tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30288004315859335722011-07-07T22:11:33.927-07:00Random rambling reflections from a sometimes-running rev.Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.comBlogger971100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-44011615659090120032010-08-30T14:22:00.000-07:002010-08-30T14:22:38.078-07:00

No, I haven't really run out of thoughts, ideas, things to share. Simply have run out of words to use to say what I want to say. Mum received her diagnosis last week. Some things you just 'know'. I 'knew' but thought/hoped/prayed we would have more time and maybe some hope. Months of waiting, to discover there is so little time left. So for now, other things take priority. Blessings to you all.

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-64061659497520969952010-07-18T10:48:00.000-07:002010-07-31T13:03:43.630-07:00

Oh dear, oh dear... If the Radio 4 profile programme on John Broadhurst, the leader of Forward in Faith, was meant to elicit sympathy for the concerns of the Catholic wing of the church (following the vote last week to take the next step along the road that leads to women being ordained as Bishops) it failed. Bishop John Broadhurst was described variously as talented, someone with a grass-roots

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-83040172019951328062010-07-14T04:38:00.000-07:002010-07-14T04:38:23.774-07:00

H/t Angela Shier-Jones at the Kneeler for this one, and for pointing out that some science is at last catching up with God's teaching.

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-11694444374525246602010-07-13T00:40:00.000-07:002010-07-13T00:59:01.274-07:00

Where were you on the day that Kennedy was shot? Or John Lennon? Or that Eagle landed on the moon? Or 9/11 or 7/7? We like to speak of 'the day the world changed', after which nothing could ever be the same again. That day, for me, was in November 1992. Driving home from (of all things prophetic) a church leader's conference at St Andrews Chorleywood I switched on the car radio. There, in the

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-20629152419615215582010-07-11T11:13:00.000-07:002010-07-11T11:13:33.624-07:00

With thanks to several people who have picked this up from Church Times- scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-39382274028934381012010-07-10T23:35:00.000-07:002010-07-11T10:47:13.991-07:00

General Synod is meeting this week to take some difficult decisions that will cause pain to whichever group loses the vote. To many people both in and out of the church, the media coverage of this legislative body portrays an organisation that is hopelessly out of touch with daily life for millions of people. Yet we know, that 'on the ground' we, the people who are the church, are made up of the

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-82094648830832980042010-06-22T05:53:00.000-07:002010-06-22T05:53:03.158-07:00

Two years ago this week I was counting down to ordination as a deacon. Many people were due to attend, and Carolyn,who was very ill with pancreatic cancer had said she would try to be there, but it might be in a wheelchair. There was no wheelchair. Carolyn died before the weekend, and I attended her funeral just a few days after the ordination service. Apart from the funeral it was a strange

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-16931572503906348832010-06-14T23:08:00.000-07:002010-06-14T23:08:43.481-07:00

"If there are always biscuits in the time, then where is the treat in biscuits" I have been pondering the topic of gratitude in our churches recently; that is, our affluent western churches, and specifically this middle-class bubble in the Home Counties where I work. This has been mainly from my selfish perspective of being a 'supplier' to a consumer society. About three weeks ago a Bishop in

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-48570678300664378752010-05-23T15:17:00.000-07:002010-05-23T15:17:03.819-07:00

h/t Lesley Fellows http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind.html

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-32266932036580392282010-05-10T14:43:00.000-07:002010-05-10T14:43:57.440-07:00

A week ago I held a Communion Service for our younger people (upper end of primary school) and the others who attend their evening service - youngest person was a babe in arms, old was in their eighties. Looking for a child-friendly Eucharistic Prayer (I didn't find one), I came across some references to a trial going on in some churches, of a prayer that  may be authorsied soon. Does anyone

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-3112806260641093652010-04-23T03:37:00.001-07:002010-04-23T03:39:26.100-07:00

When 'Yeah, right' is not the right answer.If the picture below does not work, try clicking on this link.

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-8864978146149486672010-04-16T23:37:00.000-07:002010-04-16T23:39:07.634-07:00

During the sabbatical there are some relationships that must never be upset. This CartoonChurch.com cartoon by Dave Walker originally appeared in the Church Times.

