tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67271410878855430222012-01-25T23:29:08.151ZPaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.comBlogger461100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-18343072118229787912011-07-30T22:19:00.004+01:002011-07-30T22:27:38.837+01:00

Preached at St Peter's Dorchester, 24th July 2011. Matthew 13 vv31-33 & 44-52Five parables in as many sentences, five snapshots, five visions of the kingdom of Heaven. But how are we to make sense of such a variety of visions, how are we to avoid being overloaded with imagery, conflicting, confusing ideas of the kingdom, which now feels more incomprehensible than ever before.Don’t mix your

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-54959467916713152532010-10-11T18:49:00.005+01:002010-10-11T19:38:37.830+01:00

Well the countdown to the 2010/11 Ashes tour is well underway; the teams are announced, tickets are booked (I'll be the sunburnt Englishman at the Gabba) and bars throughout Australia are bracing themselves for the advance of the Barmy Army. To whet my appetite as much as yours, here are my top five highlights from last summer's contest. 1. Flintoff runs out PontingWho says fielding is dull? Ok

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-74440456052424091962010-03-01T18:55:00.006Z2010-03-02T00:32:22.216Z

For just a split second, I thought that one of the IPL teams had made the least-likely signing ever. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/8539089.stmThe headline, "Boycott Threat Hanging Over the Indian Premier League" caused me some misunderstanding. Unfortunately, I don't think Geoffrey Boycott will be lining up for the Chennai Super Kings, or any other IPL franchise for that matter, this

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-40964080039399396602010-03-01T17:20:00.007Z2010-03-01T17:34:45.877Z

Preached in Jesus College Chapel, Cambridge - 21st February 2010. Deuteronomy 26 v1-11, Romans 10 v8b-13 and Luke 4 v1-13After what feels like months and months of winter; cold, dark and miserable both outside and in, bringing endless disruption from snow and ice and inducing colds and flu to fill our lives with coughs and sneezes… finally some signs of hope, that things may be improving. The

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-67117248442883398222010-02-20T14:39:00.013Z2010-02-20T15:01:54.071Z

Preached in Fitzwilliam College Chapel, Cambridge - Feast of the Transfiguration 2009. 2 Corinthians 4 v3-6 and Mark 9 v2-9(Picture Owen James Dobson, http://owenjamesdobson.wetpaint.com/)Change, is a strange thing. Whether you fear it – the new, the different, the unexpected, or embrace it – dashing off into the next adventure, change affects us, the way we are seen, and the way we see the world

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-32799116459690245962010-02-15T17:15:00.008Z2010-02-20T15:02:25.170Z

Preached in Jesus College Chapel, Cambridge - 1st November 2009. Isaiah 25 v6-9, Revelation 21 v1-6a and John 11 v32-44Yesterday was Halloween. As perhaps you all know. But for those of you who have been residing in a cave for the past few years, as the North American vigour for celebrating all things ghostly and ghoulish has infiltrated our psyche, Halloween involves dressing up as nightmarish

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-12561121455796163062009-06-16T21:26:00.006+01:002010-02-20T15:02:56.322Z

Preached in Christ Church, Moss Side - 10th May 2009. 1 John 4 v7-end and John 15 v1-8Jesus said, ‘I am the true vine’. Jesus did not say, ‘I am as round as a dishpan, as deep as a tub, and yet the oceans could never fill me. What am I? A sieve!’ Nor did he say, ‘I hold water, yet am full of holes. What am I? A sponge!’We human beings have rather a thing for riddles, for puzzles of all kinds.

