ALF&BETH

Alpha and Omega;

         Know what I am?

         No permutational stringing of characters

                may fully describe divine being -

A to Z:

          Know your way around?

          No list of streets or indexed maps

                 define the pilgrim path -

Aleph, Beth, Gimel:

          Know the mathematical infinities?

          No measure even they

                 of redeeming grace -

Alpha and Omega…

A to Z…

Alphabets proliferate -

          Yet impotent all to measure faith

          As at Babel, all unable to comprehend -

And yet…

Alf, and Beth, and so many more

          Know me quite well,

          Tread with familiarity the pilgrim path,

          and are, by unspeakable grace, redeemed.

Primates2016

Too early to have  reflected enough on the outcome of Primates 2016 and make any wise or astute observations - simply time to reflect on a feeling of intellectual and emotional numbness at the endless process of discernment that the Church subjects itself to: Progress towards inclusive ministry irrespective of gender has taken a generation and more, progress towards informed understanding and acceptance of the nature of gender and sexuality feels like it might take the church another generation - which may be too late.. the pews might be empty and gone by then.

And no-one knew what to hope for from Primates2016 - but if you had asked me a decade or so ago where I thought we might be by now, then my answer might have been as follows:
 
That we would see something like:

 Resolution 26x - Church and LGBT+ individuals
The Anglican Communion upholds monogamy as God's plan, and as the ideal relationship of love between husband and wife; nevertheless we recommend that LGBT+ individuals who respond to the Gospel and are within or wish to join the Anglican Church may be baptized and confirmed with their partner and children and enjoy full sacramental fellowship on the following conditions:
(1) that the LGBT+ individuals shall promise to be faithful to their partner so long as they both are alive;
(2) that the receiving of such LGBT+ individuals has the consent of the local Anglican community;
(3) that such LGBT+ individuals shall not be compelled to put away any existing partner at the time of conversion;
(4) and recommends that provinces are encouraged to share information of their pastoral approach to Christians who are LGBT+ individuals so that the most appropriate way of pastoring them can be found, and that the ACC be requested to facilitate the sharing of that information.

 - given that Lambeth Conference 1988 came out with the following:

 Resolution 26 - Church and Polygamy
This Conference upholds monogamy as God's plan, and as the ideal relationship of love between husband and wife; nevertheless recommends that a polygamist who responds to the Gospel and wishes to join the Anglican Church may be baptized and confirmed with his believing wives and children on the following conditions:
(1) that the polygamist shall promise not to marry again as long as any of his wives at the time of his conversion are alive;
(2) that the receiving of such a polygamist has the consent of the local Anglican community;
(3) that such a polygamist shall not be compelled to put away any of his wives, on account of the social deprivation they would suffer;
(4) and recommends that provinces where the Churches face problems of polygamy are encouraged to share information of their pastoral approach to Christians who become polygamists so that the most appropriate way of disciplining and pastoring them can be found, and that the ACC be requested to facilitate the sharing of that information.

Alphabet Cricket

I was recently given a copy of 'In Darkest England and The Way Out' by General Booth. Though I have skip read a few pages to sense the tone of Booth's concerns, my main interest has been in the missing title page and annotated fly leaf and front board. On these pages are inscribed a code and game scores as follows:

A = 2 E = 1 I = 0 O = 3 U = 2
B = Bowled C = Caught D = 4 F = 2 G = 3 H = L B W
J = 5 K = Caught L = 6 M = Stumped N = Run Out
O = 0 P = 4 Q = 6 R = 2 S = 1
T = 3 U = 6 V = Caught W = L B W X = 5
Y = 0 Z = 6

This game of cricket from text has repeated (different) entries for the vowels, O and U, and thus appears to have been improvised. Remnants of games are also evident:
*1 3 1 out 4
*2 out 0
*3 0 1 6 2 out 9
*4 1 3 2 3 out 9
*5 3 3 1 0 2 out 9
*6 3 0 out 3
*7 0 3 out 3
*8 1 0 out 1
*9 0 6 1 4 6 out 17
*10 0 0 1 out 1
11 0 2 4 not out 6