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-72739420566248744642010-04-10T08:09:00.000-07:002010-04-10T22:41:30.159-07:00

Saturday 9th April 2010. In mid-winter of 2008/2009 we had bitter frosts and snow.  During this time the family of geese that live on the canal next to Berkhamsted Railway Station laid a clutch of 10 eggs and mananged to sit on them for about 2 weeks.  Unfortunately their nest was too close to the railings, and effectively underneath the pavement. Many people saw the nest and peered with

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-48651745499129709402010-04-09T12:54:00.000-07:002010-04-09T12:54:50.405-07:00

"The idea that a truly objective, entirely scientific and factual history can exist is an Enlightenment ideal that most would now recognise belongs to an unattainable fantasy of disinterested objectivity. On the other are the thoroughgoing post-modernists, such as Keith Jenkins, who holds that history is a personal and ideological story as much about the present as the past."  Clayboy In 1986 I

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-56036339384884712212010-04-09T11:59:00.000-07:002010-04-09T12:28:51.243-07:00

Today is Friday of week one of the sabbatical. It has been a quieter week, with a lot of people on holiday, but not quiet enough for me to have a holiday. My post-Easter break will definitely have to be a post-Sabbatical break.  Today has presented a nice variety, starting with Morning Prayer, then some office work on the notice-sheet, home communion, wedding interview, queries about monumental

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-87851487843201605552010-04-07T00:22:00.000-07:002010-04-07T00:22:06.310-07:00

You'll have to read the blog, then the comments, which get rather heated in parts, but then, we get to a bit about... apricot coloured ink. http://www.gentlewisdom.org.uk/?p=1508 Thank goodness for scholars who do what I can't. Now, I wonder if Amazon have a copy of 'Junia'?

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-24424347758157088802010-04-06T22:57:00.000-07:002010-04-06T22:57:54.949-07:00

Wednesday 7th April 2010 Already there are two messages back from the men of the church who are making plans to clear the mess before Sunday. This is good news, as I didn't want to have to pay the council to remove all of it.

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-65693560322650169032010-04-06T10:13:00.000-07:002010-04-06T22:47:55.873-07:00

Yesterday we went on the Diocesan Pilgrimage. Today, I was hoping to have the day off, but stayed in the Berko burrow to be around in case of the inevitable queries.  So far nothing major, until about 4pm, when a phone message advised me of fly-tipping overnight in the car-park.  It hasn't happened before. A number of people are on holiday so we won't get it sorted today, but I smiled as I

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-82580533857839067262010-04-05T21:10:00.000-07:002010-04-06T00:40:26.152-07:00

Blog written at 7.27pm Monday April 5th - Easter Monday 13.4 miles and my legs (mainly knees) are protesting. We walked from our Berkhamsted flat to Sunnyside Church, then on to St Albans Abbey for the Easter Monday pilgrimage. The route is pretty in places - we chose to go along the canal to Boxmoor, then through the centre of the Hemel 'magic roundabout' and up the hill to Tesco (quick stop

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-25898475435165928612010-04-03T04:49:00.000-07:002010-04-03T04:50:02.360-07:00

Charles Wilson and Charles Warren were archeologists who excavated the outside of the Western Wall, under the existing streets of Jerusalem. This work started in the 19th century and was continued in the second half of the twentieth century. In the last couple of years the site has been opened as a visitor site for pre-booked groups. We visited it on day 2 of our pilgrimage, and were able to see

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-29062654726077102082010-04-02T14:10:00.000-07:002010-04-02T23:23:56.827-07:00

This year we share Fools Day with Good Friday - the juxtaposition throws up some interesting thoughts about wisdom and foolishness, and the place of the jester - the one who calls out against power and witnesses to the greater truth that politics must hide. 9am - a service of meditation at the little church. 10am - ecumenical outdoor witness service ot the local community -was I the only one to

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-72172997913835771112010-03-31T01:06:00.000-07:002010-03-31T15:49:01.535-07:00

There is now a new blog http://www.heleganttwo.blogspot.com/ that I will use to store sermons.

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-8731245779125221562010-03-28T05:13:00.000-07:002010-03-28T05:19:09.657-07:00

OK, I know.  Help desks, especially when located abroad and populated by people whose grasp of the Engish laguage is tenuous, are an easy target.  But this one takes this week's award for most useless response I've come across. Some months ago I changed the password on my ISP master screen-name (which I rarely use), and then lost the password.  Stupid, but these things happen. I have 6 other

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-24332374909861785892010-03-23T00:45:00.000-07:002010-03-23T00:45:59.497-07:00

This is a direct link to Karen's blog where I realise someone else has been considering the same issues that have been on my mind.  I find that comforting, even if I don't yet have the answers. The poem is not mine but hers. Standing in the hard place, aware of pain around listening still searching for wisdom knowing that God heals. Sensing the tension. Naming it and letting it flow down

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-15919026814979442322010-03-23T00:33:00.000-07:002010-03-23T00:33:35.876-07:00

In my opinion we are all called to work for unity-between and among the peoples of faith and the world. Unity does not and cannot mean that we all agree about everything. We all have our boundaries and they don't overlap enough to achieve that sort of unity. What I think we can aim for is to respect each other even when we profoundly disagree, and to speak well of each other and our chosen

