Back to it!!!

Well back to it today!!! Glad I had got everything ready but still always a suprise about how you feel. Preached today about the dignity of humanity that is shown because of the incarnation. Began the sermon by saying I was not going to preach the same sermon on this Sunday as last year, to be fair it got a laugh. I hope at least people understood what I was trying to say, which was we are important because we are loved by God, therefore we should love and look after ourselves and one another because we are children of God. Seems all to easy to say in a few lines but much more difficult to do. Two answerphone messages about funerals already, so back to it in every way!!!

Time out!

In the days since Christmas it has been good to be off. I have had time to reflect, eat well and catch up on my sleep. Though I have only been off for four days the complete change of routine and surrounding have I felt done me good. It has also been good to be away from the Church and to take time to pray and meditate on my own. I finished the Christmas Day Masses with just an enormous feeling of relief and could not wait to pack the car and escape. Sad that this is how Christmas makes you feel, but it is certainly the effect that it seems to have on me. Came home and tonight trimmed beard and unfortunately it looks that the Christmas over indulgence seems to have expanded my face once again. Oops more serious attempts at dieting I think!!!

Stop or Non Stop ?

I suppose the lack of posts on the blog this month says it all! It has just been non stop. Though at times I think advent demands more stop than non! So it was good on Saturday morning that the Fairacres Chronicle came it the post and I took the opportunity to sit down and to enjoy reading it. The one great theme that seemed to come out of it time and time again was STOP, BE STILL. LISTEN. So among all the Carol services, Christingle and general festivities there needs to be a time to stop and to listen to that still small voice. Thank God for the vocations of places like Fairacres and Crawley Down, these are two Anglican contemplative orders the first for women and the second a mixed community where I am a Probationary Associate. I hope that for 2008 I will learn the wisdom of stopping and of listening for that still small voice taking the opportunity to discern where God is leading me and taking suitable time to reflect. It was good to preside at the Said Mass this morning where there was an opportunity for space and for silence I pray that it will sustain me through what will be the busyiness of the next 24 hours!

Something is missing!!!!

As witnessed in a "Christmas" shop Nativity scene.

One ends and another begins!

Very strange Sunday today as I did not preside at the Eucharist. Strange to be back at the Cathedral having been elsewhere on cover for the last two weeks. Today we kept the Sunday Before Advent the wonders of Christ the King being too modern for us. Before the Post Communion we stirred the Christmas pudding as a practical reenactment of "Stir up Sunday". So the end of another liturgical year and once more returning to riches of Advent and a profound sense of expectation. Also had the rota and noticed that once again I am preaching on the First Sunday after Christmas and do not think I can get away with another sermon on New Years Resolutions!

Reflect to prepare

Felt the need for some time away on Saturday morning to prepare my sermon. Had a lift to Neath with Karen. Good to chill for a while in a coffee shop and put together my final ideas for my sermon for the Sunday Eucharist. Enjoyed too the train ride home. Presided twice at the Eucharist on Sunday in Merthyr. I could have done with a boat to get there rather than a car. Good to have a warm welcome from Fr Wayne the NSM Deacon and the Parishoners and good to go to churches that could articulate by their decoration and accessibility their mission and ministry. Oh if it were only the same everywhere!

1662 and all that!!

A very busy and varied day today to say the least. Attended the funeral of John Morris one of the parishoners who had been ill for a while. He and his wife Mary had been deeply devoted to the Church and to one another and very committed to running Quiet Days in the Ignatian tradition. From there it was on to the College Eucharist at St Michael's College with Karen my wife. As with many other things you are never sure what to expect in St Michael's and tonight was no exception. It was 1662 Holy Communion in surplice and black scarf. I went to dinner thinking how could anyone possibly want to retain it. It is so wordy and turgid! I sat there thinking to myself it was no wonder before the Parish Communion movement most people went to Matins! I suppose it was a good exercise in history but as an experience of worship it did nothing for me at all.
After St Michael's it was off to the a licensing at St Nicholas for the new Priest in Charge of the East Vale Team the Rev Rachael Lewis. I have helped out there for about the last two years in the small scattered rural community and it has been a good experience. It was very good to see the Church at St Nicholas so full and to enjoy the hospitality afterwards. After such a long vacancy I hope things work out well for the future!

All Saints & All Souls.

