Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of the season of Lent for Christians. At some point today, many Christians will be going to their churches to share in a service of Holy Communion and to receive a symbolic cross made with ash on their forehead.

What a lot of people might not realise is that there was no official form of words for such a service in the Church of England until 1986 when Lent, Holy Week, Easter Services and Prayers was published. Until then all we had for Ash Wednesday was a normal communion service with collects and readings for that day. Of course, there were churches borrowing material from elsewhere for their services.

The result of this was that a lot of faithful Anglicans had no experience of the "Imposition of Ashes" in their churches until this new book became established. When I started training for the ministry in 1987 I had never witnessed it, despite attending C of E churches since I was 7. Initially I must admit to being a bit reluctant to take part, but it has come to have significance, reminding me of my mortality, my shortcomings and my dependence on God.

However, there is one thing that has always bothered me about the Ash Wednesday service, and it is this. One of the set readings for today is a section from Matthew 6 (the Sermon on the Mount) including these words

16 ‘And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.  (Mt 6:16-18 NRSV)

and I have always felt a discomfort about that. We walk out of the service with a very visible and obvious sign on our heads that we have just been there. Surely the text is suggesting we should be more discreet. I have quietly solved this dilemma by removing the cross quickly afterwards, but it doesn't quite seem in the spirit of things.

I was, therefore, very interested to come across this from Rev Bosco Peters, a priest in New Zealand, which echoed my own reservations. 

"There is an Ash Wednesday tradition quite different to the conspicuous cross of ash on the forehead – it is sprinkling ash on top of the head. Read more: https://t.co/OE1QwJmf6R "

Apparently it's good enough for Pope Francis, However, it will require a rethink. A lot of people mix oil with their ash to make a nice gloopy smear.

Whatever you decide to do today, I hope that you find space over the next few weeks of Lent to reflect on what you believe, your priorities, and perhaps to take some action or some steps to make a change you feel is needed in your life. You don't need ash to do that, although it can help to mark a boundary and a beginning.

Have a fruitful Lent.

Reflections on a second lockdown

On Saturday night a priest posted that one hour after the new restrictions were announced, Anglican Twitter was looking for loopholes. It started me wondering why, and caused me to scrap what I was going to say in my All Saints' Day sermon and hastily put something else together. The problem (as with many arguments between clergy - especially online) is that several issues get bundled up together in one argument, and we sometimes talk across each other, rather than tease out a question. The same thing happened during the earlier lockdown, which I wrote about at the time.

This time around, I have noticed three themes cropping up regularly:

• Churches need to meet for congregational worship (and many focus on holy communion here) in order to nurture the spiritual lives of their people. Suspending services will be detrimental.
• A resistance to the government telling the church that it can't meet for worship, along with criticism of the C of E bishops for not protesting loudly enough. Faith leaders, including the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have now written a joint letter on this subject, which you can read here.
• Concern that lockdown will have a damaging impact on all aspects of the well-being of our society. 

First of all, it is undeniable that these concerns are not trivial; they are real and substantial. As a parish priest I would much rather be in a context where we could be running a full range of services of worship, Messy Church, Toddler Praise, and our drop in tea and cake session for older people, etc. It would be great to see the cafes and pubs open and thriving, and people secure about their futures. I don't want to live in lockdown any more than some of my more vociferous colleagues, but unlike them, I do think it is a necessary evil.

Let's consider those concerns. Earlier in the year, churches went without meeting from mid-March until services began to resume in July. We missed some of the most important celebrations in the Christian year - Holy Week, Easter, Ascension & Pentecost. Here at St Nicholas' we maintained a weekly online worship, we emailed, phoned round, and also posted services, messages and prayers. We ran quizzes, prayers and courses on Zoom, and when we were able to come together again, our numbers were soon getting back towards normal, with a few vulnerable people staying in touch watching the recording of the service. 

This time around, the lockdown will cover 4 Sundays, unless circumstances require an extension, and the terms are somewhat less strict than last time. Clergy can still go into their buildings to record services, and funerals are permitted in our buildings. We can also continue to open up to enable people to pray. That is why I am struggling to see why this merits so much more protest than last time.

