rev_org

From last night's PCC social:

Thought I aught to fill in the rest of Holy Week- the Holy Saturday Vigil went well, though there are a few things I'll be changing for next year. Got to find a new tune for the Exultet that the poor curate had to get through, and we'll be replacing the chant calling upon the saints to pray for us cos I just can't stomach that as an idea. The whole point of Jesus was to give us access to God, why bother then with the saints as intermediaries? Plus the list of saints called upon seemed pretty random, and if I had been doing it I would have been tempted to add a few of my own- "St Garak of Cardassia, pray for us"?

The highlight was definitely entering the darkened church with just the paschal candle providing illumination, then the light spreading to other folk's candles.

Sunday morning went well too, though my second attempt to sing a Eucharistic preface was only marginally less rubbish than Christmas. When I practice before the service I sound fine, then I start out on the wrong note during the actual proceedings. I will get there.

The last week was mostly time off, with sprog2 staying with mother-in-law, leading to a very quiet vicarage. I took the opportunity to have a drinking afternoon in town with my old mukka Captain Limbo, though it would appear my stomach is not as forgiving of 6 pints of Guinness as it used to be.

There was a pleasant trip to pick sprog2 up from rural Buckinghamshire, with an over-night stay. Then a big wedding to conduct on Saturday, complete with spontaneous Nigerian singing from the families involved, all very jolly, if nerve-wracking.

A Sunday off, with me not getting out of bed until 10am rounded off a pleasant break.

Now it's getting back into the swing of things time, with works on the church heating on-going, and the school routine starting again tomorrow.

St Londo of Centauri, pray for me...

I've given up Twitter for the few days leading up to Easter, so feel strangely dislocated, but am benefiting from not having it as a distraction. The following are my reflections on things so far, in rather more than 140 characters!


It's with a degree of nervousness I've begun the Tridium (Maundy Thursday-Holy Saturday) in my first year as Vicar of St Michael's. Worry about remembering how the services worked here over 7 years ago has mixed with the fact my predecessor changed things after I left anyway, and so there's been quite a bit of catching-up to do. I've been very grateful for the assistance of the Curate here, without whose guidance I'd have made a right mess of things no doubt.

Yesterday evening's service went really well, with oils received, having been blest by the Bishop in the morning, and then there was the foot-washing. In my previous parish the congregation had refused to have their feet washed, and there was no way I could force them to, so I reluctantly gave up the practice. I'd forgotten how moving it is to kneel down and wash the feet of the people I am called to serve. It's a right and proper reminder that I'm still a deacon as well as a priest, and being vicar should never become a power-trip. So, humbling in a very good sense.

We also stripped the altar, and benefited from music on the piano for a change, along with having the choir down from the gallery and at the front, making for a more reflective, intimate service.

Finally there was the Watch, something else I'd not done for 7 years. Three hours in silence and darkness in the church. Wonderfully atmospheric, and there was just enough light for me to work my way through Mark's Gospel. Made it to the end of the Watch without dropping off too.

Today was the ecumenical march of witness up Welling High Street. To be frank, I'd been dreading it, not being a fan of militant Christianity, but the march was conducted without fuss, and was as un-intrusive as a procession of 100 or so Christians up a busy high street can be. We stopped a few times to sing hymns, but there was no preaching or banners, just a wide range of Christians from different churches walking together in remembrance of Christ. Powerful stuff.

I'd also been dreading the 2pm service at St Michael's with the veneration of the cross, and I could feel every protestant bone in my body shuddering as congregation members knelt down to kiss the feet of Jesus on the crucifix held before them. But whilst it really isn't me, those who came forward did so with reverence and a simple desire to make a symbolic show of their love for Jesus, and who am I to get in their way? The service ended up having a simple beauty that I was more than comfortable with.

The next service is the Vigil Mass at 8pm tomorrow, another complicated affair which I remember not enjoying much when I was here last. Hoping this will be pleasant surprise too.

Finally gave in and went to the docs today. I've had what I put down as being a cold since Christmas, and it's got better then worse too many times now to ignore. The final straw was last Friday, when my head was so woozy with gunk I couldn't get up until the afternoon. As suspected, the doc diagnosed a chest infection, and I now have a week on anti-biotics.

The doc was a really sweet young woman who seemed quite impressed with the scar on my back. I should have told her it was a Bat'leth duelling scar, but instead settled for the more boring truth that it was as a result of me disagreeing with a car as a teenager.

