Mike's musings

Fantastic sermon

(backposting) Sometimes, you turn up for a service, and get a brilliant sermon thrown in, too. Today was one of those days. I went with Kate to the 0930 at St Mary's, East Leake, and the preacher gave us a sermon which that she really cared about. It was about the careful line that the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (which we were using) trod between the Catholic and Protestant theological camps and the language it employed, particularly in the Eucharistic Prayer. It was a subject which she clearly cared about a lot, and she had me in tears at one point. At the end, I wanted to stand up and applaud. After the service, I went to tell her how much it had meant to me, of course.

In the afternoon, Kate and I took the girls to a Harvest Festival service at All Saints', Rempstone. I'd been prevailed upon to sing in the choir, and the girls joined us there. Miri had a little accident (of the liquid kind only, luckily), which led to some hilarity, but they did very well (despite Jojo falling asleep on me).

An OK drive back home, and then to bed, pretty tired.

Labels: preaching, sermon

Preaching on the Trinity

It's the one everyone worries about: preaching on the Trinity. Either it's easy to explain - and impossible to understand - or it's impossible to explain - and easy to understand. That's received wisdom, anyway. I was preaching in Colne Engaine, to a family service which a fair percentage of children.

I ended up preaching analogies - and noting that they're both useful and near useless. I used a few analogies, but my main one was cake. It's currently getting a bit of retweeting, which I'm quite chuffed about. The analogy I used was that the Trinity is a little like cake, in that you need ingredients, cooking and eating: they're all separate parts, but they're all required. I said the same about a conversation: you need a speaker, a listener and meaning. Or a song: music, words and singing. It all seemed to go down rather well, and I was quite pleased.

Jo was very sad when Mum and Dad went - lots of tears. So we went swimming, and had a lovely time. Kids went to sleep nice and quickly, and we're having a quiet time watching an old West Wing episode before going early to bed.

Labels: preaching, swimming, theology

The girls and us - a family

We've suddenly - over the past week or so - got to a new stage with the girls. They've recently discovered how to play together. Not just playing for short periods of time, but extended, really complicated, involved play. They'll spend over an hour together doing role-play, drawing, colouring, having tea-parties: the whole deal. It means we can do other things such as gardening or tidying, or even have the odd minute together. And it also means that we can have more family-based times together.

It doesn't work all the time, but Moo and I have been turning to each other and commenting on what a fantastic weekend we've had. I think it's to do with concentration and empathy: once both Jo and Miri have reached a particular level of each, they can participate in each other's worlds for extended periods of time. They're now really sisters, and we're a new type of family.

On a different tack, I preached at St Peter's Bocking at evensong, for James, who's currently associate priest there. I preached (again) on Isaiah 35, but this time on how it relates to Pentecost. I talked about our responsibility to work towards the parousia, when the Kingdom of God will be realised, and how maybe, when we don't feel that any of the obvious charisms (though I didn't use the word) such as prophesy, speaking in tongues, preaching, teaching, etc. have fallen to us, we can still "strengthen the weak hands, confirm the feeble knees, say to them that are of a fearful heart: be strong, fear not, behold your God will come".

Labels: family, girls, preaching

Preaching against the BNP

(backposting) I take the responsibility of the pulpit very seriously, and I generally don't like preaching against something, but decided that I couldn't avoid it today. The BNP (British National Party, and I'm not going to do them the service of linking to them) have been suggesting that church leaders should keep out of politics. Not only is this rubbish (as the Archbishop of York puts it: "which Bible are they reading?"), but there's a real danger that British voters, unhappy and disillusioned with the mainstream political parties after the scandals around expenses for MPs, will vote for the BNP in enough numbers that they'll have some representation and declare that they have a mandate.

So, I preached against their message of hate and fear, and talked about our duty, as Christians, to work for the coming of God's Kingdom, and the message of Isaiah 35: "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you."

In the afternoon we had lots of fun at a fund-raiser for Jo's pre-school (lovely weather), and then we drove up to Kate and Mac's near Loughborough (in two cars, as I need to be coming back earlier than Moo and the girls.

Labels: family, love, preaching

The end of a good day

I took Jojo to Gosfield church for the team service at which I was preaching today. It's the first time that I've had either of the girls with me when I've been involved with taking a service. She did very well, and Ashley, a girl in the choir was very kind in looking after her. I was so proud, and was close to tears as I walked up to the altar with the host, having just administered the host to a member of the congregation at the back. It's difficult to explain, but it was all part the thinking I've been doing about reverence and the sacraments. It's just such a privilege to administer the elements of the Christ's body. And I've been waiting so long for Jo to be able to join me at a service, and sit next to me as I used to sit next to my father.