Both All Saints and All Souls have dominated the last week concluding yesterday with preaching at a Rememberance Service in the Church of the Resurrection Glan Ely. This was the first time they had done this and rather than the usual ten that turned up for a Requiem Mass on All Souls' Day there were over 150 people present for the service. All the families of those who had funeral services in the parish in the last year were invited. I took as my theme Hope and Healing. I must admit it was difficult to pitch it and make sure it was right. The naming of the departed and the candle lighting was a lengthy business but at the same time intensly moving.

The Two evening Eucharists at the Cathedral were well attended too with slightly more at All Souls than All Saints. Last year I read the book For All the Saints by Bishop Tom Wright and despite the fact I would place myself firmly on the Catholic wing of the Church I cannot help but agree with many of the points that he makes. Anyway more about that another time!

Back home

Last Sunday for the first time since I was ordained it was good to return to Briton Ferry to lead worship. I was glad it was in better circumstances than the closure of St Clements. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits it is just a shame there are not more people. Thought it may be the one Sunday as I was not in the cathedral that there would be no other clergy present. How wrong I was! We were joined by Fr Mike Gillingham a parish priest from Sheffield whose wife was from Briton Ferry, they were down for a few days on annual leave.

It was the most positive that I have felt on a Sunday for a long time and good to lead a community in prayer. I was also struck by the warmth of the community and the welcome that I recieved. It was good to see some of the work done on the Church and how the parish was developing. Hard to know what to preach on when you go back home so I opted for talking about how we all needed the humility of the tax collector in the Parable about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. I had to hedge my bets because there were three options on the Lectionary that day. The rest of the week has just been playing catch up with all the things I have needed to do and some that I really should have done last week but didn't!

Variety is the spice of life

Variety is the spice of life. Or at least that is something that applies today.The day began with the Eucharist @ 7.30am before proceeding with what seemed at times undue haste towards Parish Prayers @ the Bishop of Llandaff High School. After some brief recovery time it was time to lead a funeral taking along Andrew Thomas an ordinand on placement from St Michael's College. In contrast with the sorrow and often suppressed grief that manifests itself on these occasions this funeral was reasonable joyful. The lady who had died was 93 and until she had developed dementia had enjoy a full life. So it was good to celebrate her life and also for her Grandson to speak about her life.
Following that it was on to sick communions which I had the privilage to share in one household with relatives that were visiting as well. Glad after that to take some time out for a walk and some thinking time. Finally then to Evening Prayer which was said as it was the school holidays. So a satisfying and varied day if only they were all so pleasant!

Journey of Life - Pulling together the fragments!

At the moment I am putting together a funeral homily about the life of Ron Quinn. He worshipped faithfully at the Cathedral and lived in a Cathedral View a rest home in Gabalfa. Strange after his death I learned far more about him than I knew in life. He was a mixture of eccentricity and stubborness but was firm in the Catholic faith and attendance at the eucharist. he was as his sister put it a rover who moved around from place to place and if you did not keep in touch with him he would not keep in touch with you. But it has been facsinating putting together the fragments of his life and one thing is at the centre of all of these fragments and it is his faith. Wherever he lived he made sure he went to church and joined in (as much as he ever did the Christian community) Thank God that the Church is there for those at the margins and long will it continue to be so!!!

Quiet Evening on Contemplative Prayer

Still been feeling terrible this week but have tried to keep going. Had to miss a training day I had been looking forward to on Thursday but made the effort in the evening to go to lead a Quiet Evening in St John's Ystradyfodwg. This church was built in the 1980's to replace two other churches in the parish. It has recently been joined with the Parish of St Peter's Pentre to form a Benefice (much like the one that was disbanded there about 20 years ago). It was good to have about 30 people present to listen to my talk and to participate in methods of contemplative prayer. However with so much material and so little time it was like trying to run a marathon in an hour. But at least they were keen and good things are beginning to go on there. They are thinking of forming a Prayer Group and interested in deeping the spiritual life of the Parish. So I was very glad that despite feeling terrible I made the effort.

Kept telling myself this week that I would try to tidy the study and get on with my MA assignment but lacked the concentration for either! Jusst hope this cold finally goes soon!!!

Sniff!

Why is it that whenever I book leave I am ill? Answers on a postcard please. Have spent most of the week recovering from what I can only describe as extreme tiredness. Made the usual sensible pledges this week. Take a proper day off when you go back to work etc.... I wonder how long it will last. Sadly went to give the Last Rites to one of my favourite parishioners last night Ronnie Quinn who is dying of cancer. Ronnie is one of lifes quiet people an eccentric who in his younger years before he moved into Cathedral View retirement home had a love of piling his flat up with all sorts of rubbish each to his own. But he was a man of true faith and I knew that he was truly ill when he missed the Eucharist for more than two Sundays. But what a privilage to see him at the end and what a true old gent. A man who despite his earthly limitation knew much more about God in Jesus and the Christian faith than many who think they know far better. As he prepares for his end let us pray it is peaceful and he does not suffer for too long.
Spent most of today feeling dreadful with a very bad cold and trying to ignore several work related messages that are best ignored!!!!

