... especially if you're the only person in Britain who fits the bill for a recent advert for a senior pastor in a Pentecostal church:
The Senior Pastor should hold at least a Bachelors degree in Theology from a recognised College/University. Must speak, read and write Hindi, Malayalam and English Language fluently and have IT skills in Excel spreadsheet, word and power point. Proven Pastoral experience in a Pentecostal Church in the UK in all the above three languages is a requirement. U.K experience in Recruitment, training and basic H.R administration is a must.
And I thought PCCs set high requirements for new Anglican clergy.
Or could it just possibly be that they already know who they want...?
Friday, 5 March 2010
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Ambivalent building
There's an episode of the science fiction TV series, Farscape, which is set inside the decomposing corpse of a gargantuan space creature. There prospectors mine the body for valuables and in a way give the dead animal a sort of new lease of life.
I was reminded of that scenario in a trip to Gorton Monastery. This is a huge church and attendant buildings which was abandoned around twenty years ago by the Franciscans who built it in the mid-nineteenth century. After years of dilapidation, it has been mostly restored as a venue for just about everything from corporate functions to community dancing. The restoration is still under way, and has been done with considerable sensitivity and taste. The damaged reredos at the high altar has been retained, and the original crucifix restored to its place in the chancel arch.
It is licenced for civil weddings (after a considerable struggle, given the religious trappings which are still in situ) and welcomes spiritual events of all sorts. Interfaith discussion, new age fairs, and a regular opportunity to walk a replica of the Chartres labyrinth are just some of the possibilities to explore. And you can even hold Christian services there.
It is all very impressive and most commendable. There is no doubting the dedication of the staff and supporters, and some of the tales they tell, especially of the return of the crucifix, are inspiring.
And yet, I still feel a bit like a corpse miner. I think, in the end, the issue for me is that the building is not what it was intended to be - a place of worship. I am a great believer in diversifying the use of church buildings, of throwing them open to the community, and so on. But they are still in that case churches. I'm not quite sure what the Gorton edifice is, but its lack of churchness is undoubtedly what jars for me.
I was reminded of that scenario in a trip to Gorton Monastery. This is a huge church and attendant buildings which was abandoned around twenty years ago by the Franciscans who built it in the mid-nineteenth century. After years of dilapidation, it has been mostly restored as a venue for just about everything from corporate functions to community dancing. The restoration is still under way, and has been done with considerable sensitivity and taste. The damaged reredos at the high altar has been retained, and the original crucifix restored to its place in the chancel arch.
It is licenced for civil weddings (after a considerable struggle, given the religious trappings which are still in situ) and welcomes spiritual events of all sorts. Interfaith discussion, new age fairs, and a regular opportunity to walk a replica of the Chartres labyrinth are just some of the possibilities to explore. And you can even hold Christian services there.
It is all very impressive and most commendable. There is no doubting the dedication of the staff and supporters, and some of the tales they tell, especially of the return of the crucifix, are inspiring.
And yet, I still feel a bit like a corpse miner. I think, in the end, the issue for me is that the building is not what it was intended to be - a place of worship. I am a great believer in diversifying the use of church buildings, of throwing them open to the community, and so on. But they are still in that case churches. I'm not quite sure what the Gorton edifice is, but its lack of churchness is undoubtedly what jars for me.
Friday, 15 May 2009
Jesus is the answer! (But what is the question?)
A couple of weeks ago, I received a phone call at around 1.15 a.m. It wasn't, as you might suppose, a pastoral emergency, such as a sudden bereavement or illness. It was my daughter, wanting a lift home (with the inevitable friend) from a party which had unsurprisingly gone on longer than advertised.
The taxi service duly completed, Polly showed me, with some indignation, a couple of religious tracts that she had been given. One was about "what to do to go to Hell." Answer: do nothing! To avoid the fiery fate, however, one had to commit one's life to Christ. Daughter is all in favour of following Christ, but wasn't as certain as the tract's writer about the destination of those who don't - or even whether such a destination exists.
The second tract took the form of scratch card quiz - what is the world's favourite... name? (Mohammad)... flavour (Vanilla) and fairy tale (Darwinian evolution). Eh? Yes, quite. (A web address was provided, so the reader could be convinced of the last point - I didn't find it convincing.) The piece then went on to ask the reader whether they had broken any of the 10 commandments. If so, we were assured, we were going to Hell. So we had to commit our lives to Christ.
Now, as you may guess, I have more than a few theological, philosophical and scientific reservations about these little publications. But questions about the justice of Hell, the overwhelming evidence for evolution or the 10 commandments as a universal standard of judgement are not, in fact, my main worry about them.
The real problem is that they fail to engage with any questions which people outside the church are really asking. How many of our neighbours are genuinely worried about the possibility of eternal damnation? How many are likely to be convinced that evolution is a myth? And for that matter, how many could even list the 10 commandments, let alone worry about them?