However, the problem now is that faith communities were not consulted, whereas during the first lockdown, the Archbishops saw cooperation as part of the national effort. That leaves me wondering whether 'this is not about that'. Perhaps the protests are less about the effect of suspending services per se and more about the lack of consultation, otherwise we should have been shouting much more loudly in March/April. I'll soon write some more about the issue of corporate worship and lockdown, but for now I would simply observe that faith communities proved very resilient during the long break. We share a sense that our security ultimately derives from something beyond ourselves and all of our activities or rituals.

Related to that is the unease a number of people feel about freedom to worship. A government banning gatherings for worship is not a comfortable scenarios, and in other contexts would be (and in some locations is) very sinister. However, despite my lack of trust in the Prime Minister in many ways, I don't think the elimination of faith communities is on his agenda. Places of worship are not being singled out here - lots of other clubs, associations, businesses and activities are also affected. The issue for us to watch is that, once the emergency is over, those freedoms are restored and full democratic accountability is back in place for this and future governments.

For me the biggest concern is the impact that lockdown will have on wider society. Businesses are in difficulty with jobs, livelihoods, and homes put at risk. Social life is effectively suspended, isolation inevitably follows, and with dark nights that is made all the worse. I fear that mental health problems will inevitably become more widespread as a consequence.

This latter point certainly merits some noise from faith leaders. There are some really good charitable efforts going on around the country to support people in all kinds of need at this time, including many originating in churches. However, it is government that can make the real difference - whether with meal vouchers, furlough, business support or boosting funding to mental health services. Holding our leaders to account for how they are sustaining our nation's life at this time is a crucial contribution we all can make.

For all my scepticism about the competence of our leaders, I am sufficiently convinced that infection rates are rising, and that without substantial action, the graphs for new infections, hospital admissions and ICU occupancy will go beyond what the NHS can handle. Lockdown is a very costly option, and whilst I think that action could have been taken sooner and for a shorter duration, I still believe that it is the best available choice in the circumstances. 

As I looked around my church on All Saints' Day I saw a lot of older people, some of whom have significant health challenges, and I was worried. Given the rapid rise in infection in our area, gathering them in a building was starting to feel like a risk we should no longer be taking. Yes - I'll miss us meeting together. Yes I'll miss sharing in communion. Yes, I'll find Zoom and YouTube poor substitutes for 'real' meetings, and yes I am worried for all the people who live in my parish. However, this may be the way to ensure that we are all around to meet again in a few weeks' time, when hopefully the risks will have reduced, and better measures are in place to detect and deal with infections.

Jono Peatman CD release

On Friday we had a family get-together over in Lancaster for the launch of Jono's first CD. It contains two worship tracks that he has written and recorded with assistance from friends at St Thomas' and other churches.

The tracks are also on Spotify, Amazon Music and iTunes. They are starting to pick up interest on Spotify in a surprising variety of places around the world, so good work by the boy.

Here's one of them via Youtube.

Big Sing with Alison Adam. Sunday May 17th at 3pm

This is just a shameless plug for the fact that we have Alison Adam coming to lead a Big Sing at Morecambe Parish Church on Sunday 17th May at 3pm. Alison is a long-standing member of the Iona Community, and has worked with John Bell with the Wild Goose Resource Group,

Come along and learn new songs from the Iona community and from around the world. You'll find yourself making more music than you thought possible. No previous musical experience required!

If you would like to come, please register, either by signing up in church, or by using the Eventbrite button below. You can also use Eventbrite to register for a number of people at once, so why not get a group together.

Greenbelt 2011 Diary: Saturday

Image via WikipediaIn a rare burst of energy, we all got up, breakfasted and got across to the Big Top for some morning worship with Rend Collective Experiment. Contemporary worship band, but from Northern Ireland and with a more open-minded view of theology and what worship should be. Slightly crazy shindig finish, and a nice update of the lyrics to Be Thou My Vision. (They felt a fresh translation into English was due, and coming from the island of Ireland felt they were entitled to do one!)

Next up in the same venue was a fascinating interview with Billy Bragg about Jail Guitar Doors, an initiative he started to help rehabilitate prisoners through music, and also use music to process issues in their lives. He also brought along Leon Walker, a former inmate who is now making his way as a singer-songwriter. Billy spoke passionately about the importance of resources for rehabilitation, not out of being 'soft' on crime, but ensuring all is done to prevent further crimes being committed, more victims created and more lives ruined. Leon was even more compelling. He spoke very movingly about how music helped him to express himself, work through his issues, and have some hope at the end. It helped him find a positive focus in prison and a contructive outlet when he got out. Now he's playing gigs.

