It's not just weather that's unpredictable!

Lamb prices were better this morning at the livestock market. I was there after my rescheduled visit to my spiritual director. There reasons for the better prices were the relative value of the Pound to the Euro and that a large ship full of New Zealand lamb didn't have the right paperwork to unload. Neither of those are things that farmers have any control over. It's not just weather that's unpredictable!
Yesterday was a meeting of deanery synod (that's a church government meeting) where there was considerable anxiety over levels of giving.

It's STILL behind you

Because of a mix up with the readings on Sunday I was preaching on the same readings as I had been the week before. So the sermon at Salwarpe and Wilden had much in common with the previous week's sermon at Martley.
Salwarpe (near Droitwich) is a lovely church in a quintessentially English setting. Wilden (near Stourport) is a rarity as all the windows are by Byrne Jones.

Burns Night

In the photo I'm hiding behind the candles. I was playing the mandolin. You can see my knees as I was wearing the kilt. Heritage of Scotland tartan - I reckon as one born and brought up north of the border & who had stood on the terraces of Murrayfield, Hampden Park and Easter Road I was entitled to claim Scotland's heritage.
Dave (the vicar) was playing guitar & singing. It was a good night celebrating the life of Robert Burns. I did the "Toast to the Lassies" in which I told the story of Tony Blair visiting an Edinburgh hospital and read Burn's "Address to the Unco Guid" - words of wisdom to those involved in church life in every generation

Country Way

Yesterday was a visit to the Arthur Rank Centre for an editorial meeting about "Country Way". The most recent edition had just come out & we were planning future editions and also how to increase circulation.
Yesterday evening I met with a small number of people interested in extending chaplaincy to Worcester Livestock Market

It's behind you

Last night I was at a pantomime my niece had a role in. No panto would be complete without the "It's behind you" routine.
That was just right for this morning's sermon. The gospel reading was that Jesus came preaching a message of repentance as the kingdom of heaven is near. Repentance is about turning round & facing the other way. The kingdom? It's behind you!

Meetings, cold and the market

This week has been meetings - all very important, but not that exciting for a blog!
Monday a meeting about research into polytunnels.
Tuesday meetings, with the Chaplaincy executive, World Development task group and Go West Teme Valley project.
Wednesday a regional West Midlands chaplains' meeting
Thursday I was going down with a cold and canceled a meeting with my spiritual director
Friday was trying to recover from that cold, catch up with a few emails and in the evening a meal with colleagues
Saturday at the Livestock market until the remains of the cold kicked in and lack of a voice meant conversation was impossible.
I'll make some notes now for my sermon tomorrow.

Plough sunday again!

The second Sunday of the month sees the Teme valley market at the Talbot, Knightwick. This Sunday we had a short service at mid-day to bless the plough and to think about & pray for the needs of farmers.
The photo is of the Hammonds (two local farmers) Jean Clift (who runs the Talbot), me and Madelaine (who played the keyboard).
In the evening Droitwich Methodist church celebrated plough for the first time in at least the last 39 years and possibly in the whole history of that church.

Commissioning of FCN president & National Coordinator

Saturday was the commissioning of Christopher Jones as the first president of Farm Crisis Network. It was a time of looking back and giving thanks for the amazing pioneering work he had done in setting up FCN.
It was also a time for looking forward and commissioning Sarah Brown as the new National Co-ordinator.
Chris lives just a village away from where I used to be vicar. Sarah was part of the Local Ministry team. There were a good number of members of my former congregations & it was good to see them.
The rather fuzzy picture is of Chris at the reception.

On the air

At BBC Hereford & Worcester this afternoon recording the service for Sunday morning. It goes out at 7.00am - or there's a listen again button.

Young Farmers & Plough Sunday

Sunday 6th January we had a Plough Sunday Service at Upton Church. Originally Plough Sunday was the day before Plough Monday, the first Monday after 12th Night and the day that work in the fields restarted after the Christmas festivities.
The village plough would be brought to the village church to ask a blessing on the work that it would do. Then it would be danced round the village.
Worcester Young Farmers brought the plough and a milk church and soil as we asked for God's blessing on the work of the farms in this coming year.

"It's just what we could do with the grandchildren"

Stories from the Stones have produced an audio tour of the Teme valley from Worcester to Tenbury. To promote it, on Saturday they had a coach trip to give a flavour of what the tour was about. We did part of the trail including Martley and Shelesley Walsh. The tour is supposed to include historic buildings encourage the consumption of local produce. So a stop at the Talbot to sample their local brews was a must.

As one participant said "It's just what we could do with the grandchildren"

Broadwas walk

Broadwas church isn't quite the same as in this drawing, but the Stories from the Stones project is trying to help locals and visitors be aware of how the churches of the Teme valley have been part of their communities for generations.
Their website (see useful links!) has just published walks from the churches. This morning I did the one from Broadwas. It was good.