To be sure, most would agree that murder is (usually) a bad thing, that stealing is wrong (unless you're Robin Hood) and that adultery is generally bad (unless you're actually doing it, of course). But if we worried about bearing false witness, a lot of newspapers would be rather slimmer, and our whole culture is based on coveting our neighbours' possessions (at least to the extent that we will buy something like them for ourselves). As for losing sleep over taking the Lord's name in vain or making graven images.....
Now, I happen to think that this is a bad state of affairs, but it's not likely to change if I threaten everyone with the flame that is never quenched or the worm that never dies. The Christian message simply misses the mark if it is only about issues which no one particularly cares about these days.
On the other hand, there are other questions being asked, and the tracts which roused Polly's ire are a particularly blatant example of the way in which the church as a whole tends to ignore them. To take one example, there seems to be a real interest in spirituality. People do look for signs that there is more to life than meets the eye, and that they themselves can be more than they are. There is a desire, not only for the ephemera of heath and beauty, but for a richer, fuller and more rewarding experience of life. There is the hope of encountering a transcendent reality, and of finding that one's own limitations can be overcome.
All around us we see advertisements that claim to meet some of these needs - Tarot readings, crystal energies, meditation classes and what have you. Yet the church, with 2,000 years of spiritual experience and technique is rarely considered as being in the running as a provider of spiritual growth or experience.
I'm sure that the reason is that we are still answering yesterday's questions. We are seen as locked in battles about meaningless doctrines (still arguing about transubstantiation, forsooth) and outmoded morality (gay bishops anyone?) It doesn't matter whether these are really important or not - they are special interest issues, and meaningless to most of our neighbours.
We need to listen again, and hear the real questions, and pose our answers to them, and not to the questions of the past. After all, on the spirituality example, don't we have something to offer? Aren't we about knowing the Spirit that pervades all the world, and called it into being? Didn't Jesus claim to give an abundance of life, and bring a new creation into the human heart?
We do indeed have answers for today's searchers. We just need to listen to what they are asking.
The taxi service duly completed, Polly showed me, with some indignation, a couple of religious tracts that she had been given. One was about "what to do to go to Hell." Answer: do nothing! To avoid the fiery fate, however, one had to commit one's life to Christ. Daughter is all in favour of following Christ, but wasn't as certain as the tract's writer about the destination of those who don't - or even whether such a destination exists.
The second tract took the form of scratch card quiz - what is the world's favourite... name? (Mohammad)... flavour (Vanilla) and fairy tale (Darwinian evolution). Eh? Yes, quite. (A web address was provided, so the reader could be convinced of the last point - I didn't find it convincing.) The piece then went on to ask the reader whether they had broken any of the 10 commandments. If so, we were assured, we were going to Hell. So we had to commit our lives to Christ.
Now, as you may guess, I have more than a few theological, philosophical and scientific reservations about these little publications. But questions about the justice of Hell, the overwhelming evidence for evolution or the 10 commandments as a universal standard of judgement are not, in fact, my main worry about them.
The real problem is that they fail to engage with any questions which people outside the church are really asking. How many of our neighbours are genuinely worried about the possibility of eternal damnation? How many are likely to be convinced that evolution is a myth? And for that matter, how many could even list the 10 commandments, let alone worry about them?
To be sure, most would agree that murder is (usually) a bad thing, that stealing is wrong (unless you're Robin Hood) and that adultery is generally bad (unless you're actually doing it, of course). But if we worried about bearing false witness, a lot of newspapers would be rather slimmer, and our whole culture is based on coveting our neighbours' possessions (at least to the extent that we will buy something like them for ourselves). As for losing sleep over taking the Lord's name in vain or making graven images.....
Now, I happen to think that this is a bad state of affairs, but it's not likely to change if I threaten everyone with the flame that is never quenched or the worm that never dies. The Christian message simply misses the mark if it is only about issues which no one particularly cares about these days.
On the other hand, there are other questions being asked, and the tracts which roused Polly's ire are a particularly blatant example of the way in which the church as a whole tends to ignore them. To take one example, there seems to be a real interest in spirituality. People do look for signs that there is more to life than meets the eye, and that they themselves can be more than they are. There is a desire, not only for the ephemera of heath and beauty, but for a richer, fuller and more rewarding experience of life. There is the hope of encountering a transcendent reality, and of finding that one's own limitations can be overcome.
All around us we see advertisements that claim to meet some of these needs - Tarot readings, crystal energies, meditation classes and what have you. Yet the church, with 2,000 years of spiritual experience and technique is rarely considered as being in the running as a provider of spiritual growth or experience.
I'm sure that the reason is that we are still answering yesterday's questions. We are seen as locked in battles about meaningless doctrines (still arguing about transubstantiation, forsooth) and outmoded morality (gay bishops anyone?) It doesn't matter whether these are really important or not - they are special interest issues, and meaningless to most of our neighbours.
We need to listen again, and hear the real questions, and pose our answers to them, and not to the questions of the past. After all, on the spirituality example, don't we have something to offer? Aren't we about knowing the Spirit that pervades all the world, and called it into being? Didn't Jesus claim to give an abundance of life, and bring a new creation into the human heart?
