Hello, remember me?
There's a certain irony in the fact that I resolve to keep blogging and then leave it for weeks before blogging again. I don't have an excuse (not sure I need one) but I do feel the need to say something!
It's been an odd few weeks, lots of bitty things needed doing, there were some significant funerals (as previously mentinoed) and life in the parishes of this Five Alive Mission Community has continued apace. We have also been in 'Harvest Season' - and though I've not been out in the fields with a scythe we do take Harvest Thanksgiving seriously in rural areas, so far I have clocked up Six harvest festival services and one harvest assembly - I still have two assemblies to go. My colleague and Associate Priest Anne looked after one of the school Harvest celebrations (having done them all last year). Because my mind has been so focussed on the harvest, along with just keeping things running, I've not really felt reflective enough to write anything. Life goes on and my brain power hasn't been applied to anything other than the ordinary.
But then God is as much in the ordinary as in the special and significant. "THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God" wrote Gerard Manley Hopkins in his poem 'God's Grandeur'. Hence me feeling not too bad about having been away from the blogging world for a while - it's been the meetings, conversations, visit to the pub, parish events and school visits that have kept my attention and not the certain level of exploring my inner life which blogging depends upon.
I do feel now, though, that I am reaching the end of the first year of my time here in these parishes and my mind and heart are turning to a more reflective bent. It has been apparent in the last few days as I have found myself drifting off to where I was this time last year, looking forward to coming to a new group of Parishes, a new stage in ministry, a new home whilst feeling torn at leaving good colleagues and friends behind. I do miss those I used to work and live with, I miss friends we made over eight years in the Papworth Team Ministry, I miss the roles I had within the wider church, particularly in training lay ministers and I miss my proximity to Cambridge and the resources there - as I had been considering taking up a Ph.D or a Doctorate in Ministry.
So you may find me on blogger every five minutes in the coming weeks, or at least more frequently than I have been - which wouldn't be difficult - or maybe not, we shall see. I now need to visit all the excellent blogfolk I have been neglecting and if you haven't been for a while I urge you to check out Dr John, Quilly, Melli, Bill, George and Sank and all the other links on the sidebar- I will be soon. Catch you later...
PS Despite the lack of blogging I am enjoying keeping up with Tweeting, and my twitterfeed in the right hand column lets people know what I have been doing.... If you follow me i will follow back :-)
It's been an odd few weeks, lots of bitty things needed doing, there were some significant funerals (as previously mentinoed) and life in the parishes of this Five Alive Mission Community has continued apace. We have also been in 'Harvest Season' - and though I've not been out in the fields with a scythe we do take Harvest Thanksgiving seriously in rural areas, so far I have clocked up Six harvest festival services and one harvest assembly - I still have two assemblies to go. My colleague and Associate Priest Anne looked after one of the school Harvest celebrations (having done them all last year). Because my mind has been so focussed on the harvest, along with just keeping things running, I've not really felt reflective enough to write anything. Life goes on and my brain power hasn't been applied to anything other than the ordinary.
But then God is as much in the ordinary as in the special and significant. "THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God" wrote Gerard Manley Hopkins in his poem 'God's Grandeur'. Hence me feeling not too bad about having been away from the blogging world for a while - it's been the meetings, conversations, visit to the pub, parish events and school visits that have kept my attention and not the certain level of exploring my inner life which blogging depends upon.
I do feel now, though, that I am reaching the end of the first year of my time here in these parishes and my mind and heart are turning to a more reflective bent. It has been apparent in the last few days as I have found myself drifting off to where I was this time last year, looking forward to coming to a new group of Parishes, a new stage in ministry, a new home whilst feeling torn at leaving good colleagues and friends behind. I do miss those I used to work and live with, I miss friends we made over eight years in the Papworth Team Ministry, I miss the roles I had within the wider church, particularly in training lay ministers and I miss my proximity to Cambridge and the resources there - as I had been considering taking up a Ph.D or a Doctorate in Ministry.
So you may find me on blogger every five minutes in the coming weeks, or at least more frequently than I have been - which wouldn't be difficult - or maybe not, we shall see. I now need to visit all the excellent blogfolk I have been neglecting and if you haven't been for a while I urge you to check out Dr John, Quilly, Melli, Bill, George and Sank and all the other links on the sidebar- I will be soon. Catch you later...
PS Despite the lack of blogging I am enjoying keeping up with Tweeting, and my twitterfeed in the right hand column lets people know what I have been doing.... If you follow me i will follow back :-)
Comments
Alastair, when you are gone I just trust that God has you doing what you are meant to do.
Like Quilly said I am sure God has you doing what he wants you to do whilst you are away from the Blog.
So, it's the end of the first YEAR already... wow! Frankly, I'm surprised you've had TIME to miss anything! Ministering to 5 parishes is no easy task - not even for 5 Vicars! And I bet you have firmly settled yourself into the hearts of ALL your parishoners... and they in you.