It all started with a handshake.
At least a hand was offered but sadly not shaken.
Not just stoking the bad feeling but actually quite rude.
Hand shakes were offered and not refused yesterday in my first service in Alhaurin el Grande.
This part of the Communion Service, the handshake, is accompanied by the words The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
In some churches as in football the handshake has had a turbulent history, some people apparently find it difficult to shake another person's hand, so in some churches as in some football matches, it doesn't happen.
But yesterday it did and a great group huggy experience it was as we were welcomed into the fellowship of the Church here and after the service we all repaired to a local bar for a coffee and chat and, as the sun had risen over the mountain, we were able to sit outside with our cafe solo's and con leche's.
As well handshakes we were given some Grapefruit that had been picked from the tree that morning.
Apparently The Archbishop is going to debate Christianity with Richard Dawkins.
Well I hope he keeps his sense of humour, doesn't get all ethereal and spitiual and poetic and mysterious and stays focused on the handshakes and Grapefruit otherwise he'll get bogged down in theology and Darwinian theories of evolution.
The Church it seems is under attack at the moment in the big society.
It has now apparently been ruled illegal for councils to start their meetings with prayers, there was no mention of handshakes or grapefruit.
The National Secular Society has won a court case.
Apparently a Cllr. Bone was offended by having to sit through prayers to a God he doesn't believe in, apparently it was an attack on his human rights.
He didn't want his human rights affected before he could start discussing reducing services to the public as required by a coalition which many people believe are engaged in a wholesale attack on human rights, even down to removing the legislation from the statute books all together.
Well maybe if Cllr Bone had shared in the handshakes and Grapefruit yesterday he might have seen another side to the God he doesn't believe in, who in some mysterious way helps people become more open and generous than (and here I speak only for myself) they might otherwise naturally be.
The Church of England is feeling a bit under attack at the moment, apparently it has now been proposed that the Chaplain General of the Prison Service need not necessarily be an Anglican or indeed a man I imagine.
On this one I cannot share the general disquiet of the Bishops as expressed in today's papers by the Bishop of Liverpool.
Apparently the majority of prisoners claim to have no religion, so maybe they would prefer Richard Dawkins or Cllr Bone to represent their their interests and their human rights.
Then of course their is a high percentage of prisoners who are not Christian but who may for example be Muslim or another faith.
For my money the recruitment process should be open and the best candidate appointed irrespective of their denominational or faith connection.
Sometimes we need a sense of history to ensure that we get a proper perspective on our current situation.
The part of Spain where we are currently staying was for a time ruled by the Caliphate and the name Alhaurin el Grande means The Garden of Allah.
So the invitation to yesterdays service could have read, join some members of the Church of England and other Churches meeting in the cemetery chapel in the garden of Allah where you will be made welcome with handshakes and Grapefruit ....................
At least a hand was offered but sadly not shaken.
Not just stoking the bad feeling but actually quite rude.
Hand shakes were offered and not refused yesterday in my first service in Alhaurin el Grande.
This part of the Communion Service, the handshake, is accompanied by the words The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
In some churches as in football the handshake has had a turbulent history, some people apparently find it difficult to shake another person's hand, so in some churches as in some football matches, it doesn't happen.
But yesterday it did and a great group huggy experience it was as we were welcomed into the fellowship of the Church here and after the service we all repaired to a local bar for a coffee and chat and, as the sun had risen over the mountain, we were able to sit outside with our cafe solo's and con leche's.
As well handshakes we were given some Grapefruit that had been picked from the tree that morning.
Apparently The Archbishop is going to debate Christianity with Richard Dawkins.
Well I hope he keeps his sense of humour, doesn't get all ethereal and spitiual and poetic and mysterious and stays focused on the handshakes and Grapefruit otherwise he'll get bogged down in theology and Darwinian theories of evolution.
The Church it seems is under attack at the moment in the big society.
It has now apparently been ruled illegal for councils to start their meetings with prayers, there was no mention of handshakes or grapefruit.
The National Secular Society has won a court case.
Apparently a Cllr. Bone was offended by having to sit through prayers to a God he doesn't believe in, apparently it was an attack on his human rights.
He didn't want his human rights affected before he could start discussing reducing services to the public as required by a coalition which many people believe are engaged in a wholesale attack on human rights, even down to removing the legislation from the statute books all together.
Well maybe if Cllr Bone had shared in the handshakes and Grapefruit yesterday he might have seen another side to the God he doesn't believe in, who in some mysterious way helps people become more open and generous than (and here I speak only for myself) they might otherwise naturally be.
The Church of England is feeling a bit under attack at the moment, apparently it has now been proposed that the Chaplain General of the Prison Service need not necessarily be an Anglican or indeed a man I imagine.
On this one I cannot share the general disquiet of the Bishops as expressed in today's papers by the Bishop of Liverpool.
Apparently the majority of prisoners claim to have no religion, so maybe they would prefer Richard Dawkins or Cllr Bone to represent their their interests and their human rights.
Then of course their is a high percentage of prisoners who are not Christian but who may for example be Muslim or another faith.
For my money the recruitment process should be open and the best candidate appointed irrespective of their denominational or faith connection.
Sometimes we need a sense of history to ensure that we get a proper perspective on our current situation.
The part of Spain where we are currently staying was for a time ruled by the Caliphate and the name Alhaurin el Grande means The Garden of Allah.
So the invitation to yesterdays service could have read, join some members of the Church of England and other Churches meeting in the cemetery chapel in the garden of Allah where you will be made welcome with handshakes and Grapefruit ....................
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