(to be sung to the tune of Debbie Harry’s ‘French Kissin’ in the USA’ – yes I’m a child of the 80’s…)

Well first up everybody, Happy New Year! Here it (nearly) is – 2012 – Year Of The Boat, the big centenary, the focus and the deadline for so many things that are being planned and prepared… such an exciting time.

Especially in Dock-World, where we have some BIG news to start the year – but I’ll leave that until my now-customary first-day-back-to-work-state-of-the-nation Dock Movie.  Mwahahaha!

In the meantime, what better way to start the year than joining the Dock Walk on Sunday afternoon/ New Year’s Day – as always we’ll be meeting at 3:33pm at the Streat cafe in the Odyssey Arena, before taking a walk down into the TQ to give thanks for all the changes, chances, new hopes and new friendships we’ve seen over the course of 2011.  And if any of you are into making New Year’s Resolutions, I can’t think of a better place to share them – with people who will pray and support you as you try to keep them!

It’s been an interesting week in the world of online-ness (probably more on that in the New Year as well) – so my heart soared to see one of the comments on the Dock Blog this week from Susan, a visitor from the States who became an unexpected (to her and us) addition to a Dock Walk back in the lazy days of summer.  In a talk she’s delivering in her home church this week, this is how Susan describes the experience:

On our second outing, to Belfast, we were more successful in finding our way to the Titanic Quarter. We hailed a cab, and got there. This outing was on a Sunday. It was overcast, cold, and typical European weather, as I knew it. When we arrived at the Titanic Quarter; large old factory buildings and new construction greeted us. Signs were posted pointing the way to the Titanic buildings, but everything was locked. As we walked and read signs, a group of people was walking about and I overheard what I thought was a tour guide, informing them about the history of the Titanic, how it was built, launched etc. Trying not to look conspicuous, we walked a safe distance behind, eaves dropping and stopping to read the signs about the historic district and the making of the Titanic. At one point we went a slightly different way, only to be called back to the same area as the group (God’s calling to us to be a part of this unique experience).

The leader called out and said, “You’re welcome to join us if you like, we’re not an official tour.” That was the start of an eye opening adventure, one that taught a valuable lesson.

The group leader explained that they were a Church with out walls. The leader as it turned out was their Minister. The group consisted of a mix of Christian denominations, Catholic, Church of Ireland, Methodist, and Episcopal. Some of the other congregants were also ordained ministers.

This group gets together every Sunday and walks around the Titanic Quarter. They pause at various points, listened to scripture that is taped and played from the leader’s smart phone. After listening to the message, the Minister pointed out certain visuals or mentioned certain historic facts and then asked, “how does this passage speak to you? What message do you hear? What do you think God is saying to us?” The comments were insightful and lead to fruitful discussion amongst everyone. Nicole and I were welcomed and felt so at home with this group, we contributed to the comments and participated in the discussion. It was an amazing experience to look out across the docks, listen to the scripture and experience God’s message with a group–outside of four walls.

Pretty ace eh!  Just one little example of the way God works in unexpected ways when we walk the walk and head out into the unknown on Sunday afternoons.  Dock Walking has been one of the great blessings of 2011 (as you can hopefully gather from the photos littering this post – all 2011 Dock Walks in various stages of sun/rain/snow/hail/wind/sleet!)  I can’t wait to get started tomorrow on our first walk of 2012.  Who knows where our footsteps will lead us this year?

So I’ve done my last live broadcast of 2011 – if you were still sleeping off the night before and want to catch up, you can find it on iPlayer at 47:00 into Good Morning Ulster.  Or, you can just read it while you’re here…:

So, it looks like 2012 is going to be the Year of the Boat.

First of all of course there’s the Titanic; this year we will mark the centenary of the bright April day it set sail from the Belfast docks, just two weeks before its world-shaking, history-making encounter with the iceberg in the cold Atlantic.  (Not the end of the story for everyone who’s been posting on The Dock Facebook page this week – but that’s a whole other story…!)  A hundred years ago it was a tragedy that shocked the world; today, it is a story that fascinates the world, and here in Northern Ireland we’re at the centre of that story; we’re the foundation-stone of the many ways in which Titanic’s tale will be re-told, celebrated and lamented over the coming year. What an opportunity…

And the Titanic isn’t the only boat we’re talking about: In the week before Christmas, I watched Harland and Wolff workmen fit a new funnel to the Nomadic, the Belfast-built little tender ship that ferried passengers out to the Titanic. It’s now painted and pristine, its top deck restored and that funnel standing proud in front of the spectacular new Titanic Belfast visitor centre. Like so many parts of our old shipyards, it offers that shiver of history – the realisation that you are walking in the exact footsteps of the builders, the crew, the passengers, the iconic figures of the Titanic story. What an opportunity…

