What A Week!

Well, I finally get around to another post after an unusual week; some of it fun, some definitely not. And, in that, all sorts of reasons why I couldn't post any earlier.

Starting on Saturday with a panto, which was great. A friend of mine, who has recently started a curacy in a rural parish near Worcester invited us to see him in a panto he was in. Apparently, his parish started Martley Amateur Dramatics as part of their outreach several years ago, and have put on one ever since the 100th anniversary of one of the churches. Some of the group belong to one or other of the churches (mainly the men, which is unusual), and some don't-it's a very good way to both build community and get the church involved in the community. And as he's now started in a rural parish where getting into the community is vital, he was basically told he had to be in it. His vicar takes one of the main parts, as he does conjuring and juggling-apparently the main problem they have is getting him to stick close to the script.
So, anyway, I was picked up by a friend after work, and off we went to Martley for their production of 'Cinder Ella' (the German version) 'a small but subtle difference'. And a most enjoyable time was had by all, especially the cast. It was clear that most of the audience was connected in some way to some or all of the cast, and they seemed relaxed and enjoyed themselves. One of the best amdram shows I've ever seen. And afterwards, we were invited to the after-show party; which was basically everyone in the hall heading down the road to the local pub, The Admiral Rodney, and generally having a good time. The food was good, the company better, and the overall atmosphere was great-I found a perry I hadn't had before, so that's a good excuse to go back there.

And then on the Sunday, there was the latest Seek His Face event, at Elim Church, which was interesting. I've been having a difficult time praying recently, because I've been thinking that I've been praying about the same things for ages, and my life doesn't seem to be much different than it was X number of years ago. Or any different. I suppose I may be different, but it's difficult to tell how much and in what ways. And, more importantly, what difference this may make. I don't see what I can do to make much of a change in my circumstances, so it's really up to God; but I don't see Him doing anything (much). Anyway, the guy leading worship had a prophecy for me-that God was tattooing something on me, that I would have a ministry to people who no-one else would want to/be able to. This was very interesting, as one of the things I've been thinking about recently is getting a tattoo, though I haven't decided yet-and also, I went to a prayer meeting recently where the phrase 'soul tattoo' was used. So it seems that it wasn't just something general that could have been said to anyone, the way he said it was as important as what he said. Something to consider, anyway.

After that, it was back to work Monday, as usual, and then on Tuesday (my day off), my mum came round to help me clean the flat. As my flatmate is leaving soon, it will have to be looking good for a new tenant, or the landlord will complain. So, that was both intense and exhausting. And then, after that, what really held up the posting of this post, I got ill. I don't know why, as I don't really get ill that often, but I felt bad enough to be off work. As the last time that happened was about 6 years ago - I can't actually remember - you can see that I wasn't really in any fit state to do this post. Or, indeed, to do anything much. And, just as clearly, you can now see that I'm better. ;). Which is good. And now I have posted. Nice.

Now, Beginnings

Finally I get around to writing another post. Not only is it several days into the new year, but also almost two weeks since I last posted. Pretty much the longest I've ever been between posts. Which in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing, but at this particular time of year, it seems more important. Because it's the New Year, and a time for reflection, it seems that the longer I leave it between posts, the harder it is to write.

And so, one year ends, and another begins. Traditionally a time for taking stock and new beginnings, that sort of thing. Well, there's certainly some new things in my life-quite a few from Christmas. I am currently wearing new socks (marked Tuesday) and sleeping in new bedclothes, among other things. As well as reading new books (of course there would be books). All of which is good, and which I am enjoying; but not really the sort of new things people remember about this time of year.
What people remember is new ideas, new opportunities; even new outlooks on life. As we look back on the good and bad things that happened over the last year, we can see what worked, as it were, and look at the decisions we should make in order to keep going in that direction. And over the past couple of weeks, I've had plenty of inspiration to think about it. In a lot of ways, my life went on pretty much as normal, though there were some pretty amazing things that went on in 2012, such as going to Kenya to do some building work. That was absolutely fantastic, something I will remember for a long time-and I would definitely like to go back. I also signed up to support a child in Kenya through Compassion UK, an 8 year old boy called Benjamin, so I won't ever forget it-maybe someday, I'll be able to meet him. I went to New Wine to help in the art gallery, which was great fun. And actually really relaxing to be around people who were interested in art and creativity, as I don't meet too many. I also wanted to get back into being creative myself, to do some more writing-which worked a bit. The main way that happened was through this blog, which in itself was a great thing, as I've been thinking about doing one for ages, and now I've finally started.
I'm not sure how many of those things I would really have been able to visualise happening the year before. And at the moment, I feel the same way-that I don't really know what is going to happen this year. I have no idea, but I know something is-and I have no doubt that when I look back at the beginning of next year, I'll have some things that I honestly can't visualise right now. I know God can do more than I could ever ask or imagine, and definitely some different things. As long as I'm willing to follow where He leads, I will end up with some very surprising memories.

