Doing it Right

Friday's coffee morning on the fifth Friday did not have the usual stalls so it became a display of art work, and although only contacts/ friends were the extra people there was a surprise across the congregation about the painting interest shared.

Then on Sunday was another kind of display, but this time how to take a service. All about Alfred Nobel and his secretary Bertha, it was delivered also on the theme of peace via several small connected easy-to-follow sermonettes, with prayers and hymns and readings into the mix. It was also delivered properly in terms of speaking, and the microphone doing its job and yet our congregation member never getting too close to the microphone. Initially I was grumpy because he changed the order of the music, but having made two CDs and having a double CD player with mixer the logic of use suggested itself. I moved between the two CDs without error including an instant move from a hymn tune to an out of sequence music piece for collection. Indeed, not only that but this method meant no need to alter the sliders, so I could use this again, with music grouped according to slider positions.

We had a visitor in, and by the fact that he sung the hymns with intent meant he knew them and must have been somehow Unitarian. Indeed, he was doing lay preaching training, and took opportunities to visit neighbouring congregations from his own ('neighbouring' in this case means 50 miles). He even refined my knowledge about John Disney, the second Anglican minister of the first named Unitarian church in London. He was son of founder Disney in terms of Lincolnshire, and took on being an Anglican priest so he might not have been the dedicated real thing. Ah. This chap and I ended up having a strong conversation (and not the only one he had) because he had no time for postmodernism and was rather critical of Sociology as a subject. I have my Ph.D in Sociology, but not to worry as I (and another member of the congregation too) have an MA in Theology (indeed he and I also have a PGCE in Religious Education). This visitor told us that his congregation has positively decided not to seek out a minister, but to continue its spread of involvements and tasks. Hull will very soon advertise. Unfortunately the person that I think could do the job, and has been mentioned, and is looking for a ministry, isn't available for our part of the world. Advertising the vacancy follows.

So if there is anyone out there of ministerial experience, or ministry training, with definitely a sceptical and liberal outlook, being interested in a diversity of views, and someone who doesn't want to have to jump through doctrinal hoops, is interested in developing one small congregation (money is sorted) and fancies a different life, well you know where we are and you certainly know where I am as a means to get to where we are. Discretion, if you want it, is always assured in the first instances!