Saints first loss of the season

Unlike yesterday, a much quieter day today spent mainly at home.  Thom did his early morning paper rounds and I had a fairly lazy morning.  This afternoon Thom and I listened on the radio and watched the football scores with Southampton losing away to Norwich 1-0. This means they have dropped to ninth place in the Premier League this evening.  On a brighter note, Liverpool beat their great rivals, Manchester United, 1-0 at Anfield - a wonderful result which is now putting Liverpool in definite contention for the championship this year - all without Suarez too! 

Installed as Wiltshire Masters' Master

A very special day for me today - but unlike yesterday a very busy one too.  I busied myself in the study in the early part of the morning before attending a special meeting of the Winterslow PCC to discuss the parish's strategic plan for the church's mission.  It seems that the three major areas which the church wishes to concentrate on are children and youth, house groups and heritage. It remains to be seen how these strands of mission will develop.  For my part, I have to concentrate on providing overall ministry to the group of churches and parishes within the team with an emphasis on outreach - particularly men's ministry.  This evening was very special indeed as I was installed, at Devizes, as the Worshipful Master of Wiltshire Masters' Lodge No. 6731 and this was particularly special as I was installed by the Provincial Grand Superintendent for the Holy Royal Arch with the assistance of the Provincial Grand Master with a galaxy of high ranking Masons in attendance. A report can be found at : http://www.pglwilts.org.uk/news/view/master-to-minister-in-30-days.  A lovely evening indeed in the company of 78 colleagues and friends. The food too was excellent - mackerel pate, roast pork, rice pudding and cheese and biscuits.  Everybody was so pleasant - like on your wedding day, and I felt an enormous amount of pride (and humility) in having been chosen and installed in this most prestigious of positions in Wiltshire Province. It will mean quite a bit of travelling around the country visiting other Masters' lodges and I already have accepted invitations to Dorset, Hampshire and Warwickshire.  I think I need to get a driver. 

More Bodyline

A quiet day at home today spent learning some words for the ceremony at Devizes tomorrow and some piecemeal gardening.  We were due to have a house group tonight and Sara got out a film for us all to watch – but unfortunately nobody came.  Sara decided to watch, instead, the remake of Lion in Winter some of which I also watched as well as watching another couple of episodes of Bodyline on my computer. I wonder how many people can remember the series, and in particular the haunting music? Tonight's episodes reached the climax with Oldfield's injury from the bowling of Larwood.  Just one more episode to go.   I also prepared for sending out some more invitations to my licensing ceremony and celebration on 28^th September.  The weather continues to be hot and humid.

 

Rehearsal in Marlborough

Another warm day today.  I attended the Mid-Week Eucharist at Whaddon this morning which was taken by Jane and well attended.  Afterwards, I drove to Redlynch to deliver some of Mary's old clothes to Lucy and pick up some kitchenware which Sara had bought at one of her recent parties. From Redlynch I called in at Tesco to fill the car with fuel and then into Salisbury city centre to deliver some towels and bedding for Alabare House.  After visiting the bank I returned home for a short time.  In the late afternoon I drove up to Marlborough for a meeting with David and Max to rehearse the Installation Ceremony for Friday night when I will be installed as the Master of Wiltshire Masters' Lodge 6731.  I need to brush up on my obligation before Friday and will take time out to learn the words perfectly.

A trip to Winchester

The weather has continued to be very warm and I woke up quite hot in the night.  There had been an annoying fly in our bedroom which we had managed to expel only for it to lie in wait in the family room!  got up quite late - although Sara stayed in bed a little longer - and made tea and sausage sandwiches for breakfast.  Went for a short walk this morning to the shop and to deliver some more invitations to my licensing ceremony and luncheon.  Thom was being enrolled at Peter Symonds College today and we all drove to Winchester, dropping him off whilst Sara, Mary and I walked into the city centre for a drinks at Café Nero.  I also called in at the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Shop to but a half price replacement fleece for the one I have lost (when I got home I found the missing one in my wardrobe tucked in with my football shirts!).  We stopped off at the Grosvenor Hotel in Stockbridge on the way back and had lunch and a drink there - the beer is cheaper than the village pubs.  How can that be!  Adnams IPA which was an excellent choice on a warm day.  My car registered 31 degrees C when we returned to it.  Back home I had a short doze before setting about mowing the bank - which was hard work in the heat but it looked lovely afterwards.  This evening I went for a 1.75 miles walk to deliver some more invites (both for my do and also our friends' 50th birthday party).  I also was given a fresh trout - caught only this morning by friends from church - who said that they liked my sermons. I have frozen it but shall look forward to eating it later in the week.  A quiet evening in tonight - writing up my blog and following the football score - Southampton have beaten Barnsley 1-5 in the Second Round of the League Cup.  A great win by our second team.  I have wonderful hopes for Saints this season. 

August Bank Holiday - At Alabare Place

August Bank Holiday.  In the past this has been such an important day (when I was working full-time) but since I left Friends it seems more like an ordinary day now.  For those for whom it was an additional holiday the day was gloriously hot and I am sure many went down to the beach.  I decided to do my "stint" at Alabare Place as the bank holiday makes little difference to the homeless.  The Drop-In Centre was buzzing today with few staff on.  I made tea and coffee for the staff and chatted to a number of service users who are now getting used to seeing me around and have a better understanding of my role - I even got to talking to one woman about the existence of God.  I remember some of the words from John's sermon last night - quoting from the French poet Paul Claudel  "Speak about Christ only when asked; But live so that people ask about Christ".  Some of the service users clearly do want to talk about their faith. I love that and have written it down in my learning journal.  Another great topic for a sermon, although Sara doesn't agree with Claudel as she has just read that 50% of Americans for example, don't know any Christians to ask so doesn't think that is the way forward..  More debates ahead I think. I would be interested to read any comments on this posted here.  This afternoon I indulged in one of the usual Bank Holiday pursuits - gardening- and mowed the two internal lawns.  In the heat it was quite hard work but satisfying.  The green bin is already two-third full of greenery and I have just seen the grass on the bank which also needs a serious cut - the penalty for going away for the best part of a week.

Salvation - Like Sinking in the Mud

I went to St. John’s Church this morning (8 am Eucharist) which was taken by the curate, Andrew who spoke about the Sabbath and that resting on Sundays means doing things that you like to do – to take time out – not necessarily doing nothing.  Sara and Mary went to St. Paul’s in Salisbury this morning (Mary really enjoying it especially as the children are encouraged to join in and the worship songs were ones she knew from Spring Harvest).  I spent the morning working on the Evensong service which I am taking at Whaddon this evening.  Lunch today was BBQ chicken which I cooked on the BBQ outside – it being another warm summer’s day.  I wasn’t preaching at Whaddon this evening – just leading – and I had chosen four well known hymns and wrote the intercessions.  The reading were all quite long and the Roman Catholic Deacon preached (as well as playing the piano which certainly enlivened the worship).  A nice service – even if I say so myself – and I came away feeling quite uplifted – especially by the Deacon’s wonderful sermon in which he described salvation as being like Jesus jumping into quicksand to save a sinking man and going under the mud and dying as a result in order to push the sinking man from a certain death.  He likened the crucifixion to this.  A really strong illustration which I have written down in my journal and may use myself on a future occasion.  Back home, Richard had called and I joined him at 9 p.m. at an unusually full Lion’s Head. Apparently the cricket team were in and they had sent out for a Chinese takeaway.  Richard and I were given some prawn crackers and spring rolls as we drank our beer on a separate table.  I felt quite uplifted today – thanks a great deal to John’s sermon – and shall sleep well tonight.