I was standing this afternoon with one of our flat capped church members admiring the builders work as they laid the first bit of the town square.
"Lovely isn't it?"
"It's concrete vicar..."
"Not it's not it's stone..."
"concrete."
"It says "stone" on the packet over there..."
Long pause...
"You can tell by the variation in the colour."
Long pause.
"Cheap rubbish then is it vicar?!"
Oh well never mind.
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Monday, 24 November 2008
Goodness
Today was Ralph’s funeral, a significant event for our community as witnessed by the turn out of 157 people… Clive my churchwarden counted them. Ralph is one of those people who in my ministry at St Michaels has always been there. He was big in our amateur dramatics society although he never had a starring role, never really had a part that put him in the spotlight except only for the briefest of moments. He never really had a career as such, taking bit parts in the Thornber Chicken Empire, a local family decorating company and only slightly more notably in Rentokill as the community rat catcher. His impact was almost entirely because of his character: He was a really nice man, friendly, cheerful and capable of a gentle banter with almost everyone he met, including as it happens… me.
We mourn Ralph as those privileged to have seen something common but no less valuable for that,
...goodness.
We mourn Ralph as those privileged to have seen something common but no less valuable for that,
...goodness.
Saturday, 22 November 2008
No worries
I am sat here tonight feeling
rested
energised
and not very stressed
and ready for tomorrow.
Funny what a good night’s sleep and a day off makes to you.
It makes me wonder how many people around me in our community are not having time off.
When we get the enterprise centre and town square up and running as well as encouraging activity maybe we need to find ways to help people to take time out.
When we get the enterprise centre and town square up and running as well as encouraging activity maybe we need to find ways to help people to take time out.
Friday, 21 November 2008
Funny Day
A funny day with lots of disconnected bits.
Beginning with prayer with Emily…
Following with lunch and a fairly complex talk from the bishop the gist of which is that we are losing clergy…
Then two hours with the 5-11’s at the Mix…
A try out of our new curry place in the village…
Then a night in the office…
Ready for…
Bed
Tomorrow is a day off well earned, I guess
Ooh and on the return from the bishop a prophetic bus sign
Beginning with prayer with Emily…
Following with lunch and a fairly complex talk from the bishop the gist of which is that we are losing clergy…
Then two hours with the 5-11’s at the Mix…
A try out of our new curry place in the village…
Then a night in the office…
Ready for…
Bed
Tomorrow is a day off well earned, I guess
Ooh and on the return from the bishop a prophetic bus sign
“Reduce your Revs and save CO2”
I hope the bishop didn’t see it
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Boulders
Somebody once said when I first came to Mytholmroyd:
"We get a lot of weather here vicar."
We certainly do often having all four seasons at once.
Anyhoe I was impressed by Dougie Mansfield's enterprise today.
Dougie is our local bike and shoe shop owner, an interesting combination.
Anyhow he gets my vote for entrepeneur of the week for today he had hung a sledge outside his shop with the sign... "It's forecast snow!" I called in to talk ot him about a bike festival in the village but didn't have the heart to ask if had sold any sledges yet. I suspect most Yorkshire Folk will believe it when they see it.
Which is one of the reason why regeneration here is so difficult.
"We don't want it till we have had had it!"
Still the hole is making progress and the town square is growing...
The builders on the other side of our church informed me today that there was a boulder!
I am not sure what they want me to do about it.
The bible says that if we have faith we can move mountains but it doesn't mention anything about boulders!
"We get a lot of weather here vicar."
We certainly do often having all four seasons at once.
Anyhoe I was impressed by Dougie Mansfield's enterprise today.
Dougie is our local bike and shoe shop owner, an interesting combination.
Anyhow he gets my vote for entrepeneur of the week for today he had hung a sledge outside his shop with the sign... "It's forecast snow!" I called in to talk ot him about a bike festival in the village but didn't have the heart to ask if had sold any sledges yet. I suspect most Yorkshire Folk will believe it when they see it.
Which is one of the reason why regeneration here is so difficult.
"We don't want it till we have had had it!"
Still the hole is making progress and the town square is growing...
The builders on the other side of our church informed me today that there was a boulder!
I am not sure what they want me to do about it.
The bible says that if we have faith we can move mountains but it doesn't mention anything about boulders!
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Seasons
A day or two without blogs because I thought it would be boring to say: “too busy for blogs!”
Part of the busyness is the building work on the Parish Hall which is exhausting in many ways, not least the fact that I am never quite sure I am going to get there. I am also calming worrying fears.
Part of the busyness is self inflicted as I attempt to get on top of a backlog of paper work.
Part of the busyness is trying to get round some of our people because to be honest this grey weather is crushing. We are seasonal people and that feeling of “always winter and never Christmas” is particularly bad this week.
It’s a funny thing this seasonal thing… we are creatures of our climate and should react to them with the activities we take on.
So let’s have parties in winter, holidays in summer, and cleaning in spring and eating in Autumn.
Oh….. we already do
Funny that, isn’t it?
Part of the busyness is the building work on the Parish Hall which is exhausting in many ways, not least the fact that I am never quite sure I am going to get there. I am also calming worrying fears.
Part of the busyness is self inflicted as I attempt to get on top of a backlog of paper work.
Part of the busyness is trying to get round some of our people because to be honest this grey weather is crushing. We are seasonal people and that feeling of “always winter and never Christmas” is particularly bad this week.
It’s a funny thing this seasonal thing… we are creatures of our climate and should react to them with the activities we take on.
So let’s have parties in winter, holidays in summer, and cleaning in spring and eating in Autumn.
Oh….. we already do
Funny that, isn’t it?
Sunday, 16 November 2008
talents
Nancy was preaching on the parable of the talents the punchline was those who use their talents get more, those who don't get them taken away.
If you do a good job you get more to do.
If you were to do regeneration that way it would be more like the NGO method and less like the british way.
Hmm it makes you think.
If you do a good job you get more to do.
If you were to do regeneration that way it would be more like the NGO method and less like the british way.
Hmm it makes you think.
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