Roshi's ramblings

Or weekday service ofc In order to explore my vocation and my religion more thoroughly I've been visiting churches that aren't in the same style as my own to get a feel for different types of worship.  I'm going to make a series of posts about what I find, but first I thought I'd give a feel for the style of church I've grown up with.  As I've stated before, I tend towards Anglo-Catholicism, also known as high church. 'What on earth is that?' I hear you cry!   Well the easy way of understanding it is we're the ones who like the bells and smells. If you walk into a church and can smell incense, the service is referred to. As mass,  you see 6 candles and a crucifix on the high altar and there's a serving party wearing vestments (robes) then you have come to an Anglo-Catholic church.   A typical view on a Sunday (though you are more likely to see green than red, red is only for specific masses) The main thing about churches down the A...

A tricky one for people to get their heads around is the presence of God when they face disappointment. Especially when they have been praying hard for something to happen which then doesn't! I have been faced with such a situation over the past few weeks. 2 interviews for jobs I would have loved unfortunately fell through, not for any fault of my own there were just candidates who were better suited than I. In the past this would have shaken my belief slightly. However I have come to accept that God ultimately has a plan for all of us and will subtly guide us towards that.  As it says in Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. We should walk in the good works God has created for us and they will show themselves to us in due course.   In Isaiah 58:11 we are told: And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones ...

It is a difficult and scary time for me at the moment. I have left my job and whilst I have been brilliant at interview (the panel's words not mine), there has always been someone better qualified than me there so I haven't got anything lined up.   I believe God has a plan for me, I just wish I could ascertain what it was!   I found this prayer on http://www.prayers-for-special-help.com/ Hopefully it will help me find the strength and guidance I need right now. Lord, you are Holy above all others, and all of the strength that I need is in your hands. I am not asking, Lord, that you take this trial away. Instead, I simply ask that Your will be done in my life. Whatever that means, that is what I want. But I admit that it's hard, Lord. Sometimes I feel like I can’t go on. The pain and the fear are too much for me, and I know that I don’t have the strength on my own to get through this. I know that I can come to you, Jesus, and that you will hear my pr...

Tomorrow I have a job interview for a role that will help me spread the mission of Christ in a direct way through pioneer ministry with youth groups.   This Wednesday Worship is focused on that. God, I’m about to face a challenging interview for a new job. First, thank you for this opportunity. Thank you that you care about providing for my needs, and fitting me in the right employment situation is something you yourself are working to complete. I know I have you on my side in this matter. You are looking out for my best interest and I know you have a perfect job fit for me. If this is that perfect fit, then make it perfectly clear to me and to those who are making the hiring decision. Begin now to prepare the time and place where we will meet. Set the tone in the room. I know that first impressions matter a great deal, so help me to be the natural 'me' that you have created, so that they can see through my nervousness and anxiety to the person you have created me to be...

As I said in my inaugural blog post many people didn't know me as religious. In this post I'm going to talk about what it's like to tell your friends and colleagues that not only are you quite deeply religious but also you think your calling may be to spread the word of God! I'll start with my family, obviously they knew I was religious having brought me up in the Christian faith and knowing that regardless of my views on certain aspects of religion my faith was always strong. It was actually my parents who suggested I look into my calling so I knew I'd be supported by them.   My brother took the mick a bit, as since we left the church we attended for most of our lives he has decided to become atheist. But even from that viewpoint he still supports me in it. In a way it's good to have him to talk to in order to ensure critical thinking on my part when he questions me on things. My grandparents just said 'oh we knew one of you or your dad would do that o...

Shortly after my meeting with the DDO I received an email from his team member arranging to meet with me in 2 weeks time. It would just be an informal chat so I didn't need to prepare anything in advance. 2 weeks passed by and I managed to get to the meeting after copious twists and turns to get to the rural parish she is based at, only getting lost once! The conversation was indeed an informal one, more to get to know one another than delve into my vocation at this point.   Initially she was concerned that I had only recently started attending church regularly again after quite a long hiatus but as the conversation developed and I explained more about myself she became more confident in me being able to go forward for selection next year, provided I had the drive to do so. Obviously the speed of selection shall all depend upon how our meetings go.   If all goes well I shall have my meetings with her till Christmas then move to meeting Bishop Phillip after that. We also fo...

Having completed my 4 meetings with the vocations team member my information was passed onto Blackburn diocese's diocesan director of ordinands (DDO) who then contacted me and arranged a meeting at my house so he could talk to my wife and myself. He came around on a Monday night and after my pet cat Bonnie had decided his paperwork was the perfect seat we got down to business. He explained to me exactly what the next steps are.   First I will meet with a member of the DDO team and explore the selection criteria in depth with them.   Then, when  that team member was happy to do so I'd be sent to the Bishop Phillip, the bishop of Burnley to undergo further examination. At the moment it is unclear what that will involve as he has only recently become bishop and has yet to set in stone decisions around ordination, though chances are I am going to be the guinea pig for them. In the past the diocese has run its own mini Bishops advisory panel (BAP) before sending ...