gardening!!

so I ordered a skip this morning to get rid of a load of rubbish thatbhad been sitting in the garden since a man had chopped down some dead trees that had been strangled to death by a very voracious weed. Don't ask me what it was called, but it was more virulent than anyhting I have ever seen.

we then lifted some more of the flags and put a pile of bricks ready for someone from freecycle to come and take them away for us.

two things came to mind... one is that we need to be so careful of what is in our garden both real and spiritual. We had to have so much chopped down becasue the weed had literally strangled the life out of the trees, and the same can be true of our spiritual lives. What are weeds that are causing me to not be able to breathe properly? plus, as always, how good it feels when clutter and rubbish go and there is a clear space to be able to do new things. I am planning all sorts in the garden, but couldn't do any of it, until the rubbish went. But nor could I do anything with what we had in the garden because of the weed choking life out...

It is also a great thing to be able to recycle stuff, and so freecycle is one of the best places to go, at least it will all be put to use by people who want it.

what can you do?!!

am really not sure what to think about a conversation I had with someone yesterday about families... if you know something needs sorting out, do you say something and hope it gets sorted with no backlash, do you go for the easy option and say nothing or do you go for it and pay the consequence of backlash.

I guess it all depends on the situation but it also depends (I think) on who you are as a preson and how things have affected you during your life. I had a point in my life where I was treated quite badly by a member of my famiily with the consequence being I don't say anything now in case the same thing happens, and yet is that right? If I see injustice going on in another part of my family do I say something and hope it doesn't get back to this person, or do I ignore it?

On a lighter note I have now got the spare tyre off my car which means I can go faster than 50mph!! We had a flat and the spare was one of those that they now put in all new cars which means you can only go at 50, and driving from Lancaster to Chester at 50 was enough to drive anyone insane....

Good Friday

So imagine the scene... 9.25 in the morning, rushing around making sure I had everything I needed for the service, before going into the kitchen to make some toast. I have everything ready and start cuting the bread, and oh dear.... pain and blood is pouring out of my finger!!! yes I had cut my forefinger the one that I need to play the guitar chords!!!

the service was excellent, my guitar playing wasn't as good as normal!! My vicar had said he didn't know how many people would be there, and the night before there had only been approx in the 20's. However, approx 50 or so turned up.... from small children to aging grandparents and everyone joined in, singing songs they didn't necessarily know that well, cutting out pictures, stickig them onto a cross, writing some prayers at the various stations, colouring in - even the adults!!, wandering round the church, standing round the altar, lighting candles - I think you could say it was a really well crafted service, certainly one that was really quite moving in terms of what people were praying.

more on learning

So we have auditory and visual learning styles catered for in 'normal hymn sandwich services... see comment, but nothing for practical folk!! is this a problem or would it be a problem for churches if we tried to include more practical stuff?

On Good Friday we are experimenting this year with 'creative' activities!! we are also going to be moving around the church at different points. It will be interesting to see what happens and to see how folk react, as to whether it is a positive or negative thing.

any more comments on learning styles and personality traits and how they might impact on how we worship?