*1 0 1 out 1
*2 0 2 0 out 2
*3 1 out 1
*4 0 1 4 2 2 out 11
*5 1 0 1 0 2 out 4
*6 0 0 out 0
*7 1 0 out 1
*8 3 2 0 6 2 2 2 1 2 out 20
*9 2 0 1 1 1 3 6 1 0 3 2 0 1 0 out 21
*10 1 4 2 2 3 0 1 13
*11 0 out 0


*1 3 1 1 2 6 2 18
*2 0 0
*3 1 2 0 3
*4 2 4 0 6
*5 0 2 4 out 6
*6 3 1 2 3 3 out 12
*7 1 0 0 6 1 out 8
*8 2 3 2 3 out 10
*9 2 out 2
*10 3 3 2 out 8
*11 2 3 3 8


What these annotations represent is a form of alphabet cricket as popularised in the Eagle Annual number 5

With news that the new Bishop of Bath and Wells will live in the Palace, a comment from the episcopal doormat:


THE EPISCOPAL DOORMAT

I hear that they know my threshold - the one where in future I’ll serve:
The place of coming and going, of greetings and farewells.

‘Beautiful feet’ shall know my fibres taking the damp, the muck, the grit
From their soles as they enter in to meet my Bishop, and his Lord -

Who washed the feet of His friends: the one’s He called to serve.
To people, all coming and going, my greeting shall be in Wells.

My Bishop shall show his fibre: sharing the tears, the hopes, the fears
Of the souls who enter in to meet with him, and his Lord.

I’m only a humble doormat: offering a practical welcome,
A simple role of service that’s all that I can do.

I have no beauty or attraction, many will not notice me at all,
Taking the damp, the muck, the grit of greetings and farewells.

And caressing the daily rhythm as my Bishop walks to prayer:
Spending time with his Lord and with his servant friends.

“The Lord defend his going out and his coming in, now and always”

http://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2014/02/house-of-bishops-pastoral-guidance-on-same-sex-marriage.aspx

Pilling...

The publication of the Pilling Report signals the beginning of an important period of listening and conversation in and by the Church of England about relationships - a period during which there will need to be some seriously gracious listening and careful reflection. As with this comment, which is personal, we need to be careful in distinguishing between what we individually may feel or believe and what can in any sense be owned as common or shared belief. I was particularly drawn by the remarks of the Bishop of Buckingham, Alan Wilson, on his blog http://bishopalan.blogspot.com/ where he writes: "I have been asked by various people, however, for some resources to inform, enrich and enlarge intelligent conversations on this subject. Such conversations carry their own risks. It can exacerbate the problem when straight twosomes talk, even well-meaningly, about gay people rather than with them. I also realise how weird it seems to the majority of people younger than me who have sorted this subject and moved on that we are still talking about it at all. They feel as though they had strayed into a Saudi discussion of whether women should be allowed to drive."

Twitter conversation: Re #Synod

Twitter conversation: @O...D... How many #Synod members does it take to change a lightbulb? - CHANGE???! @A…….. What's a lightbulb? @C….A…... #synod might sit in dark & not change lightbulb - debating type and size of candle acceptable for non lightbulb users @O...D... That may not be too far from the truth!

AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR DIOCESAN BISHOP 21 November 2012 - In response to General Synod

AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR DIOCESAN BISHOP 21 November 2012 - In response to General Synod Dear Bishop Peter A deep sadness… but also a very thin wearing of patience is where I stand at present following yesterday's vote. The over riding will of the Church has been frustrated by the unrepresentative House of Laity. There will be women whose full gifts are not able to be delighted in by the church in a way they might have done - just when in South Africa a Woman Bishop is consecrated. But above all I do feel the need to share the feeling that in the long long process of dialogue my patience and that of many others is wearing thin. We have walked a journey of goodwill and compromise with resolutions A, B and C available - we have attempted to compromise over Women Bishops. But still the minority stick out for an uncertain more. Meanwhile small parishes with resolutions force benefices that would rejoice in a female incumbent not to have one - and I know that the patience of the real 'laos' (as distinct from the House of Laity) is very tried by that limitation. In terms of the Mennonite ways of approaching conflict of which we spoke the other week it is as if we have been walking the route of taking the issue and the relationship seriously - working the time consuming route of seeking the win-win solution only to find that for a significant enough few the path that they have been walking is all about the issue and they do not value the relationship as much. Today it is not only women with gifts for ministry and leadership in the church who feel hurt but also all those of us who have tried to walk the extra mile with those with whom we disagree. We who now find that their actions and voting imply that they do not respect or value those with whom they disagree as much as we have valued and will continue to try to value them. Our missional credibility, many of our ministers and our unity all suffer as a result of yesterday. In this context the role of any Bishop is unenviable. Be assured of our prayers

