Day off today, so Les and I decided to see what was happening in our wonderful city. First to the new Central Library. (You really must go! - http://liverpool.gov.uk/libraries/find-a-library/central-library/) We had coffee and cake, only disappointed by the fact they don't serve decaff, which Les prefers. We spoke to a manager about this, so next time we go...? Then another tour of the Library, including the fantastic roof terrace, and the discovery they have meeting rooms up there. I wonder whether it could be a venue for church meetings sometime? They seem very well equipped, and with such marvellous facilities all around it would be great. We enquired, and found they are not yet in use. We need to check it out again sometime in the future.
We enjoyed the new auto-booking facility and took some books out, more for the fun of it than anything else! I also found out how to auto-book a book (Samuel Pepys Diary, in fact). Guess where it was - Allerton Library! So we were able to pick it up on the way home. Wonderful!
From the Library to the Walker Art Gallery next door, where there is an amazing exhibition of photos by Rankin entitled 'ALIVE in the Face of Death': http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/events/displayevent.aspx?eventID=13609. In stunning, sometimes almost macabre but always thought-provoking images Rankin invites us to consider human responses to death and mortality. There are stories with the pictures of people who have escaped death, people who are living with dying, and in one case of a woman, age 42, who died of her illness just 3 days after the exhibition opened. Each subject was invited to suggest ways in which they might be photographed, to reflect their character or attitude to death and life.There are also pictures of people whose business is associated with death e.g. a funeral director, grave digger and professional mourners. Each story is an inspiration, and if there's one word that summed it up for me, it's courage.
One thing was missing, though, as far as I could see, and that was any suggestion of life beyond death, of hope beyond the grave. It reminded of something I read only yesterday*: Today many Christians are influenced by the secular non-Christian view that death is a catastrophic end to be delayed as long as possible and to be resented as a destruction of the one thing that really matters to us, that is, physical life. There is a sense in which this view comes through in the exhibition, whereas Christians believe (the writer continues) that life in this world is integrally related to life in the next. Indeed, the Gospel of John and Paul's epistles assume that heavenly life has already begun on earth...
From the exhibition to a little shopping in Liverpool One, a quick visit to see Jude in her place of work - rightly denied entry because of the confidential nature of her work - and lunch. After a good deal of dithering we ended up at Wagamama, specialising in Japanese food. Well it was different, is about all I can say. I should have noticed the chilli in the sauce before I poured it over my sticky rice! Blew my socks off!
So much for our culture. I could put off the gardening no longer. But in the back of my mind all day, and sometimes at the front, was a very different cultural experience: that of C, a member of one of our churches, who was only confirmed less than a fortnight ago. C is a young Nigerian woman, who has lived in the UK for 11 years and has been seeking asylum here. We always knew her stay here could be limited, but we did not expect the decision to come so suddenly. When she reported to the Border Agency office on Tuesday, she was detained and imprisoned near Manchester Airport. I and a friend from church went to see her the next day, and were shocked at the security conditions. A huge, windowless building, looking more like a warehouse than a place of human habitation. We had to provide ID, were searched, and had just 1/2 hour with C in a small room. She was very distressed and fearful: after so long away from her original (I won't say 'home') country, she has noone to return to. No family, no friends. Since then I have been in touch with her legal representative and her MP to try and stay her deportation, but it looks pretty hopeless. I am simultaneously in touch with a mission partner in Nigeria to see if there is at least someone who can look out for her.
This is a kind of underside of our culture, something most of us rarely see. Immigration is a huge issue politically and economically and in a situation like C's it's hard to know what to feel. You know that technically the law is not on her side. She is here illegally - but only because as a naive 16-year old she was trafficked into the country (her grandmother being complicit in the transaction), seeking a better life. Since then, escaping from a life of slavery, she has lived on her wits, gained some education, learned to speak excellent English and, I guess, would make a very good citizen. But there are many others like her, and each has their own story to tell. I guess my role, like many others who aid asylum seekers frequently, is just to do the best we can for the people we come across - wanting the best for them as fellow human beings, in God's image.
I spoke to someone at Asylum Link this week (a charity which provides for asylum seekers in Liverpool). He told me to remember that, when they hear sometimes months or even years later from refugees who have returned home, they thank him not for food, clothing or shelter, but just for being there, being a friend. I guess that's the kind of cultural experience we would want to receive ourselves in the same circumstances.
*Bearers of the Spirit - Spiritual Fatherhood in Romanian Orthodoxy, by Nicholas Stebbing CR.
Friday 31 May 2013
Saturday 25 May 2013
Where have all the young men gone?
Even in the midst of the most awful atrocity (the murder of the young soldier in Woolwich) there can be both courage and humour. The Cub-Scout leader who confronted one of the murderers showed amazing courage, engaging him in conversation. What amazes me is not only her calmness, but that fact that he stopped to talk rather than flee or even attack her.
