Virtual Methodist

Just a quick place holder to say that I may not be posting so regularly over the next few weeks as I am now on holiday and Sally will break my fingers if she sees me at the computer too much. But just to say that we have had a fabulous time with Faith UMC. I only hope that Geoff and Pam Hayes have enjoyed themselves half as much with our folks back home in Dundonald. I will post a few more reflections in due course but for now we're now off to find what other sights Michigan and environs has to offer. First stop Michigan's Adventure... Once the thunderstorms stop... Typical... First day of my holiday proper and the unceasing sunshine of the past three weeks turns into a downpour. Cheers

It is getting close to the end of our official time with Faith UMC here in Grand Rapids Michigan, and because of that, hardly a day has gone by this week without some kind member of the congregation taking us out to yet another part of the city that we haven't yet seen... Yesterday Kathy and Herb Ranta took us to the wonderful Mayer May House on Heritage Hill, a 100 year old home, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and refurbished by the local furniture company, Steelcase, 20 years ago. It was beautiful... some of it very reminiscent of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's work. The whole tour was free, and we were taken round by a guide who clearly loved her subject. But we are very grateful to Herb and Kathy as we would never have seen it if left to our own devices... That was also the case with a tour today through Michigan Natural Storage, a cold strage facility in SW Grand Rapids, based in an old gypsum mine. They don't normally give tours any more because of insurance issues, but ...

Over the weekend we spent a substantial period of time on or around the water. I've already blogged on the beach volleyball at Muskegon. We then spent Sunday afternoon having a picnic at Sue and Dale Sullivan's house on a dammed river up at Newaygo, where both Owain and Ciaran had a go at driving/piloting (not sure what the correct term is) a speedboat belonging to David McKellar, another member of the congregation. For those alarmed at such an idea, fear not, Owain managed to end the day without any additional broken limbs or accidents of any kind, indeed was really very good at it... It was has father who nearly broke his knee and cracked a rib trying to get himself and Ciaran on to an inflatable. Never did manage it for any length of time, but everyone had a good laugh watching me try, so it wasn't entirely wasted. On late Monday afternoon another church family, Chris, Connie and Patrick Avison, took us to the beach at Grand Haven, and we had another lovely evening, play...

Well, I've put off blogging about it long enough... but it is now time to comment on last Sunday's service here in Faith UMC, which was outdoors and included an act of Blessing for Animals... It supposedly came about as a suggestion by the Worship Team here, to which Geoff Hayes, the incumbent minister said, "That's a really good idea... But I'll be in Northern Ireland!" I suspect it may have been his revenge on me for leaving him to feed our cat, even though he is allergic! But lots of people on both sides of the Atlantic have laughed their legs off at the whole thing, especially since I am borderline phobic about dogs. Different people helpfully suggested different incidental music, including, Bob Dylan's "Man Gave Names to All the Animals", Dr. Doolittle's "If I Could Talk to the Animals", or the theme tune from the Vicar of Dibley, in tribute to an episode of that dreadful sitcom when the said vicar hosted a similar service. I w...

Whilst my "brethern" were walking the highways and byways of the traditional routes of Northern Ireland on Saturday, I was sitting on my backside looking after the boys at the "parsonage" of Faith UMC in Grand Rapids, because Saturday was a "ladies day" over here. Sally was speaking about her work with Dundonald Family and Community Initiative at a United Methodist Women's event in the morning, and then attended a "Life Party" in the afternoon. For the uninitiated a "Life Party" is another term here for a baby shower. Anyway, I asked Sally if she wanted to post any reflections here as in a "guest slot" but she declined, saying that there wasn't anything extraordinary to report... Except, that is, for the big question she was asked after her presentation in the morning... After speaking about the difficulties and the delights of working in a community development programme in Ballybeen she opened the floor to questions....

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome! Fremde, etranger, stranger. Gluklich zu sehen, je suis enchante, Happy to see you, bleibe, reste, stay. Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome Im Cabaret, au Cabaret, to Cabaret Meine Damen und Herren, Mesdames et Messieurs, Ladies and Gentlemen! Guden Abend, bon soir, We geht's? Comment ca va? Do you feel good? I bet you do! Ich bin euer Confrecier; je suis votre compere... I am your host! Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome Im Cabaret, au Cabaret, to Cabaret Leave your troubles outside! So - life is disappointing? Forget it! We have no troubles here! Here life is beautiful... The girls are beautiful... Even the orchestra is beautiful! With those words the Emcee famously invites the audience into the moral twilight world of Cabaret, where the people of 1930's Berlin could escape the horrors of the rising tide of Nazism. I have been blogging about welcome this week in the light of the warm welcome that I and my family have received here at Faith United Me...