Slow going today

I've been doing some reading today, then continuing to write the chapter of the Hugh Stowell Brown autobiography I started yesterday.
It's slow going because there's so many historical details to fill in and get right. Almost every sentence prompts a question:
- Was Birmingham a city or a town in 1840? (town)
- How did a land surveyor work? (he threw a chain across the land)
- Who were the strange dark-skinned people of Biddulph Moor? (Saracens, maybe, or gypsies)
...and many more. It's been facinating, but frustratingly slow. I think the chapter is half way there now.
Now I want to carry on with it and get it finished, but tomorrow I have to go to work. The weeks of this sabbatical are slipping by very quickly.

Back to writing

Today, as well as a bit of admin, I've got back to writing the HSB biography, making some progress on the difficult chapter about Hugh's life as a "working man", experience which allowed him to speak with authority to "working men" for the whole of his ministry.
I've enjoying finding out more about railways and land surveying and working life in 1839-1842.

I've also been learning some new worship songs today and done some music practice - it's very rarely I find time for that!

Mossley Hill Church

Went to St Matthew and St James Mossley Hill this morning where they had a parade service - about 90 people there. Good engagement with the young people but the rest of us were left out a bit.
The talk was something about writing a letter but the rest of it I don't really remember. We did sing "When the Music Fades" though, which was for me the most engaging part - real encounter with God in that song, well led by Mike Swinson.
Tonight I'm going to St Andrew's Bebington where I'm being interviewed - not preaching. I'm talking about my work and ministry.

That's America done

Today I've been writing more of the Hugh Stowell Brown biography and I've finished the chapter on HSB's trip to the United Srates and Canada in 1872. It makes me feel like I've been on the grand tour myself.

I've also finished reading the book on the Temperance movement in Liverpool and relevant chapters of a book called "American Travellers in Liverpool" edited by David Seed.

Tomorrow I step back into 2009 as I go back to work at the BBC.

Back to the sabbatical

Back to the sabbatical studies today - Monday - after a week off. Had a great time with Val in Naples and Pompeii celebrating our Silver Wedding, and it's all too quickly gone.

Back to reading today: "Anti-Booze Crusaders in Victorian Liverpool" by Tim Malcolm, a good survey of the subject.

I've also been writing the chapter on HSB's trip to America in 1872. The challenge in this is making it interesting reading, not just a list of "he went here, then he went there". I plan to finish this chapter tomorrow, then move on to the challenging chapter on his early working life. I'm also working in the background on the chapter "What he believed" about his theology and his views on various matters.

Sunday at Elm Hall Drive

I was feeling very sleepy this morning as I went to church at Elm Hall Drive Methodist Church. The leader was a visiting local preacher and Susie Fox led a time with the children. It's strange being in the pews and part of me wanted to get up to the front, though most of me felt too tired anyway.
Most of today will be spent packing, getting ready to go to Naples tomorrow with Val to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, so the sabbatical work will have to be put on hold for a week.
I'm looking forward to being away of course, but I'm also itching to get back to the writing next week.
No more blog posts for a week now..

Back from the Churches' Media Conference

I've been at the Churches' Media Conference the last few days, and have been carving out time to read some Baptist history. Really good background material from John Briggs on church life and ministry in the nineteeth century. It's so good to be learning new things.

I had a good conversation with Amanda Hancock the Baptist Union's Head of Communication, which helped clarify my thoughts about seven-day-a-week ministry: being a servant of Christ in every part of life.
Overall, some good progress on the sabbatical studies, even though I wasn't at my desk.

In one of the session today I wrote a note to myself about the kind of church I want to be part of: what I called Church@Work: "I want to be part of a church that is a seven-day servant ministry, working in the connected online world, active in social networks, immersed in the media, producing lively podcasts. A church that is alive with prayer, with quality ministry and committed discipleship".

Sunday at South Liverpool Vineyard

Just back from South Liverpool Vineyard church who meet at St Michael in the Hamlet school.
Ministry from Andy Larkin was spot on for me: speaking on "Come to me if you are weary and burdened" and "weary" is a good word to sum up how I'm feeling.

I'm heading off to the Churches Media Conference this afternoon: there until Wednesday. It should be a good few days. I'm going opt out of some sessions to do some sabbatical reading. I'm hoping to work through John Briggs' "English Baptists of the Nineteeth Century" - exciting stuff, I know.

I won't be able to blog while I'm away, so more from me when I get back

Chapter 1 is finished

End of a long day completing chapter one of the biography of Hugh Stowell Brown - that's three of eleven chapters finished now.
The new one is his early life, from birth til he left home aged 15. I'm looking forward to doing chapter two now.
I might put chapter one on the website to see if anyone is interested.

A Writing Day

I've done a lot of writing today, writing the opening chapter of the HSB biography. It's still not finished but it's mostly done.
I've enjoyed getting down on paper (well, screen), the distillation of a lot of research. It's knowing what to leave out that is the most difficult. At least if I put in too much now it can go on the edit - it's more difficult to add things I didn't include.