Creation

Today I attended an 'Early good Friday' at Wells led by Melvyn Matthews. During this he said that "The cross essentially focuses in one event what has been going on all of the time in Jesus life and, I would add, in the life of God. God pours himself out in sacrificial love from the beginning."
The image picks up on this and the hymn verse:
"Come, see His hands and His feet, The scars that speak of sacrifice;
Hands that flung stars into space, to cruel nails surrendered."

Advent poem - written Nov 2009

Sentinel stands …

Expectant father ...
Hospice nurse …

Awaiting … Awaiting …
Life or death bearing moment
That is yet to come

Watching … Watching …
Over family, ward or city

Scanning farther horizons

Seeing … Seeing …
Beyond the parapets
That limit others' vision

Discerning … Discerning …
The signs of hope or fear

Untroubled, unshaken
By familiar sounds and sights

Guarding … Guarding …
The Peace …
Awaiting Shalom

Poem - The Clown

The Clown…

Furtive in the escape I make from all that has to be

Wanting to reassure, and seem at set at peace

I trust and share in the honesty of mirrored laughter

But the clown, the fool has in time to come off-stage

And as the weariness of life's journey is felt in one's feet

So their embrace in warming water softens the heart

And the clownish smile, the makeup and pretence

Are washed away, soothed and disturbed into tears

Then the gentle touch in drying affirms and values

Meets the tension and ticklishness of fears and doubts

And patiently brings them from death to life

So now the clown's tears are real and free

The act, the script, the audience, the stage

All are vanished away

And there is no more script to play the fool

Vulnerable, himself, the clown does not know who he is,

And all the cheers, the smiles, seem far away

Silent, restless, I feel the pain of compromise,

The death-dealing self-annihilation of performance

The anger of walking paths that others choose

The frustration in wanting freedom to improvise,

The hypocrisy of living ill at ease with gut-feeling,

And knowing that death seems easier than change.

And in the pain, the anguish that churns the soul

Death to one's self, life to the script, seems the answer

Till gentle, caring lips that have met with feeling

Speak in tender poetic words and touch deep

Deeper than the most passionate embrace

Until the clown knows that he must be himself

Lay aside the make-up, costume and ruddy nose

And cry no more painted tears, but only my own.

Poem - You are the prisoner of yourself

You are the prisoner of yourself,

You hold the key

and you want to throw it away

To remain secure in your hell

Tried, convicted and sentenced

By yourself as prosecution,

Judge and jury

But because you hold the key

We on the other side

Of your prison walls

Who forgive and love you

Feel prisoners too

We long to see you free

Not of memory by denial

But free to be wise

As only we who have failed can be

Free to risk the tears

Of pain and grief and anger

At all that has been

Could have been

And was not

Free to risk the joy

Of all that can be

Free to laugh with your eyes

To show the raw emotion that tells

of how you have faced the edge of life

- hopelessness, fear, rage and death -

and to show that love which rages still

that won't give up

Dare then to lay hold of the key

dare to open wide the prison door

Dare to accept yourself

As we accept you.

Poem - Winter

Winter

Like a garden

Cleared of a seasons glory of growth now past

Dug over deep and opened to the harshness

Of penetrating frost and icy cold

Bearing no fruit and dying in the hope of spring

Winters waiting and wounding time is now

Rudolf - Latin lyrics

Rudolf

Rubriconasus reno
Nasum habuit rubrum,
Siquandoque videres
Diceres et igneum.

