I realise that in recent weeks this blog has been little more than a place to post my sermons. Life has been busy. Some of that has been ministry – some big and painful things have happened, which I won’t discuss here for reasons of pastoral confidence.
We have also been busy with preparations for our forthcoming move of circuit. In August, we shall be on our way to Surrey, since (subject to the approval of the Methodist Conference) I shall take up a new post in the Woking and Walton-on-Thames circuit. We have made a couple of visits down there – one to check things out at the manse, another this last week to have a full tour of the school our children will be attending.
While we were at the school, we drew our children’s attention to a project they have that links them with a village in Uganda. The people grow chillis to sell in order to make a living. There is now a link with a local school there, too. We explained that people in other countries don’t always have the food or money that we have.
All I can say is, it’s funny and illuminating to see how young children take in these matters. The next day, Mark (our five-year-old) announced he no longer planned to follow a career as an author. Instead, he was going to set up huge supermarkets in Uganda, bigger than Tesco’s or Morrison’s, so that people could choose what they wanted to eat. We pointed out they still wouldn’t have much money and wouldn’t be able to buy all the lovely things in his supermarkets.
“That’s easy,” he said. “I’ll open shops where they can buy money.”
Sigh. If only …
Big Circumstance 
Tell Mark that when he runs for parliament with a manifesto like that I’ll vote for him.
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Then there’s his desire to have every member of the BNP rounded up and killed. (I don’t approve of that one, however much I detest the BNP’s policies.)
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I also like Mark’s thought processes. I really enjoy teaching scripture to children in their first year of school – their (sometimes brutal) honesty is refreshing, at least in small doses! There is some controversy going on here about the introduction of an ethics course for children not doing scripture (govt. primary schools) – the Anglicans are really up in arms about it and as I teach under the Anglican banner I’ve had to leap from the safety of sitting on the fence.
Good to see you’ve been checking out schools in your new posting – I’ve meant to say to you that I like on your logo that you’ve listed “Husband & Dad” ahead of “Methodist minister” – good one.
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Thanks, Pam, that’s kind of you. Yes, listing family rôles ahead of ministry is deliberate. I find people don’t always appreciate the importance of that. Perhaps I’ll say no more in a public arena!
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Ah, the Woking area. In my former territory when I was Finance Manager for what is now SW Trains from 86-89. And when my younger brother returned from OMF work in Japan, he was appointed the assistant pastor at the New Life Church in Woking. He and his wife bemoaned the fact there was at that time (late 90s) no nearby Asda which made shopping dearer than for us in Watford.
Still perhaps Mark can get that sorted!
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I’ll see what Mark can do on the supermarket front! 🙂
I shall have two churches: Knaphill and Addlestone Methodist churches. Knaphill has a Co-Op next to the church and a Sainsbury’s in a neighbouring village; Addlestone has a Tesco. I’ve no idea about Asda, though!
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