home | board | compass | prayer | eCard

Weblog Archives: June 2002

Sunday, June 30, 2002

This has been the most difficult Sunday so far, being the day when the church plays its part in Independence Day celebrations. My plan had been essentially to ignore it, but the court ruling about the 'Pledge of Allegiance' rather scuppered my scheme. I felt I would have been failing in my duty if I had not addressed the issue as best I could. What I said amounted to a question: If you believe the US is a nation "under God", as the Pledge of Allegiance" says, what do you think that means? Some commentators have claimed that the words carry no religious content, but if that's true then it really isn't worth getting worked up about. I tried to suggest that the words of the pledge are only of significance if they are a pledge for the national life to be lived in such a way as to reflect the grace and compassion of God. I'm not sure how it was received - I know that a passing remark about gun control and the 2nd Amendment raised some eyebrows - but I did what I felt I could.
I'm really not comfortable singing the National Anthem in church. It felt no easier here than it does on the (very) rare occasions that it happens at home.

Posted by Richard @ 10:26 PM BST [Link]

Saturday, June 29, 2002

Richard's description of his family's first visit to Disney World is one that could fit that of a lot of us. I remember my first pilgrimage was at the end of a district convention of the Nazarene Church in central Florida. I was wearing my leisure suit, white patent leather shoes and silk shirt. It was raining and my "cool threads" (for 1976) were sure to be ruined. But, it didn't matter, this was Disney World and nothing would stand in my way of enjoying it.

Deb and I included a pilgrimage of our own on Thursday morning in London. We made our way to Wesley's Chapel near the site of the Foundry, John Wesley's first chapel. We wandered in awe around in the sanctuary, surrounded by reminders of who we are as a part of the family of Christ called Methodists. The museum and video about this place gave us keen insights into just how much influence the Methodist movement had (and can still have). We were amazed at the quarters for JW and other preachers on his circuit in his townhouse and stood in contemplation at the tomb that not only holds Wesley's bones, but those of his sister, physician and several other Methodist pastors. Must have been really close!

While Debbie and I were thrilled with this pilgrimage, Chris and Rachel were not as impressed and couldn't wait to move on to Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, etc.. Rachel wouldn't be impressed with much since the night before we happened upon the crowd waiting for Tom Cruise to arrive for the premier of his latest movie, "Minority Report." Getting to see Cruise was probably more impressive to her than if we had even seen the Queen, and definitely more impressive than John Wesley's tomb or old set of preaching clothes. So much for passing on our legacy to the next generation.

We continue to enjoy this exchange more and more each day. With each garden party, Bible study, worship service, meeting, etc. and sight seeing with members of the church, our love and appreciation for this place called Wales grows and grows. It is hard to believe that our time in Sketty and Swansea is only a little over a week remaining. The relationships and experience will truely last a lifetime.

Ivan

P.S. I'm still not sure what to make of the lower court's decision to rule the "one nation under God" part of the pledge unconstitutional, but my suspicion is that the US Supreme Court will overrule the decision. It's the politically correct thing for it to do, and I know that politics is not supposed to influence the highest court in the land, but other decisions appear to have been influenced by such input. Frankly, the whole issue of separation of Church and State tends to be misinterpreted on a regular basis. The original ammendment basically was set up to keep the US from establishing a state church, not keep The Church from influencing the state or society. To say "One Nation Under God", contrary to the lower court's opinion, does not endorse any particular God, but could be seen as all inclusive except to Atheists. Since 95% of the US claim to believe in God, and the US is a democracy of sorts, it seems that the 5% just need to learn to live with some things or find a country where Atheism is in the majority. Unfortunately for Atheists, a lot of those have gone by the wayside. So much for not having an opinion. So, the judges are still out on this one.

