Guest Blog: On Blogging

I tried my hand at ‘blogging’ (short for web log, like a diary on the world wide web) on the Dromore Cathedral website a while back and must say I enjoyed the experience and was never short of something to say. Each night I wrote down my thoughts and experiences as I reflected on my day. I must say though, although I do enjoy ‘surfing’, for me the news on the web however will never replace the newspaper which leaves your fingers grubby and is full of little snippets and which you can pore over and then use to light the fire

The trouble with the world wide web is exactly that, it’s worldwide and is very largely unregulated. Before the ‘fame’ of being a ‘blogger’ went to my head, I’m glad I still read newspapers. A journalist writing in one newspaper put it quite bluntly saying that anyone can go on line and “regurgitate bile into the blogsphere”. His main comment was this, “Just because you have an opinion, doesn’t mean you have to give it to people.” It made me think, what is the difference between my opinions, which I write for you to read, and all the bile?

I always endeavour earnestly that everything I write for anyone to read is based on the Bible. I believe in the Bible, in the promises it contains, promises made by God. I’ll share an opinion shall I? It would be my opinion, based on observation, that the world around me will offer me nothing but empty promises. Again, in my opinion, looking to the ‘real’ world, the ‘fly on the wall’, for guidance on how to live my life gives me the latest reality TV ‘stars’ as role models, makes me spend more than I can afford, unhappy with the body I have and so forth. In fact, one sure way to be unhappy with every area of my life these days would be to be unduly influenced by the world wide web and listen solely to opinions.

At the beginning of the month I was involved with planning an open air worship event in Dromore Square, billed as a cross community event to close Dromore’s Civic Week. No pressure there then! And so I prayed for help. Here it was, on the face of it, my big chance to say what I wanted, and my opinions about what people in Dromore should hear. It was cross community, so no just lifting readings out of the Church of Ireland Book of Common Prayer. Yes Easter could have been a theme, but, no. I had my own ideas, my opinions, but no. And so I prayed, and my friends prayed and the Cathedral prayed.

On the Thursday before the event I was in Liverpool airport, returning from a meeting and was irritated when my return flight was delayed and to top it off my mobile was out of charge. It was a late flight, and so the airport was relatively quiet. I found a quiet spot, and decided to make the most of the time. Now this is quite unlike me as I’m usually huffing and puffing and tutting over a delay, but as I sat over a bite of supper, again unlike me, I felt such a calmness descend on me. Most of the mechanics of the worship were in place, but I still had nothing apart from my own opinions to say. For some reason, my little eating spot remained empty with the revellers at the hen and stag parties at the other end of the airport.

I sat in a calm ‘heavenly bubble’. God had watched over me for days, weeks, putting people in my path, but now it was time to talk to me. I sat with a blank piece of paper and a New Testament in front of me and wrote four words. “WHAT DOES GOD WANT?” What did God want for Dromore Square on Sunday 10th May 2009 at 3.30pm? Was there one particular person He would speak to, were there many? From that moment I had such a focus and I soon had a full A4 page of notes for what was only going to be one Bible reading and a few accompanying words. The rest was up to me and He would watch over us all.

In my opinion, what I said in the Square is worth repeating and I’ll close with this.
I read a passage found in 1 Corinthians 12:12-20. “One Body, Many Parts.”
“The body is a unit, though it is made of many parts: and though all it’s parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink”

And I said. “A church is not a building with walls and a ceiling. A church is the people inside the building. You are the church.”

(PS In case you wondered, my opinions and what God wanted me to say, were on this occasion really very similar)
Lynn

This article was contributed by Mrs McF, and also appeared in Dromore Cathedral Parish Post June 2009 edition.

Could You Live on £2 Per Day?

Back in the home parish (Dromore Cathedral), four parishioners were planning to go out to Sudan on a mission trip. However, due to the current situation, it was not possible for them to travel. One of the team, Lynn, has undertaken a poverty challenge this week, to put herself in their shoes, as well as raising money for the Sudan. What would it be like to live on £2 per day? Keep up with her experiences on the Dromore Cathedral website.

For now, Farewell

I'm not sure what to say, yet I have to say something before moving to other topics on the blog. Yesterday, I was privileged to be asked to take part in the funeral service for Constable James Magee. As I said before, James was my best friend in Primary School as we grew up.

I've taken other funerals, and thought that they were hard enough - even when I didn't really know the person. But yesterday was the hardest of my life and ministry. Dromore Cathedral was packed full, with many more outside. The last time I was in the Cathedral, was the night I was ordained, and here I was back for a terribly sad occasion. As well as the cathedral being full, there were crowds outside, as well as the obligatory media circus.

I never imagined that just a few months into my ordained ministry I would be helping at the very public funeral of a childhood friend. Yet it happened. Stephen Lowry led the service so well - his pastoral heart shone through as he found words to comfort, recalling James perfectly, and also in sensitively proclaiming God's word. Trevor McKeown and Gareth Harron read lessons, and all three were supportive as I prepared to lead the prayers.

I will never forget the funeral - images and sounds are lodged in my memory. The sound of the policemen marching, and carrying the coffin. The sound of the hymns being sung. The sound of weeping and wailing. The Chief Constable, Sir Hugh Orde, laying a wreath on the grave. Another PSNI officer presenting James' cap and gloves to the parents.

Yet now, when the spotlight is off the family, now is when it will particularly hit hard for the family - please continue to be praying for Freda and Bawn, Sarah and Rachel, and the whole family.

Suffering for my art

I got a new camera on Saturday - after a long time of looking and comparing prices and movie features and mega pixels etc... So of course, I want to be using it, to get the good of it.

On Monday, after I'd been working for a while, and my head spinning with inclusion and exclusion theory, I decided to go for a walk. Started off down the riverside walk, trying to get photos of the Cathedral, but the trees and all are so overgrown it was impossible to get a nice angle... continued in round the park and out to the viaduct, where it seems some bad stuff has been happening, according to the Dromore Leader a few weeks back - please note, this is not suitable for younger readers.

Anyway, back to my walk... I then went up over Barban Hill, and coming down the other side, noticed a good view of the Cathedral. So I climbed up onto what I thought was a bank... only to discover it was actually a ridge, and down the other side I went, feet first into lots of nettles! Thankfully I only was stung once, on my finger, and it's fine now. So I pockled up again and got my balance on top of the ridge for some photo-taking. Here's the result:

Good to see the new roof on the Cathedral looking so well!

I then got down from the ridge and started walking, only to find something in my shoe... a snail! I have no idea how it managed to get in, possibly during my freefall... but I got it out (undamaged) and went on my merry way! Next stop was the Mound, and got some photos and also a video of the town from the top of the mound. What an adventure!