Ed Balls has gone

I have never watched Strictly Come Dancing in my life before this current series. I have never voted in a BBC poll before. But I have to confess I have been watching Ed Balls dance and voting for him each week.

Ed was not the best dancer. I don't think that was important really. He is, without doubt, a better dancer now than when the series began. That would seem to me the point of the series, although Strictly devotees might beg to differ.

I voted for him because he tried.

I was never brilliant at football at school. I did however try, and one of the captains always picked me, because he knew I would give of my all.

That is why amidst all of the laughter and smiles Ed Balls has brought us that I voted for him: he gave it all he had got, and went beyond what many people would have regarded to be his comfort zone.

I hope he goes back into politics. I think he will be a different sort of politician now, because we have been allowed to see him, when so much of what passes for politics today encourages individuals not to be authentic.

Saturday will not be the same again... I can go back to the radio and following Strictly solely on my twitter feed.

And for those who say it was only a dance competition. Then perhaps you should not pick those who have never danced before to be in it.

Advent Liturgy: I struggled between Law and Grace

I quite like the Decalogue (The Ten Commandments). It is actually neither here nor there whether I like them or not. We recite them in our Churches during Advent and Lent. These are seasons of rich penitence, and so it seems fitting. I wonder though whether we are trying to hem in who is welcome or not. This is not intentional. I accept that absolutely. There are people in our congregations, myself included, who have broken a number, and sometimes their recitation simply serves as a reminder.

Our prayers of intercession then finish with this corporate prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,

you draw and welcome us,

emptied of pride and hungry for your grace,

to this your kingdom’s feast.

Nowhere can we find the food

for which our souls cry out,

but here, Lord, at your table.

Invigorate and nourish us, good Lord,

that in and through this bread and wine

your love may meet us

and your life complete us

in the power and glory of your kingdom.

Amen.

How I long for this to be true - and I wonder whether we give people the freedom to be in order to worship and live.

These are just my reflections as a priest worshipping on the First Sunday of Advent 

Samwise invades Teenager land

Dogs get to do things that we humans do not. Some of the things we would not want to do.

Samwise is a beautiful hound... and he knows it.... 3/4 greyhound and a 1/4 blue merle collie. He is about 4 years old now.

The boy loves him. So do I.

I am not sure I am always that good at communicating with the boy. Often that is my fault. Mostly, it is.

Samwise and his canine colleague, Tad Ted love invading the pit that sometimes passes for the boy's bedroom. There is often food to be eaten.

Samwise is rather partial to Diary Milk.... and the boy knows it. Unlike most of dogs, Samwise seems to have a high tolerance freshold for chocolate. The boy is too.

The boy now has no Diary Milk. Samwise is sleeping.

'I know you told me', laments the boy.

I love Advent

I love Advent. I like Christmas.

I love the rhythm of a season that embraces both the fast and a rich sense of feast. With its focus perhaps on patriarchs, prophets, the Baptist, Mary of Nazareth and of course Jesus it is a sort of engagement with our family tree. I have a bag by my bed of photos my mum had saved over the years. There are some of me that I would rather no one else saw. But there are others of family and friends that I might have long since forgotten.

Advent affords us the opportunity to celebrate our family, warts and all.

There is also the option of explore Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell, which usually are given a body swerve in favour of other themes.

They are topics that give us pause for thought... and before Christmas.... that might be a good thing.

That is why I will enjoy deeply wailing and singing longer songs with tunes that are a tad sober. They will help me enjoy December 25th when it comes.

Tad Ted breaches Planet Teenager

Sometimes it takes a dog to do it

Tad Ted is one of my two lurchers. Samwise is the other one. This is Samwise

and this is Tad Ted, who is the hero of this particular teenage tale.

The boy, who is 14, was going to be left home alone for a couple of hours. I shouted that the dogs were in charge and that he should listen out if they needed everything.

Tad Ted takes control

Upon my return there is a scowl and a yell. He has done it on my jeans!

I ask whether he should have let them out. They did not tell me to was the reply. Because of my laser like investigative technique that the dogs barked for about 30 minutes, where upon he let them into his own lair, which given the stray food, sweeties, half finished meals is a doggie equivalent of Diagon Alley. But I am told they just kept on barking until Tad Ted did his deed on his skinny jeans.

Communication is not always understood

The boy still could not see that the dogs had communicated with him.

I laughed at his telling of the tale.

I am mindful though of the fact that all parties learnt a lesson... and one day I might even say what I think they were

Visiting Planet Teenager

Not a Planet, but a country

I am a dad to a teenager

I have been on a course provided by CAMHS about parenting. It has been brilliant. I am not sure I am a better parent as a result, but I am a more rounded human being.

different planets

In one of our sessions, I likened my son and I to being on different planets. There is an element of truth to this. Teenagers and their parents are sometimes different species. I am not sure I thought my parents understood me. Indeed, I doubt I actually gave it that much thought. The planet idea is quite humorous, but it does allow a certain abdication of responsibility, and to my ancient ears come the whisper of Larry Norman's 'don't blame me, I am only visiting this planet'. Ancient might seem too strong a word, but I spent all my childhood and early adult hood in the last century

different countries

I coined the phrase different countries, with a land border earlier today. I think that is closer to the reality.... and I have to thank Tad Ted for this. (This is he)

Comments about Films: I, Daniel Blake

I, Daniel Blake 

I have just returned from watching I, Daniel Blake. Like Cathy Come Home, Kes and The Full Monty it is wonderfully acted and brilliantly acted. As a priest, I believe it to be prophetic, even though I am not sure Ken Loach would be happy with that genre.

It is a film that will disturb and challenge you. You must watch it.

We must then find a way of resisting and reminding those caught within the system that 'it is not your fault'

Best film of the year

Lurchers and me

Welcome

Croeso

This blog is about me. I am the Vicar of Holy Island just off of the edge of Anglesey.

I share responsibility with others for a number of brilliant places of worship. from St David's in Morawelon, which is a fairly modern building on an outer council estate to St Cybi's in Holyhead which is set in the town's Roman Fort and worship has taken place there for over a millennium and a half.

Information about the churches can be found here: www.holyheadparishchurches.co.uk 

I also own two dogs. Tad Ted and Samwise, They will feature a lot in my blogs. 

Look forward to getting to know you.