For those of us who are part of The Dock project in the Titanic Quarter, we hope that this will be the Year of the Boat for us as well, as momentum gathers to bring a beautiful old lightship to Belfast to use as a shared space for churches of all denominations working together to build hope and community in this tremendously exciting new part of Belfast. What an opportunity…

So we’re poised on the brink of the Year of the Boat, and lots of us are looking at the horizon knowing that risk and uncertainty lie ahead.. But I get the feeling that all over the province we’re ready for change and adventure and bold new horizons – we’ve had enough of burying our heads in the sand. We’re ready to set sail for new shores.

So I’d like to finish with the wise old words of the explorer Sir Francis Drake, a man who knew his boats, who knew the taste of adventure – and who knew the courage that an unexplored horizon could stir in a man’s soul.

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
 because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
 because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
, where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
we shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
 the horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
 in strength, courage, hope, and love.

Not that I’m suggesting that this week after Christmas is all about lying around watching TV all day (ahem), but I thought I’d follow up on Karen’s instructions to watch out for Titanic-related trailers on your gogglebox on Christmas Day…

(By the way, in case you missed it, the trailer for the new Titanic series is here.  Whaddaya think – looks a bit cheesy…?! But maybe in a good way?)

So I thought you’d also like some updates on Game of Thrones, the fabulous big fantasy series that is now becoming the mainstay of the Titanic Quarter’s Paint Hall studios.  (Which, handily enough, allows for star-struck encounters between your humble Chaplain and TV royalty – I have Arya’s autograph!)

This Behind-The-Scenes report on the filming of Series Two popped up online a few days ago – and even if you’re not interested in the programme, have a look at this to see just about every member of the cast and crew wax lyrical about Northern Ireland and their fantastic experiences of shooting in Belfast:

Exciting eh – we’re being talked up by the people making (pretty much) the most critically-acclaimed show in the planet right now!

And if that video has whetted your appetite for Game Of Thrones itself, check out this trailer for Series Two.  All filmed here, y’know!

And staying with a vaguely media-related theme, if any of you (hi Mum!) are avidly following my adventures as your Thought For The Day on Wednesday mornings on Radio Ulster, you get a lie-in tomorrow – I’m not on until about 8:45! Such luxury…

Huge Christmas hugs to everyone in Dock-World!  Have a truly happy, blessed Christmas…

It’s been the most exciting year ever… but the best is yet to come!

Another early start in Dock-World yesterday – as you were treated to my ‘thought’ again this week on Radio Ulster (it’s quite stressful having at least one thought per week!)  (For the next few days you can find it 1:24:30 into Good Morning Ulster on iPlayer here.)

The topic this week was the wonderful Christmas tradition of the Round Robin – those info-packed little update letters that sometimes accompany your Christmas cards (and to everyone who has sent me one this year, I love them.   I really do.  Yours is the exception that proves the rule.)

Simon Hoggart has collected together a brilliant book-full of especially excruciating Round Robins.  Sometimes the problem is too much detail – one letter gives a month-by-month account of the year, with gems like “February – a peaceful month punctuated by dental check-ups”.  Some people write Round Robins from their cats, or give surreal insights into their pets’ lives – like the dog being treated by a healer for barking at passing cars.  And all the spectacular, high-achieving children; one proud mum recounted how she had asked the teacher if there was any room for improvement in her daughter’s performance, only to be told: “No, you’ve given me a little diamond, and all I have to do is polish it”.

Sometimes all the stories of swimming certificates, trombone lessons and trophy-laden mantlepieces get too much.  One of the most fascinating things about Simon Hoggart’s book is the outpouring of pent-up anger and frustration from the people who send in their letters for publication. What’s behind such a strong reaction?  The general agreement seems to be that the world of the Round Robin is too perfect, a world for those who are living the dream, succeeding, achieving, excelling.  And there are sad stories in the book, too, of Round Robin senders whose Christmas letters stop when their lives are affected by tragedy or failure.

Which is upside-down in a way – the twist at the core of Christmas is that God is with us even when – especially when – we are not remotely glamorous or successful.  Mary and Joseph were not exactly living the dream.  Imagine Joseph’s Round Robin: “This year I took my pregnant fiancee on a tortuous journey to an overcrowded town, where we were alone and homeless…”.  At Christmas God chose to enter a world, to dwell with people, who hadn’t succeeded, achieved, excelled.  “Immanuel” means “God with us” – with us as we really are – not as we sometimes pretend or wish to be.  This Christmas, as at that first Christmas, God is with his imperfect people.