I look forward to that, and at least having some new things around me at the moment may help remind me of that as the year goes on.

CHRISTMAS!

I had a Christmas celebration earlier this week. You may not have noticed, but it was CHRISTMAS DAY on Tuesday-it happens every year at about the same time.

I went to my mum's on Christmas Eve, and we both went over to my sister's on the day itself. She moved house a couple of months back, so she wanted to host it. Which was nice. I had plenty of time to get ready to get over to my mum's, but I still ended up not getting there until the evening (partly because I started writing the last post I put up). And then I started wrapping the presents. My mum was also wrapping presents as well, so I'm not the only one. I knew I would be able to do it in time, and I really needed an idea on how to wrap some of the more awkwardly shaped ones. As usual, my mum had an answer, and the answer was boxes. Which she had plenty of-or at least enough.
And then, all too soon, it was the day itself. I got up late, which will surprise no-one, so there wasn't really much time to do much before we went over there. I was supposed to help my sister move a couple of months ago, but due to circumstances the moving date got changed, and so this was the first time I'd seen her new place. Which was also nice. It was a very nice place (still is, in fact), and we had a very nice day. My niece tried to get me playing 'hangman' with her and show me her dolls from 'Monster High' at the same time. They include a vampire, a werewolf, a ghost, Frankie Stine and Abi Nominal (a yeti) among others. Not what I was expecting from her, I have to say. Christmas dinner came soon after, which was good, as I hadn't really had breakfast due to getting up late, and then the rest of the day was a mess of crackers and pud and present opening and playing with presents and 'Bop It'-pretty much all at the same time, it seemed. and it was, in general, a very nice day for all concerned. I went back to my mum's and read for a bit and then went to bed. I got up even later on Boxing Day, and didn't really do much all day. Which was nice. I got dropped off by my mum in the evening, as I had to work the next day. So that was my Christmas-which actually was a lot more enjoyable than I make it sound, honestly.

And this in turn, made me think of some things. This was a pretty normal Christmas for me, though usually with a bit more church involved somewhere, but now and again I kept seeing people for whom their experience was anything but 'normal. My flatmate, for instance, was home alone on Christmas Day-what was it like for him? Some chinese people I passed in the street-what was Christmas like for them? A Big Issue seller I spoke to, who lives in a tent-what was Christmas like for her? And the people in the takeaway I went earlier this evening or the Tesco just below me-what was it like for them? I don't know how to answer these questions, maybe I never will; but maybe I should. But at least, I should remember that the questions are there.

Carols-Some By Candlelight

Not exactly chrononlogical this post, as they're spread out over the month; but for me, carols are an integral part of preparing for Christmas. Something I always look forward to and enjoy.

The first one was in the middle of the month-at a university campus. I have a friend who is a chaplain's assistant at the local uni, based at Pittville, which is a bit out of the way. So part of his job is to come up with events that the students can do - and if that has some relationship to church, that's all the better. So, for him, doing a carol service was both good fun, and completely within his remit. I went along because he invited loads of people he knew, presumably with the idea that at least some people would know the carols. And, obviously, we might enjoy it. That's why I went along, anyway. And I definitely did enjoy it. Apart from it being in the S.U. bar, it was a pretty traditional service, though instead of a sermon, the talk was someone giving us his story about how he came to know God. Which was brilliant in itself. I can say that everyone seemed to enjoy it, and he said that one of the students came along to church the next Sunday because of ;)it-and came to know God for herself. Even more brilliant. Well done Joe ;)

The next couple I went to I didn't really get to take part in properly, though I still had a good time. They were both ones at my church, and I was helping serve mulled wine, spiced apple, and mince pies after the service. As a result, I didn't really get to be in the actual service much, as it takes a while to produce enough for several hundred people. In the first one, I went in for a short while, and for the second, there was a video link; which was good, but not quite the same as being in the church. However, in both of these, I had a great time after the service mingling with all and sundry. Lots of people there, including quite a few I hadn't seen for quite some time. After the first, I heard that a couple of people came to know Jesus for themselves, which is also brilliant; haven't heard about the others yet.
And then I went to another service at St Matthews, which was a bit different. A lot more structured (as far as I could tell, anyway), and they had a choir. What was particularly good about this one was that I saw some friends I don't see very often. Which was nice. And then I went back to my church to meet up with people after the service, which was just finishing-nice timing. More mince pies and mulled wine, and the opportunity to actually chat to a few or more people this time. A very good way to prepare for Christmas, in my opinion. :D

