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This month’s interest in parish magazines comes from deepest darkest West Dorset.  The Chalk Stream magazine covers the parishes of Bradford Peverell, Frampton, Stratton, and Sydling St Nicholas.  I was visiting a colleague recently down there who is working in areas of mission and vocation, and it was good to stretch the legs of my 120d.  By the way, if you are ever down that way, the pub at Sydling St Nicholas, the Greyhound, was quiet exceptional, with a good lunchtime menu choice, and excellent food. 

The Chalk Stream [which has a bumper issue for July and August of some 58 pages of news, views and advertisements] offers some interest in the local Dorset bread roll, called the Dorset Knob, produced by Moores the famous family firm.  Each year there is The  “Dorset Knob Throwing and Frome Valley Food Fest”  held at Cattistock on Sunday 2^rdMay 2010. Besides Knob Throwing there were additional fun knob attractions including Knob Painting, a Knob & Spoon Race, Guess the weight of the Big Knob, Knob Darts and a Knob Pyramid. Free parking and other more traditional entertainment were laid on to make this a really enjoyable day out with a difference.  It sounds a fascinating and truly novel local event, and some £4,500 was raised for local community clubs.  The record for throwing these delicious bread rolls, under arm and standing are quite amazing with the three records currently:  Gents:  26.10 metres; Ladies: 20.2 metres; and Under 12’s; 18.5 metres.  Why not tell me about your local novel sporting or social events?

Another article that grabbed my attention was about Lip Reading.  1 in 7 people have hearing impairment, and many result from time with the armed forces or disco customers, with the outcome being a distinct difficulty in hearing consonants clearly – an example being “biscuit” being heard as “big kiss”. A tutor holds classes every Tuesday morning for two hours, in a local parish church centre, where people learn not only how to interpret lip shapes, but also strategies for minimising a sense of exclusion as hearing loss progresses.

How wonderful to have a local resource like this.  Other local events this month included the Evershot Butterfly and Moth Festival; and thoughtful articles included From the Allotment; Bradford Peverell Twinning Association; and many more.  Useful ideas can be found on their webpages: http://www.sydlingstnicholas.org.uk/; http://www.framptondorset.com/; http://www.strattondorset.org/; and http://www.thelocalchannel.co.uk/bradfordpeverell/home.aspx

This morning, Anita and I travelled out to Alton Barnes for another and our  final coffee morning before the Pewsey Deanery Pilgrimage starts officially tomorrow.  It was a beautiful day, and a wonderful day to drive out to the Vale of Pewsey, and to sit beneath one of Wiltshire’s famous White Horses.

We pulled up in front of the Coronation Hall at Alton Barnes, after quickly showing Anita the cherished Saxon church in the village.  Ours was the only car in the front of the building, and we suspected the fine day, and a Saturday would not be popular for the coffee morning.  How wrong could we be.  Inside was a welcome party of  four people, who quickly poured some very decent coffee, and implored us to choose freely from a selection of delicious cakes.  I picked a lovely slice of coffee cake, and an apricot slice.  No charge – donations only!

We took a table and chatted to the couple sat alongside, and within a few minutes the hall was packed with chatty neighbours, who clearly saw this opportunity to get out and get caught  up with the local news and views.  There must have been around 40-50 people in the hour we were there.  I managed to speak to most people, and found out so much from just listening to their story, their thoughts and ideas about community and the values that they try to live by.  Some recognised me from the Sarum Link articles [well done editorial team!], others had heard about the Pilgrimage week with the Bishop, and were looking forward to various events in the diary. 