Posted by Ivan @ 09:55 PM BST [Link]

Friday, June 28, 2002

Yesterday we did it - and very good it was too!
I'm talking about the Disney experience, that for which many Britons is the only reason for coming to Florida. They're very wrong, but it is hard not to be caught up in it. After all, this is a place that's designed to out-do reality, and in many ways it succeeds. The rides are great fun, and you're not in the Park for more than a few minutes before you discover that the personages you thought were merely fictional cinematic characters are in fact very real. You can do high fives with Baloo the Bear, see Peter Pan defeat Captain Hook (again) and collect the autograph of Mickey Mouse (provided you're prepared to stand in line).
As we approached the car park for "the Magic Kingdom" I was struck just how much like a place of pilgrimmage this is. Streams of cars down a four lane highway, being met by the jolliest parking stewards you're ever likely to meet. (I've been told that Disney employees are not permitted to have a bad day at work - jollity is compulsory). Of course, there are hardships to be endured before you're allowed through the outer courts onto the sacred land itself. Your fellow travellers are apt to occupy more space than they're entitled to on the monorail seating. You may find yourself being jostled in the milling throng. You must stand in line to get your bag searched by a group who wore their smiles to cover a very serious attitude. Don't even think about bringing in your own food and drink - for your own safety and enjoyment of course.
But once you're in the energy and enthusiasm of the place are infectious and irresistible. You really have to have a good time. Even standing in the inevitable lines for the rides seems more like a profession of faith than a hardship. We, the chosen, will wait with patience and be rewarded. And how wonderful the rewards are! Ruth and Catrin (our two daughters - 5 & 19months) were captivated by the whole proceeding. When the children are happy, the parents are too. Our children were exceptionally happy, seeming to be imbued with a supernal energy that kept them going long after their normal bedtime. Disney may not allow guests to bring in their own refreshments, but they did provide us with the best restaurant food we've had during our Florida visit. And any attraction that can persuade a 5 year old girl to stand in a 40 minute queue without a murmer of complaint must be getting something right.

Posted by Richard @ 11:01 PM BST [Link]

Thursday, June 27, 2002

This story has the folk here in Fruitland Park all worked up.
In a 2-1 decision, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the phrase "one nation under God'' in the Pledge of Allegiance (recited daily by millions of US schoolchildren) amounts to a government endorsement of religion in violation of the separation of church and state - hence the Pledge is unconstitutional.
'Leading schoolchildren in a pledge that says the United States is "one nation under God'' is as objectionable as making them say "we are a nation under Jesus," "a nation under Vishnu", "a nation `under Zeus", or "a nation under no god", because none of these professions can be neutral with respect to religion,' Circuit Judge Alfred T. Goodwin wrote.
Just in time for the Fourth of July.
Read the BBC report.

Posted by Richard @ 02:10 AM BST [Link]

Tuesday, June 25, 2002

This is Debbie. Thought I would briefly reflect on some of the things that I am getting used to and those that I find difficult to adjust to.
I can get used to ....going into a store and the price you see is the price you pay. No additional tax to compute.
.....hanging clothes on the line, if my clothesline would not get all mildewy and nasty and if I could have a clothes line
.....having on/off switches on the electrical outlets. You can turn the electricity off to any individual outlet in the house.

I still find it hard to ....keep the windows open for any length of time because there are no screens on them. Of course there are not many bugs either (I can get used to that). However there are flies and big bumblebees that have tried to come in.
.....very narrow roads, although I am much more comfortable with being on the left side. Hope we don't forget how to be on the right!

Some observations: Much more awareness and availability of organic foods, foods suitable for vegetarians, and concern for fair trade and pay to third world countries for the goods they export. On a health note, I see much more smoking among young people, especially girls. Recently in the news there has been much discussion about the MMR vaccine and whether it can be linked to autism. I know that the US has had some of this concern raised but not to the extent that it seems to be in Britain. I will have to find out if there is a requirement for vaccinations in order to enter school as it is in the US.

Posted by Ivan @ 02:30 PM BST [Link]

Monday, June 24, 2002

Another day, another castle. And, two days in a row of beautiful, blue skies dotted with clouds and a trip to Caerphilly Castle north of Cardiff. It's known as the castle with the leaning tower, and it is quite large in comparrison with the others we have seen.

