My father-in-law is well and truly home now, and I think that my mother-in-law was enjoying the peace and quiet whilst he was in hospital! He has said that he feels quite well, and he is able to use his left hand better than he has been able to for about 2 years. He has got to go for an outpatients appointment on Friday, so they will probably adjust the settings slightly on his gadget!
It was back to church today, and what a lovely bright day it has been. It is nice to experience the sunshine, and lately with have done well with it, although it is all set to change for this weekend...typical, what with it being bank holiday weekend!
Anyway, I caught the train to Canterbury today, and proceeded to a shop to buy some biscuits for church. These were not just any biscuits, they were chocolate coated Hob Nobs...now that is a REAL biscuit, I believe that they were specifically designed for their dunkability factor! You can hold them in the cup of tea or coffee all day and they still wont deposit themselves to the bottom of the cup!!!
I arrived today at the same time as Margaret and Laurence. Margaret had a lot of flowers with her, as she is our church flower arranger. As she arranged the flowers (and made a mess on the floor) Laurence started with the Dyson. When Margaret had finished I helped clear up the aforementioned mess, and then I was released with the Dyson.....I wont let my wife know that I know how to use one though!
During mass today I had a go at playing the part of Server, or I should say that I played the part of a part-time, part-Server...basically I just assisted with the cruets, etc. I'm told that I did quite well...even Danny didn't point out if I made any mistakes!! It was a start....and from every seed................
Jennifer's brother joined us for tea, coffee and Hob Nobs today, as it was his birthday and Jennifer was taking him out to lunch after she finished at church.
Bishop Damien gave Jennifer, Laurence and I a confirmation gift each today. He apologised that they were late, only they hadn't been delivered to him. We each received a book by C S Lewis called Mere Christianity. I'm really starting to build quite a theological library, anyone would think that I want to be a priest!!!
After we had finished Bishop Damien and I went for lunch at a local cafe. I had a rather tasty prawn baguette, the Bishop went for a ham one (I think with cheese and pickles). We washed them down with a couple of lattes each. We had a chat about the Synod, and what I thought of it, as it was my first. We also spoke about my son who has autism. The Bishop has contacted his autism specialist at his company Credo Care, to see if she is able to offer us any tips or advise on certain particular issues we have. His understanding ear and support really is much appreciated. It's not very often in life that you meet someone like that, it restores one's faith in humanity and it clearly shows that God made the right choice when he called Bishop damien to His service. I'm still trying to work out why He called me though....but hey....I've worked out that it is pointless trying to argue or fight it!
That's more or less it for today, but wait....what's this?? I've found my sunglasses!! Oh no, just watched the weather forecast....maybe I'll just put them back in the drawer!!
Until next time.....now where did I put the umbrella?????
Wednesday 28 April 2010
Saturday 24 April 2010
It's the first....well, the 19th actually....I'll explain!
Today was the XIX (which means 19th) Annual Synod of the Anglican Catholic Church Diocese of the United Kingdom. But for me it was my first Synod with the ACC, in fact it was my first Synod...full stop!
It was held at Central Hall, Westminster (by kind permission), and I have to say that I thought that it was a great venue. When you enter the main entrance to Central Hall you are met by a rather impressive lobby/foyer area.
I arrived shortly after 9.30am and found two of our clergy in the aforementioned foyer area. They introduced themselves as Father Charles Johnson and Father Deacon Michael Clothier. It was the first time that I had met either of them, so it was good to be able to link faces with names. As Father Johnson is more senior in terms of rank and years I offered to carry his bags to the area where they were to vest later, and we all headed through the chapel and down the stairs to the Broadbent Room, which served as both vestry and the meeting room for the Synod slightly later.
A few others arrived, and so did the Bishop, Roy, Margaret and Laurence. A few of us helped to unload the car, which was somewhat packed to say the least! It was then a case of starting to set up the chapel, which included making some adjustments to the altar rails and moving some chairs. The altar was prepared, after several of us cast our eye upon it, trying to ensure that it was level.
I wnet back down to the Broadbent Room to see what else I could do and there I found Father Michael trying to gain access to his padlocked suitcase. The key had snapped in the lock, so there was a problem. Someone was sent to hunt for either a pair of pliers or a screwdriver, when I thought that I would try something. I took two coins from my pocket and created a kind of pincer, then after 2 or 3 attempts I managed to extract the broken piece of the key, much to Father Michael's relief as he actually had a spare key. Thus, he managed to open the case.
I went back up to the chapel and helped Margaret and Laurence put the gift aid envelopes in the order of service booklets. All this time more people were arriving and the choir were practicing, which sounded rather good! Roy then collared me, and gave me his camera...I therefore became chief photographer...hopefully the photos which I managed to take are ok.
Before mass, Pauline Clothier, wife of Father Deacon Michael Clothier, was received into the ACC.