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-42354959330091956252009-03-26T11:54:00.003Z2010-02-20T15:03:25.637Z

I am sitting out on the balcony of my guest house, looking out atsun-drenched snowy peaks, having had quite a hectic few days!I got the train up from Delhi to Haridwar on Monday morning, thenmanaged to find a bus to take me to Rishikesh. This was more by luckthan judgement, but I find just wandering around the bus 'depot'(field) calling out your destination seems to work. In Rishikesh(where John

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-42163600805104714162009-03-14T09:26:00.003Z2010-02-20T15:03:47.958Z

Been here in Delhi for almost a week now, and I have to say it is byfar and away the most bonkers place I've ever been! A seething mass ofhumanity, it's the noisiest, busiest (and hottest) city that I haveexperienced.I am staying at Brotherhood House in North Delhi, which by contrast tothe outside world is an oasis of calm and tranquility! The company isgreat, food good, and so far (touch wood)

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-54466709842371637372009-03-08T14:06:00.007Z2010-02-20T15:04:10.536Z

I am about to break new ground. Having previously not been further east than Budapest, tomorrow I fly to Delhi, which is so far east that it's almost west. Nearly.View Larger MapMy second Google Map in two posts(!) shows where I'm going - flying to Dubai tomorrow and then on to Delhi, arriving at 9.30am on Tuesday morning. I will be staying at the Delhi Christian Brotherhood, who have their house

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-1093224246809591002009-02-27T10:07:00.012Z2010-02-20T15:04:39.445Z

A couple of us from Westcott House in Cambridge are planning a bit of an adventure for the summer. It will involve walking from Lindisfarne to Iona, Holy Island to Sacred Isle, the way of the saints (only in reverse). A vague map of the route, which will be some 270 miles in total can be seen below.View Larger MapThe plan is in its infancy at the moment, but we will be doing it as simply and

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-67865052297947106652009-02-10T11:19:00.006Z2010-02-20T15:05:03.162Z

Preached in Fitzwilliam College Chapel, Cambridge - 8th February 2009. Isaiah 40 v21-end and Mark 1 v29-39.God is unknowable. No one has ever seen God. There are no words that can describe God. And yet we try. Our reading from Isaiah tells of the glory and majesty of God, laid out in the world around us. ‘Who is my equal, says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see, who created these?’

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-72143870308730000822009-01-07T19:21:00.003Z2009-01-08T08:28:28.116Z

...get rid of these two.What a very English coup. They clearly did not get on, and could not work together. Pietersen disliked Moores' boot-camp style, Moores disliked Pietersen's style of captaincy. Pietersen wanted Vaughan back in the team, Moores did not.Unlike previous captain Vaughan, Pieterson's batting average increased with the added pressure of captaincy, as you might expect from a man

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-9240727511222510882008-12-29T17:37:00.006Z2010-02-20T15:05:25.578Z

Over the past few days there has been a big buzz around whether the England selectors would see fit to bring Michael Vaughan, former captain of the England cricket team, back into the squad to face the West Indies. He has not played an international match since stepping down as captain last summer, and failed to show any inkling of his immense talent at county level towards the end of last season

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-3968622561840693192008-11-16T19:59:00.004Z2009-02-10T11:28:55.511Z

Preached in Fitzwilliam College Chapel, Cambridge - 16th November 2008. 1 Thess 5 v1-11 and Matt 25 v14-30.This story isn’t about money. Well, it is, it’s about a lot of money. One talent: that much gold today would be worth £500,000. But it’s not about the money. Because in today’s climate, this story would play out rather different.A benevolent employer decides to put his workforce to the test.

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-24095403582218048712008-10-23T10:02:00.003+01:002008-10-23T10:35:17.488+01:00

What a man. 'We are healed by those we have rejected'. What a message. For those who don't know, Jean Vanier set up L'Arche, which have something like 140 communities around the world where people with mental and physical disabilities live together, aided by volunteers. He has lived in one such community for the past 40 years, apparently selfless in his devotion to serving others.But his message

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-61926485348229775852008-10-09T15:41:00.006+01:002008-10-09T16:03:23.645+01:00

I am ten days into life at Westcott House theological college, in Cambridge. Life here is pretty good; I am living with a few others in Wesley House, just across the road. Aside from the squash, the ultimate frisbee, interesting conversations in the bar and just generally exploring Cambridge, I am enjoying settling back into life in a worshipping community, and working out the nuances of my (it

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-77842927728900462782008-08-29T15:04:00.014+01:002008-08-29T15:31:35.846+01:00