When we got home, Debbie and I decided it was time to do some yard work and continue to enjoy the beautiful weather (by the way, Richard, when it comes to Florida weather - heavy rains, tornado warnings, lightening, hail and all that used to be every afternoon events years ago - you just live around them as you have already learned. Floridians call it liquid sunshine and when it comes down hard, it's a frog choker or a gulley washer). Here we are in a land full of 12th century castles, houses in some places that still have thatched roofs and more sheep than you can shake a stick at (God's natural lawn mowers and fertilizers) and I come home to look for a lawn mower in the garage. Debbie told me there was this futuristic thing out there, but I didn't believe her until I saw it myself. Leaning against the wall was a "Flomo". It has no wheels, is powered by electricity and hovers over the grass (not that thick Florida stuff, but the nice soft, cushiony kind of grass.) After figuring out how to use it, and finishing with the weed eater, I finally found the instructions. If at first you don't succeed, try reading the instructions. We did get the yard done, though. Didn't even break a sweat - this nice Welsh weather.

Chris and I got dropped off downtown to wander the Quadrant (city center mall). We've been here long enough now to actually run into people we've met. Nicole (a US exchange student at the University who is heading back to Wyoming tonight), Steve Wigley, the Circuit Superintendent, and a woman from the the Wesley Church on Eaton Road where I preached last night. Speaking of meeting people, Saturday Debbie and I and the kids were at the train station at Cardiff waiting to come home from a day at the Welsh Life Museum (kinda like Greenfield Village in Michigan or Plymouth Plantation). I heard a southern American accent and asked the man where he was from. He proclaimed he was from Florida and I found out he is from Crystal River, in the same district as Fruitland Park, and that he and his family are good friends with the pastor and his family of the Methodist Church in Crystal River. Not only that, but the people they are visiting over here are newly moved back from Crystal River to their home here in Sketty and are familiar with this church. Talk about a small world.

So, here we are, entering our fourth week serving a church in a country with tons of history, lots of fantastic people and a hovercraft lawn mower.

By the way, while we like the ice cream we've had (last night at nine with plenty of day light left at Verdi's in Mumbles looking out over the receeding tide and the full moon coming up over the light house, for example), the selection of flavors seems to be much more limited than in the states. I recommend Grumpy's as well, if you're in Fruitland Park some day.

Peace.

Ivan

Posted by Ivan @ 09:40 PM BST [Link]

Our friend Craig has raised the subject of Church Growth on his blog:

"Church growth" has become an ugly phrase in some circles. It is almost synonymous with a kind of godless marketing technique, with church as producers and the public consumers of religious product X. And so churches looking to grow begin to look like Coca-Cola or McDonalds - we have objectives, strategies, graphs, programs, surveys, meetings, product branding, awareness campaigns etc."

Quite. As a minister, of course I want to see growing churches. That goes without saying. But I do need to guard against the temptation to equate growth with success. Christians should be the first to recognise that attracting the most people does not necessarily reflect faithfulness to the gospel, and may indicate the reverse. Preaching the truth will probably be less popular than telling people what they want to hear. A 'feel-good' gospel will be more attractive than the challenge of the Cross.
One of the things that really bothers me about some "growing" churches is the way that they have often grown; namely, at the expense of other congregations in their community. In my view, unless there are very pressing reasons for making the change church pastors should encourage people to stay where they are. Church congregations are like families. It causes tremendous, though often silent, hurt when someone 'jumps ship'. Even more important, it creates the impression that congregations are in competition with one another, rather than servants of the same master. (Of course, they often are in competition - but pastors should know better than to encourage that mind set)

Posted by Richard @ 07:31 PM BST [Link]

Sunday, June 23, 2002

"Some people cause happiness wherever they go. Some people cause happiness whenever they go."