New Friends And Old

Had a busy weekend just gone, starting with the first (and only?) Christmas party this year. Which was fun. just a relaxing time with a few friends and some mulled wine, chatting. Nice. And then I went up to Manchester after work the next day. I support a Christian theatre company called In Yer Face, who are connected to the Message Trust, and have done for a while.

But, obviously, them being in Manchester, and me, well, not, means that I don't get to see them that often. So, when they wrote to me recently with the dates of their version of the Nativity, I figured that would be a good opportunity. I'd get to see them perform, and get to meet their newest members, Emily and John. Nice. So I sorted out staying over with John on the Saturday, and arranged to go to their performance at Ivy Manchester, which is the church where a couple of friends of mine go.

So. After a slight(ly strange) mix-up with the trains, which resulted in me having to leave work early, I got into Manchester in the early evening. And then had the slightly surreal experience of going to the house of someone who wasn't there, as John was out for the evening. He is on the Board of Trustees of another theatre company, and they were having a celebration of some kind, which he was attending. But I wasn't left on my own; Emily was there to keep me entertained. We basically chatted for the next few hours, or I did anyway-or, at least, that's what it felt like. Which is strange, as I can be quite quiet when first introduced to someone. We also found time to fit in a couple of episodes of 'Lie To Me', which is a fantastic progamme. So that was the evening.
Sunday morning was also a little strange, because they had to be at the church for about 6:30 to set up and do a run through, and obviously, there was no need for me to be there that early. So they arranged a taxi for me at 9:30, so comparatively I had a fair lie-in. Still earlier than I would normally be up on a Sunday, but as I'd also gone to bed quite a bit earlier, that wasn't a problem. Not likely to happen on a regular basis, though. The taxi arrived, dead on time, which was unexpected, but I was waiting for it-almost as unexpected-and off I went to the church. Or, rather, the Cineworld, which they hire on a semi-regular basis. As I was early for church (also unusual for me), I didn't really know what to do, so I asked someone on the Message Trust stand, and she showed me inside, where I saw a friend I hadn't seen for a while, since he moved up to Manchester to work with the Message Trust. That was unexpected-but brilliant. It was nice to chat to him for a bit, and I did get to chat with the In Yer Face guys before it all started, and I was on my own. I was sitting in the front row somewhere I'd never been before with everyone I knew onstage. But on the other hand, I did have a pretty much perfect view.

It was a bit unexpected, as it turned out to be a bit of a multi-media performance, with carols and live music from Twelve Twenty Four (one of the Message Trust bands), and, of course, In Yer Face. with their version of the Nativity, set in Moss Side.  When I first saw the publicity shot, it made me think about the fact that the first Christmas wasn't nice and fluffy at all, like the impression we sometimes get from Christmas cards; and when I saw the show, this was the overwhelming impression I was left with. When God came down to earth as a man, He didn't choose to make it easy-it almost seemed as if He went out of His way to make things difficult for both the people He chose, and by extension, Himself. A very powerful piece all round.

And then afterwards, after all the packing up and goodbyes, as they had to rush off to their next performance, I went out to join the church for tea and cakes. Thumbs up to that! I met up with the friends I knew who go to the church, and went to lunch with them and some of their friends. Which was nice, spending time with them-and their kids, who are smiley, lively and very noisy. Also a nice thing.
And then I went home, in time to get to church on time-so that was twice in one day, and neither was down to me. During the service, the pastor spontaneously asked if anyone had any encouragements of things God has done, so I got up and told them about the play. Which, 'coincidentally' led into what the speaker was talking about-that when God does stuff, it's very rarely nice and easily understandable, except with hindsight. Something I hope I'll remember.

Some Thoughts

I've been thinking a fair bit recently-occasionally I do that, it helps to pass the time. In a rather confused way, I've been thinking about several things, but mainly three; family/God, creation, and (spiritual) gifts. In various ways. So here is where my thoughts have got to so far-recently, anyway.

