so the year gets into action

so after a gentle ease back into catching up on e-mails and so on last week, this week feels like there won't be much room to breathe as everything gets going...

i start teaching a module on mission for the centre for youth ministry degree course in oxford monday and am then back for a grace planning meeting in the evening
into the office tuesday to catch up and play my first game of sqaush for years (exercise to get fit after christmas!) followed by the first meeting of the year in the evening of the ealing LIP group
down to bath on the wednesday to plot the year ahead for proost
meet 20 students from calvin college on thursday followed by coffee/lunch with pete rollins who is in town and then preparation for fri and sat
then friday i am speaking at jane foster smith's funeral, a friend who died over christmas. i have never spoken at a funeral so this is both a privilege and highly scary. and advice or prayer welcome.
and saturday i teach on the mission shaped ministry course at chelmsford and get back in time for the first grace of the year visits .

so there may not be a lot of blogging or photos this week!

speaking of the first grace of the year come and join us if you are around. cathy ross, a friend from cms who runs the mission education centre will be out guest speaker as we draw our thoughts on hospitality to a close and explore the visit of the magi and their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. here's the  flyer

Comments

[Jen]

And don't forget my Mum's 70th birthday celebrations on Sunday!

[jonny]

oops - yes must put that in the diary!

[Paul Fromont]

Nice to see Cathy @ the first Grace gathering of the year - nothing like a good kiwi voice. I hear (first hand) that you'll have another kiwi over that way in a couple of months... Good to hear your year has started like mine - straight back into it. Though yours sounds a lot more interesting and life-giving...

Hope the funeral etc go well...

[Marcus]

Just visiting your sight as I am like to do, but this time I want to encourage you at the beginning of what sounds like a busy week. Your CYM class this morning was much appreciated - my wife is on the course and she just told me all about this really good tutor called Jonny Baker who led her module on culture and mission and had I heard of him - so chin up and keep the faith - as for the funeral you shall be in my prayers I too have to lead one this week...bitter sweet affairs...would never wish them back..but boy do we miss them.

[Jonathan]

Hey Jonny,

I'll be thinking of you when you speak at the funeral, not an easy thing to do the first time, and I'm not so sure that it gets much easier the more you do...

Be real, be you, be true to the circumstances, don't forget lament, and remember the great hope of those who are part of God's glorious new kingdom.

One of the things I have often done in funeral addresses is to paint a picture of heaven (the beginning of Rev 21 is great for this). It encourages, raises the vision, and invites an inner response of some kind to the One who holds out an inviting hand into forever.

Grace and peace to you, whatever happens.

[becky]

At my dad's funeral the preist (who I had never met) told us that what makes us human is our capacity to love and even though we are sad, we have an obligation to keep on loving because it's what we do as people of God. Those words stuck with me all these years later and really helped me through some dark times. I'ms sure in your kindness you can give these people similar hope. Prayers with you as you move ahead.