Then, a day later, there was a vox pop from Woolwich, with some young men from the area. One of them spoke of grandparents who had fought for their country in the war: 'if they were alive now, they'd be turning in their graves!' Wonderful lol moment: I was driving at the time, and it was hard to keep concentration!
But seriously, the fact that one of the murderers is from a devout Christian family and was converted to Islam, going on to be 'radicalised', has drawn much comment. The more so, since there have been several other examples of terrorists acting in the name of Islam who were not originally of that faith. What's going on here? By contrast, why is it that many of our churches have a predominantly female membership? It was noticeable last Sunday, when I attended a confirmation service where the majority of candidates were female. Our own group of 18 teens and adults consisted of 14 females and 4 males.
There was an interview this morning with a Muslim leader who converted to Islam from Roman Catholicism over 20 years ago. He was asked to explain why young men turn from Christianity to Islam. In his own case, he said, it was because Islam offered a 'way of life', something which concerned the whole of life. By contrast, he said, the Roman Catholic church (for which, I'm sure, you could read any other Christian denomination) seemed only to offer man-made rules and regulations for belonging to an insitution (I have been unable to find the exact words). Elsewhere, I have read of the need for challenge, adventure, a cause to fight for (I don't mean with weapons) which especially appeals to the male of the species. In fact, many men who do come to church are simply bored.
There is surely something for Church leaders to reflect on here. For myself, I have often thought that we need to reclaim the concept of Christian soldiers - of both genders. Complacency, indifference, a religion of comfort rather than challenge typifies many of of our churches. Read the lives of the earliest Christians in the Bible, and of saints down the ages and you will find they are men and women of immense courage with a tremendous spirit of adventure which took them to the ends of the earth.
There are signs that we are beginning to recover that sense of 'whole-life discipleship'. The community to which I belong (St Aidan and St Hilda, based on Holy Island) preserves that emphasis from Celtic times with a strong emphasis on a rule of life. The challenge is in keeping the three vows (based on monasticism) of purity, simplicity and obedience. No room for complacency there, especially as each of us makes ourself accountable to a soul friend. Might such an approach encourage more male disciples?
Then, a day later, there was a vox pop from Woolwich, with some young men from the area. One of them spoke of grandparents who had fought for their country in the war: 'if they were alive now, they'd be turning in their graves!' Wonderful lol moment: I was driving at the time, and it was hard to keep concentration!
But seriously, the fact that one of the murderers is from a devout Christian family and was converted to Islam, going on to be 'radicalised', has drawn much comment. The more so, since there have been several other examples of terrorists acting in the name of Islam who were not originally of that faith. What's going on here? By contrast, why is it that many of our churches have a predominantly female membership? It was noticeable last Sunday, when I attended a confirmation service where the majority of candidates were female. Our own group of 18 teens and adults consisted of 14 females and 4 males.
There was an interview this morning with a Muslim leader who converted to Islam from Roman Catholicism over 20 years ago. He was asked to explain why young men turn from Christianity to Islam. In his own case, he said, it was because Islam offered a 'way of life', something which concerned the whole of life. By contrast, he said, the Roman Catholic church (for which, I'm sure, you could read any other Christian denomination) seemed only to offer man-made rules and regulations for belonging to an insitution (I have been unable to find the exact words). Elsewhere, I have read of the need for challenge, adventure, a cause to fight for (I don't mean with weapons) which especially appeals to the male of the species. In fact, many men who do come to church are simply bored.
There is surely something for Church leaders to reflect on here. For myself, I have often thought that we need to reclaim the concept of Christian soldiers - of both genders. Complacency, indifference, a religion of comfort rather than challenge typifies many of of our churches. Read the lives of the earliest Christians in the Bible, and of saints down the ages and you will find they are men and women of immense courage with a tremendous spirit of adventure which took them to the ends of the earth.
There are signs that we are beginning to recover that sense of 'whole-life discipleship'. The community to which I belong (St Aidan and St Hilda, based on Holy Island) preserves that emphasis from Celtic times with a strong emphasis on a rule of life. The challenge is in keeping the three vows (based on monasticism) of purity, simplicity and obedience. No room for complacency there, especially as each of us makes ourself accountable to a soul friend. Might such an approach encourage more male disciples?
Sunday 19 May 2013
'Speak to Me'
A lot has happened in the 10 days since I last blogged. There have been 2 very busy weekends, and in between a special time on Holy Island/Lindisfarne with 8 other folks from our 3 churches. We spent the mornings in seminars, thinking about how Celtic spirituality and mission 'speaks' to the church of today; the afternoons were free to wander and wonder; the evenings spent in conversation together. Each day, we observed the prayer rhythm of early morning/midday/evening and night prayer.