Another indication of how this community welcomes people, was demonstrated when a local farmer’s wife, who has diversified into gypsy caravan holidays, brought into the carpark her lovely caravan, Tom the horse, and the family from Bexley who were renting the van for a few days.  I came out and chatted to the family, and visited the van – basic, but romantic, if that does it for you – and wished them God’s blessing for their journey this week, and asked them to remember us in our journey.  Anita took some photos – just for you to enjoy the caravan, and to show that my rolled up clerical shirt sleeves, and the cool but casual/smart chinos are still making me fashion fit and a fine fellow! Fancy the chance of a similar holiday?  Try your luck at: http://www.whitehorsegypsycaravans.co.uk/

I am now really ready and geared up to enjoy all that our Pilgrimage brings us – remember to check the diary to see what we are up to: http://www.unitefc.org/events.html

Sunday saw me go up to Burbage, some 5 miles north east of Pewsey for a pre-Pilgrimage service.  Check out the latest plans at http://www.unitefc.org/events.html

The service was a lay led Service of the Word, and we welcomed Peter Grant, International Director of Tearfund, who had coordinated the project to build a new bridge at Kembedole, in Yei Diocese, Sudan.  Burbage’s website gives the following details:

The appeal to raise £6,500 launched at All Saints in September to help build a bridge in the southern Sudanese village of Kembedole has reached its target, thanks to the amazing response of the church and community of Burbage.
The need for a speedy completion of the bridge was brought home recently after news of the tragic death of a Kembedole primary teacher who slipped from the temporary rafter crossing and hit his head on a rock in the waters below.
Construction of the new bridge started last April and by the end of June, all concrete works were completed. The community took responsibility for mobilizing local resources in the form of stones, sand, unskilled labour and food for construction workers – much of the work done by village women. Steel and cement was provided by Tearfund’s partners in Sudan, Across, and the local government stepped in to donate a 15 metric tonne truck chassis which has been lifted on to the concrete columns.
Tearfund representative in Nairobi Jonas Njelango said he was so grateful to the people of All Saints for playing a part in lifting the community of Kembedole out of physical and spiritual poverty.
The project caught the imagination of the church and the community through a whole range of fund-raising events – from dancing lessons to sponsored runs, jewellery auctions to a head shave – and these were boosted by individual and group donations.
Appeal chairman Barry Smith said the response was beyond his wildest dreams.
“It has been so exciting to see how the build a bridge project really took off and a lot of people have worked really hard to make the dream of the Kembedole community come true.
“It looks like we have exceeded our target and we are thrilled about that because any extra money raised will be kept by Tearfund in a special account to be used for another project to be decided on in the next few months.
“We hope this will be just the start of links between All Saints and southern Sudan because we don’t want to just build a bridge and forget about it, but build a bridge between our communities which will not only enrich them but us too”.

They raised the money with some really innovative ideas, including dance classes with Robert and Nicola Grist, the assistant curate with the team, who are professional dance teachers – they raised £2191!  That’s a lot of footwork.  The bridge project was achieved by raising £6291, and the excess, some £3500 will go towards the next project, which will be to train Church volunteers in Yei to companion people affected by HIV, making sure they attend clinics and get the right medicine, so that death is not the only outcome.  They are needing to raise £7000 more for this, so if  you wish to get involved – contact them via their email: clergy@savernaketeam.org.uk

The morning’s service was followed by a tasty BBQ outside the church, followed by the presentation of the cheque for the bridge to Peter Grant.  Well done Burbage, church and community uniting to make a difference.  A great prelude to Unite FC – the Ramsbury Pilgrimage for 2010.

At the start of each month, I always look forward to a clutch of parish magazines that arrive in the post.  I make a point of reading each one, and do enjoy the news from the church community, and am very interested in what other news comes out from and back into the wider community.  Communication is a key issue for many if not all of our parishes, and the magazine continues to be an essential tool in the kit-box of local church life.

This month you may be interested in the following snippets from some of the best magazines:

Focus [Nadder Valley Team Ministry] – a good page of articles about the Fovant Badge Society, and the forthcoming Drumhead Service on 5th July.  This year they have used 60 tonnes of chalk to reface two large badges.

Steeple and Street [Whiteparish in the Clarendon Team Ministry] – a group has been established called the Whiteparish Walkers, who have formed to provide a means of fitness and pleasure, walking around 3-5 miles locally.

The Bridge [Parish of the Woodford Valley] – promoting Hymns in a Garden; an annual event meeting in a local garden, using a group from the Amesbury Town Band, on a Sunday evening in July.

Downton Parish News [Downton, in the Forest and Avon Team Ministry] – a nice article from the St Laurence’s Eco-Group, explaining and promoting Rogation Sunday, kept there on Sunday 17th May. Quote “.. we owe our very existence to a six inch layer of topsoil, and the fact that it rains.”

