Two young guys were walking around Highland Parish last weekend, going door to door. The fact that you make a public display of your commitment to your faith by going on a pilgrimage to a strange land is a good thing. And you are always so well turned out in your smart black suits and shiny shoes.
But this is Scotland. It is summer. This means that it's going to be a whole lot wetter than the average winter. Whoever thought up your dress code needs to include a smart raincoat to keep the worst of the weather off. Even an umbrella would be a start.
Regardless of our denomination, we can only spread God's word if we look after the body. Getting damp (or even sunburned*) just makes you miserable, so look after the body and you will find it easier to speak your message. We are all vehicles capable of carrying God's message, but if your vehicle gets waterlogged, it stops working.
*well it might happen...
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Overheard Quote of the Day
From the pub...
"I'm not just the Devil's Advocate. I'm his lawyer, solicitor and his whole [expletive deleted] legal team!"
Outstanding!
"I'm not just the Devil's Advocate. I'm his lawyer, solicitor and his whole [expletive deleted] legal team!"
Outstanding!
Thursday, 5 July 2012
On God and his Particles
The world of science made an announcement this week about the Higgs Boson that to some people is the most fundamental discovery in nature, while to others it is absolutely meaningless.
Our faith, to some people is the most fundamental discovery in nature, while to others it is absolutely meaningless.
And we all have trouble sometimes expressing what we believe in, and making ourselves understood to those who do not travel in our circles.
But back to the elusive Higgs Boson. Physicists, especially Peter Higgs, don't generally call it the God Particle. CERN announced this week that evidence for the existence of the Higgs Boson has been discovered at the Large Hadron Colider. Cool. Absolutely outstanding. I sincerely congratulate them on their achievements. But what use is this to the average person in the street? Well I am sure that at the moment, the answer is not a lot.
Back in 1927, you would have said "not a lot" if someone asked you what you knew about Quantum Mechanics, however this knowledge is absolutely fundamental to the creation of transistors, and in every computer chip you are using to read this post. Sometimes things are discovered that may not have an application for decades to come.
We live in an age of discovery, and while sometimes it is hard to keep up with progress, and even harder to understand it, we need to at least try to know a little of all that is going on if we are to be the moral guardians of society. When someone says "Look what we can do!" we should be saying, "that's great, but lets just make sure this isn't going to cause harm." We should not stop progress, (we tried that with heliocentrism, and made ourselves look foolish) but we should think about its implications.
It is great that God gave us the inquisitive minds, to look and to try to understand his creation, but the more we look, the more there is yet to be revealed. And that's amazing.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Our faith, to some people is the most fundamental discovery in nature, while to others it is absolutely meaningless.
And we all have trouble sometimes expressing what we believe in, and making ourselves understood to those who do not travel in our circles.
But back to the elusive Higgs Boson. Physicists, especially Peter Higgs, don't generally call it the God Particle. CERN announced this week that evidence for the existence of the Higgs Boson has been discovered at the Large Hadron Colider. Cool. Absolutely outstanding. I sincerely congratulate them on their achievements. But what use is this to the average person in the street? Well I am sure that at the moment, the answer is not a lot.
Back in 1927, you would have said "not a lot" if someone asked you what you knew about Quantum Mechanics, however this knowledge is absolutely fundamental to the creation of transistors, and in every computer chip you are using to read this post. Sometimes things are discovered that may not have an application for decades to come.
We live in an age of discovery, and while sometimes it is hard to keep up with progress, and even harder to understand it, we need to at least try to know a little of all that is going on if we are to be the moral guardians of society. When someone says "Look what we can do!" we should be saying, "that's great, but lets just make sure this isn't going to cause harm." We should not stop progress, (we tried that with heliocentrism, and made ourselves look foolish) but we should think about its implications.
It is great that God gave us the inquisitive minds, to look and to try to understand his creation, but the more we look, the more there is yet to be revealed. And that's amazing.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Friday, 29 June 2012
Fifty-Nine Quid.
A week or so before the selection conference I recieved a letter that actually made me consider whether I wanted to continue with the Ordained Local Ministry. I was informed that I am required to join the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme for both adults and children, and I was expected to pay £59 for the privelege.
This angered me. The OLM is a voluntary, non stipendary ministry, and I firmly believe this should be open to everyone that God calls. But £59 is a couple of days pay after tax for someone on minimum wage, so it is a large chunk out of the domestic budget. I have £59 spare, but not everyone is so lucky. I was unhappy that this may exclude those who are spiritually rich but cash poor.
