Disappointingly Chesterfield lost 3-1 to Brentford last night. Thankfully I didn't go. Hopefully they'll do better at the weekend against Rotherham.
Disappointingly I am not still at Taize. I really did have a great week. It was just what I needed.
Disappointinlgy I am now back at work. On the whole I do enjoy my job, but its just hard to be motivated at the moment. There's not a whole lot going on at the mo. A lot of people are away on holiday. I'm also increasingly aware that in a few weeks the new vicar (my new boss) starts work. All the time I have been here has been during the interregnum. It's been quite nice in a way. Things are inevitably gonna change now, hopefully for the better, but being human I'm not a huge fan of change and the unknown.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
top of the league
Yes I have faith in the boys, yes I know that there has only been one match this seson so far, and yes this is obviously a position which will be repeated throughout the season, but I would just like to point out the fact Chesterfield are currently top of Coca-Cola League One after a brilliant 3-1 win at Blackpool on Saturday.
sixteen hours sleep
Sixteen hours unbroken sleep. Nice. Surpsingly enough this was not on the coach home from Taize, rather it was in my bed on return from Taize. I woke up at about half four this morning following lying down at about midday yesterday. Fantastic.
I had a wonderful time at Taize. Wonderful in so many ways, some a little more unexpected than others. I've got lots to chew over in my mind, and I will probably share some of this in due course.
For the moment, I will settle for a few brief reflections on my week away. I've come back feeling healthier - spiritually, physically and emotionally - than I have done in a long time. The rhythm of community life has been really helpful. I've realised how little rhythm my 'normal' life has had. Rather than being constrictive, the regular events of life at Taize have enabled me to experience freedom in a new and liberating way.
Following on from this, the simplicity of life at Taize has challenged and provoked me. I've always known I'm a bit of a hoarder. In the words of Elton John in a Post Office advert some years ago, "I like nice things". I do. I know I do. And I know that so much of it I can really do without. But in all honesty, its not the nice things that cause me problems. It's the mediocre, crappy things in life that end up weighing me down. Crap TV, an unsatisfying burger from McDonalds, pointless worrying about things that don't matter, etc....
Anyway. I met a lots of wonderful people during the week. In a meeting with my line manager before I went away, she prayed about this - even down to the little things like who I would sit next to on the bus on the way there. Needless to say that prayer was answered. I went with a group led by the Bishop of Pontefract, and although it was kind of a Diocese of Wakefield trip, though there were a number of people from the Doncaster area, Sheffield and even Soctalnd as well. Met some lovely people from the Diocese of Oxford - bloggers being Sarah and inspired by Sarah, Rowan. In the interests of fairness(!!) Sarah is a youth worker/blogger/published author. I also spent quite a lot of time with a group from Leicester Cathedral as well as some youth worker-ish types from Sweden, many of whom I swept floors with every morning.
For me the most moving part of the whole week was seeing Brother Bart (yes he does have a cool/funny name) from the Netherlands making his life vows to the community (apparently this kind of thing only happens once or twice a year - so we were rather fortunate to witness this). This was so challenging for me. Seeing somebody that committed to God and to a community of people, that they would give up everything, actually everything, for what they believed in. How much 'stuff' am I hanging on to? But then to see the smiles on the faces of all the brothers, as well as Br Bart, as he was welcomed into the community after making his vows. Afraid that had me in tears. It was beautiful.
I had a wonderful time at Taize. Wonderful in so many ways, some a little more unexpected than others. I've got lots to chew over in my mind, and I will probably share some of this in due course.
For the moment, I will settle for a few brief reflections on my week away. I've come back feeling healthier - spiritually, physically and emotionally - than I have done in a long time. The rhythm of community life has been really helpful. I've realised how little rhythm my 'normal' life has had. Rather than being constrictive, the regular events of life at Taize have enabled me to experience freedom in a new and liberating way.
Following on from this, the simplicity of life at Taize has challenged and provoked me. I've always known I'm a bit of a hoarder. In the words of Elton John in a Post Office advert some years ago, "I like nice things". I do. I know I do. And I know that so much of it I can really do without. But in all honesty, its not the nice things that cause me problems. It's the mediocre, crappy things in life that end up weighing me down. Crap TV, an unsatisfying burger from McDonalds, pointless worrying about things that don't matter, etc....
Anyway. I met a lots of wonderful people during the week. In a meeting with my line manager before I went away, she prayed about this - even down to the little things like who I would sit next to on the bus on the way there. Needless to say that prayer was answered. I went with a group led by the Bishop of Pontefract, and although it was kind of a Diocese of Wakefield trip, though there were a number of people from the Doncaster area, Sheffield and even Soctalnd as well. Met some lovely people from the Diocese of Oxford - bloggers being Sarah and inspired by Sarah, Rowan. In the interests of fairness(!!) Sarah is a youth worker/blogger/published author. I also spent quite a lot of time with a group from Leicester Cathedral as well as some youth worker-ish types from Sweden, many of whom I swept floors with every morning.
