Wheelie bin cross today!

Wheelie bin cross today

It isn’t often I get angry about anything. I’m really quite an easy-going chap. But today I got really cross following a letter that popped through our letter box with today’s post, concerning our wheelie bins. Now that I’ve calmed down, I just couldn’t resist the somewhat “punny” title. And following Steve’s suggestion that I post more, thought I would write about it here — even though it is completely off topic for the blog.

The paragraph of the letter that annoyed me was:

Our waste disposal operatives have reported that you are leaving bins on the public highway on a non collection day. Failure to return bins to your premises following collection in an offence under section 46 of the Environmental Act 1990.

Nowhere in the letter, and certainly not in that paragraph, is there any indication that this letter may have been sent to anyone else other than me. It annoyed me because I know that what is said above just does not happen. The bins are normally put out around midnight the night before they are due for collection. And, as I’m usually around when they’re emptied, most of the time they’re brought back in with thirty minutes of collection. On the odd occasion that I’m out, they’re brought in no later than late afternoon.

I guessed that the letter is probably something that has been sent to a number of people in the area, because there are people living close by who leave their bins out for several days, before and after collection. But, as I say, there’s nothing to indicate that in the letter.

So I got cross because this letter is accusing me of something I know I haven’t done. But I can imagine it being very scary for some people — a frail pensioner that is already struggling with these big wheelie bins, for instance.

I got so cross, in fact, that I rung the District Council to complain — something I very rarely do. Of course, I couldn’t get to speak to the person who the letter was supposed to have been written by, she’s on long term sick leave. So I spoke to someone who said they would get someone else from the department concerned to ring me back, but it might not be until next week. However, surprisingly, I did get a ring back today.

The person who rang me was very helpful, and assured me that this letter was something sent to everybody in the area, and took on board my complaint about the way it is worded. I was, as it happens, the first of quite a long list of people he had to ring back from the same Court as I live in, so it sounds as though I’m not the only one to get cross, or upset, about this letter. He is probably experiencing quite a torrid afternoon, even as I’m writing this. And quite rightly so too. I just hope that no completely innocent people have been scared by the very legal sounding way it’s written.

I hope the next letter that pops through our letter box from the District Council is an apology for today’s.

Kindle in all who minister the gospel your countless gifts of grace

Kindle in all who minister the gospel your countless gifts of grace

Unexpected coincidences often amaze me, and leave me wondering if it’s God’s timing at work. I experienced one of those moments when I was reading the Additional Collect for this Sunday, The Fifth Sunday after Trinity. I looked at it soon after being tagged for the meme in my last blog post: Meme: what has God been teaching me? I was tagged by ElShaddai Edwards, and it was his response to the meme on his blog, “He is Sufficient”, that made me sit up and take notice when taken together with this Collect, or, at least, the phrase I’ve picked out to reflect on, “Kindle in all who minister the gospel your countless gifts of grace”.

ElShaddai talks about his conscience being pricked beyond the bounds of legalism. It sounds to me as though the Holy Spirit is moving him in a positive direction. I remarked in the comments on ElShaddai’s post about how easy I can find it to slip back into legalism, almost like a comfort blanket. When, really, the love and grace of God should be fulfilling that role for us.

And that’s really where I think the phrase, “Kindle in all who minister the gospel your countless gifts of grace”, comes in. Regular readers will probably not be surprised to see me thinking about “Love” again, I do it quite a lot. Whenever I’m preaching I always try to consider whether what I’m going to say fits with a God that loves each and every one of us as though we are the only to love. And if it doesn’t, then I have to wonder if it’s the right thing to be saying. I would be pretty hopeless as a “Fire and Brimstone” Preacher.

As ministers of the gospel I don’t think it’s a bad gauge for us to be measuring ourselves against, the Love of God. And even though I know I will frequently fall woefully short, it doesn’t mean I should stop striving towards that goal. All too often, though, I find myself clutching that comfort blanket of legalism.

You can probably tell from all this, that I’m a pretty mixed-up character at times. So this Collect will be a heartfelt prayer for me — especially when I’m preaching this Sunday.

Almighty God,
send down upon your Church
the riches of your Spirit,
and kindle in all who minister the gospel
your countless gifts of grace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Additional Collect for The Fifth Sunday after Trinity
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council