Exploring the Void -preview

The lent course that is running at Croxley Green Methodist Church (10.30am on Thursdays) and Berry Lane Methodist Church (8pm on Thursdays) is based around the film Touching the Void. You don't need to have seen the film to come along, as week by week we will be showing clips (and reading excepts from the related book).
I am hoping that those who come along, might use this blog as a forum to post views and ideas week by week. We'll see how it goes. Week One is Travelling Companions, and each week has a theme to ponder on Ascents and Descents.
Meanwhile a little preview from the course booklet 'Exploring the Void' by Nicholas and Judith Calver:
This course is about helping us to see that our journey is also Jesus' journey and that his journey is also ours. It follows a film about a real-life journey that two climbers - Simon Yates and Joe Simpson - made, accompanied by Richard Hawking, someone they bumped into on the way. Their journey, although its outward focus was on the ascent - and descent of Peru's Siula Grande, was also for each of them an inward journey tht challenged and changed them in a number of ways. 
As a follower of this course you too are embarking on a journey. Though your outward journey may never involve climbing a Peruvian mountain, your inner journey may, at times in your life, follow a similiar path to that of those three climbers. Your fellow travellers will be not only your fellow course participants but alos all those with whom you come into contact outside these sessions as you go about your daily routine, and maybe from your past as well.
Above all, what matters is not getting to the end but how you get there. Remember that this course is a journey, not a destination.

Happy Travelling!'

if the answer is 42

 Hitchhiker fans will of course recognise that 42 is the answer to life the universe and everything, so how come I forgot to put the book on my lists of favourites when starting this blog? aah well, old age creeping up I guess.
We used this title when we launched Agnostics Anonymous at our local pub The Swan in Abbots Langley (fourth Tuesday of the month at 8.30pm in case you are nearby - tomorrow is our second one), It was a lively discussion, ranging from Darwinism, miracles and acountability. We had viewpoints from Athiests, Agnostics, Wicca and Chrisitan and a lot of science input, while we tried to sort out whether or not science and religion were asking totally different questions.
For my own part I think that science deals with the how, religion with the why - but perhaps that is too simplistic. One challenging contribution was whether or not some people are 'pre-dispossed' to religion while others find it difficult becuase, for example, they can't appreciate metaphore? Interesting!.
It generated a bit of local media attention, and got a Humanist contributer to the Watford Observer quite hot under the collar - according to him I was a trendy vicar out to prosylitise the locals and folk should avoid the meeting for fear of tripping over tambourines! So we decided to do this month's discussion on ANGER!!!!! do hope the Humanist turns up to put his point of view - will let you know how it goes.