Hi folks, as you may have guessed I haven’t really been looking after this blog, I have to admit I have gone back to blogger!  So if you do have a desire to see what I get up to and check out the ocassional sermon try http://fracme.blogspot.com….

This is out of the usual pattern of sermons, we have been covering Old Testament figures under the very broad title ‘Heroes of Faith’ – seeing in these often deeply flawed individuals inspiration for our own journey of faith. This is the end of the series….

Heroes of Faith – Samson

We probably know a number of stories about Samson, perhaps like me you heard the stories of Samson in Sunday school and were presented with a great hero of faith, almost a kind of Old Testament ‘Superman’ – missing only a cape and pants outside his tights. He is renowned for his strength and his long hair – and being tricked by the dodgy Delilah! My My My Delilah… [more]

A half dozen questions about how i take my Ice-cream, but it seems to say quite a lot about me! I am always very sceptical about these blogthings and online quizzes and yet this one seems to be pretty spot on! Usually they say something which I might like to be true – that I am extremely creative or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but this one actually makes some sense….

Your Ice Cream Personality:

You like to think of yourself as a fairly modest person. And it’s true that you don’t talk yourself up… but you’re also pretty happy with who you are. You are incredibly cautious. You rather miss out on something than make a mistake. No one would ever call you wild… but they would call you responsible. You are a somewhat open minded person, but deep down you’re fairly conservative. You don’t like trying new things very much. And if you do find something new you like, you stick with it. You tend to have a one track mind. You prefer not to multitask. You are fun loving and sweet. You tend to enjoy joking around and teasing people.

So, why no news? Well its partly been because I have no idea who reads or might stumble upon this blog, so I have had to keep my news off the radar until an official announcement! I have taken up the offer of a job in the South West of England, as Vicar of Six village Parishes on the Devon/Dorset Border! It’s all been announced, and subject to me fulfilling the statutory formalities and conditions of the offer I will be off in October to pastures new…

…or rather pastures old, I was born six miles from where I am about to become Vicar and one of the villages which I will serve is a village I spent a lot of time in during my teens at with my brother’s family. Even going back there on interview it felt very different to see everywhere from an ‘adult’ perspective, and it was exciting to hear about all the things which are going on in the churches in these villages – as well as the potential for more to happen in terms of outreach and of serving these communities.

This has been my major news for a couple of weeks now, and every time I have sat down at my PC I’ve wanted to blog about it, but its unfair both on my current congregations and the place where I am going to allow news of my appointment to ’slip out’ before the official announcement – that only leaves room for disappointment, rumours and general bad feeling.

So here I am now, catching up on all the admin I’ve let slide whilst zipping around the country going to job interviews and seeing villages and all that kind of thing. A quick word to those of you gracious enough to stop by, and I am back to the paperwork. I have at least one sermon to post, so will do that when i have some time, hopefully later on tonight!

See ya….

A meme

Not done one of these for a while, so whilst visiting Dr John (great blog, go visit) I half inched this from him

1. Any nickname? Big Al

2. Mother’s name? Martha (actually it’s Pauline, but no one has ever called her that, Martha is her middle name)

3. Favorite drink? Real Ale or Dr Pepper Zero

4. Tattoos? One, Cross on bicep (or where bicep used to be before it got padded out in a wobbly manner)

5. Body Piercings? Ear, boring but as far as I was ever willing to go….must find my earring….

6. Do you love your job? Yes, but might be looking at doing it somewhere else soon

7. Birthplace? Honiton, Devon, the wild westcountry of England

8 Favorite vacation spot? France, preferably the Dordogne (only area in the world that sounds like a Tigger sound effect)

9.Ever been to Africa ? No

10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? No

11. Ever been on TV? Yes, and I was in a rock video once (you can just about see my arm)

12. Ever steal any traffic sign? No

13. Ever been in a car accident? A few minor ones, only once involving another car

14. 2-door or 4-door vehicle? We have two 5 door (including hatchback) and two with no doors (Motorbikes are my favourite mode of transport)

15. Favorite salad dressing? Simple Vinagrette

16. Favorite Pie? Steak and Ale

17. Favorite number? 3

18. Favorite movie? The Matrix

9. Favorite holiday? Easter

20. Favorite dessert? Pecan Pie

21. Favorite food? Chinese

22. Favorite day of the week? Sunday

23. Favorite brand of body wash? Anything from Lush which isn’t too girly!

24. Favorite toothpaste? Sensodyne Pronamel – stops my teeth hurting!

25. Favorite smell? My children

26. What do you do to relax?? Music – lots of it, and lots of different types

27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Older, greyer, hopefully thinner

