The end of an era in Lancaster

I left Lancaster for the final time a fortnight ago! There were so many goodbyes, when I was at Junior School I remember a child writing a song about saying Goodbye. The line I remember in particular is "Saying goodbye is never easy, saying goodbye can make you cry". He had written this on the experience of both of his parents being killed in a road accident. The line was going round in my head recently- preparing and having so many goodbyes.

MY first Goodbye was acknowledged in April at one of my placement churches Annual Church Meeting,(at this point I didn't even know what I would be doing next year!). From this point on I seemed to have endless numbers of goodbyes, from every meeting that I have belonged to in Lancaster, worship consultation, leadership teams, circuit meetings etc, I began to be able to predict what was about to be said! The main final goodbyes were the hardest, I was overwhelmed by the generosity of the people of Lancaster Methodist Circuit and Lancaster Methodist Church. On the final Sunday morning that I was in Lancaster, I was presented in worship with numerous gifts which I will treasure. I still have some of the book vouchers to spend. I was then given a send off downstairs with a party to wish me all the best from the younger members of the church. What a privilege it has been to share with so many people from young to old in the church over the year. Lancaster Methodist Church has been a very special place and is the church in which I was accredited in as a local preacher in March.

It was in the week following that I graduated officially. It was a very long ceremony and an early morning start! Although in a sense this was the end of my ST Martin's phase, it wasn't goodbye! I have seen many of my friends since at Jon and Amy's wedding, Jenny's hen weekend and will of course see many again at Jenny's wedding. In a sense Goodbye's from St Martin's friends haven't happened! It was good to graduate with so many friends. The photo's of the day are quite amusing! Some of which thank goodness are not on the Internet!

I was then back home for a few days after emptying my house in Lancaster! Already previously 3 car loads of stuff had come home and we packed 2 cars full to bring the remainder! I have an awful lot of stuff!

I was then back in the North West for the weekend for Jenny's hen weekend in Kendal, and then the final farewell- at Hedley's retirement and farewell service. Hedley has been my placement supervisor this year. At the end of worship there were numerous presentations made, I was very humbled to receive a framed picture of the Sunset across Morecambe Bay with Ashton Memorial in. I was speechless! What a change there, but I found goodbyes very hard here, although not as bad as I thought. The picture now hangs in the living room for now! It will remain there until I eventually have my own manse!

So lots of Goodbyes, but lots of memories to be thankful for. I hope that I will return to Lancaster in the not too distant future! However I must also get used to moving on and begin to look to London for the next phase of my journey!

I loved Lancaster and have made many friends there! I shall miss Lancaster muchly!

Longtime no blogging!

The last few weeks have been manic! I have travelled nearly 2000 miles in the last 4 weeks which has meant that I haven't really been in one place for very long! I have had graduation, I don't know how many goodbyes, a hen weekend, a wedding, a holiday and so on! So I am going to try and blog more often now I am in one place for a while!

Theological Type!

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan, You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists. Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 71% Emergent/Postmodern 61% Classical Liberal 54% Neo orthodox 50% Charismatic/Pentecostal 46% Modern Liberal 43% Roman Catholic 32% Reformed Evangelical 25% Fundamentalist 0% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

My visit to West London Mission!

Yesterday I had a visit day to where I will be next year! It was very exciting despite the 7-45am train that I had to catch from Cambridge! Thank goodness it wasn't Lancaster that would have been even earlier!
So I arrived at Kings Cross at 8-45 and was met by the deacon who lives at Methodist Chaplaincy House- where I will be living. We walked to Hinde Street, which is where the other church of the circuit is. There I met all of the staff- apparently everyone being at Staff Meeting is a very rare occassion- so I was privilledged. The staff team is quite big: The superintendent- Geoff Cornell, two presbyters Cathy and Leao, Janet who is a deacon, John who is the chinese congregations minister and the social work director Paul. A great bunch- who I look forward to working with.
West London mission has two churches with many different social work projects alongside them. There is so much going on and plenty for me to choose from for what I am going to be doing. The four areas currently being explored are:
West London Day Centre- working in the drop in centre for probably a day a week which is about 4 hours- they are not open all of the time. This will perhaps include as well looking at an educational and explorational class there.
Also some work with the prostitutes- every night of the week people go out from Kings Cross Methodist Church as part of an ecumenical project to talk to the prostitutes on the street. I will hopefully be involved in going out onto the streets with people.
hospital chaplaincy- explains itself!
Chinese youth- this is work with the BBC (British Born Chinese) this will be looking at youth work and worship with the young people on a Sunday afternoon.

I will also be going onto the WLM preaching plan- lots going on.
Whilst I was in London yesterday I went to see where Charles Wesley lived!
I also ventured the London transport system using the bus, the underground and used my feet! It was a good day and looks to be an exciting year.
I shall post again in more detail about the work of WLM itself.

Where is God when it hurts?

