Yet again I must apologies to my many regular readers who have noticed that I haven't posted anything here since Tuesday 15 October. The simple fact is that we have had quite an emotional week with, in particular, family difficulties. Let me hasten to add, however, that I am not talking here about any problems between Sara and myself or within our own family unit here in Winterslow but within our wider family. Much of what I would have wanted to write, therefore, has had to be confined to a private journal and not published in this blog. There has been much reflection, theological and otherwise, and as I write this, feel so much better.
Picking up from Wednesday morning, I attended Mid-Week Eucharist at Whaddon as usual followed by a meeting of the Team Staff at Alderbury Vicarage. On Thursday I met with my Rector at the Rectory for our monthly 1:1 meeting and following working on consultancy matters in the afternoon I was picked up by Mike M-J to attend Deanery Synod at Sarum College in the evening. It was a most unusual meeting in that the Deanery Mission Project chosen for 2014 was, in fact, two organisations - there being a dead heat. We chose The Bridge Project (Christian Education in Schools) and Living Water (a charity whose main purpose is to provide clean drinking water to villages in Africa). It will be interesting to see how this develops as we have never before had two different (and in this case quite different) charities. Sara and James together with Ivan and Paul held the House Group and watched Nicky Gumbel in an Alpha Course session on "Why did Jesus Die?"
Friday morning started at the Grasmere House Hotel with Ambassadors Business Breakfast where the speaker was Mark from Downton who gave a short illustrated talk about how Salisbury has changed in the last 50 years with great anecdotes. The biggest change came about by the building of the inner ring road. I had morning coffee with Bill at Alderbury before doing a three-hour stint at Alabare Place. The three hours flew by as I was engaged with clients the whole time and had some great talks with many. Trying to get work is proving difficult for many of them - those particularly who want to work. This afternoon we had a pastoral visit from Cynthia after which both Sara and I were feeling much better. In fact, my stint at the homeless drop-in centre had actually done me the world of good. This evening we had our great nephew, Rio, over to stay with us for the weekend. He really does love staying over. I went down with James and Richard to the Lord Nelson this evening as we shall not all be available for our usual Sunday evening at the Lion's Head (Aston villa are playing at home!)
An exciting and different Saturday. Sara, Rio, Mary and I went to Devizes to witness the sale of Wallace Hartley's violin which was recovered from his body after Titanic sank. This was the same violin on which "Nearer my God to Thee" had been played in the final moments of that great and tragic ocean liner. The instrument finally went to telephone bidder for £900,000! Sara and I bid £50 for a bit of fun knowing that we were quite safe to do so. In the same sale I successfully bid for the cheapest item - a set of ship's biscuit tins for £10! In the news tonight the BBC said that the auction had resulted in items being sold for between £10 and £900,000. I was the £10! Great fun. After the sale we had drinks with our friends Nicki and Richard whom we hadn't seen for such a long time. Both looked younger than ever and in great health and spirits. We have agreed that we must try and attend Titanic conventions again - especially as next year they are being held back in Southampton. Rio had a wonderful time and remarked that he thought the buyer of the violin had been ripped off because he couldn't even play it! We ended the day in Devizes eating rather good fish and chips from The Lemon Plaice.
On Sunday I had arranged to get somebody else to administer the chalice at Winterslow's Parish Eucharist and went along with Sara and Rio to St. Paul's Church in Salisbury instead. A wonderful uplifting service. Rio really enjoyed going to one of the children's groups and Sara and I were treated to a really good sermon from the Rev. Brian Meardon who spoke about Mission in a most engaging way - entreating us all to live out the Christian life in our everyday life. He spoke along similar lines to my own preaching and had the congregation spellbound. I felt on quite a high again after the service which also consisted of Holy Communion. This afternoon I went along to the Italianate church in Wilton to witness a number of Clarendon students receive their Aldhelm Certificate from the Bishop of Salisbury. He spoke very well and expressed his concern that so many of the candidates were women (probably 80%) and wondered if this was indicative of the churches in the Diocese. I think it probably is and was something I had also remarked upon earlier in the week when I saw the list of Clarendon candidates (100% female). This really does show the need for men's ministry and I am currently thinking of ways of widening pub theology within the Team. Busy week ahead as we prepare for our holiday in the sun.
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