situation ethics

wonderfulexchange15 Comments

A journey into town for a mid-year diary yielded one bit of fish, one pint of milk, one rescued dog, and an interesting conversation about God (but no diary).

As I went into the Co-op for something green, a young woman jumped out of her van and called to me urgently. She tugged at a bracelet till it showed the familiar: W.W.J.D. ‘Sorry, could you help me… could you tell me: what’s the D for?’

So I told her and asked if a friend had given it to her (yes), then began to explain the idea. Seeing the bracelet reminds us to slow down a bit, to think before we do something: ‘what would Jesus do?’

And she said, ‘Oh, I know how it works. I use it all the time. I just forgot the words. It’s really important to stop and think about Jesus — to think about what Jesus wants, what Jesus would do.’ And then we laughed about those times when asking the question led to the equally familiar question: ‘well, what would he do?’ It’s not always clear

And off she went, laughing and smiling.

She clearly doesn’t go to church — I had the feeling she’d been looking for someone to ask for a long time. But God matters to her. She wants Jesus to be involved with her life

It’s people like her we need to catch, if only we could find the right bait.

seize the day

wonderfulexchange7 Comments

I’ve just sorted out my liturgical calendar through February, and my holidays through next summer.  But before I start the stressful business of ringing round to find cover, I thought I’d try a new approach.

This post if for clergy out there.

Would any of you like to come to Dunoon, Rothesay or Tighnabruaich for a weekend?  Accomodation available.  Warm welcoming house-cat — and congregation — awaits.  The following Sundays are yours for the taking:

  1. Sunday, 5 October — 10.30 am  Holy Trinity Dunoon
  2. Sunday, 23 November (Christ the King) — lots of options:  10.30 am Dunoon and/or 3pm Rothesay.  OR 11 am Rothesay.
  3. Sunday, 29 March (Lent 5) — 11am St Paul’s Rothesay
  4. Sunday, 24 May — options again:  10.30 am Dunoon and/ or 3pm Rothesay.  OR 11am Rothesay.

Well, it’s worth a try, isn’t it??

easily distracted

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As you might have guessed from lack of blogging, things have been a bit chaotic here. Pastoral crisis? Serious theological discussions? Praying, preaching, and talking about God? Well, some of the time. But also vast amounts of fretting over reports on wet and dry rot, what it will mean to sell a church-owned flat at precisely the time that the market has crashed, and many many hours trying to ask the question ‘how can we best work towards sustaining life in these congregations?’

Property always feels like the wrong way to be spending energy. But it simply has to be done. And when it is not done –regularly, with good financial planning and care — then we end up in a such a mess that it totally disables life (for a prime example, go read about the week poor Mother Ruth has been having).

But how, in the midst of it can we keep focus?

I find I have to keep reminding myself: it’s about God. It’s about God. Yes, it seems to be about towers, drains and rot, but it’s about God.

Today, God crept in through the sunlight. Through Peter and Paul, the very saintlike rabbits grazing on the lawn. Now through a steady rain that I wouldn’t have chosen, but that I know gives life and can soothe or exhilarate in turn.

But more than anything, what gives hope is the thought of people who seem to have the gift of endurance. Those rare few who even in the midst of deep conflict are grounded in joy. I’m not sure if I will live long enough or be changed enough by God to live that way. But I can hope; and pray. And give thanks for those who put up with me in the mean time.