Part of Greenbelt is the wandering around, bumping into people you used to see more often and hanging around in one of the venues with seating and a coffee stall. The Performance Cafe is one such place. Acts are mainly acoustic, the volume is set well and you can sit further back if you want more conversation. It's good just to be there and see what happens while munching a nice cake and having a coffee. Likewise the CD tent and Christian Aid tent also host music.

At 2pm I went along to an event launching a new study guide and to hear a couple of songs by Gareth Davies-Jones. The tent was nicely filled but not packed, yet we were treated to a Brian McLaren interview, a resource launch and half a dozen songs from Gareth. I think this was the best kept secret all weekend. On to the Performance Cafe for 3.15pm where Yvonne Lyon played a set with her husband, David backing her. Her new album More than Mine had been out one day, so I got a copy later. More piano and quite wistful, it showcases Yvonne's voice superbly. Good to hear some older tracks too.

After a quick tea break, it was off to the Big Top to hear a talk by John Bell of the Iona Community. Titled Ubiquitous Gayz, I wondered what we were in for, but I knew he would be challenging and interesting. This was one of the few big talks I attended, but I'm glad I did. We were taken through a journey of how we make decisions, and what determines the issues that we hold important. It was a characteristically different take on a recurring question for Anglicans, coming from a person who isn't involved in Anglican politics. Challenging, humorous, candid and always taking seriously and grappling with the Biblical text. Well worth a download if you only buy one.

After a delicious crepe from a beautifully restored classic Citroen van and a bit of time with a socket in the grandstand to charge my phone, there was time to chat with friends, catch Iain Archer in the Perf Cafe, have a final drink and finally head back to get some sleep.

Holy Week & Easter

Holy Week involved meditation on the wounds of Jesus,  so on Good Friday we had 5 prayer stations reflecting those themes. Thanks to Sue for ideas and materials.

His back

His head

His Hands

His feet

His side

No photos of Maundy Thursday, but we set up a table in the sanctuary and sat around it, sharing communion in a meal-like setting and passing communion to each other. 

On Good Friday we put out cocoons that Junior Church had made, but on Easter Day they reappeared complete with butterflies emerging to show the new life of the resurrection.

Meanwhile the teams have been very busy with flowers, Easter garden, new Paschal candle and all the trimmings to make the whole building speak of new life.

It been a very exhausting but very rewarding week!

Cathedrals

It was nice to get a mention on Mark Beach's blog, so I'm returning the compliment. Mark and I were curates in neighbouring parishes in Southwell Diocese, and he is now Team Rector in Rugby, in Coventry Diocese, where I use to be before moving up to Lancashire.

Mark has just blogged a response to a piece about Cathedrals by Peter Ould. Peter asks why all cathedrals maintain traditional worship, and whether they are really any more than big parish churches. Mark's response focuses on the particular kind of role that a cathedral has, and the way its life can impact on a Diocese.

Coventry Cathedral obviously has a very particular story, but its ministry of reconciliation could only have come about as a result of it being a cathedral. Many churches were bombed in WW2, but only one English cathedral suffered such destruction. Coventry is actually on its third cathedral, which perhaps underlines the fact that the heart of such a church goes beyond even the grandest buildings and architecture.

Mark's blog post points to these things - life, prayer and resourcing the life of the Diocese. When I was in Coventry Diocese, many parishes had a cathedral liaison officer, and the cathedral was usually represented when new clergy were licensed. That sense of connectedness meant that we felt we had a stake in the cathedral - an example being that the confirmation service at the cathedral felt a highlight and culmination of the course, not a second best to doing it at "our place".

However, both Peter and Mark in their own way offer challenges to Cathedrals today to embrace life, prayer, community and also contemporary developments so that they can be seen and 'owned' by the whole Diocesan family.

Communion by Extension

Despite the title, it's not about church services in conservatories. It's quite a churchy thing, so if you're not interested in that sort of thing, feel free to call back later!

I keep meeting people who talk about church services moving to communion by extension, led by an authorised lay person. This happens in some places because in the Church of England only people ordained priest can preside at a communion service, and there aren't enough priests to take services in every location and at every time that churches currently require. The logic goes, therefore, that if consecrated bread and wine can be taken from one venue to another by a lay person and then distributed by them, this can meet the requirements.