Posted by Richard @ 11:42 PM BST [Link]

Saturday, June 22, 2002

I never want to hear another word about rain in Swansea. We don't have rain. There are gentle showers, drizzle, spots of precipitation. Here it rains. And storms with it. Wild, raging storms that make you afraid to put up an umbrella in case it acts like a lightning rod. We were in the path of a tornado warning today, but thankfully saw no sign of a tornado. So don't anyone talk to me about rain in Swansea. Especially if you're from Florida.
But despite the weather, it has been another excellent day. We visited Silver Springs, a sort of nature theme-park, and what fun it was. (One if its claims to fame is that it was the location used for a good number of those old Tarzan films starring Johnny Weissmuller. I used to love those) These days its a place where you can get a close encounter with a little alligator, and a close look at a really big one. Several hours of family fun.
But, Oh! How it rained!

Posted by Richard @ 12:57 PM BST [Link]

Friday, June 21, 2002

I've just paid a visit to Grumpy's, a local ice cream place. If you're ever coming through Florida on "the 27", you have to visit this splendid emporium. You won't be disappointed. There are many "quotable quotes" around the shop, for example:

When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane, going in the wrong direction

But there are other quotes too, several of them from the Bible. Look again and you see a rack of evangelistic tracts by the door. This is one of several businesses that we've come across where the proprietor has a faith and shares that faith with his customers. To a British eye, at least to this one, this at first strikes an inappropriate note. And yet I'm beginning to feel that this might be one area where we've allowed our famous "British reserve" to go too far.

Posted by Richard @ 09:50 PM BST [Link]

Vacation Bible School has been going really well. In the class that I'm helping to teach [Ruth: Daddy, I didn't know you could teach. I thought you were just a preacher ] we've had the same 8 children all week, and it's been alot of fun. Despite the difference between our cultures, kids here essentially the same as kids at home - though here they know more about the Bible than any group of children I've ever met in Swansea. There was a moment last night when our different use of words caused some momentary confusion:

Boy: When do I get my pin?
Richard:Pardon?
Boy:(louder) When do I get my pin?
Richard: Your pin???
Boy:(clearly irritated) When do I get my pin?
Richard: ????
Boy: With God's gallery on it. When do I get my pin?
Richard: You've lost me.
Boy: My pin. Like the one you're wearing. (points)
Richard: (finally understands) You haven't got a badge? Have this one.

Two people divided by a common language indeed.

Posted by Richard @ 07:10 PM BST [Link]

The past few days have been a mixture of experiences. We've visited another castle, have enjoyed some nice, sunny days between rain and mist and have had the pleasure of getting to know the people of the churches and community even better. Last night was "Blues Brothers" night at the University Chapel. It was the last night of movie nights for the summer, and several of the students came dressed as Elwood and Jake. Of course, we did discuss the theological merits of the movie since they were on a mission from God.

I have picked up in discussions that many of the issues for the church here in Wales are the same as in the US. Finding ways to be relevant to an ever increasingly secular, post-Christian society, balancing spending on upkeep of buildings with spending on ministries that reach people for Christ, reaching out beyond the walls of the church, etc.. Aging congregations are trying to find ways to attract young people. Questions about being an open, inviting church that is not only friendly to its own, but especially to those looking in from the outside are being asked if not addressed.

As I ramble, I did have the curious thought the other day as we were exploring a 13th century castle, of which there are many here, how ironic it is that the only castle Richard and family will see in Florida is Cinderella's Castle at Disney World. The oldest European structure in Florida is the Castillo De San Marcos in St. Augustine, and it was built in the late 1500's, just a baby by Welsh and English standards.

In an hour I am going to attempt to find a channel that carries the US-Germany football game. I know it's a long shot that the US might win, but they were appearantly a 33-1 long shot to make it to the quarterfinals. So, you never know. I watched the England-Brazil game this morning and won't give away the results for those who have yet to watch the replay or hear the score. I am impressed at the enthusiasm everywhere but the US for what we call soccer and the rest of the world calls football.

By the way, it's raining again, so we've had our two days of sunshine this week. We look forward to the next dose.

Ivan

Posted by Ivan @ 11:37 AM BST [Link]

Newspapers are claiming that Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Wales, has effectively been appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury and merely waits for the decision to be ratified by the Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Church in Wales (that's what the Anglican Church in Wales calls itself - it is not the same as the Church of England) has played down these reports. So he probably has.