Also the service today included the ordination of (now) Father Deacon Howard Marsh. It was an honour of mine to be able such a service, and I wish Father Howard every best wish for the future.
After mass we broke for lunch.
After lunch it was time for the Synod.
Various things happened during the Synod, which mainly included listening, proposing, seconding and voting. I think the most notable thing was the acceptance of the Canons for the Diocese of the United Kingdom. These have been being prepared, revised, etc for quite some time, and much thanks must be expressed to Father Raymond Thompson for his hard work in this area. I'm sure that he will be relieved that they have been approved...I think the Bishop (and many others) are certainly relieved!!!
There were a couple of elections. Roy and Richard Mann volunteered to serve on the Council of Advice. I was tempted to volunteer, but thought that I might be too unskilled in church business to be of use, and as there were 2 volunteers and 2 posts then that problem was solved. They now have to decide between them as to who will serve the 3 year period and who will serve the 2 year period. One of these vacancies was created by the fact that Father Howard has been ordained, as he previously served in the House of Laity. Upon ordaination he can no longer serve in this House, instead becoming a member of the House of Clergy.
Various officers were appointed by the Bishop, and I believe that these were all the same as last year.
During the Synod Bishop Damien presented 'The Bishops Award for Exemplary Lay Service to the Church'. This year's receipiant was Mrs Pat Johnson, wife of Father Charles Johnson.
After much discussion with regard to proposed dates for CoA (Council of Advice) meetings and the date for Synod next year, this year's Synod was brought to a close.
It was then time to pack away, and help load the car. Once this was done we said our goodbyes, and I headed off to the train station whilst the Bishop, Roy, Margaret and Laurence drove off into the sunset....well, Canterbury...and it wasn't the sunset, as the sun was still shining!!
All in all it was a most enjoyable day, and I am really pleased to have been able to play a little part in the future of our church. It may have been my first Synod, but I have no doubt that it will not be my last!
I will not be at church tomorrow as my father-in-law is due to come out of hospital, and so I will be duty chauffeur. I will be back on Wednesday though.
Until then..................
It was held at Central Hall, Westminster (by kind permission), and I have to say that I thought that it was a great venue. When you enter the main entrance to Central Hall you are met by a rather impressive lobby/foyer area.
I arrived shortly after 9.30am and found two of our clergy in the aforementioned foyer area. They introduced themselves as Father Charles Johnson and Father Deacon Michael Clothier. It was the first time that I had met either of them, so it was good to be able to link faces with names. As Father Johnson is more senior in terms of rank and years I offered to carry his bags to the area where they were to vest later, and we all headed through the chapel and down the stairs to the Broadbent Room, which served as both vestry and the meeting room for the Synod slightly later.
A few others arrived, and so did the Bishop, Roy, Margaret and Laurence. A few of us helped to unload the car, which was somewhat packed to say the least! It was then a case of starting to set up the chapel, which included making some adjustments to the altar rails and moving some chairs. The altar was prepared, after several of us cast our eye upon it, trying to ensure that it was level.
I wnet back down to the Broadbent Room to see what else I could do and there I found Father Michael trying to gain access to his padlocked suitcase. The key had snapped in the lock, so there was a problem. Someone was sent to hunt for either a pair of pliers or a screwdriver, when I thought that I would try something. I took two coins from my pocket and created a kind of pincer, then after 2 or 3 attempts I managed to extract the broken piece of the key, much to Father Michael's relief as he actually had a spare key. Thus, he managed to open the case.
I went back up to the chapel and helped Margaret and Laurence put the gift aid envelopes in the order of service booklets. All this time more people were arriving and the choir were practicing, which sounded rather good! Roy then collared me, and gave me his camera...I therefore became chief photographer...hopefully the photos which I managed to take are ok.
Before mass, Pauline Clothier, wife of Father Deacon Michael Clothier, was received into the ACC.
Also the service today included the ordination of (now) Father Deacon Howard Marsh. It was an honour of mine to be able such a service, and I wish Father Howard every best wish for the future.
After mass we broke for lunch.
After lunch it was time for the Synod.
Various things happened during the Synod, which mainly included listening, proposing, seconding and voting. I think the most notable thing was the acceptance of the Canons for the Diocese of the United Kingdom. These have been being prepared, revised, etc for quite some time, and much thanks must be expressed to Father Raymond Thompson for his hard work in this area. I'm sure that he will be relieved that they have been approved...I think the Bishop (and many others) are certainly relieved!!!
There were a couple of elections. Roy and Richard Mann volunteered to serve on the Council of Advice. I was tempted to volunteer, but thought that I might be too unskilled in church business to be of use, and as there were 2 volunteers and 2 posts then that problem was solved. They now have to decide between them as to who will serve the 3 year period and who will serve the 2 year period. One of these vacancies was created by the fact that Father Howard has been ordained, as he previously served in the House of Laity. Upon ordaination he can no longer serve in this House, instead becoming a member of the House of Clergy.
