Mike's musings

19-26

Bad news on two fronts. These numbers represent both the score that England managed against Wales and the relatives sizes of the jersey that Moo finished for me last night - as my Christmas present - and me. She's a bit gutted, but it does fit her, just. I can get my head through the neck - with my glasses off, and with Moo pulling - and with a bit of blocking, (wetting and stretching, apparently), the general size would probably be OKish, but the seams round the arm really won't manage.

Jo's a bit under the weather, but despite a trip round Colchester (never use the Park and Ride there, is all I can say), the cold and not much to interest her, she was a star. Both girls were, actually.

Now, if only Miri hadn't woken up just as we were going to bed and Jo had slept past 0430...

Labels: Jo, knitting, rugby

Trying something new

Today I took two services, one at Little Yeldham, and one at Great Yeldham. I did the same thing both times, something I'd not tried before, and with which I was very pleased. I was a little worried, as it was so new - and something that neither congregation is used to - but it went very well, I think. A few negative comments, but from the quarters I would have expected, so I'm not overly worried about that.

The general plan was the same for both churches:

• I entered in cassock-alb and girdle
• I started with the standard words for Morning Prayer (Common Worship), then moved into ...
• a reading: Luke 17:11-19 (the Samaritan leper who turned back to praise God for his healing)
• I then put down my bible, started to take off my girdle, and said "Right, let's have coffee, then". I'd already got water boiling, so it didn't take long to get everyone sat down with a hot drink.
• I then explained that I wanted people to get into 2s and 3s and to discuss for 5 or so minutes the question "why do I go to church?" - whether that means the building, or services, etc. - followed by "what do I get from going to church?"
• I wandered around the groups, encouraging, taking some notes
• after 7-8 minutes I stood at the front and collected the themes that people had come up with. I spent some time talking about the importance of worship as a reason for going to church (one congregation had come up with this, one not)
• I then handed round a set of Bibles that I'd gathered from home, and asked each mini-group to come up with a passage which they felt reflected one of the themes that had been identified
• I went round the groups with a concordance (which I'd cunningly thought to bring along!), pinning down the readings they'd been thinking of
• we then launched into a fairly standard but slightly cut-down Morning Prayer service, with confession, absolution and creed to start off
• this was followed by the passages that people had identified, read by the people who'd selected them (though I offered to read them if people wanted). After each, I said "This is the Word of the Lord", to which everyone replied "Thanks be to God"
• we had some intercessions (in one church)
• we then had an offertory hymn
• I then wrapped up, asking the congregation to think about the question "What would I like to get from going to church?" and the associated question "What would other people, who don't go to church, like to get from going to church?" I encouraged them to ask (or invite!) friends.
• we finished off with another hymn
• we then had some discussion.

Quite a few people loved it, at least one hated it, but I was very pleased with how it went overall. One comment from both churches was that they'd like to have a little more of a sermon to react to, discuss and think about, and I'll try to do that at some point. Next time, we're combining the two congregations into one service: that'll be the 2nd Sunday of December, if anyone fancies coming.

B*gger

I took Jo swimming today, and she had some problems getting her swimming costume on: "bugger," she said, matter-of-factly. I had to tell her off, and explain that it's a rude word that we don't usee. And, when we got home, I had to tell her mother off, who's been known to use at home, and who I'm had to tell off just this morning...

Looks like we're going to be playing South Africa in the final of the Rugby World Cup next weekend.

Labels: Jo, rugby, service, theology

Rugby!

That was one of Johnny's off days. And we're still through.

Labels: rugby

12-10 (and some theology, at last)

There's a classic theological dilemma about whether it's right for Christian nations to pray to God for them to beat their enemies in war (everyone does, of course), but it's hard to see how people _can't_ believe in God when he sends a result like today's by England against Australia in the Rugby World cup. I can see that if you're Australian, you might take a different view.

