First Sunday Evening on the Nomadic - Our last one for a while

This post got lost in the DRAFTS box from 6 April 2014.

We said our farewell on the SS Nomadic. Ward recited the Call To Worship from the beginning of his book, Plain Drink Tea.  Marda thanked Chris and Susan, and said our goodbyes to all those who welcomed us and provided a Spirit filled prayer walking venue for Sunday afternoons.

This "fresh expression of church" needs support from the traditional denominations as well as from those who seek true spirituality without the trappings of institutional religion.  Patronize the Dock Cafe and pay forward.  Support Chris Bennett as a chaplain to the Titanic Quarter and give generously.  This is Christ's body and the church in action.

April is here

This Friday, Ward Stothers, with author Bill McKnight to moderate, Rev Jack lamb to bless us and the librarian Mark Knowles to host us; Ward will officially launch his book.   

Plain Drink Tea  is available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.  The book can also be downloaded from Kindle.

With three sections, peace, prayers, and a cuppa, there is diversity you can use to warm your soul and encourage your actions.  An introduction and a postscript completes the story.  We do make a difference each one of us. 

Our Irish journey is taking a turn and we return home to California in two weeks for at least six months.  At this point it seems our base will return to Berkeley. Forays back to Northern Ireland will happen as projects warrant.  We are already talking about next year's Passion Walk in Belfast.  Ward and Bill have a concept for another book and some friends never made the pilgrimage to Ireland.

Bill has a video!

Take a look at this video which was made of Bill McKnight, Ward's good friend here in Belfast.

http://youtu.be/UdgWx0nmMbM

A remarkable month

We are thank full.  Our month has been very full of serendipity and fun.  Last night we greeted Os Guinness at The Hub, a gathering place near Queen's University, where he delivered a public lecture and said this was his first visit to Northern Ireland since 1981.  We last saw him in St Louis when he said we were crazy to move to Ireland but provided a nice contact.

The day before we addressed 35 social workers on how the disease affects the person and the carer.  Next week Ward will be part of the Parkinson's UK media campaign.

Several weeks ago the highlight posted on our Facebook page. We met the Republic of Ireland President Michael Higgins, himself a poet.  Our minister Jack Lamb called Marda the night before and asked do you know who the president of Ireland is?  A person named Higgins?  Yes and do you know what he did before he became president?  I have no clue.  He was a poet and you and Ward are going to meet him as my representative.  Oh happy day!  Make sure we don't get turned away at the door.  (this isn't China where we had equal access to the Chan Family Academy along with Bertie Ahern then Prime Minister of Ireland).  Ward intended to give him the poem he wrote entitled Armagh and Mr. Higgins asked him to read it, and when he couldn't because he couldn't properly see it in 12 pt type, the President offered to finish it for him.  Such grace!  You can see the video on Youtube.  Ward's recitation is 10 minutes in.

Energized

Stephen Adams behind Marda's pottery just before the opening

Last night was so amazing!  About 80 to 100 people gathered for the art exhibition of the Art and Faith Group of Contemporary Christianity Ireland.  12 of us exhibited including 3 of Ward's poems framed and hung, a weaving and new porcelain pottery from Marda, and a clay impression from Denise Weyhrich of Seeds Fine Art.

Yesterday afternoon was amazing.  We met with Diane Holt about potential training for facilitators in the church to explore and expand our work on "church and community".

Yesterday morning was amazing as we watched the unveiling of a new mural on the Shankill Road. Daniella was the artist and she worked with local community groups.  Her friend Makiko greeted us. She is a worker at L'Arche from Japan.
The area behind may become allotments for community gardens.  Time will tell.

Reading and wandering

I have two books going. The first is Mountain Rain, a biography of James O. Fraser by Eileen Fraser Crossman. Fraser was an adventurous missionary who worked with the Lisu peoples of Yunnan province in the early 20th Century. Having spent 8 days in Yunnan in August, I find this early pioneer's work very interesting. The second book is Paperboy, a memoir by Tony Macaulay. Macauley grew up in the upper Shankill Road and writes about his experiences and remembrances from his childhood in the mid 1970s. The language is colloquial and can teach me how to have a north Belfast accent if I apply myself. These two thoughts are tied together by a funny blog my friend Dinah Chong just published. It is my same situation, so it is. Dinah has been at it since I met her in 1994 a Canadian born Chinese having moved to China to live and work. So it is hard to believe she still feels like she is at kindergarten level! Surely she exaggerates but it reads well and sobers my enthusiasm for when I put my own mind to learning putonghua, the language of China.