To start with, a Bible verse-often a good place to start. Matthew 5:48 says "be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect", which sounds impossible. However, reading around a bit revealed that the word translated 'perfect' would be better translated 'complete', which gives a slightly different slant on things. Clearly, if we are incomplete, then we cannot make ourselves complete; we can get there one of two ways-either we find what is missing and replace it, or (as is much more likely and doable) we grow into it. And with all the mentions of seeds and plants in the Gospels, we can be pretty sure that Jesus is fond of encouraging growth as well. So, how do we grow?

Well, here are two glimpses of families to give a hint, both true. The first is of someone who adopted a son, as a baby. His friends said that over time the boy grew to look more like his adopted dad, and this was because he was picking up some of his mannerisms, and his accent, and the like. The boy was no biological relation, yet he became more like him, because he spent time with him-a lifetime, in fact. And the second is similar. Someone knew a couple at his gym, who were avid weightlifters, and when he met their children, he was unsurprised to see that they were quite well built too. Seems straightforward enough, until you remember that muscle mass is not an inherited characteristic. The only way the children would have got well built, as it were, is to do the same sort of exercise that their parents were doing. So, in both cases, we have children becoming more like their parents by spending time with them, copying them, and doing what they are doing. Therefore, if we want to be more like God, our heavenly Father, we need to spend time with Him, copying Him, and doing what He is doing. The good thing to remember is that to a certain extent this will happen without our conscious effort; but not all. Some of it will require effort on our part, but it will be rewarded.
So, what does God do? Well, the first thing we see God doing in the Bible is creating, and because we are made in His image, we know we can do the same. Not just build, not just shape (which it tells us He does too), but actually create something new; something that didn't exist before. We also see His love of variety, and just, well, revelling in it. And we also know that He created us to be relational beings, saying it was not good for the man to be alone. So, a good place to start being more like Him is probably to try to create, as well as to revel in what has already been created-by Him or by us. And then share what we create, and what we see, hear, experience. Another thing is that we see Him spend time with Adam and Eve, walking with them in the cool of the afternoon, every afternoon by the sound of it. so, we can be sure that if we want to spend time with Him, He will be more than happy to spend time with us.

More than that, He took the initiative. He said that He came to give life, and life to the full, so He is not only wanting us to be complete, but ready and willing to help us all the way. That's why He came. No matter how bad at it, or reluctant we are.

GODSPELL

I had a good evening out on Saturday, first going for a curry (at the splendid Kashmir), and the going to see the Jacob's Well production 'GODSPELL'. And all to welcome back Lydia from China. No need to tell you about the curry, I'm sure you can guess what that was like-and if you can't, I recommend you get along to the Kashmir as soon as you can. But the play was brilliant!

If you've seen 'Godspell' before, you might think you know what it would be like, but it promised that you wouldn't have seen it like this. As I hadn't, I didn't have anything to compare it to, and can just say it was an amazing production in its own right. From the strong, though confusing, start through to the powerful and emotional end, it grabbed my attention and didn't let go.
The way it was set up onstage was to look like a post-apocalyptic children's playground, as if the characters and world were shaped, defined, by something that had happened in the past. Think 'Mad Max', though I also felt it was something like 'Waiting for Godot'-I don't really know why. So, it started with God coming on and walking through His creation, and then He left. And then the people came on. And from that point, it was pretty much non-stop movement, going from one story to another. Word had got around that there was something different about this performance, and the first thing was pretty obvious-there was no-one playing the character of Jesus. Something you might think would be fairly central to the story, but it was something they used to great effect by the simple device of having a coat that got passed around-the wearer playing Jesus for that moment.
There were a couple of other things added to this production that I don't think are in all versions of this play. one thing was that the characters were responding to what Jesus was saying, as the play went on; and as they 'got it', they were spotlit for a moment, pointing up there was something more to their response than just understanding. And this led to the second part of using the coat-there were a couple of people who never wore the coat, never played Jesus, and when the betrayal scene came about, they were the ones who betrayed Him. And then the crucifixion happened. The first point in the play to have a sustained time of silence and stillness, only broken by one of the betrayers' heartbroken repentance. And then darkness fell. And when the light came back, the characters discovered that the gate at the rear of the stage, which had been locked all through, was standing open. The characters were unsure about what to do for a bit, but it wasn't long before they started to make their way through, including one who finally 'got it' just at that point. And they all left the stage through the gate-except one. He refused, and the lights fell with him just sitting, staring at the floor.

That's what I meant by a powerful and emotional ending. All through the play, it was high energy and a hefty dose of humour, which meant that that ending, when it came, was as moving and memorable as it was unexpected. Congratulations, guys, I'm sure this will stay with people for a long time to come...