Parish News [Benefice of St Bartholomew] – launching a fund raising initiative for St Mary’s, East Knoyle called, Summer Snowballs!  A couple invite four guests to a lunch, each guest paying £10 for the meal.  Then each of the guests commits to organising a lunch for three of their friends in turn, and each of those three invite two friends, who then commit to asking one friend to lunch.  “Whilst the snowball shrinks as Summer progresses, the funds in turn swell to fill the church coffers”.  Hmm!  Maths was not my strong point – how many pounds does that make for the happy eaters?

See how good our Area Mags are?  If you like these ideas, then let us know, and if you think you have a good magazine that I don’t get to read each month – do think about putting a copy in the post to me.  Happy thoughts!

O what a wonderful weather week we are enjoying!  I love these fresh spring mornings, and I have to say, I love the opportunity of dropping the hood on the MG [or Hoover, as she is affectionately known in parts of the Nadder Valley - see an earlier Blog!] and heading out to meetings across the different directions of Salisbury Plain.

Notwithstanding the purring sound of the gentle throb of the finely tuned engine; the breeze whiffling through my finely coiffeured hair; the cool look of the UV filtering Ted Baker sunglasses – it is so good to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the countryside around us.  Most drivers I guess will look around them from time to time whilst driving, but usually with the windows up, and the radio or CD player on.  But in the MG there is a valueaddedness to the journey; a connectedness with the living environment that we are part of.

As I drove up to Devizes from Salisbury recently, I could smell the freshly ploughed soil in the field where the tractor still laboured; and I knew long before I could see, that there was the field of pigs, happily snouting their noses in the mud, thanks to my keen sense of smell.  I heard the birdsong and the helicopters, and the chatter from the refreshment vans parked in the lay-bys, and the children in the school playgrounds.  Outdoors - engaging with sight, sound, smell and taste and touch really makes life exciting and full. 

I wish much more of our daily life engaged with as many of our senses as possible; to be fully aware, and Fully Alive - that is why I think the Eucharist for me is the most sensual of our liturgies – sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. 

Switch off the radio, slow down, open the windows, and be aware.  The Lord is good indeed.

It was my pleasure and privilege yesterday to go out to Ivy House – the Retreat Centre, in Warminster – where I was invited to work with the PCC of the Upper Stour Benefice.  This group of parishes [Bourton, Kilmington, Stourton, and Zeals] is in Heytesbury Deanery, and my involvement was part of the Ramsbury Team aims to work across the Area as four colleagues, not constrained by geography, but working to gifts and skills.  John was bouncing around in his sailing boat somewhere off the South Coast, and I was able to offer support to Rev Chris Moorsom and his folk.

We began with a short morning prayer, and then reviewed the parish developed a plan after a day we shared some four years ago, and drew some conclusions.  I was then asked to give an address entitled, “Being the Church Today”.  I focused on change [which was not a popular term, so we used transformation] and planning for mission and ministry in ten years time.  We had time for some group work, and a plenary, where people could speak honestly.  Lunchtime followed Midday Prayer, with scrummy soups and rolls, followed by a scrummier treacle tart and custard.

After our lunch, we divided up into group which focussed on two or three issues which energed from the morning, and began to work out some actions.  We pulled together some conclusions, and I commended the PCC for their honesty, their wonderful sense of humour, their commitment, and their focus. Some really good closing worship, based on Being the Body of Christ ended the day.

It did seem that one of the challenges we identified, for all parishes, was the temptation to get trapped in a cycle of maintaining the institutional church; raising parish share, maintaining buildings, and worrying about  attendances; whereas the ambitions were about serving the community, sharing the faith, and building up a fellowship where all were welcomed.

Thank you to the PCC of the Upper Stour, and be assured of our prayers and continued support as you seek to build up the Body of Christ in these beautiful communities.

It has been one of those weekends – you know, a lighter than usual weekend, so you can catch up – but one that rapidly became rather more pressured than you would have wished.  How do you prioritise?  Work, domestic, personal – urgent, necessary, what I would like to do, what others would like me to do.  On Friday I had hoped to have one of my regular walking days, but meetings and other priorities made that impossible.

