Povey Prattle

FOLLOW UP TO YESTERDAY’S POSTING RE EAST BRISTOL METHODISTS I ought to have mentioned that changes in demographics also led to the demise of east Bristol Methodism, (and Anglicanism) The immigration of West Indians, and of South Asians changed the face of Easton. Growing prosperity and (white flight?) led to the children and grandchildren of old time Easton residents leaving for the new eastern suburbs of Downend, Bromley Heath, Oldland Common and Longwell Green. Others moved to the “new town” of Yate, some 8 miles east of Bristol. West Indians were not welcomed by the existing congregations, so they formed their own. Tudor Road Methodist Church was sold to a (I believe) Church of God in Christ congregation as many as 50 years ago. The old Redfield Methodist Church became a Sikh Temple. My mother joined the Church of England, and her Church, St. Mark’s was in due course closed and merged with St. Anne’s, Greenbank. St. Mark’s Church (an interesting neo-Norman building) was conver...

John Wesley Beacon in Hanham, Bristol - marking his first open air preaching place. Wesley's "New Room in the Horsefair, Bristol, U.K. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Any history of “The people called Methodists” is inextricably linked with my home City of Bristol. It was in the communities of Hanham and Kingswood, on the eastern fringes of Bristol, that John Wesley first preached in the open air, in 1739. He was there at the behest of fellow Church of England Priest, George Whitefield, to preach to the coal miners who lived in a pitiable state, and who were ignored and despised by official religion. Wesley’s first open air “pulpit” was at a place now called Hanham Mount - four miles east of where I grew up. He also preached at a place called Rose Green (now a housing development). Rose Green is but 8/10 mile from my childhood and young adult home. It was also in Bristol that John Wesley built what he called a...

MY EAST BRISTOL METHODISM STORY WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW In the meantime, here are some pics of my Lanai (Screened in porch), before and after the recent renovations. -------------------------------------------- BEFORE AFTER

Ever since I can remember I have had the most vivid dreams, and been blessed with the ability to remember them. Of course, from time to time I’ve had nightmares – and then awoke with a fast beating heart. I also have funny dreams, and have frequently woken myself up by laughing. I call out and talk in my sleep – it’s altogether quite a performance. In remembering the dreams I can usually make the connections, and suss out their origin. The other night I dreamed that I went into “Easton Road Methodist Church” - a Church not too far from where I grew up (and a Church long since closed). In my dream the Church became “Eastville Methodist Church” (also now closed) – the Church where my parents got wed, and where I was baptised in 1944. My dream told me that I was there to baptise a baby. I found the wee child, wrapped tightly in a blanket, but left alone on a pew in the corner of the Church. I began to baptise the baby - with hot sauce. Naturally the baby protest...

Do you want to have children? Or would you prefer a dog? Or a shameless cat? Above three images via my brother Martyn. =================================== Indifferent (taddled from the web)

It’s the birthday today of my good friend Joyce Vidal Thornburg. I wish that she did not live so far away! Her birthday reminds me of my visit to see her in Phoenix, AZ earlier this year. We went to the Desert Botanical Garden for a marvellous exhibition of Chihuly blown glass. You can read more about Chihuly on the following websites. (The photo’s on this page were taken by Joyce - she sent them to me just a few weeks ago.) http://www.dbg.org/index.php/chihuly/gallery http://www.chihuly.com/

Sermon for 4 th October 2009. The Revd. J. Michael Povey at St. Boniface, Siesta Key, FL Bible texts Genesis 2:15 - 3:21 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” 19 So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he ...