Nurturing and Sustaining Christian Leadership in Schools Coton

Nurturing and Sustaining Christian Leadership in Schools Coton House.

Thank you for carrying the biscuit

Some Tensions Coton House.

Nicholas Lash Norris-Hulse Professor Emeritus of Divinity Cambridge University “The gravest challenge that Arch-bishop Nichols faces, is to find ways of helping the churches to come to grips with the extraordinary extent to which, Christian beliefs and practices have become, not unknown, but apparently unintelligible to considerable numbers of people. Most people think they know what Christianity is about, and they don’t. ”

regulation and banality

Local By-laws “I received a phone call from a woman who wanted to open a home-based business in their garage. They could use the garage for their office, but only if they didn't block off and insulate both, and left the two doors as a garage door. Why? It turns out that if you have a driveway in the front of your house, you can park cars on your driveway, but only if your driveway leads to something. The something is interpreted to mean that it must lead to your garage. If you have your garage filled as a storage place you can still park in front of your (unusable) garage, but not if you block off the doors and make them unusable.

life feels “pants”

the same thing can happen to religiously inspired communities

Rules of behaviour in Church "Let all things be done decently and in order, " (1 Cor. 14: 40. ) To this end the following rules have been laid down for guidance. It is very important to put yourself into a prayerful mood on the way to church

• Do not linger in the entrance area, since others will be coming in

• On entering the church, you should make the sign of the Cross in an unhurried manner and make a bow towards the altar

If you see friends and acquaintances in church, greet them with a silent bow. Never stop to shake hands or ask questions, even if they are your closest friends.

• Do not leave the church until the end of the service. Otherwise, you show disrespect for the holiness of the house of God and distract others from prayer.

• Teach this to your children

“When ever people look for guidance, commandments are sure to follow. These norms will give birth to a thousand regulations about how to pray in the morning, how to pray in the evening, how to bless food, how to give thanks for the first flower of spring, etc. And these laws are everywhere and surround every human activity. ” Robert Wicks “Soon the human person is continually consulting a book of right actions to determine if he or she is doing the right thing. ” John Shea

“In this atmosphere what becomes important is the behaviour. Was the law meticulously and literally followed? If it was, then that is enough. Doing the law is what counts. ” Robert Wicks “The Birth of Fundamentalism. ”

Warning; Eternal Life in heaven is not guaranteed. Access may be subject to terms and conditions. See Luke’s Gospel for further details. Your life may go down as well as up.

so the entrance area is no longer cluttered by distractions but….

there is something slightly wrong about “it. ”

sometimes you are singing…. but you wonder whether you are singing with your mouth or your heart

the problem is that the rules rather than the reason for the rules takes over

• New ideas annoy you symptoms • You are less comfortable with the idea of “sharing” resources • Training starts to feel irritating • You start saying things like ”I just come for the networking. ” • You’re quietly irritated by other people’s enthusiasm • You put your name on all the things you own • Practical mundane tasks become appealing • You wish you’d never said you had an “Open door policy” • You stop playing on your swivel chair when no-one is looking

Have you caught yourself getting grumpy these days?

Suppose we get caught up in “Could try harder” and fall back onto our own limited resources

We can fall out about the detail and forget the reason for the detail

regulation and banality

“where ever you are…. be somewhere else!” Play station 2 “We use most of our time spending money we haven’t earned, to buy things we don’t need to impress people we don’t know. ” Will Smith “The email of the species is more deadlier than the mail” Stephen Fry “Year after year cook books and diet books are the biggest sellers; learn how to cook it, then how to avoid eating it” “The problem with modern living is that we worship our work, work at our play, play at our worship ” Terry Hershey Andy Rooney “By means of a diversion a man can avoid his own company 24 hours a day” Louis Pascal “For the must haves you have not yet got” John Lewis plc

Missing the point “I’m six how old are you? ” “I’ve got an Xbox” “I’ve got a girlfriendboyfriend” “I’ve got an A grade” “I’m on a good salary” “I have responsibility” “I have successful children” “This is not to happen “I had a triple by-pass” amongst you” John 12 1 -20 “I’m 94 how old are you”

