The first driving leg of the road trip started today. We picked up The Barge – a white lincon Town car (it is massive and easier to do a three point turn in a boat) Sat Nav was worth it weight in gold as it took us out of NY, through the Holland tunnel and I now know what the Jeresy Turnpike is – I think?. Got stung but the first toll as missed the sign to collect a card so ended up paying $8 for about a mile. We did a few hundred miles and stopped at what we thought was a roadside cafe that turned out to be a roller skaing dinner just like on the TV! Brilliant drive through a bit of Penslyannia but mostly NY state we arrived late and struggled to find a room – but thats all in the adventure. Loved the drive, the views and Indi was thankful for a day off from pounding the streets so was very well behaved in the back. She had chicken dippers at the drive in and Pringles for tea – well we are on a road trip.

Got lost in Little Italy, China Town and Central Park. In theory it should be easy to navigate the city, Avenues run one way streets the other, but just kept getting lost. The plan was coffee in Little italy lunch in china town and CP followed by Guggenhiem. We had coffee in a french place, lunch at an italian, and never made the big G. Still good day. I love the area we are staying in just outside Greenwich village, near Irving place and Union Square. Would love to do detached work in union square find out as Michelle Shocked asks Whats it like to be a New York Skate board punk rocker?

Got lost in Little Italy, China Town and Central Park. In theory it should be easy to navigate the city, Avenues run one way streets the other, but just kept getting lost. The plan was coffee in Little italy lunch in china town and CP followed by Guggenhiem. We had coffee in a french place, lunch at an italian, and never made the big G. Still good day. I love the area we are staying in just outside Greenwich village, near Irving place and Union Square. Would love to do detached work in union square find out as Michelle Shocked asks Whats it like to be a New York Skate board punk rocker?

We thought a boat trip around the island to see the sites would be great, but a three hours later tower blocks started to look the same, but very much liked the Crysler building and twisty building (we didnt get a guide book). Although long, That is not to say it wasnt a good trip, chilling on the river was a good way to spend the morning. Today was also NY food day, a cream cheese bagle for breakfast, A pizza slice for lunch and a burger for dinner. I  recommend Mikeys just round the corner from East 19th and 2nd Ave. Plenty of walking again today but an afternoon in the cinema watching cars 2 (indis treat) was a welcome break. Into the sabbatical mode and just finished my fourth book and the first theology book. A bonus of staying with the Mennonites I found Yoder (the theologian not the Star Wars Jedi) and whizzed through What would you do? which included the great story of the Peace Cheif Lawerence Hart. but I have only collected 3 interviews.

Amazing day in New York, celebrated our arrival with a nice Breakfast just round the corner near Gremacy Park then hit the sights – view from Top of the Rock was great, everything you expect NY to look like, although wasn’t sure if the hum you could hear was the citys airconditioning or traffic. Times square was something to behold and unsure if I was amazed or shocked. Was told by a local on the subway that it was a walking town so went into Toyrus for buggy for Indi which also had a full sized Barbie house which she had to check out and ferris wheel. She is having a ball.

I cannot fathom the Subway system but Lori has got it sussed, so long as we dont get separated I guess everthing will be fine. After walking down most of Avenue of the Americas (which top gear drove) we arrived at a what appeared to be a bit of a run down Macys. I know everyone says it but it is the scale of stuff I just can’t get my head around, whether the advertising, the block sized department store, or size of a sandwich. The locals seem to love kids, and Indi was constantly being said Hi to, asked questions or played with, number one so far was the security guard in Bank of America (which also has a Starbucks and Garden on the ground floor) who was saluting her on one side of the glass, people seem to have general postive disposition and we have never had trouble asking for directions or help. So far so good, hope this continues once we hit the road.

We had a great flight. Saw Kings Speech and the Fighter and half of The Eagle.Indi did brilliantly on the flight and enjoyed the ride through JFK on her Trunkie. Several people suggested that the Dragons from the den must be kicking themselves when they rejected that.

The welcome to New York was cool and once through immigration going through the customs the security police simply said “Welcome friend, and Go straight through man and stay safe” it was warm welcome rather than a warning. Whilst in the Big Apple we are staying with the Mennonite community in a volunteer house. We heard a lot of police sirens last night but generally the area seems fine with a park and basketball court opposite which Indi thought was cool.

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The FE day on Friday was an interesting experience. I have been quite critical about some of the institutional issues that come with FE, but agreed to be on the new DVD. The people involved are great, but the PR machine was in full swing as the Arch bishop was given a copy of the DVD, and a lunch put on for contributors, then sales and resources were pushed, and the pain of birthing something new was conspicuous by its absence.

Several of the questions from the floor related to the institutional control and the need for space. A good example was a question to Bishop Graham Cray about licensing communion to a gathering a of a number of youth groups who were coming together as an expression of church. The bishops response asked if the group existed for itself or for others and if the latter there was no issue. On one level this seemed fine but everything in me was screaming about the who were we to deny their right to work out their expression, if it was adults would they even be having the conversation, in a post christian world how could the group not be a witness to the other, and would the bishops ever have the courage to de-license all those groups up and down the country that seem to exist just for themselves and seem to call themselves church.

It was incredibly encouraging to see the call to follow the missio-dei and the closing of the gap between mission and church. The arch bishops address was excellent and summed up StreetSpaces approach to ecclesiology brilliantly. He talked about church begins where Jesus is with other, Jonny has pretty much got the whole thing down here.

I still have questions about if FE can change the landscape but they are certainly cutting down a few trees, but I am unsure if there would ever root out all the issues.