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-20397608091468299922010-03-23T00:10:00.000-07:002010-03-23T00:22:32.163-07:00

This has a 'not so tenuous' link with my previous post on Facebook. Who do we communicate with, and what does that mean? In response to Vic. From the perspective of a 'host' church I see three broad positions on receiving communion: 1. Anyone who wants to take part may receive communion at the Lord's Table "This is not my table but the Lord's". I've seen this more at the evangelical/free

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-32088195049514004732010-03-22T13:39:00.000-07:002010-03-22T13:39:02.070-07:00

Tonight I culled my Facebook friends list.  Most of the names that I deleted were people that I rarely speak to and don't have a current relarionship with.  That still leaves me with 126 'friends'. Most of those are not 'friends' within my definition of that idea.  Not to say they don't have value, just that I set a high store on particular elements of friendship, and those relationships are

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-17367258568582573012010-03-09T15:52:00.000-08:002010-03-09T15:52:22.552-08:00

This evening my attention was caught by an an on-line discussion on th topic of whether Jamie Bulger's mother should be given information about John Venables.  This addition from me is relevant to my previous blog, My twopennyworth. I wrote a post recently about the making of monsters, and one thing we, as society, forget is that the children who inflicted that horrific death on Jamie Bulger

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-78197533964299273802010-03-08T09:16:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:35:01.107-08:00

This is a repost from elsewhere (thanks to Phil) that says in writing a lot of what I have been muttering over this last week.

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-6238150473261967282010-03-08T08:46:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:35:36.255-08:00

Isn't it? This article poses the question, "Modern life presents us with numerous ways to cheat: texts, direct messages, or plain old-fashioned affairs. But is infidelity really betrayal?" It may not be 'just' about those things, but surely they are too important to dismiss?

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-1489184655949161912010-02-22T11:22:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:36:49.544-08:00

Clayboy draws the argument in terms of broad themes vs proof-text verses. Either/or?  Both-and? God calls.  God calls, the church tests, trains and ordains.  And here I stand.  A placeholder for the future. Neither a trail-blazer, nor a Bishop-in-waiting.  Not banging my head on a stained-glass ceiling.  'Just' a place-holder for normality, so that those who follow; those with the

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-80979689552655123612010-02-14T05:39:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:39:07.167-08:00

When we are asked to describe ourselves we use labels. As a priest and second-year curate sent by a charismatic open-evangelical church to work in an evangelical church I had no idea that I was also a sacramentalist - until that part of my theology was challenged.  Now my evangelical credentials are challenged, and I find myself writing that 'I am becoming a liberal'.  I'm not entirely sure I

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-54015229582795734382010-02-13T07:19:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:41:40.348-08:00

OK, so in 1956 Hollywood a particular image of marriage and nuclear family life boosted the confidence of those recovering from war and discovering affluence.  As a model of society it looked pretty - but Rock Hudson was gay and Doris Day... it was an illusion, even then. Now we are in 2010... When, oh when, is all this nonsense going to stop?

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-77035515112871673462010-02-13T03:42:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:38:23.616-08:00

Vic the vicar has posted in the last couple of days, and my responses are expressed more strongly than usual. In the past I had thought in terms of what we have in common, and this is the first real difference to become apparent. This is good. The differences are part of our separate identities, and I shouldn't be surprised that he holds the views he does - they are the product of

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-1662345241573696062010-02-12T14:11:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:40:53.597-08:00

24 hours of this week has been spent in the company of other clergy-women of the Diocese on a pre-Lent guided retreat. It was very well led, and became a time of calm and quiet and safe, honest, deep exploration, and meaningful encounter, and my experience was of feeling very close to the divine.  Most of the experiences were positive, and I have learned many good things - including an example of

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-48974266548482743702010-02-09T09:57:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:56:07.043-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted this in elsewhere, "Clear-eyed realism and compassion were the hallmarks of someone I met this morning.  Discussing a particular social problem, this expert and front-line worker referred to people who from a *very* early age learn, in the school playground, a twisted form of social interaction: 1. How to be a bully - to hit first in case someone hits you. 2. How

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-11622665150739802742010-01-31T11:40:00.000-08:002010-01-31T11:42:25.104-08:00

We prayed for two people today who are moving out of the area temporarily on mission work abroad - one to Bangladesh, the other to Uganda. The stories are typical church-fodder, up lifting and motivating, and both J and B are inspirational in their different ways. There is another person also moving on today, however it is a pastorally more complex move, requiring sensitivity and an element of

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-55020134120374794072010-01-30T22:19:00.001-08:002010-03-08T15:57:10.019-08:00

