Nigel Wright

Where we are and who we are

The Wright family are safely home using all the correct flights and connections (and all the luggage came back on time and together too!) if not a little jet lagged and sad.

A little something to ponder on from the Henri Nouwen daily meditation:

 "Often we want to be somewhere other than where we are, or even to be someone other than who we are. We tend to compare ourselves constantly with others and wonder why we are not as rich, as intelligent, as simple, as generous, or as saintly as they are. Such comparisons make us feel guilty, ashamed, or jealous. It is very important to realize that our vocation is hidden in where we are and who we are. We are unique human beings, each with a call to realize in life what nobody else can, and to realize it in the concrete context of the here and now.

We will never find our vocations by trying to figure out whether we are better or worse than others. We are good enough to do what we are called to do. Be yourself!

5 dear people

An Indian friend ministering in Nepal sent me the following picture this week, from a country whose social, political and economic climate is challenging to say the least, but the picture really does speak a thousand words (the five are being baptised!):

Baptise the whole household

Very soon I will have the tremendous privilege of Baptising a whole household. Parents,children and baby too.

Having studied the Baptism booklet carefully and having attended our church Toddler meetings/services Mum and Dad had an impressive grasp of the purpose, practice and power of Baptism before we even started any pre- Baptism training.

But of course there is a whole lot more to their journeys than that very simplistic summary, or any attempts to "educate and inform"... 

Nevertheless, it will be a very special day (and future journey together) when a whole household is Baptised at once - very New Testament too!

Caring for the Broken Body

For those who want a copy:

"If you wish to enter the world of those

who are broken or closed in upon themselves,

it is important to learn the language.

Learning a language

is not just learning French or Spanish or German.

It is learning to understand what people are really saying,

the non-verbal as well as the verbal language.

A Nepalese Baptism

Sent from a friend working on a multi-faith library system in Nepal, together with various other church initiatives:

Ramesh is one of four Baptised "in" the local village church on the 22nd November...

Being ill is never easy!

This is a subject that almost everyone has experience of, being ill! How is faith sustained through constant, repeated or chronic illness! The subject area is huge and I'm sure there are some good books out there, but I find at the moment there are many around me who are having to face these challenges (no not me :)).

So the following includes some brief pointers from my experiences, and those of others who have shared with me, on how to keep on this journey of life in the hard times:

1, Regular sustained prayer.

Have a routine of prayer using a daily office, or something written down together with short bible readings. When we are ill it is difficult to enter into "free/extemporised" prayer but it usually possible to read in short bursts.

2, Learn to meditate

Using something like the Jesus prayer, which is a very simple one sentence repetition, can help focus the mind away from the pain or the discomfort and towards God. Books by David Adam can be good aids in this area.

3, Routine of Life

Try and keep some routine to your day, washing, dressing etc etc. It sounds fairly obvious but it has a dramatic effect, no coincidence that hospital nursing focuses on ensuring patients keep a structured day.

4, Keep a journal

Writing thoughts and feelings down can be a huge help to many people and can also be a good aid to stopping your mind wandering into dark and confused places. It doesn't have to be words either, pictures, scribbles, doodles can be equally useful.

5, There is a time for lament

Talk about this with an elder/minister/pastor and work out what lament means for you. There is a renewed interest in this area and Michael Card's book "A Sacred Sorrow" is a must for understanding how to reach out to God in the language of lament. 

  6, Know your trusted support people

As harsh as this may sound, some people are good at positive and sensitive support and some people are not... there are some superb support groups around, find one for yourself...find yourself a soul friend, etc...

7, Listen to your Doctor

It can be a difficult thing to do at times, especially when by the time you go to see the Doctor you are far from your coherent best, but Doctors become Doctors (in the main) because they want to help people. Be open and honest with them, right things down before your appointments for clarity and better communication.

8, Miracles do happen

Yes miracles do happen but... ours is not to know when, where or why...prayer for healing is fraught with complications,but in the right way, and with the right experience, is an amazing tool.

9, Body, mind and spirit are inextricably interlinked.

  No further comment required!

(Please note, these are a collection of short notes/observations, in no particular order and are shared with the hope that they will help and give hope, with a view to the reader exploring further, there is no quick fix solution in any of the above...thank you to those people who have shared their experiences and insights with me) 

Learning to fly

As I start to enjoy aspects of my current journey, and get frustrated by others, the following lyrics swirl around in my mind!

" A soul in tension that's learning to fly

Condition grounded but determined to try

Can't keep my eyes from the circling sky

Tongue-tied and twisted just an earthbound misfit, I

Above the planet on a wing and a prayer

My grubby halo, a vapour trail in the empty air

Across the clouds I see my shadow fly

Out of the corner of my watering eye

A dream unthreatened by the morning light

Could blow this soul right through the roof of the night

There's no sensation to compare with this

Suspended animation, a state of bliss

Can't keep my mind from the circling sky

Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth bound misfit, I"

Learning to Fly, Pink Floyd

Vision and leadership

I find myself more and more, in my consultancy work, helping people (and sometimes hindering) with vision and leadership issues.

The mere mention of the words can instigate a reaction of hostility! But we all have vision in various states across our lives, and when we don't it probably means we are in a very difficult place. We all exert leadership in all sorts of forms and leadership at it's most deconstructed is an exertion of influence.

One of the common objections from Church based organisation is that you can't apply commercial leadership and vision strategies to church and charity. Interestingly the charities I help look after professionally wouldn't agree, they adapt and formulate accordingly.

   One of the most useful resources I have come across which starts with a faith and biblical basis is from The Teal Trust, an organisation committed to helping  leaders in the church, in society and in the workplace.

You can even check out your leadership style with the on-line indicator - you may be surprised out the outcome!

And for the sceptics, there are commercial organisations out there who work with Godly vision...

My peace I give to you

Phew, what a week…

an unimaginable funeral, (my prayers are very much with the family and friends left behind) – communications with friends at the other side of the world and a feature in a radio broadcast (it wasn’t me doing it, I’m a long way form such esteemed requests) – listening to stories of some incredible people and their journeys – encounters with new people across the globe, exploring similar issues in missional activity – combating an annoying head-cold and being wiped out for a day and a bit – a children’s birthday party (A&J) for 25 three to six year olds – my office (accountancy) being pulled apart for essential ceiling and wall maintenance and all the challenges that that has created, (Jy you are a star for keeping things running) – with a bit of accountancy/consultancy thrown in too!

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What has amazed me above all through this last week has been the sense of God’s peace, the word, and the state, has been in and amongst throughout and it has been rich in its blessing!

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And mine is a gratitude that I cannot express in words…

The times are a changin'

Friday/Saturday was our final “weekend” and Commendation service – an awesome time of nerves, vulnerability, prayer and praise – with the focus on praising God being the right conclusion to our pre-ordination training.

A truly life changing three years with an intensity that defies explanation, there were tears of sadness and tears of joy and a strange inability to comprehend life without our training community.

A chance to party and relax, albeit briefly before the retreat later this week and Ordination on Sunday – more nerves and tension, excitement and celebration!

On Sunday it was time to say goodbye to my Parish church, after 11 years, and the opportunity to preach (well share in faith and dialogue) and assist, was a welcome one. I used one of girl growing’s wonderful poems to conclude the sermon and there were a number of requests for a copy, so it is included in the continuation to this post, with many thanks to Juli for sharing her amazing gift in public.

Thanks are something I feel full of at the moment, together with much gratitude to all who have helped me on this journey…