Aware that I may be accused of all manner of things at this point, perhaps I should clarify before I go on:

• I think the celebration of holy communion is central to the life of the church, and should be available to the whole people of God on a regular basis.
• The ministry of lay people needs to be expanded and developed and is sometimes restricted unnecessarily by clergy  - either through insecurity or an inflated sense of their own importance.
• Communion by extension is what several of us do in my own parish when we take communion to individuals or small groups of people who are housebound or in residential homes.

However, I think communion by extension is not the way forward for the Church of England's Holy Communion service staffing problems. It's a reasonable answer to the question: "how can we maintain the present system, with its patterns of services, congregational expectations and church structure". There are other solutions - fast track ordinations for local leaders or even allowing lay people to preside (which would be hugely controversial). But I think they are all answers to the wrong question. 

We should be asking what the church needs to look like in order to develop and grow communities which can transform both individuals and neighbourhoods with the love of God. I don't think that necessarily means providing Holy Communion at every venue and in every time slot that we have become accustomed to. Change won't be popular, of course, and some people get very agitated about it - I've heard people talk about "my communion" which they would defend at all costs.

If the Church of England is going to do more than "keep the show on the road" we need to have a bigger picture in our imaginations than communion services. We need to get away from thinking of communion as a commodity we're entitled to at XX o'clock on a Sunday, and rather as a gift we appreciate whenever it is available. We need to move away from being parochial in our vision - what about thinking in terms of areas or Deaneries with a certain number of celebrations at specific locations, but other forms of worship elsewhere which lay people can lead. I even dare to ask whether not having communion as a weekly routine might actually make us appreciate it more when it happens.

My own view is that participation in the eucharist or communion isn't just about consuming the elements - it's about the entire journey of the communion service. In some traditions that is affirmed by the fact that people unable to consume the bread or the wine are still deemed to have received by being present (it's in the 1662 Prayer Book, for example) If we drift into a widespread practise of communion by extension, we potentially lose that insight. And maybe it's an undervaluing of non-eucharistic worship to assume that it cannot feed people's spirits adequately - assuming they are still able to attend the eucharist sometimes.

Depending on our upbringing or spiritual preferences, we'll react differently to some of these ideas. I grew up on communion once a month - and it was a special occasion; those of a more catholic tradition may find it more difficult, although in the developing world the mass is sometimes an infrequent but joyful occasion. However, we need to be thinking about these things now, before expediency takes over and we acquire habits and practises which we might not have chosen if we had paid more attention.

Familiarity breeds what?

It's always a challenge to think of something new to do with the big festivals in the church year ( and I don't mean Greenbelt ). This is my 21st Christmas as a 'Rev' and I'm not someone who thrives on doing the same thing in the same way year after year. On 'normal' Sundays the readings go on a 3 year cycle, so that maintains the variety, but Christmas is, well, Christmas. And I have always held the view that if you only meet people's expectations in your programme, you're never able to challenge or stretch them.

This year we're looking to take part in Lancashire Sings Christmas, so that will be something new to put energy into. It's an interactive carol service, in partnership with BBC Radio Lancashire, to be held at venues that aren't church buildings. If you're in Lancashire, there's still time to get organised and join in (or if you're in Leicestershire, the original Sing Christmas will also be taking place).

Sometimes I've inserted a more challenging reading, such as a poem or meditation into carol services. I think it's good to stimulate thinking or even be provocative, and not just tell the predictable story in the way they expect. The problem is, of course, that you get complaints. in my experience they have always come from non-regulars who come to church at Christmas. I well remember using a resource from TEAR Fund when I was a curate. A few days later we received a letter from a parishioner, who only came occasionally to things like carol services, complaining about the sketch and its script and referring to this 'outfit' who wrote the material. We replied politely, gently pointing out that the Bishop of Southwell was a prominent supporter.

So whilst I won't be using it in our carol service this year (as it's already planned), I fully recommend reading a reflection on Christmas by Martin Wroe, which is on the Ship of Fools website. SoF is best known for its satirical monitoring of the Christian world, but it has a more serious side, and I thought this piece was excellent. If you're feeling brave and you haven't planned your carol services in detail yet...