I have a lot of respect for people who live on Iona and find the time to blog regularly. At the moment I am living such a hectic existence that sitting down in front of a computer to compose interesting prose is not really on my radar!The Iona Open came and went, I finished top half with a round of 46 (over 11 holes, best 9 are counted) while the winner came in with a scorching 33. At least I

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-81828780696049687142008-07-25T09:30:00.004+01:002008-12-09T14:34:54.186Z

No, not the British Open, which Padraig won with aplomb. Nor am I talking about any kind of tennis tournament. No, the Open to which I refer is nothing else but the Iona Open. Held every August, on the first Friday of the month (this year it's the 8th... I know, I know...) the Iona Open has been going for years. Golf, on this tiny Hebridean island has been around for over a hundred years.

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-58219376891268340402008-07-20T11:08:00.006+01:002008-12-09T14:34:54.412Z

If this is football in South Africa... count me in. Yesterday Manchester United played the Kaizer Chiefs at Newlands in Cape Town, and I was privileged enough to be there. An almost capacity crowd saw the teams play out a 1-1 draw, making such a tremendous noise that there was little change in volume even when the goals went in. Most of the noise came from vuvuzelas, which are metre-long plastic

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-30252285079992866652008-06-30T13:21:00.008+01:002008-12-09T14:34:54.879Z

Cruised up on the Wednesday, brandishing my 'performers and staff' ticket in front of the gates, before being issued with a canary yellow wristband, denoting my status as one of the chosen few. Strolled up to find the Iona Community stand, which turned out to be a secluded glade in a peaceful corner of the festival site, complete with electricity and a fire-pit. Had a quiet evening strolling

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-80475736724458639472008-06-16T11:09:00.012+01:002008-12-09T14:34:55.104Z

What a fuss over nothing. England destroy New Zealand in the first One Day International of the series by 114 runs, and all people can talk about is the legality of Kevin Pietersen's strokemaking. His unbeaten 110 included two sixes where he switched hands and position to hit the ball, left handed, over a rather confused cover point. Jonathan "Stop it Aggers" Agnew, cricket correspondant for the

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-44199201248232332362008-06-06T12:22:00.009+01:002008-06-07T11:06:11.978+01:00

My alarm goes off at 7.45am. I hit snooze and don't resurface until half eight. I stumble down to the jetty where we wave goodbye to another bunch of guests, waterproofed and huddled together in the morning rain. Mexican waves. Too many. I watch the ferry pull away. Not long 'till I go now, on to the next adventure. Two weeks. Tom reminds me how we swam after the ferry. Paul points out the danger

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-60694983789444037562008-06-01T15:32:00.007+01:002008-12-09T14:34:55.401Z

...a new concept in music. I was told last night in no uncertain terms could I claim to have invented the concept album... but I can come close by claiming responsibility for this concept album; from which the track available on our Myspace page has been taken.http://www.myspace.com/chimneysweepdetectivesFormed in a fit of madness at a party back in April, and previously considered a joke - The

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-69614499133834807792008-05-12T11:36:00.006+01:002008-12-09T14:34:55.995Z

A very unique Pentecost this year. Yesterday morning I was part of a kazoo band in Iona Abbey... a definite first I would imagine. After a quick lunch a few of us headed down to the jetty to board Freya - a gaff rigged sailing boat, and we headed out down the sound under sail. After half an hour bobbing around in a flat calm, we decided to get the motor running, and head out on the highway. No

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-89962065237395869192008-05-09T12:13:00.001+01:002008-12-09T14:34:56.201Z

A French couple came into the bookshop on Monday, and we got chatting. One of the things they asked (a common question) was, 'how many monks live in the Abbey?' I disappointed them by telling them, quite accurately, that there have been no monks since just after the English Reformation and that today it is run and staffed as an ecumenical centre by mostly lay volunteers. They nodded in the way

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-91312481076599882502008-05-07T12:23:00.005+01:002008-12-09T14:34:56.440Z

The first month back has fairly whistled past. It has been a blur of new faces, familiar faces, folk leaving, people arriving and all amid a backdrop of beautiful weather. One of the highlights in the shop was the arrival of a consignment of 'Naked Chips'. A marketing stroke of genius, I am sure - to 'sex-up' crisps with no salt content, but I think the packaging almost gave Jenny, the manager of

