Judging by the spray, a bit of it is still working, but this is amazing.
compare and contrast
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
Niagara Falls, Frozen Solid
Judging by the spray, a bit of it is still working, but this is amazing.
compare and contrast
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
British Summer: Installation Failed
For those of you not on Facebook, where this corker is doing the rounds.
Friday, June 01, 2012
Praying for Weather
My main current preoccupation is Sundays weather, as we've got a big bash planned for the Jubilee, and having space around the local community hall as well as inside it will be really helpful. Especially as we have no idea how many are coming!
Theological/pastoral problem: praying for less rain here will, all other things being equal, mean more rain somewhere else, unless the front miraculously retreats to the Atlantic. What kind of weather systems result from different groups of people effectively praying against each other? Does God actually answer prayers for weather?
I know God is trying to teach me to trust him more, and there have been several things in the last week which should have made the penny drop. It will be fine, even if the weather isn't. It just might get a bit crowded, that's all.
Theological/pastoral problem: praying for less rain here will, all other things being equal, mean more rain somewhere else, unless the front miraculously retreats to the Atlantic. What kind of weather systems result from different groups of people effectively praying against each other? Does God actually answer prayers for weather?
I know God is trying to teach me to trust him more, and there have been several things in the last week which should have made the penny drop. It will be fine, even if the weather isn't. It just might get a bit crowded, that's all.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Ice Age: Advice for Churches
Just through from the Diocesan office...
Urgent - Diocesan Guidelines for local churches in the event of sudden Ice Age
Important: Meteorological and Geological research at the Poles suggests that previous ice ages happened in a matter of days rather than over thousands of years, triggered by global warming. Most churches are totally unprepared for ministry and mission at – 50 Centigrade!
The present cold spell has underlined the need for these guidelines
Please read these guidelines carefully.
In the event of a sudden ice age ….
Ministerial and Organisational
Older churches will stay open (as no noticeable change in temperature).
Some PCCs, clergy chapters, 8.00 am congregations can continue meet as usual (same reason).
Liquid Churches will be frozen indefinitely.
Emerging Churches – will disappear again.
Clergy Capability Procedure to be revised and reissued as ‘Clergy Incapability
Procedure’.
CME grants will be claimable for:
Thermal cassocks
Inuit-English phrase books
Thermal underwear
Lem Sip
Thermal Scrabble
Mission and training resources
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Sledge
Bob Jackson - The Road to Hypothermia (fully revised)
Revised Arctic edition ‘Igloo-Shaped Church’
Study guides on:
‘Leading your church into a Crevasse’.
‘Developing every-penguin-ministry’.
‘Go with the floe - reaching out to the unchilled.
DVDs of ‘Scott of the Antarctic’, Ice Age 1&2, Ice Station Zebra, Ski Sunday highlights.
New Grove Books Arctic series is planned
‘Parish visiting in the Arctic’ – coping with frosty receptions.
‘Leading Evangelistic igloo meetings’ – some ice breakers.
In preparation - recipes for those Arctic Alpha meals: incs Penguin casserole, Penguin en Croute, Medallion of Penguin, Quiche (V), Arctic Roll or Penguin biscuits. Wines (chilled).
Worship Resources
‘Permafrost Praise’ – new song book includes ‘In the bleak mid winter’, ‘Empty, frozen here I stand’, ‘All through the night’ and ‘Snow Jesus Snow’.
Children’s section includes favourite - ‘Jesus wants me for an ice berg’.
Common Worship Guidelines includes
Baptising with ice
Communion with frozen wine (…. bread, priest and congregation etc)
Sharing the peace (frequently, vigorously and prolonged - but not on lips).
Leading ‘All-Penguin’ worship.
During the sunless winter months (September 1st to August 25th), Morning and Evening Prayer will be replaced by continuous Night Prayer.
Specially adapted version of the Psalms including: Ps 23 ‘The Lord is my Penguin Herdsperson’ and Ps 130 ‘Out of the Crevasses I cry to thee, O Lord’
Encultured sermon outlines on the sayings of Jesus including -
‘Many are cold but few are frozen’
‘You didn’t freeze me, I froze you’ etc
Health and Safety notes:
Vocations and Selection - all Bishops Advisory Panels must be thoroughly defrosted before use.
