Moderator Rowena on Sabbatical or more accurately Dec-atical

Moderator Rowena on Sabbatical or more accurately Dec-atical

It is a privilege and delight to be gifted a three-month Sabbatical or more accurately a Dec-atical, each ten years of service, as a URC minister.

I am reflecting in this grace-filled 3 months of June, July, and August on:-
1) Praying with our bodies. 2) Systems thinking and its impact on our understanding of God and 3) the Synod’s partnership with the Presbyterian Church of Mozambique.

Bodily Prayer
I am exploring praying through my body in this Vision4Life prayer year. Acknowledging that we are all different, I personally find it easiest to pray when my busy chattering butterfly mind is focused on the rhythm of swimming, walking or dancing so that it becomes still. This enables me to focus on God’s grace and bounty where I am; to become aware of the here and now rather than living in a problem of tomorrow that might never happen. To be able to practice the spiritual discipline of mindfulness comes easiest when my mind is occupied with a physical activity. It is good to have time out to engage in this more fully. A workshop of focused circle dance for peace and healing for the earth was a powerful part of this in June.

I am walking the coast of the Synod as part of this, with Toby and Molly, my two dogs,. I hope in doing this to be more mindful of where God is everyday whether that is in the beauty of the coast, in the engineering of the Transporter Bridge, in the industrial and residential areas that I will pass through and also in meetings, worship and encounters with folk following my Sabbatical.

This is my rough itinerary; subject to changes. Please pray for me and if there is a part that you would like to walk with me then do get in touch by text or phone and I will let you know the plans for the day and meeting points. (If reception is possible 07981 323702)

Mon 12th July Whitby to Staithes B&B
Tues 13th July Staithes to Marske by the Sea Host Colin Offor
Wed 14th July Marske – Middlesborough Host Colin Offor
Thurs 15th July Middlesborough-Hartlepool Host Val Towler
Fri 16th July Hartlepool-Seaham Host Val Towler
Sat 17th July Seaham-Marsden Metro home

Mon 19th July Marsden- South Shields Metro home
Tues 20th July South Shields-North Shields Metro home
Wed 21st July North Shields-Monkseaton Metro home

The full week gap is when I will be joining various folk from the Synod and beyond and we will walk St Cuthbert’s Way.

Mon 2nd Aug Monkseaton-Blyth Host Yvonne Tracey
Tues 3rd Aug Blyth-Cresswell Host Hilga Peacock
Wed 4th Aug Creswell – Warkworth Host Hilga Peacock
Thurs 5th Aug Warkworth-Alnmouth Train home

Mon 9th Aug Alnmouth – Seahouses B&B
Tues 10th Aug Seahouses-Fenwick B&B
Wed 11th Aug Fenwick-Berwick home by train

Creation as complex systems, made in God’s Trinitarian image.
The world and humanity are facing great change. The old ways of thinking of linear cause and effect so dominant in Western post-Enlightenment thinking are being called into question across seemingly all disciplines. Systems and complexity theory are showing us that we are not independent beings that can do our own thing but are part of complex systems. Paul talks of the church as the body of Christ. The heart can only function as a heart in its place in the system of the body. It is affected by blood flow, chemicals, oxygen, nutrition provided by other parts of the system and it also affects many other parts of the body system. If the heart’s pacemaker stops working, without intervention from an external medical system, that body will die.

Likewise we as individuals are situated in multiple systems - family, church, work, friendship networks. I am reflecting on what this means for me called to serve as the Synod Moderator in a particular place in the system of the URC, currently influenced by many other external systems such as the changing culture around us. So far key learning for me has been that it is not possible to change other parts of the system; for each part is responsible for itself. However, it is possible to change oneself, as the Holy Spirit transforms us and this then affects the whole system. This is repentance. (Mk 1:15) This is taking the plank out of one’s own eye, rather than trying to take the speck out of someone else’s. (Matt 7:1-5) This is what it means to work out our salvation in fear and trembling before God. (Phil 2:12-13)

Synod partnership with Mozambique
A third strand in my Sabbatical that has squeezed in is to be involved in the developing relationship between Northern Synod and the Presbyterian Church in Mozambique. It was a privilege to welcome Ernesto and Jose to the synod and share with them in the URC General Assembly in Loughborough. It will also be good to share in a visit to Mozambique with Jo, our new Mission and Development Enabler and seven under 30’s from around the synod; before returning to regular life as Synod Moderator.

I hope to keep you posted on progress through John’s good offices on the blog.

Rowena Francis
July 9th 2010