Saturday night saw me with the Army Cadet Force, for their Officers’ Mess Dinner.  We were at the Shaw Country Hotel near Melksham, and it was a good opportunity to catch up on news, as well as to lend my presence as their County Chaplain.  One of the areas that interests me in the ACF is map reading.  I have a good collection of Ordnance Survey maps – which I find fascinating, as well as really useful when it comes to planning walks etc.  Planning routes, identifying landmarks, and safely navigating across country are all satisfying aspects of belonging to a group that uses OS maps.

This morning, I wanted to try and combine some of my tasks on my list, and so I decided I would go to church and then walk.  After a hearty breakfast, I asked Anita to drop me off at Coombe Bissett, where I knew that their new Team Vicar, Jenny Taylor was celebrating and preaching at the 1100 Eucharist. All went well, and the service was well taken, and the sermon encouraging and challenging.  Having arrived in my walking kit, I bade a hearty farewell, and shouldered my rucksack – sending the pile of hymnbooks on the welcome table flying in all directions.

At the lych-gate, I paused and looked at my OS map.  I wanted to come home to Bemerton, and looked for suitable off-road route.  Studying the map for some time, I noticed the line of a Roman road, clearly and as straight as was possible, carving a line through to Old Sarum.  I’d not noticed that before, and in fact recognised that Roman Road in Bemerton is actually a metalled section of the original road [why did I not notice that before?] and also the little section of short cut road that takes you down from the Race Course road to Bishopstone, bypassing Stratford Tony, is also a metalled part of that Roman road.  Fascinating I hear you cry!

I decided to take the old drovers road from Coombe Bissett to the Cattle Market, up to the Race Course, then alongside the course until I dropped down towards the cattle market itself, turning off to take the footpath to Harnham, and then a little piece of suburban road in Harnham, before heading across the water meadows through Broken Bridges, and into Bemerton.  Four miles and just a tad over one hour.  My goodness though – the wind cut right through me as I walked along the ridge by the race course, and the snow flakes bit into my cheeks.

It was a good walk – and after a reflective time in church, gave me space and time to work out some of the more important details in my own mind.  I did notice however, that there was a lot of fly-tipped refuse along much of the path, as well as the usual consumer through aways.  Should I have taken a black bin liner with me, and picked up as much as I could?  After all, much was plastic bottles, and crisp packets and beer cans – not very heavy but much of which I could have recycled.  What do you think – what would you do?

Above all, I thought about all the other people who had walked the route I was walking, thinking about their prayers and mine, rejoicing in the Way, and the sense of belonging to the companions of Christ, who we celebrated as the Light to lighten the Gentiles on this Sunday.

Day Two of my pastoral visit to the parishes of Damerham, Martin, Rockbourne, and Whitsbury with the Rev Les Player. 

I woke pretty late today and just about got myself into the shower and breakfasted before heading out to Damerham for the School Harvest Service.  They were a game bunch of pupils and the usual mix of poems, songs and readings - cheered on by the smiles and waves of enthusiastic parents and friends.  Les offered a good address, based on a selection of alternative series of items representing the main points from the creation narrative, and I gave an informal prayer of blessing.  I enjoyed chatting to staff and parents and children after, although it appeared that some thought my attendance was some kind of OfRev spot inspection of the local minister!  Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Then Les and I headed off to a firm called Delichon at Martin.  This is a company that manufactures seats and buggies for disabled children and adults.  It was strange – cos the wife was a daughter of an ordinand that I trained at college with – I can’t remember her as a gangly seventeen year-old, and neither could she remember me – thank goodness.  The company has around 11 employees, and it was really interesting to hear how they travel the country measuring the patients and then coming back to Martin to make the seats and the buggies to an exact fit to the often awkward shaped body of the person.  It was an interesting set-up too, in an old farm yard, which was all high tech, but when the outside doors were shut, it looks just like an old stable block with all the old doors etc.  Lovely!  We had a sandwich lunch, which is a Friday routine for the company staff each week, which was nice and the conversations around the table were really good.
 
