Manchester

to and from Manchester today for a meeting of the Greenbelt worship planning sub group. an exciting line-up promised, with some good surprises.

more to say in due course.

sum of suffering?

Like most people who read a paper, watch the news, or are just out and about, from time to time I feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of suffering in the world.

Without wanting to stick up a massive post on this issue, I wanted to share the following. It's an excerpt from a a book called 'Love Speaks from the Cross', written by an Anglican priest and published in 1954.

'Let us not be staggered into pessimism by the idea of 'the sum of the world's suffering.' There is no sum. Pain is not cumulative. Two tall men are not twice as tall as one. A thousand people in pain are not more in pain than one person. There is no more pain in the world than one single creature can feel.'

I don't know about you, but I find a deep release in these words.

Once again, lots more to say, but not here...

(I can never be bothered to read a blog post that is longer than 10cm...)

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Tonight...

This evening men-of-feig will gather to resurrect a time-honored tradition.

Back in the very early days, when the man known as the Dutch-Beast was counted among our number, we gathered at each full moon (or at least fairly regularly) to battle each other on the box known as X.

OK, we're all arguably a bit old for nonsense like this, but who cares?

Anyway, we have evolved. The box known as X has been consigned to history and been replaced with the more sophisticated box known as PS3.

The owner of this box, Big G, has summoned us to gather at his dwelling place in order to do battle once again.

I'm rubbish at consoles but can still yell, in warrior fashion:

'Bring it on..!'

Thought for Monday morning

You only get to keep what you give away.

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HUGE

Possibly the biggest day in feig history.

This evening, gathered around the 1000-year-old lead font in the cathedral, in a very special feig-service, I baptised Eloise and Freya.

Wow.

I don't know what else to say.

What a huge privilege. What a great day. The sun was shining. The service was simple and profound. A great mix of friends and relatives.

all good.

very good indeed.

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Sanctus1

Fancy leading Sanctus 1?

Today's Church Times is advertising the following post:

Diocese of Manchester, Manchester Methodist Circuit/ Sanctus1/Nexus Leader & Mission Enabler

I reckon there will be quite a stack of applications...

grief

This painting, completed in Venice in 1460 by Giovanni Bellini, and titled:
'Dead Christ supported by the Madonna and St John' was one of the images I used in my lent talk at the cathedral last night.

It was the image that provoked the most comment afterwards - and the most reaction from the audience during the time I spoke.

It is not easy to see it properly on the blog - but you get a sense of the utter grief that Bellini has managed to convey in both Mary and John's faces.

There is lots and lots to say about the private and universal experience of grief.
I won't say any of that though.
I just wanted to share the image.

tired

tired...
oh, so tired...

the lent talk went well last night but was exhausting.

loads of prep and then an hour in front of a very full Chapter House.

Now sitting at my desk wondering about the sermon I have to prepare for the cathedral for Sunday.

I actually sat down an hour and a quarter ago but have been dealing with a stream of e-mails and Greenbelt admin so that I can have a day off tomorrow.

I'm going to preach from these words from John's gospel:

'Sir, we would see Jesus.'

A great place to begin.

I'd quite like to see him right now actually - ask him what he made of my lent talk and see whether he had any ideas about a sermon on wanting to see him...

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pirates

I had a school assembly this morning and was going to be doing something on the Easter story.

When I got there the whole school - including the teachers - were dressed as pirates...

I thought I'd stumbled into some weird carnival. it was pretty surreal.

Just done the cathedral's lunchtime Eucharist. There is always a core congregation (hardly ever the same 'core') and others come and go for various parts of the service.
All very Greek-orthodox...

lent talk work now.

this talk better be good...


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Elpida

right now we've got Elpida round for dinner.

She's the artist in residence at the cathedral this year and has become a bit of a friend.

She is preparing for her final show which opens on 30th April (if you're around, you're more than welcome to come along)

See some of her work here

Missing Rowan

Am unfortunately missing a research day at Kings College with Rowan Williams.

I'd been well up for hanging with the Arch bish but the week is too full of various local deadlines to get myself off to London.

bum.

I can console myself with reflecting on my record breaking rowing attempt this morning.

My rowing machine calls to me after matins each day. Today I pulled 2K in 6.48.

That is quick. The memory of my quality oarsmanship is propelling me through my assembly planning, lent talk prep, preaching prep and confirmation admin...

