I had a great evening yesterday, in the company of twenty or so colleagues (is that the right word - see previous article!) from the Institute of Business Consulting of which I am a member because of my coaching and consultancy business. The occasion was the annual Chairman's Networking Dinner impressively hosted at Casani's French Bistro in Bath by our illustrious regional chairman, David Rigby, who has a real gift for these things. The enjoyable meal was interspersed by ten-minute speakers and there was the opportunity for much idle or deep and meaningful conversation.
I found myself talking to two people who, like me, have a significant background in Information Technology. The conversation with the person on my left was all about the problems of using computers today. This ranged from the way in which computer media or files from a decade or so ago cannot be read by today's computers, to how we are losing historical records because inks used for printing documents (and photographs) do not last well. I still intend to print out a lot of my digital photos to add to my traditional album - that may be necessary if my p.c. is wiped out by EMP or plagued by future incompatibility; but what is the point if the prints will not last? My conversationalist is still using a 35mm camera with traditional film.
After the main course I chatted to the person opposite me. Her work as a consultant focuses on helping teams of people in remote places to communicate with one another. She encourages the embracing of modern technology, taking people beyond mere web-conferencing to the on-line virtual world of Second Life. She sees such use of technology as essential in today's environmental crisis. She is the first person to have offered to help me sort out the wardrobe for my avatar. I have not accepted yet!
I am struck by the contrast between these two conversations.
I am very aware that as a personal and business coach I value working with people face to face: yet I use e-mail to arrange the appointments, and I am typing this on a computer now. It alarms me when I visit offices and see people glued unergonomically to their computer screens even to the exclusion of a lunch break.
It seems to me that in today's society we risk being turned into machines by the machines, that is to say we become dehumanised. What it means to be fully human is a bigger topic than I allow for in this one article however, as I attempt to think through the extent to which I should use automated e-mail newsletters (etc.) to promote my business, I feel that I first need to envision the way in which a healthy society makes use of technology, and be faithful to my vision. A challenge in Finding True North!
"Technology is a great servant, but a poor master." In times of technological change, and when "the market" wants us to adopt new technology for its profit, what values do we need to hold on to use technology to grow in our humanity rather than to be dehumanised?
I suspect that people have been asking similar questions since before the Atom Bomb, and maybe not enough during the Industrial Revolution. Paul Vallely impresses me with his writing, and I note his article in the Church Times of 6th November 2009. He comments on the row over the sacking of government scientific adviser David Nutt and concludes that the problem is not our contempt for science, but that scientists condescendingly do not (always) see that "science must be subjected to social values not be a substitute for them."
At a recent work-related gathering a friend(?) of mine made a comment along the lines that he knows who are his friends because they are the people with whom he socialises. By implication, people he works with are unlikely to be friends.
This set me thinking (yes, maybe I do too much of that!). Perhaps partly because of my ersthile by local role as a vicar, most of the people that I know, and may think of a friends, I have got to know through "work," or perhaps through a local club related to one of my hobbies, or some course of study. If I were to define my friends as only those I (just) socialise with (and what does that mean?) it would be a small bunch indeed.
I find myself wondering how technological and other changes have affected what it means to be a friend. A century or so ago, before the easy transport that we take for granted today, most people's friendship group would have been those in their local neighbourhood, and they would have got to know one another through living near to one another and attending the local school together. At the other extreme, today, a friend is someone I am unwilling to refuse access to my Facebook profile.
Changes in technology, transport, and access to university education, all make it easier to build geographically wider communities - of friends or at least acquaintances. The technology ranges from the telephone to e-mail to Second Life.
I could define friends as people who enjoy one another's company, without seeking gain from that. I could recognise friends as those who are there for me when I am in need, and I for them (yes, I recongise the Biblical alusions). So how important to friendship is physical presence (touch, or literally a shoulder to cry on)? Is the nature of friendship changing? If so, is that for better or for worse?
Following the retirement of our Team Rector, I find myself readjusting to leading church services, starting with the Remembrance Sunday service at St Bartholomew's Church today. This was a well attended service as usual, with plenty of military uniforms in sight, and Padre Andrew Cooper preached an impressive sermon. It was moving to see the number of wreaths laid at the war memorial by various local groups.
One of my daily readings this morning (from Celtic Daily Prayer) coincidentally spoke of the "worst curse" in some cultures of not being remembered, of having one's name struck out. This reinforced for me the importance of just the act of remembering, whatever else may take place.
On the other hand I'm interested in the construction of the word remember. Member. I think of this as a word for parts of the body. Re-member. Remembering must have something to do with putting things back together. What action flows from our acts of remembering? I'm reminded that in the Old Testament when God "remembers" this is not a reference to some thoughts He has, but a reference to action that He takes.
We've been working hard this weekend digging a hole for our new Green Cone, subsidised by Wiltshire Council. It does not look much, but much of it is buried underground: we had to dig a hole over 2 feet deep and about 3 feet in diameter.
