Simon Says ...

A Sermon for Evensong   Genesis 41.1-16,25-37 ; 1 Cor. 4.8-13 Only I could see it.   There was a Zubat in the kitchen.   Quickly I lined up my Pokeball and threw it at the creature.   I caught it, and gathered it into my Pokedex.   For the uninitiated, I am talking about the game Pokemon Go .   It is an app for phones and tablets that allows you to see the mystical Pokemon creatures in the real world.   Samuel and I went for a walk yesterday and caught about ten different Pokemon.   The Cathedral, I am sure you are aware, is a PokeGym, and has been welcoming a range of new, younger visitors over the past couple of days.   The Church of Englandhas issued guidelines about this.   More worryingly, so has the NSPCC .   Pokemon Go works with the idea that there are things beyond the reality that we can see and touch and smell.   All it takes is the right software and technology and a new and exciting ...

--> A sermon for the Eve of the Annunciation Genesis 3.8-15 ; Galatians 4.1-5 “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman”. In the depths of Channel Four’s schedules, there is a programme called Tattoo Fixers .   In this programme people arrive with an array of badly crafted tattoos, and those which are less funny once the owner has sobered up. The programme’s team of tattoo artists then transform the tattoos into more tasteful and more beautiful tattoo by integrating the original design into their new art.   The original tattoo is not erased, but cannot be seen any longer. This evening we celebrate God’s plan for the redemption of the world.   “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman” as St Paul puts it.   This plan is announced to Mary by the Angel Gabriel.   It is a plan that is not just for us, but which will have an effect on the whole of creation.   We have sung the M...

Review of Pass It On: Bible Tales Like You've Never Read Them Before (Bible Society, 2015) I picked this up for free outside a branch of the Entertainer toy shop.   It is the retelling of five Bible stories, together with illustrations.   It’s from the Bible Society , and they have brought in some great names to do this. First up is Anthony Horowitz retelling of the Tower of Babel ( Genesis 11.1-9 ).   It is a solid and enjoyable retelling, with all kinds of references to missiles, ancient kings and Bruegel’s painting of Babel.   Martin Coleman’s retelling of Daniel in the Lion’s Den is poetic in the way that books for young children are, and beautifully illustrated by Tim Slater.   It should really be in the larger format of a picture book for bedtime stories!   The comedy of Jonah is captured by Gavin Tyte (who wrote T he Hip-Hop Gospel of Luke ).   This is a bit saggy in places, but worth it for Jonah thinking ‘tha...

Review of Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson, Leading from the Second Chair: Serving your Church, Fulfilling your Role, and Realizing your Dreams (Jossey-Bass, 2005). I had heard much about this book before I read it, and it did not disappoint.   This is a common sense and helpful approach to being a leader when you are not in the position of power and control in an institution.   As an account of leadership, it recognises the leadership of an individual, is responsible in terms of the needs of the organisation and intentional in helping people to own what they are doing.   As a second chair leader in two different roles within the Church, and as a former first chair leader, I found this helpful.   As someone responsible for the development of clergy, I will often turn to this as a resource. Bonem and Patterson organise their reflections around three paradoxes.   Each reflects some of the tension of being a leader but not being i...