Anamnesis

Today whilst driving in Exeter I found myself outside of B&Q, nothing unremarkable about that except.... I was meant to be at Homebase. I remember trying to find B&Q twelve years ago when we first moved to Exeter, now I can just drive there without thinking - almost on auto pilot except today I drove there without thinking, without actually wanting to go there. A sign of my age or something else?

It has been amazing recently because more than thirty people have signed up for the beginners' running group 'couch to 3 miles', the idea is that they go from not running at all to running 3 miles without stopping, all within ten weeks. We run 3 times a week and each time for thirty minutes, we started off walking 2 minutes and running a 1 minute and then keep increasing the ratio of running to walking until, as if by magic, the person ends up running - they are doing brilliantly and it is so encouraging to see them turn up and give so much effort EVERY time. It is hard and it has been wet and cold but doing it together and doing it in this way will make it attainable for just about everyone.

I remember something startling about Haruki Murakami's book 'What I talk about when I talk about running', he said that his muscles have memory, they remember each and every workout and they like the rest of the body need to be  persuaded that they can keep going, that they can achieve that they are already able but you just need to tell them, remind them.


Anamnesis is a Greek word, used in the New Testament, which means 'reminiscence', it is often used in reference to the Last Supper, the night before Jesus' crucifixion. That idea, in turn, is taken from the ancient Jews who, as they remembered so what they remembered was re-enacted almost in a literal sense. As they re-enacted the Passover each year so the reality of them understanding God's saving grace was brought into the future and celebrated not for what he had done but what was still being done.

As I drove to B&Q a lot went through my mind and my muscles!

The best way to get good at running is to run. There are no short cuts to this, it is in running that we become runners. Or perhaps it is in running that we remember we already are runners, we wake up that something within us that was there all along and gently coach and persuade it to life.

May all that we are learn the ways of being and doing far within our history and our physicality in ways that draw out all that is possible within us. May all that we are and all that we do celebrate and remember what already is good and gradually remember it to life.

Thundercats!

Thursday evenings in the Gilborson's currently involve watching Channel 4's second season of 'The undateables'. I do so with an element of trepidation. The premise, on the surface is alarming, for an hour we get to watch several people each week trying to find people to love and people who will love them back, but there is a twist; the people are described by Channel 4 as 'extraordinary'; they either have some form of learning difficulty, physical abnormality, disability or condition that makes forming relationships awkward or have behaviour or looks that make them less socially acceptable and it is here that I struggle on so many levels.

• I struggle to find the language to use: disability, condition, difficulty, socially acceptable - despite me trying to be careful they are all clumsy words and often say more about me and society than they do about the people I am trying to describe. Might I settle on 'different' but only if I too am 'different'

• I also struggle with the rationale, we all know TV companies are about making money and in this case - for the channel and their advertisers. Is this programme not taking advantage of vulnerable people and touting them as 21st century circus acts? This would be ghastly and maybe I should switch it off and write to Channel 4 in protest.

• Finally I struggle with myself; maybe there is a danger with these programmes that they are voyeuristic and 'we' laugh at the difference, complexity and perceived inadequacy of others cheapening them and ourselves.

I might feel that way had I not watched the programme.

But having watched the second episode last night I actually want to applaud the programme makers here because I think those who watch are actually enriched (or at least can be) by the experience. Many of these people (and the way they are and behave) are quite wonderful. Someone described the programme as 'life affirming' and I think I agree.

I hope that my enjoyment of this is a somehow entering into a broader understanding of 'difference, complexity and MY inadequacy' as I engage with others in my 'normal' life. My belief as a Christian, and work as a Christian minister does not make me exempt from stereotyping or being wary or fearful of difference (shame on me but if each of us is honest maybe we would, at times, admit the same). When I laughed at Ruth shouting 'thundercats', and much worse, at people on the street my laughing was not at her, there was something liberating about her 'outbursts'. When I heard Zoe talk to her date, on their first date, about marriage immediately(!) I laughed and covered my face, it was almost shocking yet for Zoe she was totally transparent, totally honest, best of all her date coped admirably well. I smiled at  Holly's question to Daniel last week 'what is your favourite day?' the response was not judgemental nor critical but led to a shared conversation and a connection that was hugely endearing. I could go on.

When I attended the interview for the job at Cranbrook more that 18 months ago I was asked to describe my ministry in one word, I chose 'inclusive', if God wants me in his church then why should he not want anyone else, we are back to the 'bollards' again! 

The name of the programme is actually somewhat of a misnomer, many of the dates went swimmingly the 'undateables' become dateable, the 'unwanted' become wanted, the 'unloveable' become loved, yet they all did so without changing, they all did so just by continuing to be themselves, I am sure there is something 'gospel' here.

Of course you could criticise me and say I am naive, ironically it may well be that naivety, and its inherent opposition to the malaise of post modern cynicism might be the gift that the people in the series offer. Or am I kidding myself?

Watch the clip 'Keen' for yourself and make your own mind up:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-undateables/videos/all/s3-ep1-keen

Never mind the 'bollards'

As I saw this picture in today's news I had a wry smile and it got me thinking, maybe this is what church is like?

As I have reflected over my first full year in Cranbrook I have much to be thankful for, most of all I have met some brilliant people, full of energy and enthusiasm. Living in a new place, with shared experiences of forming a new community seems to have removed the usual barriers to conversation and getting to know your neighbours. The usual British 'stiff upper lip' of not initiating conversation seems to have been dispelled by a shared perspective, a commonality of 'being in the same boat'. Now all jokes aside, Cranbrook is not flooded and there are no need for boats, there is largely a feeling of pulling together and when those outside make statements about the alleged flooding or stereotype our community we rise as one to tell the true story.

I have never belonged to a community like this.

Of course my job was to set up church and I am delighted to say that our spiritual garden has been started and we have a brilliant programme of events for the next four months. My problem with church (and I do have a problem) is that at its heart is a good news story of a God who loves, forgives, blesses and welcomes ALL (yes ALL) yet us in the church often act very differently, we say we want people to join us but only if they are like us, believe what we believe, use the language we use, do what we say. Shame on us. If God welcomes us so openly (ALL of us) then why does the church, so often, batten down the hatches, create umpteen rules as to who is in and who is out, why so many bollards?

The picture comes from a Tescos in Birmingham, despite what we think of Tescos they do sell things that are good, wholesome and helpful (largely!), the parking spaces here, designed to help their customers, actually do the very opposite, access is impossible to those who want to park, what was meant to be useful is anathema, a barrier, a blockage, a 'no entrance' sign.

Of course it was the Sex Pistols in the 70s who critiqued the music scene by creating music that was accessible to the masses; the punk movement argued that barriers/bollards had been erected between musicians and the ordinary people, their album 'Never mind the bollards' (well not quite!) changed the way music was made and who made it.

Maybe my job and those who have already joined me in Cranbrook is to look beyond the 'bollards', to be a movement that makes God's love accessible (isn't that what Jesus did and told his followers to do??). To tear down the walls that debar, to remove obstacles, to create opportunity for any and all.  Maybe starting with a spiritual garden, without walls, was more inspired than we first thought.

If this is all true then I truly look forward to the rest of 2014.