Then we moved on to a field just outside the main village centre meet the chair of the Parish Council, she was great fun, and outlined the issues for the local community in her eyes, and then talked about the project FutureFarms.  We were standing in a field which had a range of vegetable crops growing, and some pigs, and a lot of chickens.  The project aimed to feed the village from their own resources, and the scheme had about 180 members.  They take it in turns to work for a day each for the animals, and then helping to bring in the crops.  It was very successful, but Suzanne, who drove a lovely battered land rover, was concerned that only some residents actually joined in, whereas others who probably could benefit from the scheme most, did not.  It was a great idea though, and I was encouraging her to continue with the scheme as it could provide useful resources in these hard financial times.
 
Moving on again we visited the vice-chair of the Council who was a successful thatcher.  He was a really nice guy, although apprehensive at meeting such a VIP from the church!  We soon put him at ease and we chatted about roofing construction for a while, drawing from my experience of supervising thatch roofs as a former building surveyor, before I launched into the questions about the local community.  We had a nice cup of tea, and chatted freely, until it was time for Les and I to go to Martin church for evening prayer, which was a good conclusion to the day with prayerful reflection.  Afterwards we chatted about the two days and debriefed a bit about what Les had observed and learned against my own observations.  It has been an excellent two days so far, and many thanks to all those who have given me such a warm welcome, and engaged so thoroughly with me.

We now look forward to coming back for the Sunday after next, when I’ll have a chance to share in the Sunday worship and feed back something from my time here.

Yesterday, I spent a really great day with Rev Les Player, and his colleagues, in the first day of three in one of the Pastoral Visits programmes.  I’ve worked with Les on and off for  some years, and it has been a privilege to watch both him, and the parishes grow in their understanding of how the church might meet the needs of the wider communities of Damerham, Martin, Rockbourne and Whitsbury.

My first day began by meeting up with Les in the churchyard of St Leonard’s Whitsbury as he discussed making the final funeral arrangements of members of a former Rector of the parish.  It is the most beautiful view across the valley from the church, and it seemed quite appropriate for the family to be making plans to inter the ashes of descendants in the family grave. 

We moved up to the Whitsbury Breeding Stud and Racing Stables, where I was introduced to some of the most successful [and expensive] horses being raced in the country and overseas.  As a former rider, I so appreciated the care and development of these fine creatures, and it was good to get the smell and touch again after too long.  The stables were well maintained and run, and it was an impressive part of the community, where locals also get the chance to share in the successes of local stock. {Desert Orchid was stabled and trained from here].  We then moved up to Whitsbury Farm where we met the Farm Manager, and some new born calves.  We learned that the 200 head of milk cows all goes to M & S, who have a demanding pricing agreement.  The calves also fetch widely varied prices depending upon its future role – bull calf around £9, Angus calf around £50, and a special milk yield heifer around £700!  Whichever, they looked healthy and happy and the enthusiasm of the herdsman was clearly evident.  The farm, stud and stables were the largest employer in the area.

Coffee back at the farm house meant I met with some of the parish council, who helped me get some idea about the pressures in the local community, including affordable housing, the provision of suitable playground equipment for children, and the provision of local maintanance of services from a very small precept charge.

Lunch was a superb meal in the Rose and Thistle in Rockbourne, where the new tenants were introduced to the clergy and our simple tastes.  Soon we were moving on up to the Rockbourne site of the Western Downland, Church of England Primary school, and a meeting with the Acting Head Teacher Sandra Williams, and Chair of Governors Forest Paget.  A very helpful, and honest conversation took place about the aspirations of the school [waiting to appoint a substantive HT] and the support from the church and wider community.  I was impressed with the commitment and the vision of all the partners in education in this place.  I hope to come back to dedicate a mix of religious symbols, chosen by each class, for their classroom.