Forty days ago, on the first day of Christmas, we celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Forty days later, on the last day of Christmas (2nd February or the nearest Sunday) we remember the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. This is one of the oldest celebrations that the church has; the first reports of the service go back to before we had a completed Canon of Scripture. In July

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-39698648973174005762010-01-30T12:35:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:55:22.966-08:00

That phrase made me giggle. It appeared in a blog by a very eminent Bishop, and without an explanation of what he actually meant. My first thought was 'lawnmower'. The reason for that is that the most secure place in one of the churches is behind a very thick door with a very solid lock in a very small locked stone vestry, and therefore it has become the home of the lawnmower. The lawnmower

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-22640778429107780742010-01-30T06:32:00.001-08:002010-03-08T15:57:52.082-08:00

Not the words , I would have used but I think his sentiments are spot on regarding the global sin that led to so much death in Haiti. The pot-shots at Dawkins are amusing and maybe I shouldn't find it funny, because the view of himself that Dawkins presents is of a rather sad and obsessed man, but I doubt he would find sympathy anything but patronising, so maybe this is a better response. As

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-82909122477783392992010-01-30T06:24:00.000-08:002010-01-30T06:24:21.705-08:00

I've decided I like Wordles. They make much more sense than the sermon from which this is drawn (last January) :-)

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-5000958512310901382010-01-29T12:51:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:53:55.879-08:00

"Worship" is one of those words that has entirely different meanings, depending on your churchmanship, and age, and the stage of your journey of faith.  This was brought home to me very strongly a couple of weeks ago when I attended an apparently thriving church where the order of service referred to the three blocks of congregational singing as "Worship" (three songs), "Song" (one song) and "

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-17106098488316503042010-01-15T07:37:00.000-08:002010-01-15T07:39:20.547-08:00

"Yet again today Matt Wardman reminds us that the National Secular Society – despite its claims to advocate on behalf of a silent secular majority in Britain – fails to publish its membership figures, reasonably presumed to be rather small and insignificant. The horizon against which he makes that point is influence regarding the general election due this year. The NSS are not the only relative

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-19705737214735289072010-01-12T23:18:00.000-08:002010-01-12T23:22:33.095-08:00

Psalm 137 is about loss, identity, betrayal and revenge. It shows honest human responses, and expresses feelings that we don't like to admit to or think about. When we acknowledge and own our humanity then we can move on. Jesus, by word and example, shows us a different way to live, and a different future. Any questions?

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-54488961212034026072010-01-12T16:17:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:52:37.927-08:00

As I was thinking and praying about Psalm 137 I pondered that when our hearts are full of anger and jealousy and other 'negative' ideas, there isn't room for God.  When we come into a 'Holy Space' like a church, it isn't the building alone that makes it a place to pray; it is our conditioned response to that building - the reasons we have been here before - to turn towards the Lord and quieten

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-89402255141480805542010-01-12T10:53:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:59:21.833-08:00

Thank you to clayboy ...when this is placed beside the fact that much of this material is actually “horizontal” – telling the praying person what to think – rather than “vertical” – helping the worshipper address God, it increasingly becomes an extension of the sermon by other means...  read the rest here

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-64382949907825352452010-01-12T09:09:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:51:22.749-08:00

Who remembers Boney M? OK, so you won't admit to it, but I'm guessing that some do. I've bopped around the kitchen to the song, ""By the rivers of Babylon" without ever really considering the meaning of the words. I think that in 1978 I knew the words came from the bible, but not much more.  Let's see if you can sing along. If anyone had told me that this song had great meaning for Jamaicans;

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-24289152271138112432010-01-12T08:12:00.000-08:002010-03-08T16:02:17.894-08:00

I arrived at the church yesterday for 9am Morning Prayer - normally there is a small turn-out for this service.  Well, the vicar was there, with a bright-red spade, and he had just started shovelling. Only half an inch of snow fell on Sunday night (on top of the existing frozen slush and previously compacted snow) but the church is on a steep ungritted hill, and a funeral cortege was due to

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-73841082212046487212010-01-12T07:19:00.000-08:002010-03-08T15:58:46.764-08:00

My journey this morning was quicker than usual, so on a whim I pulled into a petrol station forecourt, parked the car, and went into the shop intending to buy a sandwich for later on.  As I walked through the door a man grasped me by the hand and said, "Sister will you pray for me?" "Of course, tell me more." So in three minutes, we held hands, and this man of simple, direct faith, told me

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-7441772783458687452010-01-12T06:16:00.000-08:002010-03-08T16:01:38.785-08:00

This morning I attended a meeting in another town with another priest, under the Diocesan Assisted Self Appriasl scheme.  This is an optional part of the Continuing Ministerial Education CME) programme, so it would be easy to avoid, especially for those whose previous experience of appraisal has always been tied to judgement.  However this is a genuinely independent review - self-directed, and

