Rain overnight, on and off for much of the day, again. I woke up at eight to listen to the news, and after this I was surprised to find that Sunday Worship was being broadcast from Roath, presented by members of 'Urban Crofters', a local community based evangelical missionary initiative which took over St Anne's Church at the invitation of the previous bishop of Llandaff five or six years ago. It emphasises creativity and offers pastoral care and support to young families in the neighbourhood. I don't know any more about the group's background, or relationship to the wider church.
It's a curious anomaly that 'Urban Crofters' is part of the Central Cardiff Ministry Area, as is the 'Citizen Church', mission initiative that took over St Teilo's Parish Church, obliging its congregation to merge with St Michael's. Roath and Cathays Parish churches belong in one Ministry Area, but, these two initiatives don't relate to their Anglican parish neighbours, but exist as 'empires within an empire' as the saying goes.
I still don't understand the reasoning behind this or how it's supposed to be beneficial. I'm not against 'fresh expressions of church' or new missionary initiatives. Anglican ministry and mission has long had foundations in being present and serving in distinct localities. Alongside this, there's always been an element of congregations gathering across parochial borders too, but a good relationship between eclectic and localised congregations is also necessary. Both initiatives have easy to access, informative and polished websites, but don't really say enough about their history and identity, as if Anglican roots and relationship aren't part of the story they want to tell, apart from displaying the Church in Wales logo.
I find there's an element of disconnection between these new initiatives and traditional parishes that's disturbing. There's a presumption that any church plant starts from scratch and re-invents everything from the ground upwards. The worship broadcast I listened to this morning was themed on Remembrance Sunday, with a range of music, readings and speakers, but it was evangelical protestant in ethos with little suggest it had Anglican origins. I don't get it.
After breakfast, I drove to St German's to celebrate Mass with three dozen others, starting with reading the names of local parishioners who died on active service in the two world wars. Including a priest and a nun. The life and the history of the church's neighbourhood is prayed for and cherished by members, as it has been for the past century and a half. There was a real frisson of excitement, as a new round of interviews for a the appointment of parish priest took place on Friday. A candidate was offered and accepted the job. I am so delighted to think they'll have a local pastor of their own within the Ministry Area once more, even though it means my services will seldom be needed in future. It will be the third time I have worked myself out of a regular locum duty job there over the past ten years.
We'll soon have interviews for West Cardiff Ministry Area, and if successful I'll have worked my way out of a job on the home front as well. I can't say this bothers me. I've done a lot of locum duty here due to vacancies and sickness since I retired. Age is taking its toll. It's slowly become more of a pressure, and I look forward to some relief, stepping back and doing other things I care about and have little time for.
Traffic was slow returning home, and my journey was half as long again, but my lunch was kept warm for me in the oven, but it was two o'clock by the time I'd eaten. I worked then on next week's Sway for an hour and a half before going out for a walk. Heavy rain had stopped, but there were still a few showers. After yesterday's cross country athletics meeting in Llandaff Fields, all the equipment had left, apart from a few dozen crush barriers. All that remained was the muddy trampled areas of grass marking the courses used for the races. It will taken the turf a good while to recover in some places where drainage is poor.
I got home before sunset and listened on catch-up to Friday's episode of Norwegian crimmie 'For life' before supper, and Wednesday's episode of 'Shetland', both missed because I was out. Then the news, with some signs that the Israeli government is now allowing humanitarian pauses in Gaza after weeks of pressure from international agencies and the Americans. Calls for a cease-fire proper will fall on deaf ears until the Israelis have got back the hostages and eliminated as much of the Hamas threat as they can. It's also starting to be admitted that Hamas cannot be totally eliminated whatever is achieved. And then, with whom exactly can the details of a cease-fire be negotiated and by whom implemented?
It's all far more complex than it seems because the terrible destruction and displacement of people, has just about wiped out civil society and the means of self government. Israel doesn't want long term military occupation of Gaza. Long term aims weren't thought through at the outset. Two million Palestinians will be left needy and helpless, in full view of the community of nations. In the bloodiest and cruellest way possible Hamas' object will have been achieved; to draw attention to half a century of unfinished business in relation to creating a free and independent Palestinian state. The only long term solution to existing problems. It didn't have to be this way. When will we ever learn?
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