By this  time, the sausages and mash had settled well, and so Les and I set off for a good brisk walk around some fields as we chatted about our  day so far, and thought about the next item – a meeting with some farmers and agricultural engineers at a farm in Rockbourne.  This was fascilitated by the usual generous provision of gallons of hot tea, and the most deliciousof cakes.  One of the farmers had managed to stay in his farm by diversifying by converting barns into holiday letting accommodation, and was thrilled after several years to be buying stock once again in small numbers.  Another farmer explained how all the animals were now gone, and arable – mostly seed production was his staple product.  And a third explained his need to intensive farm his sheep and pigs in order to make sufficient profits to stay in his farm.  Another agricultural engineer explained how his once successful business had closed down and he left farming for several years, but now he was coming back in, mostly because his heart could not let him leave the farming industry.

They all spoke openly and passionately  about the crazy demands of government both in Europe and here in the UK, the oppression of inspections and fines imposed on micro-measuring acres for crop subsidies, and their determination, that despite everything they will stay in their land, making what living they could, because they are committed and dedicated to British Farming.  Oh yes, we discussed GM foods, organic farming, and ethical supply chains, as well as bio-fuels too. 

Can’t wait for Day Two!

My second day in the Wylye and Till Valley brought me along the A36 to Steeple Langford, where the clergy team gathered together first thing in the morning to pray together.  On this occasion we used the Morning Prayer Office from the Northumbrian Community, which was memorable for me as I’ve stayed with the Community in the past. 

Then we enjoyed a short walk from the church to the home of David Henderson, one of the assistant priests, where we partook of coffee and scrummy Cornish biscuits.  The agenda of the monthly team staff meeting gave me a great opportunity to hear what issues the team were working with, and to answer questions and be invited to make comments within the meeting.

One of the pieces of good practice I picked up on was an initiative set up a little while ago to establish Christian Formation Groups across the team.  These take on a number of different guises – depending upon the leadership and the needs of the various people and parishes.  For example – in the good weather a number of Pimms on the Lawn evenings were held where general topics of discussion could be aired, and when asked what are we going to do next – the answer came, we are going to organise some Walk and Talk evenings and mornings, where again topics could be shared and explored in a simple but helpful way.

There are also a number of Bible Study groups which meet in short three week blocks, where people simply share their thoughts about a passage or book from the Bible, and there is a Book Club, which meets to read a chapter of a book each week, and then ask each other what they make of it.  Finally, there are a healthy number of Learning for Discipleship courses established and resourced from the team, which are establishing a strong group of learners keen to extend their learning together.

After downing another coffee and carefully choosing a Bourbon, we decamped down to the local pub where we shared a lunch, and carried on our business – reviewing and discussing the Deanery Strategic Plan, and Mission initiatives within the team.  It was a good session, and we covered many topics, and I think, opened up some healthy channels of communication.

After lunch John Hamilton and I went down to Langford Lakes, a Wiltshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve, managed by Chris Riley.  There were a couple of school groups leaving, and I understand that the Wiltshire Police use the training resources there to run Speed Awareness Courses for those lucky drivers who are caught only breaking the speed limit by a small amount.  Some 5,000 motorists a year come through the training room!  There are also around 10,000 visitors who use the facilities here.  It is a very peaceful place[well apart from the low flying army helicopters, and the neighbouring trains] where you can walk, or watch the waterfowl and birds from carefully designed hides.

It was good to hear from Chris about the ethos and aims of the Trust, and to share some of our agenda in working with the environment in the Treasure mark of mission – to discuss eco-congregations, and our Fair Trade status as a diocese.

Time moved on, and so did we, and we went a short way up to East Clyffe Farm, the international headquarters of the charity Hope and Homes for Children.  Here Mark and Caroline Cook have for 14 years been seeking to extend love to the lives of thousands of children affected by war in Eastern Europe and Africa.  John and I sat and listened with moist eyes as we heard how a serving army officer stumbled across a bombed out orphanage in Bosnia and made a promise to the surviving children that he would return and rebuild their homes.  Well he did, but in a while realised that what these children really needed, and in fact where asking for, was not a roof over their heads, and food in their bellies, but the love and surroundings of a family.  And so now, they operate with local people across the world establishing networks which can provide for these children, who for no fault of their own, find themselves without the security of their own family.  It was very moving, and another example of what ordinary people can do with a vision, and a desire to bring their efforts into focus and change people’s lives.

I’m looking forward now to going back to the benefice on Sunday to preach in the morning and lead informal worship in the evening.