The week in Gainford

Sunday

Martin only left us on Friday but last Sunday felt rather like being in a time capsule. Getting up early to make those final preparations for today's three services took me back a few years. But now those preparations take three times longer, with injection, medication and a built in slowing down process,  courtesy of Parkinson's.

I was prepared for a flurry of ' have you taken over from Martin?' questions to which my now spot answer is 'no, the churchwardens have, but I am helping where I can'. Perhaps churchwardens should wear a dog collar when undertaking onerous responsibilities in an interregnum!

News that St Andrew's made over £600 at the harvest auction was good news indeed, made possible by spendthrifts like me who bid £20 for a basket of fruit...or a cheese. In addition to that a collection of £200 will supply much needed seed to Africa. All this from a village which boasts a population of little more than 200.

Monday

Mondays would not be the same without the inevitable phone call from the lunch club in the village hall. This time the boiler had cut out and it was quickly fixed. Strange, when I worked, pleading ignorance of anything that looked like DIY, resulting in someone else doing the job. I suppose some might say moving so close to the village hall was divine intervention.

I am reading Bill Bryson's latest book 'The Road to Little Dribbling', a sequel to his hugely popular book 'Notes from a Small Island'. So far he has travelled from the south coast, London, Cambridge, East Anglia and Oxford and I have reached the point where he has arrived in Skegness. This seaside is well known to me, being the nearest one from Boston where we lived when our children were small. In its favour, it does have a good nature and bird reserve but, as for the town and promenade, well, give me Saltburn any day. However, it is, apparently, the 3rd largest seaside in the the country in terms of visitors. Most of then come by direct train from Nottingham and the Midlands.

Skegness' fame revolves around the trademark 'Jolly Fisherman'.

This was originally a railway poster designed by artist John Hassall in 1913 so it has stood the test of time.

Skegness was also the site of the first Butlin's holiday camp, which Bryson soon discovered was 4 miles outside Skegness.

Wednesday 

Today has been a typical autumn day, with a clinging mist most of the day, prompting the leaves still on trees to hasten their descent to the ground. A walk to to the surgery for a flu jab and a trip to Barnard Castle Market exemplified the life of those of us in retirement, following which a nap was obligatory. Wednesday's house group again explored 'where do we go from here' but is still puzzling that one out.

Thursday

Funny, tragic and rivettding, Moira Buffini's play 'Handbaggibg' tells the story of what might have been said in the meetings between the Queen and Margaet Thacher, in the process she reminds usof some of the details of Thatcher's controversial  premiershp. It is at The Theatre Royal Newcastle and we were at the matinee. The ending was especially poignant as HM recalled that her press secretary, Michael Shea had died of dementia. In the very last line of the play Thatcher says ' You don't die from dementia, you live with it'  Very true of that and other long term illneses.

The week in Gainford

Sad farewells

On Sunday we said our farewells to Martin and Louise and sent them with our best wishes to Tynemouth.'Will you now be our Vicar' was the repeated question. 'No', I said, 'I am old'. i pointed out that our experienced churchwardens are in charge and I will lend a hand as health permits. The morning family service was joyfully chaotic and the band coped well with a congregation who decided not to follow the speed of the band and a large group of children banging drums, obliviously unaware of anyone else. It was fun! The evening service attracted a nearly full church and  there were the usual presentations, speeches, tears, laughter, buffet and, allelluia, the congregation took their lead from organ and band.

Folk weekend

All this was proceeded by a lively weekend of dancing and song, showing the wealth of musical talent in the village and Dale. Gegenforde gave one its best performances and Scherzo (community choir) sang as though they were in the Albert Hall.

A bit of vicaring
Having denied being 'in charge', I must admit I will be taking my dog collar out of the collar box in which ny father used to keep his shirt collars, and take a few services. REV 1, my mobility scooter may be seen flying through the village when my joints fail to interpret messages from my brain to get going. So many folk have said 'don't do too much' I may have to revert to undercover work. No, Kathy has got that one covered as well.

Gainford History Group

Monday's talk was by Gary Bankhead, a full-time fireman, diver and post graduate student at Durham. His talk was fascinating as he described his diving experiences in the River Wear near Prebends bridge. One chance discovery of a trowel led to the discovery of over 5000 objects going back many centuries. The collection is extraordinary, of national importance, and part of it is displayed in the museum on Palace Green. Must be worth a visit next time we are in Durham.

Addicted to sheep

Tuesday afternoon is the time for we 'seniors' to go to the cinema at Richmond Station. We saw a lovely film called 'Addicted to Sheep'. In the North Pennines, tenant farmers of Raby Estates Tom and Kay spend their days looking after their flock of prized sheep. The film follows a year in their lives, capturing both the stark, stunning beauty of the landscape, and the brutally hard work it takes just to survive. Their three children are growing up close to the land, attending a school, Forest in Teesdale entirely comprised of farmers’ children, thoroughly immersed in their remote rural world. As the seasons change the couple help birth, groom, nurture and sell their sheep – even when the odds often seems stacked against them. Addicted to Sheep allows us to experience life on a hill farm in Teesdale.