Living Stones

The cartoons of Dave Walker always capture brilliantly the more absurd side of church life. It was good to come across this one again

So it was with some trepidation that I led our all-age service on Sunday. We used the idea of living stones to think about what the community of the church should be like, but illustrating that was quite a challenge. Dead stones was easy - a giant Jenga set, courtesy of the scout headquarters fulfilled that need. Every stone in its fixed place, inflexible, only aware of its immediate neighbours, and likely to topple if one or two foundation pieces get removed.

Trying to get the idea of living stones into a physical object proved more difficult until we remembered the giant bean bag. It seemed to work - every bean matters - they are dynamic, adaptable to new circumstances, constantly circulating. Ok the analogy breaks down after a bit, but it got the point across.

Finally everyone had to find 3 people they didn't know - an extended exercise during the Peace involving name stickers and then sitting in a different seat for a new perspective. The choir were great - they mingled too, and for the next bit of the service were scattered around the church (a few brave non-choir people even sat in the choir pews)

Feedback was very positive, especially considering we had taken people out of their comfort zone, and hopefully some new links were made that will help to build community and relationships.

If only Dave had been there - I'm sure he could have made a great cartoon out of it all.

Doing it by the book

This year I have set a new record. In 18 years of being a priest in the good ol' C of E, I officiated at 3 services of Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion (or 1662 for short): Long Itchington, Preston Bagot and Longridge if my memory is still functioning. I had attended a few over the years, but it's different when you're up front. By Christmas 2009 I had had already quadrupled that total, as we have it every week here at MPC at 8am. It wasn't a result of a conscious effort to avoid it, I just didn't serve in churches that used it; nor did they have 8am communion services.

Now anyone that knows me will be aware that I'm not my sparkling best first thing in the morning, so 8am communion every Sunday has proved a challenge, especially when conducting a service in language from Shakespeare's era. However, I have managed to remain coherent every Sunday, pronounced everything correctly, and put the correct length pauses in for all the subclauses in the very long sentence structure.

Having a year's worth behind me to reflect upon, I do find it intriguing that people get up to attend church that early in the morning. When I had a parish in Coventry, a neighbouring mainly middle-class parish had quite a thriving 8am communion service (modern language service, talk and 2 hymns) with about 40-50 there. They were people who wanted to do church early, so they had the rest of the day for their leisure activities, such as sport, hiking, boating, etc.

I don't know if that's true for any of our 8 o'clockers. Some come because they find the business and length of the 10am too much; others come at that time of day as it's their opportunity to share in communion using the old wording - in a language very different from what they would use in everyday life. Although we call it 1662, the service is a revised version of one originally compiled in 1552, yet it remains part of the official prayer book of the Church of England. Over the years I have come across many different reasons for people choosing these services. Some see modern language liturgy as vulgar or dumbing down, some want to preserve our historical heritage, and other have a theological agenda, seeing the Book of Common Prayer as a reformed Protestant foothold in a church infected with other theological tendencies. I suspect most people go because it is what they are used to or what they grew up with.

I have come across a few BCP enthusiasts who extol its virtues and like it done 'by the book', which is ironic, because we never do it by the book. For a start, a large section of the communion service is left out (the Exhortation) and the congregation usually joins in with prayers that the book says should only be said by the priest, such as the Lord's Prayer at the opening, the opening collect and what we usually refer to as the Prayer of Humble Access (don't worry if you've no idea what these are). Most congregations also give a response when the gospel is read, although the BCP contains no such words. I did once hear of a vicar who was pressured into resuming BCP communion by his congregation, so he decided to do it completely by the book - reading everything out and then refusing to give anyone communion because they hadn't given him a week's notice, which is what the book requires! I guess he didn't have a great relationship with his people...

Meanwhile, we'll stick to doing it not by the book, just like we always don't.

Lent Blog 24: Good Friday

Working on the calendar that includes this part of Holy Week as Lent, this may be the final Lent Blog.

This week has been exhausting, but also very engaging. Following a busy Palm Sunday - 8,10,baptisms @12,confirmation class and choral evensong, we launched into Holy Week. Monday-Wednesday were simple communion services, featuring meditations on characters from the passion story led by Sue. We sat together around the communion table, and as a visual focus we borrowed the 'rugged cross' from St Martin's Chapel at University of Cumbria, Lancaster. It was a different experience for all of us, as that kind of meditation hadn't been used in a communion before, and the communions had had a homily in previous years. Congregations were good - ranging between 24 & 28, which is encouraging.

