Interfaith ministers Trudi Farmer and Jacqueline Clark are devising and leading our next One World Worship service (at 7.00 p.m. on Sunday 7th March). "What's an interfaith minister?" you may ask. Well, they're a growing phenomenon with three training courses now in the UK. If you can be with us on Sunday 7th you'll be able to find out first hand. Trudi writes:
As an
Interfaith Minister (ordained in 2005 with the Interfaith Seminary www.interfaithfoundation.org
) I was involved for about a year in preparing regular monthly worship services
with my study group in Bristol. When I went
along to a service at Othona for the first time, I was struck by it's similarity
to those we had offered. I particularly noticed those elements that had been
sourced from different faith traditions and beyond. For me, this focus on the
shared experience, rather than a shared theology perhaps describes best the
Interfaith perspective.
We
will be a little group of three on March 7. Planning and offering the service
as a team, is for me, delightful, growthful and often surprising! My training
invites me to choose a theme that reflects my own spiritual discoveries at the
time. My challenge recently has been about balance and remaining centred in the
heart. So that will be our focus: "Living in Balance / Centring in the Heart " and
we will be offering words, meditation, music, prayer – all those elements that
inspire, uplift and calm us... to help bring us back to that part of ourselves
that is Peace. (The service will be signed for those who read sign language.) Hope to see you there.
Quiet Please
Our Quiet Week this Spring is from 22-28 March. We have some places still available.
This is the week for you if you long to slow down and settle into
quietness – but don't want a silent retreat as such. After the
September 09 week some of our visitors wrote:
"Grounded yet uplifted, again."
"Blissful tranquility, fun and laughter, company and solitude." "May
God preserve this haven of peace and tranquility. My thanks to all for
their care and support." Shall we see for a Quiet Week
The week costs £290 (full charge) or £220 (concession – freely available to anyone who needs it). And don't forget we have a bursary fund so we can help out a bit even on the concessionary rate... if that's what is standing in your way. Do give us a call or email if you're interested.
What's cooking at Bradwell?
More to the point, who's cooking? Our sister community at Bradwell-on-Sea is in urgent need of a 'cook co-ordinator' – one of the key roles there. If you or someone you know may be interested, please contact Rupert Bragg at bosrecruitment@othona.org for more details.
Recruits for Dorset too
Just a reminder that we're still open to applications for short term core members (usually from 3 to 11 months) this year and for a new Facilities Co-ordinator to look after buildings and equipment maintenance. To see more about the jobs click through to our vacancies page.
R.I.P. Harold Johnson
For many years Harold was automatically the Easter speaker at this Othona centre. How and when that tradition grew up I'm not sure, but it was appropriate because Harold's recurrent theme was the primacy of love in all things, the love of God seen in self-giving even to the point of death. And being Harold, the discussion would usually get round to his great hero Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor and theologian who was executed shortly before the end of World War II for his part in a plot to assassinate Hitler.
Harold, a URC minister, and his late wife Una had been with Othona from the late 1940s. He brought with him perhaps a bit of a counterbalance to our Anglican founder - and brought also many members of churches in North London and Essex. Part of his legacy to Othona lives on in them. He served the community in many ways over the years, including as chair of trustees. Harold died on 16th February with his family around him, at the age of 93. His funeral is on 1st March at Zion United Church, Bristol.
PV launch
We're delighted with our new photovoltaic arrays on the chapel roof. They're already producing electricity. But the official launch event is on 11th March at 2.00 p.m. Do come along if you're interested.
As well as Othona friends and representatives of those who've funded the project, we'll have with us experts from the installation company Naturalwatt. They will be happy to answer questions - not only about our system but also about how your house or business might generate its own power – thus reducing your carbon footprint as well as saving you money.
Government is just introducing (from April) new Feed-In Tariffs which make the payback time on renewable technologies much shorter than before. This is the moment when green energy should really take off in the UK. Maybe you're one of the private individuals who'll help make that happen.
If you can come on 11th it will help with our refreshments if you can call or email us in advance.
Responses to an atheist 'coming out'
Thanks to those who wrote in response after my open letter to Dave Seckleman in last month's Latest News. Below are extracts from three people's contributions. I know there will be more correspondence in the next edition of Othona's Full Circle newsletter too.
"Interestingly, over the years I don't remember the content of many chapel services but the impact of sitting in peace in both the lovely chapels twice a day has been significant and I suppose is an experience which is very foreign to most people. Even my son, when aged about 8, said he really loved the chapel services and the quiet."
"One point I noticed in Dave's letter is that he mentions 'collective ownership'. This is not how I relate to BB, and perhaps this is a significant difference between 'community members' as they relate to the 2 centres. I have a somewhat Buddhist attitude that I don't 'own' anything (not my family, my body, only material things)."
"I think complete inclusivity is probably unachievable, and you can never please all of the people all of the time, anyway. But what you can do, and I think Othona (the BB one, at least – I haven't been to the other one) does very well is *be confident* about the spiritual approach that it does take. It is very clear from your website that your Christian approach is an open one, and that people don't have to be Christian themselves to feel welcome at Othona. That was certainly our experience when we visited. Anyone who took the time to read your website before booking should have a good idea of what to expect. I do think that Dave's feeling that some people won't visit you because they object to Othona's stance is probably true - but that doesn't mean that you should change. Probably the opposite, actually."
