WHERE ARE YOU GOING………………………………

Ever since he started writing in New Directions I have enjoyed, and admired Father Geoffrey Kirk who seems to be able to explain with clarity and humour any subject he is writing about. That is no less true of his latest article in New Directions where he argues that for Catholics in the CofE the game is up and that whatever provision is made by the “generosity” of General Synod it will be totally inadequate for those of us unable to accept either women priests or bishops. What he doesn’t say in his article is what he thinks the way forward should be for Anglo-Catholics.

In his blog Father Ed Tomlinson writes about Anglicans who still refer to themselves as Catholics but who haven’t taken up the offer of the Ordinariate. You can read the article here. What seems to escape many of those priests and people who have already joined the Ordinariate is that for those not yet ready to make the transition it is a matter which requires both prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As I understand matters the Ordinariate is not like the January sales in local shopping centres “for a limited period only” but rather open and ready to greet those who decide that the Ordinariate is the place God is calling them to be, when they make that decision.

I have been saddened by what I can only describe as the arrogance of some of those priests who have taken the brave decision to join the Ordinariate in the first wave not knowing when or where either salary or accommodation would be available to them. Up until they made the move they regarded themselves as validly ordained; why do they now question the validity of the ordination of those who are staying, for the moment, within the CofE or doubt their integrity when they explain that they haven’t been able to make the decision to join the Ordinariate for personal or other perfectly valid reasons.

Around this time last year The Ordinariate came into being. On this anniversary let us pray for the Ordinary Monsignor Keith Newton, the priests and people who constitute the Ordinariate at the moment, let us pray for those who will be joining on Ash Wednesday this year and for the Ordinary and the Ordinariate of the Chair of Peter in the USA and let us pray for those who are considering their position with prayer and who may possibly join in the not too distant future.

Want to get ahead? Get a Hat!

I found this mitre on the Blog Bad Vestments which you can find here. This blog is always worth a visit.

I think the mitre will probably suit the Primates of either Saturn or Mars, or perhaps the first woman or male Archbishop of the Universe!!!!!! when they are appointed.

Time to stand and stare……………………..

“What in this life if full of care we have no time to stand and stare.”

 

I remember learning these verses as a child at school and they have stayed with me ever since. It’s only when we take the time to stand and stare that we appreciate the great beauty and wonder of God’s creation. One of the most beautiful experiences I have enjoyed in recent years was in Cyprus when we sat on a lonely stretch of beach watching the sun go down. The sky was breathtakingly beautiful.  Another was  in Galilee when I needed to go to the bathroom around 5.00 a.m. and on the way back to bed looked out of the window to see the sun coming up over the Sea of Galilee; it was magnificent.

We live in a busy world. There’s never seems enough hours in a day or days in a week to do all the many things we want. I’m convinced that the numbers of days between each Christmas diminish as the years increase. As a child I always thought Christmas would never, ever come. Now, no sooner than the cards and decorations come down than they seem to be going up again.

A few years ago we were being told that the hours of a normal working week would become less and that workers would inevitably have more leisure. Documents and reports were prepared to discus this situation and to give guidance on how this new found leisure could be spent. It was suggested that in the future world of work job-sharing would become the norm and that we would work for only three days a week. When I was at college the future of the world of work featured as a subject for a Pastoral Studies Dissertation discussing employment, unemployment, the work ethic and increasing amounts of leisure time. What ever happened? Now it seems workers in this country are expected to work longer hours with shorter annual and statutory holidays than anywhere else in the western world.

With all this ‘busyness’ the temptation is to cut short the time we should be spending with God: the time we spend in saying our prayers, in reading and studying our bibles and other religious works, in the time we spend preparing to make our Communion or in giving thanks after receiving Communion, and in attending Mass on Sundays, on Holy Days of Obligation and during the week. In our services we are often so busy saying or singing things that we rarely have any time of silent contemplation. Yet if we want to hear God speaking to us it is in “the small quiet voice of calm” that we can do so. 

Perhaps we should consider allotting say five/ten minutes every day for quiet reflection and meditation. One of the things we need to consider is that some of the busiest, most productive people spend time in quiet reflection every single day. Paradoxically they find in their busy, full lives that they can only achieve their great productivity if they have their daily time of prayer and reflection. Certainly this has been the case with many of our most illustrious saints.

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Yesterday, we celebrated our 42nd Wedding Anniversary and we went to London to Claridges for a Champagne Afternoon Tea which our son and daughter-in-law gave us last year and which we’ve only just managed to get a booking. It appears that December was fully booked by September.

We had a lovely tea and came away feeling very full. The staff were very attentive without being overpowering and nothing was too much trouble. The service was excellent.

Claridges have 46 different teas you can choose from and for my first I tried a tea grown in Cornwall and, I have to say, it was delicious. All in all I had three different teas and Ann two. We loved the art deco of the hotel and the really friendly atmosphere.

The staff discovered it was our wedding anniversary and brought us some special cakes!!!.

We had a lovely time and really enjoyed ourselves. Claridges has a reputation for being one of the best hotels in the world. It thoroughly deserves that and its five stars.

POST OFFICE BLUES

We didn’t go out New Years Eve until the evening so were somewhat surprised to find a Post Office Card through the door telling us the postman had called and had been unable to deliver a packet. I would be able to collect it on Tuesday from the local depot. When I arrived this morning at said depot I couldn’t believe how many other people were on a similar mission. Which leads me to the question: did the Postman try to deliver the package or did he just put the card through the door.

Before I retired my study was in the front of the Vicarage so I could see people coming and going and on one occasion.I saw a Post Office Van stop and the driver get out and put something through the letterbox: a card inviting me to go to the depot to collect a parcel which he had been unable to deliver because there was nobody in! Before he drove of I managed to get him and he then, some what reluctantly, gave me the parcel.When I said he hadn’t knocked he said I couldn’t have heard him. Rubbish! I was right by the front door and clearly saw him draw up and put the card through the letterbox and not even try to make a delivery. Sadly this was quite a frequent occurrence in that area but I thought those days had gone.

So, I just wonder, was this history repeating itself: We were certainly in, and when we found the card it was sandwiched between several other pieces of mail. Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter too much; I got the parcel this morning but it would have been nice to have had it when the sender intended.I think most Postmen and women do a great job but just a few spoil it for the others and for the rest of us.

PARKING CHARGES AT HAINAULT FOREST

Today, after a rather lazy breakfast, we went to Hainault Forest and enjoyed a walk around the lake, admiring the many different species of bird for whom the lake is home. Regrettably Redbridge Council now impose quite a substantial parking charge (£1 for an hour £3 all day) An hour isn’t really long enough and, this time of year, we hardly would want to be there all day. Hainault Forest is a wonderful asset which has been very well used and appreciated by people from all over the area and it seems such a shame that parking charges at the present high rate will deter people from using this wonderful facility to the full. I sometimes think that Local Authorities know the cost of everything but the value of nothing! We just had time before our hour expired to enjoy a cup of tea in the on site cafe…..we would have stayed longer but the cost, I’m afraid, put us of…..when you’re retired you have to watch the pennies!!!!!!

COMMENDATION

We were delighted today when we heard that our son, a Major in the Army has been awarded a Two Star Commendation for his service in Afghanistan from where he has recently returned. Our congratulations to him on this great achievement.