Happy Christmas

I greatly enjoy Charles Dickens’ books. I can’t claim to have read them all but I have read a few. I inherited this interest from an aunt who was a passionate fan of Dickens and on her death she left me a set of the complete works of Dickens. So I’ve felt duty bound to read my way through them ever since.

One of the most famous of Dickens’ stories is of course “A Christmas Carol”. Even if you haven’t read the book, you will be familiar with it through the numerous films and TV dramatisations over the years. And perhaps you have a favourite version. Maybe the classic version with Alastair Sim from 1951. There is a new Disney version out at present. However, my personal favourite is “A Muppet Christmas Carol” which stars (of course) The Muppets and Michael Caine.

It is surprisingly faithful to the book and Michael Caine is a good Scrooge. It came out originally in 1992 and we discovered it when Tom was about 4. We bought it on video and have since got it on DVD. And it is now part of our family tradition to sit and watch it together at some point in the run up to Christmas.

As you will know, the idea behind A Christmas Carol is for Scrooge (who is a cold hearted money lender) to change after being shown Christmas scenes from the past, the present and the future.

After being shown a glimpse of a future Christmas (which includes seeing his own grave stone) in the book Scrooge says these words:

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!"

And Scrooge vows to change his life from that moment on.

So what did Dickens mean by that phrase “I will honour Christmas in my heart?” I feel he meant that Scrooge would adopt the values that the infant Christ brought to our world through his birth. Love for fellow human beings. And not just for Christmas and always.

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, love divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and to all the world,
Love for plea and gift and sign.

Christina Rosetti 1830 - 1894

I wish you a happy and joyous Christmas.

Remember, Remember

November is a month of remembrance. We start on 5^th November:

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...

Though it is questionable now 400 years on whether the events of November 5^th 1605 are recalled by many people in any detail. Certainly children now seem more preoccupied with Halloween at this time of the year rather than Penny for the Guy.

But of course the other remembrance in November is that of 11^th November and the Sunday preceding it, in which the servicemen and women who have died in war and conflict are remembered.

For me this year’s Remembrance service will be very poignant. In my role as volunteer police chaplain I have tried to attend many of the repatriations for the fallen being brought home from Afghanistan. Sadly, I now know the routine all too well. I hear the news of a death on the news and then know that typically, about 5 or 6 days later, I will receive an email from the police telling when the ceremony will take place. I then join the ranks of ex servicemen, fire fighters, police officers and members of the public that gather at Gable Cross Police station for the cortege to come past on the way to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

On 14^th July, 8 young men were repatriated and that event made the international news. But somehow what is most saddening is to see a single coffin returning. One ex serviceman called Jack, who I have got to know well said to me on one such occasion “It’s sad to see a poor wee laddie on his own parted from his friends”. And I know what Jack meant.

Back in August, the funeral of Britain’s last veteran from the First World War – Harry Patch – took place. Having recently read Mr Patch’s biography I was moved by his comments that he believed war was organised murder. And in referring to the First World War he said "It was not worth it, it was not worth one let alone all the millions.”

I am sure many of us feel the same about Afghanistan. It is not worth the lives of the over 200 men and women from this country (let alone the hundreds from other countries and the thousands of civilians.)

Almighty God, help us to remember and learn the lessons of the past: the cost of war, the price of peace, the scope of human depravity and the extent of human sacrifice. Remind us of all we owe, lest we forget. We ask it in the name of Christ. Amen.

David (Prayer adapted from “Prayers for all seasons” by Nick Fawcett 1998.)

People don't want a Christian funeral

Father Ed Tomlinson an Anglican, Forward in Faith vicar (i.e. doesn't like women priests) has said in a blog that funerals are becoming too non Christian. I agree. But he gives the reason as being that people want to use secular music and doggrel poems instead of having music associated with a requiem mass.

He then goes on to say that And I am further concerned that an opportunity for evangelism is slipping through our fingers. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6881679.ece

What is up with this guy? Doesn't he realise that his attitude will put off people?

I despair!

Climate Change - The Wave 5th December 2009

We went to a rally in the centre of Swindon on Saturday to protest against claimte change. The rally was organised by Swindon Churches Together and had been well publicised. But only around 40 people turned up.

Good speeches by a rep from Christian Aid, one of the local MPs and a local minister.

But I get the sense of apathy about this most important of issues.

As Christians we believe we are stewards of this planet. SO we need to move from apathy and make our voices heard.

Join the campaign. Come to The Wave rally in London on 5th December. http://www.christianaid.org.uk/ActNow/Countdown-to-Copenhagen-climate-change/climate-march-london.aspx

British Airways poor customer service

A couple of weeks ago we booked flights to California for next summer flying with British Airways. We were a bit reluctant to fly BA as it seems BA has a tendency to lose bags, go on strike, etc etc. And in fact we could have flown Air New Zealand for about the same price. But we thought we'd fly BA and do our bit for Blighty.

2 days later BA announce that it has introduced an extra charge for passengers who want to pre book their seats up to 10 days before flying. From what I can tell this charge would work out at maybe an extra £60 each.

I wrote to Willy Walsh the BA CEO to complain not thinking for a moment my complaint would be dealt with properly. Well, yesterday I received a letter from BA Customer Services which is basically a rehash of their original press release. In other words not answering my letter at all. However, the letter informs me that BA have introduced this new arrangement in response to "customer demand".

Tell me. What customer wants to pay more for something that they should be able to do anyway? BA will have had almost £2000 of my hard earned money for a year and in order for me to sit with my family on a flight I have to pay more for the privilege.

Yes customers may want to be able to select their seats more than 24 hours beforehand. But who in their right mind wants to pay a fee for doing so? No doubt some people with more money than sense.

