Looking from the Gallery

     In a couple of months’ time Julie and I will have been married ...   more »

Art Lester, in his address at the Anniversary Service this year, called for our congregations to dare to be deliberately, ...   more »

It's a long night....

It's a long night when you can't sleep.

The minutes creep so slowly.

There must be other souls out there awake.

Worrying, Fretting,Thinking...

Wishing that sleep would come.

Imagining the rest of the world deep asleep.

Wondering how to still the chattering mind.

Listening to the dry drone of a distant aeroplane.

Trying to make up a story about the people up there(seemingly in the

stars) and hoping that it will distract and lead to rest.

Remebering other nights like this.

Understanding that this worrying is human nature

testing the spirits fortitude

then feeling a sudden calm and recalling that

'this night too will pass.'

We have begun our Autumn term now and have decided on a new format - i.e. a change from meeting every Monday.  We have settled on three 'meet 'n eat' sessions with other events in between as and when they arise or appeal ... so you will need to look at the calendar to check for meeting dates.  If you are not sure or lose your calendar then please ask Michael for details of the next gathering.

Meetings for October are

Monday 8th October - Frontiers goes to the movies - watching 'Babel' at the home of Andreas Wiesner 7.30pm

Monday 15th October Meet n Eat at Green Barn

Monday 29th October Visit from John Staley to hear about his spiritual journey so far 7.30pm

Peacemobile is a mobile peace museum and offers a unique 'hands on' peace, justice and environmental awareness raising activity for young people.  It will be at the Nightingale Centre at Great Hucklow 20 October 2007

The event starts at 1pm with a shared lunch which you will need to bring with you and drinks will be provided.

The programme finishes at 4.30pm

A contribution of £2 per child will be gratefully accepted to cover the cost of materials.

Please let Andreas know if you are interested in attending by the 13th October 

O sacred season of Autumn, be my teacher,

for I wish ti learn the virtue of contentment.

As I gaze upon your full-coloured beauty,

I sense about you an at-homeness

with your amber riches.

This  modern poem by Edward Hays offers a spiritual lesson to be learned from the misty mellow season of Autum.  The virtue of contentment, and the ability to be at home with ourselves, are surely notions which are attractive to us on our spiritual way through the years as they turn.

That much would surfice for an appropriate reflection for this month's calender, but I also want to introduce a little game.  I've used the poem also to illustrate something of the way in which poets play with words to create the sense they seek - the example here being the brand-new phrase 'an at - homeness' and I want to go a step further and invite anyone who wishes to compose a 'haiku' which conveys how Autumn feels to you.

A 'haiku' is a Japanese form of poetry which traditionally contains just 17 syllables: 5 in the first line, 7 in the second, and 5 in the third. (Modern writers don't necessarily stick to this format, claiming it's enough simply to have the haiku 'style')

I wondered if it might simply be fun if people had a go at expressing something of their Autumn atmosphere in a haiku - as strictly structured as you choose - and perhaps some of them could be published in the next Calender.

It's only fair if I have a go first, so here's what I have come up with:

Richer and slower,

the Autumn air to me feels

somehow deepening.

Have fun playing with Autumn images, folks ...and whatever you produce, try to remember to practice that Autumnal art of contentment!

Michael Dadson.