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banana

I am eating a banana, answering a long stream of e-mails, and wondering why I am telling you this...


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death

I have spent large chunks of today working on the lent talk I have to give in the cathedral on Thursday evening. It's part of a series given by the Dean and Chapter - with me somewhere near the end. Each of us has been given a different aspect of the crucifixion to 'cover'. I have 'death and burial'. I'll use 25 or so paintings by various great masters, and one or two not-so-great-dabblers. This, 'The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb' painted by Hans Holbein in 1521, has had a particular effect on me.

It's not really big enough here on the blog, but if you see it projected - or even view it at the size of your whole screen - it is a seriously powerful image. In my view, Holbein has managed to capture something shockingly stark about death (although to feel the impact of this you really need to see the face up close). Loads to say - but that'll have to wait until Thursday evening.

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sunshine

the sun is shining.

I am at my desk.

the blind is down because I live on a busy corner and I don't want my Mac nicked.

I am going mobile. I shall work from somewhere else. somewhere sunny.

oh yes...

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other communities

as we sort out and finalise the schedule for worship in New Forms at GB this year, I am discovering a bunch of worshiping communities that I've either never heard of, or that I know nothing about.

Dream in Liverpool is one

Barbie love?

Here's Bob Mayo again - with his 'thought for the week'...

'This Sunday we celebrate Mother’s Day and this year we celebrate Barbie at 50 years old. Barbie is an iconic female figure; she is a dizzy blonde who doesn’t look a day over 16. She likes fun, fashion and friendship and, according to her garishly pink website – www.barbie.everythinggirl.com, thinks that ‘girls should never attempt anything without lip gloss and the right accessories’. There are three Barbie dolls sold every second, and over a billion worldwide. The dolls are a product that package and sell a particular fantasy of how people should be. They create a warped sense of the "perfect" girl, distort people's view of femininity and oversimplify the process of being human. In the Gospel passage Mary watches Jesus die on the cross (John 19:25-27). She offers us a reality check, doing what no mother should ever have to do, which is to see her child die. As it happens, she would live to see her son rise again from the dead and offer a new life to the world. It is the grief of Mary rather than the glitz of Barbie that offers us a real hope.'

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feig last night feig tonight

last night some of the guys met at Dan & Ruth's place.

this evening others of us will meet at our place.

two gatherings. one feig. one church. one faith. one baptism into one Lord, Jesus Christ.

harmony and unity are such an important aspect of the life of the people of God because it is in this, in a huge way, that we say something worth hearing to our world.

so there you go; short and sweet and to the point.

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frustrated by interruptions?

Then you might enjoy reading Ramsey's nugget for the day:

'[the Christian's] faithfulness is again and again tested by our power to deal with interruptions. You plan your day according to some rule, with so many hours for this, and so many for that. Then all seems thrown into disorder by interruptions. You fail to do all that you have set out to do, and you may get hot and bothered, and feel that what you planned as order has turned into chaos. But think of it in terms of the will of God. If the will of God is that you should accept this or that interruption, and you accept them with gladness, then a day which might seem tempestuous is really filled with plan and peace and order; for where the will of God is there is God's presence and God's peace, and where that will is obeyed, there is pattern and harmony.
In his will is your peace.'

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train to catch

just off to catch a train to the big smog.

DMin day tomorrow.

Staying with a curate friend tonight.

Will give him your love - obviously.

Think of me as I study Biblical stuff. again...

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A Franciscan Benediction

A member of our community mailed this to me this morning.

I think it's stunning - so up it goes on the blog:

May God bless you with discomfort
at easy answers,half-truths and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
at injustice,oppression and exploitation of people
So that you may work for justice,freedom and peace

May God bless you with tears
to shed for those who suffer pain,rejection,hunger and war,
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them
and to turn their pain into joy

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in the world
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice,mercy and kindness to all our children,and the poor.

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Noah's (mini) Ark

A friend recently sent me a link to this.

A guy in Friesland has built a Noah's ark. The one in this picture is half the size of the vessel described in Genesis. He is currently working on a full-size version.

I might have to make a trip to see it...

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Missional Resource...

This has just come out. I haven't got my hands on it yet but it looks useful in that 'if-I-didn't-already-have-twenty-books-waiting-to-be-read-I'd-read-it' kind of way.

