Hi folks how we doing? This week we will try a new venue, and meet at the Tynemouth Castle Inn on the sea front, https://www.inncollectiongroup.com/tynemouth-castle-inn/ meeting at the usual time of 7.30.
I have just finished reading the latest Thursday Murder Club book The last Devil To Die by Richard Osman. they are really easy to read and not particularly complicated, which is good for a reader like me! As you know I have tried to read more and over the last couple of years, i’m doing ok, although I won’t get to my target this year, but hey ho, that’s life.
Anyway back to the Thursday Murder Club, the idea behind these books is that a group of old folks who have entered a retirement village start the Thursday Murder Club to try investigate old or dead cases. Elizabeth is the main expert as she was a former spy and she gathers around her others who take an interest. It’s told through a recent new comer to the village a lady called Joyce, its part diary as well.
What I have loved about them is the interactions between the main group and the way it deals with difficult subjects in a really light and yet moving way. It tackles issues around ageing, death, dementia, as well as criminal activity!
As I finished the last book I was away for the weekend with some of our community singing group, Mariners and Marras, over the last couple of years two folks connected to these weekend have died, and so whilst reading the book it brought up issues around how communities deal with death. Now that could be churches, work contexts, other social aspects anything really… As we walk towards All Saints day, it brought up how different cultures deal with death, Mexico and day of the dead celebrations – Communities mainly families, remembering loved ones who have died.
As part of the weekend I was talking to someone about how to keep things like these singing weekends going when most of the attendees are over 50! The book tackles ageing really well and invites you in… the thing that I notice about life, and it isn’t to profound, is that I am only really present in the now… we can’t rewind or fast forward we are only ever in the present, and yet with each passing second and minute we are getting older… its hard to figure out what ageing might look like, we get a spot lights into it when we see friends and relatives getting old, and of course different people handle this differently, depending on their own situation.
The third book also goes into more detail about dementia and this sparked other thoughts about a movie Karen and I watched the other week ’Knox goes away’ – This is about a contract killer who has rapid evolving dementia. I can’t remember if it was the book or the movie but they talk about dementia as being like a recording of your life that deletes the most recent events…
So we have three areas, death, ageing and dementia. I think it is particularly pertinent to talk about these issues more, as we have an increasingly ageing community, with that comes the community memory of the people, places and experiences that have marked those in their later years. What stories would we want to pass on to future generations, there are so many questions!
So here are some questions:
What film, story, TV program does this remind you of?
What is your experience of communities dealing with death?
How do you feel about ageing?
What experience do you have of dementia?
What biblical stories come to mind when you consider these themes?
What can our own faith/spirituality teach us about this?
What collective BFX story would we wish to pass on?
Peace, Rob
Image by Adina Voicu from Pixabay
Rob Wylie is the founder of BeachcomberFX and guides its leadership team. He has worked in the North East for over 20 years and has vast experience from various roles he has held. He has a passion for Fresh Expressions of Church and Pioneer Ministry as well as beer, beaches and Miniature Schnauzers.
