Revmelg's Blog

Cultural musings

revmelg — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:34:56 +0000

Having neglected my blog for some time, I thought it would be good to create new intentions for the year ahead. Whilst on holiday in Gozo I have been reflecting on how deeply (or not so deeply) religion is ingrained into society. Statues, icons, religious scenes dominate the streets here, especially in the week after Christmas. St Andrew looks out over the fishermen of Xlendi ; St Margaret is part of the community in Sannat. How different to UK tradition that seems to confine religious figures to the world of private ownership rather than public.

The cross

revmelg — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:50:49 +0000

I’ve recently discovered Rowan Williams reflections on 9/11 – Writing in the dust. I was particularly struck by his comments on how we see the cross in the light of such events. He says : ‘Can we think about our focal symbol, the cross of Jesus, and try to rescue it from its frequent fate as the banner of our own wounded righteousness? If Jesus is indeed what God communicates to us, God’s language for us, his cross is always both ours and not ours ; not a magnified sign of our own suffering, but the mark of God’s work in and through the deepest vulnerability ; not a martyr’s triumphant achievement, but something that is there for all human sufferers because it belongs to no human cause’ p. 77-8

Rhythms

revmelg — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:06:01 +0000

Having just returned from holiday, I have been appreciating how important it is to both maintain and break established rhythms. Holidays seem to give us natural breaks in daily rhythms that are much needed chinks of space and light in an otherwise packed schedule. Returning to those rhythms is difficult, and at the same time healing, as we settle back into routines – perhaps more aware than before of being taken out of context, and the sharp focus that we are thrown into as we come back into a familiar context. Something of that sharpness of focus struck me recently when I was walking away from a church meeting late at night. The poem reflects some of my thoughts as I stopped to pause. I stopped and looked

Listening

revmelg — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:50:14 +0000

I’ve been giving a lot of thought over the past month to what it means to really listen – to listen to the inner workings of our own heart. But also, and much harder, to listen to the inner workings of other peoples hearts. To listen to the silent voice that is not heard ; to listen to words that are not expressed ; to tune in to the voice of God underneath the human words. It is something that not many of us can do – and I find it hard at the best of times. I remember hearing a monk giving a talk about life in a monastery. He commented that one of the first things people find when they join the community is that they think they are good listeners, but that in fact they only listen to surface noise. What we need to listen to is the unheard, the unknown, the voiceless. There are times in our lives when we need others to listen at the very deepest level. Listening

Journals

revmelg — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:36:55 +0000

In the odd moments of what has been a very busy week of music exams and teaching, I have found time to explore the diaries of Etty Hillesum. They were written between 1941 and 1943, but rather than exploring life in Holland during the war, the diaries are firstly a journey through her inner world, only sometimes moving into the restrictions placed on Jews in daily life. It is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a deep thinking woman, who tries to find meaning in the horrors of the war.

Reality

revmelg — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:03:24 +0000

I attended an ordination service today. It was a wonderful occasion of celebration and praise, and a time to mark the journeys of those being priested. As I sat in the service though I began to wonder about reality. What is real, or more real, than something else? Can I say that the cancer ward is more real than the church service that I attended? My first reaction was, yes, of course the pain and humanity of the cancer unit is more real than white robes and coloured scarves. But then I began to reflect that perhaps both tried to get to God through different routes – a kind of wordlessness. The one through wordlessness of pain, and the other through wordlessness of power and glory. So perhaps neither is more real than the other. Reality

Nocturnal meditations

revmelg — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:05:13 +0000

Having struggled to sleep in the humid heat for the last two nights, I finally took matters into my own hands, and slept in a tent in the garden last night. I got a good night’s sleep, and even had a little breeze blowing through the tent to keep me cool.

Night life though is completely different to the life experienced by those of us that function by day. The odd fox wandered past, snuffling its way by the tent, hoping to find some remains of food ; Smaller mammals that looked suspiciously like mice ran alongside the tent ; I’m sure there were a few bats around too, although without a skylight it was difficult to tell ; and then there was the army on exercise on the ranges – sounds of a full scale battle echoed around the night air ; finally I was woken by the dawn chorus - a wonderful mix of birdsong, and full of the exuberance of summer.

Turning points

revmelg — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:05:23 +0000

Turning points. What is it about different moments in life that we look back on as turning points. Sometimes it is a moment of celebration – a wedding, baptism, birthday. More often though it is an indescribable moment when we know that horizons have changed, perceptions shifted, and new directions found. They are unpredictable moments, and often completely outside human control – but we know when we have found a turning point in life. Something has changed. It might take months or years to work out how, but something has shifted.

Hospital

revmelg — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:34:54 +0000

Having spent most of yesterday in the hospital to have fluid drained from my abdomen, I soon realised that hospitals run on a completely different planet and time scale to the rest of civilization. In many ways it was a frustrating experience, but it is also a good lesson in living ‘in the moment’. Perhaps not the easiest of places to dwell – I remember reading Rowan Williams remarks on ‘the unbearable present moment where Jesus is’ – but still a rich and rewarding place to be. If you want to read more, have a look at my reflection on The hospital.

Prayer

revmelg — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:23:45 +0000

There are so many different definitions of prayer. The one I love and use most is one that I heard several years ago – ‘prayer is wasting time with God’. So much of the time I am conscious of not wasting time, of making the most of every minute – and yet here I am being encouraged to be reckless with time, and to waste it ; to practise abandon, and dwell with God. It is a definition that runs counter to everything in our western culture, and yet I get the sense that if I can practise this recklessness with time, there will be a richness to be found in being with God.

I also love Teresa of Avila’s reference to prayer as being ‘nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends ; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us’. Again, there is the idea of recklessness in relation to time – it is a learning curve for me. I have written a short reflection on Prayer – there may be more to follow