les Davey de France

On New Year's Day

2010-01-02T08:22:00.000+01:00

we invited some folk for lunch (we had pork) and then went for a little stroll in one of the nearby parks - Bourgailh - as the sun was setting. I noticed that some of the gorse is flowering a little.

Decisions, decisions - what to eat for New Year Lunch

2010-01-01T09:30:00.000+01:00

Sanglier ?
Cailles ?
Chapon ?
Autruche ?
Oie ?
Antilope ?
Cerf ?
Canette ?
Canard ?
Kangourou ?

We're having pork.

Brass 4 Five - Christmas Crackers part 3: We wish you a Merry Christmas

2010-01-01T09:23:00.001+01:00

Last brass carol of the season.

Bonne année à toutes et à tous

2010-01-01T09:21:00.001+01:00

We welcomed the New Year with some other church families at the home of some friends.

I warned Pat that French people do not eat sticks of raw carrot, but they were game and had a try - one of the nippers really liked them. Still, Pat had rescued me from a major panic attack in the supermarket when I was shopping for crudités and carrot sticks were the only things that came to mind !

I warned everyone that mince pies are extremely sweet and we had crème fraiche with them to kill the edge of the sweetness, but they went down a treat !

Pat warned me that she only had three words in her list for Pictionary (Pictionnaire ?) so I thought quickly and whipped up a list of twelve words / expressions - we played gars contre filles. It was interesting, but seemed to work OK, even for such things as "Les Bienveillants","boite à vitesses" "l'Italie", and "On ira tous au Paradis"... I decided to give "Avatar" a miss.

But the candles took my voice away, so I was nul when it came to singing. (I'm such a diva !)

You have to laugh

2010-01-01T09:02:00.000+01:00

Last night Pat got a nice message at about 23h saying "Happy New Year from Cornwall".

"How nice of our student worker; Liz, at present ensconced in the bosom of her family in Polporto in Cornwall, to think of us and send us a message", quoth she, sending a long reply in French saying where we were, what we were doing and why...

At 3am her sister replied 'Tisher, I don't speak French', from her holiday cottage in Cornwall.

Every new year / chaque nouvel an

2009-12-31T08:42:00.001+01:00

I think of George VI's famous Christmas message, delivered in 1939, at the outbreak of war.
je pense au célèbre message de Noël du Roi George VI, diffusé en 1939 au commencement de la guerre.

The link gives a recording . Le lien donne un enrégistrement mais il cite ce poème :

J'ai dit au gardien de la porte de l'année:
"Donnez-moi une lampe
Pour aller sans danger vers l'inconnu."
Et il m'a répondu: "Avance dans la nuit
Et met ta main dans la main de Dieu.
Ce sera mieux qu'une lampe
Et plus sûr qu'un chemin connu."

Brass 4 Five - Christmas Crackers part 2: A Carol Fantasy

2009-12-31T07:33:00.001+01:00

The Christmas season is drawing slowly to a close.
Just time for some more of this fine group of brass learners.
The arrangements they are playing are published by Chester Music (I think) - look for "Christmas Crackers" and "Just Brass" and maybe "Iveson"

I'm sure that you've realised that I am absolutely convinced that the key to life is

2009-12-29T16:33:00.001+01:00

theological.
What you believe in your heart will out and will express itself in your life.
I have no doubt about this whatsoever.

I sometimes wonder if in our insane pitting of biblical theology against systematic theology we are not storing up great problems for the future.
Well no, I don't wonder.
I am positive.

Anyway, what sparked this little diatribe is a few conversations recently. I mentioned the Sunday when we used the definition of chalcedon as our confession of faith, remember ? One of the reasons for that is that you sometimes hear amazing departures from orthodoxy. For example 'Mary was a surrogate mother, she gave nothing to the unborn Jesus Christ but the welcome of her womb.' That may sound plausible, but it is not the Christian faith and it is not the teaching of the Bible. Jesus' humanity was continuous with ours. He was born of her and derived his body from hers, by God's intervention.

One of our chaps wanted to discuss this the other week and I referred him to Stuart Olyott's book, 'Fils de Marie, fils de Dieu', which he got and read. This Sunday he asked , 'What about the resurrection and the ascension ? Is it the same body that is now seated at the right hand of God ?'

