Today we went to the church in Ogongora for the final time to join the people for a church service.
The singing was amazing. I have posted a video (which may or may not work) which I hope gives an impression, but in summary it was full of joy and life. This is not something I am used to. [Aside: we were told it was OK to use cameras in the service. Wouldn't normally do so...]
I’m not going to pretend I followed every word of the sermon, but one part of it was all about ‘borrowed things’, based on 2 Kings 6, Elisha and the axe. From my notebook: ‘Think of the things you have – are they yours? … Whatever God has given you – use it carefully’.
(This is the nearest thing you will find to a sermon on this blog, so if you come here for sermons make the most of it.)
There were other elements to the service – prayers, testimonies, Bible readings, (above) and whenever there was a gap another song was sung, each time seemly led by a different person without any (obvious) pre-planning. I really enjoyed participating, which is odd as I don’t really enjoy church services with overt displays of enthusiasm, clapping, etc, back home. I can’t really explain this.
All being well I’ll be back later with today’s blog posting, part II.
Today our church Twitter account was updated for the first time since circa 2011. Yes, I am a lapsed church website editor. Also today we decided that we would not really use Twitter any more, because no one really looks at it. This is nothing to do with the fact that it has not been updated since 2011. The account will still be there, but it will be automated and lose its prime front-page-of-website status to a calendar so people know what is going on. Why people want to know what is going on is beyond me, but them I am a lapsed church website editor and so not the best person to express an opinion.
I am going to try and do better in 2013. It isn’t easy being a church website editor, because the fact that you know about websites probably means that you look after other websites and therefore have a lot to do. So, church website editors, we salute you.
Posted by Dave at 9:59 pm on February 11, 2013 and filed under Church.
This is a very small extract from my fairly large cartoon in tomorrow’s 150 year anniversary issue of the Church Times. The paper was first published on 7 February 1863, 150 years ago today.
Ironically a large edition of the paper means that I have very little time to write about it (today being web press day), but it must be said that I would not be cartooning for (part of) my living and this website would not exist without the Church Times. In fact, I don’t know of any other publication of a comparable size / readership in the UK that gives as much space to cartoonists – there’s at least four cartoons in most issues. So thank you, both to them and to those who subscribe, thereby keeping us going.
You can see the full cartoon, a photograph of me pretending to have a teabreak, and all sorts of historical and informative articles about the last 150 years in tomorrow’s paper. There’s a press release about various ways the anniversary is being celebrated here. There’s also a hashtag on Twitter (CT150th) for the posting of related tweets – please join in.
Update: I can’t post the cartoon from the paper I’m afraid, but here are some pictures of the office, including the cartoonist having a tea break and then looking serious / apprehensive. Click the ‘slideshow’ link.
Posted by Dave at 10:45 am on February 7, 2013 and filed under Cartoons, Church.
The church in Whitby has been in the news today because the graveyard has had a landslide. I thought I’d post a couple of photos taken there this summer – in particular the three-decker pulpit with associated ear trumpets. The photos below explain all.
Today’s cartoon is The church café, once again taken from book 3, ‘The exciting world of churchgoing’ (info on books here). See this page on the main CartoonChurch site for the high resolution version and information about reusing.
Well, that’s five cartoons this week. I’ll be back with another batch of five from the middle of next week.
Today’s cartoon is entitled ‘Occasional attenders‘. Click through for the large version and information on republishing and other advanced activities.
I have become a bit of an occasional attender at church if I’m to be honest with you. If anyone is really that interested I suppose I could explain why.
I’m not sure whether the intended readership of this sign are historians, vandals, or funeral attenders, but I like it. There is nothing worse than not knowing when a door was bricked up.
This photograph was brought to you as part of the DW ‘post something on the blog every day even if it is rubbish’ scheme. I can’t see it working myself, but there you go.
Posted by Dave at 1:45 pm on April 30, 2012 and filed under Church, Signs.
I, being towards the taller end of thingst, often feel awkward when I find myself in a central seat near the front in church (well, in truth I often feel awkward in any seat, but that is another story). This is because I’m certain I’m blocking those behind me from seeing the clip art on the overhead powerpoint. This cartoon is my attempt to provide solutions to this problem.
How about you? Are you among the blockers or the blocked? What solutions do you have to the problem? Please feel free to make any comments on this issue, one of the most pressing for today’s church. In preparation for the debate I have categorised this post under ‘in-depth analysis’.
A new cartoon has been posted on the main CartoonChurch site – click this link for the larger version: In the vestry. Information on republishing can also be found via that page.
The cartoon is all to do with the things that happen in vestries before the service starts. I have not been allowed in a vestry before a service starts for years, so I really have very little idea what goes on. I have heard rumours that some churches even employ heavily disguised security staff specifically to keep me out. This diagram is therefore based entirely on second hand information and heresy hearsay. If anyone can enlighten me, about this, or indeed about anything, then please feel free to do so.
Some more cartoons will be posted in the next few days as it has been a while. I am also determined to turn over a bit of a blogging leaf from this point onwards. More about that another time.
If you’re a bishop’s chaplain who has just surfed in accidentally whilst scouring the internet for bishop’s chaplain news then hello, welcome, well done, etc.
This is another from the latest book. It took a certain amount of research and talking to people if I remember correctly, and I’m sure it bears no relation to reality, but I quite like it. The final result turned out to be a bit more detailed than intended so had to be printed at a larger size thereby causing all sorts of minor problems.
If you’d like to print this in a parish magazine / presentation / handout in the hope of persuading people to be ordained then this link has information about how to do so.
You can see a larger and more readable version of this cartoon, along with republication information, here on the main site.
I will leave you to decide which of the sort of churchgoer you are.
This is the very first cartoon from the book The Exciting World of Churchgoing. If you start at page 1 and then give up this is the only cartoon you will see. It is also the first of a large batch of cartoons (ten) I will be uploading to the CartoonChurch site over the next while or two. There will be one a day, or perhaps two a day if I am keen or none a day if I am busy.
Dave Walker's blog. Dave is a freelance cartoonist who draws a weekly 'Guide to the Church' for the Church Times. (
Posted by Dave at 2:49 pm on February 28, 2013 and filed under Church, Spirituality, tfbloggers. 