Because this is required for an individual's employment, the £59, according to an accountant I met at conference, is tax deductible. So employees such as child minders and even full time ministers can reclaim the cost, but for the volunteers, we are expected to pay it. This is not meant as a pot-shot at full time Ministers, as I have had a lot of support from many Ministers who disagree with OLM's and Readers being charged. And it's not the Kirk that is levying this charge. The PVG people at 121 have had long discussions with HMRC and PVG to find a way to waive the cost, but to no avail. It is worth noting that voluntary groups, such as the Scouts are exempt from the charge.
I have exchanged a number of emails with 121 and the people, and in particular one person who we all know, have been really fantastic.
Had I already been PVG cleared by my home congregation for both adults and children, then there would be no charge.* If I was only on one list, then I would still have to pay the £59 to join the other list.
I have no objections to the PVG scheme in principle, however I believe that the cost of vetting the workforce and volunteers should be paid by the state. Especially considering how many exemptions there are from the scheme, and how, according to my source, is tax deductible. It hardly makes sense to pay the Goverment on one hand, but then reclaim the cost on the other.. I believe having a workforce that we can be confident in is an asset to society, and the benefits will far outweigh the costs of running the PVG scheme
And if the £59 is a bit much, please have a word with 121 and I am assured they may be able to help.
*I am dropping a very big hint here for future OLM's, Readers and other workers. Work it out.
This angered me. The OLM is a voluntary, non stipendary ministry, and I firmly believe this should be open to everyone that God calls. But £59 is a couple of days pay after tax for someone on minimum wage, so it is a large chunk out of the domestic budget. I have £59 spare, but not everyone is so lucky. I was unhappy that this may exclude those who are spiritually rich but cash poor.
Because this is required for an individual's employment, the £59, according to an accountant I met at conference, is tax deductible. So employees such as child minders and even full time ministers can reclaim the cost, but for the volunteers, we are expected to pay it. This is not meant as a pot-shot at full time Ministers, as I have had a lot of support from many Ministers who disagree with OLM's and Readers being charged. And it's not the Kirk that is levying this charge. The PVG people at 121 have had long discussions with HMRC and PVG to find a way to waive the cost, but to no avail. It is worth noting that voluntary groups, such as the Scouts are exempt from the charge.
I have exchanged a number of emails with 121 and the people, and in particular one person who we all know, have been really fantastic.
Had I already been PVG cleared by my home congregation for both adults and children, then there would be no charge.* If I was only on one list, then I would still have to pay the £59 to join the other list.
I have no objections to the PVG scheme in principle, however I believe that the cost of vetting the workforce and volunteers should be paid by the state. Especially considering how many exemptions there are from the scheme, and how, according to my source, is tax deductible. It hardly makes sense to pay the Goverment on one hand, but then reclaim the cost on the other.. I believe having a workforce that we can be confident in is an asset to society, and the benefits will far outweigh the costs of running the PVG scheme
And if the £59 is a bit much, please have a word with 121 and I am assured they may be able to help.
*I am dropping a very big hint here for future OLM's, Readers and other workers. Work it out.
Saturday, 23 June 2012
Use of Church Buildings
Following on from the community enterprise idea, another
thing sprung to mind.
In the UK,
elections typically happen on a Thursday, often closing schools to use their premises as the polling
station. This means that parents may need to find childcare, so they
either need to take time off work or have to pay for childcare. And for a
self employed person, time away from work means no wages.
The Church of Scotland has campaigned in the past for
international justice and democracy, for example in Burma. So should we set an
example by offering our buildings for use as polling stations.?
The sanctuary of many churches often lies empty all week, and there may also be room in the halls, so
I feel it shows a good example that we are encouraging democracy by allowing polling
to take place in our buildings. Also, it helps our communities by
ensuring the schools stay open and parents can carry on working.
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Discussion follow-up
My discussion topic asked the question as to whether the church should step in to run essential community services when the traditional suppliers close down. This was targeted at congregations within rural areas who may only have limited access to shops, banks and petrol stations. I had this topic bouncing around my head for a number of months before conference, so I was reasonably well prepared when it came to the debate.
The group was broadly in agreement with the idea of the Church providing local services, and using its premises if appropriate. It is entirely compatible for the Church to support its community in this manner, as this may help to eliminate rural poverty by providing access to reasonably priced produce through a local shop.
