Woody reflections

I've really enjoyed my woodworking exploits over the past couple of months. It's given me something completely different to think about. Add to that the simple fact that at the end of the process you have something in your hands to show for all your efforts, and you can quickly see the difference between doing woodwork and doing ministry. Don't panic though, I'm not about to give up ministry for life as a woodworker, although there are days when it would be very tempting so to do!

The other nice thing about the woodworking was the opportunity to be inventive, building jigs and solving problems. I guess all those years of doing R&D with British Gas meant I just got used to the idea of creative problem solving. There's a creative streak in all of us, it's just that some jobs, some hobbies bring it to the front rather than pushing it to the back. 

I'm not suggesting that I'm the most creative person, I just think that the things I've done and the things I do encourage creativity rather than stifle it. Maybe it's just me, just the way I'm wired. 

Through the woodworking I've discovered a new way to cut a dovetail that's easy and accurate, I've found a new technique for sharpening chisels and planes, I've run grooves and made tenons to fit the grooves using my home-made router table and jig. I've made boxes and drawers and waxed, varnished and oiled my way to a finish. All these things I've done because I've tried something new, something I'd never done before. Not everything was really new, in fact most things were an extension of things I already knew how to do. 

And before anyone suggests that their church doesn't easily embrace creativity, encouraging creativity and embracing the ideas generated by it are two quite different things. 

Anyway the sabbatical woodworker is going to have to hang up his tools for a while in the next few days, but I've got plenty of ideas of things I want to have a go at making, so I'll get out the drawing board and do a few designs and try to make the best use of my free time and good weather days that come my way. I'm already designing in my head a table for use with a circular saw for rip and crosscutting. Then again I'm probably more excited about that than you are!