Various officers were appointed by the Bishop, and I believe that these were all the same as last year.
During the Synod Bishop Damien presented 'The Bishops Award for Exemplary Lay Service to the Church'. This year's receipiant was Mrs Pat Johnson, wife of Father Charles Johnson.
After much discussion with regard to proposed dates for CoA (Council of Advice) meetings and the date for Synod next year, this year's Synod was brought to a close.
It was then time to pack away, and help load the car. Once this was done we said our goodbyes, and I headed off to the train station whilst the Bishop, Roy, Margaret and Laurence drove off into the sunset....well, Canterbury...and it wasn't the sunset, as the sun was still shining!!
All in all it was a most enjoyable day, and I am really pleased to have been able to play a little part in the future of our church. It may have been my first Synod, but I have no doubt that it will not be my last!
I will not be at church tomorrow as my father-in-law is due to come out of hospital, and so I will be duty chauffeur. I will be back on Wednesday though.
Until then..................
Wednesday 21 April 2010
Sky's the limit!!!
Finally I'm back online! I have had some problems with my broadband since Sunday evening, the problem being that there seemed to be no connection, my wireless router was deteceting several networks, the problem being that none of them were mine!
Several telephone calls to Sky and their technical team, and they were still telling me to reset my router....for the 400th time! I finally managed to speak to someone in the technical solutions team who said that they would arrange for an OpenReach engineer to come out. Well, they turned up today and solved the problem...but now the caller id on our home phone displays but omits the first digit. I even dialled 1471 and the network message tells me the last number which called, but also omits the first digit...very strange!
Anyway, more calls to Sky, and yet more conversations with their 'lack of knowledge technical team'...and I managed to achieve nothing! Only to be passed through to the technical solutions people who said "leave it with us and we'll sort it out", no explanation as to when though...I give up!!!!!!
Enough ranting....onto the other stuff.
Last Sunday was Easter 2, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The Bishop's sermon made great emphasis that we, as humans, are very much like sheep. I don't think that it means that we taste good with mint sauce! it means that we have to be led, guided, herded and protected, otherwise we can get 'lost'. We are also subject to potential danger and attack, namely from the Devil. Sheep are also prone to attack, namely by foxes. The devil is very much like a fox, cunning and sly, he will use every trick in the book to get what he wants, so we have to be one step ahead of himm all of the time. As 'sheep' we can do this by doing as our shepherd says, never letting the shepherd out of our sight. Who is our shepherd? You've guessed it...Our Lord!! He is the shepherd that promises to look after and protect his flock, we just have to promise to follow him and trust him. I'm following my shepherd, because I don't fancy getting attacked by the fox...are you in the flock or out to graze on your own constantly worried about when and how the fox will get you?
We also had two new faces in church today. They were a couple of young guys, they were there for the entire service but left afterwards, so didn't stay for tea & coffee. Hopefully they'll be back soon, and maybe we can get to speak to them and let them know that we don't bite...simply because sheep don't have a particualrly good bite!!!
The Bishop also gave me a gift. It was another book about learning to serve at the altar. There is a lot of Latin in it, but it lays out how things should be done. It is actually very well written and it's in an easy to read style (excluding the Latin!!).
Nothing exciting has happened over the last couple of days, so I can quickly move on to today's events.
It was mass at 12 noon today. This gave me time to pop into town with my wife before I caught the train to Canterbury. We needed to get a birthday card for Ethan, as he will be 5 on Saturday, which is also the day of the Diocesan Synod.
Today was also the day that my father-in-law had his second operation at Kings College Hospital in London. It went well, and he is recovering well, apart from having a sore throat as a result of the anaesthetic equipment I believe.
Mass went well today and afterwards we had tea and coffee as usual.
The Bishop and I had lunch together today as we had some things to chat about, including me asking for directions to Synod, as I have agreed to get there a little earlier to help set up.
After lunch we went for a short walk and then said our farewells until Saturday.
I walked back to the station with the intention of catching the train due at 16.35hrs, but this was cancelled. So I had to wait for the next one which was due at 17.04hrs, but arrived at 17.10hrs. I found out that the delays and cancellations were due to an incident in the Orpington area. Sadly there ahd been a fatality on the line. A person was hit by a train at about 14.30hrs, this is what is known as a 'one under'. Police are not treating it as suspicious. 'Rest eternal grant unto them O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them'. My thoughts and prayers are not only with the loved ones of the person, but also with the driver of the train, who I know will be going through a very tough time right now.
Lots of people were complaining about the delays, it saddens me that they can't understand the bigger picture.
Depending on what time that I get home on Saturday then I may get an update on here about my first Synod! I'm actually quite looking forward to it. It will also give me a chnace to meet some of the others within our church, both members and clergy. I'll be able to put some faces to names!
Of course any update will be subject to Sky!!
Fratus tuus in Christo.
That's Latin for.................answers on a postcard please!! A free cup of tea and a biscuit after mass awaits the first person with the correct answer...but to claim your prize you'll have to attend church!!
