clergy clapping out????

Wednesday the local clergy chapter had a quiet day at Glasshampton Monastery. It probably says something about clergy work load that mid afternoon , most of us were have a snooze - or perhaps a "power nap".
That same issue of busyness was part of Bishop David's sermon at the Maundy Thursday Communion. There is a screen saver that says "Jesus is coming............ Look Busy!"
That's a mistake. Jesus is coming.... Look loved, look freed, look whole.
He's absolutely right of course, but easier said than done. Coming home from the quiet day, I discovered that one of the dogs had collapsed & needed a trip to the vet. Thursday after the Communion service I discovered that the flour mill I had arranged to pick up wasn't where it ought to have been & so there was a 100 mile round trip to collect it.
And now I'm arguing with a cold.

Perhaps if I were more organised

I would write this up more regularly! Since the last post activities included

• a meeting of Diocesan Synod. Believe it or not this was useful and enjoyable! We've inched closer to having a Diocesan environmental strategy. We're moving towards being a fairtrade diocese. This was Bishop John's first time at a Worcester Diocesan Synod and his presidential address outlined a vision for the church that resonated with me.
  
• the following day (morning) telling punters in the pew what had happened at synod and (evening) talking about farmers as those who care for the earth. They fulfill the mandate give to Adam in the Genesis 2 creation narrative
• a meeting trying to shape the way that European money is spent in Worcestershire
• a training session at the market for potential chaplaincy team members. Fascinating conversation with the auctioneer. What I hadn't realised is that when last year lamb and cattle prices had collapsed, prices for cull ewes (older sheep selling as mutton) had remained firmer. The reason being that cull ewes sell through halal slaughter houses. The supermarkets are not involved and there is genuine competition.
• held the Chaplaincy AGM
• been on a conference ab0out rural life and church. The item for concern is that we're talking about the same issues now as we were ten years ago - affordable housing, low paid agricultural jobs, withdrawal of services.... It makes you wonder what we've actually achieved in that period
• been to the market where people were actually quite cheerful!
• had a Sunday off from leading worship and went to the cathedral
  

Oh, and some silly beggar in an articulated lorry didn't read the weight restriction signs at the bottom of the road!

meanwhile back at the livestock market

prices are much better! Lamb at around 137p per kilo is nearly twice what it was before Christmas when things were really bad. Still much concern about the impact of TB and the Government's reluctance to grasp the nettle & allow a badger cull. Bluetongue movement restrictions still cause problems and worry about how that disease is likely to spread as the midges become more active.

engraved on His palms

Sunday was mothering Sunday. We gave out flowers as symbols of love, and we thought about God's promise
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget, I will not forget you! I have engraved you on the palms of my hands" (Isaiah 49 15ff)
We drew pictures on our hands to remind us that we are written on God's hands

been on holiday

Got back in the early hours of Saturday morning after a weeks holiday on Sal, one of the Cape Verde islands.
Basically it's a lump of the Sahara desert that's dumped in the Atlantic. As a place for sunshine, beaches and crystal clear seas it can't be beaten. The approach to life is very laid back - where else would you find the local bank up and running even though the building had no roof?


Unfortunately it has become the latest place for property developers, so the land by the beaches has been bought up for hotels. The breeze blocks and broken glass is the site for the new Hylton.
There's been no meaningful rain for the last 7 years which has devastated what little food production there had been on the island. What makes no sense to me is that one development includes a golf course, to be irrigated by water from a desalination plant. Why is it that money can be found to irrigate a golf course, but not for growing vegetables?

meetings - where would we be without them?

This morning was meeting with colleagues to plan the Church's presence at the Three Counties Show. Let's hope for weather like the picture! Do visit if you're at the show 13-15 June.
Next a meeting to scrutinise the chaplaincy budget for 2009.
Then planning for Countrytastic - a day for children about food and farming on 27 March at the Three Counties. Bookings already are encouraging. Our pitch will be food and faith - grinding grain to flour & making bread, decorating easter eggs, hot cross buns and IF we get the timing right, chickens hatching.
Yesterday evening was a chaplaincy committee meeting. All very good hearted, but generating lots of ideas and work.
tomorrow I start some time off. That means no computer!! And no blog updates for a day or so.

Early spring

Yesterday I was delivering a seminar to students at Cambridge on the state of the countryside. Before I left I walked the dogs in the local woods. After the recent sunshine, bluebells are just starting to come into flower.
As for the seminar, of the five students who should have been there, two failed to materialise. One of them it transpired was having a bath! At the risk of being a grumpy old man, I cannot imagine that behaviour being acceptable when I was a student.
Sunday I had preached on John chapter 3 including the famous "God so loved the world..." and I was reminded of the late Bill Westwood, former Bishop of Peterborough, who always emphasised that it was the World that God loves, not the Church. How much of our church agendas are about our concerns instead of being concerned for the world?

Busy!

A week since I posted. Sorry, it's been busy.


Last Wednesday I was at an NFU growers meeting. Various concerns, including a crazy policy by the Government to close the Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme as part of their attempt to appear macho on immigration. SAWs workers are students, generally highly skilled, and almost inevitably return to their country of origin!

Thursday & Friday was a Faith at Work, Worcester Industrial Mission, team residential meeting at Holland House. That's the photo.

Saturday I was at a men's breakfast. The speaker had been a chaplain in the services. Some fascinating discussion about faith and war and attitudes to service personnel when the war is morally suspect

Sunday Little Witley church have as their Lent theme "Building Bridges for Christ" and I spokje about building bridges in the agricultural industry


Monday Churches Together in Malvern were looking at "The Rural Idyll and the Church"

Tuesday was a meeting of the BBC's Rural Affairs Committee, addressed by Helen Ghosh, permanent secretary at Defra. A fascinating, if scary insight into what that department is (and isn't) thinking.

Today, Worcester market. Prices down a little on last week but still well up on the disaster of a couple of months ago. It all depends on the strength of the £, and that's something producers have no control over.

Lent is about growth

Ash Wednesday (today) is the beginning of Lent. The word "Lent" is from the Old English word for "Spring" though somehow "If I ruled the world every day would be the first day of Lent" does have quite the same ring to it.
Spring is a time for growth and the beginning of Lent poses the question for us, what do we want to grow in by Easter? Do we want to grow emotionally, spiritually, intellectually or physically? what do we need to do to cause that growth?

Slightly fuzzy!

The photo is somewhat out of focus, but it was a slightly fuzzy evening! The Chaplaincy entered a team in a fund raising quiz - the proceeds going to RABI, a farming charity (follow the link).
To our great surprise we came third and the beer was our prize.