Making a difference

Ramble Alert! OK. I’m not sure where this post is going but stick with me and hopefully it will get somewhere…

I’m working on some aims and objectives for my job. I tell everyone I train to do it so it’s practice what you preach time.

The thing is… I can write down the stuff I do/will do/can do standing on my head OR I can do all that and try to do something that will make a difference. We have been talking a lot in our little Synod Team about ‘Culture Carrying’. That discussion has grown from a feeling that we have to do better than maintaining the church. To do that we need to embody something else. We need to be culture carriers.

So my quandary is twofold:

Does any of the stuff I do make a difference? And if it does, who or what does it make a difference to? And are those the right people?

What culture should I be carrying? I start where I always do. Asking for thoughts and ideas.

Headphonaught suggests I keep being me. I’m not sure I can be anything else, or that I can write that down on my forward plan!

1. Be me.

2. see 1

I think he’s right though. I need to be authentic. And so does the church. If it’s not about life and living it then what’s the point?

Avril asked me what difference the church can make to the lives of people in and out of it? I don’t really know the answer to that question. I’m sure it makes a bigger difference than we might at first think because the ‘organisation’ isn’t the be all and end all of being church thank God. The people live and move in the world, loving, caring, helping and supporting as they go. But then so do lots of others who have no involvement in church.

My thing is children and young people and the adults that work with them. At least that’s what my job is. My problem is that sometimes I have no idea what to do with that. (is that something I should be admitting?) I sometimes wonder if the church as it exists is anyplace for our children and young people? In some cases yes and in some no.

What I have noticed is that the churches that are willing to invest some time, money and most of all themselves are the ones that do well with children and young people. And yet few of our churches are growing significantly. That isn’t because they are not good places full of good people. I would recommend a number of them to anyone.

I wonder if it is because we don’t advertise our existence? Is that a confidence thing? Are we silent because we don’t know who we are or what we are for?

I wrote a chapter in a book called Inside Verdict which I began with the words “This isn’t working anymore.” Well, is it any better now? Of course some of it is. The Together@MCT project I’ve been working with people on perhaps sheds some light. Engaging worship. Discussion with no pressure. Hopefully some community building. But I’m not sure we have gotten our heads around who it is for and how we should move forward yet. We need to keep the bigger picture before us. That will come though.

The pervasive themes of personalisation and participation return to my thinking again and again. The world, my world, seems to value both of these. How does that fit with community? It seems to in the world of facebook and bebo. I can be me. I can have my personal page but I belong to the community and can participate and add and contribute. How does/could/should that work in church?

Media that targets you but doesn’t include you may not be worth sitting still for.

Clay Shirky

So just a few questions to answer. I’ll get back to my aims and objectives now and see if any or all of those thoughts make it onto the page.

Your thoughts would be much appreciated. Really. They would.

Voices Please

Here’s a plea for all those people who are dots on the clustr map around the world.

We’re working on a project for Pentecost to collect lots of languages reading Acts 2:1-6. So, if you speak anything other than English and could record yourself reading this short passage and email it to me as an MP3 please let me know using the box below and I’ll get back to you with an email address to send it to. The link takes you to Bible Gateway where you can find the passage in loads of languages. Thanks!

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Together @ MCT for March

Our theme at Together @ MCT was ‘after’.  Easter tends to get us to the resurrection and then comes Low Sunday.  Often in the church we kind of stop at Easter morning and we wanted to think about what happened next.

We took three stories of Jesus appearing to the disciples after the resurrection and used different senses to help us think about how the disciples didn’t recognise Jesus until he did something familiar to them.

We moved to Murrayfield Parish Church which gave us a very different space and feeling.

another busy Sunday

… after a busy Saturday.

Last night we were at my aunt and uncle’s Ruby (40) Wedding Anniversary.  It was great to see the family.  We really don’t get together often enough!

I spent this morning with the lovely people of Righead URC in east Kilbride leading worship and talking about the Child Friendly Church Award that the URC operate.  It helps churches to think about how they include children and young people in all aspects to the life of the church.

At the moment I’m watching Chelsea V Middlesburgh while trying hard not to fall asleep.  What is daylight saving all about?  I want my hour in bed back!

Later we’re heading off to Edinburgh for Together @ MCT.  More on that later!

Together @ MCT

Tonight is together @ MCT at Saughtonhall Church.

We’re walking a Lent Labyrinth and drinking lots of Hot Chocolate!  With marshmallows of course.

Together on Sunday

Together @ MCT happens this Sunday from 5.30pm at Saughtonhall URC, Edinburgh.  It would be great to see you there to walk our lent labyrinth and share some hot chocolate.

Epiphany journeys

This morning I was in Dunfermline leading worship on Epiphany Sunday, the day when we think about the wise men who journeyed to meet the Christ child.  It was communion and I used a mixture of bits and pieces nicked from all kinds of places but it felt like a really coherent service.  It even had a U2 related sermon which is always fun, well for me anyway.  I still haven’t found what I’m looking for was today’s song.  It seemed to me to fit well with those ‘wise’ men who went looking for the king in a palace in Jerusalem and found him in a house in Bethlehem instead.

Tonight was our latest http://togethermct.ning.com.  We walked with the mise men, following the star to Bethlehem.  We put together a labyrinth, complete with MP3 meditations and a star which moved across the sky (look closely at the left hand curtain)!  I think we are starting to see a little group of regulars and I’m very hopeful for the future of our worship experiment.

Friday saw a journey of a different kind.  We live across the road from the church where Phil O’Donnell’s funeral mass was held so i spent most of Friday morning standing at our front window watching footballers going into church and listening to the service relayed outside on speakers.  It was a beautiful service and Phil’s team mate Chris McCart gave a moving tribute to ‘Uncle’ Phil.

follow the star

Rushing ahead a little to Epiphany, but our next Together @ MCT falls on 6th January and you would be most welcome to join us on our journey if you are in or around Edinburgh at 5.30pm.

following the star

It’s not even advent yet and I spent last night thinking about Epiphany!  We had a planning meeting for Together last night and it takes place on 6th January, which is Epiphany.  And to be honest I didn’t know what Epiphany was either!  It is the visit of the wise men, the magi, the 3 kings.

So, Together in January will follow the journey of these 3 men from the east, following the star to Bethlehem to meet a king in a stable.  I’m really excited about it.  I think the team have come up with some great ideas that we now need to flesh out.  It should be interesting, thought-provoking and challenging.  And there will be hot chocolate with marshmallows and maybe even cream!

And… drum roll… Together is online on Facebook (togethermct group) and at http://togethermct.ning.com so come join us!