I am now part way through my 17th year in my parish and with that have just begun my second sabbatical, a privilege I know. I occasionally wonder what my garage Forman would have responded with if I asked for a sabbatical to gather my thoughts and feeling and beliefs? Well yes I probably do know the response. But I am grateful to all who will have made this possible a time of privileged reflection and exploration. To draw my last sabbatical to a close I went to Skye where I spent a week on my own no tv and no radio as far as i can remember and there I cooked my first Sunday lunch. During this next period of time I wonder what I will learn and experience?
A while back Bishop Phillip North spoke to New Wine and caused a bit of a reaction one of it was a Tweet to my millions of followers. In response I had a phone call from The Church Times asking for a quote because I serve in a poor parish, I declined and said I would put a more considered response on my blog, so here it is with a link to The Bishops full talk. https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/4-august/news/uk/there-s-a-future-for-the-church-if-evangelicals-put-the-poor-first-bishop-north-tells-new-wine 1. One of the issues the church does not recognise is the exportation of people , talents and money from parishes like mine to middle class parishes which is draining and demanding on leadership. For 10 years I thought I was building a community, then it dawned on me I was building people up to go to other places. 2. Bishop Phillip talks of abandonment of the poor: I think it’s more complicated than that. When ...
Looking forward v much to reading the blogs...and seeing where it all takes you. I love reading your insights into all sorts of situations. And feel free to come and cook us Sunday lunch if you're at a loose end at any point....
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