The blurb on the Fresh Expressions website says:

'Ever since the Mission-shaped Church report was published in 2004 there has been a movement of mission emerging right across the church. In order for this movement to continue to grow it is vital that missional leaders are identified, trained, released and supported.

In Coaching For Missional Leadership, Bob Hopkins and Freddy Hedley examine the importance of supporting leaders through coaching and mentoring, so that mission initiatives, church plants and fresh expressions of church have access to accompaniment that both provides best practice in mutual reflection and offers connection to the experience and wisdom of other leaders, as well as to the wider church.'

So there you go. All good, sensible stuff.

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Missing this...

Just realised that I'm missing this: Pioneer Minister retreat at Lee Abbey.

Bum.

Oh well, got a stack of things to get on with.

can't afford a retreat anyway...

hang on - that doesn't sound quite right.

the death of Christ

Oh, one of the other slides had another great quote - this time from Archbishop Michael Ramsey:

'The church is not a group of people who have heard about the death of Christ. It is not a community created by Christ dying. The Church is the death of Christ.'

Stick that in your pipe and meditate on it for a while...

Revolutionary?

Herbert McCabe was a Dominican priest, theologian and philosopher (died 2001) - A major theme of his was a caution against making God a god, of reducing the Creator to an object within this world, and thus committing idolatry.

Anyway - I was at a training day for curates on Saturday and one of the powerpoint slides contained a quote of McCabe's which I think is a great starting point for discussion.

I'll give the quote but I won't start the discussion here. (oh, and forgive the masculine language - McCabe was a catholic priest and his language reflects that...)

'The Christian minister... is a revolutionary whose job is the subversion of the world through the preaching of the gospel... He is the leader of his people in a movement towards a new community.'

It was his use of 'revolutionary' that got me.

We love that word - it brings to mind images of Che - pretty far from most of the ministers I know. But then I guess there are many kinds of revolutionary, right?

And Che might have looked good but his style wasn't revolutionary. Getting what you want by force is as old as the hills.

listening to...

Thievery Corporation on the DJ Kicks series.

Classic but unbeatable...

Paul Masse

Daniel Robinson, feig-member and ninja, put me onto Paul Masse's blog.

He's written a great (and quite short) post on the importance of taking stock of the present moment.

Worth a read.

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tonight

feig tonight. at Peter and Jennie's place (was at Dan n Ruth's last night for feig 2, which was very good indeed).

BUT. before feig, I have to attend a meeting of the Gloucester city deanery chapter.

I know, most vicars don't miss half their church service to go to chapter, but there we are...

Anyway, feig isn't a service, it's a way of life. Or something like that.

So, chapter it is - apparently we will be having a think about mission in the city centre. should easily get that covered in an evening...

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Waun Fach

'Early in the morning Jesus went somewhere by himself to pray' (or something like that...)

Anyway, the principle is there. Jesus demonstrated a rhythm of retreat and engagement that sustained him in his ministry.

With this in mind, and knowing that Saturday (which is my day off) is going to be chock-full of work, I thought I'd go and climb a mountain today.

I decided on Waun Fach in the Brecon Beacons (811mts if you're interested)and discovered that the SAS use the Brecons to train because a) every quagmire of a path resembles the Somme, b) it doesn't stop raining c) visibility is about twenty feet d) there is a high likely-hood of getting seriously lost and dying of exposure.

I'm not sure how much I prayed - beyond 'It would be great to get through this with my life, Lord'.
It certainly cleared my head. I went into survival mode and had no space for thinking about anything else...

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also just arrived...

After several recommendations, this has also just arrived: 'Praying for England: Priestly Presence in Contemporary Culture'.

Amazon say:

'Praying for England reflects on the role of Christian priesthood in contemporary culture, and comes up with some surprising and timely insights about its efficacy and importance. There are ritual and representative functions of the priest, it argues, which remain spiritually and socially vital, even - perhaps especially - in a society which ostensibly ignores the Church, or appears so pluralistic as to lack any religious cohesion. The priestly role as mediator before God of society's deepest pains, losses, joys and irresolvable anxieties is here reimagined, and brought freshly to life though moving narratives of pastoral encounter. Above all, the priest is seen as one who goes on `praying for England' in decisive but often uncelebrated ways, prayer being the chief measure and test of the priest's representative role.

