GadgetVicar

General Synod 2011

Exciting times - I'm off to the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church in the morning and there are various live feeds of proceedings available this year. If you are at all interested check it all out here.

Thanksgiving & Celebration

We are busy this weekend beginning with a Celebration Ceilidh with the fabulous Jiggers on Friday night. Do join us for a fun evening.

We then have the Diocesan Council meeting in the hall on Saturday. Sunday brings the service of thanksgiving and blessing of the new facilities at St Silas'. The Rt. Reverend Gregor Duncan, Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway will be present and Mike Parker, (chair of our patrons) will  preach. At the evening service, Mike will also share about the situation in North Africa from his perspective as leader of the English-speaking congregation at All Saints Cathedral in Cairo.

So far, it's been a busy few days this week  - I'm very thankful for some time off last week....

The Handover: What's Goin' On

It's been a rather intense few weeks with a workload that's included moving and assembling lots of furniture, troubleshooting the new building (don't ask!), as well as everything else I'm supposed to do. We've still got a lot to do in terms of kitting out the building. At least the offices are now useable.  Tomorrow a skip arrives to remove the accumulated detritus of many years. More lifting and carrying will be needed. It's been wonderful to chat to people on the strett about the new building. In fact people have been drawn in to find out more about it. The Light is attractive......

The School of Ministry got off to a great start with more than 160 people taking part over the two evenings, as well as an International Student Alpha group taking place in the church on the Wednesday evening. It was so good to see the building in use for the first time. Sunday was odd - we began the morning service with no children in the sanctuary as they had all been dropped off in the new facilities. The church was almost silent (not quite, as folk still greeted one another, but it was strange to be so quiet after eighteen months of being together all of the time). It was special when the children joined us again for the recap of what we had been learning and for Holy Communion.

Saturdays have been busy too - a Fairtrade Breakfast, clearing out the church, a conference on Faith and Politics at the Scottish Parliament and this coming Saturday, my highlight of the year: Diocesan Synod! That's followed by the (shaping up to be quite superb) Jazz Night at St Silas', and another gig at Barrowlands (The Decemberists). I really could do with a quiet Saturday!

It's also been an emotionally draining time with some difficult decisions involving the word 'No'. I'm trying to get get better at using it - I'm much too keen to please people sometimes, often at the expense of what is right for the church and for me as an individual.

Here are two photographs of the handover of the keys to the new facilities.

From left to right: Craig Govan (architect), Grant Rew (site manager for the contractor, Flemings), Ali Downes (mastermind of the whole project), yours truly, Iain Wiseman (our agent).

 

Building Almost Complete

The new hall complex is almost ready for handover. Someone from Glasgow City Council Building Control will come on Friday to give it the ok (or not?), and then we'll get permission to move in. The Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway came for a look round last Wednesday. I think he liked it (he used the word "gobsmacked"!) and is looking forward to giving it a right good blessing. I am immensely humbled that we have been given such a useful and attractive facility - I hope we use it well and to the Glory of God.

Now all we need to get ready for is the tidying up of the church, the decluttering of all the unnecessary stuff we've accrued over the years, the building and moving of furniture and all the technical things we'll need to sort out (like IT and audiovisual equipment).

The weekend of the 20th February, we'll spend a lot of time praying in the new building and getting it practically kitted out in preparation for the School of Ministry we are running on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 22nd February. More of all that in another post.

Big Events

It's been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster over the last few weeks.

It was a privilege to lead and speak at Alan Ervine's funeral. I don't have to do such things very often because we are such a young congregation, but when I do, generally I know the people who have died quite well, and more often than not count them as friends. Alan was no exception to this - he offered wise counsel, generous encouragement and helped me to keep leading when I felt like giving up. He is sorely missed by St Silas'. We share some of the grief that Liz and Paul are going through.

The following Sunday night I was to preach at Nick Cox's ordination. Again, it was an emotional time. I commented on feeling that I was at a wedding, but that I wasn't sure if I was best man or a bridesmaid. Perhaps I was a bit of both, lending support to my dear brother Nick? Or maybe even the father of the bride 'giving her way'? It was a grand occasion with the preaching described elsewhere as 'exuberant'. Which is good given that I'd left my Bible and notes for the sermon in St Silas' that morning. Cue me furiously scribbling some headings down at 5.15pm. I preached on the ministry of deacons (and their spouses!) from 1 Timothy 3. I missed out my whole reflection on 'Welcome to the world of Rev', in which I would have pointed out that, in this world, one has to laugh every time someone says, '"You only work one day a week," and laugh as if you are hearing this comment for the first time. I loved it that many St Silas' kids were present and that they were so well behaved during the extra long distribution of communion (comment from one child on seeing Bishop Gregor:" God is here and He's speaking to us!").  Prayers for Nick and Karen in their new ministry in South Ayrshire.

