The Quiet Garden Day 24

Today I have been to The Quiet Garden at Ashton under Hill. David and Jane are friends of mine whom I met first when they lived in Birlingham and opened a Quiet Garden there. It was for me a place of sanctuary and spiritual rest and refreshment during my years at Fernhill Heath and as Missioner within Worcestershire. David and Jane moved a couple of years ago to Ashton and are now opening a quiet garden there.

The Quiet Garden movement is just 15 years old and defines its vision as

To initiate and resource
a network of local opportunities,
mainly in private homes and gardens
for prayer, silence, reflection
and the appreciation of beauty;
for learning about Christian life and spirituality;
and for experiencing creativity and healing
in the context of God's love.

Today's afternoon meditation focussed on busyness and the fact that busyness is a choice rather than an adjunct of modern life. This is a challenging thought and I feel deep down is so true. Yet how often do I equate busyness with achievement - if I havent been busy then I must have been wasting time! Even on this sabbatical someone warned me - "Dont waste it!" So I am trying to be busy sabbaticaling and consequently becoming frustrated.

Tomorrow I am off to the Society of Mary and Martha in Devon and am NOT going to be busy.

Will let you know how I get on! In the meantime if you are interested in the Quiet Garden movement here is a link to the UK site and an American site with lots of meditations etc.

http://www.quietgarden.co.uk/
http://www.restandbethankful.org/index.php?page=home

The next day at Ashton under Hill (which unfortunately I shall miss) is on 28th June if you are interested make a comment and I will email details on my return.

When I dance on rainbows... Days 22 and 23

I continue to read around the Human Givens and have nearly finished Dreaming Reality: How dreaming keeps us sane or can drive us mad; the authors are Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrell. I cannot explain it all here but one interesting thing I came across a few days ago was about metaphor; I quote:-

Metaphorical communication is an intrinsic part of the way we understand and share our experiences and the metaphorical expression we find in dreams is actually more widespread in waking life than is generally realised. A sudden burst of song, for example, is often a metaphorical expression of how a person is feeling about a certain matter.

Now a few days ago I was feeling a bit low for a particular reason which I don't want to go into here. We had recently bought a CD with Ella Fitzgerald and The Inkspots singing:-

Into each life some rain must fall
But too much is falling in mine
Into each heart some tears must fall
But some day the sun will shine

I found myself singing this song frequently. This could be simply a habit I have of focussing on a piece of music which is special at the time and singing it or perhaps it was a metaphor for how I was feeling and gave me a chance to express that and discharge it harmlessly. It did feel like too much rain was falling on me and yet I do have hope that some day the sun will shine which makes what happens next remarkable!

I bought a laptop at the CRE and yesterday was installing software including a PDF writer. I had to create a document and put some words down. Usually I would type gobbledegook but for some reason unknown to me I wrote the phrase

When I dance on rainbows

The more I think about it the more significant it seems, the sun shining through the rain produces the rainbow. But dancing on the rainbow is incredible because the rainbow is just refracted light. Yet I am encouraged and sense within this God is speaking to me.

I am now just past the three week mark; today I took the van for a leak to be fixed, did some reading, bought one or two things online, went shopping with Bev and did a little bit of lawn edging. Tomorrow I am going to a Quiet Garden at Ashton under Hill and calling to see how the van is on the way.

Bless you all.

Oh and if you are interested in The Inkspots follow this link where you can listen to a snippit of Into each life

http://www.emusic.com/samples/m3u/song/10861194/13349188.m3u

Days 19 - 21

We attended a wedding on Saturday. When we were first married we spent a lot of Saturdays attending our friends' weddings. That was nearly thirty years ago. Now we are attending the weddings of their children! These little ones who played with our children, whose photos we have in our albums alongside our own children, who we remember putting to bed in our spare room now they are marrying! How time flies! Being Baptists we dont do Christenings and although we do have services of Dedication they are not the big family event that Christenings often are so in my heart I wonder what the next occasion will be when we meet up?

And what is the role of the "friends of Mum and Dad" at the wedding? At every wedding breakfast along the back wall is a selection of greying men accompanied by their wives. They dont know the music at the disco, cant quite sort out who is who, and spend a lot of time either in reminiscence or in silent contemplation. We usually have to bend close to hear what we are saying to one another and cultivate an expression of benign blessing, a sort of grin, which seems to be saying "bless you all"!

I reckon our role is crucial. We represent wider society which respects the institution of marriage but understands that marriage has to be worked at and that it will survive all sorts of pressures and failings if there is a will to succeed. Without us there doing the grumpy old man bit, or making slight fools of ourselves on the dance floor the young would be left alone and that would not be right. Along that back wall is an accumulated wisdom which only decades of experience will bring.

And yes the weddings of friends' children are special. I love to see the young enjoying themselves and recall a line from a poem I read at school:

Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive,
But to be young was very heaven!

God bless you Jo and Andy and give you a long and happy life, a brace of children and in thirty years time many invitations to the weddings of their friends!

Days 15 to 18

Hi folks! Had a good time at the Christian Resources Exhibition, Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher. It is a great place for networking and inspiration. It is also a good place for collecting paper for the recycling bin! I tried to be very disciplined and only visit the stands I had previously identified and by and large this worked although I did succumb to the delights of those offering fairtrade coffee, willow coffins, funeral plans and Christmas lights none of which were on my list!

As you can see from the photo I am now well resourced and have also picked up a few freebies for my friends as well!