Maundy Thursday was a new challenge for me - I had to wash feet for the first time. I realised that all my previous experience of Maundy Thursday had either focussed on the initiation of communion by Jesus, or had tried to capture something of Passover. This was the first time I had got on my knees to recall the 'mandatum novum' - the new commandment to love one another as Jesus had loved us. I felt strangely nervous beforehand, but it was a very good experience. Afterwards we stripped the sanctuary and just left the rugged cross bare in the centre.

Good Friday had two very different acts of worship - an all-age service, which featured a trial of some characters around the Good Friday story, and then this afternoon, we spent a couple of hours thinking and praying through the seven things Jesus said from the cross. Risked a bit of Peter Gabriel at the end - not sure what everyone made of it, but they are generous people who indulge me!

One or two folks wanted to know what the music was, so here's the list:

1) Benedictus from The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins (faded out at about 5:15 before it gets v loud)
2) Main Theme from Schindler's List (RPO)
3) Adagio for Strings by Barber. I used a rare version, where it is played by a string quartet. Much more emotional, but also more bare and appropriate.
4) Requiem aeternum from Rutter's Requiem.
5) Father, Son by Peter Gabriel.

There were also a couple of Good Friday hymns in the mix for congregational participation.

Completely washed out now, so resting up ready for 6-30am Sunday morning on the Prom.

Lent Blog 23: A Church Near You

Just noticed our stats for our "A Church Near You" pages online. Apparently we've had over 760 hits since 20 Oct when I activated our site. Not a complete waste of time, then.

Should you ever be interested, we're http://www.achurchnearyou.com/mpc

Holy Week Advert

Ok. It's my blog, so I can use it to plug services if I want to! We started Holy Week with a very special communion and meditation last night, and the programme continues:

Tue (today)/Wed
We will be sharing again in communion at 7pm. Instead of a sermon, the Gospel reading will be incorporated into a meditation. The evenings will flow from each other, although each will work as a 'stand-alone'. We'll be sitting around a specially prepared visual focus in the sanctuary area.

Maundy Thursday
7-30pm will be remembering Jesus' new commandment to love one another at a special communion service. It will include washing feet, and will end with the altar and sanctuary being stripped.

Good Friday will have two services:
10am our all age will put 3 characters on trial - Peter, Judas and Pilate, but an innocent man will be sentenced...
1-3pm, we will reflect on the words Jesus speaks from the cross.

Easter Day:
6-30am (!) sharing with other churches at a short service by the yacht club jetty, followed by hot cross buns at the Memorial Hall
8am Holy Communion (1662)
10am Parish Eucharist

Lent Blog 15: Perceptions

Over the last few days I seem to have had several conversations about what to wear. No, not a fashion conversation - these were about clerical garb. Anglican clergy vary greatly in their preferences, and we get away with a lot more inconsistency with our choices than most staff in organisations with dress codes. The problem with this is that it isn't always obvious what we should wear.

I remember debating with other chaplains whether we should wear dog collars regularly on campus or not. Some felt it was a barrier, although wearing 'plain clothes' then means you have to have some way of being identified as a chaplain. Others (and I was one) felt that being seen in the canteen / bar / corridors / staff room with a collar on was a way of indicating you were around and available, and hopefully accessible. In the end I varied it, as once I was recognised on campus it was sometimes helpful to be less formally dressed. I always wore a collar to other campuses in Cumbria, as it saved explanations.

You'd think it would be simpler when we are 'on duty' in church. The rules of the C of E state that all clergy should be robed when officiating at public worship in "surplice or alb with scarf or stole" (Canon B8) and "other customary vestments may be added". In practise, the choices made about robes generally say something about the theological views of the parish (or at least its ministers) I don't have any particular personal preferences and tend to fit in with whatever people are used to. Dressing up is never something I get excited about, whether in church or out, so I generally do whatever fits in. It's the uniform for the job.