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-47997522046106925082010-01-05T03:09:00.000-08:002010-01-05T03:09:06.323-08:00

I want to be a grace guerilla, no longer a chameleon of karma; the time has come to stand out from the crowd. I want to give forgiveness a fighting chance of freeing me, I want to live in love and live it out loud. I want to drink deep of the foolishness of wisdom instead of swallowing the wisdom of fools, to find a source in the deeper mines of meaning to search out the unsearchable,

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-5724156871460105212010-01-04T10:24:00.000-08:002010-01-04T10:26:00.505-08:00

This was on my wishlist for Christmas, and I was delighted when it appeared out of the wrapping paper.  It is the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book for 2010, which I have been reading it with great delight - a sensitive and creative reflection on our faith. The author is a musician, and it shows in the text.  Reading this book reminded me of how much pleasure I get from listening to music, 

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-766801079629115692010-01-03T12:38:00.000-08:002010-01-04T10:13:49.614-08:00

Someone told me today that no two people see a rainbow in the same way. The rainbow is there; it can be photographed, but apparently... the light has to refract at 42 degrees through the water droplets for us to see the colours, and 48 degrees for the second rainbow. As we each stand in a slightly different place we are seeing the rainbow from a different angle and therefore seeing something

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-87786377908729549462009-12-30T12:42:00.000-08:002010-01-03T12:25:32.546-08:00

My recent trip to Lindisfarne was a deliberate exercise in walking away from that edge when I recognised that life events and my management of / reaction to them was draining me faster than I could refill. It is popular to describe people as extroverts or introverts but rather like a lot of other categorisation that we use, I find it of limited value.  When I've spent a lot of time alone I need

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-89013855663624069572009-11-29T23:16:00.000-08:002009-12-30T12:48:46.582-08:00

Gary tagged Sally, and Sally tagged me... "Think of eight memorable musical moments, not necessarily all time favourites, but those when, for example, you felt compelled to wait in the car when listening to this amazing song on the radio because you just had to know who it was by. Or the piece you heard on the tv in a drama that drove you straight onto iTunes to download... (remember once we

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-53531077746698454772009-11-04T09:35:00.000-08:002009-11-06T03:37:46.340-08:00

I received the tag from Gary- List 5 doctrines that are taught within the Christian church that you believe to be deeply de-Christian.Like Gary I'm going to interpret "within" as not necessarily meaning "throughout" so this only applies to some churches; (nevertheless I have heard it said...) And I'm going to re-interpret this to describe practices I have witnessed and teaching I have heard,

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-21908036571464133132009-10-27T13:52:00.000-07:002009-10-27T16:08:35.992-07:00

The pictures below were taken in normal light.This evening I drove down the A41 towards the M25 at 4pm, just as the shadows were lengthening. The only cloud was a fine layer high in the sky and didn't impede the light, which seemed to shine through the leaves waiting to fall, making them glow.As I drove down the valley, the tops of the trees, where they get the most sunlight were red, moving

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-6560530827712752962009-10-06T14:54:00.000-07:002010-03-08T15:49:11.458-08:00

The limitations of words... "When words run out, and they always run out when we are in an encounter with the indescribable, we turn to symbol and sign. Society is surrounded by symbol and sign, not to control us, but to enable us to engage with that which is beyond our experience: from the burning bush to the body and blood, our encounter with the sacred cannot solely be through word alone,

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-25852271243238379852009-10-06T13:31:00.000-07:002009-10-06T14:00:24.299-07:00

I happen to be on occasional email terms with Archdruid Eileen, and was amused to see the advertisement was picked up by Ruth Gledhill in Times Online at http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2009/10/raise-a-glass-to-the-beaker-folk.html#Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley: SITUATIONS VACANT - THE DISPERSED COMMUNITIES OF SPALDINGEnjoy :-)

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-48207849998806734592009-09-29T01:13:00.000-07:002009-10-25T12:32:11.892-07:00

It was an unusual day - chasing round trying to find Eddie Izzard just so that I couldn;t run with him.My motivation was to thank him for doing something that represented a genuine challenge, but that would benefit other people - true charity. Anyway, I found him, shook his hand, had a photo taken with him, and then drove around taking photographs and chatting to various people. He is a

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-22242898011778326082009-09-17T03:30:00.001-07:002009-10-25T11:32:29.971-07:00

In a recent discussion with someone about their funeral the person requested the reading ,"Death is nothing at all" by Henry Scott-Holland, who happens to be an ancestor of an ordinand in my church.Death is nothing at allI have only slipped away into the next roomI am I and you are youWhatever we were to each otherThat we are stillCall me by my old familiar nameSpeak to me in the easy way you