Several telephone calls to Sky and their technical team, and they were still telling me to reset my router....for the 400th time! I finally managed to speak to someone in the technical solutions team who said that they would arrange for an OpenReach engineer to come out. Well, they turned up today and solved the problem...but now the caller id on our home phone displays but omits the first digit. I even dialled 1471 and the network message tells me the last number which called, but also omits the first digit...very strange!
Anyway, more calls to Sky, and yet more conversations with their 'lack of knowledge technical team'...and I managed to achieve nothing! Only to be passed through to the technical solutions people who said "leave it with us and we'll sort it out", no explanation as to when though...I give up!!!!!!
Enough ranting....onto the other stuff.
Last Sunday was Easter 2, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The Bishop's sermon made great emphasis that we, as humans, are very much like sheep. I don't think that it means that we taste good with mint sauce! it means that we have to be led, guided, herded and protected, otherwise we can get 'lost'. We are also subject to potential danger and attack, namely from the Devil. Sheep are also prone to attack, namely by foxes. The devil is very much like a fox, cunning and sly, he will use every trick in the book to get what he wants, so we have to be one step ahead of himm all of the time. As 'sheep' we can do this by doing as our shepherd says, never letting the shepherd out of our sight. Who is our shepherd? You've guessed it...Our Lord!! He is the shepherd that promises to look after and protect his flock, we just have to promise to follow him and trust him. I'm following my shepherd, because I don't fancy getting attacked by the fox...are you in the flock or out to graze on your own constantly worried about when and how the fox will get you?
We also had two new faces in church today. They were a couple of young guys, they were there for the entire service but left afterwards, so didn't stay for tea & coffee. Hopefully they'll be back soon, and maybe we can get to speak to them and let them know that we don't bite...simply because sheep don't have a particualrly good bite!!!
The Bishop also gave me a gift. It was another book about learning to serve at the altar. There is a lot of Latin in it, but it lays out how things should be done. It is actually very well written and it's in an easy to read style (excluding the Latin!!).
Nothing exciting has happened over the last couple of days, so I can quickly move on to today's events.
It was mass at 12 noon today. This gave me time to pop into town with my wife before I caught the train to Canterbury. We needed to get a birthday card for Ethan, as he will be 5 on Saturday, which is also the day of the Diocesan Synod.
Today was also the day that my father-in-law had his second operation at Kings College Hospital in London. It went well, and he is recovering well, apart from having a sore throat as a result of the anaesthetic equipment I believe.
Mass went well today and afterwards we had tea and coffee as usual.
The Bishop and I had lunch together today as we had some things to chat about, including me asking for directions to Synod, as I have agreed to get there a little earlier to help set up.
After lunch we went for a short walk and then said our farewells until Saturday.
I walked back to the station with the intention of catching the train due at 16.35hrs, but this was cancelled. So I had to wait for the next one which was due at 17.04hrs, but arrived at 17.10hrs. I found out that the delays and cancellations were due to an incident in the Orpington area. Sadly there ahd been a fatality on the line. A person was hit by a train at about 14.30hrs, this is what is known as a 'one under'. Police are not treating it as suspicious. 'Rest eternal grant unto them O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them'. My thoughts and prayers are not only with the loved ones of the person, but also with the driver of the train, who I know will be going through a very tough time right now.
Lots of people were complaining about the delays, it saddens me that they can't understand the bigger picture.
Depending on what time that I get home on Saturday then I may get an update on here about my first Synod! I'm actually quite looking forward to it. It will also give me a chnace to meet some of the others within our church, both members and clergy. I'll be able to put some faces to names!
Of course any update will be subject to Sky!!
Fratus tuus in Christo.
That's Latin for.................answers on a postcard please!! A free cup of tea and a biscuit after mass awaits the first person with the correct answer...but to claim your prize you'll have to attend church!!
Wednesday 14 April 2010
Getting there....at last!!
Wednesday's blog, and it's Wednesday....I bet that you're impressed!!
It has been quite an eventful day. Firstly, my father-in-law, John, had neurosurgery today at Kings College in London and I'm pleased to say that it went well and he is now recovering. The operation took just under 7 hours and there were no complications. He is currently in the HDU (High Dependency Unit), this is standard practice following such surgery and is just to monitor him for a while, mainly to make sure that there is not too much swelling and no post-op bleeding.
In 4-5 days time he will have a second operation, which is less complex and is not on the brain...but in the meantime he has been chatting and eating, so this is good!
Ethan, my son, had an appointment today at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford to have a multi-disciplinary assessment carried out to establish whether or not he has ASD (autism). It was a long process today, which just adds on to the fact that it has been a very long journey trying to get to this assessment stage.