For me the most moving part of the whole week was seeing Brother Bart (yes he does have a cool/funny name) from the Netherlands making his life vows to the community (apparently this kind of thing only happens once or twice a year - so we were rather fortunate to witness this). This was so challenging for me. Seeing somebody that committed to God and to a community of people, that they would give up everything, actually everything, for what they believed in. How much 'stuff' am I hanging on to? But then to see the smiles on the faces of all the brothers, as well as Br Bart, as he was welcomed into the community after making his vows. Afraid that had me in tears. It was beautiful.
Friday, July 29, 2005
taize
Well tomorrow morning I leave the country for the first time in a few years. (Wales doesn't count as a different country). I'm going to Taize, an ecumenical monastic community in France. There'll be somewhere in the region of 3-5000 young adults from all over the world there at the same time. Which is a bit mind boggling. I'm going with a group from the Diocese of Wakefield. I've never been before, and I don't know anyone else who I'm going with. I'm currently feeling a mixture of excitement, nervousness and anticipation. It should be really good, and it will be a much needed break from Sheffield, and the UK as a whole.
I doubt I'll be spending much time on the internet while I'm there, so I won't be blogging for a little while. I also won't be wasting my time surfing the net, playing with my new mobile and watching crap tv.
See you in the middle of August.....
Saturday, July 23, 2005
the football season begins
OK. So the football season hasn't quite begun yet, but this afternoon I went to Scarborough to watch Chesterfield play a pre-season friendly. Not wholly convinced that the football I watched was worth the trip, but it really got me in the mood for the coming season. Bring it on!!!
Saturday, July 16, 2005
youth.............?
Every so often, in Christian circles, I am asked the question of whether I am doing youth work of youth ministry. I tend to say that I do youth work, because there are certain models of youth ministry out there that kinda scare me (Follow these 5 steps and you too can get loads of kids 'saved').
But youth ministry does not always look like this. My undergraduate degree was run by an organisation called the Centre for Youth Ministry. Throughout the course of doing this degree I was certainly not given set ways of doing things that would lead to however many kids getting saved each week. Rather, I was encouraged to think for myself, to doubt, to question, to work out possible solutions for myself.
That's all well and good, but it doesn't really help me answer the question of what it is that I do - youth work or youth ministry. The title of the most recent issue of Perspectives, a Christian youth work journal I subscribe to was "Christian Youth What?" There are four articles each written from a different perspective (!!) discussing what it is that Christians, churches, youth groups, clubs, ministries etc are actually doing with young people. It certainly makes for an interesting read.
I recently bought a book called Experiential Youth Ministry by John Losey. I've not read it all yet, but what I have read has got me wanting to read a bit more. Quite a lot of the book is full of ideas for "how intentional activity can make the spiritual stuff stick". Now the idea of pre-written youth work sessions is something that doesn't sit massively comfortably with me, I guess I prefer to take my ideas from the young people I work with, and work out some kind of a programme with them, that is right for where they are at at the moment. Thankfully John Losey gets this point, and acknowledges that what he has done in writing this book kinda goes against those very principles.
He suggests we make what we will of his suggestions and ideas for youth work sessions, but what definitely is useful are the early pages in the book, outlining the theory behind what he (and me and lots of other people) is (are) doing. He presents an easily digestable outline of praxis, and some of the basics of (what I understand to be) informal education. I think that these early pages would be the kind of thing you could easily show to other people, volunteers, church leaders, youth workers/ministers etc. Its good stuff.
I am aware that one of the reasons why youth work and youth ministry have become somewhat confused has been the American influence. In America, from what I gather, all activites and programmes done by the church to engage with young people are referred to as youth ministry, while in the UK, there is still a fair bit of confusion and questioning going on.
I wait to be corrected, challenged, questioned.....
But youth ministry does not always look like this. My undergraduate degree was run by an organisation called the Centre for Youth Ministry. Throughout the course of doing this degree I was certainly not given set ways of doing things that would lead to however many kids getting saved each week. Rather, I was encouraged to think for myself, to doubt, to question, to work out possible solutions for myself.
That's all well and good, but it doesn't really help me answer the question of what it is that I do - youth work or youth ministry. The title of the most recent issue of Perspectives, a Christian youth work journal I subscribe to was "Christian Youth What?" There are four articles each written from a different perspective (!!) discussing what it is that Christians, churches, youth groups, clubs, ministries etc are actually doing with young people. It certainly makes for an interesting read.