28. Furthest place you will send this message? (copying Dr John’s answer) in cyberspace everyone is the same distance away

29. Who will respond to this the fastest? No idea

Got stopped by the police tonight on the way home from a Church interview evening where we were interviewing candidates for the lay training courses on offer from the Diocese. I had been out for a pint of beer following the interviews, so i was a bit nervous about whether or not this would make me a candidate for drunk driving! It seems that my front headlight had blown sometime this evening, so they stopped me to let me know, and I suspect that anyone pulled over at 11pm is routinely breathalysed – i blew into the little tube and was informed that i was less than half the legal limit, which was fine, but that I shouldn’t take it for granted that I was OK just because I was! Hooray for the police, keeping the world safe from squiffy vicars!

On a serious note, though, I was reassured that those who are out and about who have got themselves tanked up from a night on the booze need to watch out. I am not in favour of drinking and driving, and if I had had more to drink then I certainly wouldn’t have got behind the wheel. So rather than grumble at being pulled over, I am grateful that the local police are out doing their job…

Must get that headlight replaced tomorrow, they could have cautioned me for a ‘moving traffic offence’, but let me go home with the advice to get it fixed soon!

Not been blogging, and been quite distracted lately, due to the last week where I went around the country and had two job interviews! I have been thinking very seriously about ‘discernment’ and how I find out God’s will for what I should be doing – normally I just get on with things and hope they work out (that sounds like a very Godless statement for a Vicar, but do remember things get prayed about on the way too!)

This week i went for two sets of job interviews, and found myself in the position of being offered both! I have, after prayer and some serious thought and talking things through, declined one of the offers – there were lots of good things about the position, and it was in a wonderful location, but it simply ‘felt wrong’ as I prayed about it, and various little bits of the process made me less easy about accepting it. I am sure the ‘right person’ will make a very good job of it and will find it both challenging and enjoyable – but certain aspects of it seemed less like a progression from my present role and either a sideways move or slightly moving backwards. The housing available (which is a very important part of things when you are moving your family too) wasn’t quite what would have suited the family. I know that we have been spoiled by the present house we are in, but what was on offer was just too small, especially the study – my crucial consideration!

The second job seems very much a move forward, but is very much out in the rural ’sticks’ in Devon. There are many many reasons why this would be a good job, and I am excited about the prospect. As I am praying and considering it (I haven’t been given a deadline for making the decision to say yes or no, though I hope to visit with my wife in the next few days) I am feeling quite excited about the possibility – though I am still considering whether or not we are being called to move on from this present team, and from parishes I love deeply, from people who are grappling with very real issues of how to live and proclaim faith. I am torn, and continue to pray – and for any of you out there for who prayer is a habit or a desire, i would be grateful if you could aim a few for me up to ‘the big fella’ (or ‘lass’ if you have a broad theology!)

Today is the twelfth anniversary of my ordination – this day 12 years ago i was togged up in a Dog-Collar, Cassock, Surplice and Stole for the first time ever and was made Deacon in the Church at St Paul’s Cathedral, London.

So much has happened since then, and time really does fly!

I’ve done two services this morning and have written a sermon for them, now i have to put together some thoughts for this evening when we have a special service for a flower festival!  We’ve not had such a festival for a few years in this parish, certainly not since I came, but part of the recognition of different ages and interests in our churches is to do things which appeal to a certain constituent of villages!

Despite being the hip and groovy Vicar i am – I do like flower festivals, not just for the time, effort and creativity that goes into creating the arrangements and displays, but for the sense of community and friendship that is present at such events.  I’m looking forward to my trip to Eltisley this afternoon and my service this evening!

So, on with the sermon!  As always, the text continues at New Kid Deep Stuff!

Lousy Choice (of followers)?

I am not in the habit of hanging around with Bishops or Archbishops – I have a healthy (Biblical) respect for those in authority, but I don’t make a thing of trying to meet up with them, or catch their attention. At the Bishop’s annual garden party I always say hello and make small talk for a minute then make myself scarce and chat to colleagues.

There is one exception to this – I used to know an Archbishop quite well. He was a very unprepossessing man, diminutive in stature, though very much great of heart. I knew him in the last years of his life, having been the Archbishop of Uganda, predecessor and friend of the African Martyr and Ugandan Archbishop Janani Luwum Bishop Leslie had returned to the UK and became Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich before returning to Cambridge. [more]