One concern was raised that it may look like the Church was abusing its power to prevent other businesses setting up in the area. Between the group it was agreed that the Church should not be the owner of the enterprise, but instead should act as a catalyst to create a community business. Other community businesses have sold shares within the community so the community as a whole is the business owner, and all profits are re-invested in the business or the community. No one person will be profiting, and everyone has a vested interest in the continuation of the scheme. A community cooperative may also qualify for membership of the Cooperative movement, allowing the sale of Co-op branded goods through their wholesaler.
Communities, on the whole are aware when their bank, post office or shop are at risk of closing. If it is known that a proprietor is going to be closing down, then this is the point that the Church should be acting to get the community involved in creating a replacement. The community should not be forcing established business out of the area, but it will know when a proprietor is planning on retiring, and can work with the proprietor to arrange smooth transition.
There was also a little time to discuss the types of enterprise that could be offered. Already in Scotland there are shops, a petrol station and a laundrette, and there are community post offices. It was also suggested that a community should could offer a platform for the sale of local crafts and produce, either as part of a larger enterprise, or in its own standalone shop. Even the pub idea was worth considering. There was little concern about the use of Church premises. While it may be inappropriate to turn the sanctuary into a local wine bar, the church hall may often lie empty for part of the day, so consideration could be made to using the halls for community enterprise.
So in general, the group was broadly in favour of the topic.
The important thing is to keep Christ at the centre of the community. If the Church can see a way of reducing rural poverty by empowering people to use their time, talents and resources, then this can only be a good thing.
Post Script. It’s not just rural poverty that is affected by not having a supermarket at the end of the street. I am aware of an urban congregation that organised a bus run to Tesco so the largely unemployed members could get cheaper shopping as they did not have access to cars. It’s not about putting money into the hands of Tesco, but instead about helping those worse off buy essentials cheaper. I suppose every little helps.
The group was broadly in agreement with the idea of the Church providing local services, and using its premises if appropriate. It is entirely compatible for the Church to support its community in this manner, as this may help to eliminate rural poverty by providing access to reasonably priced produce through a local shop.
One concern was raised that it may look like the Church was abusing its power to prevent other businesses setting up in the area. Between the group it was agreed that the Church should not be the owner of the enterprise, but instead should act as a catalyst to create a community business. Other community businesses have sold shares within the community so the community as a whole is the business owner, and all profits are re-invested in the business or the community. No one person will be profiting, and everyone has a vested interest in the continuation of the scheme. A community cooperative may also qualify for membership of the Cooperative movement, allowing the sale of Co-op branded goods through their wholesaler.
Communities, on the whole are aware when their bank, post office or shop are at risk of closing. If it is known that a proprietor is going to be closing down, then this is the point that the Church should be acting to get the community involved in creating a replacement. The community should not be forcing established business out of the area, but it will know when a proprietor is planning on retiring, and can work with the proprietor to arrange smooth transition.
There was also a little time to discuss the types of enterprise that could be offered. Already in Scotland there are shops, a petrol station and a laundrette, and there are community post offices. It was also suggested that a community should could offer a platform for the sale of local crafts and produce, either as part of a larger enterprise, or in its own standalone shop. Even the pub idea was worth considering. There was little concern about the use of Church premises. While it may be inappropriate to turn the sanctuary into a local wine bar, the church hall may often lie empty for part of the day, so consideration could be made to using the halls for community enterprise.
So in general, the group was broadly in favour of the topic.
The important thing is to keep Christ at the centre of the community. If the Church can see a way of reducing rural poverty by empowering people to use their time, talents and resources, then this can only be a good thing.
Post Script. It’s not just rural poverty that is affected by not having a supermarket at the end of the street. I am aware of an urban congregation that organised a bus run to Tesco so the largely unemployed members could get cheaper shopping as they did not have access to cars. It’s not about putting money into the hands of Tesco, but instead about helping those worse off buy essentials cheaper. I suppose every little helps.
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
Conference Discussion Topic
One of the exercises you have to do at conference involves group discussion. From your group of five, you each take a turn at presenting your topic to the group and chairing the discussion before summing up with the conclusion of the group at the end. So everyone has a turn at presenting to a group and four chances of participating in a group. You have fifteen minutes per talk, so no more than the first five minutes should be spent presenting your topic, and taking care to leave a short time for collating the groups position at the end, you then have ten minutes or so of discussion. You want a topic that will generate opinion, but not so controversial that the debate descends into fisticuffs. And Voldemort is strictly off limits!