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-8113118710012260812008-04-04T20:41:00.005+01:002008-12-09T14:34:56.792Z

Since Wednesday I've been back on Iona. Travelling up was an adventure in itself, the weather took a turn for the worse in Oban, and I ended up tramping down the muddy track to the Iona Community's centre on Mull, Camas, and trespassing on the hospitality of Amy (gardener and guard that night) by arriving Heathcliffe-like out of the night. Made it onto the early ferry on Wednesday morning, thanks

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-88072701502519982892008-03-23T19:19:00.011Z2008-12-09T14:34:57.098Z

This is an extract from a sermon I delivered while working at St Paul's Marylebone, on John's account of the resurrection (20:1-18) which cropped up this morning! Consider it the Padding-Up Easter message."What we heard in the Gospel reading today was Jesus, and indeed Christianity at its most outrageous. Mary Magdalene, not only a woman but perhaps one of questionable repute, is the first person

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-30737429830442204162008-03-18T21:16:00.003Z2008-12-09T14:34:57.234Z

There is something immensely satisfying about coming home from work with dirty hands. Physical marks - the results of hard (and not so hard!) work. The transition between 'work time' and 'home time' is marked by the washing of hands, a practical yet symbolic ritual, performed every day at a quarter past six. The remnants of the day - evidence of every sack of compost shifted, every rockery stone

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-83904856801408808952008-03-13T21:56:00.006Z2008-12-09T14:34:58.271Z

Not a reference to the Richard Whiteley word based game show, rather that tomorrow heralds the day I give my notice at the garden centre. I have to serve two weeks notice, and then am heading up to Iona for three months. I'm then spending July in Cape Town, before shooting back to prepare starting training in Cambridge. Anyway I thought I would share a couple of photos, taken the other day when I

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-22358235199566500102008-03-08T23:51:00.003Z2008-03-09T00:05:47.869Z

We are conditioned by so many factors. And when I say 'we', I am talking from my own frame of reference. This video came to my attention today, and I think it is important enough to share. It is clearly from one very distinct point of view, but it makes the salient point that the way we think and react to other peoples is very much a result of their portrayal in the media. As a warning (and I am

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-51270224609162978482008-02-28T19:48:00.002Z2008-03-04T00:04:16.441Z

I was having a conversation over lunch on Friday with a colleague, Craig, who having spent all his 23 years in one place (namely Bookham, Surrey) was amazed at all the places I've lived and worked in the past few years. I had never seen it as that exciting, but looking back I've been very privileged to spend time in Durham, London and up on Iona - doing things I love. Actually, working in the

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-10121407925849916712008-02-20T20:07:00.006Z2008-12-09T14:34:58.692Z

I had rather a slightly odd day at work today. None of the hierarchy were in at all, so the lunatics were left to run the asylum. I spent a lot of the day drifting around, trying to locate some errant seed compost and generally trying to look much busier than I was. During my morning break, the guy who spent a few days calling me Toby drew me into a conversation about the Euro. What started off

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-56747874319528612072008-02-10T15:22:00.000Z2008-12-09T14:34:59.189Z

I am, quite frankly, shocked at the response of a large part of this country to the Archbishop of Canterbury's thoughtful and intelligent lecture which DID NOT call for the implementation of Sharia Law in Britain, but rather raised the question of how a secular and unitary legal system can and should accommodate religious claims in a religiously plural society.My shock does not stem from the

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-52810438864270141822008-02-06T22:15:00.001Z2008-12-09T14:34:59.412Z

Started a new job today, at a local garden centre. I think it will be a good way of earning a bit of cash in the months before starting training in October, there's a nice bunch of people (apart from the bloke who keeps calling me Toby... but I think it's an honest mistake) and there's enough of a variety of tasks to hold even my attention throughout the day. Two observations.How much insecticide

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-38423256184580394252008-02-01T12:53:00.000Z2008-12-09T14:35:00.244Z

