Ray's Blog: July 2010
The Vicar
The historic hub of Holy Island is the Church of England parish church of St. Mary. Only this church has a full-time resident priest. This priest is known as The Vicar. The word Vicar - which is like the English word vicarious - implies that the priest acts on...
The Shed
I have been allowed to employ a P.A for 8 hours a week who will relieve our new, smaller, less attended Community office of non routine matters that come my way. Holy Island has a chronic shortage of accommodation and staff. The planners have required us to get rid of...
The Boat
The boat's name is Elsdale. You reach it by crossing the bridge at West Drayton overground rail station, west London. About forty people got on board before it cruised off last Saturday, with two staff, a finger buffet, lots of bottles, Archdeacon Rachel, representing her bishop, and two people...
Birthday * Bowthorpe * Blessings
Nineteen 'Aidan and Hilda' people gathered at George and Mollie's Norwich house for an Agape meal and sharing of news and my 'year-long significant birthday' (lucky me).
The following day about seventy old friends came to a marvellous birthday drop-in at Bowthorpe Church Centre. Such kindness. Such creativity. I...
Speakers Corner, Hyde Park: My Soap Box.
I attend the 50th anniversary of my cousin Ken's ordination as a priest at Saint Aidan's Church, Little Chalfont. Two days holiday in London follow. I spend the first at the famed Speakers Corner. There Yusuf gives me a book about Christ in Islam. An African shouts this question...
The Person
People who come here to Holy Island to chill out or retreat for may ask someone to give one-off spiritual direction - clergy do this especially. This week Whitehouse has hosted such pilgrims. Typically, one person has become stale, another exhausted, or another discouraged. Do not be horrified, you...
Bullet-proof Angel
John and Olive Drane discuss in White House garden preparations for the autumn visit of theologians from Fuller Seminary, USA . I will lead one day of their week on the island.
Knowing of John's role as a tutor in an evangelical Christian college and of his...
The Balfour Declaration
Monica converses in the garden at White House. It is a riot of colours. In her quiet times God has given her a thought about a key to peace in the Middle East. As I understand it, in 1917 the British Government, which with France ruled lands of Palestinians...