As an ex-smoker I also need to go to the hospital to get a chest X-Ray, but that's just a precaution (I hope).

Work-wise I'm struggling with the pace of things thanks to my illness. Really enjoying the work, it's just there's too much of it. Both the parish and I will just have to be happy with the amount I can do.

Lent-wise I've taken up facilitating a weekly Lent group for Churches Together in Welling, and we met for the first time last night without me causing an ecumenical incident.

I've not settled on what I've given up yet, if anything (definitely not chocolate, I've been eating a lot to cope with the manky-ness of my bug). I've not touched a drop of alcohol (beyond the occasional sip of communion wine during Mass, naturally), but that's only because I've been taking various pills. I may well want to celebrate feeling better in a week or two's time, so am not sure a Lent-long fast is realistic.

Oh, and I'm still fuming at the Archbishop of York for writing in the Scum On Sunday, including an endorsement to buy the dreaded rag seven days a week. Unbelievable.

Here endeth the wingeing.

I have been crazy-busy of late, and that will only increase with the loss of one of my non-stipendary (ie unpaid & part-time) curates. I really can't complain. To have one NSM is luxury enough these days, let alone two. There's also the fact that most of the work I'm taking on is school-based, which is part of the ministry I really enjoy. But the fact remains that my already full diary is about to be even more packed.

All this at the beginning of the season of Lent when Christians are supposed to take time to reflect on and re-evaluate our faith, looking at where we might be falling short.

But Lent for clergy is unavoidably one of the busiest times of year, what with Lent groups to lead, Stations of the Cross to walk (weekly here through Lent, which seems a bit mad), along with preparations for the services of Holy Week and Easter itself. Add to that the fact that in this diocese our bishop has given us a 'Call To Mission' to introduce to the congregation through Lent (with not very much lead-in time to plan things it has to be said), plus all the usual stuff that goes on in a priest's week.

I've got a quiet-day planned, thanks to it being part of our deanery (local church group) calender, and that's about it for reflection time. I may end up moving my personal Lent to August, when things are quieter and there's more time to reflect...

Went to see the new Muppets Movie today & was blown away.

Previous cinematic offerings from Kermit & company have always been a bit hit and miss with me, with a tendency towards over-sentimentality and saccharine sweetness that has often put me off a bit, but the new movie gets the balance just right between moving you to tears and keeping you laughing.

The new characters are great, displaying the vital self-mocking nature that makes the Muppets great, with 80s Robot being a particular treat. The new faces are not over-used though, which had been a worry from seeing the trailer, and you get to see plenty of the regulars, with perhaps the exception of Pepe.

Heck, I even enjoyed the song and dance numbers (mostly) and I hate musicals.

Oh, and this is the best thing Jack Black has done in a very long time.



A 5 monkey must-see.

Some pretty stunning pictures of police on patrol courtesy of the New York Times: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/on-the-beat-with-a-gun-and-a-camera/?hp

Back in July of last year it was pointed out to me that the green fiddleback chasuble I was wearing was... well more than a tad chintzy sofa-like.

Thanks to a kind donation we now have a new one, along with matching stole and altar cover (the latter replacing a very mis-matched two piece set).

It was with a certain amount of trepidation that I put the order in, particularly considering how much money this was all going to cost, fearing I might have gotten measurements wrong, but J&M Sewing in Newcastle have done us proud, and we'll be in matching green come 5th February when it's next needed.

And the fiddleback is definitely an improvement:

It has been drawn to my attention that I haven't set any New Year's resolutions, unlike last year (http://rev-org.livejournal.com/251543.html).

The reason is simple- I just haven't had time to think of any.

It has to be said that last year's weren't particularly challenging anyway, more like New Year's aspirations really.

Work-wise I'm just concentrating on determining how best I can serve this parish as vicar, and it's still early days on that to be honest.

Home-wise I bumble along as lucky husband to a lovely wife, and father to two comical sprogs. Plus I intend to keep up the geek-social life as much as possible.

The only big change is my ownership of an Eggsbox, which means I'm back into console gaming. Judging from the little time I've spent on it so far, I haven't got any better, but it's a good way of relaxing when Mrs O isn't around to watch Dr Who DVD's or play Warhammer with.

Don't know what's more awesome about this, the video itself or the fact that I came to it via The Colin Baker tweeting a link!