House group

The parishes have two house groups and I joined one of them last night. We discussed material they might use and, having started as an Alpha Group, they like that style of study. I left them with some ideas to think through and share with other group members. They are quite self sufficient and will continue to meet weekly and I will join them from time to time.

Autumn has arrived

The trees have been beautiful for the last month, the leaves turning into golds and browns. Walking along the river path yesterday it was warm and sunny but the path was carpeted with leaves. In just a few days the trees will be bare and the temperature will drop. We have winter to face but in the knowledge that spring is round the corner. For those who are finding life a struggle at the moment it is important to remember that the harshness of the winter winds will give way to the buds and flowers of spring.

 

 

Preparing for the "Big Weekend'

 No, you haven't got the wrong month, but this weekend is a 'big' one in the village; in fact you could say it is a huge weekend.

Firstly, there's our folk and beer weekend organised by Gegenforde, which starts with a ceilidh tonight and continues with music tomorrow night: Gegenforde,The Savage Myrtles and Scherzo. I nearly forgot that Cream Teas, the young fiddle band from Barney are playing tonight.

It is a big weekend as well because our Vicar, Martin, is leaving us to take up a post in Tynemouth. So tomorrow is a day for goodbyes to him and Louise. We have a Family Service in the morning and a Praise Service in the evening with a presentation. Our Church band will be playing at both.

Before all of that there is band practice this morning and choir practice this afternoon.
I am exhausted just writing about it.

Why am I writing a blog about the weekend anyway? Well, Martin has a written a weekly email which had a big circulation and was well received, and I thought it might  be an idea to use my blog as means of sharing information and expressing the occasional viewpoint. It will not be like Martin's, nor will it be in competition. I shall be doing a little more in the parish during the vacancy so it will be good to use the blog as a kind of diary.

I hope to publish one a week, usually Fridays and will be happy to include in the blog anything you want to reach a wider audience. I say 'wider audience' but that might only be half a dozen people.

That was a quick intro but time now to gird up my loins, gather my accordion and whistle and get in some practice.

Neil

Barra bound

We are now looking forward to spending three Sundays on the island of Barra, providing ministry to the Church of Scotland as we did last year. This year we will be joined by our village folk group, Gegenforde, who are looking forward to playing and enjoying a holiday.

Last year I wrote a daily blog which people seemed to enjoy and I will do the same this year but with a difference. The blog will be a weekly one, published on Saturdays, and will continue on our return. This year marks the 34th year since my ordination and I was 34 when I was ordained. A couple of weeks ago I spoke to our breakfast club about my life and ministry but soon realised there was too little time to say all that I wanted. In particular, I wanted to say more about my faith journey, so, in order to reflect on that, I will use the blog. I hope you mighty enjoy some of it, but accept that much of it may be quite boring!

I will look back over those 34 years and try and piece together what has changed in my theological views and how these relate to the wider field of theology. I want to take a dispassionate look at scripture (if that is possible), and think about why so few people, including regular churchgoers, rarely read the bible, and probably can't remember Sunday's readings by the time they have eaten Sunday lunch. I shall be making good use of 3 books, 'Things hidden: Scripture as Spirituality' by Richard Rohr, published in 2010, 'The Bible' by Karen Armstrong, published in 2007 and 'The Book of the people of God',  by A N Wilson, published on the 7th May this year.

Religious tradition has also played an important part in my life and I will be reflecting on how that helps or hinders church growth, including the possibility that there are now so many Christian denominations that the message is being diluted.

In order to keep some focus I will try and use one one of the Sunday lectionary readings as a starting point and the first blog will be on the 17th May, Ascension Sunday. That's a challenging theological perspective to begin with.

Marcus Borg 1942-2015

 

I had just finished reading his book 'The heart of Christianity' when I learned of the death at the age of 72 of American theologian, Marcus Borg. Alongside John Robinson, Don Cupitt, Richard Holloway, John Spong, John Dominic Croissan, Borg has played a major role in the development of my own theology over the past 35 years.


Borg polarised opinions. The New Testament scholar was both praised for his independent thinking and attempts to make the gospel credible, as he saw it, to the modern age, and vilified for his radical departures from Christian orthodoxy.


He was one of a group of scholars known as the Jesus Seminar. Borg, like the other Jesus Seminar participants, rejected the miraculous. An example of his approach is in a piece he wrote on his blog during Advent last year, in which lamented that "Advent and Christmas have virtually been swallowed up by the miraculous", such as the stories of the visits of angels and the wise men being guided by a star. "To be candid, I do not think that any of this happened," he wrote. "Of course, there is some historical memory in the stories. Jesus was born. He really lived. He was Jewish. His parents' names were Mary and Joseph. They lived in Nazareth, a very small peasant village, perhaps as small as a few hundred. But I do not think that there was an annunciation by an angel to Mary, or a virginal conception, or a special star, or wise men from the East visiting the infant Jesus, or angels filling the night with glory as they sang to shepherds."

