Green Patches

Green Patches - Five Years On

As we've been here in blogosphere for nearly five years now I think  that  new readers - who might have stumbled upon us  in the mistaken impression that Greenpatches is all about midwifery - are owed an explanation.  So, here for your edification, we have...'Greenpatches - Five  Things You Wished You'd Always Known.' 

1. Greenpatches began in February 2007 when I accepted the Methodist Church's No New Shoes Lenten challenge to Live Simply.  I was following a module on environmental issues and vocation with St John's College Nottingham at the time and taking my first tentative steps into simplicity with  the Anglican  Franciscan Third Order ; No New Shoes was a useful way of helping me to remain accountable. Have I succeeded? Who knows...

2. TSSF, Third Order Society of St Francis  part of the Anglican Franciscan family is a dispersed community whose members try to live a life  of simplicity, love, joy and service after the manner of their founding Saints Francis and Claire -  in the midst of their everyday lives.  I was professed into TSSF in Spring 2009 after three years of discernment and formation.  For the moment I'm convening our local small group. (For the uninitiated, each larger area is divided into three or four smaller groups; much of everyday tertiary life and community takes place at local level). I'm not sure what Francis would have made of me; to be honest, I'm more Claire than Francis, but so far they've not thrown me out.

3. For any confused cyclists, Mr GP has in the past taken part in La Marmotte, the LEL, Kelloggs Tour of Ireland and many other competitive events. I blogged a fair bit about him in the early days as well as co-authoring his own blog for a while, which might account for why you ended up here in the first place!

4. The metaphor of the search for God as journey has always spoken to me and has taken me to places I'd neither have  imagined nor had the confidence to go.  Moving churches gave me valuable  space and time for reflection which in turn led me to some  wonderful experiences of formation in spirituality and spiritual direction skills. The journey continues...

5. Look here to learn about some of our experiences of pilgrimage. Since I made that decision to move, Mr GP and I have walked  along sections of  the Way of St James, the Wayfarers Walk and, finally last year a wonderful 200 + mile trek through the North of England and the Western Scottish Highlands to Iona.

So there you have it. Greenpatches in a nutshell...or a rucksack.  Whether you're a confused cyclist, midwife, methodist,  tertiary, oblate or other religious (of whatever denomination), pilgrim or spiritual searcher, I hope you'll enjoy reading along with me for the next five years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who do you say that I am?

 

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

  They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

    “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

 - Matthew 16, text Biblegateway

 

To return to our wandering shepherd, now reunited with his friends after a brief if inglorious career as a visual aid at our church's prayer group.

"Who do you say that I am?" Jesus asked  his disciples. The Sunday before during the service, we'd been encouraged to reflect on who Christ is to each of us wherever we currently find ourselves on our journey of faith.  I say encouraged - maybe 'gently challenged' might best describe it. I picked up on this, leading  into our customary time of silent prayer with Matthew's text and a short meditation posing the question once more "Who do you say that I am?"

I guess any of Christ's questions could equally well have   applied just then.  Maybe they did.  He asked plenty of them, after all. "What do you want me to do for you?" Who are you looking for?" "Who touched me?" "Where is your faith?" "What concern is it of yours?" "What is your name?" and dozens and dozens of others.   

But later I fell to thinking about the approaches different  branches  of our faith communities take to those questions, to discipleship and encouraging  each other to grow and change.  Particularly after glancing through another 'Ship' discussion on Altar calls and 'decisionism': the good old call to the front, altar call, sinner's prayer and whatnot. Not all of it unfamiliar to me, in a fairly restrained Anglican version of from my old church. I'll try  not to  get into arguments about soteriology here; they've been pretty thoroughly covered on the thread.  However, my own reflections did get me pondering some aspects of my own journey - and  where I stand now on some of the methodology used over on the more evangelical and charismatic wing of the church, now that I've spent a few years in a slightly broader and more catholic setting. 