I preached about following Christ, and not just Jesus. I really care about this. If we just follow Jesus, we follow a man, and we deny the title that he earned by dying and rising for us. And if we call ourselves just Jesus-followers, and not Christians, then we deny the sacrifices - small and great - that others have made in the name of Christ over the ages, and that we make, and that our children will make. It is absurd to follow a man. It is maybe more absurd to follow a man who was God and man, and died, but it is right.

We went swimming in the afternoon, and Jo swam for 10m in the big pool, all on her own. I think she could have done more, if she'd wanted to, and I was proud all over again.

Labels: jojo, preaching, sacraments

Preaching against creationism and so-called "Intelligent Design"

Well, I've got people clamouring on Facebook to find out what I preached on. I they don't seem that interested in other issues, so I probably shouldn't talk about taking the girls swimming to Halstead pool, or how it was Miri who was a pain to get to sleep tonight, but it was Moo who ended up putting her to bed.

Well, I preached on the theory of evolution. I started by introducing Charles Darwin as a fervent abolitionist and also an agnostic, and then talked about how he wrote a book which many Christians have had problems with, but which has lots of mistakes in it. I then introduced the Bible, in particular the Book of Genesis, with which it is often compared. I then explained how although Darwin got quite a few things wrong, the theory that he came up with has stood the test of time, and has turned out to be very resilient. How could you expect him to get it all right when he didn't have all the benefits of modern genetics, or the evidence that people have been gathering to refine the theory over the 150 odd years since he published "Origin of the Species"? The theory of evolution is a strong, resilient theory which has been shown to be usable to make predictions, and which is almost universally accepted by the scientific community worldwide.

What about the Bible, and the account of creation in Genesis? First of all, I believe that it's fantastic poetry, but I don't read Hebrew at all, so I couldn't tell. Second, it's a description aimed at people who lived 3, maybe 4 thousand years ago. And third, it's not science, and neither was it ever meant to be. The idea of science as, well, a "thing", a "discipline", even an idea is completely alien to the Old Testament (well, the New Testament as well): this is not a scientific account, but an attempt to explain how God's love moved into our world through creation.

I then went on to explain that creationists, and those who espouse so-called "Intelligent Design", rather annoy me, because at least part of my background is as a scientist. The theory of evolution has passed the test of time and the scientific community: why are we worried by this, when the alleged "alternative" account was never meant to fulfill the same role at all? And more than that, the God who _I_ believe in is greater than the one they seem to believe in. The God I believe in can work through evolution, through the theories of Newton and Einstein, and isn't worried that we'll work out how the world works: creation, and His acting through it, is the out-working of his love, and this God is not so weak that He has to tweak evolution from time to time in order to make, for instance, the eye. I think that's poor theology, let alone poor science.

So, that's my sermon, give or take. I gave it twice - once at the 0800, and once at the 1000. Slightly different each time, as I wasn't using notes - and I got positive feedback both times. People _want_ to hear about these things, and as it's so rarely the liberal view which is expounded with any passion, hopefully I'm redressing the balance somewhat.

Labels: preaching, science, theology

Singing, preaching, surviving

(backposting) Sleep? Not so you'd notice. Didn't need a daughter in with me for much of the night, but Moo had the other one (Miri), so that's the way it goes.

But - I was preaching. And singing - "The Three Kings" by Peter Cornelius. So, got it together enough for both of those. I preached on unemployment and redundancy, tying it in to the fact that for many of the people mentioned in the New Testament, (though not, as it happens, for Ananias, who plays an important role in the story of the Conversion of St Paul, which we were celebrating today), we know what their job was: carpenter, tent-maker, fisherman, taxman, and maybe even prostitute. We're often defined - or define ourselves - in terms of our jobs. And that everyone in the congregation will, within the next year, know someone who's lost their job, or been affected by redundancy. Now, God doesn't call us because we're tax-collectors, or carpenters, or IT managers or secretaries, but because of who we are. Not that I want to tell people who are affected by redundancy that it doesn't matter, and to worry about being called by God, because it's the place of everyone to emulate the saints and reach out. Jesus talked about caring for the sick, the imprisoned, but he didn't talk about caring for the jobless. I think that these days, he is.

Labels: Jesus, job, preaching

Little Miri

Not well yesterday, not well today. Seemed to be getting a bit better, so we agreed that we'd all go to Sudbury shopping this afternoon (rather than just me and Jo: you should have seen Miri's shoulders' slump), and then she threw up in the car. Yeuch. And then Jo decided that she needed a wee at the roadside, and that turned into a poo. By the time everyone was finished, we decided we might as well complete the trip to Sudbury, and I stayed in the car with Miri (who we'd stripped off and wiped down, to be fair), and Moo took to the marvellous Rafi's (or "Spicebox", as it's officially known), and got some curries. And we had a chicken xacutti tonight. Yum.

Jo's really, really pushing it at the moment.