Derby Diocese will join the Northern Arctic Regional Training Partnership
All courses will be accredited by the Rejkavik College of Higher Education
CME (vicar training) days coming up
Training your husky (sequel to days on ‘Finding your Husky’ and ‘Catching your Husky’)
How to make: harpoons/sledges/ice shoes/igloos/whale fat reading lamps/ a living (delete as applicable)
thanks to Chris for forwarding this.
Urgent - Diocesan Guidelines for local churches in the event of sudden Ice Age
Important: Meteorological and Geological research at the Poles suggests that previous ice ages happened in a matter of days rather than over thousands of years, triggered by global warming. Most churches are totally unprepared for ministry and mission at – 50 Centigrade!
The present cold spell has underlined the need for these guidelines
Please read these guidelines carefully.
In the event of a sudden ice age ….
Ministerial and Organisational
Older churches will stay open (as no noticeable change in temperature).
Some PCCs, clergy chapters, 8.00 am congregations can continue meet as usual (same reason).
Liquid Churches will be frozen indefinitely.
Emerging Churches – will disappear again.
Clergy Capability Procedure to be revised and reissued as ‘Clergy Incapability
Procedure’.
CME grants will be claimable for:
Thermal cassocks
Inuit-English phrase books
Thermal underwear
Lem Sip
Thermal Scrabble
Mission and training resources
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Sledge
Bob Jackson - The Road to Hypothermia (fully revised)
Revised Arctic edition ‘Igloo-Shaped Church’
Study guides on:
‘Leading your church into a Crevasse’.
‘Developing every-penguin-ministry’.
‘Go with the floe - reaching out to the unchilled.
DVDs of ‘Scott of the Antarctic’, Ice Age 1&2, Ice Station Zebra, Ski Sunday highlights.
New Grove Books Arctic series is planned
‘Parish visiting in the Arctic’ – coping with frosty receptions.
‘Leading Evangelistic igloo meetings’ – some ice breakers.
In preparation - recipes for those Arctic Alpha meals: incs Penguin casserole, Penguin en Croute, Medallion of Penguin, Quiche (V), Arctic Roll or Penguin biscuits. Wines (chilled).
Worship Resources
‘Permafrost Praise’ – new song book includes ‘In the bleak mid winter’, ‘Empty, frozen here I stand’, ‘All through the night’ and ‘Snow Jesus Snow’.
Children’s section includes favourite - ‘Jesus wants me for an ice berg’.
Common Worship Guidelines includes
Baptising with ice
Communion with frozen wine (…. bread, priest and congregation etc)
Sharing the peace (frequently, vigorously and prolonged - but not on lips).
Leading ‘All-Penguin’ worship.
During the sunless winter months (September 1st to August 25th), Morning and Evening Prayer will be replaced by continuous Night Prayer.
Specially adapted version of the Psalms including: Ps 23 ‘The Lord is my Penguin Herdsperson’ and Ps 130 ‘Out of the Crevasses I cry to thee, O Lord’
Encultured sermon outlines on the sayings of Jesus including -
‘Many are cold but few are frozen’
‘You didn’t freeze me, I froze you’ etc
Health and Safety notes:
Vocations and Selection - all Bishops Advisory Panels must be thoroughly defrosted before use.
Derby Diocese will join the Northern Arctic Regional Training Partnership
All courses will be accredited by the Rejkavik College of Higher Education
CME (vicar training) days coming up
Training your husky (sequel to days on ‘Finding your Husky’ and ‘Catching your Husky’)
How to make: harpoons/sledges/ice shoes/igloos/whale fat reading lamps/ a living (delete as applicable)
thanks to Chris for forwarding this.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
It Raineth Upon....
