revmusings

Had a great day off yesterday. It started with burying the ashes of someone which was as always a priviledge.  We then drove to Ikea to get some more water glasses and inevitably other bits and pieces including some great plastic plates and bowls for our grandchildren. We left there to drive to Nottingham in the pouring rain but as we arrived the clouds disappeared and the sun came out which was just as well I wanted to experience the beach they have created in the main square - it was grea: sand, deck chairs, a paddling pool full of children enjoying themselves, places to buy food and drink and some funfair rides, including my childhood favourite, the Helter Skelter. (there is one in Birmingham too this year)

Sat for an hour or so sipping an iced latte, reading the Big Issue and just watching people enjoying themselves in simple time honoured ways. A bit of shopping as well including a real bargin of a cardigan and it was time to head for food at Chinese buffet restaurent.

We then headed to the Theatre to see Bill Bailey - he was, as always, wonderful. An excellent musician, a great comic and a very intelligent man makes for a great evening - at least it was when I got over my vertigo - we were very high up and I sadly had a young couple who were clearly in love and so kept close together so blocking my view unless I cricked my neck and then often put their heads together which meant I couldn't see a thing. Nevertheless they enjoyed the evening and so did I!

If you don't know Bill then check him out on youtube. This is one of my favourite clips: Acts of God http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyD3wYPgOos  ( I don't know how to put the clip on here in full - sorry!)

When I was in India one of the ministers I met was a guy called Suesh - he was working for the diocese, a key person. He is now in the UK and working as an Anglcican vicar here in the city.  I was at his licensing service last night and one of the treats of the evening was an Indian lady dancing to the words of Francis of Assisi's prayer Lord make me a channel of your peace. Many of the moves were explained before as the words with the music were of course, in Tamil.

It was a real priviledge to watch this beautiful dancer express worship in this way - all her movements and facial expressions told you all you needed to know. For me I was just delighted to see this lady's culture melded with her Christian faith - no western white colonialism here. One of the sadnesses for me about my visit to India was the way the church looked like the Anglican church but just with people of a different culture doing it dressed as we would be (well not me, cassocks and albs don't do it for me) and singing English Victorian hymns albeit in Tamil. Finally here was someone who had stayed true to who they are as an Indian whilst expressing their Christian faith.

She is doing a PhD on Dance and Theology - fascinating- can't wait to read it.

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Facebook is now very widespread in its use, even amongst church folk! Yesterday I was in a group where we discussed the various dilemmas we had as ministers with regard to it.

• Should ministers have church members as friends?
• Should ministers have young people as friends - Safe To Grow stuff
• It seems some people are using it to share information which should be really kept within the confines of the church and/or are using it to vent their disgruntlement with church/minister and/or spreard gossip- should minister be monitoring it and/or preaching on the ethical use of Facebook

In some ways these are not new dilemmas but with Facebook they are very public and very easy for it all to get out of hand!

Anyone out there know of any advice available?

We keep talking about the church as a family and that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ so this cartoon from ASBO Jesus struck home with me with regard to visiting people:

How often do we as minsiters,  hear people say visiting is not my gift - I wonder whether these folk would therefore not visit their spouse, parent, child, good friend if they were in hopsital, or ill, or housebound, or naked, or in prison.....

Today I went to pick up my new car with much excitment and trepidation. I beagn to drive and after a few minutes I went round a very busy intersection and the car stalled - tried to start it but to no avail - my husband got in the car and got it started but a few seconds- later it died again and then a few minutes later as we tried to get it back to the garage. Phoned the breakdown who hadn't even got us registered yet it was so new but sent a very nice RAC man ti help - Phoned the garage who said - sounds like its got the wrong fuel in it. RAC man confirms this as he smells petrol in my new diesel car! He gest us to the garage you meet as as we arrive all apologies.

In the van the RAC man tells me to get angry so I am fuming when I get there and tell them what for - I refuse - its not fault of the people who meet me: the salesman and receptionist - but some technician who didn't check when sent to put some fuel in it - a careless mistake for which he going to get a rollicking tomorrow. Because I am nice the RAC man launches in and tells them I should have compensation of a full tank of petrol at the very least and apparently continued to harange them after I had left with a coutesy car!

I got my car back later in the day the tank having been drained and flushed through and a full tank of petrol - and a huge bunch of flowers for being so understanding and a very apologetic person.

I hope that being graceful rather than angry made a good impression on them - they know I am a minister - so I hope today they caught a glimpse of the God of grace.

PS one thing that did anger me was the assumption of the faces of the guys in the car  behind when I swopped seats with my husband that it was typical of a woman to not be able to drive a car properly!

Yesterday I recieved a forwarded e-mail that had a power point attached to it. Its was a series of photos of the Holocaust one of which said that it had been withdrawn from the History syllabus in schools so as not to offend the Muslims. The person who sent it to me did not see it as anti-Muslim but I am sure others will - he felt it was just good to make sure we never forget what happened.

A few minutes on the internet discovered the possible source of this belief about Muslims

There was a report that some teachers avoided, at primary level, difficult subjects such as the Crusades in order to avoid upsetting young children - there was NO suggestion that the Holocaust was removed in order not to offend Muslims, or at their request

This seems to be to anti Muslim propaganda or the sometimes overly policially correct bureaucrats who say things offend Muslims, or Sikhs or whoever but have never actually asked the people concerned what they think! I suspect it was teachers trying to aviod tricky subjects!

It has not been withdrawn from the syllabus at all:

ttp://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/oct/21/alevels.schools- clearly states that the Holocaust is in the syllabus and even helps students to refute deniers

http://www.cheney.oxon.sch.uk/_files/History%20Pdfs/how_to_succeed_at_gcse_history_may_2009.pdf
This shows the Holocaust as a key coursework subject in this years Edexcel syllabus!

The same paper that reported about teachers not teaching the Crusades or the Holocaust also said:

One school found itself 'strongly challenged by some Christian parents for their treatment of the Arab-Israeli conflict-and the history of the state of Israel that did not accord with the teachings of their denomination'.

Which all goes to show we need to be careful what we forward in case it is misunderstood and whoever created it in the first place (to be sent around the world!) needs to check their facts

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

Every day for the last week I have seen a car parked on double yellow lines outside the church and the male driver get out and go and work as a labourer at a house over the road.  When I saw it for the second time I phoned the Blue Badge Sheme organisers in our city and reported it but still a week late he is still doing it so clearly nothing has been done.  This makes me feel angry as the Blue Badge Scheme is a real lifeline for many disabled and elderly people and such misuse brings the whole thing into disrepute. Not sure what else I can do bar phone the scheme every day and harrass them but that takes up their valuable time... grrrrrrr

Took time out last night to go and see the new Potter film. I loved the books, even to the point of reading the last one on the morning of its release in a very long queue to get into Gatwick airport - along with many others of all age in the two hour wait and flight!

The film in and of itself was good, great acting, the child actors have really matured and at one point the whole audience jumped together.

BUT!

The film focused on the teenagers and their relationships - the agonies of young love and boys not coping with watching their sister's in passionate kisses with their friends.

There was virtually no classes, no learning of new skills, virtually no magic and only two real scenes of tension. Even the death of a major character seemed muted - I cried when I read the book and am want to do the same when I see the film but this left me dry eyed and they missed the magnificent funeral scene.

I came away sadly disappointed - for me and for many other fans its the learning and using of magic, the struggle of good and evil, the tensions of making moral choices that make the books enjoyable. I know you can't include everything from such a packed book but to turn it into a teenflick was disappointing, for me at least. I hope the next two films deliver on those elements as they have given themselves two films to cover a very large book.