Regular readers of this blog know that my maternal grandmother was Jewish (which means that I am racially Jewish, just) and may know that my grandparents moved to Glasgow at the start of World War 2 to be further from Hitler's reach because even though she had 'married out' her entire family would have been on his hit-list for extermination.  My grandparents, via a convoluted route no doubt, spent most of their lives as active Christian Scientists (often defined as the classic misnomer being neither orthodoxly Christian nor scientific; but who am I to judge?) and were for many years caretakers at their local church in Glasgow.  Yesterday I tracked it down, only to discover that it is now a Hindu centre and their former caretaker's flat a suite of offices.  It all seemed quite curious and somehow quite fitting given their own history.

So if you ever wondered why I am quite the heretic I am, maybe it is simply in my genes...?!

For anyone who is interested here is the PDF version of my Five Core Values material.  Not for those of a 'narrow-shallow' theological disposition or for anyone seeking facile material.  Views expressed may or may not be mine, or yours.  Citations are not complete, nor is there there a bibliography so please don't sue me if you are the author or blame me if you can't find the books alluded to.  'For use at your own risk' who knows, you may even hear GOD!!

Microsoft Word - Five Core Values Study pack-1.pdf

Yesterday morning I was givng my computer a much needed tidy up, deleting files that relate to a life now past and the retention of which cannot be justified (nor is it deisrable).  Thankfully, being a fairly systematic kind of a person I went through each folder to check rather than just ditching eveything, which meant I did rediscover the odd gem that I had long since forgotten, including a set of study notes I'd developed on the 'Five Core Values' theme I currently exploring with my new church.  I was quite impressed with what I'd written all that time ago, and was mildly amused that coming at it afresh I was still saying a lot of the same things even though I'm choosing different Bible passage upon which to preach.

Alas, I may be turning into Theresa of Avila who never seemed to be able to remember what she had written (the Interior Castle drove me nuts with its constant 'I can't remember if I've said this before' references) but I do think that the material I developed for Dibley stands another airing, so I have been tidying it up and shuffling it around to fit with the order in which we are exploring the threads here.  Once I have it done, I may well post a PDF version here or at the website of my now place.  At least unlike Theresa I can do a quick electorinic search to see whethe ror not I've already said something...

For the last six years I have hardly sent any rubbish to landfill because I was fortunate enough to live in an area with excellent kerbside recycling and only about a mile from the cleanest,shiniest 'tip' I have ever encountered where I could recycle almost anything.  With an array of coloured boxes, bins and bags, North West Leicestershire is among the nation's best councils in this respect - just before I left Dibley I noticed a sign at the tip saying recycling was now at 66% and the target was being raised higher.

So, I habitually sort plastic, cans, paper, card and glass (and used to do garden waste too) but now have no bags/bins to put it in.  I have just found out where the nearest recycling centre is (and on the web it looks very smart) and do appreciate why in a city such as this the kerbside method has major challenges to overcome, but above all have realised just how much packaging there is when, after two weeks my little kitchen is piled high with plastic, card and metal just waiting for me to recycle it.  So just how long to I wait before I drive to the recycling centre so that I don't undo the 'greenness' of collecting this stuff?

Yesterday I attended a funeral at the local crematorium.  It was a well crafted, warm and, I am sure, helpful service in which a life was celebrated and hope and assurance given.  It was also a valuable learning experience in terms of discovering some of the local funeral customs which differ from practices 'down south.'  Everywhere I have lived or worked there have been variations in the customs, and everywhere I've lived or worked people have assumed everyone does what they do.  All of which makes me wonder what kind of continuum or discontuities there might be in customs as one moves around Britain, never mind the world.  And just what is 'normal'?

I also realised just what a crematorium snob I have become over the years, and wish that architects would consult with those who conduct the services when they deisgn new crematoria.  To be fair, this was quite an old chapel, reflecting a very different age, and a lot of work had been done to make it light and airy with some lovely stained glass behind the catafalque.  It just wasn't an ideal layout and the 'flow' was at best slightly odd with potential for funeral parties to get tangled up on a busy day.

For me though, the most odd and slightly discomfitting aspect of the venue was the location of a small Jewish burial area immediately behind the crematorium chapels.  I assume the Jewish community have found their ways of living with this, but it just seemed odd, and somehow wrong that a faith for which cremation is anathema would have its burial ground cheek by jowl with a crematorium.

And then I wondered what people would make of what I think of as normal and appropriate and 'right.'  Plenty of food for thought.