This is a deceptively simple volume - theologically accessible but often deeply moving and profound. In it a new vision is sketched of how Christian priesthood can go forward today with humility, understated dignity, and spiritual power. It is written with an ecumenical and international readership in mind.'

I think it looks like an important book, but I am also interested because Professor Wells (one of the book's co-authors and an Anglican Priest) has recently became Professor and Dean at Duke University, USA.
When I was at Ridley doing my training 'Sam' Wells was a local vicar. I had no idea that he was an academic or author. I knew who he was because sometimes he would use our library and would sit on the desk opposite me. I'd be working on essays and assumed that he was simply pottering about with books - you know - reading a bit here and there, whiling away the odd afternoon. Turns out he was writing things like this...

What do I know eh?

Inspired

This has just arrived from Amazon: 'God Has a Dream' by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
I've only dipped into a couple of pages and have already found it deeply inspirational.

A reviewer on Amazon USA writes:

'Admired throughout the world for grace, generosity of spirit, honesty, and humility, Archbishop Tutu has witnessed much evil, particularly in his native South Africa, and has been threatened with death. He has also seen much good, and here he emphasizes that. Many find his dream that the world's people will realize they are all members of one family--God's family--rather utopian, but he heartily disagrees. He believes in the genuine possibility of his dream, and he uses the Feast of the Transfiguration to express the goodness--the power of God's transformation--that undergirds the world and that has already made the cross, once an instrument of death, the source, for Christians, of eternal life. No one is beyond God's love and grace, the archbishop assures. He also discusses the nature of evil and goodness (one cannot exist without the other), free will, moral responsibility, individualism, capitalist culture, sexism, racism, forgiveness, suffering, and mortality. Goodness will prevail, he believes, and his small, inspiring, empowering book will make others believe that, too.'

feig-other

This evening I am off to be part of the other feig community.

Still not sure how to refer to it.

I am cooking (I really am this time). I've already been to get the ingredients, and will chop, cook, and transport later today. all good.

I think there will be nine of us, which is amazing given the fact that we only 'sent off' four people and one of them is away this week.

Dan will lead us in some reflections on what it means to worship God, and I will lead a short, informal communion.

Looking forward to it.

Before that, I have a meeting with a local pastor, who got in touch last week wanting to find out a bit more about feig. I don't think he wants to join...
But you never know. We would obviously make him welcome!

Am also presiding at the lunchtime communion at the cathedral.

It's at 12.45 if you want to come along...

quick.

Each day, after matins in the cathedral, or dropping off my kids at school, I leap on my rowing machine (kindly donated by one of our feig resident GPs) and do a few KMs.

(a minister should keep fit you know...)

Anyway, a while back I asked my friend Val (who rowed for England whilst at Eton) (and no, I wasn't at Eton) what a decent time would be for, say, 500 mts.

He reckoned a fit (young) guy should pull 500mts in around 1.45.

So, I worked at that.

But this morning, exceeding all the expectations of the international sports media, I have smashed my own record, cruising across that 500mt finish line in a rocket-like 1.30.

oh yes.

At this rate, it's possible that I will be competing at the 2012 Olympics...

Amazon

buying books.

oh yes.

mostly for the DMin essay I am about to start working on. it's an ethics thing - looking at Christians and war and peace and humanitarian intervention etc etc.

I'll be focusing on reading Hauerwas, O'Donovan, Ramsey & Yoder with a view to making some comment on this:

The BBC website says: 'Archbishop Desmond Tutu has urged the international community to intervene in Zimbabwe - by force if necessary. The former Cape Town archbishop said he would support the deployment of a UN force to restore peace in the country.'

should be interesting...

Traffik..?

Let's face it, every person who gives a s*** about other people should really be supporting these guys.
To my shame I've not joined before.
I've just rectified that.

They've produced a book, written by Steve Chalk (with a chapter by Cherie Blair) which gives information about how to engage with the issue. It's available from the end of March. You can pre-order it from the website (here)

The site says:

'TRAFFICKING IS... to be deceived or taken against your will, bought, sold and transported into slavery for sexual exploitation, sweat shops, child brides, circuses, sacrificial worship, forced begging, sale of human organs, farm labour, domestic servitude.

STOP THE TRAFFIK IS... a global movement of ordinary activists from around the world who believe that PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE BOUGHT AND SOLD. We believe that when people act things change, join us today to STOP THE TRAFFIK!'