We can put food scraps in the Green Cone, which will "digest" them and create just water which will drain into the soil. Impressive, huh? This saves filling our dustbin and landfill sites with food waste. We'll see how well it works.
We considered doing composting, which we did in our last house, but don't have a large garden and the composter equivalent to the green cone (the Green Johanna) requires balanced quantities of food waste and garden waste all year round, which would be a challenge.
Roger Clifton, Team Rector for Corsham and neighbouring parishes, held his last services in St Bartholomew's Church today.
The church was full for the main service at 10:00 this morning. The uplifiting worship for the festival of All Saints, with an excellent choice of music and hymns and a great sermon by Roger, was followed by refreshments and speeches in the Town Hall.
A moving morning. We wish him well, and shall miss him.
At the Corsham Chamber of Commerce yesterday we listened to a fascinating speaker - Sue Wilkin from the local Trading Standards office. She deals with relationships between businesses and their consumers.
I thought I knew a fair bit about this, but some new regulations were brought in last year. I learned that:
It is now an offence for businesses to engage regularly in unfair commercial practices, such as refusing to replace faulty goods. Trading standards officers can now make use of the civil courts to deal with such businesses.
Traders who give quotes in the consumer's home for work to be done, such as replacing damaged roofing, have to offer a seven day cooling off period during which the consumer can change their mind.
Goods sold have to be sufficiently durable, so retailers do have an obligation to compensate consumers whose microwave ovens fail just after the guarantee period has ended! They cannot say, "You did not buy an extended warranty: go away!" (This is not new, this is from the Sale of Goods Act.)
E&OE. While I believe this information to be correct in English law, I take no responsibility for its accuracy or any consequencies if you rely upon it. Check it with authoritative sources such as aTrading Standards Office, Consumer Direct, or a lawyer.
An interesting article in The Week today (3rd October 2009) comments on how the original data on global surface temperatures, which has underpinned the climate change hypothesis, has vanished. Apparently the original data collected by Wigley and Jones, and drawn on by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has been lost although "adjusted" figures remain.
The question is: if there is no scientific data to underpin beliefs about climate change, then is the movement really a religion?
While enjoying lunch in the garden recently, before the wave of wet weather set in again in Wiltshire, I was distracted by a large wasp on a nearby plant. This turned out to be a hornet. Further investigation revealed hornets coming and going from a nest in our neighbour's roof space.
I'm not sure whether to be pleased that we have rare insects in our garden (to complement an impressive variety of butterfly species this year), or look forward to our neighbour having the nest destroyed before the wasps become overly pervasive later in the year.
Here are links to the blogs for Steph and Josh's marine conservation work with Global Vision International (GVI) over the Summer, and newspaper coverage of art exhibitions at which Josh is exhibiting paintings and photographs at the Corsham School and the Pound Art Centre.
GVI Seychelles (Josh). He's based on the main island, but will do a short visits to Curieuse where there are giant turtles!
Last week I enjoyed sailing in the Falmouth area with friends. We chartered the yacht Alcyone from Cornish Cruising. The winds were Force 4 to Force 6, which gave us some exhilarating sailing at sea. We also enjoyed the beauty of harbours such as Fowey and the Helford River, as well as some tranquil sailing up the River Fal: we reached Truro on a high tide. Of course we found some good pubs too. "Glad to be alive 2!"
See album for full set of photos of sailing and scenery.
Three years ago, following growing and enjoyable participation with Bristol Anglican Cursillo, the Bishop of Bristol appointed me as the clergy rep to be part of the leadership team (so a trustee and Spiritual Director) of this growing Christian community.
I've decided to step down from this role, but hope to continue to be actively involved in this valuable ministry. I value the ongoing fellowship and support, and the way people are encouraged to look at their life with God through the three lenses of piety (that is prayer, or devotion), study, and action.
Apart from our regular renewal events (Three Day Weekends) the life of the community centres around regular small group meetings. I was pleased tonight that we held the first meeting of a new group, after rearranging the groups to include the record number of people who joined at our weekend earlier this year.
In my work as management consultant and coach (Finding True North) I've been asked to do some interim management work for Robin Hood Ministries - to head up their staff team part time for six months to help steer the charity through its current growth stage.
The charity is based in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, and helps alleviate poverty in various countries by supporting projects that help communities to be more self-reliant.
They also encourage businesses to support them through the initiative Business Against Poverty.
At the weekend I found myself talking to someone out walking her dog. She was recovering from Swine Flu and lives not far from us.
She'd been diagnosed as having Swine Flu because of aching greater than that she'd experienced with 'flu before, and having started a course of Tamiflu recovered well and quickly.
Travelled to London on the train yesterday afternoon for a trustees meeting of Accts MMI. The train manager happily announced that we were running ahead of schedule until we were near Reading. Then the train stopped for quarter of an hour while the manager and driver inspected the train and the police arrived. It turned out that children had placed timber and concrete across the rails - and been seen running away so probably got caught by the police.