Travelling to the island, I was listening to the latest album by the band Iona. One track stuck in my mind: Speak to Me. The words are by Chief Dan George, and are worth quoting:
The beauty of the trees,
the softness of the air,
the fragrance of the grass
speak to me.
The summit of the mountain,
the thunder of the sky,
the rhythm of the sea
speak to me.
The faintness of the stars
the freshness of the morning,
the dewdrops on the flower
speak to me.
The strength of fire,
the trail of the sun,
and the life that never
goes away
They speak to me
and my heart soars.
They speak to me.
As a famous theologian once said, we should pray with eyes open sometimes, lest we miss anything that God may be wanting to show us. I carried those words 'speak to me' through the week and found inspiration. Easy enough of Lindisfarne! For example, 'the rhythm of the sea.' Last year, I made a DVD recording in which I suggested that Church can sometimes feel like a beached whale, the tide of secularism having washed us up. But as I observed the beach at low tide, a couple of things occurred to me. First, one thing you can be sure of, the tide will come in again. There are seasons in the life of the Spirit, as in creation, so there is every reason to hope. Second, low tide does not mean the absence of life or energy. There are rock pools full of life and colour: crabs, shrimps, small fish, seaweed, sea shells etc. Even the occasional treasure, for the beachcomber. So when it is low tide for the Spirit (personally or nationally) look for the signs of life and work with them!
Immediately after my return, I was privileged to attend the opening of the refurbished City Library. Talk about a wow factor - it is amazing. The best thing, as Mayor Joe Anderson and others said, 'it's for the people of Liverpool', something of which we can justly be proud. (Mind you, the best quote of the evening came from Joyce Little, Head of Libraries, who has worked for 15 years on this project. Speaking of her favourite book, by Hilary Mantel, she said 'it has intrigue, passion, loyalty and treachery!' Sounds like a good read!) The next night, Les and I went to see 'Blue Remembered Hill' at the Playhouse (that's another story) and thence to the Library so Les could see it. It was wonderful to see 1000s of people streaming through, late at night. A Library as a tourist attraction! That speaks to me.
This is a bit of a leap, but what a shame to hear the row in the Tory party about Europe. There has been a lot of talk about 'what's best for Britain', and I can't help feeling this comes from a Little Englander mentality, which is surely outdated in the modern world. Today, the world needs trustful partnerships (so there is a link with the Library, which is a PFI partnership). We should be thinking not just about what we can get out of Europe but, perhaps even more importantly, what we can contribute to a thriving European community. That speaks to me.
Travelling to the island, I was listening to the latest album by the band Iona. One track stuck in my mind: Speak to Me. The words are by Chief Dan George, and are worth quoting:
The beauty of the trees,
the softness of the air,
the fragrance of the grass
speak to me.
The summit of the mountain,
the thunder of the sky,
the rhythm of the sea
speak to me.
The faintness of the stars
the freshness of the morning,
the dewdrops on the flower
speak to me.
The strength of fire,
the trail of the sun,
and the life that never
goes away
They speak to me
and my heart soars.
They speak to me.
As a famous theologian once said, we should pray with eyes open sometimes, lest we miss anything that God may be wanting to show us. I carried those words 'speak to me' through the week and found inspiration. Easy enough of Lindisfarne! For example, 'the rhythm of the sea.' Last year, I made a DVD recording in which I suggested that Church can sometimes feel like a beached whale, the tide of secularism having washed us up. But as I observed the beach at low tide, a couple of things occurred to me. First, one thing you can be sure of, the tide will come in again. There are seasons in the life of the Spirit, as in creation, so there is every reason to hope. Second, low tide does not mean the absence of life or energy. There are rock pools full of life and colour: crabs, shrimps, small fish, seaweed, sea shells etc. Even the occasional treasure, for the beachcomber. So when it is low tide for the Spirit (personally or nationally) look for the signs of life and work with them!
Immediately after my return, I was privileged to attend the opening of the refurbished City Library. Talk about a wow factor - it is amazing. The best thing, as Mayor Joe Anderson and others said, 'it's for the people of Liverpool', something of which we can justly be proud. (Mind you, the best quote of the evening came from Joyce Little, Head of Libraries, who has worked for 15 years on this project. Speaking of her favourite book, by Hilary Mantel, she said 'it has intrigue, passion, loyalty and treachery!' Sounds like a good read!) The next night, Les and I went to see 'Blue Remembered Hill' at the Playhouse (that's another story) and thence to the Library so Les could see it. It was wonderful to see 1000s of people streaming through, late at night. A Library as a tourist attraction! That speaks to me.
This is a bit of a leap, but what a shame to hear the row in the Tory party about Europe. There has been a lot of talk about 'what's best for Britain', and I can't help feeling this comes from a Little Englander mentality, which is surely outdated in the modern world. Today, the world needs trustful partnerships (so there is a link with the Library, which is a PFI partnership). We should be thinking not just about what we can get out of Europe but, perhaps even more importantly, what we can contribute to a thriving European community. That speaks to me.