Oh yes ! Oh yes ! Although now glorified, the hand that steers the universe was once nailed to a cross ! The man who slumped by a well in the heat of noon and asked a Samaritan woman for a drink is the one who rules forever. Boy, does he know that we are dust. He really does know !

A man there is, a real man - a hymn of Joseph Hart

2009-12-29T16:29:00.002+01:00

A Man there is, a real Man,
With wounds still gaping wide,
From which rich streams of blood once ran,
In hands, and feet, and side.

‘Tis no wild fancy of our brains,
No metaphor we speak;
The same dear Man in heaven now reigns,
That suffered for our sake.

This wondrous Man of whom we tell,
Is true Almighty God;
He bought our souls from death and hell;
The price, His own heart’s blood.

That human heart He still retains,
Though throned in highest bliss;
And feels each tempted member’s pains;
For our affliction’s His.

Come, then, repenting sinner, come;
Approach with humble faith;
Owe what thou wilt, the total sum
Is canceled by His death!

His blood can cleanse the blackest soul,
And wash our guilt away;
He will present us sound and whole
In that tremendous day.

Christmas trees by Morticia Addams

2009-12-29T15:08:00.000+01:00

outside the Grand Théâtre

Alsace

2009-12-29T15:06:00.001+01:00

Christmas shopping decisions !

2009-12-29T15:06:00.000+01:00

Pintade ?
Canette ?
Chapon ?
Cerf ?
Chevreuil ?
Cuisses de lièvre ?

In the end we had pork.

I. Bach: Jauchzet, frohlocket / Monteverdi choir

2009-12-29T10:45:00.001+01:00

Just beautiful !

I tried to pop this on early this morning but I got lost in the system

When you give a trombone to a violinist, this is what happens

2009-12-28T12:59:00.001+01:00

Why oh why oh why did I do it... ?

2009-12-28T12:54:00.000+01:00

I went and ordered something from Orange.

Nothing ever works properly between me and Orange. It never has. It probably never will.

Why I retain this naïve optimism that one day something will go OK between me and Orange I will never know.

Sheer dumb stupidity, I guess.

Christmastime

2009-12-27T09:09:00.000+01:00

It's always very important to us on all sorts of levels and for all sorts of reasons :

1) Personal - Christmas forces us to face questions that we just find too difficult to grasp - how can it be that God could enter the creation he made? How could he become an embryo, a foetus, a baby? How could God be nursed and changed, and that in a stable? What does that say about God, about us, about the world?

2) For ministry Christmas is a brilliant time when people are more open than usual and when the great themes of the Christian faith can be discussed a bit more freely than usual. It does make Christmas a bit busy, though!

3) In the family. Gwilym was born on Christmas Eve, so it's a very special time for us, with celebration on top of celebration.

This year Christmas activities started really early with carol singing and stuff really from the first week of December. The Bordeaux Carol Service was on 12th December, and so on.

For the family Christmas Eve was the big day, with Gwilym's birthday in the morning, a special birthday lunch with friends invited, then Christmas dinner in the evening (but pork, not turkey... we did buy lamb for a special treat, but Pat grabbed the wrong joint from the fridge!) and then opening presents in the evening.

Christmas Day was spent basically at church! We had a rather nice, intimate Christmas Day Service at 11, followed by lunch together at church, three families and various singles were there.

Pat's brother gets married today in Cleobury Mortimer, but it would be impossible for us to go - air fares to Britain at the moment are expensive - Easyjet for four people from Bordeaux to Manchester would cost something like £1000. And to drive there we'd have had to leave a few days ago. Part of the implications of living overseas, I'm afraid !

We are pathetic at getting cards and letters done for Christmas. However now we have a little more time - perhaps we can get down to it and send New Year's Greetings instead!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2009-12-26T21:11:00.001+01:00

Harry Connick jr.

A Christmas poem

2009-12-25T20:11:00.001+01:00

Until recently I didn't really appreciate this poem. Now the combination of simple, earthy, banal terms like "snow had fallen, snow on snow" and amazing, imponderable expressions like "cherubim and seraphim thronged the air" seems to capture something of the wonder of the birth of God as a baby in a stable.

In the bleak midwinter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter,
Long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him,
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When he comes to reign;
In the bleak midwinter
A stable place sufficed
The Lord God almighty,
Jesus Christ.

Enough for him, whom cherubim
Worship night and day
A breast full of milk
And a manger full of hay.
Enough for him, whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
which adore.

Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air;
But his mother only,
In her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.

What can I give him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him —
Give my heart.

and here it isd in Welsh ( just three verses - no cherubim or seraphim )

2009-12-25T20:10:00.002+01:00

Ganol gaeaf noethlwm
Cwynai’r rhewynt oer,
Ffrid a ffrwd mewn cloeon
Llonydd dan y lloer.
Eira’n drwm o fryn i dref,
Eira ar dwyn a dôl,
Ganol gaeaf noethlwm
Oes bell yn ôl.

Metha nef a daear
Gynnwys ein Duw;
Ciliant hwy a darfod
Pan fydd Ef yn Llyw.
Ganol gaeaf noethlwm
Digon feudy trist
I’r Arglwydd Hollalluog
Iesu Grist.

Beth a roddaf iddo,
Llwm a thlawd fy myd?
Petawn fugail, rhoddwn
Orau’r praidd i gyd;
Pe bawn un o’r doethion,
Gwnawn fy rhan ddi-goll;
Ond pa beth a roddaf?
Fy mywyd oll.

Denver and the Mile High Orchestra Jingle Bells

2009-12-25T19:02:00.001+01:00

A Very Happy Christmas Everyone !

2009-12-24T22:13:00.000+01:00

Happy Christmas from the Daveys of Pessac !
We hope this Christmastime finds you in good health and in good spirits, as it finds us.
What did 2009 bring our way ?
Exploration ! We made our first summertime sortie into the Dordogne where we stayed a couple of days with friends. In the autumn we spent a baking week in Carcassonne and recently we went to a wedding in beautiful Alsace. Alan had meetings in places as diverse as the Cévennes and Cambridge, and crossed the Millau Viaduct through icy winds. Gwilym and Catrin went on camp to Tywyn and have vowed to return !
Education ! Gwilym and Catrin are doing fine in school, Gwilym in a new collège in Bordeaux where he goes by bus and tram. He's just done a week's work experience in one of the most prestigious châteaux in Pessac. OK for some.
Music ! Catrin continues with her flute and plays very often at church now. Gwilym's electric guitar is progressing well. Pat has recently taken up the harmonica, half-heartedly, it must be said. Alan now plays trombone with the Pessac Jazz Band, though he's seldom asked to play at church, strangely.
Health ! Swine 'flu. Well, probably. We weren't tested but since we all became ill the same day, and two days after a friend's daughter got it... We're all fine now, though (except for Alan's persistent non-smoker's cough).
Family ! We didn't get to Britain as a family this year, but the Hodgsons came down like the wolf on the fold on the unsuspecting inhabitants of a town near Bordeaux. The motive was our centenary. 100 years of Pat and Alan (shared pretty equally between us).
Church ! We have now been over a year in our rented building and this year the major project is to buy it. For a new church in a big, expensive city like Bordeaux this is a huge challenge ! We also had a change of pastor with a fond farewell to the Foucachons and a hearty welcome to the Brienens.
Menagerie ! We think that Pat and Catrin have at last got the hang of sexing and separating guineapigs
early enough. Well, I say early enough – but had they got the hang of it earlier we might not have ten of the things.
Ministry ! Things continue well with the student work – mostly French people at the moment, the French church – more outreach projects taking shape, and in the International Congregation where we welcome folk from all over the world, from Brazil to Malaysia and all points between.
Plans for 2010 ! This summer we hope to come to Britain, with a couple of conferences, camp for the
kids and some church and family visits on the agenda.
We also hope to find homes for some guinea-pigs.
Any takers ?
With all our best wishes at Christmastime and for 2010.
Alan, Pat, Gwilym and Catrin

Brass quintet playing Christmas music

2009-12-24T21:40:00.001+01:00

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

2009-12-24T18:32:00.001+01:00

Deck the Halls

2009-12-24T07:35:00.001+01:00

Philharmonia brass

While Shepherds Watched - to Cranbrook, of course !

2009-12-23T12:37:00.001+01:00

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.

"Fear not," said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled minds;
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.

"To you, in David's town, this day,
Is born of David's line
A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
And this shall be the sign:

The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swaddling-bands
And in a manger laid."

Thus spake the seraph,--and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels, praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song:

"All glory be to God on high,
And to the earth be peace;
Good will henceforth from Heaven to men
Begin and never cease."