On a serious note, though, this brings questions about what it's right to pray for. I _didn't_ pray (well, not consciously, at least!) for a win over Australia, though it's bl**dy marvellous, but that's not the point. Even praying for a parking space - which is likely to mean that someone else will be deprived of one - is an issue which has come up recently (after the Church of England published a se of prayers for commuters and travellers). I think this is one of those areas when we have to give up our prayers to God: in two ways. The first of these, of course, is to direct our prayers to God: that's what prayers are about, certainly prayers of intercession. The second is about realising that God knows better how to answer our prayers than we do. Here's the great prayer of St Chrysostom (as used at Mattins and Evensong in the Book of Common Prayer:

Almight God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise, that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting.

The key phrase here is "as may be most expedient for them". Our knowledge is finite, and time-limited: God's, on the other hand, is limitless and outside time. So, is it OK to pray for things that we know may have a (negative) impact on other people? Here are my off-the-cuff guidelines:

• assuming that the prayer is heartfelt, then yes
• assuming that the prayer is not motivated by malevolence, then yes (e.g. when we actively _don't_ want somebody else, whether that person is a particular person or not, to get that parking space)
• assuming that we're willing to allow God to decide how to answer the prayer
• assuming that we're happy to accept God's decision

These may be difficult things to do, certainly all at once, and we're human, broken and fallible, so we might not managed them, but I hope (and believe) that God will understand and accept prayers offered in the spirit that I've outlined above.

Labels: prayer, rugby, theology

Barbecue

(backposting) Not only did we barbecue today, we barbecued last night as well. In the drizzle. Kate and Mac have a thing about this. Didn't bother me - I wrapped up warm - but it is a _little_ odd, don't you think?

Wales were knocked out of the Rugby World Cup by Fiji. This is huge, and won't easy for Lee, my brother-in-law. After the match, which Jo had watched some of, we went outside to play some football (not having a rugby ball with us), and she kept picking up the ball and trying to spin pass it out. _Go_ girl.

Labels: family, food, Jo, rugby

We're going to lose the rugby

At least I did the ironing today. And Miri can now stay in a sitting position unaided for quite a while now.

Labels: miri, rugby

Rugby time

After the debacle of last week's trip down to my parents, we decided to leave early, and got up at 0530. Left around 0605, and got home around 1415. That includes a number of stops, one of which was to get some food in at the supermarket, so it could have been worse. The girls needed feeding and loo breaks, so you can't really blame them.

Unluckily, Miri didn't quite manage the fantastic going down at 1930 that she has been recently, but 2100 isn't too bad. Over the past few days, she's become a real pain about trying to eat the food that you're eating if you're holding her, so we're going to start her on a few solids from tomorrow, probably.

Go Pumas!

And Argentina have just beaten France in the first match of the Rugby World Cup, in France. We love them (the Pumas, that is). What a great ending to a holiday.

Labels: miriam, rugby, travel

Jo's birthday party

We had a lovely time. Kate and Mac turned up in time for lunch, and we were raring to go for 1400 (despite Jo announcing, dead on the hour, that she wanted to go up to her bedroom for a sleep). Milly (+ Kate and Graham), Digi and Kalila (+ Nik and Tosha), Ruby and George (+ Jason), Max (+ Elizabeth) and Sennen (+ Victoria) all turned up, as did Mel. Everyone got on pretty well (helped, for the adults, by some beer and wine - important that it was the policeman father who brought some of the former and started things off), and we had very few tears (none from the adults, as far as I could tell). The food was good, as was the company, so a good time was had all round.

Wish I could say the same about the rugby. We're 57 minutes in, and it doesn't look like we're going to win. In fact, a white-wash is still a distinct possibility.

Labels: friends, Jo, rugby

Parents here

Mine arrived yesterday afternoon, so were around today. I went to the doctor's again today. The appointment was to check my blood pressure - which is down to 120/80 (a huge improvement), and I also asked for help as to what to do about my throat and voice. Nothing other than a throat spray, and rest, so I'll do what I can.

Had a sleep in the afternoon, and then helped Moo a bit preparing for Jo's party tomorrow. Oh, and there's the rugby, tomorrow as well...

Labels: illness, rugby