A Week is a Long Time

Hello Friends.

Well, last week I was on my TSW (Themed Study Week.) A bit like activities week if you did that sort of thing at school, but less in the way of elective dry-slope ski-ing and table tennis, and more in the way of useful ministerial formation. We got to pick from a number of options including Interfaith, Marriage and Relationships, Death, Dying and Bereavement and Ministry to Older People. For some reason I can no longer remember, I went for Faith and Politics.

So I end up on a Monday morning sitting amidst a group of very political young men with opinions and ideas and wondering quite why I'm here. Paul often watches BBC Parliament and I've usually no idea what is going on. My knowledge of Prime Ministers is pitifully unextensive and I've literally no idea to which political party I might happily align my views. No worry, I'll make the most of it.

The week involved three days at Cuddesdon being visited by such people as an ex-leader of Oxford City Council, a political activist and a priest engaging in the politics of his own community. And there were two days in London featuring a tour of the Commons, a visit to a church in Bethnal Green working closely with the Muslim community including a look around and a chat to the Director of the East London Mosque, a morning at the Lords including the installation of the Bishop of Durham and an afternoon at Church House.

Despite my earlier anxieties I actually had a really good time. It was great to spend the first week of term doing something completely different. Actually, its inspired me to keep more up to date with what is going on politically. After all, if we as Christians have a concern about - well - pretty much anything that happens in our society, politics is going to come into it at some stage. And, actually, while I'm not much of a party politics kinda gal, it's ever so important we have Christians speaking up in the places that really matter.

So, that done, we're into term proper. A new timetable means that I have Tuesdays and Thursdays with no compulsory lectures. But my new year's resolution is to do a bit more of the optional stuff this term so I'm hoping to attend Anglican Identity Seminars on a Tuesday and a series of lectures in Oxford on Blake and Theology on a Thursday. Having been chapel Sacristan the week before the holidays and last week, I've realised what I'm missing out on not attending those services which are compulsory - morning Eucharist and Compline - and I'm going to make a special effort to go to one of each a week from now on.

There's also something else I have to tell you, but I can't do so until tomorrow. Watch this space.