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-50401885374333762672009-08-27T01:43:00.000-07:002009-12-30T12:54:23.437-08:00

In a discussion yesterday about 'walking out of church' (which someone had done for purely practical reasons relating to noise levels), it was suggested that this is never acceptable; that it is always a selfish act 'all about me'. The speaker has a point, but what happens when something happens that pushes at one of our sticking points? We all have boundaries of taste, decency, theological

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-31981734371658149092009-08-23T04:50:00.000-07:002009-08-23T08:56:35.877-07:00

Clergy have many stories to tell, many of which cannot be repeated for reasons of personal privacy. A cartoon in Church Times last week suggested that the events in a vestry immediately before a church service resembles backstage just before a stage play. It's probably best that most people don't see that.So, this morning, I bring you the 'warts and all' story of the baptism in a church ‘with a

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-79398625592251351502009-07-22T00:16:00.000-07:002009-10-25T12:05:05.138-07:00

"Nobody has a right to be ordained: it is always a gift of sheer and unmerited grace" Tom Wright.And what amazing grace that is, I am truly awestruck and grateful to be called into that ministry.This phrase leapt out at me from an article reflecting on the recent vote in the American Episcopalian Church to ordain people in same-sex relationships. Is there a reason why same-sex relationships can't

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-24921597468378441452009-07-08T12:59:00.000-07:002009-07-08T14:53:26.115-07:00

Gordon's Calvary, a site claimed as Golgotha, is at the back of the Bus Garage ("the most calamitous bus station"); this is behind a street market and smells of diesel and rotten vegetables. The heat from the bus engines and exhausts adds to the general oppresive heat, and the street is single file, so there is often a traffic jam with hooting, shouting and gesticulating.Behind this modern

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-91488037588143740902009-07-08T12:42:00.000-07:002009-07-08T12:58:01.503-07:00

After leaving the convent we then started our journey following the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa. On this part of the pilgrimage, I took very few photographs. Most of these pictures here were taken at other times.The street is a market place, and as we walked were continually approached by traders. One or two laughed at us and attempted to distract us from our prayers, but most

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-32361017691315687222009-07-06T23:47:00.000-07:002009-07-06T23:51:37.684-07:00

The experience was awesome. There were two points where I felt most touched by God.The first was the procession from the back of the cathedral through the congregation to stand in front of the Bishop ("out of the people") I looked around me, and a number of my fellow candidates looked as I felt - just on the edge of being able to hold themselves together. We all managed it, but the point at which

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-26154606251899399932009-07-06T16:03:00.001-07:002009-07-08T12:40:09.401-07:00

After leaving the Pools of Bethesda we travelled a few yards along the Via Dolorosa. We saw the 'Ecce Homo' arch (behold the man), which tradition states was where Pilate displayed Jesus to the crowd. Archeology suggests the arch was built slightly later.Attached to the arch is the Ecce Homo convent.The convent is a pilgrim house, where visitors can stay or visit, and it is next to the Ecce Homo

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-54369396410423965992009-07-06T15:00:00.000-07:002009-07-06T17:08:03.010-07:00

These are amazing. This is a complex of cisterns and baths which has been in use by many different groups since the 8th century BC.At one stage the water from the pools is thought to have been used to wash the temple after sacrifices (the pools are uphill from that level).Our guide gave us a potted history of the various religious and other uses, including a story; Queen Victoria was offered a

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-12240729889879148872009-06-30T08:00:00.000-07:002009-07-10T01:00:00.432-07:00

Last year I watched with delight as two swans, (I will call them Lord Cob and Lady Pen for anthropomorphic convenience) laboured to bring up five cygnets.They did much of this work within sight of my kitchen window, and I would often take food to them; they all learned to eat from my hand, although one of the cygnets would drag a serrated beak along my fingers in a way that sometimes took the

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-69940695723513659272009-06-26T13:29:00.001-07:002009-07-06T14:59:09.362-07:00

From Gethsemane we turned right onto the Jericho Road,then left and headed up hill with a Moslem cemetary on our right, towards Lion Gate. Lion Gate is the Hebrew name, and there was some debate about whether the figures were lions or panthers. Apparently we are not the only people to wonder, but all agree that the gate was built, as part of the 'new' walls around Jerusalem by the Ottoman Sultan

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-40252691769016604572009-06-19T16:16:00.001-07:002009-06-27T13:20:18.166-07:00

Gethsemane, the place of wine and olives, is a name that has resonance for Christians. It is here that Jesus faced the temptation to take the easy way out, to quit.His decision would affect humanity forever. Yet Jesus was human and felt fear. The bible story tells us that he didn't take the decision alone, and also that his friends were human too. I find double meaning in "the spirit is willing