To cut a long story short the verdict at the end of today's appointment was that Ethan does have ASD, however, it is at the more mild end of the spectrum. Their overall opinion is that this will not have too much of a major impact on his future life. The main issues are social, both interaction and understanding, and things such as motor skills development, etc. He also has speech and language problems, which is part of it. His speech and language problems have previously been diagnosed as severe language delay. It would seem that it many developmental areas he is between 1 and 2 years behind the average for his age. However, in terms of brains, in skills such as reasoning he is well above average. This is often the case for those with ASD.
He will now receive more occupational and speech therapy and we will receive additional support in helping to manage his condition. Now that Ethan has this 'label' it will be easier (not easy though) to access some of the resources that, until now, have been unavailable to us.
I have been praying for an answer to Ethan's problems for a long time...and I finally feel that my prayers have been answered. It feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off of both mine and Debbie's (my wife) shoulders.
We are now on the path and the gate is finally unlocked so that we can begin walking, although only time will tell how long exactly that walk will be.
Back to church on Sunday, so until then...I'll start walking!!!
It has been quite an eventful day. Firstly, my father-in-law, John, had neurosurgery today at Kings College in London and I'm pleased to say that it went well and he is now recovering. The operation took just under 7 hours and there were no complications. He is currently in the HDU (High Dependency Unit), this is standard practice following such surgery and is just to monitor him for a while, mainly to make sure that there is not too much swelling and no post-op bleeding.
In 4-5 days time he will have a second operation, which is less complex and is not on the brain...but in the meantime he has been chatting and eating, so this is good!
Ethan, my son, had an appointment today at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford to have a multi-disciplinary assessment carried out to establish whether or not he has ASD (autism). It was a long process today, which just adds on to the fact that it has been a very long journey trying to get to this assessment stage.
To cut a long story short the verdict at the end of today's appointment was that Ethan does have ASD, however, it is at the more mild end of the spectrum. Their overall opinion is that this will not have too much of a major impact on his future life. The main issues are social, both interaction and understanding, and things such as motor skills development, etc. He also has speech and language problems, which is part of it. His speech and language problems have previously been diagnosed as severe language delay. It would seem that it many developmental areas he is between 1 and 2 years behind the average for his age. However, in terms of brains, in skills such as reasoning he is well above average. This is often the case for those with ASD.
He will now receive more occupational and speech therapy and we will receive additional support in helping to manage his condition. Now that Ethan has this 'label' it will be easier (not easy though) to access some of the resources that, until now, have been unavailable to us.
I have been praying for an answer to Ethan's problems for a long time...and I finally feel that my prayers have been answered. It feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off of both mine and Debbie's (my wife) shoulders.
We are now on the path and the gate is finally unlocked so that we can begin walking, although only time will tell how long exactly that walk will be.
Back to church on Sunday, so until then...I'll start walking!!!
Monday 12 April 2010
Still on a high but it's actually a Low!
I know...it's a day late...got in late last night and was a bit too tired to write anything then.
Anyway, yesterday, Sunday 11th April 2010, was Low Sunday. It is the first Sunday after Easter and is so called Low Sunday because it follows the 'high' of Easter.
Christians are very much an Easter people and the height of the Eastertide period is obviously Easter Day, however, as with all major Christian feasts their is a period following the main event where celebrations continue. It good be said that we are constantly celebrating Easter, in fact every Sunday is like a mini-Easter in particular...does this mean that we can have Easter eggs every Sunday???? I'll have to check with Bishop Damien!!!
Yesterday was a little quieter in church, so in a way it seemed quite fitting that it was Low Sunday. I should imagine that many churches are similar, lots of people turning up for the main event then fading away afterwards. I know that Mike and Nicole (our American friends have a valid excuse), but it would be nice to see a few more people following the course so to speak. Maybe we should introduce a loyalty card scheme, after all it works for the likes of Tesco!!! Not sure what we could give away though...maybe a small bottle of Holy water on every 10th visit. Mind you we do offer a direct line to God, quality worship and friendship, so maybe we don't need any over reward system...and don't forget the tea, coffee and biscuits!
Bishop Damien was talking to me after mass about getting me trained as an Altar Server. This will be good as it will kind of be the next step in my journey, and I think will give me a good basis for following my calling. Obviously I have a long way to go, including formally applying for Holy Orders and being approved by the Board of Ministry, but I pray every day that this will become a reality. I only hope that when the right time approaches that the Board approve me, with the guidance of God of course.
I've got quite a week ahead of me now. Tomorrow (Tuesday), my father-in-law goes into Kings College Hospital in London as he is to have neurosurgery on Wednesday to help treat/control his Parkinsons Disease. The first part of the operation which entails putting some sort of implant into the brain takes 7 hours and has to be done whilst he is awake. A few days later another operation is needed to put another implant into the chest, this one controls/sends signals to the one in the brain and should result in control of the shaking associated with the disease. My father-in-law is getting quite nervous and worried now, so can I ask anyone reading this to please pray for him (john) and his wife Ann.
