all the usual stuff but also for earthquakes. One of the writers here asked yesterday what was the earthquake procedure for the building, do we leave or do we take shelter under tables or doors. We were told to leave but that really "the only thing you can really do it pray". Well that's just great, thanks!

So many lessons there...

By the way it was gloriously sunny, beautifully mild, bright blue skies and the bud are out, the grass is freshly cut. Of course I;'m not enjoying any of that because I'm working hard. Just looking out the windows (hoping for an earthquake).

And so to work...

Today we stared in earnest. We're looking at Advent and Christmas. And it seems like yesterday we were doing just that. Blimey, how many ways can you do Christmas in the space of a month.

Anyway, I had the task of introducing the season with images and music and words and I used a lot of stuff we used in Abbotsford over Advent. Suddenly it is all being incorporated into the material. I should charge them which would pay for the new boilers!

I managed to get out in the fresh air for half an hour at lunchtime. It was fabulous. Sunny, mild, fresh eucalyptus. Just like home. Jealous?

The Streets of San Francisco

Been wandering about downtown today. Got to buy the presents. But this was the only day off. Work, work, work all the way now. Promise

Anyway, I did the usual stuff like riding a 'trolley' (better than Sainsbury's) and going to Fishermans Wharf, and eating clam chowder from the middle of a sourdough roll which you then ate which is clearly the eco-friendly way of doing the dishes and took some photos.

I also finished The Secret Life of Bees which was just fabulous. Read it in two days (mainly on the plane) and it ought to be a set text for all things spiritual.

And these two things: wandering round SF and reading The Secret Life, speak to one another. The book is about a journey through the unexpected and unexplicable turning points in life. One of the characters called August sort of invents her own religion (but invent isn't the right word and neither is religion. Probably more like uncovers her own way to engaging and coping with the inexplicable). Her religion is very eclectic and any one denomination would be pulling their hair out at what she has done to their bits and how she can tie them together with other bits. And it struck me today, while wandering around a very eclectic city, that God is a bit like August while the church it completely paranoid about doing things correctly as if it really matters. All that time wasted while God is out wandering around, enjoying the holy-self on the streets of San Francisco, seeing things by looking at them differently, peeling off the layers to get at the different colours, other than the grey monotone, living dangerously with tradition and spirituality and thus finding meaning where the rest of us can't get through.

I want to be as brave as August, but I find can't let go too much. I want to peel back far more than the tiny bit I allow myself, but I don't want to let go most of what I am traditionally because the journey to get to where I am (and all of us as a community too) is too valuable and has been too expensive. I truly wonder if we should wander the streets a little more. Jesus didn't do anything else. But sometimes, like this evening when the conference begins here, it is good to get back to being busy servicing the normal stuff so we don't have to go down that other particular street.

Cynical?

Letter from America

Thought I better report in since I'm in San Francisco at the moment (just arrived) and to prove that I'm here to work, though none of that has happened yet since I'm not long in. I'm here to be in conference with other worship writers writing Season of the Spirit worship and learning resources. I enjoy doing these things when I'm here but there is four months of it when I return home when all the material has to be writern from the ideas we all had at this conference.

I'm just outside San Francisco in the city of Burlingame at the Mercy Centre. There is something about living in community that is really important for learning about yourself, and how each brings something different. For me, I've brought Tunnocks caramel logs and mini creme eggs. It's just like Abbotsford but every waking hour. Truly we should do something like this as a community, go away togetehr, live in commuinity intensly for a short while, live with people we like and don't like. Then we've something like the realm of God. No one said it was going to be paradise, or did they...