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-3063647199489226822009-06-18T12:01:00.000-07:002009-06-23T23:45:29.210-07:00

Luke 19:41-44 "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-60814525980048406882009-06-18T11:56:00.000-07:002009-07-01T07:57:27.207-07:00

Luke 19:28-40After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them,"Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no-one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-60779742204525569752009-06-18T05:18:00.000-07:002009-06-20T12:45:17.585-07:00

My last post was about the souk during the evening hours. This set of pictures shows some of the daytime activities. You can click on any picture to see a larger version. These ladies sell mint, parsley, vine leaves, olives, fruit and vegetables from the pavement.Nuts can be bought from a 'shop'. Note the creative way of dealing with a sloping floor.This street vendor is working from a barrow.

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-18760522130308189352009-06-16T15:49:00.001-07:002009-06-20T12:45:35.082-07:00

These pictures were taken on our first evening in Jerusalem. The occasional yellow hue is caused by the overhead lamps that hang centrally above the alleyways, although many shops also have effective spot-lighting during the hours of darkness.The roads of the souk look quite wide when the shop fronts are closed, but during the day goods are displayed on the pavement and the crowds are such that

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-86199665997744388412009-06-16T09:55:00.000-07:002009-06-20T12:45:55.493-07:00

On our first night in Jerusalem we went for walk to the Bus Garage and the Garden Tomb (more on that another time).As we returned, we encountered a number of our tour group heading off through towards the Damascus Gate, so we joined them. The souk was almost closed, just a few traders were still open, so we had a relatively unencumbered walk through the centre to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-50798223448610781522009-06-14T01:27:00.000-07:002009-06-20T12:46:56.936-07:00

"Pentecost is the festival when Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter.Pentecost is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church, and the start of the church's mission to the world." BBC WebsiteWe attended the Pentecost service at St Georges Anglican Cathedral - the local write-up is here http://www.j-diocese.org/newsdetail.php?id

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-47248083710664125752009-06-12T22:37:00.000-07:002009-06-19T02:02:25.486-07:00

RunTwo successive injury-based withdrawals from the London Marathon, and the subsequent knee problems mean that I have only run 12 miles this year, and have experienced the inevitable and significant weight creep that accompanies eating like a runner and running like a couch potato for a long period of time. It's a cycle that many folks know well, and is accompanied by frustration and occasional

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-47476312465757681482009-06-10T10:35:00.000-07:002009-06-10T10:51:25.449-07:00

Today I travelled to another town to be interviewed by a priest that I didn't know, about my deacon's essay. He was pleasantly welcoming and the interview was relaxed (ish), and he telegraphed the difficult questions with a grin. He now has to write some notes for the Bishop about the essay and me, ready for my interview with the Bishop at the end of the month.Another milestone completed.In my

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-72970755550813832072009-06-09T14:31:00.001-07:002009-06-09T15:00:09.819-07:00

One of my objectives, when I started this job, was to organise life in such a way that I would be able to keep various elements in balance. I had in mind that I would carve a sensible and balanced life around work; train for my next marathon, pick up a bit on swimming, get plenty of sleep, entertain friends old and new, make time for reading and study as well as getting plenty of sleep.Well, I

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-55194178364663041642009-06-08T10:44:00.000-07:002009-06-20T12:47:39.140-07:00

This isn't about people; it's about the way that the city holds history in the very stones, recycled by each generation. So many groups have claimed and conquered this city, so many have tried to knock down the walls, and so many have built them up again, using the same stones.Roman pavements are still visible, deep below ground at Lithostrotos, and also at ground level in the souk, and chariot

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-66966326929662785202009-06-08T10:25:00.000-07:002009-06-20T12:47:21.990-07:00

I didn't intend to photograph faces, but most of my pictures have been high resolution, and looking through them, I found these people. Most of these were taken in the souk at Damascus Gate.This final picture was taken as a football match was being broadcast. There was a lot of talk that morning about Manchester United, so I can only assume (as I can't see the TV and the commentary is in Arabic)

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-75526062845759686432009-06-07T23:51:00.000-07:002009-06-20T12:46:21.673-07:00

A pilgrimage to the Holy Land includes visits to places that have particular resonance for Christians. But it isn't all about history because Christ is living with us now, and we cannot ignore the troubled land of his birth. Bethany - where Mary, Martha and Lazarus provided hospitality for Jesus; once a 20 minute walk from Jerusalem. Now a 30 minute coach drive is required to go around the

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-62125888428919086022009-06-07T12:59:00.000-07:002009-06-20T12:46:42.358-07:00

We were going to the seaside restaurant for lunch, just before the final journey into Tel Aviv to fly home, when I saw this neat solution to urban living. You may need to click on the picture to see the detail.