I stayed on a campsite at Chertsey next to the River Thames. It was a beautiful place with a colony of Ring Necked Parakeets in residence. Local legend says that they escaped from the movie set of The African Queen. If you are interested in parakeets then follow this link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6478911.stm.

Christian Resources is a bit like going supermarket shopping. Now everything needs to be unpacked and found a home. After I took the photo I realised some stuff was missing and found two more bags of books and my briefcase with quite a few more papers!!

The sharper eyed may have noticed a laptop computer. These were being sold by a charity which recycles them employing people in the process and making available computers either free for charities or at a much reduced price.

Today we are off to Ware to attend Joanne and Andy's wedding. Jo is the younger daughter of our friends Steve and Margaret.

Days 9 to 13

On Wednesday evening I went to the Poustinia near Gloucester where I spent the day on Thursday. This is a place I go regularily for prayer and rest. A poustinia is "a small sparsely furnished cabin or room where one goes to pray and fast alone in the presence of God." I tend not to observe a total fast but eat less than I would at home. Sister Elly Maria lives in the house and has created the garden in which the poustinia can be found. I have put up some pictures to give you an idea of what it is like. This link will take to a short article about Poustinia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poustinia

Friday afternoon I attended Maisie's funeral. It was very strange being there but not taking part. I was not sure whether to stay and talk to people or not and I think people may have been unsure about whether to talk to me!

Friday evening some friends of ours came to visit and on Saturday we took the van out beyond Evesham and went for a walk around the Littleton villages.

Today we have spent quietly at home.

Tomorrow, Monday, I have a hospital appointment to test the nerves on my left hand; my fingers are still numb after breaking my wrist in December. I am hoping to leave early Tuesday for Christian Resources Exhibition so will spend time getting the van ready. I really enjoy visiting the exhibition and usually come home with lots of freebies! The link will take you to the main website then click on National CRE www.creonline.co.uk

Days 4,5,6,7 and 8

Hello again. I attended Baptist Assembly in Brighton with Bev and Sarah. Hotel was VERY disappointing; I wouldnt have minded if it had been a B&B but we paid hotel prices for very average rooms.



Highlights were Toma Magda from Croatia, Alistair Brown from BMS World Mission and Jonathan Edwards, BUGB General Secretary. Check out the BUGB Website www.baptist.org.uk for details. A special anthem had been written entitled "Cry Freedom".



Cry 'Freedom!' in the name of God and let the cry resound!
Proclaim for all that freedom which in Jesus Christ is found,
for none of us is truly free while anyone is bound.
Cry 'Freedom!' Cry 'Freedom!' in God's name, in God's name!
Cry 'Freedom!' Cry 'Freedom!' in God's name!



I always find myself getting really tired and this happened again. I dont like Brighton, (Sorry, Rudyard!) and was glad to leave. The journey home along the South Downs towards Winchester was amazing passing Lancing with its wonderful College Chapel and Arundel Castle.



So zonked last night that I couldnt work out what to do with anything just pile it up and leave it for today.



Today, Day 8, went to Chippenham to see Dad and Auntie. Dad seems a lot better. My Aunt has breathing problems and I am worried about her.



Please pray for me these next few days. I am due at the Poustinia tomorrow night near Gloucester for a day on Thursday, then we have friends coming Friday night.



Still not really stopped and hoping tomorrow will give me a chance to do that.



More Assembly thoughts tomorrow possibly.



Have to add one photo of us with Norman Kember.

Day 3

Went to Dad today. Took him out to lunch (only to Morrisons!) then did some errands.

I am glad that he seems a little better.

Had a bit of a rant this evening about time - which seems to be being eaten up very quickly.

A Haiku

Is my time wasted?

How can I know if tis true?

Or does time waste me?

Looking forward to Baptist Assembly in Brighton so no Posting for a few days. Please pray for Bev, myself and Sarah as we head off to the sea side, with 2000 other Baptists also!

Kipling loved Sussex and wrote a memorable poem in which he declared

God gives all men all earth to love,
But since man's heart is small,
Ordains for each one spot shall prove
Beloved over all.
Each to his choice, and I rejoice
The lot has fall to me
In a fair ground - in a fair ground -
Yea, Sussex by the Sea!

Day 2

A very different day! Phone went at 9.55 but let answering machine take it. When I checked it I was very sad to hear of Maisie's death.

But although my plans for today didn't happen there is still a deep sense both of peace and God's purpose behind these events. In a way a sabbatical is the context in which life is lived; life does not and cannot stop for me!

I hope that nothing I do is done simply out of a sense of duty. But being able to respond anyway was a privilege.

Afterwards went to Library, did a bit of shopping. Bought a real naff hat but with spf40, neck protection and beads in the brow I can immerse in water to keep me cool!!

Day 1

Last week was introduced to Haiku, a form of Japanese Poetry. It has three lines comprising five syllables, seven syllables and another five syllables. From todays morning readings here are three Haiku

Lord I wait for you
is my prayer on this new day
also for three months
Psalm 38:15 – 17

Ask for ancient paths
Walk only in the good way
But will I walk it?
Jeremiah 6:16

Where are you staying?
He says come and you will see.
Spent that day with him.
John 1:38, 39

A good start. Already feeling rested. Set no alarm today as Bev was off. Breakfast in the garden, lunch in the Camper at Fladbury and popped into Holland House for a presentation to the Bishop and prayers.