Sunday 7 September 2008

1st September

Royal Geographical Society annual meeting lamented the demise of the map.

Sat Navs ignored all the important things to the right and the left of us: we were beginning to seriously ignore our heritage.

There was no longer a sense of place.

Recently challenged on a day retreat to do a map of my own life:

M ission
A action
P lan

What are the priorities?
What resources do we have?

David Hope as Bishop of London and his Agenda for Action programme.

Teaching & Nurture
Care and Service
Prayer and Worship.

Do we know where we are going?

24th August St Bartholomew

In Med countries - there is a higher view of St Bartholomew:

Visiting Catalonia a few years ago _ I was there on this feast day and witnessed the street processions and the carpet of flowers.

What do we know about him?
that he was one of the 12 -probably Nathaniel.
Eusebius suggests that he visited India and Armenia

The only direct reference to him in the Gospels comes in St John:
"Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile."

He shows a simple focus on the task in hand.

Josiah Holland, writing in the 19th century said that these early Apostles had

Strong Minds
Strong Hearts
True Faith
Ready Hand

They were

open to God

they balanced the mystery of God and the reality of the world

They were focused and realistic.