A man once had a dream. He saw a world where humans were nothing but pawns in God’s game. There was no killing, no violence, no hatred. But the more he saw, the more he came to realise that where there was love, it did not mean anything. There was no humanity. Life on earth was meaningless. Then he saw a world where God was a Being to be bidden. God did as he was asked by humanity, was forever

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-82562088633580945962008-01-24T23:27:00.000Z2008-01-25T00:01:39.768Z

I confess to having had a rather bizarre epiphany in the past couple of days. I am steadily ploughing through Richard Dawkins' immensely popular book, The God Delusion. I have also developed a fascination with Bagpuss, and have been trawling the internet for clips. The similarities between Professors Yaffle and Dawkins hit hard... I'll save my God Delusion thoughts for when I've finished,

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-64558544327230041792008-01-22T16:30:00.001Z2008-12-09T14:35:00.515Z

I had the privilege of attending a preview screening of the film 'Juno' last night, and I was glad to see it do quite so well in terms of Oscar nominations this morning. In a nutshell, Ellen Page (of Hard Candy and X Men fame) stars as sixteen year old Juno MacGuff, who falls pregnant as a result of a liaison with nerdy distance-runner Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). Unable to go through with an

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-1316600065381734252008-01-17T16:02:00.000Z2008-01-17T17:16:06.068Z

Rowan Atkinson is not well known as a theological commentator. I stumbled across this having just watched a brilliant clip of him playing an invisible drum kit. However, a lot of his comedy relies on the sending up of religion, and more often than not, he hits upon something interesting.The immediate knee-jerk response is probably to go on the defensive. No, Jesus was not a magician, he was

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-27018520639392857622008-01-07T18:58:00.000Z2008-01-07T19:30:06.125Z

My blog was hijacked by a cricket fan for a moment there... Actually having to make some decisions at the moment (hence the cricket distraction). First on the list is finding the finance form I was sent and getting it back to the diocese. Then there's the matter of applying for the MPhil at Cambridge, and getting suitable references to get me on board with my mediocre Durham degree. (Durham isn't

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-62206828772390376562008-01-06T11:13:00.000Z2008-12-09T14:35:00.802Z

Australia should never have won this Test Match. Nobody can deny they are a great side, and you do not go for sixteen test wins in a row based on poor umpiring decisions alone, but when the passage of play is as bonkers as this seems, there is a problem. Ricky Ponting, clearly signalling his intent at a non-playing career on the field, seemed to have a bigger than normal impact on proceedings.

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-18002436264448562712008-01-03T19:19:00.000Z2008-12-09T14:35:01.494Z

It would seem that Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, finds it very hard to keep out of the headlines. His most recent newsworthy adventure however is somewhat less politically motivated than we have become used to. Police were called to Bishopthorpe Palace, the Archbishop's official residence yesterday, when two men were spotted pilfering lead from the roof of the 13th Century palace. Honestly

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-27732341028442038282007-12-23T15:06:00.000Z2008-12-09T14:35:01.633Z

This is probably going to be the coldest Christmas I have known! Currently being buffeted by 40mph winds, Iona Abbey is an extremely chilly and drafty place to live! The common misconception is that it is going to be a very peaceful and relaxing Christmas. On the contrary - we are a community of about 60 souls - 40 guests, the resident staff team and a handful of winter volunteers. But what

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-1550694361004162352007-12-10T11:03:00.000Z2007-12-23T16:14:05.622Z

A speech given by the Bishop of London to a forum on 'Faith in our Media' has come to my attention in the last couple of days. He suggests that at present we discuss matters important to the Church as though at university high table, rather than adopting the more laconic style that Jesus used so effectively. In a world where it is increasingly hard to be heard, should we be streamlining what we

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727141087885543022.post-75443720137124109862007-12-06T22:25:00.000Z2007-12-23T16:17:05.991Z

Well here we are. Yesterday I arrived back following three days at a "Bishops' Advisory Panel" in Ely, at which I bared my soul in interviews with three selectors, gave an incredibly chaotic presentation on the use, misuse and underuse of our church buildings, did a psuedo psychometric test and did a 'pastoral exercise' which involved writing a letter for a pastoral situation in which writing a

Paddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584816723723824974noreply@blogger.com2