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-80263092388612814662009-06-07T12:32:00.000-07:002009-06-09T07:57:44.579-07:00

These moorhens were busy during a break in the rain. The male was tearing pieces of grass and reed, then passing them to the female, which tucked and wove them into the nest. As she re-positioned herself we spotted that she was sitting on an egg.

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-51159438177573275402009-06-07T11:36:00.000-07:002009-06-07T12:29:19.177-07:00

It has rained a lot here today. By 10am the canal had spread, forming a large puddle across the playing field. A bit of sunshine at lunchtime was a welcome break, but recently it has been raining hard. A few minutes ago the sun shone brightly through the rain; a rainbow formed in front of the hill, and sparkled down into the railway station.

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-5205821228521894022009-05-09T07:09:00.000-07:002009-05-09T08:05:49.773-07:00

Thought for me for today.A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog entry that I didn't publish. It was about my birthday, and the way that it is one of two days in the year when I often feel profoundly sad and rejected. The feelings started a long time ago, and are hard to shift, even with objectivity, supposed common sense, and the 'maturity' of age. When I open presents, I realise how little I am

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-30229111773954937742009-05-02T12:48:00.000-07:002009-05-02T13:02:43.167-07:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/may/01/babyp-stepfather-guilty-rape-girlEach one of us makes a choice when we encounter someone weaker or more vulnerable than ourself. Do we nurture, care and protect, or do we indulge our sense of power and allow it to corrupt us so that we control and abuse? The extremes sicken us, as they should. I hope we find the greyer areas in our personal

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-17529896926961103482009-04-14T14:24:00.000-07:002009-04-14T14:26:58.359-07:00

My apologies for the rather random nature of the posts at present. I've been blogging on another site for a couple of years - many of these are hidden, and some will be imported to here. They won't be in date order though. Confused? That's life folks :-)Sleep tight all.

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This year I spoke at the morning prayer and worship meeting for the first time, on 25th February 2009.I was conscious of being a woman, an Anglican, and therefore not an easy person for some of the, mostly men, to listen to. I've never spoken to so many smiling encouraging faces, which was heartwarming. This is what I said to the assembled magicians.Good morning. I’m Helen. Ron and John have

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-47470908381007514032009-04-14T04:19:00.000-07:002009-04-14T09:09:15.944-07:00

A child has died.It was expected, and it took a long time, but somehow we are still not ready to say goodbye. He was well cared for and loved, and his surroundings were peaceful in his last days and weeks. But he is no longer the lively child that his parents knew and loved and hoped to see grow into adulthood. His life is over too soon for those who loved him.Death often seems unfair and

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-81468621990153779522009-04-14T02:03:00.000-07:002009-04-14T09:15:12.678-07:00

LC has always written poetry that challenges and confronts. His doubts and his honesty about life have resonated with me since teenage years and form one of the threads that run through my life, albeit surfacing only occasionally.Today I found this, and the words resounded again. What more can the Divine say than, "I was there for you"? What more needs to be said?8. There For YouWords and music

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-70074070465022736422009-03-29T16:01:00.001-07:002009-04-05T15:04:07.496-07:00

It's one of those minor irritations in life that people with a strong desire to show-off and a low understanding of consequences like to reveal how magic tricks are done.That's rather like letting a child see inside a Punch and Judy booth - it destroys the magic forever. We all know that magic is simply illusion, misdirection and sleight of hand, so why ruin it by telling the secrets?Anyway, I

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-12784097994159779952009-03-28T05:19:00.000-07:002009-04-14T09:10:06.425-07:00

One of the great joys of this job is, of course, the people.Time and time again, when I have tried to serve and to help and to heal and to listen; when I am only too aware of all my shortcomings; when I have felt emotional and tired, someone comes to look after me. I receive at least as much support and love as I give, and feel truly blessed.At this morning's prayer breakfast we followed our

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-17693749109487322382009-03-27T14:13:00.000-07:002009-04-14T09:11:59.486-07:00

After 9 months in this job, some of the things that seemed new and different are becoming easier to do, and in that sense it's rather like learning to driving a car. There is a time when we move from conscious incompetence into some form of competence, and that is when we start to make mistakes.Some of the 'new things' are less new now, and I know what is expected. It doesn't always make it easy

Heleganthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284019891901006663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028800431585933572.post-23142470882151387802007-06-02T04:38:00.000-07:002009-03-27T13:59:36.040-07:00

I wrote the words below in 2007, when I first set up this blog. Will there be more words two years later?"To be completed later... 15 mins to get showered and out of the house. ttfn :-)"

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