JD and I LOVED tonight's movie "Once" about a busker (street musician) and a Eastern European girl ... a love story, but not your typical one; a love of music is first and foremost their love, and friendship together.
We're a little late to view it; the song won at 2008 Academy Awards but STILL it was great. A movie full of heart and emotion, and HOPE (one of my themes here). It was a bit slow getting started but then you love it and we both cried at the end.
Monday, 28 April 2008
New bishops in Manchester
"Two for the price of one" was how one dignitary welcomed TWO - not just one but two - new bishops to the Church of England Diocese of Manchester ... our temporary Anglican home on Sunday 27 April at a special welcoming service and evensong at the Cathedral.
It's quite an event, I guess, to have two at the same time. They were consecrated in York by Archbishop Sentamu on Friday, then officially seated in the Cathedral and welcomed on Sunday.
It was a lovely service - if a bit long ... with lots of dignitaries (most of the local mayors beside Manchester's with their gold chains) as well as Canons, etc. and of course Bp Nigel grinning now that he's got 2 bishops and the diocese is running fully staffed again. Our area bishop will be Mark of Middleton who is the youngest Bishop in all of Church of England. He'll be here in Gorton on 7 June to install our new Team Rector.
Sunday, 27 April 2008
Sunday at St James, Gorton
This week I was at the closest church of the 3 -- St James. Let me introduce you to the place and people ...
Sunday at St Philip's, Gorton
After St James, I walked to St Philip's the next closest church ... they had finished their liturgy (which a colleague had led). You can see there are different characters to the two churches; and there's a third I didn't get to this week.
Saturday, 26 April 2008
My Gorton Neighborhood
Here's a walk around my Gorton neighborhood .. won't you join me?? (there are about 50 photos and it takes about 3 minutes to watch.
Happy Saturday & Happy Orthodox Easter
A photo of JD and me just outside our garden wall and side pathway with St James Church in the background. My mom took this on her trip here in May 2007 - although it does look like winter - it was a cold rainy summer last year.
LATER I had my hair "done" (not this photo) at a local shop (just 20 steps away) and my hairdresser Marie reminded me that this evening is Greek Orthodox' Great Vigil (11 pm) and Easter Liturgy (1 AM). So Happy Easter to my Orthodox sisters and brothers!
Friday, 25 April 2008
Friday Five
Singing Owl on Rev Gal Pal Blogs asked this week's Friday Five:
Yesterday I had two separate conversations in which people were musing about how much change is occurring. The WW II generation, of which my mom is a part, went from horse and buggy to automobiles, saw the lessening, or even the end of many diseases, went from widespread use of kerosene lamps and outhouses (in the country, and most folks were rural)) to a totally electrified and plumbed society. The fastest means of communication was a telegraph. The second conversation--gulp--was about MY generation and how much change occurred in the last half of the 20th century. The person said his 13 year old had not seen a vinyl record album until a few days before, couldn't remember a time without cell phones, and on and on.
1. What modern convenience/invention could you absolutely, positively not live
without? Electricity ! Which runs so much of what I take for granted ... I'd love to be able to produce my own however with solar and/or wind generation!
2. What modern convenience/invention do you wish had never seen the light of day?
Why? Nothing really .. it's what we humans do with the devices that are the problem, isn't it? Anything that can be used for evil, or make us "crazy" (which I think is the subtext here) had at one time a good and proper use. However, from time to time on public transport here in the UK, I'd wish there was a "MUTE" button on people using their mobile (cell phone) around me!
3. Do you own a music-playing device older than a CD player? More than one? If
so, do you use it (them)? hmmm older than a CD player ... no; and only one due to a student budget, otherwise it would be more probably. OOPS - just realized we do have a tiny electric radio in the kitchen but that's because we're in England.
4. Do you find the rapid change in our world exciting, scary, a mix...or something
else? Probably a mix, as above, it's what we do with things that scares me but the amazing creativity of making things smaller and smaller (ie technologies) - that is exciting. Thinking of what it means to be a scientist these days is a challenge that our theology hasn't caught up with in many cases.
5. What did our forebears have that we have lost and you'd like to regain? Bonus
points if you have a suggestion of how to begin that process. Living without a car puts you in touch with some of this; not to romanticize our forebears but there is something about being closer to the people around you - not being insulated - that is humanizing. Although it takes a lot to do when the people around you are not like yourself (ie the immigration and changing ethnic/religious demographic). How to bring it back ?? Probably through lots and lots of relationship building : talking casually with people is impossible in cars, but on foot or public transport it happens more naturally. Making the environments where casual talking, milling around, "doing" something without purpose - all that can start to be a way to regain what I'd describe as "knowing one's neighbor" which needs to happen before you can begin to "love your neighbor."
Yesterday I had two separate conversations in which people were musing about how much change is occurring. The WW II generation, of which my mom is a part, went from horse and buggy to automobiles, saw the lessening, or even the end of many diseases, went from widespread use of kerosene lamps and outhouses (in the country, and most folks were rural)) to a totally electrified and plumbed society. The fastest means of communication was a telegraph. The second conversation--gulp--was about MY generation and how much change occurred in the last half of the 20th century. The person said his 13 year old had not seen a vinyl record album until a few days before, couldn't remember a time without cell phones, and on and on.
1. What modern convenience/invention could you absolutely, positively not live
without? Electricity ! Which runs so much of what I take for granted ... I'd love to be able to produce my own however with solar and/or wind generation!
2. What modern convenience/invention do you wish had never seen the light of day?
Why? Nothing really .. it's what we humans do with the devices that are the problem, isn't it? Anything that can be used for evil, or make us "crazy" (which I think is the subtext here) had at one time a good and proper use. However, from time to time on public transport here in the UK, I'd wish there was a "MUTE" button on people using their mobile (cell phone) around me!
3. Do you own a music-playing device older than a CD player? More than one? If
so, do you use it (them)? hmmm older than a CD player ... no; and only one due to a student budget, otherwise it would be more probably. OOPS - just realized we do have a tiny electric radio in the kitchen but that's because we're in England.
4. Do you find the rapid change in our world exciting, scary, a mix...or something
else? Probably a mix, as above, it's what we do with things that scares me but the amazing creativity of making things smaller and smaller (ie technologies) - that is exciting. Thinking of what it means to be a scientist these days is a challenge that our theology hasn't caught up with in many cases.
5. What did our forebears have that we have lost and you'd like to regain? Bonus
points if you have a suggestion of how to begin that process. Living without a car puts you in touch with some of this; not to romanticize our forebears but there is something about being closer to the people around you - not being insulated - that is humanizing. Although it takes a lot to do when the people around you are not like yourself (ie the immigration and changing ethnic/religious demographic). How to bring it back ?? Probably through lots and lots of relationship building : talking casually with people is impossible in cars, but on foot or public transport it happens more naturally. Making the environments where casual talking, milling around, "doing" something without purpose - all that can start to be a way to regain what I'd describe as "knowing one's neighbor" which needs to happen before you can begin to "love your neighbor."
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