Also on Wednesday my son has got to go to hospital to have a special multi-disciplinary assessment to try to establish whether or not he has autism (ASD), and if so, to what extent. We have been in a battle with the system to get to this stage for about 2 years. ASD in this country seems to be widely ignored by the healthcare system, yet early diagnosis is key to successful management and necessary to try and prevent associated problems as the sufferer gets older. Hopefully we will get an answer on the day. So please also pray for Ethan...thanks!
So, needless to say I wont be in church on Wednesday, but I will try and post something on here to let you know how the day has gone.
Well, that's about it for now, as I must get some sleep, as I have to be up early for work in the morning.
Until next time...I think I might just have a little Easter egg before bed...too late, I think my daughter has eaten all of hers AND MINE!!
Anyway, yesterday, Sunday 11th April 2010, was Low Sunday. It is the first Sunday after Easter and is so called Low Sunday because it follows the 'high' of Easter.
Christians are very much an Easter people and the height of the Eastertide period is obviously Easter Day, however, as with all major Christian feasts their is a period following the main event where celebrations continue. It good be said that we are constantly celebrating Easter, in fact every Sunday is like a mini-Easter in particular...does this mean that we can have Easter eggs every Sunday???? I'll have to check with Bishop Damien!!!
Yesterday was a little quieter in church, so in a way it seemed quite fitting that it was Low Sunday. I should imagine that many churches are similar, lots of people turning up for the main event then fading away afterwards. I know that Mike and Nicole (our American friends have a valid excuse), but it would be nice to see a few more people following the course so to speak. Maybe we should introduce a loyalty card scheme, after all it works for the likes of Tesco!!! Not sure what we could give away though...maybe a small bottle of Holy water on every 10th visit. Mind you we do offer a direct line to God, quality worship and friendship, so maybe we don't need any over reward system...and don't forget the tea, coffee and biscuits!
Bishop Damien was talking to me after mass about getting me trained as an Altar Server. This will be good as it will kind of be the next step in my journey, and I think will give me a good basis for following my calling. Obviously I have a long way to go, including formally applying for Holy Orders and being approved by the Board of Ministry, but I pray every day that this will become a reality. I only hope that when the right time approaches that the Board approve me, with the guidance of God of course.
I've got quite a week ahead of me now. Tomorrow (Tuesday), my father-in-law goes into Kings College Hospital in London as he is to have neurosurgery on Wednesday to help treat/control his Parkinsons Disease. The first part of the operation which entails putting some sort of implant into the brain takes 7 hours and has to be done whilst he is awake. A few days later another operation is needed to put another implant into the chest, this one controls/sends signals to the one in the brain and should result in control of the shaking associated with the disease. My father-in-law is getting quite nervous and worried now, so can I ask anyone reading this to please pray for him (john) and his wife Ann.
Also on Wednesday my son has got to go to hospital to have a special multi-disciplinary assessment to try to establish whether or not he has autism (ASD), and if so, to what extent. We have been in a battle with the system to get to this stage for about 2 years. ASD in this country seems to be widely ignored by the healthcare system, yet early diagnosis is key to successful management and necessary to try and prevent associated problems as the sufferer gets older. Hopefully we will get an answer on the day. So please also pray for Ethan...thanks!
So, needless to say I wont be in church on Wednesday, but I will try and post something on here to let you know how the day has gone.
Well, that's about it for now, as I must get some sleep, as I have to be up early for work in the morning.
Until next time...I think I might just have a little Easter egg before bed...too late, I think my daughter has eaten all of hers AND MINE!!
Sunday 4 April 2010
What a week!! Alleluia...Christ has risen!
I know that I said that I would post again last Wednesday, but I do have a kind of excuse as to why that didn't happen.
Thanks to Sky, my broadband connection was not, shall we say, connected! It has a habit of playing up every now and again, which results in me phoning Sky every so often, threatening to leave them and them offering me some mad deal to stay. As a rule this happens every 3 or so months. If you are ever having problems with Sky just telephone their customer services team, say that you are thinking of leaving and ask to be put through to the 'Turnaround Team'. Their job is to get you to stay and it really is quite good what they can offer. If your Sky box ever goes wrong and is outside of warranty do not pay for an engineer visit, just phone them and say you'll leave, and guess what? That's right, they'll send an engineer (and replace your box) for free!! Don't be afriad to ask what they will do to keep you as a customer!
Anyway, Wednesday was church as usual, nothing out of the ordinary, except of course, that it was Holy Week. After mass we had Stations of the Cross, bidded our farewells and went on our ways.
Thursday was Maundy Thursday. This was the day that the Lord had the Last Supper with His disciples. This was also the day that Judas betrayed him, which led to his arrest. It was also the day that Peter denied knowing Christ three times before the cock crowed. It was the Last Supper that laid down the foundations for Holy Communion, when we share in the body and blood of Christ.