On the 2nd March 2005 my Dad was diagnosed with throat cancer. What followed was a journey that was hard and painful for our family. So often people ask the question, how do cancer and God exist. Below is a reflection I wrote during Dad's illness, where is God in cancer? God is there, its not always easy but if we look we can see the presence of God in it all. This is part of my testimony and part of a personal journey of where God was for me and my journey with my family facing cancer.

Where is God when it hurts people ask?He is there, I know for myself.
But how can God be there if he loves us they ask?
Well let’s take a look at what Jesus, God made man experienced himself in his journey to his death.
In the garden of Gethsemane he suffered mentally, as he took up his cross he suffered physically, through this suffering he died and returned. Resurrected giving hope, the message of salvation.

Where is God now when life really hurts?
He is there, I know for myself.
Let us open our eyes to see, it may not be easy but when you look you will see God is there.
God is there in the hug of a friend, as you sit and sob, as others comfort you.
“I don’t know what to say” they say.
A hug and the presence is enough, there is God, in others and through the comfort of the Holy Spirit, sharing in the tears with you.

Where is God when it hurts?
He is there, I know for myself.
In the phone calls, conversations, in the visits, greeting cards and the prayers.
In the hands of those that give the treatment, the doctors, surgeons, nurses, radiotherapists and the support groups.
In the hugs and tears shared with one another.
Just when you begin to look God is everywhere in the cancer, in the courage and battle of it.

God is there in it all,
In the pain, tears and courage.
In the past, in the present and future.
Jesus is the alpha and omega.

God is there, faithful and true,
He’s a beacon in the night.
God is there in his promises,
“I am with you always”
“Nothing can separate us from the love of God”
“His rod and staff they comfort me”.

God is here and there.
God has shared from the beginning,
The words he speaks through his Spirit,
“I am with you always”.
God is here in the comfort from the Spirit and those around us.
Through the hugs and tears.

In these days we trust in God’s unfailing goodness and love he offers us.In the everlasting hope he offers, whatever happens.

Rob Bell: Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith

As part of my candidating process I had to read a theological book. It was suggested to me that I tried Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis Repainting the Christian Faith as a good book. So I did! I found it to be a brilliant book, energising and inpspiring! So thought I would share some of my thoughts on the book.
Bell uses the metaphor of a painting that has become redundant and no longer used or seen to look at the need for "repainting the Christian faith".
Bell looks at the need for exploring our faith, he speaks about how in the Bible Jesus demonstrates what it means to explore faith, to ask questions and calling the disciples to rethink the Christian faith. I love the challenge that it brings: "The challenge for Christians then is to live with great compassion and conviction, remaining open and flexible, aware that life is not the last painting."
I think that sometimes for people today, Christianity has become a painting that is no longer relevant or seen as representing something important to them. Yet what Bell highlights clearly is the challenge and task that Christians need to engage in, asking questions, rethinking and redefining our faith today.
The book looks at Church history, engaging with reformation and reforming! Looking at how the tradition that Martin Luther was a part of not just the reformation as a period in history, but as a reforming task, continuing to go on. A great book and not a difficult read!
I think Rob Bell engages with issues that are a problem today, when we think about updating our faith, how often do we think of updating it in technology! Ensuring the Church has a good technology system, yet what Bell challenges people to think about is the need to reform theology. as Bell writes: " We must keep reforming the way the Christian faith is defined, lived and explained." So the question for me personally has been, how do we define our faith today in 21St Century, in a culture that is rapidly changing. How do we define faith, live it out today and explain it in a way that expresses and demonstrates the relevance to lives today?

Some reflections!

I finished my degree on Friday, handing my last 2 essays in. Its a bit weird this afternoon! I don't have essays to write, this is the first time really since starting my AS levels 5 nearly 6 years ago! Since when I finished my A-levels I immediately started my Faith and Worship: Local Preachers course. So now I am left with some time to relax- I find that hard! Today feels very weird because usually I feel I shouldn't have an afternoon nap because I have things to do, yet today I can!

Anyway so what is next? Well I am off to London to do my first year of three as a pre-ordination student, I am currently only doing one year in London and then will go elsewhere for two further years. People keep asking what will I be doing! Well at the minute I am not too sure of that either- apart from working with people on the margins of society. What I do know is that I shall be living at Kings Cross in the Methodist Chaplaincy House. I shall be visiting London in a couple of weeks time to find out more! So then I will know and be able to share with people! So at the minute its a bit of a waiting game! I find this frustrating! I need to learn patience! I look forward to visiting London. One or two people have said how scary London is to live- especially Kings Cross! Thanks for the encouragement and reassurance!

The past few weeks have been a bit strange, having been busy writing essays (as any students have been!), going to candidates committee etc.
What I think I find very strange is candidates committee has HAPPENED! Its finished! For 5 1/2 years it was always something of the future yet it has happened! Not sure that everything has really sunk in! I am wondering when it will actually sink in! Initially I thought it had but now I am not quite sure! I think with all the essays that needed to be written and the stresses of them and then preaching twice yesterday, things have been quite hectic!
I guess this week now essays are finished that things might have more time to sink in!
Any way, enough rambling for now!