It made me remember my first service at St Martin's College Chapel. As a parish priest I wore an alb (white tunic) and the one I have happens to have a hood, which is never used, but keeps my stole (coloured scarf) tidy. It's what I had always worn, so I wore it in chapel. At the end of the service, a number of students seemed puzzled and asked me what significance it had. None, I reassured them - I wasn't a monk! Then up came Pete - who was quite a comic - with a line he had obviously been developing during the worship. "Nice service, but what's with the KKK [Ku Klux Klan] outfit?"

What seems normal to us might seem very weird to other people.

Patriotic?

A week or two back I got an invitation to a meeting about the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the cenotaph in Morecambe. Apparently it has been usual for the person holding my post to lead the service, so I went to a planning meeting. It then emerged that the order of service had already been fixed, so whatever was in print was going to happen. It was, therefore, a great relief to see that I vow to thee my country wasn't in the order. I wouldn't want to cause an incident by rather conspicuously not singing.

I was once discussing this with someone who thought I was rather unpatriotic. Setting aside the question as to whether patriotism is a virtue, I pointed out that governments are not always worthy of the unquestioning loyalty of their citizens - Nazi Germany being a prime example. The hymn (if that's the correct term for it) contains the line the love that asks no question, the love that stands the test. I'm afraid I would always want to be able to ask questions.

Fortunately we'll be singing Eternal Father, strong to save and Jerusalem. I know not everyone copes with Jerusalem, worrying about the images taken from the myth that Jesus visited Glastonbury with Joseph of Arimathea. I'm happy to sing the latter, provided everyone is clear the answer to the four questions in the first verse is 'no', and verse 2 is a call to social action in response to the perceived injustices, which were then industrial Victorian England and are now the sweatshops of the developing world. Just don't take it too literally - Blake never intended it like that.

Rant over. Enjoy your singing in church!

Launch the Ark at Morecambe

Operation Noah was founded in 2001 by Christian Ecology Link to campaign on climate change and global warming. They welcome support from people from all beliefs and background to work with them on their campaigns. As part of their awareness raising and campaigning, they are staging a number of "ark launches" around the country.

Morecambe is hosting one on the Promenade, opposite the Town Hall, on Saturday October 3rd at 11-30am. Christ Church URC green group have been the initiators, but it's an event open to all, and has Mark Dowd and Geraldine Smith MP as special guests.

I've been asked to lead the concluding worship as the Ark launch will be in the parish. No pressure, then!

Ascension Day

Probably the most neglected major festival.

Been thinking why we need the ascension. Why didn't Jesus just stop turning up? Concluded that we need it more than he did. It's all about letting go and taking responsibility.

-- Post From My iPod Touch

What makes a meeting?

Earlier on, I was thinking about some exchanges between students relating to the content of Christian meetings. The issue in question was about the relative value of gatherings which focus on prayer and worship, rather than on preaching and teaching. The obvious answer is that a healthy 'diet' should include both, but it revealed the difference between 'conservative' and 'charismatic' evangelical approaches. For one, the decisive encounter with God is with the preached word, whereas for the other, it may be in the preached word, but also in prayer or in a specific prompt from the Holy Spirit. [This all ignores the fact that if everyone is involved in a local church as well, then student meetings are 'extras' anyway]

It echoed for me the different attitudes people have when they have been to a meeting of a committee or working group. For some people a good meeting = a good chat round the table; for others it can only be good if decision are made, tasks allocated and a schedule set. The truth is that different temperament types thrive on different kinds of interaction, and we all need both to keep us human.

I can't help wondering whether the apparent theological preferences relating to christian meetings are more about personality type than about theology. All too often we tend to dress one thing up as the other.

Cats and Monkeys

Something I discovered on Iona in the Abbey Church were images of a cat and a monkey, either side of a window.

From what I learned about these carvings, they represent the contemplative life and the active life. The cat is the contemplative; the monkey the active.

Through the week, I enjoyed playing with that idea. I would imagine most people regard contemplation as being all but asleep with little or nothing inside your mind.

But a cat is such a great challenge to that stereotype. Cats relax and doze, but when they do, they are always ready for action, poised but not tense, alert but not stressed, and the stillness is part of their preparation for action. If we could find that sort of stillness, how much more fulfilled might we be?

And the monkey for the active life is great. Monkeys can be cheeky, funny, playful, yet surprisingly tenacious and determined to obtain whatever it is they want. What a brilliant image for the active side of life. If only we could take life and ourselves a bit less seriously, I wonder how much healthier we might be.