"A delicious play on words, Minister."

This morning I made my Elder début as a reader. Well, début may be too strong a word. I have read in church a handful of times but only as a last minute stand in. I've never been officially on the rota.

With apologies to Peter Parker's uncle, it is true that with great eldership comes great responsibility, which means I am now on the official church rota. Duties include reading, welcoming people and being church warden. Of the later, my initial reaction was, "They're trusting me with the church keys?!" 

In case the Minister is reading this, it'll be totally cool! I'll have it all under control! What's the worst that can happen to a church warden?! 

Back to the reading... I was reading from 2 Kings 2:1-2 and 6-14, however, it wasn't from the Good News (pew) Bible, it was from David Kossoff at 5 to 10. Kossoff was an actor, writer and broadcaster whose collection of Old Testament bible stories were broadcast at 5 to 10 on BBC radio. Kossoff retold familiar bible stories in a distinctively humorous style. I couldn't find the story I read but here's Kossoff reading the story of David.

I didn't read quite like him!

I only saw the reading twenty minutes before I was due to read. Thankfully, two hymns plus Family Time gave me enough time to familiarise myself with the reading. What was funny about being chosen to read this particular message was the link between the bible message and my surname.

As the Minister explained to junior church during Family Time, Elisha is picking up Elijah's mantel and continuing his good work. Using images on the screens, he explained that it's a bit like a relay race where you pass the baton on to another person to continue the next leg of the race. Elijah was passing the baton on to Elisha who would continue Elijah's work as God's prophet. 

As I said to the Minister before I started the reading, "I'm sure it was no coincidence, what with my surname, that I was asked to read this passage. A delicious play on words, Minister!"

And my surname is... Batten! It made me laugh, anyway!

Back to the reading... In my eagerness to read I completely pre-empted my cue and was up at the lectern far too early than was needed. Whoops! I also started off reading a bit too fast (adrenaline had kicked in - I do so love an audience) but soon settled into the rhythm and found a steady pace. 

If enjoying my church reading experience wasn't enough, the Minister's sermon started with a song! Given the reading, it could only have been Swing Low Sweet Chariot! Everyone looked surprised that instead of the Minister reading the sermon from his ipad, we had a gospel-inspired song to sing along to...and looking around, there were a number of toes-tapping and people singing. 

As sung by Etta James - gorgeous!

Today's service reminded me why I love City Church. It's all such good fun. The Minister isn't afraid to try something new to help illustrate a point. I came away thinking about my role as I leave church. Jesus has passed the baton on to me (and all Christians) and it is my responsibility to take up the mantel and continue his good work. I left feeling hugely encouraged and inspired.

So, what do you like about City Church? What do you like about your own church? Do you leave feeling inspired? Please do share your thoughts below.

Until next time.

With best wishes,

Matt the Elder

Ps: Struggling to recall the Elijah-Elisha bible story, well here's a colourful retelling...

City Church... comforting your buttocks since 2013

Let's talk about church pews, shall we?

Mathlete the Elder

A couple of months ago I was moaning on Facebook about the pews at City Church. You see, I am in serious training mode. Pilates Bootcamp, personal trainer, cycling, hiking... you name it, I'm all over it! They don't call me Mathlete for nothing, you know! 

And all this training takes a toll on ones buttocks. 

Anyway, my status went something like this:

These church pews are pretty unforgiving on my Body Combat fatigued butt cheeks. #Sore

Imagine my delight to when the Minister replied,

You'll be pleased to know that we have ordered new cushions for the pews, to be installed in April.

Praise be!

Now, you're probably wondering a couple of things. 

1, What is Body Combat? (it's a non-combat martial arts group workout). 

2, He lets the Minister see his Facebook updates? (Adrian strikes me as a down to earth kinda chap with a good sense of humour... either that or he friend requested me just to keep tabs on his newest Elder). 

3, How are your your butt cheeks now, Matt?

They are doing mighty fine, thanks for asking!

Hard wooden church pews may have suited the Puritans but we live in modern times. Quite rightly, we expect comfort. I used to notice that some of the older members of the congregation would bring their own cushions. How I coveted those pretty crochet cushions, when shifting from one cheek to the other, desperate for a few moments respite from Church Pew Pain. Those strips of thread-bare carpet we used to have offered little in the way of comfort. 

As comfy as sitting on God's own lap

All that changed in April when new pew cushions were installed throughout City Church. These gorgeous blue cushions are a welcome addition. They are so comfy and soft it makes sitting through Adrian's sermons even more of a pleasure! 