More so  given my own moves since into discerment of a possible  call to spiritual direction, my deeper appreciation and understanding of the nuances of peoples' faith journeys. 

Was,  for instance, my group  meditation  an 'altar call' in a different guise? It certainly didn't occur to me at the time that it might be considered to be this.  That my initial feeling was one of slight...only slight and probably  misplaced  - guilt at even an unintended hint of manipulation on my part  is maybe just the lingering remains of  hangups from my previous experiences.  Certainly I find the more laid back style of 'Newchurch' is enabling me to   grow into a way of relating to both God and my fellow Christians that's far more autonomous, less dependent than  before. Living, as well as living with...the questions.

Likewise, I consider my own style to be less 'directive,' more 'fellow pilgrim,' 'companioning.'  That could account for my ambivalence. Am I confusing  directiveness (is there such a word?!) with challenge? That should pose some implications for my own companioning. 

So after all that hot air, no answers...more questions. Which neatly brings us back to Matthew 16: "Who do you say that I am?" 

 

 

Christus Mansionem Benedicat - Return of Wiseman 3

Yes, Wiseman 3 has returned!  It turns out he never went AWOL in the first place. Mr GP found him the other day - in the Nativity scene, sheltering behind a gigantic magpie (made from a kit given to me for Christmas by Ms GP). So much for my policy of inclusivity (and the state of my eyesight). The little chap has been reunited with his friends on the windowsill amidst much general rejoicing and merrymaking. I broke open a late Christmas pressie of toffees to celebrate  and in an absent-minded moment bit down on one way too hard and broke a filling. I'm now trying hard not to wonder whether the cost of a new one works out any dearer than the original cost of the Wiseman...

Three Ways of Making a Rule of Life

With Francistide and review of my TSSF Rule of Life still fresh in my mind,  here's some advice on the process applicable to anybody looking to live life more intentionally and holistically:

 

A rule is a document embodying the values which are central to your life, and the praxis which allows you to live this out with genuine integrity. 

 - Hermit Sr Laurel from notes from stillsong.

Developing a Rule of Life 13 Tips - from soulgardeners

 

and

Balancing Life by The Rule by Debra Farrington

I came across a wonderful piece of advice yesterday -  that  rule of life should not be a list of 'to do (s)' but of 'to be (s).'

Words, words, words...Over on the Franciscan Support Thread on Shipoffools posters are asking - Is it possible to make a rule of life without using them ? It's been suggested for the TSSF Principles in the past. Could you sign it? Paint, sing or dance it? Any other medium? Suggestions please...

For Franciscans I"d have thought creative ways like these would be spot on, given their sprituality and the famous "Preach the gospel. If necessary, use words," saying popularly attributed to our founder.

Granted we might have problems at annual renewal presenting them all at the altar - still I'm sure there are ways and means of getting over that one!

Blog of The Week - Camino to Santiago de Compostela

 - St Columba's Bay, Iona

Another Monday, another Blog of The Week.  This time round Ive chosen a theme very much close to my own heart these last years - pilgrimage - and some reflections on the journey by Johnnie Walker on Camino to Santiago de Compostela.  

 " I look sometimes with pity and at other times with jealousy when people stand up in Church and appear to say with utter conviction "I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of heaven and Earth." Creeds never did anything for me. Certainly not as much as pilgrimage. I think I spent my whole life developing a method of being in the church with all of its beauty and musical power whilst being insulated from the institution. There are no arrows for the path I have followed to what may be to some the self-evident conclusion that I need to journey towards God rather than the church. My parents felt I had lost my way when I didn't take the career they thought I should, or marry the "right kind" of girl. I've used these words myself with my own children. Useless words. Wrong words. I hadn't lost my way. I was finding my way. I was looking for arrows in a church where there were none. I was looking for signs that God actually exists. I tried very hard. Nothing came.