Prayer Vigil - Follow the vision

Reasonably busy Sunday as I was the President and Preacher at the 9am Family Eucharist. It seemed to be a while since I had done this so it was good to be back. Having deaconed at 11 am I decided to get some exercise on the bike only to discover that it had a flat tyre and a buckled wheel. Took it to Halfords they were not interested. "Can't touch it mate " he said "cause its not from here." Oh well!

After coming back I spent some time preparing for the Franciscan slot for the Follow the Vision Prayer Vigil taking place in the Cathedral from Sunday night to Monday night. I have decided to use some meditations on the Crucifixion and Resurrection indispersed with silence and readings from the Third Order Principles. Hope it all goes alright and I must be honest I am glad it is the last thing I have to do before I enjoy a few days leave. Thought with this post I would include the view from my study window of the Cathedral and on a franciscan theme an icon on the meeting of St Francis and St Clare. I intend to have a break so no posts this week I think!

Society of Catholic Priests @ Llandaff Cathedral

It was splendid on Thursday the Feast of St Vincent de Paul to be the principle celebrant for the Local Chapter of SCP and to hear a talk after by Jeffery John, Dean of St Albans about his book the Meaning of Miracles. I must admit I have not read it but he entertained us well for an hour with examples of the true spiritual meaning behind miracles. That was certainly useful to me this week especially in preparing a sermon about Building on the rock or the sand. Feel very much this week that I have been built entirely on the Sand as I feel terrible and so have survived on Red Bull and ibubrofen (kids don't try this at home). But hopefully from today on I will feel a little less grim, especially next week as I am on leave from Cathedral duties.
Hoping to keep on with the diet and that the scales will go in the right direction but most of all I am looking forward to the space to chill and be peaceful. Here's hoping anyway!

Wenvoe and St Lythans

Hard to believe it is a week since I last posted. But it has been a frantic week with so many competing things to do. Four funerals and planning to take Rhodri back to Trinity College, Carmarthen. But it was delightful today to preside at the Eucharist in Wenvoe and St Lythans. Both of these churches are very beautiful and both reasonably well attended. Took ages to get any inspiration for the sermon today about the Untrustworthy Steward Luke 16:1-13, but got there in the end. Heartened this week by the fact the Archbishop feels unable to sign the covenant. Really hope that he sticks to this because I would find it difficult to belong to a church that insisted on adherence to a very narrow view of human sexuality based on taking small extracts from the bible out of context. What the archbishop said to the Governing Body can be found on the Church in Wales website and is well worth reading http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/

So as I begin another week which tomorrow will be focused on a Spirituality Committee meeting and seeing a directee in the afternoon I hope that the battle for an inclusive, tolerant and loving church is not one that will be lost!

Exhausted!

Well nearly three months after I should have done something about it on Friday morning the exhaust fell off the Rover. I can remember reading something in Steven Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective people about the maintainence of equipment. When will I learn. Luckily whilst doing a funeral Paul from Pigeons the undertaker was able to put me in touch with a garage who would not rip me off so I will get on to that on Monday.

On cover today in Dinas Powys but waking up at 6am when it was very dark disorientated me considerably. That and the fact there was no coffee in the house meant that I was quite sluggish by the time I arrived for the 8am in St Peters even more sluggish at the 9am in St Andrew's but mercifully I was invited back for coffee to the Old Rectory between the 9am and the 10.30am so I could revive bit. Realised when I got up into the pulpit at the 10.30am that something was missing my sermon notes which were still on the pulpit in St Andrew's. In fact in some strange way the attempt to remember what I had written was better than what I had delivered in the 9am. Trying to focus to finish off my book review for my MA which I think I will try to do tomorrow. Also had to funeral visits this afternoon and going to preach in compline in a bit. So a busy day!!!

Feast of the Triumph of the Cross

Today the Triumph of the Cross as the Roman Missal puts it or Holy Cross Day as the Church In Wales Prayer Book calls it brings to mind Holy Cross Church where I worshipped during my teenage years. So it was good today to be able to Preside at the Eucharist twice. First at the Cathedral at 7am and then at St Luke's Canton at 6.30pm. I had not presided at St Luke's before so it was a special privilage and wonderful to celebrate in the Anglo Catholic tradition that I had been used to before my ordination.

