Not to plan

Tuesday 26th March 2017

Welcome to the Rectory for five different callers by 10 o'clock. 
Then the telephone went about a Confirmation and a funeral, whilst the e-mails continued with rearranging several christenings and a wedding.
None of these things were scheduled for today.  Eventually I began to get on with preparations for Mothering Sunday

On the road again

Sunday 24th March 2019

Sun in the Tarset valley on the way from Horsley in the Rede valley to Thorneyburn for the second service

St Patrick's Day on a Lenten Sunday

Sunday 17th March 2019

Redesdale washed by rain is bright and fresh on my way home from the afternoon service in St Francis Byrness.

More rain

Friday 15th March 2019

The puzzled horse stares at this view of the swollen river from the bottom of the Rectory glebe, whilst the Rector continues with study groups and PCC meetings and planning future events and activities  --  and sermons.

 

Spring comes (for the time being)

Thursday 14th March 2019

 Parish visiting in Woodburn

In the wilderness

Sunday 10th March 2019

 At Messy Church the families heard about Jesus' temptations for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness and started their messy activities by making a desert in a box (complete with Jesus kneeling to pray whilst someone tried to interrupt him).

Complicated grave digging

Saturday 9th March 2019

 A grave had to be dug in tricky conditions between the rainstorm earlier in the week and the threatened snow.

Ash Wednesday in school

Wednesday 6th March 2019

Turbulent water in the River North Tyne today

 

At the Middle School Ash Wednesday assembly we thought about struggles in life.  Even though it's a struggle to get up in the morning, by the end of the day we usually think it's been worth it.  It's the same with coming to the end of life.  So we're giving up something that we depend on too much.  Then we'll have time to think about where our lives are going and the things that matter most.  (For me: switching off the computer at 10 o'clock and having time to rest and rely on God!)

Lenten discipline: less screen time!

Shrove Tuesday 5th March 2019

After the pancakes, back to the study for an evening's work which might degenerate as I get tired into frittering away time on the computer.