Since their installation, I'm almost sure that everyone seems little bit more cheerful than usual. This has to be down to the fact that we are praising Jesus in such luxury!

So, if you have been put off going to church because of harsh church furniture then do your buttocks a favour and worship at City Church!

With best wishes,
Matt the Elder 

Road Trip 2: Synod Day!

What goes on at Synod Day...

Excerpt from The Secret Diary of Matt the Elder aged 34 ¾

Saturday 8 June 2013

Synod Day, pt 2

1216: After a great start to Synod Day I turn to the Minister and his Wife to get their thoughts. They are no where to be seen. 

1220: Unsurprised to see the Minister heading up the lunch queue. 

1236: Finally get my lunch. Struggle with the paper plates and wooden cutlery. I wonder whether the organisers were expecting violent difference of opinions from the Christians? Perhaps there have been some fisty-cuffs in the past? 

1245: Eat my lunch at the picnic area. Families watch on as junior church run around and play games. Aww, they all look like they having such fun. 

1246: Decide to take a stroll and seek solitude. All this frenetic energy is giving me one of my heads.

Royal Welsh Dude Ranch.

1330: First of the afternoon workshops starts. 13 people in attendance. Digital filming. In my head I'm shooting The Last Temptation of Matt the Elder, starring... me!

1332: Kevin introduces himself. He's leading today's session. Kevin also asks if we brought our digital cameras with us. I regret not reading the workshop description in more detail.

1335: Surprised at all the high-tech equipment on the table. Who said older people are not tech-savy?!  The lady next to me whips out her Mac book, digital camera and selection of SD cards. I place my camera phone on the table. Reminds me of the knife scene in Crocodile Dundee:

"That's not a knife...this is a knife!"

1350: Kevin teaches us some useful filming techniques. I lost my pen so I made some mental notes.

1355: Kevin asks for volunteers. I raise my hand confident that my previous media training will hold me in good stead for this. "Talk about your experience of Synod Day so far, Matthew." I go blank. Mumble something about it being a really good day and how much I'm really enjoying the day and it's all really good. Groan!

1400: Time to practice our new digital filming skills. I partner up with The Lady with the MacBook. I am determined to produce a masterpiece. We have 20 minutes.

1403: Me and The Lady with the MacBook rush off to scout locations. I send her one way while I rush off in the other direction. I tell her I'm looking for dramatic backdrops, depth of scenery and panoramic views. 

1405: I veto a shed and some buildings as lacking Oscar worthy cinematography . 

1407: We settle on using a hedge with a statue on the background. Time was our enemy. 

1410: I interview The Lady with the MacBook and we review the footage. My camera phone is not up to the job. Microphone didn't pick up any sound apart from the wind. 

1411: We have a back-up plan, namely, a top of the range digital camera courtesy of The Lady with the MacBook.

1415: I nail the interview in one take! YES! I doubt Huw Edwards could have done a better job.

1420: We return with our footage. Kevin loves it and asks if he can use my interview in his own Synod Day video. I beam. Of course, Kevin. Of course!

1430: Fuelled by my brush with fame, I head off to my next workshop. Social Media! I feel confident this is an area I excel in. I am, what some have called, a heavy Facebook and Twitter user!

1433: Someone asks, "How do you use Facebook security settings?"  I realise this workshop is not pitched at my level. 

1438: "So, if I 'Tweet' does that mean everyone on 'Twitter' can see my 'Tweet'?" 

1441: We show each other what smart phones or tablets we have. I take the opportunity to check Facebook and Twitter

1446: Just arranged a night out when we get back to Cardiff. I LOVE social media!.

1500: David, who is leading this session, shows us some examples of churches who use Facebook. Some are very good. He then picks City Church. Oh the shame! We are hardly a glowing example of engaging with Facebook.

1501: Oh no! City Church Facebook page pops up and who's the last person to post anything on there? ME. A link to my blog. I pray that David doesn't click on my name. My current profile picture is a photo of me with Will and Kate... at Manchester Pride... only it's not really Will and Kate... it's a drag queen and his boyfriend! I say nothing.

1515: David shows us a superb church and social media video! It's wonderful! I feel completely inspired. I must speak to our Minister about a social media strategy for City Church. Take a look at the video:

1530: Workshop ends. Well done to David for leading the workshop. It must have been difficult to find the right level in which to pitch the discussion.