We do indeed have answers for today's searchers. We just need to listen to what they are asking.
Friday, 9 January 2009
Arrgh!!
There are all sorts of reasons for prefering a cross to a crucifix (though in my opinion none is particularly convincing) but surely this one must be the worst. It's the Torygraph, I know, but the Grauniad has the same report, apparently from the same news service for what that is worth.
The Vicar is worried about the depiction of Jesus' death upsetting children. (The bloodthirsty little beggars at our church school wouldn't mind it, I'm sure.) But apparently it's not upbeat enough. And I thought Buddy Jesus was a Hollywood satire...
The Vicar is worried about the depiction of Jesus' death upsetting children. (The bloodthirsty little beggars at our church school wouldn't mind it, I'm sure.) But apparently it's not upbeat enough. And I thought Buddy Jesus was a Hollywood satire...
Monday, 8 September 2008
Quotable quotes
After a funeral, from one of the mourners:
"Just what is butt dust?"
At a wedding rehearsal:
Me: "With my body I honour you..."
Groom: "With my body I'm onto you..."
Perhaps I should have let that one stand.
"Just what is butt dust?"
At a wedding rehearsal:
Me: "With my body I honour you..."
Groom: "With my body I'm onto you..."
Perhaps I should have let that one stand.
Friday, 22 August 2008
Bonesmashers
Back off holiday, and I've been catching up with the few episodes of Bonekickers which our V+ box actually managed to record.
The series is fascinating in its awfulness, and I hope the BBC commissions a second series, if only because it's funnier than most comedies.
But one thing stands out above all else - these archeologists shouldn't be allowed in the same room as an antique thimble, let alone seriously valuable artifacts. In the few episodes I've seen, they have managed to burn the True Cross, lose the bones of Joan of Arc, and smash Excalibur.
They ought to work for McVities, creating the fragments and crumbs which top and tail every packet of digestive biscuits.
The series is fascinating in its awfulness, and I hope the BBC commissions a second series, if only because it's funnier than most comedies.
But one thing stands out above all else - these archeologists shouldn't be allowed in the same room as an antique thimble, let alone seriously valuable artifacts. In the few episodes I've seen, they have managed to burn the True Cross, lose the bones of Joan of Arc, and smash Excalibur.
They ought to work for McVities, creating the fragments and crumbs which top and tail every packet of digestive biscuits.
Thursday, 21 August 2008
An atheist PM, Hurray!
In today's Guardian, AC Graying presents one of his occasional anti-religious pieces. Apparently David Milliband is an atheist (fair enough) and likely to become Prime Minister (really? the professor reads different papers from the rest of us).
This will be a good thing because he will then stop religions from being privileged. Apparently, one of the biggest privileges is that the Church of England "controls the primary school system - 80% of it...." This will come as a surprise to the CofE, which thinks that 25.3% are CofE schools - and that by no means all of them are aided (i.e. with a majority of church governors). We will not mention the historic fact that these schools were founded by the church and incorporated into the state system when the secular authorities finally got round to agreeing with the CofE that educating ordinary children was a good idea. This was in 1946, I believe.
But then, accuracy is not the aim of the piece. After all, he tells us that atheist leaders "will not cloak themselves in supernaturalistic justifications, as Blair came perilously close to doing when interviewed about the decision to invade Iraq. "Perilously close?" This would mean that he didn't actually say it? Indeed, if I remember correctly, he said that he would be judged by history and (he believed) God. Now, I think Blair was wrong and dishonest, but one thing he never did was claim divine authority. So what Grayling is actually saying is that atheist leaders will not claim supernatural mandates, just as Blair didn't. Big change, then.
The philosophy students of Birbeck College are obviously in safe hands, as long as they don't have to ask any difficult questions, such as "What is truth?"
This will be a good thing because he will then stop religions from being privileged. Apparently, one of the biggest privileges is that the Church of England "controls the primary school system - 80% of it...." This will come as a surprise to the CofE, which thinks that 25.3% are CofE schools - and that by no means all of them are aided (i.e. with a majority of church governors). We will not mention the historic fact that these schools were founded by the church and incorporated into the state system when the secular authorities finally got round to agreeing with the CofE that educating ordinary children was a good idea. This was in 1946, I believe.
But then, accuracy is not the aim of the piece. After all, he tells us that atheist leaders "will not cloak themselves in supernaturalistic justifications, as Blair came perilously close to doing when interviewed about the decision to invade Iraq. "Perilously close?" This would mean that he didn't actually say it? Indeed, if I remember correctly, he said that he would be judged by history and (he believed) God. Now, I think Blair was wrong and dishonest, but one thing he never did was claim divine authority. So what Grayling is actually saying is that atheist leaders will not claim supernatural mandates, just as Blair didn't. Big change, then.
The philosophy students of Birbeck College are obviously in safe hands, as long as they don't have to ask any difficult questions, such as "What is truth?"
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