I recently bought a book called Experiential Youth Ministry by John Losey. I've not read it all yet, but what I have read has got me wanting to read a bit more. Quite a lot of the book is full of ideas for "how intentional activity can make the spiritual stuff stick". Now the idea of pre-written youth work sessions is something that doesn't sit massively comfortably with me, I guess I prefer to take my ideas from the young people I work with, and work out some kind of a programme with them, that is right for where they are at at the moment. Thankfully John Losey gets this point, and acknowledges that what he has done in writing this book kinda goes against those very principles. He suggests we make what we will of his suggestions and ideas for youth work sessions, but what definitely is useful are the early pages in the book, outlining the theory behind what he (and me and lots of other people) is (are) doing. He presents an easily digestable outline of praxis, and some of the basics of (what I understand to be) informal education. I think that these early pages would be the kind of thing you could easily show to other people, volunteers, church leaders, youth workers/ministers etc. Its good stuff.
I am aware that one of the reasons why youth work and youth ministry have become somewhat confused has been the American influence. In America, from what I gather, all activites and programmes done by the church to engage with young people are referred to as youth ministry, while in the UK, there is still a fair bit of confusion and questioning going on.
I wait to be corrected, challenged, questioned.....
Monday, July 11, 2005
the guardian today
A few things caught my eye in The Guardian today.
Firstly an interesting piece on CMS 'missionary' Mark Berry working in Telford. Definitely worth a read.
Secondly, in the Media Section (I think you need to register here to access this)there was a fascinating article about the use of new media in the aftermath of the London bombings. The headline on the front of the Media Section read "We are all reporters now", in reference to way in which ordinary people's photographs and video footage captured on mobile phones, have been used in the reporting of Thursday's events.
The article goes on to talk about the way blogs were used on Thursday, as people sought to find a place for "communal comfort" and to "debate the issues". I really felt this to be the case on Thursday - I spent a lot of time on the internet, reading blogs, talking on msn. As I shared my experiences of Thursday at church on Sunday, this was one of the things we tried to create space for. I was in no position to 'tell' people how to feel, rather we needed a time to talk, share and discuss, we needed to embrace and acknowledge peoples different feelings and reactions. At the end of the service a lady of advancing years came up to me and shared how she had felt on Thursday. She had just wanted to talk to people, to share her feelings with others. She, like me, like many of us, could not comprehend what was happening on Thursday, and needed simply to connect with others.
This reminded me of a point Andrew Jones made at the Re:source day in Birmingham, that new media helps us to read the emerging culture, people are longing to connect, to share feelings, voice opinions. Technology means there are now more ways to do this.
Firstly an interesting piece on CMS 'missionary' Mark Berry working in Telford. Definitely worth a read.
Secondly, in the Media Section (I think you need to register here to access this)there was a fascinating article about the use of new media in the aftermath of the London bombings. The headline on the front of the Media Section read "We are all reporters now", in reference to way in which ordinary people's photographs and video footage captured on mobile phones, have been used in the reporting of Thursday's events.
The article goes on to talk about the way blogs were used on Thursday, as people sought to find a place for "communal comfort" and to "debate the issues". I really felt this to be the case on Thursday - I spent a lot of time on the internet, reading blogs, talking on msn. As I shared my experiences of Thursday at church on Sunday, this was one of the things we tried to create space for. I was in no position to 'tell' people how to feel, rather we needed a time to talk, share and discuss, we needed to embrace and acknowledge peoples different feelings and reactions. At the end of the service a lady of advancing years came up to me and shared how she had felt on Thursday. She had just wanted to talk to people, to share her feelings with others. She, like me, like many of us, could not comprehend what was happening on Thursday, and needed simply to connect with others.
This reminded me of a point Andrew Jones made at the Re:source day in Birmingham, that new media helps us to read the emerging culture, people are longing to connect, to share feelings, voice opinions. Technology means there are now more ways to do this.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
sunday
Well. What a week its been. I was doing the talk at church this morning, and it wasn't easy. Reflecting on this week's events there have just been so many different emotions, feelings, questions, doubts.
In the end the sermon slot was just a time where people could share their thoughts etc with one another. It seemed to go ok, the right thing to do in the end.
We finished the time of sharing with a prayer, taken from The Book of Uncommon Prayer by Steve Case. I've blogged about this book before, in fact I used some of this stuff in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami. The prayers I used then, and this morning are available online. They're worth checking out, though I would recommend you buy the book, it's got a lot of useful/helpful stuff in it.
This afternoon I'm off to a wedding. Andrew is the youth worker/minister at St. Chad's, Woodseats here in Sheffield, and I used to work with Michelle in Birmingham. Should be good.