Watch for the patterns in Luke 9: 34 The disciples are arguing over which of them is the best! 10: 13 The disciples are “protecting” Jesus from children because if children have access to Jesus then what happens to their own status? 10: 28 Peter is stressing to Jesus all that he has given up to follow him hoping that this might be a qualification for special consideration 10: 37 James and John want to sit nearest to Jesus in the kingdom! 10: 41 The others are annoyed with James and John for asking, privately hoping that they would not be relegated to some hidden place themselves 10: 47 The people nearest to Jesus tell Bartimaeus to be quiet “don’t bother the master”, trying to experiment with power

“The disciples were arguing over which of them is the best!” LK 9: 34

A growing restlessness and discontentment “The desire for personal affirmation through instant gratification leads to a search for a heightened experience with a consequent increase in boredom and an inability to find contentment in the ordinary. ” James Hanvey

What happens when the dominant focus is not on who we are but on how we perform?

Wake up or the moment will be gone – choose to live

Wakey wakey!

Preserving the mission in the face of fatigue, inertia and competativeness

Call to Gratitude

Anam Cara – John Donoghue To the inferior eye, everything is greater To the resentful eye, everything is demanding To the controling eye, everything is a threat To the greedy eye, everything is expensive To the possessive eye everything is desirable To the cautious eye, everything is a risk To the demanding eye, everything is a disappointment But to the grateful eye, everything is a blessing

Always “ be thankful. Let the Word of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God. ” Colossians 3: 14 -17

“I never realised how well I was, until I gave up thinking how ill I was. ” St Teresa of Avila

Do you tend to count your blessings or the cost?

Gratitude compels Joy

It is impossible to be grateful and unhappy at the same time

“Football (soccer) has become so professionalised that the first thing I have to do when I call them into the squad is remind them to enjoy it” P Scholari Former Coach of PORTUGALCHELSEA

“From serious sullen saints preserve us, O Lord” St Teresa of Avila

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ” John 15: 11

“David wearing an ephod, danced before the Lord” 2 Samuel 6: 14

Joy compels generosity

“If you think you are too small to make a difference you haven’t been to bed with a mosquito. ” Anita Roddick

“We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be talented? ’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. ” Marianne Williamson – Return to Love

You are invited “Oh God, help me to believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it may be. ” Jean Vanier

“You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. ”Jn 15: 16 -17

Generosity compels Compassion

Have you become a big person in a little world…. . Or a little person in a big world?

The good news is that you are invited to the banquet! The bad news is…. . have you seen who else is invited!

There is little distinction between knowledge and love

“Your life is not about you. ” Mother Teresa

Gratitude Appreciation Compassion Listen to yourself Generosity Joy

Thank you For what you still have to do For what you give Thank you For what has been given Thank you

2 beyond boundaries

Boundaries are important to us Bridestowe and Sourton

Boundaries give us Confidence

Boundaries that defend us almost always end up defining us

“We only recognise our gift when someone else receives it. ” US Catholic Bishops 1997

“God does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called. ” Daniel L Loughman

“For the measure you give will be the measure you get back. ” Luke 6: 38

“Jesus does not call nameless people in a faceless crowd. ” “Jesus calls us individually, every man woman and child by name, to make a specific, particular and unique contribution. ” Stewardship – A Disciples Response US Catholic Bishops Conference 1997

Faith requires a certain surrender to God’s providence and accompaniment “All will be well and all manner of things will be well” Julian of Norwich

The defining feature of Christian faith is Jesus Christ. Mathetes (Means disciple but also apprentice).

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things shall be given you as well. ” Matthew 6: 33

“Education is what you get when read the small print… experience is what you get when you don’t. ”

“There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God. ” Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love.

“God did not give us a Spirit of timidity but rather a Spirit of power and love and self discipline. ” 2 Timothy 1: 7

“Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie which we ascribe to heaven. ” All's Well That Ends Well

“Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right. ” Henry Ford

“Pay no attention to what the critics say. A statue has never been erected in honour of a critic. ” Jean Sibelius

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed. ” 2 Timothy 2: 15

The problem of inadequacy “Let no-one despise you’re your youth” 1 Timothy 4: 12