1531: Back to main hall for the final service and communion. Two more people from City Church are asked to read. I feel so proud that we have contributed so much to the day.

1545: Start getting a little edgy at the way communion is going. Is that a shared cup? Oh, I'm not sure I can drink from the same cup as lots of other people... 

1549: In the queue to receive communion. I see germs... all over the cup. What is the etiquette for refusing the cup? 

1551: The cup gets wiped after each person sips. My turn. I place my lips slightly off centre to avoid the main sipping point. I prefer the approach City Church takes. Small individual glasses which is served on a tray. 

1600: Final prayers and we are done! Lots of smiles, hugs and hand shakes. Clearly, lots of friendships are made at Synod events. The mood is upbeat and jovial. Everyone seems to have had a good day.

1602: I make my way to the bus. I thoroughly enjoyed Synod Day and would definitely go again! 

1604: On the bus, Time for a power nap after a stimulating day.

If you've never been to Synod Day, I would highly recommend it! Have you been? What's your experience? Do share!

With best wishes,Matt the Elder

A view from the pews #1

Where's Matt the Elder sitting today?

You know the cliché that church goers have their favourite place to sit and woe betide anyone who upsets this tradition? Well, quite frankly it's completely true. I'm guilty of this. I like to sit in the fourth pew, on the end and just to the left of the aisle. I have been known to get quite sulky should anyone sit in my favourite spot. Not that I'd force anyone to move... that would be a step too far!

However, I've decided to mix things up a bit on Sunday mornings and sit in different areas of the church. This morning, I sat at the back ( the Minister asked me to record the sermon on the laptop which is at the back of the church). I rather liked it. It was like being on holiday. I saw sections of the church I had never seen before and the whole church service felt fresh and new. 

So, a semi-regular blog post will be A view from the pews. A glimpse of City Church from wherever I decide to sit! I know, it's a genius idea. Without further ado, here was my view this morning:

A view from the back of City Church...before service began

Check out the fancy screens! Smart, eh?! We use these to advertise church events and to put up the hymn words. It's a bit like Congregational karaoke!

Pretty impressive organ, I must say

And here's a photo of the organ. It is very impressive. I must find out more about the history of this beautiful instrument and share this with you.

Are you guilty of having a favourite seat in church? Have you made a church faux pas by sitting in someone's spot? Do share!

Until next time...

With best wishes,

Matt the Elder

Road Trip!

What goes on at Synod Day, stays at Synod Day...

Excerpt from The Secret Diary of Matt the Elder aged 34 ¾

Saturday 8 June 2013

Synod Day

0615: Alarm goes off. Hit snooze. Bitterly regret having 'one more for the road' at last nights Beer and Cider Festival.

0625: Hit snooze.

0635: Alarm goes off again. Forced out of bed by the Big Fella (OH) mumbling something about interrupting his weekend lie-in.

0700: Shower and dressed. First cup of tea of the day. Feeling slightly more human.

0715: Toast and peanut butter followed by a power smoothie. Feeling invincible!

0730: Stomp around upstairs hoping the Big Fella will cave in and give me a lift to City Church. Running v late.

0738: Plan worked! In car and on my way to get the bus.

0741: Aaaaghhhh! Forgot my sandwiches! Too late to turn back.  

0749: Stuck in traffic! Panic sets in... they'll go without me! I'll never make it to Synod Day.

0753: Hit several sets of red lights. The day is turning into a disaster. Convinced I'll miss the bus.

0755: God hears my prayers and lights turn green. Whoo - hoo! Road trip is on!

0801: Arrive at the meeting point one minute late. Spot the City Church crew. Minister is wearing a very fetching canary yellow t-shirt. Both of us are dressed in shorts and summer gear and looking more like we're off to Torremolinos than to the Royal Welsh Showground. No sign of the bus.

0807: Bus still hasn't arrived. Is it too early to open the flask of tea?

0810: And we're off! Bus arrives and everyone piles in. Last one to the back is a rotten egg!

0820: Ate banana and drank half the tea.

0845: Polished off tea, cereal bar and apple. One banana left.

0858: Ate banana.

Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells

1010: Woke up to find we have arrived at Builth Wells. Wondered why there are so many more people on the bus than when we started at Cardiff. Apparently we stopped in two places along the way. Must have dozed off!

1020: Hand over £5 in return for a wrist band and programme. Sign up for two workshops; one on digital storytelling and another on social media. How very "Church 2.0".