Et ceteri renones
Hilares irridebant;
Rubriconasum ludos
Ludere suos vetant.
(Sed) Christi nataliciis
Santa “Nebulis”
Inquit “naso ludico,
Duc mi traham, obsecro”.

Tum ceteri renones
Cacchinnant hilariter
“Rubriconase Reno,
Celebraberis semper”.

Lyrics sourced by a student teacher at my secondary school ca 1970

Bill Bailey - Latin lyrics

Bill Bailey

Veni domum Bill Bailey,
Veni domum,
Diutius abes.
Lances lavabo ipsa,
Mercedulam
Dabo, iniusta sum.
Ubi nocte pluebat,
Te expuli
Cum pectine solum.
Nocens fui,
Vae mihi,
Bill Bailey veni iam domum

Lyrics sourced by a student teacher at my secondary school ca 1970

Roll over Beethoven - Latin lyrics

Roll over Beethoven

Epistulam scripturus tum missurus sum ad poetam;
Nam cupio moventem cantare cantiunculam;
Revolve Beethoven,
Iamdudum eam audiam.

Fervescit mihi sanguen at confracta mihi cithara;
Cor rapide pulsatur, canit anima caerulea;
Revolve Beethoven,
Accipe nova carmina.

Oriente sole, moneo, mihi calcare
Soleas caeruleas noli;
Tatarantara, modulaber cithara,
Nil necessarium mi;
Revolve Beethoven,
Certiorem fac Tchaikovsky.

Lyrics sourced by a student teacher at my secondary school ca 1970

Till there was you - Latin lyrics

Till there was you

Tinnitus in colle
Erant, nec sonare novi,
Ita, nequaquam novi dum
Venisti tu.

Et stellae in caelo
Erant, nec micare vidi,
Ita, nequaquam vidi dum
Venisti tu.

Et erant cantus, rosaeque pulchrae,
Mi dicunt
Et dulcia mane prata rore.

Aves in foliis
Erant, nec cantare novi,
Ita, nequaquam novi dum
Venisti tu.

Et erant cantus, rosaeque pulchrae,
Mi dicunt
Et dulcia mane prata rore.

Et amor ubique
Erat nec cantare novi,
Ita, nequaquam novi dum
Venisti tu.

Lyrics sourced by a student teacher at my secondary school ca 1970

From me to you - Latin lyrics

From me to you

Si quid habeo quod cupis,
Si quid opus auxilii,
Vocanti mi tibi id mittem
Amore a me tibi.

Cuncta habeo quae cupis;
Fidelissimum cor mihi;
Vocanti mi tibi id mittam,
Amore a me tibi.

Bracchia volunt tenere
Te ne tu abeas,
Et labra basiare,
Dum satis habeas.

Si quid habeo quod cupis,
Si quid opus auxilii,
Vocanti mi tibi id mittem
Amore a me tibi.

Lyrics sourced by a student teacher at my secondary school ca 1970

Can't buy me love - Latin lyrics

Can’t buy me love

Gemmas emam, amica,
Si tibi placebit;
Debo quodvis amica,
Si tibi placebit;
Non amo nimis pecuniam -
Non dat amorem.

Quidquid est dabo si te
Dices favere mi;
Non sunt multa mi quae dem,
Sed quod est dabo tibi;
Non amo nimis pecuniam -
Non dat amorem.

Non dat amorem,
Semper audio;
Non dat amorem,
Nullo modo.

Gemmas velle te nega,
Et mihi placebit;
Dic te velle talia
Quae nummi non parent;
Non amo nimis pecuniam -
Non dat amorem.

Lyrics sourced by a student teacher at my secondary school ca 1970

All my loving - Latin lyrics

All my loving

Claude oculos, te basiabo,
Cras desiderabo,
Et semper fidelis ero,
Et tum dum redeam
Domum saepe scribam,
Et totum amorem dabo.

Oscula simulabo,
Quae desiderabo,
Spem fore bonam sperabo,
Et tum dum redeam
Domum saepe scribam,
Et totum amorem dabo.

Ita totum amorem dabo,
Tibi totum, numquam cessabo.

Lyrics sourced by a student teacher at my secondary school ca 1970