Quo fas vocat

Like many British people this summer we decided we’d take our holiday in this country. We had a week in the Yorkshire Dales, followed by a week in Northumbria. We’d not visited Northumbria before and found it to be very beautiful. We were staying on the coast near to the mighty castles of Alnwick (where some of the Harry Potter movies are filmed) and Bamburgh. And also Lindisfarne – Holy Island.

Lindisfarne was home to a monastery founded by St Aidan in 635 and the monastery flourished until 763 when it was destroyed by the Vikings. It was subsequently re-established after the Norman Conquest by Benedictines. And there was a monastery on the island until the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII.

I can see why for centuries the island has been popular with pilgrims. It is remote and is accessed via a causeway which can only be crossed at certain times to coincide with the tides. And to this day there are retreat houses on the island where people can go and escape from the world and try and get closer to God.

I was really looking forward to visiting a place that has been so important to the Christian faith of this country. But I felt a little bit disappointed. Although very beautiful, I did not experience the sense of spirituality I had hoped for on Lindisfarne. So although I enjoyed our day out, it was not what I expected.

Walking back to the car we came across a small Catholic church / study centre. It was relatively new. And on the wall outside was a sign saying “quo fas vocat” written in a lovely Celtic like script. I am sure you all know what this means don’t you? No, neither did I! Thankfully it was translated into English and it means “Go wherever divine providence calls.” And that sign actually made my visit to Lindisfarne special.

I believe that all of us are called by God in some way to follow him. It is up to us whether we choose to follow that call and believe in God. But if we do respond then the key is to listen to what God is calling us to do. Then to have the courage and obedience to obey his call and then to “Go wherever divine providence calls.”

Hands off the NHS

My grandfather helped to found the NHS. He was a member of the Tredegar Medical Aid Board in South Wales in the 1920s. People paid a small sum of money each month into a fund to ensure they could receive medical treatment. Another member of the Board was Aneurin Bevan who founded the NHS.

My wife has also worked as a senior nurse within the NHS for almost 30 years.

So I'm a great defender of the NHS.

It's not perfect. But for the vast majority of people in the UK it provides wonderful health care regardless of their income. And that's the point. A decision was made 60 years ago that everyone regardless of income should have access to medical care. It's not the nanny state it is compassion.

The American people have to decide for themselves what model of health care they should have. But don't criticise our system.

And the trumpet sounded ...

Last Thursday lunchtime (30^th July) I watched the coverage of Henry Allingham’s funeral on one of the 24 hour news channels. Henry Allingham was one of the last survivors of the First World War. He served in the Royal Navy Air Service before transferring to the newly formed Royal Air Force. At the time of his death Mr. Allingham was 113 years old – the world’s oldest man.

An hour or so later I was standing on the roadside outside Gable Cross Police station in Swindon waiting for the latest repatriation cortege from RAF Lyneham to drive past. I joined the members of the Royal British Legion looking smart in their blazers and berets; I joined fire fighters from Wiltshire Fire Brigade; officers and staff from the police station, as well as members of the public.

The traffic stopped and the blue lights of the police escort could be seen. Followed by the gleaming black hearses bearing the bodies of Bombardier Craig Hopson, Warrant Officer Sean Upton, and Trooper Phillip Lawrence. All three had died on Monday in Afghanistan.

Without stopping, the cortege drove slowly past Gable Cross. The Wiltshire Police cars and motorbikes pulled over and their places were taken by cars and motorbikes of Thames Valley Police. Slowly the gathering disbursed. One of the ex servicemen said to me “What’s it all about Padre? It doesn’t make sense does it?” He was right. It – the war in Afghanistan - doesn’t seem to make sense. Certainly not for those grieving the loss of loved ones.

Yesterday, the funeral of another World War 1 veteran took place at Wells Cathedral. Harry Patch.

Having survived the horrors of the trenches Mr. Patch said that he believed war was organised murder. And in referring to the First World War he said "It was not worth it, it was not worth one let alone all the millions.”

Harry Patch also said that

"It's important that we remember the war dead on both sides of the line - the Germans suffered the same as we did.”

It is hard to remember the dead on both sides of the line. To do so requires a certain amount of forgiveness. It also requires a certain amount of courage to be prepared to stand out from the crowd who may not want to remember those on the other side.

But I believe that is important to remember those on both sides of the line. They too are someone’s son or daughter. They too are made in God’s image. They too are known only to God.

All too often in our world, even in the Church, we like to draw lines and divide into us and them. And this is not what God wants for the world and his people.

In the Bible the prophet Isaiah tells of a time when

The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling ^[a] together;
and a little child will lead them.

What Isaiah was seeing was a time of peace and reconciliation. When the values of the world would change. When enemies, those who would be on opposite sides of the line, would be together. Christians believe that the “little child” Isaiah talks of was Jesus Christ. Who came into the world to bring about peace and reconciliation between peoples.

As one of the early followers of Jesus, St Paul, put it:

²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Sadly, at times that peace, that reconciliation, seems a very long way off. But we must continue to work and pray for that peace and reconciliation to come.

A prayer.

O God you want your world, your whole universe to be reconciled in your love and for people to love together in peace. Forgive us Lord for the divisions; pour out your abundant mercy on your Church and your world both so fragmented and torn apart; this we plead through the love of Jesus Christ which already surrounds us.

Amen.

Welcome

This is a new venture for me. I'm not sure how it will develop or how regular a blogger I will be. But I am going to give it a go.

This blog will mainly be Christian focused but with a light touch. Hence the Blog's title. The title came about by someone saying to me after I'd met them "You're OK. You're not like a normal vicar."

I'm not a vicar technically. I am a Minister in the Methodist Church. But I get called "Vicar" "Padre" and "Father". Whatever.