Oh, and I realised this evening that I'm down to preach tomorrow at the 1000 at Halstead. We're commemorating the Conversion of St Paul, and I'll be talking about redundancy.

Labels: girls, illness, preaching

Back to church

I didn't get to church last Sunday, as I was ill, so it was lovely to be back today. I deaconed at the 0800, at which James presided. We had 3 in the congregation, but "where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name..." It makes no difference: Christ's there.

After that we took the girls swimming, and in the afternoon we all went to the Christingle service at St Andrew's, Halstead. It's come to my attention that not everyone knows what a Christingle service is, but you can find some resources from the Children's Society by following the link. Basically, there's a service which revolves round the children in the congregation having a lit candle each, with the candle (the Light of the World) placed in an orange (the World), surrounded by a red ribbon or tape (the Blood of Christ) and with four sticks stuck into the orange, with sweets and dried fruit stuck on them (God's gifts to the world/the 4 seasons).

I was preaching, and invited the children to the front: "Sometimes during family services like this we have people moving around. Now, I'm going to be _very_ cross indeed if there are any adults moving around at all. On the other hand, I'm going to need some help, so it would be great if the children could come to the front to do that." I had fun, and I think the kids did, too. And Jo came and sat with me at the front of the church for the end of the service for the first time. I was so happy.

Labels: church, Jo, preaching

Preaching and nerves

I'm usually a little apprehensive before preaching, and that's as it should be. But I was really very nervous before preaching this afternoon. We had civic Remembrance Sunday service, starting at the war memorial in the town, and then processing up with the uniformed organisations to a service in the church. The different churches in the town were represented, and I'd agreed to preach.

I chose to preach the following trajectory:

• as a Christian, I can say that death isn't the end, because Christ died for us;
• that doesn't mean the death is good: the loss of life, more specifically, the loss of lives, saddens God, as it does us. Those who have died would not just have been great musicians, politicians, writers, etc.: the people about whom you hear "their death was such a loss". Most of them would have been bakers, and waiters, and secretaries, and administrators, and fathers, and mothers, and husbands, and lovers and partners;
• we should be ashamed - not just a citizens of our town - but as all humans should be, because things like the situation in the Congo, and Afghanistan and Iraq happen despite Omaha Beach, and the Somme and Passchendaele;
• but today isn't about being ashamed; it's about appreciating the fact that we can be bakers, and waiters, and secretaries, and administrators, and fathers, and mothers, and husbands, and lovers and partners because the people who went before and gaves their lives and health for us did so. We should be proud of them. We have a debt that we cannot fully repay to them, but we can partly repay them by remembering them: with love, and with dignity, and with pride.

I think it went down OK, and was fairly accessible to the children in the congregation.

Moo brought Jo and Miri to the 1000 service, and Mark and Jen turned up, too. I'd not met her, and she seems good.

Labels: friends, girls, Moo, preaching, services

Hellfire and damnation

(backposting) Today I preached on hellfire and damnation. It went down really well, and I got lots of approving comments afterwards (including "that was a damn good sermon" and "brilliant"). I finished it off on the positive note for John 3:16-17, pointing out that although Christ said that deserved/were subject to/were liable to hell (Matthew 5:20-22), that's luckily not what God sent him to us for. I really enjoy preaching, and I think it was a good sermon. I'm beginning to worry about the sin of pride, and I spent some time this evening retching over the bathroom loo, but decided that this may have had more to do with the unlimited kebabs and cakes available at the toddler's birthday party we had in the afternoon than God's judgment on me.

Or maybe not.

Labels: children, god, party, preaching

SecondLife and preaching

(backposting) Oh - I completely forget to post about the fact that Mark, a friend and member of the ministry team in Secondlife, had asked me to take the 1200 SLT (2000 BST) service in SecondLife. It's only the second service I'd taken in-world, and I was touched that James, the other Halstead curate, turned up. I preached on the importance of the Sabbath - even if we don't take a legalistic view of every Sunday - and how we owe it to ourselves, our families, our work, and our God to take some rest and time out for ourselves. God did, after creating the Universe, and if _He_ can, so can we. And so should we.

I'd hoped to chat to people afterwards, but had serious problems afterwards. God gave me enough to take the service, and then made it clear that I had to follow the advice I'd just preached. So we went to bed.

Labels: preaching, secondlife

Last sermon

Today I preached my last sermon to my current benefice, in Little Yeldham. Keith, my incumbent, had asked me where I'd like to preach this last sermon before my ordination, and I'd chosen Little Yeldham as I know and like the people, and feel at home there. It was also an opportunity to preach with Keith taking the service, as often I've been taking the services at which I've been preaching. I preached on eschatology, and how we can move from a partly realised eschatology to a realistic, realisable future eschatology throughan undestanding of he perichoretic opportunities of friendship. This sounds complicated, I guess, but it really isn't: it's about understanding that although Christ's life, death and resurrection began to usher in the Kingdom of God, the world we live in is still very broken, and we're a long way from the Kingdom right now. How can we work towards it? By realising that it's not just an individual thing, and that when Christ called his disciples friends, he called us all to a friendship which can hopefully make us more mature, as individuals and a community.