Thursday 9 May 2013
Handover
So he's finally gone - Sir Alex that is. And our own (I speak as an Evertonian!) David Moyes lined up to succeed him. It will be a big step up for him, from a smaller, less successful club to such a legendary and successful institution as Man U. Every Evertonian will wish him well. He has done so much for us, the only disappointment being he never won any honours with us. That must make him a bit of a risk for Man U, but then again Everton have never had the financial resources of a really big club. Moyes has done well to keep us consistently in the top half of the Premiership. So who will succeed him at Everton? Martinez of Wigan has been suggested.
It's interesting that Ferguson seems to have groomed Moyes for this moment. It comes as no surprise really - except that, is it really Fergie's appointment? Don't the owners and the directors have a say, or does Fergie's success entitle him effectively to appoint his own successor? For Moyes, his accountability will not be to Fergie - except perhaps personally - but to the Club. Whilst Fergie will cast a long shadow, he will not directly be influencing things.
By coincidence, today commemorates another 'handover', as the Church celebrates Ascension Day. Jesus returns to heaven, having completed his work on earth. However, he remains 'in charge', and his appointment is not of one successor but of the Church, to be his witnesses. For now (as with Moyes, pending his appointment and starting the job) there is a period of waiting, for the coming of the Holy Spirit in 10 days time.
But...our task is not to work for the success of the 'club' (the Church) but for the continuation of Christ's work on earth till kingdom come.
It's interesting that Ferguson seems to have groomed Moyes for this moment. It comes as no surprise really - except that, is it really Fergie's appointment? Don't the owners and the directors have a say, or does Fergie's success entitle him effectively to appoint his own successor? For Moyes, his accountability will not be to Fergie - except perhaps personally - but to the Club. Whilst Fergie will cast a long shadow, he will not directly be influencing things.
By coincidence, today commemorates another 'handover', as the Church celebrates Ascension Day. Jesus returns to heaven, having completed his work on earth. However, he remains 'in charge', and his appointment is not of one successor but of the Church, to be his witnesses. For now (as with Moyes, pending his appointment and starting the job) there is a period of waiting, for the coming of the Holy Spirit in 10 days time.
But...our task is not to work for the success of the 'club' (the Church) but for the continuation of Christ's work on earth till kingdom come.
Friday 3 May 2013
Skydive!
Up very early tomorrow morning: taking my daughter Jude to (near) Lancaster for her charity skydive. She is raising money for 'After Adoption' - the charity for which she works. http://afteradoption.org.uk/
She has already been promised nearly £700: wouldn't it be great if we could make it £1000 by the time she launches herself out of that plane?! http://www.doitforcharity.com/JudeB.
Lesley is not coming, partly because of work commitments and partly because she thinks she will be too nervous to watch! I will go equipped with camera, and Jude hopes that the whole experience will be recorded on video. No doubt it will appear on Facebook afterwards.
We are all very proud of our Jude. This is a first for the Butland family - the nearest I got being an abseil down the church tower at St George's, Everton 23 years ago! She has always wanted to do a parachute jump but it was only when she saw the opportunity of doing it for charity that she decided to have a go. She is passionate about adoption, reading and hearing about so many people whose lives have been changed - even rescued - by the kindness of adoptive parents and families. We also have personal experience, as a family, of an adoptive child, and realise what a difference this has made to a young life. Another factor in Jude's big adventure tomorrow.
Adoption is at the heart of Christian faith, believing that through Jesus Christ we are adopted children of our heavenly Father. The great thing about being adopted is knowing you've been chosen!
Go Jude!
She has already been promised nearly £700: wouldn't it be great if we could make it £1000 by the time she launches herself out of that plane?! http://www.doitforcharity.com/JudeB.
Lesley is not coming, partly because of work commitments and partly because she thinks she will be too nervous to watch! I will go equipped with camera, and Jude hopes that the whole experience will be recorded on video. No doubt it will appear on Facebook afterwards.
We are all very proud of our Jude. This is a first for the Butland family - the nearest I got being an abseil down the church tower at St George's, Everton 23 years ago! She has always wanted to do a parachute jump but it was only when she saw the opportunity of doing it for charity that she decided to have a go. She is passionate about adoption, reading and hearing about so many people whose lives have been changed - even rescued - by the kindness of adoptive parents and families. We also have personal experience, as a family, of an adoptive child, and realise what a difference this has made to a young life. Another factor in Jude's big adventure tomorrow.
Adoption is at the heart of Christian faith, believing that through Jesus Christ we are adopted children of our heavenly Father. The great thing about being adopted is knowing you've been chosen!
Go Jude!
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