Some climatical thoughts

I usually leave the environmental arguments to those who know rather more about it (like my friend at Graham's Grumbles) but a few things lately have caught my eye.  This article on the BBC news site caught my eye with its controversial title (although the conclusions reached are rather less controversial).

It was interesting to see the question of half-empty buses, trains and planes addressed.  Everyone knows that full buses and trains are more carbon-friendly than cars with only one person in, but the question of how partially filled public transport compares, or cars with several people, doesn't make such good headlines.  Since I've been learning to drive this year (a process that in itself has probably doubled my carbon footprint!) it's been something I've thought about occasionally, even though I don't yet have my own car, and if I did would try to use it as little and as efficiently as possible.

I also came across this yesterday.  In the run up to the climate summit in Copenhagen it's been good to see some focus on not merely the impact of climate change on the environment but on people, on countries that will be drowned, on people suffering the effects of drought or flooding.  Here in the west we are to an extent insulated from the worst effects, but some people who have little enough already are finding their lives made worse thanks to what others are doing.

Perhaps some of the increased publicity of this side of climate change will help persuade westerners- and their politicians- to be a bit less selfish, more willing to compromise on their standard of living.  But I'm not greatly hopeful.  Yesterday I also heard an item on the radio about tumble dryers and the massive amount of electricity they use.  We have one in my current house, and I have used it a few times, mainly because since we don't have the heating on much washing wasn't drying properly otherwise, and turning up for work in musty-smelling clothes is not a good career move.  Or very pleasant.  But as much as possible I do hang things out to dry rather than use the dryer and was surprised to learn that this apparently makes me rather unusual.  In some places, apparently, you're not actually allowed to hang washing outside, while others see it as old fashioned or indicative of  lower status.

Perhaps that's the kind of thing we should get used to using less- it's not going to kill us if our neighbours see our sheets hanging out to dry, or if we have to keep an eye on if it's going to rain.  Compared to the suffering of people in other parts of the world from climate change, it doesn't rate at all.  And other measures, like better insulation and more efficient heating actually work for our benefit as they save money on fuel bills- if you can persuade your landlord to install them.  The transport issue is a bit trickier, but even if it just makes us think before deciding to use the car that's the beginnings of something achieved.

Chalcedon, China and the church.

Last night I saw a programme on the early history of Christianity.  As this was something I don't know all that much about, I watched it and found in interesting, despite the fact that the presenter looks like a Victorian gentleman-explorer.  For once it was nice to see a non-negative item about Christianity in the media.  The presenter wasn't sceptical, or looking to find faults, but was telling a story that is not well known, and throwing up a few surprises along the way.

The first programme engaged with the debates over doctrine within the early church, discussions at the Council of Chalcedon over how Jesus could be both fully God and fully human.  This was something I'd only vaguely heard about before, and to be honest the differences can seem a little confusing and hard to understand why it actually matters.  While the Western, European churches (Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants) decided in favour of Jesus's two natures, human and divine, coming together into one person who remained both human and divine (rather than the divine swallowing up the humanity and taking it over, or the human and the divine remaining separate), not everyone was satisfied.  Two separate Eastern churches split with the West's compromise, one on each side of the debate.

We don't hear much about the Oriental Orthodox Church or the Church of the East today, but part of the programme focused on the spread of the early church in the east, into areas we don't normally associate with Christianity- Syria, Egypt, Iraq and- most surprisingly- China.  China was the one that really grabbed my attention.  It surprised me to know that at about the same time as the Anglo-Saxons were being converted to Christianity in the 7th century, the church was making an impact in China.  The programme visited the site of an ancient Christian monastery- although a gang of angry locals stopped them from going inside, fed up with these Westerners tramping over their heritage.

It was interesting to hear that this early Chinese Church apparently took on board local culture and was able to adapt to different circumstances.  The presenter contrasted this with the nineteenth century missionaries, who were usually determined impose a Western, imperialist version of Christianity upon the 'natives.'  I found myself wondering how the modern expansion of the church in China fits into this?  Or indeed the spread of evangelical faith throughout the developing world?  Is westernised Christianity prepared to take on board 'culturally-relevant' ways of doing things to adapt to the specific needs of people in China, or India, or Central Africa, while still retaining theological integrity, or do we impose our songs, our liturgy, our hierarchy on them?  Come to think of it, are we willing to conduct services in Britain in a culturally relevant way, or do we impose an out of date structure on them?

Although it is sad that the Eastern churches fell out with the Western ones, the programme gave me some hope and optimism.  Out of that split came a great spread of the gospel all across Asia.  It was great to see the variety of ways of worshipping.  It was great to find that there were Christians worshipping, in different ways, in places I hadn't imagined there was a Christian community before the last couple of centuries.

My churches part 2

My worshipping life changed a lot when I moved to York to go to university.  After trying out one or two places I settles into the 7pm congregation at St Michael le Belfry, and have been there ever since.  What I think I liked about St Mike's was how different it was to my previous experience of church.  There were many people my age, teaching that was relevant to me, the worship was different- not just in style but in how it felt.  Sermons were longer, around 30 minutes, and the worship was much more modern- and the worship band were louder!  Oddly perhaps, there was also slightly more liturgy.  There was something different at work in St Mike's that I hadn't felt- or only very occasionally- at Downham Methodist.  People there were welcoming to the Holy Spirit, something I'd barely heard about before.

I love St Mike's.  I've learnt a lot through being part of it and it has certainly changed the way I worship and helped me in many ways.  But that doesn't mean I can't see flaws, or don't sometimes get frustrated with it.  For a start, the church is so big that nobody can know everyone who is part of it.  Even after I've been there six years, people frequently ask if I'm new.  Not that that in itself is a problem.  But it can be hard to get to know people- since my uni friends have all left I sometimes feel a bit lonely as I don't quite fit in with the students or the 'proper' adults.  It's hard to meet the needs of everyone in such a big group.  Also, with so many people it can be hard to get a chance to develop the skills and gifts I feel I should be- there's little room for beginners to make mistakes when there are so many people.

That's partly why I've recently found myself enjoying something I didn't think I would.  Transcendence is a service that started two years ago as a joint project between York Minster and the Visions community (which is attached to St Mike's).  Transcendence draws on both high church traditions and modern multimedia worship, mixing plainchant and 'ambient beats,' incense and liturgy with creative prayer.  It's a service that engages all the senses in worship, sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.  

I don't normally like High Church ceremony.  It can seem cold and designed to create distance between God or the clergy and the people.  But Transcendence is different, somehow.  The atmosphere created by sound, smell and the beautiful surroundings of the Minster is somehow both awe inspiring and intimate.  Which I think is a good reflection of our relationship with God.  I don't know all that many people at Transcendence yet, and perhaps because it's still part of Visions there isn't as much of a distinct community- or at least, that's my experience as an outsider coming in.  It may just be that I've only been a few times and haven't had the chance to chat to people much.  But  I like Transcendence because it challenges me.  The 7pm service in some ways has become too comfortable in its style and content- I like being encouraged to pray and worship in a way I'm less comfortable with.    

So each church I've been part of has helped me grow in different ways.  There have been good and less good things about all of them, but they are what has helped me develop my understanding of my faith.  The variety of experience has also helped me think about what the church should be like and what is good or bad in a church.  None of them is perfect.  Everyone worships in different ways and a variety is good.  The main thing is to keep sight of what the church- globally and locally- is supposed to be, and for each church to do its' best in its' own way to fulfil that purpose.