Sunday, Sunday

My first Sunday at home but not at Dovedale - very strange.

I went to the 10.45 service at St Andrews's on Queen's Drive. It was a totally wild, informal service, with Cliff Jenkinson leading the singing and the vicar Steve McGanity speaking, and I was well looked after by Paul and Paula Beasley.

The service was the least-Anglican Anglican church service I've ever been to (and I've been to a few wild ones). Nothing about it said it was an Anglican service - nothing. But I suppose it was. Anyway the singing was enthusiastic, the fellowship palpable and the word was challenging, followed by a ministry prayer time when three-quarters of the congregation went forward for prayer. God bless the fantastic culturally-relavant efforts being made there.

It restored my faith in the power of the local church.

A day of regrouping my thoughts

Hmm.. first day after my retreat study days, and I don't seem to have achieved much. I have been doing some thinking - does that count as work? A bit of writing here and there, and it's back to my BBC job tomorrow.

Back to Liverpool

I'm now back home after five days retreat and study at St Deiniol's Library in Hawarden. It's been a good few days and seeemed a long time. Most of the time was just reading, studying and writing, with meal breaks and the occasional walk.

It was very odd and isolating to be away from the TV and the internet for five days, as well as being away from family, collegues and friends. I did buy a daily newspaper and listen to some Radio 4, so I wasn't exactly cast adrift, but I still felt out of touch and a little vulnerable and lonely - which surprised me about myself.

Some more information on what I did and where my thoughts are heading will follow later.

In the deep dark recesses of the Local History library

I've spent six hours today in the Liverpool Records Office wading through microfilm of local papers from 1886, then reading obscure and long-forgotten talks given by HSB. Lovely!
HSB was quite outspoken about the excesses of Victorian Liverpool, yet he always put forward postive suggestions, it wasn't just soapbox moralising. Perhaps we accept the immorality of today's society too lightly and should be more outspoken.
HSB was sure of this: the heart of the problem is the problem of the human heart. A change in the law or in the "system" won't change anything unless people are changed. And Jesus is the great change-maker.
The MPs who debate changing the system to push out the greedy cheasts in parliament could do with remembering that - change comes one person at a time, not one regulation at a time.

I'm off to Hawarden tomorrow to stay at St Deiniol's for a few days and I'm not sure if I can blog from there.

Day Two

Second day of work on my sabbatical studies and I've become a historian, digging around in sources that reveal 1823 to us. I know that sounds dreary but I've enjoyed it immensely.
It's reminding me that Jesus is the Lord of yesterday, today and tomorrow, and that the God who they knew in Georgian times is the same God we know now.

Tomorrow I've poring over microfilm. Happy days!

Day One

And so it begins..

Day One of my study leave, and I've been reading John Briggs' book, "The English Baptists of the Nineteenth Century" for background to HSB.

I've also been working through a talk HSB gave the YMCA - I think it was speaking tour he did in 1856-57. The talk is pretty tough going, but some inspiring stuff on making the most of your time, and on allowing the ambitions of "the working man" - not just the educated classes.

Last day in church

It was my last day at Dovedale Church this morning until the end of my sabbatical study leave in August. We had a tremendous time in church. The place was packed for our special celebration of marriage. All the work and preparation was worthwhile.

So now the sabbatical study leave begins. This is what I wrote for our church news sheet today:

“Thank you for allowing me this time for study and reflection. I am following two themes in my reading and writing:

1. I want to make good progress on writing the first biography of Hugh Stowell Brown, an influential Baptist preacher in Liverpool in the second half of the 19th century. Our roots at Dovedale are in Myrtle Street Church, which was led by Brown for 40 years. He was also a social reformer and President of the Baptist Union.

2. I will be doing some reading and writing on the nature of work and Christian ministry. My role, which combines ministry at Dovedale with a wider ministry at the BBC, is an unusual one in Baptist churches, but opens up all sorts of possibilities for ministry, and may be a pattern for other small Baptist churches to adopt.

During my three months of study leave I will still be working for the BBC as usual. My working pattern will be to spend all day Monday and Tuesday on my studies, then work at the BBC from Wednesday to Friday, with Saturday as a day off where possible. I plan to worship at other churches on Sundays, to learn from the ministry of others.

This coming week is different as I have taken the week off from my BBC work to spend a whole week on my sabbatical studies. From Thursday I’m going on a few days of retreat and reading at St Deiniol’s Library in Hawarden. This is a residential library set up by William Gladstone and offers just the facilities i need to get away for a while.

I’d appreciate it if you could remember me in prayer during my sabbatical, and please pray for Val who will be taking on extra responsibilities.

If you want to follow what I’m doing from week to week then I’ll be “blogging” my sabbatical at http://areadyman.blogspot.com . I’m also building a website about Hugh Stowell Brown’s life and works at http://www.aReadyMan.com .”

As it says, your prayers are appreciated.

One week to go

My sabbatical study leave starts a week today. I've ordered some Baptist history books from the Baptist Historical Society. I'm planning to apply for membership of this body.
I'm hoping to get to the Liverpool Record Office next week to look at what the local papers said about HSB, particularly around his death and funeral.
I'm then going on five days reading retreat to St Deniol's Library in Hawarden, which should kick start my sabbatical studies.

Two weeks to go

My sabbatical starts in two weeks' time. I want to go to the Liverpool records office as one of the first ports of call, to look up HSB's funeral in the local press, and any other references to him.

I'm also going to St Deiniol's Library in Hawarden in my first week for a few days of study and prayer.

I want to keep up with this blog, and put plenty of content on to the website www.areadyman.com. I'm also doing some reading about faith and work and ministry, which will have its own content on the website.