There was a church service at 7pm, so I arranged to finish work a little earlier to ensure that I would be able to attend. The service itself provoked much thought in me, I found it quite moving. Towards the end of the service the blessed sacrament is taken to the area which was specially set up, known as the Garden (or altar) of Repose. This is to represent the garden in which Christ was when he was arrested. The idea of this is to provide a kind of focus point for us to be able to feel even closer to Christ, and to be able to concentrate, meditate or just simply think about the sacrifice that he was to make for us.
I found this very moving, and in a strange way I could almost sense his pain. Not the actual pain of his crucifixtion, but the emotional pain that he must have experienced, knowing what was to come. I am not afraid of dying, what I am afraid of is the physical pain that may be part of that process. I get somewhat uncomfortable if I know that I have got to have an injection, so the anticipation of pain to come is something that I can associate with and in no way relish! When lloking at the Garden of Repose I was certainly experiencing that emotional pain of things to come...and I'll be honest...it hurt. Not in the physical way of course, but in my mind, my heart and my soul. Jesus did this for me and for you and for everyone. I think that you'll agree, it makes our own personal problems seem rather insignificant!
We each left in silence when we felt ready to go. Outside of the church into the hustle and bustle of Canterbury at night. Everyone carrying on as normal, to me it just didn't seem right somehow.
The next day was Good Friday. I took a day off of work so that i could attend church. Fair enough I lost a day's money, but this sacrifice of mine was nothing compared to the sacrifice that Jesus made for me! The service was different to those that I had previously experienced, but of course I had never been to church on Good Friday before. This was the day that Christ was crucified for us, he gave his life so that we may be saved. The service was strange in a way, it was sombre, but also rather uplifting. This may not make much sense to you reading this, but to me it makes perfect sense.
After the service we had the usual tea, coffee and chat.
Saturday evening was the Vigil. I was unable to attend this due to work, but I really wanted to be able to be there. Sadly, if I don't work then I don't earn any money, so I can't always do what I really want to do.
Sunday....Easter Day....Alleluia....Christ has risen!
So, that is today. It has been a big day for me in two ways. Firstly, it being Easter Day is a real cause for celebration!! Christ rose from the tomb after the third day! It was also today that I was confirmed.
Debbie (my wife) came with me to church today to witness me being confirmed, I was pleased that she agreed to be part of this important day to me!
Before mass, Margaret was formally received into the ACC which was great. Then the service started and Jennifer, Laurence and I were confirmed. It seemed to go without a hitch, and yes, we did each receive the slap on the face! Thankfully I don't think the Bishop had his weetabix this morning, as the slap was very gentle!!
We then continued with mass and us newly confirmed all received Holy Communion today!! To me it is very symbolic that I should be confirmed on Easter Day, as it was the day that Christ rose again and to be represents a new chapter in my life, the beginning of the next stage in my spiritual development.
There were quite a few people in church today, including two ACC members from America (living in Germany at the moment), who are in Canterbury on holiday and have therefore joined us for services throughout Holy Week. It was great to meet them and talk with them both. I hope to see them again sometime and will include them (Mike and Nicole) in my prayers. Mike is in the US Army, so I particularly pray that he remain safe thoughout his career, escpecially in light of the current problems in the world.
After mass we had tea, coffee, bisuits, bucks fizz, simnel cake, chocolate bunnies and creme eggs...I think that was about it!!! It was like a little party, the only thing missing was the party hats and the streamers!!
Debbie said to me that she liked everyone, she particualrly liked the Bishop, saying how 'normal' he seemed...I don't quite know what she was expecting. She also commented that she liked his sermon, although she felt that the service was rather long. I've now got her through the door once, so maybe again one day!!!!!!
After we left church I took Debbie for lunch at a local Indian restaurant. It was rather tasty...I think that I shall definately go there again, maybe I'll even take Debbie with me!
After that we caught the train back to Headcorn and drove to Smarden, which is where Debbie's parents live, as they were looking after the little urchins!!
There will be no mass on Wednesday, so i doubt that there will be any posting on here, but you never know what will happen over the next couple of days. Something may happen to inspire me to write something. If not it will be next Sunday that I'll write soemthing else.
Below is a photo of the three of us who were confirmed, together with the Bishop.
Left to Right: Laurence, Jennifer, Rt Revd Damien Mead (Bishop) and finally, me! Until next time...HAPPY EASTER!
Thanks to Sky, my broadband connection was not, shall we say, connected! It has a habit of playing up every now and again, which results in me phoning Sky every so often, threatening to leave them and them offering me some mad deal to stay. As a rule this happens every 3 or so months. If you are ever having problems with Sky just telephone their customer services team, say that you are thinking of leaving and ask to be put through to the 'Turnaround Team'. Their job is to get you to stay and it really is quite good what they can offer. If your Sky box ever goes wrong and is outside of warranty do not pay for an engineer visit, just phone them and say you'll leave, and guess what? That's right, they'll send an engineer (and replace your box) for free!! Don't be afriad to ask what they will do to keep you as a customer!