1035: Cup of tea with the South Wales URC members. Regale all with tales from last nights Beer and Cider Festival. Minister's wife tells us that she didn't go last year as she had to pick Adrian up. I jokingly ask whether she meant 'off the floor?" *snigger*

1055: Five minutes until opening worship and it occurs to me that apart from junior church I may very well be the youngest one here! 

1058: Scramble to the main hall starts! Lots of jostling and elbowing to get the best seats. Decide to follow the Minister and his wife. They've been before and know the best way to bag a decent seat. 

1100: Opening Worship kicks off with a couple of jaunty Christian rock tunes. Puts me in mind of Eric Cartman's Faith +1 band... (NSFC*)

Christian rock... Eric Cartman style.

1115: First icebreaker and an opportunity to bond with those around you. We all have one piece of jigsaw and work together to put the jigsaw together and make a body! Because we are all of one body... the body of Christ. Geddit?! I love group activities. I also like to win. 

1117: Competition is rife and we struggle to find the missing piece of the jigsaw. I send someone from my team out to scour for the missing right arm. They return with claims that they found the missing jigsaw piece. This person had one job...

I'm not convinced my team understood the rules...

1125: More songs. A member of City Church gets up to do a reading. How lovely that a member of our church was asked. 

1130: Ice breaker No. 2. Hidden around the room are socks and we have to go and find them. Me and the Minister's Wife get a little too competitive and leap across the chairs like a pair of gazelles! We are determined to win! 

1145: All socks found. Minister's wife returns looking dishevelled and teary after crawling under displays and climbing across tables in a desperate attempt to find a sock. We return empty handed and defeated. I'm suspicious that the only people to find said socks are members of junior church. I question the Christian ethics of insider information.

1150: Next up is the keynote address by Rev. Dr. Michael Jaggessar, Moderator of URC General Assembly. I grab my notepad and pen. I take my blogging responsibilities quite seriously.

1210: Rousing address by Dr Jaggessar. He challenges us to model our lives on a generous God. Being there for one another is the essence of church community. It is challenging. It takes us out of our comfort zone. But isn't that what Jesus asks of us? Yes indeed, Dr J! A thoroughly inspiring address and a wonderful call to action! I'm all fired up!

1215: Lunch break! Perfect time to refuel and reflect on a wonderful morning!

What happened after lunch? Stay tuned for Road Trip part 2...

(* NSFC - Not Safe for Church)

My first Elder's meeting: part 2

How was it for you?

Last week I reflected on how nervous I was about attending my first elder's meeting at City Church. Everything seemed to be happening all at once and no sooner had I been elected I was then attending my first meeting! Did I have anything to contribute? Did nerves get the better of me? Did I nod off half way through the Minister's updates? 

Let me share with you what happens at an Elder's meeting...

First of all, it wasn't dry in the slightest! It was actually rather fun. The right tone was set at the outset when one of the other elder's remembered there was some Christmas cake made by junior church that hadn't been touched. We were all offered a slice of Christmas cake and a cup of tea. Let me just say, someone had been very generous with the brandy! Perhaps that was why everyone was in such a jolly mood. I do hope the Minister takes note and supplies us with a *hic* brandy-soaked Christmas cake at every meeting! 

The meeting started on time and we went through the standard discussions of absences and minutes and actions from the previous meeting. Then we went on to the main part of the agenda. Everyone was delighted that City Church has finally been granted a licence to carry out Civil Partnerships on the premises (separate from any religious service, as the law states). This is great news for City Church. We have a strong presence in the local LGBT scene and many people from the LGBT community attend City Church. Now we can offer people a chance to have their civil partnership at a venue that has a long tradition of supporting LGBT people. I felt very proud to be part of City Church when I heard this splendid news.

Things then took a particularly thrilling turn with a scintillating discussion about planned refurbishments to the church toilets! I sat there hoping so very much that the Minister would whip out a u-bend or perhaps some porcelain samples. Sadly, that wasn't the case but I do hope at future meetings we get to make important decisions about the softness of the toilet tissue. For what it's worth, my preference is for double quilted!

Carry on at your City Church Convenience.

Personally, I found the best part of the meeting to be the discussion on pastoral care. Every elder has a pastoral list which consists of a group of City Church members. Elder's make themselves known to the people on the list and offer pastoral support if needed. 

The pastoral discussion was by no means a gossip about the lives of City Church members. It was an opportunity to consider in our prayers those in our church community who may be in need or going through a difficult time. It struck me that this was an incredibly important part of being a church community. We didn't discuss personal details but we were asked to remember certain people in our prayers or discuss practical ways that we as a church could offer support. It really was a humbling experience. 

