I got back from the Ski trip yesterday after an uneventful all-night coach trip and a breakfast fuelled ferry cruise through a gale. I was sleepy but muchly refreshed by the whole Skiing and Ministry adventure in Switzerland.
So what to tell, what to tell?
Being the 'resident minister' on the Gold Hill trip was a real blessing and I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the team. The group seemed to appreciate my post-modern musings on Authentic Faith; and we explored life, questions, suffering, discipline, wisdom and hope.
My attempt to 'open source' the preach by putting up a graffiti sheet and encouraging pre-emptive heckles didn't produce as much material as I'd hoped, but did elicit some good questions ... and set the tone for an open conversational approach to the input.
Over the course of the journey I discovered that those I would be ministering to included a Baptist Minister, a Free Church pastor and two Anglican Priests, talk about being out qualified by the congregation, lol!
The ski area open to us from Lautrerbrunnen was extraordinary and included the chance to see the setting up and practising for the Lauberhorn Classic Ski race, which was a great bonus. My skiing improved slightly but mainly I was enjoying tracking briskly all over the mountains and taking in the view at the optimum speed I could safely(ish) manage. This was my first time skiing with a helmet on (95% of skiers seem to wear them now) but it remain un crash -tested; I have a couple of bruises but only fell three or four times during the seven days of skiing so am feeling quite chuffed.
Much good natured banter when one of the vicars I was semi racing (and found myself some distance behind) had apparently not taken a high speed ninety degree turn ... and thus encountered a cliff like wall. I was so engrossed in the challenge of the turn that I failed to see he'd not made it. I was very surprised to beat him to Wengen; and it was only when he turned up covered in cliff, clay and some blood that the story emerged.
Much teasing therefore that the preacher had passed by 'on the other side' but in my defence the man in the Biblical parable had not disguised himself as a cliff, and the Samaritan et al were not travelling at speed through a highly technical and challenging turn.
So goodbye mountains, hello Youth Ministry
'normal' blog service resumed (but maybe with a slight far away look in my eye)
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