The Wifi at the clergy conference was very hit and miss so I failed to blog. There was so much to reflect on so I regret that hugely. However, when the CD recordings arrive I’ll be able to do it all again.
My immediate reflections are mostly around how in the light of the enhanced and reaffirmed understanding of the body that I return to the Parish with, in that context, how an earth to I live and lead in a way that is both true to the body I have been given (read body as body/mind/spirit) and live as a part of the physical resurrected bodily presence of God in our world. All of this in the knowledge that I am very definitely a child of a post-modern society when the majority (well to be honest almost all) that I lead are children of modernism. Part of me wonders about the straddling of time that was talked of often on the conference- the both now and not yet that we live in as a resurrection body. Realised and future eschatology etc. Does that give me a potential for understanding how I can possibly lead? It still leaves the gaping hole of how a Generation Y (I fit there better than Gen X) priest leads a church dominated with Builders and previous generations. I feel quite disturbed by the current chasm that I percieve…where to start exploring that? I found the squished academic in me (!) and have started beginning to take copious notes on the area I’d like to research- many thanks to an inspirational Paula Gooder and Jo Ind for stirring up the passion in me to communicate systematics, Christology, leadership and a kind of post-modern feminism that I feel I have to offer. Certainly time to start writing again and if I dare maybe that thesis will begin with an MA.
So I am perhaps stirred up AND disturbed.
knittingvicar
hobbitvicar
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May 4, 2009 at 10:47 pm
layorchid
Wow, that sounds like quite a course!!
This sounds like a follow up to a previous post where doubts were creeping in. There are many types of leader, some have an aim and will get there come heel and high water crushing all who get in their way, effective at reaching their goal but when they look round, oh gosh the destruction behind them. For me the best leader has a vision but to achieve that vision they inspire, enable others to grow and lead and together they achieve the goal. When they look behind they see growth, new life and above all love and sustainability.
I once worked for someone who said he worked with the people he had got, not the ones he wanted – he went on to make a tremendous difference.
The journey through life is very like a marriage, some work on and accept what they have and lead a full and wonderful life. Others give up early and divorce is the end. I’ll end with a quote from a song by Ralph McTell writing about a long marriage and sitting quietly after the family have gone home and the husband reflects on the love for his wife “She was all i wanted but she’s all I’ll ever need,” Make you think, God bless.