…Then slowly in the heat of the long meseta I saw the world was a lot bigger than me. In the mountains I saw the raw power of a waterfall, the stately form of a startled deer, an exquisite wild flower blossoming. Across my path I watched the ants and caterpillars march with some purpose of their own. Above the eagles circled high. Heat and distance and solitude. Sweat on my back and a dull ache in my toes. Mile after mile. Never a thought of stopping. Of just chucking it. "Taxi for Walker" never entered my head. Not once. For all of its pain this is too good."

 - for the whole post go here

Many of us struggle to find the words to articulate our own experiences along the road, so we're always blessed by gifted story-tellers and guides like Johnnie who can walk ahead of us and point to where we might encounter God. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Widgets, randomness and serendipity

I've been directed  into the bowels of this blog - thanks to the delightful randomness of a new toy, the weird and wonderful widget linkwithin . Thanks to another newcomer on the blogroll, Filey Gardener, for twas on her blog that I stumbled across this tool for linking together similarly themed posts and, at least, (according to the site),  to enable you to give some of your old, dusty and forgotten bon mots an airing. 

Whether this always happens in actuality? I'm witholding judgement for now; from what I've seen so far, its system is, shall we say, 'eclectic', random, and with a certain illogicality that makes me wonder what on earth the Myers-Brigg's MBTI system would make of it. INFP, anybody? Why else would my self-indulgent wofflings about Greenbelt the other day be linked to the terse and succinctly-named post 'Dung!' Or, reviving my rusty ex-pat French, 'Crotte!' 

Still, to give it credit for perseverance, it's obviously determined to sharpen its accuracy, and, when I logged on earlier, I couldn't help smiling  when I noticed it had linked to two far more apposite reflections, written in the midst of my more embarrassing bouts of existential angst a few years ago: 'Vocational Self-Assembly Pack,' and 'the d-word: Dancing with the music of the spirit,'

Plus ca change...

 

Blog of The Week - A Reader in Writing

 

So, with nearly a week between myself and Greenbelt, the GP 'Blog of The Week' goes to A Reader in Writing for her brave, honest, and for me personally, serendipitous reflections on some of the difficulties she enountered  in herself  there as a first-time visitor and camper. In spite of my upbeat blog post earlier in the week, I've been struggling to process my very mixed feelings on my GB this year; RIW, when I stumbled across your blog, I breathed  a huge sigh of relief - so much resonated with my own experience - and, from the other comments you received, with many other people too.

There were echos, too,  of this in church this morning. Our theme  was pilgrimage and faith journeys, as a large group of us had been away on our annual pilgrimage the week before GB.  We talked about  the hopes and fears involved in moving on to new stages of our journey: a new class, new school, uni, work, marriage, house moves, retirement... Then the need to acknowledge  our often mixed feelings about these transition times and the (natural) human reaction of either denying the situation or wanting to run away and hide.  Yet, with this, the need to hold to  the knowledge of God's presence with you on the journey.

Chatting after the service, I found myself able to be honest when asked how Greenbelt went and to to acknowledge that yes, for parts of the time it was a lonely experience for me; but also to balance this with some of the many positives without feeling that I was putting  a gloss on things and compromising my own integrity. Quite a step along the road for me. Again, many many thanks.

Maybe for this week only I should rename BOTW - The Golden Tent Peg!

 

 

Blog of The Week - Nun other Than a Franciscan Sister

We're back on time this week.  The last few days I've spent on pilgrimage with church,  the which has influenced my choice. With matters of journeying, physically and spiritually,  being very much on my own mind,  Nun other Than a Franciscan Sister 's  post on transition seemed pretty appropriate. What really grabbed me here was Sr Patricia's quote by Dr Howard Thurman:

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." 

 

Thank you.

 

Last week's Blog of The Week - Opinionated Vicar.

 

Light my fire - Thunder and Rainbows

 

 -  Fremte  from Wikimedia Commons

 

 

We could do with some here - thunder I mean.  It's absolutely scorching for the third day running, with humidity at 90% if you believe everything the BBC says.  And much as I'm tempted to rush out into the garden and continue with my painting of everything that moves - and some things  that don't, (the dog is breathing a sigh of relief here), I have retained an ounce  of commonsense. We don't want Mr GP to return from his travels this evening to  discoverhis wife flat out on a bench and the dog decorating  the lawn with Jackson Pollock-type  streaks in tasteful sage and buttermilk.

