Norfolk Pilgrim

A Lent Sermon preached at Belaugh, St. Peter Children are feeding Spring lambs at Wroxham Barns Lent – it is the Old English word for Spring.   Please when you hear the word Lent think Spring . Spring and the connotations of Spring – New Life, Spring Cleaning and Springing Forward My prayer this Lent is for a new Spring time for the Church. On this first Sunday of Lent I propose a Lent Toolkit. It contains 5 items: 1) Readiness to Change The only person I can legitimately change is me. It would be so much nicer if only our loved ones, friends, neighbours, fellow Christians, all those others were nicer, kinder, more honest, more helpful... etc... Yes, that maybe true, but the only person you can change is you! The bride who at her church wedding vowed  Aisle, Altar, Hymn  was well out of order! We will do well if we try not follow her example! 2)   Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a concept that is all the rage these days. The word is borrowed from Buddhi

Anna and I were at the Big God Shop on Sunday. It was a week after Candlemass so I wasn't expecting lights to enlighten anyone really!  Back in the day Simeon had argued passionately for the ordination of women. Twenty years ago he had participated in the first ordination service at Norwich Cathedral.  From time to time he had wondered if he had got it wrong. The readings and teaching focused on God as Creator and the involvement of, the feminine, Wisdom. Oh and then he saw what was plainly before his eyes: Jane, the Dean was presiding, beside her his friend Angela was acting as sub-deacon. There were two lady servers and his former religious, fiddle-playing, friend Janet was an acolyte.  There was not a completely female cast among the ministers. The preacher was male, as was the deacon as were some of the readers and the intercessor. It was just  that things were balanced female and male ordained and lay. That is the way he'd imagined it would be. The way

Do your praying where ever!  You choose -  the great out doors, a church, cathedral! Is there a mosque or a synagogue? Then head north up Magdalene Street. Half way up on the left hand side you will find Ruth's Kitchen. The tag line is "Jerusalem Street Food"! Jerusalem means City of Peace There is little difference in the Hebrew Shalom and the Arabic Salam. How we need peace There's a warm welcome in Ruth's Kitchen  and I have never tasted better falafal north of the Mediterranean. Religion can divide food unites! Jew, Christian, Muslim, Agnostic, Atheist all need to eat, all appreciate a warm welcome. You'll find it here! ruthskitchen.org As I ate falafel and mezze I found my mind straying to Isaiah a prophet of all three Abrahamic religions  In my heart I sang as I ate  A Song of the New Jerusalem 1 Arise, shine out, for your light has come,  • the glory of the Lord is rising upon you. 2 Though night still covers the earth, 

Truth to tell the Family Service was a little long. There had been a baptism. It was great to welcome Ruben into the Family of the Church. My role was working the CD player for the songs! When it was all over I needed to loosen up so I thought I'd teach some of the children the Butterfly Song with actions. It was fun! It was only afterwards, when I reflected about it, I realised I had recreated the Simeon in the Temple thing engaging with and rejoicing in and with a new generation of the Servants of God who were going to make a difference. Me? I'm a white beard but still a child of God,  not quite ready for my Nunc Dimitis, and trusting in the next generation to take things forward. What a lucky old man I am - "And I just thank you father for making me me!"