You will be asked to submit your question to 121 before conference. Believe me, there's nothing worse than going to a public speaking competition to find that, of the six contestants, three are speaking on the same topic (in my year at school it was Women's Rights.) Especially when you have been politely advised that the judges are getting bored hearing the same topics.
My advice:
- Practice delivering your topic beforehand.
- Discuss it with people from a variety of backgrounds so you are prepared for their responses.
- Get your timing right. Rambling on for thirteen minutes about your topic gives no time for discussion. And on that note, wear a watch.
- Make sure you include everyone.
- And remember that you are all in this together. Trying to score points against your comrades just makes you look like an arse.
My question, along with the rough cut of my preamble follows.
*********************************************************************
It could be argued
that, Church aside, there are four buildings that form the heart of
the community. The shop, the Post Office, the bank and the pub.
For those who live in
the central belt, where we may have a shop on every corner, and 24
hour supermarkets in nearly every town, it is easy to overlook the
pressures that rural communities are under. Closing the village shop
means that villagers are forced to drive many miles just to buy the
essentials, with the associated transport costs. Close the bank and
businesses have to travel further to deposit funds, and residents may
not be able to access cash. And if they can get cash, it may only
come from fee charging cash machines. Close the Post Office, and you
lose the myriad of services the Post Office offers, including cash
withdrawals and deposits. And where would Eastenders be without the
Queen Vic, or Emmerdale without the Woolpack? All these enterprises
form a focal point for interaction within the community. Remove even
one of them and the community starts to decline. The only
interaction within the community will be a token wave as they pass
each other on the way to Tesco. And as the community shrinks,
takings at these enterprises reduces, reducing their viability, and
causing more businesses to close, continuing the cycle.
And how do we support
those who don't have a car?
But a willing community
can make a change. Communities groups on the island of Eriskay and
the village of Uig on Lewis have set up their own community
enterprises, helping to halt the decline of their area. These
include shops, Post Offices, laundrettes and even a petrol station.
And pubs have even been bought out by their community. There have even been plans for
community groups to become internet providers, in the areas where the
traditional internet providers will not operate.
Given its position at
the centre of the community, should the Church at parish or Presbytery level act as a catalyst for community enterprise? Should
the Church help to alleviate the financial burden on those in the
local area by ensuring they don't have to drive miles for a pint of
milk? Should the Church be permitting use of its premises to provide
a Post Office, a shop, a bank, or dare I even say it, a pub?
If the Church does not
look after its community, then there will be no community left to
serve, so the question I offer to the group is…
“Should the church step in to run essential community services when the traditional suppliers close within that community?”
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Result
The letter arrived today.
After a year of exploring, I've actually managed to convince some folk that I'm cut out to be an OLM.
Perhaps after another year I'll convince myself!
With particular thanks to all the bloggers and commentors who have helped along the way, both online and in person.
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Advantages
Well there's sod all I can do at this moment in time to improve on how I got on at conference.
So at the moment, If I want to see Mrs G, I have to drive my motorbike to Highland Cathedral through some very attractive scenery. stay with some very good friends, eat in a cafe that doesn't skimp on the portion size when it comes to chocolate cake, and drink at a pub that has an extensive and changing range of real ales on tap. And the pub is in walking distance, so everyone can join in.
This summer is going to be hellish. :-)
So at the moment, If I want to see Mrs G, I have to drive my motorbike to Highland Cathedral through some very attractive scenery. stay with some very good friends, eat in a cafe that doesn't skimp on the portion size when it comes to chocolate cake, and drink at a pub that has an extensive and changing range of real ales on tap. And the pub is in walking distance, so everyone can join in.
This summer is going to be hellish. :-)
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Finished
Finished. Home.
My head is now firmly located up my nether regions.
We had an orchestra sharing the building at Gartmore House. There are few things more disconcerting than having an orchestra strike up in the next room as you are performing number 2. In this Jubilee weekend, it's nice to know how the other half lives.
I'm giving the whole thing no more thought. Thy will be done etc. It's completely out of my hands. So in a week and a half I'll get the answer. But will my path involve a Stairway or a Highway?
My head is now firmly located up my nether regions.
We had an orchestra sharing the building at Gartmore House. There are few things more disconcerting than having an orchestra strike up in the next room as you are performing number 2. In this Jubilee weekend, it's nice to know how the other half lives.
I'm giving the whole thing no more thought. Thy will be done etc. It's completely out of my hands. So in a week and a half I'll get the answer. But will my path involve a Stairway or a Highway?
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