Posted by Richard @ 04:56 AM BST [Link]

Thursday, June 20, 2002

News from home. Sigh. And I do miss the BBC.

Will there be a Welsh Archbishop of Canterbury? Does it matter?

Posted by Richard @ 03:03 PM BST [Link]

Wednesday, June 19, 2002

You really should read Wood's latest serial at the John Heron Project which started on 15th June. I can't promise you'll understand it, but it is a very engaging read.

Posted by Richard @ 03:06 PM BST [Link]

UPS delivered my parcel from the Whistle Shop today. Hurrah! A Meg from Clarke, and one of the Whistle Shop's "tweaked Clarke Originals". I'll try to play them quietly.

Posted by Richard @ 03:10 AM BST [Link]

Tuesday, June 18, 2002

The weather has long been a British obsession. Until today I thought the weather here was pretty predictable and therefore dull. The weather forecast always seemed to say, "Highs in the 90's, low tonight in the 70's. A chance of scattered showers." Today is different. We woke up to rain, and it has rained since. And such rain! There's a bearded bloke across the street building a big boat with a queue of animals doing up his drive! And I have never seen lightning or heard thunder like we had earlier on.
The Shuttle Endeavour is supposed to land today, but with storms here and high winds in California, who knows what they'll do.

Posted by Richard @ 02:59 PM BST [Link]

The Daily Commercial, our friendly local newspaper, has an online edition.

Posted by Richard @ 02:44 PM BST [Link]

I'm grateful to Bene Diction for pointing me to this Blogger's Prayer. I'm as glad of a smile as I am of a link - especially if the smile makes me think

Posted by Richard @ 03:52 AM BST [Link]

Just heard on television:

"The September 11th was not primarily an attack on the United States: primarily it was an attack on Jesus of Nazareth."

Extraordinary.

Posted by Richard @ 03:34 AM BST [Link]

Home from VBS (Vacation Bible School) at Community UMC, where I'm serving. It's been a great night. About 50 youngsters I think (I'll check the numbers tomorrow) and they coped pretty well with their strange English pastor.

Posted by Richard @ 03:30 AM BST [Link]

Monday, June 17, 2002

Now I believe in miracles
It feels cool outside. For the first time, it's warmer indoors than out. Amazing.
Mind you, it's all relative. The weather man says it's 84F in Leesburg.

And it's (ahem) "persistently raining" now, which is very welcome.

Speaking of welcome - Ivan's well-and-truly made his mark on the blog with his first post. We're all looking forward to his further revelations.

Posted by Richard @ 04:39 PM BST [Link]

Hi,

This is Ivan Corbin here writing for the first time since my family and I arrived in Swansea two weeks ago tomorrow. We have been overwhelmed by the friendliness of not only various church members, but by the locals as well.

This first couple of weeks has included a funeral, preaching four services at two churches, attending a variety of local church and circuit meetings. Despite rain and drizzle, we have have done a lot of exploring, both of the Swansea-Sketty-Mumbles area and also of Cardiff, Gower and Pembrokeshire. I have braved driving into downtown Swansea to go grocery shopping (yes, I stayed on the left side of the road), a roadtrip to Haverford West and surrounding countryside to find signs of ancestors on the Davies side of the family and other excursions. I must admit, driving here is a bit intimidating.

We have learned to use the bus system to get around, have been doing a lot of walking and taken the train to get us back to Haverford West the day after my excursion so that we could venture all the way out to St. David's Cathedral.

We have witnessed a vast diversity of land and seascapes in a small amount of territory. We have also experienced the diversity of people that make up southern and western Wales.

One defining cultural experience was eating at the White Rose Pub in Mumbles after church yesterday and getting caught up in football fever as we cheered on Ireland against Spain. This morning the talk of our circuit team meeting was the U.S.'s win over Mexico that has sent us into the quarterfinals for the first time since about 1930. Does the US know that we have a football (soccer) team playing in the World Cup? The rest of the world does. They live and breath world cup over here, and nothing would be finer, in my opinion, than an England - US final game. But, Germany and Brazil have other thoughts on this.