Now who else is God encouraging into ordained ministry?

Soon-to-be Rev. Nick

There's no evening service at St Silas' tonight because a whole lot of us are off to Ayr to support Nick and Karen Cox as he is ordained deacon.

Bad Vestments

I am not renowned for my love of vestments (understatement of the century!). I have always understood that their purpose was to symbolise purity or authority or mask the personality of the individual underneath, so that the focus is on God, rather than the person. Personally, I find them to be an anachronism that might speak volumes to some of the faithful, but for many outside the church, they just make us appear even more obscure or irrelevant. Anyway, thanks to The Ugley Vicar, I've discovered Bad Vestments, a site which indicates that such attire can be truly unattractive and can also undermine any of the reasons popularly given for wearing it.

Is it time for a new department of ecclesiastical apparatchiks to be created? 'The Bad Vestment Committee', which will ensure that, if clergy must dress up, they do so with good taste.

Synod & The Presiding Bishop

At 5pm, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori, will be welcomed by the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church. She will address the Synod on 'Mission'. I will be leaving the meeting at that point, as I am concerned about the signal this visit is giving out. The Presiding Bishop clearly wants to create the image that TEC has good relationships with the different Anglican communities in the UK, as she visits Scotland, the USPG conference and Southwark Cathedral this weekend.

I'm not only concerned about TEC's approach to the moratoria - it's also about the ongoing litigation against congregations which try to leave TEC with their church buildings. Some of my friends have faced terrible pain as a result and there seems to be a slash and burn approach which lacks any grace at all. I think the timing of this talk and welcome at our Synod is inappropriate. It would be just as inappropriate to have invited a GAFCON primate, as some of my reappraising colleagues would be upset by that.

I simply don't feel that I can stay and pretend that all is well. I'm too hurt. I'm going to find a quiet place to pray with at least one other who feels the same way.

Instead of dinner at the Sheraton, I'll just have to watch France play Uruguay in the World Cup.

Blogging, General Synod, Gender

I'm at the annual gathering of the Scottish Episcopal Church Bloggers. Actually, it's the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church, but it seems that just about all of the clergy bloggersare here, tweeting, blogging, texting and whatever. We've just been asked to keep the noise of our keyboard clicking down. I feel persecuted.

Two days or so in my old stomping ground of Haymarket in Edinburgh and the opportunity to catch up with old friends will also help to make it a worthwhile trip. I've just met Rev Dr Maurice Ellott, former verger at P's & G's in Edinburgh when I was there in the '80's, and now principal of the Church of Ireland Theological College in Dublin.

The gender audit will reveals that not enough women are getting to lead the Church. Apparently we need to stop stereotyping women as secretaries and men as treasurers at local level (I'm excited that during my time at St Silas' we've had more male secretaries than female and more female treasurers than male, therefore we break the mould. We've also always had a lot of very gifted women in leadership positions). The big issue will be the 'glass ceiling', where it's felt that there aren't enough women in senior clergy positions. I guess that there will be some kind of call towards positive discrimination. I understand the frustration if people feel that their gifts aren't being used, but then a lot of the blokes in ordained ministry can feel that too. Maybe we get too wrapped up in our rights or what we believe we should be doing, when we forget what a privilege it is to be called to any ministry. It ain't a job and it certainly isn't a career (and I worry about anyone who is in it looking for advancement, whether they are male or female). I'm concerned that we need an age audit and some solid attempt to get younger people to consider giving the whole of their lives in ordained service. We need a policy of getting 'the ungifted, shifted' (whether they are male or female) and then we need to ensure that the people with the gifts (whether they are male or female) are called and equipped to get the job done. 'Nuff said. Oh, and a wee bit of humility all round doesn't go amiss.

My position on all this can be summed up as follows:

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Or, to put it another way:

If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.

Happening Things

I can't make this on the 19th June, because I'll be at 21st Century Disciples, but the Blessing of the Bikes sounds like fun. Shame I can't make it, as I like the idea of processing up the aisle of St Mary's on my mountain bike. Could I wear a cassock alb while doing so? I'm sure it will be a joyful event which some of our many cyclists at St Silas' will want to attend.

Something I will be at on the 20th June is the Gibson Street Gala, which we play an integral part in (and not just because we provide some lavvies). This year promises to have exceptional participation from St Silas', with some quietness, coffee, stalls, spiritual stuff, 'fairground attractions' (including one where it seems that I will get ritually humiliated and you'll get the opportunity to get your own back for anything I've ever upset you over - all in the name of 'charidy', of course). Details to follow......I fear that the advertising of this will draw hordes of people for this one purpose. There will be a low key worship thing at 6.30pm, assuming I have survived the afternoon ordeal, at which we'll be thinking about 'Belonging'. Bring your friends to all or part of the day.