However, he denied being a "debunker" of the stories and said there was a "third way" between regarding them as fact or fable: "Rather, they are early Christian testimony, written roughly a hundred years after Jesus' birth. They testify to the significance that Jesus had come to have in their lives and experience and thought. The stories are parabolic, metaphorical narratives that can be true without being factual." Advent and Christmas, he said, "are about the biblical hope and way, the path, to a new kind of world. They are about our rebirth and the world's rebirth."

Unlike some other 'progressive Christians', he was respected both for his personal spirituality and for his willingness to engage courteously with orthodox believers. The former Bishop of Durham, academic N T Wright, took part in public debates with him and paid tribute to him saying that despite their disagreements, he and Borg shared "a deep and rich mutual affection and friendship".

Theologian Brian D McClaren wrote: "Hardly the hard-bitten 'liberal theologian' out to eviscerate Christianity of any actual faith, he impressed me as a fellow Christian seeking an honest, thoughtful, and vital faith, ready to dialogue respectfully with people who see things differently."

Borg also wrote on his blog that he sought to be "an evangelist to those in the Christian middle – people who are still in churches but who are troubled by some and perhaps many of conventional Christian beliefs that were taken for granted not so long ago".

Progressive Christianity Network

 

The Progressive Christianity Network Britain (A Registered Charity No 1102164) works to promote and support open and contemporary Christian understanding. It provides a network of local groups across the country, publishes a radical quarterly newsletter, and organises regular conferences and events. Members come from all denominations.

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The Network recognises the value and significance of tradition and the scriptures in the shaping of Christian faith. But faith must be of today, not just the past. It values the Eight Points first formulated by the Centre for Progressive Christianity in America and adapted for the UK by PCN Britain, not as a creed or a statement of faith, but as an expression of how we live as Christians.

The eight points

We are Christians who…

1. Have found an approach to God through the life and teachings of Jesus;
2. Recognise the faithfulness of other people who have other names for the gateway to God’s realm, and acknowledge that their ways are true for them, as our ways are true for us;
3. Understand the sharing of bread and wine in Jesus’ name to be a representation of an ancient vision of God’s feast for all peoples;
4. Invite all people to participate in our community and worship life without insisting that they become like us in order to be acceptable (including but not limited to):
   • believers and agnostics
   • conventional Christians and questioning sceptics
   • women and men
   • those of all sexual orientations and gender identities
   • those of all races and cultures
   • those of all classes and abilities
   • those who hope for a better world and those who have lost hope;
5. Know that the way we behave toward one another and toward other people is the fullest expression of what we believe;
6. Find more grace in the search for understanding than we do in dogmatic certainty, more value in questioning than in absolutes;
7. Form ourselves into communities dedicated to equipping one another for the work we feel called to do: striving for peace and justice among all people; protecting and restoring the integrity of all God’s creation; and bringing hope to those Jesus called the least of his sisters and brothers;
8. Recognise that being followers of Jesus is costly, and entails selfless love, conscientious resistance to evil, and renunciation of privilege.

http://www.pcnbritain.org.uk



 

The Epiphany

Some thoughts on 'A cold coming we had of it' by T S Eliot

'Like so much in the Christmas narrative, the arrival of the wise men has been romanticized in our telling of the story. Our versions tend to focus on their arrival at the manger, their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh, their brave decision to rebel against Herod (Matthew 2:1-12). We see them as a sign that even earthly rulers are humbled before the throne of the newborn king.

But Eliot suggests a far different reading of the Magi. There is little triumph, little nobility in his narrative. Instead, it is grim, earthy, crude. There is doubt. There is complaining. There is despair.

When Eliot wrote this poem, not only was he a fairly new Christian, he was also in the throes of a difficult, disintegrating marriage. Coming to the faith at mid-life, Eliot’s conversion was not a simple matter of belief out of unbelief, but of a long, slow, clearly painful process of letting go of one life and clinging desperately to another. Like the Magi, the new convert travels out of one country into a sometimes dark, dank, unfamiliar place where the natives are not always kind, the sleep often restless, the mission undefined. Is it a birth or a death? “I had seen birth and death,” he writes, “But had thought they were different; this Birth was hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.”

Through Eliot’s words, we are invited into a different telling of the Christmas story, one in which the reframing of the world, the mixing of kingdoms ushered in by the Incarnation, brings as much pain and struggle as it brings joy and peace. This is not a simple story of God entering the world and all being well. We know there is great tragedy to come in this story, that it won’t always make sense. We know that our stories, too, are laced with sorrow and loss and the constant need to choose faith and hope over despair and confusion. As we wander through mountains and deserts and what can often be vast wastelands of doubt, we face that “hard and bitter agony” of leaving behind our old kingdoms and making our way into new ones. And yet, in the midst of this tension, we, like the Magi, find ourselves glad of another death as we slowly let go of the darkness and cling to the light.' (from an article by Carla Barnhill of the Christian History Insitute)

The Journey of the Magi
by T S Eliot

 

"A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The was deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter."
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires gong out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty, and charging high prices.:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.
Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.
All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we lead all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I have seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

Journey of the Magi

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