The train ploughed through this material without most people noticing, and even the braking seemed fairly normal. I feel for the driver, though, as he must have seen this at the last moment and for a few moments had time to wonder whether the train was about to derail and he was about to die.
I am thankful for the care that Toni has received at the (NHS) Royal United Hospital in Bath. The doctors and nursing staff have been encouraging, attentive, caring, sensitive, and thorough. Following a good operation and recovery Toni has been able to go home just 48 hours after her operation. Brilliant!
People seem to like to claim that important historical figures are on their side. One example is the way people will argue about whether Charles Darwin believed in God. The example I want to explore here is the “father of modern economics” Adam Smith.
I believe in business, in the sense that I see that trading is a way of creating wealth. This is one of Scotsman Adam Smith’s precepts. more»
Following another trip to Heathrow today, both our children (is that the right word?) are now overseas doing marine conservation work for the Summer. So Toni and I will have to adjust to not having children around, as after the Summer they will both be at university.
No doubt there will be a sense of loss here, but as I always seek to be optimistic we'll settle for a celebration meal with some Pimms on this warm, light, evening!
Logos Hope is the latest ship in Operation Mobilisation'sfleet. Renamed and commissioned at the end of last year, she replaces their ship Logos. A former car ferry from Scandinavia, she is the first of their ships to be refitted for purpose rather than used "as is."
I spent a few hours in London seeing her, having an on-board tour, and viewing the extraordinary vast bookshop on board. Along with her sister ship Doulos she tours the world seeking to bring something of the Christian message through word and action at every port. Her schedule is such that it may be another ten or twenty years before she visits the UK again, and it is a strange sight to see her moored alongside modern office buildings in Canary Wharf.
She is crewed entirely by volunteers. The refit has been good: although the ship still feels like a car ferry in places, she is far more comfortable and homely.
This last week I have been pleasantly busy with work through my coaching and consultancy business (Finding True North). Having set the business up at the end of 2007, I find that it is gently growing, as I seek to help individuals and businesses to be more creative and profitable by operating in a way that draws on their unique personality and strengths.
This week I have completed consultancy work for a charity to help them to review their needs for larger premises, facilitated a vision-building workshop for some Church of England parishes that want to work as a team, and continued to provide spiritual direction.
A couple of contacts are pending for providing coaching training for the management team of a Wiltshire firm, and individual coaching for a recently promoted company director. Leadership and Management funding from the government for coaching and training continues to be a way to help these things to get started in the present economic climate.
This is all satisfying, as I like to spend more time delivering the service than seeking clients!
There are some interesting discussions going on about the development of faith in Europe. Grace Davie has pioneered research in this area and written books on the subject. She comments on the current discussion hosted by the Guardian.
Grace gives an overview there, but her comment that the church has an important role to play, but does not have control, seems central to me.
I write this because I have been pointed to a video on YouTube which draws attention to the changing demographics in Europe. It contends that Europe will be Muslim in a few years because of changes in birth rates. Clearly Europe, and Britain, are becoming increasingly multi-racial. According to the videobirth rates among "native Europeans" have dropped below a critical level which guarantees their extinction as a majority culture. It then predicts that Europe will become predominantly Muslim, as distinct from Christian and from the current trend towards secularism. This prediction seems fraught with hazardous assumptions, such as: immigrant communities will continue to have "higher birthrates," and that they will want to overthrow the culture that they are surrounded by rather than value it or develop it.
The video finishes with a "call to action" for Christians, but it seems intended to scare and to evoke a racist response in order to protect ("Christian") "civilisation as we know it." For this reason I do not find the seven minute video easy to watch, but here's the link to it.
What do I think, from a Christian viewpoint?
Firstly, it's no good being protectionist about our Christian culture, we need to do better. It has a lot of holes in it, as is shown at present by the scandal over the expenses of some Members of Parliament. The good news is that the public does care about such abuses, and has a sense of ideal morality to which it aspires.
Secondly, it is clear that our culture is changing and not static, we need to have an idea of the way that we would like our culture to develop, and live in a way that will bring it about. We need to be intentional about our own way of life and the development of society, not just "let it happen." As Gandhi put it, "Be the change that you want to see in the world."
Thirdly, the Bible does not set out a vision for a homogeneous Christian culture. On the contrary, it describes Christianity being lived out in different ways as it continues to spread through different cultures. It took courage and wisdom on the part of early church leaders to allow this. Healthy church growth has worked for its culture, and needs to be culturally and racially diverse.
So, finally, let's build a Godly society in which the teachings of Jesus are alive, expect it to be culturally (and racially) diverse and to benefit from those varied expressions, and don't expect to control the way it happens!
I think Barack Obama deserves a reputation as an excellent wordsmith, helped as I understand it by at least one British speechwriter!
I was impressed by his inaugural speech, and now I'm impressed by the speech he gave at Cairo University yesterday. Although criticised by some Americans for not holding to account Muslims for the actions of extremists among them, he does tackle extremism and I am impressed by the way that he seeks to travel a conciliatory middle path on Israel and Palestine and on women's rights.