I realize I have not talked much of religious experiences in this first entry, but I wanted to share some first impressions overall. There's plenty of time for the religious observations.

Oh, my first entry would not be complete without mentioning the time spent with the chaplain mininstry at the University of Wales here in Swansea. We have had some wonderful discussions and worship with these folks, even as their time before summer break is drawing very near. We have watched Steve Martin's "Leap of Faith" movie together and the discussion about American religion that ensued was very interesting. The students led an alternative worship service at Sketty Methodist my first Sunday night here and did a wonderful job, proving also that they had listened to earlier discussions we had had.

So, needless to say, our experience is proving to be a very full one. By the way, the sun is actually shining today! The manse (parsonage) has a new patio that appears to be finished, but only after the workers had to cut off the top of a buried air raid shelter left over from the devestating bombings of Swansea during World War II. Maybe the sun will shine long enough to enjoy the patio.

Ivan

Posted by Ivan @ 04:00 PM BST [Link]

Sunday, June 16, 2002

I'm having a great time here in Florida. I'm serving in a marvellous church and been made to feel really welcome. People have been "falling over themselves" to be helpful to us. I'm bound to say that I really like this place.
As an outsider, though, I'm struck by the contradictions of this culture. You don't have to look very hard through the TV channels to find some really wild "Christian" broadcasts making the most outrageous claims - yet a simple prayer at a school event causes howls of protest. DVD players, computers and other such stuff is amazingly cheap here - but a loaf of bread costs twice as much as at home. There is an obsession with health, with prescription drugs being regularly advertised on TV ("Ask your doctor about...") - and yet everywhere there is evidence that the most straightforward steps to good health (a little exercise and sensible eating) are ignored. Evidence of the effects of global warming are clear (drought in Florida, raging fires in Colorado) - but there appears no willingness to take any steps that might slow down the process. Above all, this is a nation proud of its heritage and its "connectedness" with the past (I've lost track of the number of people who've told me exactly where and when their ancestors came from) – and yet it does not seem able or willing to accept the much more pressing claim of its neighbours in the here and now.
This probably seems very critical, and that really isn't my intention. There is so much here that I envy. The Church has a far greater part in people's lives here than in the UK. Shop assistants are more polite. Sensible and enforced speed limits in built-up areas, especially on the approaches to schools. Ice cream. When I hear George W. say, "This is a great country" I'm obliged (reluctantly!) to agree with him.
Something holds this vast nation together despite the many different cultures and climates it contains. Somehow the interests of the citizens of New England and New Mexico are balanced. This is no small achievement. My prayer is that those in authority here will begin to include the interests of the global community in their deliberations which, one day, they surely will - when their voters demand it.

Posted by Richard @ 03:08 AM BST [Link]

Saturday, June 15, 2002

5 things I (dis)like about Florida:

Like...	Dislike...
The weather	The weather
The people we've met	Inconsiderate drivers
The diversity of nature	Things that bite and/or sting
Big vans (!)	Gas-guzzling cars
Air-conditioning	Television

OK. I know some of this is contradictory. I'm a complex person.

Posted by Richard @ 02:01 AM BST [Link]

Friday, June 14, 2002

Today is Flag Day here. I didn't know what it was about either.

Posted by Richard @ 05:09 PM BST [Link]

Spent an absolutely marvellous day yesterday at the Kennedy Space Center (hey - I know it should be "centre", but that's how they spell it here). Wowwwwww! I've wanted to see a Saturn V rocket for as long as I can remember. I can hardly believe I've done it. Saw some pretty amazing "earth from space" type film on a huge IMAX screen. It put me in mind of the words of the Psalmist: "I look up at your heavens, made by your fingers, at the moon and stars you set in place - what is man that you should spare a thought for him?"
Humbling stuff.

Posted by Richard @ 04:59 PM BST [Link]

Thursday, June 13, 2002

Started a Bible Study series tonight, pursuing the theme of how the Bible can help us understand the issues relating to genetic engineering and the like. I'm not sure how it went, but the folk here are very kind. The main passage we looked at (if you're interested) was Psalm 104, especially vss 10 - 31. We thought about the sheer variety in God's world and how everything has its place. Not profound, maybe, but it does us no harm to be reminded that human beings were created to be stewards of the earth and not its owners.

