Sunday, September 18, 2011
uk adventures 1
The Adelaide-UK flight was the normal blurred, airplane food, cattle class experience that it usually is. Adelaide to Singapore allowed me time to complete a film review (Red Dog. The next Castle? Certainly some fascinating portrayals of Australian white identity.)
I also got a first complete draft of my Durham paper for the Ecclesiology and Ethnography conference done. Always a relief to have some words, in this case 3,700 words and a first attempt to bring some shape to an emerging church 10 years on project.
Arrived at Manchester about 10:30 am and am been splendidly hosted by the Edsons.
Friday afternoon I navigated myself around Manchester city centre, checking out a video installation at the Cornerhouse (Manchester’s international centre for contemporary visual arts and independent film), seeing the contemporary Stations of the Art at the Hidden Gem, visiting the John Ryland library, including seeing the oldest known New Testament fragment. Then real Manchester, dodging raindrops between the two cathedrals – Manchester Cathedral and the Arndale Centre.
An unexpected bonus was being able to catch up with the Dranes. We tried not to talk shop – their November visit to Adelaide. Although to tell the truth, being jet-lagged, I’m not at all sure what we talked about Friday evening.
John and Olive were in Manchester to teach on the mission shaped ministry course. Which meant another unexpected bonus, to watch a UK mission shaped ministry course in action, as a participant, rather than as a leader/speaker/host/worship curator. I got to experience being welcomed, to see a room set out and to watch sessions in action. An excellent experience, an encouragement that we in Adelaide are on the right track, are getting the balance between input and discussion about right.
And some ongoing general questions about msm, about how helpful the course is if you don’t have an actual fresh expressions context, about the place of lay education in mission, about the way that fresh expressions is being used. More to process and ponder in this regard.
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