So there you go...

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old(est) mum

Rajo Devi Lohan is an Indian woman who has recently become the world's oldest known first time mum.

She's seventy.

She says: 'We have waited more than 40 years for this child... it was God's gift to us that she arrived.'

Now Rajo had a little help from the doctors in conceiving, but the story made me think of another first time mum as recorded in the early chapters of the book of Genesis. Sarah, Abraham's wife, was, according to the text, 'old & advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.' (Gen 18: 11)

But three 'visitors' who had come to speak to the elderly couple about the birth of a son, say to her (after they have heard her laughing): 'Why did Sarah laugh, and say, 'Shall I bear a child now that I am old?' Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?'

The implication, and subsequent birth of Isaac (whose name means: laughter) is that no, nothing is to wonderful for the Lord.

that's all.

end of post.

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Sunday

I was in the cathedral at 7.30am to lead matins.

and then the 8am communion - at which I have been starting to feel reasonably confident - today however, I processed in, paused, looked up at the congregation ready to begin and spotted the bishop a few feet away.

no one had told me he'd be there - which was probably a good thing as I just had to take a deep breath and get on with it.

all well.

I was also presiding at the 10.15, which again, is fine, but it takes quite a hefty emotional toll. I'm fine being in front of people but it isn't half exhausting.

Later today we are hosting a feig lunch gathering.

Quite simple - we're doing some jacket potatoes and others are bringing fillings.

At least I hope they are or they will be eating rather plain jackets...

it's on Amazon already...

I didn't know it was up there already...

you can't get it yet, obviously, but someone is on the ball. probably Ian Mobsby.

Amazon say:

"Mission Shaped Church", the groundbreaking report published in 2004 has sold over 20,000 copies and has changed the way mission is done. Fresh Expressions, which sprang into being in its wake, is now an established and growing presence in the church. 350 people are in training for Pioneer Ministry. Fresh Expressions conjures up children's clubs, cafe church and innovative youth work, yet this is not the whole story. Churches from the traditional wings of the church are being equally creative and imaginative, exploring alternative ways of worshipping and being Christian communities. Their focus may be more contemplative than action-packed, but the place of encounter with God needs space and silence. Practitioners from such churches tell their stories and reflect theologically on the initiatives they are exploring. Some of the very best names in the field have contributed to this book which will make a unique and important contribution to the understanding and practice of mission today. This title includes many well-known contributors: Rowan Williams, Brian McLaren, Steven Croft, Stephen Cottrell, Richard Giles, Phyllis Tickle and priest missioners from traditional Anglican parishes and emergent churches in the US.'



nice.

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pdf

A while ago I was asked to write a chapter called: 'Feig: Growing into the Tradition' for a book that will be called: 'Ancient Faith, Future Mission'

The whole thing has just come in as a pdf from the copy editor so that authors can make final checks. When it's all done, it'll have a dual launch in the UK and USA (published here by Canterbury Press)
It is authored by Rowan Williams, Brian MacLaren, Steven Croft, Abbot Stuart Burns, Phyllis Tickle and Karen Ward among many others.

I think it's pretty darn funny that our emerging, stumbling, kooky, living-room community is included in this...

ha.

ho.

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de Crypt

just off to do my borrow-a-priest bit at St.Mary de Crypt.

am going to take the 11am communion service. have never taken it before...

the church is where George Whitefield preached his first sermon to a packed house and apparently 'drove fifteen people close to madness' with his great feat of oratory.

I'll try to match him


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humble apology...

sorry.

I am standing here with Rachel.

I did not make the goulash.

any of it.

I did eat some though.


it was mighty fine.

I would like to have made it..

but I didn't.

Oh my word...

all I am going to say is that Rachel and I have made Goulash for feig this evening.

it is a mighty pot of gorgeousness.

oh yes...


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up for Greenbelt?

Meant to say in my last post, in working on the line up for New Forms, we are keen to avoid filling it with all the usual suspects.

if you are part of an emerging community / fresh expression of church etc etc, and you think you'd be up for hosting worship at Greenbelt, get in touch - preferably as soon as possible.

cheers.

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Greenbelt 09

I'm working on some stuff for Greenbelt - am involved in organizing the worship line up for New Forms and conversation about emerging worship throughout the weekend in the Winged Ox venue. All good.

