Nelson Mandela - an example to follow

I'm sure the internet is full of people better placed and more knowledgeable who have written profound thoughts about Nelson Mandela. This isn't to try and out do any of them, but I couldn't help but be struck between the difference between Mandela and the politicians we see in office today, indeed those very same politicians who have spoken so effusively of him seem incapable of behaving like him.

There was a marked contrast in  the "Today" programme on Radio 4 between the two main stories they carried. The headline story was Mandela's death. The other was the  Chancellor's Autumn Statement in the House of Commons.

With the Autumn Statement the behaviour of MPs and minsters was so un-Mandela-like  that the contrast really jarred. MPs of all parties were behaving in an utterly tribal manner. They stamped, shouted, booed, and intimidated so that speakers could barely be heard let alone an intelligent debate be had.  Would Mandela have behaved like that? While leading the ANC would he have allowed any of his supporters to indulge in such tribal behaviour? No, it would be unthinkable for Mandela to behave in such a way. Yet those same MPs who have lavished praise  on him did exactly that.

Ministers made speeches sarcastically denigrating opponents and make jibes about playing the piano! For all the injustice Mandela experienced he never (publicly at least) spoke about opponents to try and belittle them. Instead he worked for mutual respect and reconcilliation.

I wish that our MPs would stop mouth empty platitudes about how great Mandela was and instead try and emulate his behaviour. If MPs were to think would Mandela behave like this before they booed, stamped, roared, shouted, denigrated... then our politics and our country would be much healthier.

Eleven days when nothing happened.

No, not my holiday, but September in Britain in 1752. History records that nothing happened in Britain from September the 3^rd to September the 13^th.  

The reason?  Up until then Britain had used the Julian calendar, unlike the rest of Europe which had changed to the Gregorian calendar.  This meant that when it was the first of September in London it would be the twelfth of September in Paris, Madrid, Rome or most of mainland Europe. Parliament decided to change to the new calendar and so Wednesday the 2^nd was followed by Thursday the 14^th. Nothing happened on the 3^rd to 13^th. The days didn’t exist!

The response? In the short term there were protests on the streets with crowds chanting “Give us back our eleven days.”  Protestors demanded wages for the nonexistent days.  People even complained they were losing eleven days of their lives!

Changing to come in to line with the rest of Europe (and most of the rest of the world) was not popular.  Germany and the Netherlands made the same change a few years before us – 1698. Russia didn’t change till 1918 and it took Greece till 1923!

Changing for the sake of others is never easy whether it is for the sake of other nations of the world, other churches within a group or other members within a family. But ultimately that is what is needed for the sake of community. And God built us for community.

Try it for yourself.

Since I moved my internet to Airband I have had any number of people asking me about it. Does it work? Is it reliable?  Can you really use it for your phone as well?  Is it expensive? Is the firm that supplies it helpful

And from my experience I can answer “yes” to all those questions.  But the best thing you can do is to try it for yourself and make the experience your own by trusting Airband to deliver what they promise.

Just like Christian faith. I can answer questions. Does faith help with the muddle of life? Can it support in the difficult times? Does it give meaning and purpose?  

Here too, from my experience I can answer “yes” to all those questions.  But that is no substitute for making the experience your own.   A decision to trust not Airband but God enables us to experience Christian faith. God delivers on his promises.

And the Eternity Wide Web has to be  a more important connection!

Churches Pastoral Team

Had an excellent Pastoral Team meeting last night & have just published details of the team on the churches' website

We had a speaker from the local Social Services & we have a much clearer picture of how Social Services work and how we refer to/access them.
It was two way. Social Services have a clearer picture of what we do and we will be doing a mapping exercise so that the local social worker knows what is going on across the whole of their patch.

David Priston

Probably few, if anyone, in these villages will have heard of David Priston. There's no reason why anyone should have. He was a mission partner with the China Inland Mission working with Chinese people in Malaya, served as a curate in Hereford and for 21 years was Rector in the South Croxton group of villages in Leicestershire.

So no real connection & nothing to do with these villages, except I lived in South Croxton and it was there that I explored a calling into ordained ministry.   Without David's help, support and encouragement I wouldn't have been ordained and wouldn't now be vicar of Teme Valley South. But for David these villages wouldn't have me as vicar.

David died on the 17th of last month and there was a funeral and service of thanksgiving for his life yesterday (5th April).

Our lives are all shaped by people and events outside our control and many of which we have no knowledge about.

Give thanks to God for David and pray for Philippa and  Simon (his children) and their families 

Easter thoughts

The end of this month is Easter – the time when Christians remember Jesus’ death and resurrection.   The big question is did it happen?  Was Jesus crucified? Did he rise from the dead?

Crucifixion was the normal method of execution in the Roman Empire. The Roman soldiers knew their job and an execution party that got it wrong would be in big trouble.  There is no good historical reason to question Jesus’ death.

 What then about him being brought back to life? Did it really happen?  On one hand we can take the view that dead men (particularly ones that have undergone the torture of crucifixion) can’t come back to life so it can’t have happened. On the other hand we can look at the evidence to see if it did happen.

For me the evidence of the gospels is compelling.  Their accounts ring true.  They don’t read like made up stories.  Yes, they all record the event differently, but read four newspapers all reporting the same event today and you find much greater variation!  Clearly something happened to change those frightened disillusioned followers into the fearless ambassadors risking and giving their lives for Christ. 

So what happened? Mass hysterical illusion? Fraud? Conspiracy and cover up?  To me the only explanation of the change in Jesus followers that makes sense is that he really did rise from the dead. And if he overcame death then it means the promises he makes for us are trustworthy.

Chuch news

If you're interested in general news about what is happening in Teme Valley South Churches then this link to the churches' facebook page might be helpful for you

A morning in the snow

This morning I was supposed to be going to Stoneleigh for a meeting of the Country Way editorial group. The latest issue has been published online http://www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk/publications-and-resources/country-way and my printed copy arrived in today's post.
But a quick look at the lane outside the Rectory suggested it would not be a good idea.  Shanks Ponies are the order of the day. But it's an ill wind...  Sally, who was going to take the midweek communion at Eastham was unexpectedly unavailable, so I walked down the lanes to Eastham. The midweek service is a recent innovation, yet to build up numbers.
This morning there were two of us and we celebrated the feast of St John the Alsmgiver - a saint from Egypt in the 7th century who it seems gave away not just this own money but diocesan money as well on frivolous things like maternity hospitals, caring for refugees, supporting beggars....    What would it be like, we wondered, if the diocese today was to give away all its money on food-banks and the like????
Walking back up from Eastham I was noticing that the lanes were much clearer having been ploughed and gritted and wondering whether I should have gone to Stoneleigh, when I came across a large gritting lorry with snow plough stuck in the lane. Going up the hill it had lost traction and slid onto the verge where the weight of the load and the soft ground had caused it to tip over. Two tractors were there but decided that it would need something bigger to pull it out.
On up the hill a local business man and his son were taking the post to the inaccessible houses that the post van couldn't reach.
On up the hill and more conversations about weather, life, faith...
Not the morning I'd expected, but good.