The scary thing? I'm due to be ordained this month.

Labels: preaching, theology

Double preaching

I preached at both Shimpling (0900) and Long Melford (1030) today. Same sermon, though it went better second time. According to Ian - who officiated at both (I took up to the Eucharistic Prayer, excepting Absolution) - I was very "ummy" and "ahhy" at the beginning, first time round, and he came out of it intending to tell me that I really need to write down my sermons (which I've tried, and don't like), but second time round it was much better and more fluid. It seems that I need to work on the beginnings. I tend to run through sermons lots of times in my head, but I think I need to work on the very first few sentences better, as that's what seems to let me down. Useful feedback.

Poor Moo (who wasn't feeling great) had Jo and Miri for four and a half hours in the morning, in the end, and was very good about it. I took Jo for a good swim in the afternoon, and after the girls had bathed, took Miri and Buster for nearly an hour's walk. Pushed it hard, and my calfs (calves?) now hurt.

Joined Facebook last night, after Mark invited me. It was going to happen one day. You can find me there: "Mike Bursell".

Tomorrow is Jo's first day at pre-school. Oooh!

Labels: facebook, Jo, preaching, swimming, walk

Walking, preaching, zooing and training

So, I'm sitting in front of Britain's Got Talent (please, oh, please don't let either of the two children win: and if one of them has to, not the dancing one - why am I in tears, oh _puh-lease_?), after quite a day. Father's Day, for course. Presents:

• card by Jo
• picture of Jo and Miriam in a frame decorated beautifully by Jo
• Pirates of the Caribbean CD (from the first film) - great
• Songs for the Young at Heart, which is good car listening
• Jimmy Carr - Live Collection (very rude, but _very_ funny)

I was preaching at Long Melford (none of you came!), and it went well. I was rather nervous to start with, but it went well. I was preaching on justification by faith, and started with Article XIII:

Of Works before Justification.

Works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ, neither do they make men meet to receive grace, or (as the School authors say) deserve grace of congruity: yea, rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin.

People started trying to listen, but by the time you get to "deserve grace of congruity", they've lost it. Which is the point: to make justification by faith scary, and then to make it clear. It went very well, and Ian was very positive, which was pleasing. I administered one of the chalices, and after failing to give the first communicant _any_ wine (until she complained), that went quite well. So, all-in-all, a good experience. The problem is that I get home having left Moo to look after both girls for 3 hours, which is hard.

But we went to have lunch, and then off to the zoo, which Jo enjoyed a lot. Was too scared by the "big train", but did the small one in the "familiar friends" area twice.

Then, as Moo was putting Jo down to bed, I took Miriam and Buster for another walk. Heaven knows that I don't treat my body as a temple, but I love walking. Hard, through the country, preferably with a dog, and a child strapped somewhere about my person. There's something so liberating about the physicality of it which I never would have expected to enjoy. So we thank God.

Labels: family, preaching, walk, zoo

Justification by faith alone

That's what I'm going to be preaching on tomorrow. Anyone reading this is, of course welcome: 1030 at Holy Trinity, Long Melford. I've preached a similar sermon before, and I believe that it's an important thing to preach about, so that's the plan. Preaching is a big responsibility for me, it'll be one of the biggest congregations I've ever preached to, it's my first one on my placement, and it's the first time I'll have preached micced-up.

Labels: faith, placement, preaching

Untouchables

(backposting) At the leavers' service, we had the story of Elijah and the widow's son, and Jesus and the Widow of Nain. In both stories, the protagonist (Elijah and Jesus) make themselves ritually unclean by touching "untouchables" - in both cases, dead bodies.

Our preacher preached on this. The sermon was about how we need to go beyond our comfort zone. The preacher talked about how the Friday service had been difficult, and gone beyond what was expected. The sermon identified the need to "touch the untouchables". The only problem, of course, is that those for whom the service touched their tradition, could see themselves labelled "untouchables". I'm sure that wasn't the intention, but there's the danger.

Labels: preaching

Preaching, sleep

Preached for Mothering Sunday, on the 10 commandments. Talked about how mums have to make rules, like God, and they also love us (like God). But rules aren't always bad. We did a clapping game, where I separated the church into 4 segments, each with a different rhythm, and we clapped them together, gradually going faster and faster until it collapsed into laughter and mayhem. Went down well.

Buster stopped barking at around 0100 this morning. And Jo was in around 0520. Joyous, but we're getting there.

Labels: preaching, sleep