The theme for Greenbelt 09 has finally been made public.

It is 'Standing in the Long Now.'

I took this from the Greenbelt website. Great legend.

'The Long Now'. The phrase was coined by the musician, producer and all-round interesting thinker Brian Eno. And a good way to capture what it alludes to is with a legend about the C14th founders of New College, Oxford. The story goes that the dining hall of New College was built with a series of huge oak beams. About half a millennium later, at the end of the C19th, the beams needed replacing. Being a wealthy institution the College owned some land and wondered if there were any oak trees on it. 'Ah...' said one of the tenants who farmed their land, 'We wondered when you'd be in touch.'

Turned out the farmers had a tradition that back in the C14th a new grove of oaks had been planted to make up for those cut down to provide the dining hall beams. The story was passed through the generations, one farmer to another: these oaks were protected, set aside for New College. Through the generations, the farmers were waiting, for century after century. For half a millennia.

off tonight

getting a train to London at 7pm.

tomorrow is another study day for doctoral studies. what joy, oh, what joy!

actually, it'll be pretty good. having looked at doctrine and ethics, we're into a biblical studies module. been reading about theoretical hermeneutics.

I won't repeat any of it here though...

oh, go on then. I'll give you an opening snippet:

'Hermeneutics entails critical reflection on the basis, nature and goals of reading, interpreting and understanding communicative acts and processes.'

enough.


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pioneer blog

Have been interested to look at the blog of another pioneer minister in the last couple of days.

Mark left a couple of comments on Ash Wednesday.

He blogs here

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May Hill

Yesterday was stunning. Sunshine. Spring in the air.

Before the winter set in I'd been in the habit of going to May hill one morning a week to walk and pray - be alone with God.
Realizing that it'd been a while, and not having a pile of things to do before lunch, I decided to jump in the car yesterday and head over there.
It happened that Dan was free and able to come with me - Dan is heading up the second expression of the feig community and it was valuable to walk and talk and pray about where things are at and where they might be heading - not least because Dan, Ruth, Al & Daniel set off about a month ago and they have already doubled in size...

We talked about the way plans can only ever be limited (or they become limiting(?), we spoke about the need for keeping God in the center of the vision, and avoiding the temptation to nail things down, we spoke about enjoying the ride, keeping it fluid, letting God shape something without us constantly trying to define it, pin it, hem it in, or get our heads around it.

We spoke about lots. obviously. and I'm not doing it justice here - and neither should I be trying - but I wanted to mention all of this because the thing that has stayed with me is the idea that whilst things in this feig journey are apparently 'messy' and energetic and not fitting in with some plan for growth, this is where God will teach us - this is where we will grow in our understanding of what the whole church malarky is about. this is where the adventure is to be had.

or something along those lines...



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Refusing to lead...

I blogged about one of Pete's YouTube clips recently - just found another that's worth a watch, titled: Refusing to Lead. I won't bore you by trying to sum it up - watch it here

More about Pete here

post

am post-sermon. all good. went well. thanks.

it went really well actually. it was about God's love for us. which is what every sermon should be about.

in fact, Arch bishop Desmond Tutu once said, 'I only really have one sermon, and that is to tell people how much God loves them.'

well said, Desmond.

party last night for my one of my 'bosses'. it was his birthday. all good. great to be with friends etc etc.

am enjoying coffee. and bacon. and being out with my kids in the sunshine. excellent.

am also reflecting on the role of a priest/leader in a church - whether 'trad' or more feig-like.

everyone has expectations of priests/leaders and some of these would be obvious and shared but others would be undeclared (perhaps assumed to be obvious but in fact, not).

when leaders fail to fulfill expectations problems result (which is not to say those expectations are always fair).

we say we don't want leaders to tell us what to do and think - but is that true?
are we secretly looking for someone to tell us how it is etc etc? (I include myself here)

loads to say, obviously, but I think, as a priest/leader of the feig community, my primary role is to point people to Christ. to do this requires a range of attributes, and quite a fluid approach, because people in the feig community are quite different from one another, and in a variety of places in their faiths.
Being a 'fool' for Christ is one of the required attributes that comes to mind - but this is something that can often be mistaken for weakness and can prompt disdain rather than respect.

I'm going to stop now.

blah, blah, blah... what am I even doing sitting at my computer on a day like this?

sort it out, Michael...