Chair Mar2010

March 2010.

My journey through February has taken me to some interesting places. I note four:

At the beginning of the month we had our annual District Retreat for ministers. (I am learning to be careful in my use of the word minister, as I seek to encourage all people of faith to see that they are engaged in ministry. Ministry in the sense of serving one another. This retreat was for those who seek to serve in ordained ministry as either deacons or presbyters.)
We were fortunate to have Michaela Youngson to lead our retreat. Michaela is a Methodist presbyter serving in the London District, and the author of to amazing books, 'Making the colours sing' and 'The Weaver, the Word and Wisdom'. Using scripture Michaela encouraged us to identify the places of refreshment in our lives and to draw on them, but also to try new places, and in this lead us in some profound meditations and opened up the possibility of using paint!
All this in the delightful setting of Offa House in Offchurch, with chance to walk and talk and rest. Life giving, as least for me!

Back at the end of August last year I was at Greenbelt, a festival held at Cheltenham race course each August Bank Holiday, and I encountered a Birmingham based person who did a presentation about travelling on the No11 Bus. I had already had an ache to make this journey, which takes you right around the Outer Ring Road of Birmingham.
So when my day off fell on the 11th February it seemed a good opportunity. I was in luck, a fine day and a front seat upstairs on a 11A in Kings Heath at about 11am! Well watch this space, because I would like to invite some folk to journey with me, and to reflect on the encounter, the voices, the places, the people - both amazing and life giving, well for me!

I had never been to Reading before, and so when I learned that on Sunday, before the blockade of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston we were to stay in Reading it added to my excitement at joining the Queens Affinity Group on their(our) journey. We arrived in the dark and left in the dark, so apart from learning to trust a Satellite Navigation System and experiencing generous hospitality at a local Anglican Church and a Quaker home, I still feel that Reading is a place yet to be explored.
We were due to gather at the Padley Gate for 7am, in order to join other people of faith to blockade this gate - other were focusing on other gates. What with navigation challenges and a detour (we discovered later it had been caused by a group of women chained to a concrete block in the middle of the road at their gate - great courage) we arrived about 7.30am and joined some folk who had kept a vigil through the night and lots of police, including four on horses. Apparently there were about a hundred of us and about eighty police. Clearly the police were trying to keep the gate open, while some of our company were doing their best to close the gate. Some folk lay or sat in the road, one group gave the impression that they had glued themselves together, and lay on the road for some considerable time. On lookers hailed them with cushions and blankets to keep them warm.
Generally all this was done with a good spirit between people and their police and after some time at about 10am the gate was closed, much to the frustration of several people who clearly had been directed to enter through our gate - including a large lorry carrying a crane which had to go off.
As the gate closed we were joined by an pedal powered vehicle, 'Rinky Dinky', which when not on the move generated electricity to power a public address system, and so several folk spoke, including a number who had travelled in our group and Christine Elliot, the member of our strategic leadership team in the Methodist Church, who had come to join us, and to represent the Leadership team.
My reflection was that it is wrong that we have a commitment to weapons of mass destruction, that the money and the creativity of the people engaged at the Atomic Weapons Establishment could be better used in the service of our world in building justice and well being for people. some times engaging in prophetic witness takes us to challenging places, and that too can be life giving.

Finally this week I had committed myself to a bit of learning. Some time ago I began to explore the value of IT in ministry, a course at Stonesby Methodist Church and Community Centre on Microsoft Publisher, a day on Power Point for beginners run by Mike Bossingham of Family Friendly Church Trust at Hasbury Methodist Church. So three days on IT for worship led by Mike in the Willersley Castle Hotel seemed a good step forward, well we see. It was however good to commit to a piece of learning and the hotel was great. I had an extra night at the beginning and end with the hope of doing a bit of walking. Well I managed half a day on the Monday and found a book shop on the Thursday afternoon. I am reminded that Willersley is set in some wonderful country side in Derbyshire and not that far off. Could be even more life giving!

So maybe these life giving moment will encourage you to think about what makes for life giving in your round.

Yours in love,

Bill Anderson