I will most certainly make contact with members on my pastoral list and let them know that they can speak to me if they ever need to. Being there for one another - this is exactly what a church community is about!

I won't bore you with a review of all agenda items but I do hope I have given you a flavour of what goes on at an Elder's meeting. I really enjoyed it. There was a good natured feel and everyone is committed to serving City Church to the best of their abilities. We all care for City Church and want it be a successful city centre church. I suspect we are all very passionate people so I anticipate some meaty discussions at future meetings. At least, I hope so!

Feel free to ask me any questions about the meeting. Do comment or share this blog. I'd love to hear what you think about it.

With best wishes,

Matt the Elder

My first Elder's meeting: part 1

Looking ahead to my first Elder's meeting

No sooner have I been elected Elder and it's time for my first Elder's meeting. I'll be honest, I'm a bit nervous!

What if I can't think of anything to say? What if I have nothing to contribute? What if I say something and everyone disagrees? All of these questions are running through my mind ahead of Tuesday's meeting.

It's a bit like your first important meeting in work. You want to make a good impression by sounding informed, decisive and enthusiastic. You absolutely do not want to make a fool of yourself in front of your peers. Whenever I've been in this situation I've always done two things: prepare in advance and listen and observe before commenting.

1. Prepare in advance

Clearly, our Minister, Revd Adrian Bulley, is man after my own heart. He circulated the papers and agenda for the Elder's meeting two weeks ago. Plenty of time to read the papers and minutes from the last meeting and get up to speed. Also, the agenda looks very exciting. Amongst the standard running-a-church-business, there a couple of agenda items I feel I can contribute to. However, out of respect for any potential confidentiality, I can't share all the details just yet. However, I will check with the Minister about what I can share in this blog. I'm sure there are some official ways of communicating decisions made at Elder meeting - I certainly don't want to get into any bother before my first meeting!

2. Listen and observe before commenting

I read the following piece of advice on Inc.com (business/leadership magazine) and it has become my mantra for any meeting I go to:

One of the most important things to do in the meeting is to stop talking and listen! Proper preparation tells you exactly what to listen for, which makes it easier to pick up on important information and act on it. Strong preparation and the ability to act on an opportunity often get mistaken for luck. Preparation and execution is just that. Luck is something else.

Good advice for anyone's first meeting and one I will adhere to on Tuesday.

I'm sure no one at Tuesday's meeting will expect we to waltz in and start acting like Alexis Carrington-Colby-Dexter-Rowan - and I'm sure Adrian will be relieved to hear I'm not planning a corporate take-over! 

Alexis v. Bake or Matt the Elder V. Adrian?!

Instead, I shall observe and listen and offer an opinion where appropriate. I'm sure the Holy Spirit will move me to speak when necessary. Which means, all I have to do is prepare in advance and enjoy the experience! Now that I have written this, I feel quite excited about Tuesday! I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, who has been to an Elder's meeting? What's it like? How was your first Elder's meeting? Please do share!

With best wishes

Matt the Elder

Bonhoeffer at Hay Festival

Filling the gaps in my Bonhoeffer library

Just a quick blog post about my recent purchases at this years Hay Festival.

As I've mentioned in other posts, Bonhoeffer is a bit of a hero of mine. I have read most of his works and lots of books about him. Whilst browsing the theology sections in a number of second hand bookshops at Hay-on-Wye I came across three books that I don't have.

1. The Place of Bonhoeffer, edited by Martin E Marty, SCM Press, 1963

Eight American theologians assess the place of Bonhoeffer's theology in 20th century Christianity. Looks like a decent assessment of Bonhoeffer the theologian.

2. The Life and Death of Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Mary Bosanquet, Hodder and Stoughton, 1968

The title pretty much sums up the content... Bosanquet spent five years writing about the life of Bonhoeffer. From the back cover, it would appear she's a bit of a Bonhoeffer fan.

3. True Patriotism: Letters, lectures and notes from the Collected Works: volume III, edited by Edwin H. Robertson.

"These letters, lectures and notes show that the theologian, the conspirator, the prisoner were all the one man, one of the greatest figures of our age." Blimey, I'm hooked already!

I shall read and review each book over the coming months. Be sure to keep an eye on the blog.

In the meantime, have you read any of the books mentioned above? What's your favourite Bonhoeffer book? Do share!

With best wishes,

Matt the Elder