Mike's musings

Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

I attended Eucharist with my mother-in-law (Kate), Jojo and my niece Turtle. There was a bit for kids before the main sermon, and I was angered/saddened by the fact that the officiating priest just let the two kids stand in front of her, holding hands, just _waiting_ to be included, while talking to the children to the left, who were clearly known, and talking over the two little ones. They just stood there, hoping to be part of it, and were talked over. Literally.

What a message to send to two under 5s, and what a message to send to a congregation. I was fuming by the end, which really isn't how I like to finish an Easter service.

Labels: Easter, resurrection

Holy Saturday

(backposting) Holy Saturday is never as bleak as I really feel it ought to be. We went with my parents to Wells, and it was pretty bleak, but certainly not as unremittingly dark and uncentred as I'd kind of like it to be. This is partly a result of having kids, of course. And that the outside world doesn't play.

Labels: Easter

Religious awareness

After a trip to Freeport this morning (our old teapot had fallen apart from overuse), and lunch, Simon, one of Jo's godparents, came round and he, she, Miri and I went to Clare Country Park with her bike. We had a lovely time, and Jo clicked really quickly with Simon this time, which was great for both of them.

When we came back, we were chatting with Moo in the kitchen, and à propos of nothing, Jo suddenly declaimed to Simon: "At Nana's, we're going to have an Easter Egg hunt. And we'll be happy, because Jesus will be alive!".

I have to say that I'm rather pleased with this. She connected the two, got the important one exactly right, and got a big hug from me. Just over 3 years old: go, girl!

Oh - the other day, we were going through the Wippell's catalogue which I'd picked up at the last ERMC weekend. Jo did things like identify that the chalices and patens were for the bread and the wine, and we were deciding which of the chalices on a particular page she would like (the gold one), when she came out with: "when I'm a bit older, I can be a priest, and we can buy a chalice". Babe: when you're a bit older, you can be an archbishop...

Last of all, on Thursday, I had the following discussion with her:

me: I'm going for lunch with a priest today

Jo: is it a nice person?

note - good marks for gender awareness

me: she is very nice: she's called Viv.

Jo: will she be wearing clothes?

Mel (who was there) and I lost it at this point

me: do you mean priest clothes?

Jo: yes

me: I don't know...

Viv, for the record, was very amused. Oh, and was wearing clothes.

Labels: Easter, Jo

666

(backposting) This is my 666th post. I have no truck with superstition, so I'm quite amused that it falls on Easter Sunday. In fact, today wasn't very easy. After I went to bed last night, Buster went for Gertie, Kate and Mac's cat, seemingly with rather less than love in his heart. He didn't get to her, but on the way he knocked over Kate. Things were still rather difficult come the morning, but we got there, and things had thawed somewhat by the time we left in the evening. We had a good drive down home, and Jo didn't even sleep, so she got to bed at 2150, which is really _pretty_ late for her.

The service wasn't great, either. I had to look after Jo, the music was uninspired (I don't have a major deal with music groups, but _3_ guitars, and trumpet seem a little over the top, especially if you also have a piano AND YOU NEVER SMILE), the sermon, well - hmmm - so, that's that. But I attended communion, as is the duty of every confirmed Anglican on Easter Sunday (and at least two more times a year).

Dad's eye was bad again, and he had to go into hospital. The prognosis isn't too bad, but he's in pain, and has no vision in it at all, which must be very scary.

Labels: dog, Easter, family

Happy Easter

You must remember that the clergy have a lot to do in the lead up to Christmas, and it can all get too much. That didn't stop me laughing, however, when Keith, our rector, left me a message this morning to wish us a happy Easter. He said "Christmas" later in the message, and didn't seem to have noticed the switch, but I told Dorothy, his wife, who has agreed to rib him about it.

Jo is at a stage where she really, really wants to tell you things, and, when she tries hard, she can get there, but it takes her a lot of thought and hard work. She's coming out with some fantastic and surprising things. "What are the balloons doing?" "Floating in the sky." Wow. She was sick a few times last night, and ended up with Moo in our bed (so I wnet off to the spare room again). We think it was because I took her swimming and she drank too much water.

We did a secret Santa with the other kids after swimming, and Jo got a "Mr Potato Head". To my surprise, she loves it, and calls it "Monster Egg". When it doesn't have any of its accoutrements (eyes, ears, nose, etc.) attached, it does look like an egg. And it _is_ kind of monstrous.

Moo's still not well - but I took Jo out card-delivering this afternoon, and Moo got a little more sleep.

Labels: Christmas, clergy, Easter, Jo