Anyway, Wednesday was church as usual, nothing out of the ordinary, except of course, that it was Holy Week. After mass we had Stations of the Cross, bidded our farewells and went on our ways.
Thursday was Maundy Thursday. This was the day that the Lord had the Last Supper with His disciples. This was also the day that Judas betrayed him, which led to his arrest. It was also the day that Peter denied knowing Christ three times before the cock crowed. It was the Last Supper that laid down the foundations for Holy Communion, when we share in the body and blood of Christ.
There was a church service at 7pm, so I arranged to finish work a little earlier to ensure that I would be able to attend. The service itself provoked much thought in me, I found it quite moving. Towards the end of the service the blessed sacrament is taken to the area which was specially set up, known as the Garden (or altar) of Repose. This is to represent the garden in which Christ was when he was arrested. The idea of this is to provide a kind of focus point for us to be able to feel even closer to Christ, and to be able to concentrate, meditate or just simply think about the sacrifice that he was to make for us.
I found this very moving, and in a strange way I could almost sense his pain. Not the actual pain of his crucifixtion, but the emotional pain that he must have experienced, knowing what was to come. I am not afraid of dying, what I am afraid of is the physical pain that may be part of that process. I get somewhat uncomfortable if I know that I have got to have an injection, so the anticipation of pain to come is something that I can associate with and in no way relish! When lloking at the Garden of Repose I was certainly experiencing that emotional pain of things to come...and I'll be honest...it hurt. Not in the physical way of course, but in my mind, my heart and my soul. Jesus did this for me and for you and for everyone. I think that you'll agree, it makes our own personal problems seem rather insignificant!
We each left in silence when we felt ready to go. Outside of the church into the hustle and bustle of Canterbury at night. Everyone carrying on as normal, to me it just didn't seem right somehow.
The next day was Good Friday. I took a day off of work so that i could attend church. Fair enough I lost a day's money, but this sacrifice of mine was nothing compared to the sacrifice that Jesus made for me! The service was different to those that I had previously experienced, but of course I had never been to church on Good Friday before. This was the day that Christ was crucified for us, he gave his life so that we may be saved. The service was strange in a way, it was sombre, but also rather uplifting. This may not make much sense to you reading this, but to me it makes perfect sense.
After the service we had the usual tea, coffee and chat.
Saturday evening was the Vigil. I was unable to attend this due to work, but I really wanted to be able to be there. Sadly, if I don't work then I don't earn any money, so I can't always do what I really want to do.
Sunday....Easter Day....Alleluia....Christ has risen!
So, that is today. It has been a big day for me in two ways. Firstly, it being Easter Day is a real cause for celebration!! Christ rose from the tomb after the third day! It was also today that I was confirmed.
Debbie (my wife) came with me to church today to witness me being confirmed, I was pleased that she agreed to be part of this important day to me!
Before mass, Margaret was formally received into the ACC which was great. Then the service started and Jennifer, Laurence and I were confirmed. It seemed to go without a hitch, and yes, we did each receive the slap on the face! Thankfully I don't think the Bishop had his weetabix this morning, as the slap was very gentle!!
We then continued with mass and us newly confirmed all received Holy Communion today!! To me it is very symbolic that I should be confirmed on Easter Day, as it was the day that Christ rose again and to be represents a new chapter in my life, the beginning of the next stage in my spiritual development.
There were quite a few people in church today, including two ACC members from America (living in Germany at the moment), who are in Canterbury on holiday and have therefore joined us for services throughout Holy Week. It was great to meet them and talk with them both. I hope to see them again sometime and will include them (Mike and Nicole) in my prayers. Mike is in the US Army, so I particularly pray that he remain safe thoughout his career, escpecially in light of the current problems in the world.
After mass we had tea, coffee, bisuits, bucks fizz, simnel cake, chocolate bunnies and creme eggs...I think that was about it!!! It was like a little party, the only thing missing was the party hats and the streamers!!
Debbie said to me that she liked everyone, she particualrly liked the Bishop, saying how 'normal' he seemed...I don't quite know what she was expecting. She also commented that she liked his sermon, although she felt that the service was rather long. I've now got her through the door once, so maybe again one day!!!!!!
After we left church I took Debbie for lunch at a local Indian restaurant. It was rather tasty...I think that I shall definately go there again, maybe I'll even take Debbie with me!
After that we caught the train back to Headcorn and drove to Smarden, which is where Debbie's parents live, as they were looking after the little urchins!!
There will be no mass on Wednesday, so i doubt that there will be any posting on here, but you never know what will happen over the next couple of days. Something may happen to inspire me to write something. If not it will be next Sunday that I'll write soemthing else.
Below is a photo of the three of us who were confirmed, together with the Bishop.
Left to Right: Laurence, Jennifer, Rt Revd Damien Mead (Bishop) and finally, me! Until next time...HAPPY EASTER!
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