Posted by Richard @ 03:31 AM BST [Link]

Wednesday, June 12, 2002

Martin Roth is well worth reading today (well, yesterday probably - these time zones are confusing:I'm writing in the US, posting in the UK and Martin's in Oz, so it's bound to be a bit hard to keep track). Anyway, he's written a fine little piece about "experts"*. English readers of his column will be glad that the soccer experts he quotes were wrong about the World Cup.
On the World Cup, there's a funny piece about American attitudes to it in this week's Time Magazine.

*Reminds me of a definition of "expert" I was once given:
Ex - past it
spurt - a drip under pressure

Posted by Richard @ 01:34 AM BST [Link]

Tuesday, June 11, 2002

Had a meeting with other UMC pastors in the area today. An interesting gang! Whilst I was talking to them it struck me again just how different the church scene is here. One simple example - each of them had a church office that was open for regular hours each day. Most had paid staff, and there was a discussion about how much a secretary should receive. But despite the differences, some features of church life are strangely similar and large chunks of the conversation could have been had on either side of the Atlantic. This might be a different culture, but people are still people.

Posted by Richard @ 11:28 PM BST [Link]

Wood has worked hard today to kickstart some discussion on Open Forum. Alternative worship, Harry Potter, social justice, pharisaism in the church - it's all grist to his mill. Join in!

Posted by Richard @ 07:18 PM BST [Link]

Monday, June 10, 2002

Here's a thing.
People at church here fill in an attendance sheet. When someone is missing for more than 2 weeks one of a number of 'callers' gets in touch to make sure they're OK. It seems to be an accepted part of this church's life but I wonder if the folk at home would take to it?

Posted by Richard @ 04:32 PM BST [Link]

Sunday, June 9, 2002

In Florida, a bold alligator is a dead alligator

Posted by Richard @ 10:16 PM BST [Link]

My first services are done without too many hitches, which was a relief. The people here were very gracious and it's a privilege to be serving with them. I've got to wait in now for a call from the local newspaper. For some reason they want to take our pictures. There is no accounting for human nature.

Posted by Richard @ 07:25 PM BST [Link]

We spent the day at Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park [Verdict: 10/10 for the park; 2/10 for vegetarian refreshments] and had a great time. Ruth was particularly taken with the manatees they have there.
A volunteer warden at the park, who clearly loves the manatees, was extolling their virtues and wishing people were more like them. "They have no system of dominance in their social groups," he said, "and display no aggression to one another, or to anything else. They live on plants and have no natural enemies apart from man." You might expect such a passive creature to be a victim of more aggressive animals, but the warden had an interesting story:

A few years ago a 12 foot long 'gator found its way into the river. You might wonder how the manatees (there are 9) would cope with this. They did exactly as they did the last time we introduced a new member to the group - they went up to the 'gator, rolled over him, swam close by him, tossed him about a bit. They were playing, but the mean old 'gator didn't want to play and he got out as fast as he could.

A docile animal with no front teeth defeats a dangerous carnivore with play. Sounds almost scriptural...

Posted by Richard @ 01:39 AM BST [Link]

Friday, June 7, 2002

We've broken our duck on 'gators! Lake Harris at Leesburg is practically swarming with them. Amazing!

Posted by Richard @ 11:29 PM BST [Link]

Having a quiet day today. Took Ruth to the pool this morning for her swimming lesson and came back with one of her new friends for them to play for a couple of hours. In the background, Jayne is reading Catrin a story. A scene of normal domestic bliss - if it weren't for the heat we could be at home. It has been a beautiful morning, and now the afternoon clouds are starting to form. We all hope it will rain this afternoon. Lakes and streams are drying up all over this part of Florida as development pressures alter drainage patterns. Presumably, global warming is having it's impact too.
Yesterday evening we visited the Lake Griffin State Park - there seemed to life everywhere, mostly of the the "creepy-crawly-lets-see-what-you-taste-like" variety but it was a great place even so. But we still haven't seen a 'gator, only signs telling us not to feed them. As if.