Very challenging funeral this morning! (Enough said) Being told to Shut up within the first thirty seconds was not a good start. Nevertheless it went okay after that. But it was a large contrast with the memorial service of Linton Slack one of the Cathedral parishioners which was a model of Anglican dignity. After that I headed out and about to deliver some things to parishoners and did some visits. Back then to chaperone choir practice before Youth Group. No one turned up tonight apart from my helper and we had a chance to chat about meditation etc. The early arrival home meant that no one else was back yet so I took the opportunity for some meditation which when I have done it always makes me think I should be more disciplined about it. Though today as well about some of my current projects and commitments and looking at how many of them I need to consider cutting back on.

The Rover backbox fell off this morning which was inconvient if not a little funny but more on that later!

Exercise and assorted pastoral duties

Got back on the bike for the first time this week. Think just about everything that could began to ache. However once I had got going it did get easier. Llandaff Fields and Bute Park are at least superb for cycling. It was a wonderfully sunny day too and I was suprised at how few other people were around. There were a few joggers, cyclists and dogwalkers but otherwise it was peaceful. Having gone and cycling I know feel better. At least (hopefully) I will lose weight (eventually) but it is a start. I suppose if I can stop putting it on that is at least a positive beginning.

The rest of the day was given to a funeral visit in Ely and then a visit to Busy Bees, a toddler group in the parish and then to visit an elderly parishioner who is very unwell. The rest of the day was given over to other pastoral duties including thinking about the Sunday sermon and what to do with the Sunday School scheme of work.

In the midst of life

Sad day today with two funerals of reasonable young people one 45 and the other 65. Although both died as a result of long term illnesses nevertheless their death dealt a sudden and swift blows to both families. In the midst of all this tragedy it is easy to be caught in a cycle on negativity and despair. Despite this there was however a certain amount of joy in both of the funerals as we celebrated the distinct gifts that they had to offer.

After that back to the study where I have the annual joy of trying to sort out the study and compile my expenses ready for my tax return. One day I will learn to do this as I go along!!! In fact if am probably so keen to post today because it enables me to put off sorting the reciepts out. Having preached on Jonah Chapter 2 yesterday in Compline I am now having a think about what I am going to use next week as well as root through the Lectionary to find out the readings for next Sunday for my cover in Dinas Powys and I bet I will have written them too before I even consider sorting my expenses out.

Simple beauty and peace

Yesterday afternoon I arranged to meet Fr Adrian Berry who I am doing locum cover for in Wenvoe a week sunday. It being a fabulously sunny afternoon I arrived a little early to do some exploring. St Mary's Wenvoe is certainly a facsinating church. With a wonderful Comper reredos behind the altar and a beautiful piece of stained glass designed by the late Frank Roper. It takes the form of a Jesse Tree with the Virgin and Child framed within the tree.

What was more amazing however was the sense of peace that I found in the graveyard sitting on the steps of the preaching cross and medidating 20 minutes of pure peace, calm and tranquillity. From there we drove out to the church at St Lythans which I must confess I would not have been able to find and would have began to panic if I had left it till the morning I was there on cover. Wonderfully tranquil for a Saturday afternoon and a good way to relax before the busyness of a Sunday morning

Out and about!

This week has been a week of cover and funerals elsewhere. Presiding at the Eucharist in Taffs Well on Monday and Tuesday and Tongwynlais on Wednesday. Despite the current climate of despair about the Church and marginalisation by some sections of the media it is good to go to other Christian communities and to find them in good heart.

Reflecting on the Gospel readingsfrom the Revised Common Lectionary Luke 14: 1, 7-14 for last Sunday the twin themes of humility and hospitality ring out as a message for the Church at this time. First we need the humility to sometimes take the criticism that the world offer us when our deeds and our words do not match up. But also we need to have a profound awareness for the need for hospitality, a welcoming inclusion for those who we would regard as usually being from outside our number. For when we are welcoming even of our sternest critics it shows that we are embracing the challenges that the world sets before us.

You've got to start somewhere

Well to begin at the beginning and we all have to start somewhere. Having finally learnt how to master facebook I though a blog should be next. So as today is September 1st and being full of that Back to School type of thing as every bold ex-teacher should be this is my first post. So as long as this current facsination lasts I will share some of my life and thoughts on this site.