In the end the sermon slot was just a time where people could share their thoughts etc with one another. It seemed to go ok, the right thing to do in the end.
We finished the time of sharing with a prayer, taken from The Book of Uncommon Prayer by Steve Case. I've blogged about this book before, in fact I used some of this stuff in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami. The prayers I used then, and this morning are available online. They're worth checking out, though I would recommend you buy the book, it's got a lot of useful/helpful stuff in it.
This afternoon I'm off to a wedding. Andrew is the youth worker/minister at St. Chad's, Woodseats here in Sheffield, and I used to work with Michelle in Birmingham. Should be good.
Friday, July 08, 2005
life goes on....
I totally recognise that the next thing I blog about risks seeming inappropirate following yesterday's events. I will blog more about yesterday, probably once I've reflected more on it, especially as I'm doing the talk/sermon thing at church on Sunday morning. But life does go on. It must.
One of the things that Andrew briefly talked about at the Re:source day attention spans. It's not that people in the emerging culture have short attention spans, rather they are used to a broad range of media, choice, and the freedom to choose.
This got me thinking about the way I engage with 'church', especially with worshipping together during church services. I know that I like silence, guitar-led songs, Taize chants, (some) hymns, stuff from the 'alt-worship' scene. I know that I like a mix of these things, time to reflect, time to engage, participate, do stuff.
It's not that I have a short attention span when it comes to this corporate worship time, rather I like a mix, a broad range of options and ways to participate/engage. I also like the freedom to choose.
I wonder. Is this selfish? Or healthy?
One of the things that Andrew briefly talked about at the Re:source day attention spans. It's not that people in the emerging culture have short attention spans, rather they are used to a broad range of media, choice, and the freedom to choose.
This got me thinking about the way I engage with 'church', especially with worshipping together during church services. I know that I like silence, guitar-led songs, Taize chants, (some) hymns, stuff from the 'alt-worship' scene. I know that I like a mix of these things, time to reflect, time to engage, participate, do stuff.
It's not that I have a short attention span when it comes to this corporate worship time, rather I like a mix, a broad range of options and ways to participate/engage. I also like the freedom to choose.
I wonder. Is this selfish? Or healthy?
Thursday, July 07, 2005
reaction to the london bombings
I've been watching the news for most of the morning. I've noted a number of different reactions from various people. I'm not trying to say that I am happy about what has happened. Of course I'm not. But just because we are now the victims of violence, we can not forget those who have been victims of violent acts committed in our name over recent years. You might find this prayer helpful.
Ken Livingstone (Mayor of London) talked about the indiscriminate killing of working class Londoners - Christian, and Muslim, Hindu and Jew, young and old. But how indiscriminate were the killings that have taken place throughout Iraq and Afghanistan?
Tony Blair spoke about respect for human life. How have we showed respect for human life in the way we have conducted ourselves in other countries? He says that these people are extremists trying to enforce their views on others. But what does he think we are doing by enforcing our version of ‘democracy’ on people, the empire of capitalism, forcing people to trade on our terms and our terms only?
George Bush, coherent as ever, wittered on about his homeland security folks. Thanks George.
Rowan Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury), came out of a meeting where he was actually TALKING with Muslim leaders in West Yorkshire. Novel approach.
My own reaction has just been a wanting to talk with people about it, to connect with others and share feelings. I've experienced a number of people seeming to feel like this. One of my friends told me about a trolley collector in Asda preaching in the car park to anyone who would listen. This got me thinking about people's need/desire to talk, to voice their opinions, which has been discussed in the emerging culture conversation.
Ken Livingstone (Mayor of London) talked about the indiscriminate killing of working class Londoners - Christian, and Muslim, Hindu and Jew, young and old. But how indiscriminate were the killings that have taken place throughout Iraq and Afghanistan?
Tony Blair spoke about respect for human life. How have we showed respect for human life in the way we have conducted ourselves in other countries? He says that these people are extremists trying to enforce their views on others. But what does he think we are doing by enforcing our version of ‘democracy’ on people, the empire of capitalism, forcing people to trade on our terms and our terms only?
George Bush, coherent as ever, wittered on about his homeland security folks. Thanks George.
Rowan Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury), came out of a meeting where he was actually TALKING with Muslim leaders in West Yorkshire. Novel approach.
My own reaction has just been a wanting to talk with people about it, to connect with others and share feelings. I've experienced a number of people seeming to feel like this. One of my friends told me about a trolley collector in Asda preaching in the car park to anyone who would listen. This got me thinking about people's need/desire to talk, to voice their opinions, which has been discussed in the emerging culture conversation.
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