Somerset is a snapshot of English religion at the moment. And it's been raining on all of them:
- The 'atheist summer camp' at Bruton, with 24 children attending. I hadn't picked up that it was an American 'ministry' extending its reach to the UK. Less press coverage is being given to the thousands of children and young people on CPAS Ventures and Falcon camps - if you count Soul Survivor there's roughly 30,000. If 24 is a 'big following' (the Times) then I wait to see what adjectives are used of the Christian camps. To its credit, the Times has a couple of pieces on Christian summer camps too. (note to commentors: no rubbish about 'brainwashing' please, that's what happens in places like North Korea, please don't cheapen the term by applying to these camps, whichever sort it is you don't like).
- a few miles to the West it's New Wine at the moment, and tweeters have noticed the rain and mud, along with lots of other, better things. Thousands are there for worship, teaching and fun, and along with Soul Survivor NW pretty much takes over the Bath and West Showground for the whole of the summer holidays. For a flavour, the evening talks will be live on Hope FM next week (2-8th Aug)
- further along the Mendips, a witch has just been selected for Wookey Hole (local cave/tourist attraction) out of 50,000 applicants. The original 'witch' is a rock formation in the cave, but the Hole trades quite heavily on 'the witch of Wookey Hole' as a marketing snare. Some of the applicants were clearly practicing witches, rather than just folk wanting to dress up in black and cackle. Bizarrely, the job is supposed to give people an idea of what the caves were like in the Dark Ages. Erm, exactly the same, but without spotlights and handrails?
- just up the hill from Wookey Hole, the Big Green Gathering (an outdoor Green Festival, bit like a smaller Glastonbury with less music and more eco stuff) has been cancelled following some shenanigans with the police. It would have had a healing field, sweat lodge and assorted New Age stuff, along with a few of the Christians who've developed forms of prayer and outreach for New Age contexts.
- Back down from the Mendips is Wells Cathedral, which next week will be hosting a memorial service for Harry Patch, the last surviving WW1 veteran who died recently. Over 1000 are expected to attend.
So, what's the rain? Is it God's judgement on the atheists and the witches, or a trial to prove the faith of the Christians? Is it a succesful deluge to wash away some New Age claptrap, or a suitable sign of mourning to mark the passing of a generation?
Or is it just rain?
- The 'atheist summer camp' at Bruton, with 24 children attending. I hadn't picked up that it was an American 'ministry' extending its reach to the UK. Less press coverage is being given to the thousands of children and young people on CPAS Ventures and Falcon camps - if you count Soul Survivor there's roughly 30,000. If 24 is a 'big following' (the Times) then I wait to see what adjectives are used of the Christian camps. To its credit, the Times has a couple of pieces on Christian summer camps too. (note to commentors: no rubbish about 'brainwashing' please, that's what happens in places like North Korea, please don't cheapen the term by applying to these camps, whichever sort it is you don't like).
- a few miles to the West it's New Wine at the moment, and tweeters have noticed the rain and mud, along with lots of other, better things. Thousands are there for worship, teaching and fun, and along with Soul Survivor NW pretty much takes over the Bath and West Showground for the whole of the summer holidays. For a flavour, the evening talks will be live on Hope FM next week (2-8th Aug)
- further along the Mendips, a witch has just been selected for Wookey Hole (local cave/tourist attraction) out of 50,000 applicants. The original 'witch' is a rock formation in the cave, but the Hole trades quite heavily on 'the witch of Wookey Hole' as a marketing snare. Some of the applicants were clearly practicing witches, rather than just folk wanting to dress up in black and cackle. Bizarrely, the job is supposed to give people an idea of what the caves were like in the Dark Ages. Erm, exactly the same, but without spotlights and handrails?
- just up the hill from Wookey Hole, the Big Green Gathering (an outdoor Green Festival, bit like a smaller Glastonbury with less music and more eco stuff) has been cancelled following some shenanigans with the police. It would have had a healing field, sweat lodge and assorted New Age stuff, along with a few of the Christians who've developed forms of prayer and outreach for New Age contexts.
- Back down from the Mendips is Wells Cathedral, which next week will be hosting a memorial service for Harry Patch, the last surviving WW1 veteran who died recently. Over 1000 are expected to attend.
So, what's the rain? Is it God's judgement on the atheists and the witches, or a trial to prove the faith of the Christians? Is it a succesful deluge to wash away some New Age claptrap, or a suitable sign of mourning to mark the passing of a generation?
Or is it just rain?
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