Posted by Richard @ 05:07 PM BST [Link]

Thursday, June 6, 2002

One of my main preoccupations at the moment is trying to get a handle on the differences between Britain and the USA, apart from the obvious ones like driving on the wrong side of the road and having upside-down lightswitches. One thing that has struck me powerfully is how much more 'mainstream' Christian faith is here than at home. It isn't quite taken for granted, but at least is something approaching that. For example, we visited a bookstore (Aaaagh! I mean bookshop!) yesterday. I was very surprised to see several shelves devoted to Bibles, and even more space given to Christian books, far more than you would find in a shop in Swansea. From the point-of-view of evangelism, it is pretty clear that churches can begin knowing that at the very least their faith will be taken seriously. We couldn't make any such assumption at home.

Posted by Richard @ 06:45 PM BST [Link]

Wednesday, June 5, 2002

Last night I shared in the last session of the "Disciple" Bible study course they've run here. 34 weeks of intensive study. What a privilege it was to share with that little group and see the difference that the Bible has made to them. Marvellous!
We concluded the session with a Covenant Service, which I was surprised to find was new to the folk here. It was a most moving occasion. It confirmed for me the old cliche that "There are no strangers in the Church, only friends you haven't met yet."

Posted by Richard @ 03:02 PM BST [Link]

I meant to say yesterday that I have a temporary email address while I'm here. I know that thewesleyan1963@aol.com has no street cred, but I am getting mail there, which is more than can be said of my other addresses for the time being...
I should have been more organised.

Posted by Richard @ 02:52 PM BST [Link]

Tuesday, June 4, 2002

My first full day and so far no disasters. I started early with the men's prayer breakfast. OK, I didn't arrive on time, but they sart at 7am and I reckon that's an invitation to late arrival. It was a very civilised breakfast, one of the members of the group led some devotions and then we prayed through some of the concerns of the church. Carol, the Minister of Music here, has been trying to get me organised for Sunday. Some of you reading this will know she has an uphill struggle, but I'm trying to behave!
You can find out more about the church where I'm serving for the next few weeks at the Church website.

Posted by Richard @ 07:20 PM BST [Link]

I read a very funny story in Interpreter, a magazine of the UMC. Apparently a woman was attending a Pentecostal rally and was "slain in the Spirit". She fell and broke her arm. It seems that she has successfully sued the church and received significant damages because there was no one to catch her. Whatever happened to that catch-all exclusion in insurance policies: "Act of God"?

Posted by Richard @ 06:59 PM BST [Link]

Monday, June 3, 2002

The Corbins have left us to it! It's a strange feeling. I've had a great introduction to this church and community, but I must admit to a certain disorientation, fear even. It'll pass.
It would be hard not to be impressed by the church and it's facilities, but it's the attention to detail that strikes me most. For example, some people signed up for a Bible Study I'll be running and they've got children. So the church office has organised childcare. Can we make this happen at home?
I don't think that Community UMC here in Fruitland Park is considered a large church by local standards, but there were 500 and some people in church for the 2 services yesterday. (Church attendance runs at about 35-40% of the population locally, which is way, way higher than in Swansea) The other thing that moves me is the number of adults who are in Sunday School classes - Christian education and formation is a normal part of belonging to the church, just as it should be. Clearly there are lessons to be learned here, which is good - cos that's why I came.

Posted by Richard @ 07:58 PM BST [Link]

Sunday, June 2, 2002

It has definitely been a multicultural experience! We've done Wal-Mart and the local mall, seen our first snake and some huge insects, been shocked at the number of gun magazines and the price of a loaf of bread, jealous of the price of DVD players - but most of all thrilled at the welcome we've received. Ruth has enrolled in swimming lessons at the local pool, so she has something to look forward to apart from Disney and Catrin seems completely unfazed by it all. And it's hot.

Posted by Richard @ 02:51 AM BST [Link]

[Archive Index] [Main Index]