A working party was called this morning to our hall in preparation for next weeks big parish dinner and tomorrows service. It was good to see the place being pollished up as twenty or so worked hard to upgrade from a building site to a church. It's a bit of a challenge as the heat is cut off so we are using portable halogen heaters.
Tonight it's off to Bradford to my mum's for a hearty tea that reminds me of childhood. She is the only person I know who can successfully pull off sausage,lasagne and baked beans.
This is followed by a trip to bradford university to hear a brass band concert that my son is playing in. Suddenly I feel like a Yorkshireman again!
Pass me my flat cap and recapture my whippet!
Saturday, 31 January 2009
Friday, 30 January 2009
Drains
My days seem to be getting longer as I try to squeeze more in... It's taking its toll and I will try and get some time out tomorrow.
There was a lot of fun today as I went to visit a couple at Cragg who are giving thanks for their child. They are unusual even by our local standards as he is from London and she is from Kyoto, Japan though she came here to school when she was fifteen. The baby is very cute and very content gurgling on the carpet and periodically performing her latest trick: rolling over.
There is harder talk as dad explains his role in the global economy in the strategy department of the banking industry.
Their house is on the market and they might go back to Japan which is a pity as talent drains out of our community. Also a pity because this is the first time I have met them in five years they have lived in our community of 600 people.
Reversing this drain needs for us to create community and maybe Sunday will begin to do this for our family as they are introduced to their God and their community.
There was a lot of fun today as I went to visit a couple at Cragg who are giving thanks for their child. They are unusual even by our local standards as he is from London and she is from Kyoto, Japan though she came here to school when she was fifteen. The baby is very cute and very content gurgling on the carpet and periodically performing her latest trick: rolling over.
There is harder talk as dad explains his role in the global economy in the strategy department of the banking industry.
Their house is on the market and they might go back to Japan which is a pity as talent drains out of our community. Also a pity because this is the first time I have met them in five years they have lived in our community of 600 people.
Reversing this drain needs for us to create community and maybe Sunday will begin to do this for our family as they are introduced to their God and their community.
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Unpredictable
We have hit our first major snag with our building project today.
I am not sure how it works but it goes something like…
our builder sub contracted a plumber who thought he could do the three boilers but despite thinking he could…
he couldn’t so that we now have no heating in the church or the hall.
He has “gone off” and our builders have now had to find another plumber or plumbers (not sure which) to finish the job.
Also the gas board were meant to send three different gas people: number one two three, but man two came before man one and therefore they couldn’t do the job!
I know have to handle the many people who understandably are upset about it.
They are not upset about the snag but rather the unpredicatability of it.
Funny thing, people can cope with change if they know it's coming.
I am not sure how it works but it goes something like…
our builder sub contracted a plumber who thought he could do the three boilers but despite thinking he could…
he couldn’t so that we now have no heating in the church or the hall.
He has “gone off” and our builders have now had to find another plumber or plumbers (not sure which) to finish the job.
Also the gas board were meant to send three different gas people: number one two three, but man two came before man one and therefore they couldn’t do the job!
I know have to handle the many people who understandably are upset about it.
They are not upset about the snag but rather the unpredicatability of it.
Funny thing, people can cope with change if they know it's coming.
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Age
Another long day and a cold has made it a slightly foggy one. Spent the morning in school doing performance review of the head teacher. Am reminded of something Gervais Finn said on education that we spend too much time weighing the pig and not enough feeding it.
Afternoon saw me taking the funeral of a 97 year old man and left me reflecting on my life as less than half done! He was married to his second wife as long as I have been to Catherine although he didn’t meet her till he was in his seventies. Hard to imagine such a long innings.
Tonight the children made a birthday tea for Catherine who funnily enough is half the age of the man who died…
I probably shouldn’t reveal stuff like that!
Afternoon saw me taking the funeral of a 97 year old man and left me reflecting on my life as less than half done! He was married to his second wife as long as I have been to Catherine although he didn’t meet her till he was in his seventies. Hard to imagine such a long innings.
Tonight the children made a birthday tea for Catherine who funnily enough is half the age of the man who died…
I probably shouldn’t reveal stuff like that!
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Hate
A bad day, or a good one depending on how you look at it to go to the Race Hate Partnership at Calderdale. Today is hollocaust memorial day and one of the organisers locally has just told me that Muslims are boycottting the event because of Gaza. That the BNP are threatening to disrupt the service and that the police are reporting an increase in antisemitic graffiti.
What can we do...
"Report it to sort it and we will support it."
Not a bad strap line given by a rap poet today.
Hate crime - need to deal with the hate.
Where does hate come from?
Too easy to say difference causes it.
"We don't have a race problem because we are all white here."
Too easy to say it's poverty or background.
In the bible we are told that hate came in when Cain envied Able.
Doesn't help finding another cause.
How do we deal with envy?
An end to it all this happens when as an individual I chose not to hate, I chose not to envy.
What can we do...
"Report it to sort it and we will support it."
Not a bad strap line given by a rap poet today.
Hate crime - need to deal with the hate.
Where does hate come from?
Too easy to say difference causes it.
"We don't have a race problem because we are all white here."
Too easy to say it's poverty or background.
In the bible we are told that hate came in when Cain envied Able.
Doesn't help finding another cause.
How do we deal with envy?
An end to it all this happens when as an individual I chose not to hate, I chose not to envy.
Monday, 26 January 2009
Just a bit of fun
Into school today and one of the kids is full of an incident in which some poor lads pants were pulled down. How they laughed, but the adults present didn't with a shudder as we all recollect similar humiliations in our own childhood. Trying to explain to the kids that just because it's funny doesn't justify doing it.
I come away wondering how many are carrying the scars of these early assaults...
Not just childish pranks I think.
Hard to win the argument when similar humiliations occur on reality tv almost every day.
I come away wondering how many are carrying the scars of these early assaults...
Not just childish pranks I think.
Hard to win the argument when similar humiliations occur on reality tv almost every day.
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Todmorden
To todmorden to a celebration of the work of the churches in community. It was a very impressive affair which I was kind of compering and speaking at.
Over 200 people turned up with a brass band and a local gospel choir as we heard of all that people of faith have done.
I was launching a faithworks group in the hope that clustering these projects together we might be able to finally persuade Calderdale of the significance of the work being done.
Over 200 people turned up with a brass band and a local gospel choir as we heard of all that people of faith have done.
I was launching a faithworks group in the hope that clustering these projects together we might be able to finally persuade Calderdale of the significance of the work being done.
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