I've been reflecting a little on what life's been like in the GP household over on my wibsite blog  - and on my own journeyings in particular - where the metaphors of thunder and rainbows and holding the two in tension have and continue to be part of a learning curve.  I'm trying, (famous last words) as I've said on Musings, to major on the rainbows as much as poss. Given my natural tendency to Eyorism (have I coined a new expression?) this is no mean feat.  I've always said that I don't know how I'd cope without my sense of humour. One of the warning signs that I'm beginning to get overstressed and need to lighten up is that it begins to wane. I'll admit - signing on to Youtube and grimly ploughing my way through a selection of comedy clips - as I did after a particularly 'orrible 'blip' last weekend maybe wasn't the way to go. 

However, consciously focusing on those brighter moments, (though without morphing into Julie Andrew's "My Favourite Things" mode; there are limits!) has helped. Nothing new and certainly not rocket science. Readers who are of an Ignatian bent will recognise elements of the examen here: pausing at intervals to reflect on where God's been present , what draws  energises, fires you up  (and what does the opposite). A form of this is actually written into my rule of life as a daily practice. Yes, I am Franciscan I know - but let's allow for overlap, shall we?  Did you know that Francis introduced a form of "Ignatian" meditation long before Inigo was around, with his institution of the first Creche Vivante (living crib); the forerunner of our modern crib scene.

To get back to Inigo -  at the excellent BRF Festival of Prayer  recently one speaker told of a similar exercise which has really caught my imagination: their spiritual director had challenged them to try and list 100 (Yes, you read it correctly, one hundred) things that energised and brought them alive. Talk about a challenge. Is it really possible? Time will tell. To date my 'list ' has around 30 or 40 items on it; there are days when it sits at the back of my journal untouched, others when I add several at a time.  It certainly resonates with the way in which I've been experiencing a sense of quiet prayerfulness in some of the most unlikely activities recently - hence the mad garden painting spree.  It's a far cry from the rather (at times) grim, greyish, often extremely cerebral 'Quiet Time' which even  if  it's not actually used up much   of my time, certainly has provoked a lorry load of guilt  in the past.  I'm not the only one it seems. There's a discussion currently over on The Ship on the self same topic. I just love the poster who describes her  prayer practice nowadays as more "Every Now and Then with Jesus."

Happily I'm beginning to loosen up nowadays and am trying to balance regularity and spontaneity.  Not quite in the same way as those delightful Beaker Folk, thank  the Lord, but I'm getting there. Though maybe counting my exploits with a Kelly Kettle and homemade bunting (my latest craft project) as meditative prayer practices is carrying the definition a tad too far. I'll be into fire eating and prophetic banner waving before you can turn round, and then, where will we be?

Blog of The Week - The Mercy Blog

...comes earlier than usual this week - time being in short supply over the next few days.  I've chosen a long-standing member of my blogroll, Mike F of The Mercy Blog, Franciscan tertiary and contemplative. His was one of the blogs I stumbled across early on in my own vocational wanderings and I've watched it grow and develop over the years.  At risk of totally embarrassing him, IMHO it's one of the top-league Francisan blogs (and yes, I know classing blogs must definitely run contrary to the Francisan ethos!); however, I'm referring to quality and integrity here. He's been brave enough to  share some of the joys and struggles of his journey honestly, often at great depth, yet with a humble simplicity that's an inspiration to others.  He's also a great encourager.  

Mike, ongoing wishes and prayers for you as your journey takes  a new turn. I hope we'll still be able to read your reflections in future, even if you're not able to blog as frequently as before.

Peace and all good.

 

Last week's Blog of the Week:  Adam McHugh's Introverted Church and Aubry Smith's My Offerings.