It's been a fun day following an annoying start as I bump into a council employee who is snidy about the new design of the square.which he thought both too modern, lots of lines and too old fashioned, traditional materials!
Then after prayer it was off to a cheerful rural deans gathering at the archdeacons house where we discussed clergy deployment. It's so easy to forget in strategic discussions that we are talking about real people and real communities.
I guess that goes for all strategic discussions.
Friday, 16 January 2009
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Town Centre Gardener
Larger Churches consultation today, bringing together some of the bigger churches in our diocese. I guess a meeting that does what it says on the packet. We kind of sneak in there on the back of our multicongregations adding up to the “over 100” that constitutes a big church in our part of the world.
Robert Warren was speaking and as usual he gave us lots of portable stuff to go away and mull over . One of his gems was that churches are not organisations that need managing but rather organisms that need nurturing, vicars are not managers but rather gardeners or doctors or parents.
It did make me think about communities as well. We often talk about managing the community, we even have town centre managers but the reality a Town Centre Doctor or Gardener might be more appropriate.
Robert Warren was speaking and as usual he gave us lots of portable stuff to go away and mull over . One of his gems was that churches are not organisations that need managing but rather organisms that need nurturing, vicars are not managers but rather gardeners or doctors or parents.
It did make me think about communities as well. We often talk about managing the community, we even have town centre managers but the reality a Town Centre Doctor or Gardener might be more appropriate.
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Partners
Today a meeting of the UCVR steering group a celebration of all that's going on in regeneration in the valley... quite encouraging really.
It's what's known as a partnership meeting and we all sat round a big table ad shared the good news. We're all on first name terms now, connected because of the journey we have taken togther.
It's taken five years to make a partnership... it would tale very little to break it but we're still here.
It's what's known as a partnership meeting and we all sat round a big table ad shared the good news. We're all on first name terms now, connected because of the journey we have taken togther.
It's taken five years to make a partnership... it would tale very little to break it but we're still here.
Monday, 12 January 2009
Reject.
She was very angry... at 13 she has been rejected by her natural parents, at war with her adoptive parents and now in trouble with her foster parents... she thinks she will hide for a bit.
Mind you she has been in a fight with another girl over not a lot really and so the school has given her an exclusion order. But because she is at risk she is excluded in attendance, which I don't understand logically but understand pastorally.
I really like the girl, for all her troubles, she sings and dances and smiles and talks non stop and will be a beautiful woman, if she survives.
I pray tonight she will, the world needs more troubled survivors.
Mind you she has been in a fight with another girl over not a lot really and so the school has given her an exclusion order. But because she is at risk she is excluded in attendance, which I don't understand logically but understand pastorally.
I really like the girl, for all her troubles, she sings and dances and smiles and talks non stop and will be a beautiful woman, if she survives.
I pray tonight she will, the world needs more troubled survivors.
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Migration
To Durham and back yesterday to take Rebecca my daughter back to university. It's almost becoming a second home to us. We can even navigate around without the SATNAV.
It's funny seeing her there it really is her other home. She even canvassed their in the last election.
We passed lots of others on the road making the same journey which made me wonder how many other people are of two fixed abodes? Who migrate between places at different times of the year. It's a very common thing. One lady at my church spends six months in Florida and Six months in britain... guess which months! She is fully part of both commuities.
Place is such a big part of who we are it's easy to foget that for others places is their identity. Maybe we shold be a bit less hard on those transient B & B ers as we call them who live their working in the big city and sleep and eat breakfast in the cottages on our hill sides. The challenge is to how we can make a community with those part time members of it.
It's funny seeing her there it really is her other home. She even canvassed their in the last election.
We passed lots of others on the road making the same journey which made me wonder how many other people are of two fixed abodes? Who migrate between places at different times of the year. It's a very common thing. One lady at my church spends six months in Florida and Six months in britain... guess which months! She is fully part of both commuities.
Place is such a big part of who we are it's easy to foget that for others places is their identity. Maybe we shold be a bit less hard on those transient B & B ers as we call them who live their working in the big city and sleep and eat breakfast in the cottages on our hill sides. The challenge is to how we can make a community with those part time members of it.
Friday, 9 January 2009
Scenery
Every once in a while I am reminded that the scenery that surrounds me is not a painting but a living community. Tonight we had a lovely meal at a couple newly joined our church and living in a half completed barn convertion.
Coming back down the hill proved to be even more exciting than the intrepid journey up there as out of the frosty mist emerged first a herd of cows and in particular a large cow in the middle of the track.
I knew enough about cows not to peep the horn, so I flashed the lights.... No reaction
I edged the car closer the cow stood it's ground...
I moved closer still... the cow eyed me closer still.
If it could have put its hands on its hips in defiance it would have.
I edged even closer and began to wonder if it had third party insurance if it sat on my bonnet.
Then... Victory!
Slowly but surely it edged to one side.
Vicar one, cow nil... Result.
The cows were there because someone had put some hay out for them another part of this living scenery.
Coming back down the hill proved to be even more exciting than the intrepid journey up there as out of the frosty mist emerged first a herd of cows and in particular a large cow in the middle of the track.
I knew enough about cows not to peep the horn, so I flashed the lights.... No reaction
I edged the car closer the cow stood it's ground...
I moved closer still... the cow eyed me closer still.
If it could have put its hands on its hips in defiance it would have.
I edged even closer and began to wonder if it had third party insurance if it sat on my bonnet.
Then... Victory!
Slowly but surely it edged to one side.
Vicar one, cow nil... Result.
The cows were there because someone had put some hay out for them another part of this living scenery.
Thursday, 8 January 2009
Public Art
We got onto the vexed question of public art today for the square. It’s quite exciting really we have a considerable amount of money put aside in the scheme to create something for the plinth in the middle of the new town square. As a market square we all decided a market cross would be the best idea… but a market cross for the 21st century.
Ooh!
None of us is very sure of what this is but that’s what you need an artist for.
I still like the idea that came up at one meeting to the effect where someone suggested we should have art work so outrageous that everyone talks about that and ignores what else we are doing!
Ever since I heard this I keep walking past public art and wondering whether that’s why it was put there.
Ooh!
None of us is very sure of what this is but that’s what you need an artist for.
I still like the idea that came up at one meeting to the effect where someone suggested we should have art work so outrageous that everyone talks about that and ignores what else we are doing!
Ever since I heard this I keep walking past public art and wondering whether that’s why it was put there.
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