A week of Joy, Laughter and some Tears

Monday 30 September – Sunday 6 October 2013

Another very busy week which seems to have precluded me from being able to write up this blog on a daily basis – a bad habit to get into – and so I am, for the second week, writing a “catch-up” seven day blog to complete the record of my life over these last few days.  for once Sara is more disciplined than me as she is now keeping a daily journal herself.

After all the busyness and excitement of the weekend – anniversary, birthday, licensing and Wembley trip, I tried to get back to some normality.   However the heavy colds which had affected Thom and Mary finally got to me and I have not felt 100% at all over this last week.  On Monday evening I attended my course on Christian Ethics at Sarum College and was “picked on” by my tutor Stella in the nicest of ways by being asked all the difficult questions in class because I was now a “Minister”!  All of a sudden I should now know all the answers to life and Faith (not).   It does make me realise the great and wonderful responsibility that now rests on my shoulders and how the wearing of a blue scarf makes so much difference to not only how people perceive me but also as to how I feel myself.  A worry though that I know no more than the moment immediately before the bishop handed me my bible and invested me with the scarf of authority.

It’s been a mixed week really.  I am still on a high (as much as having a heavy cold can let me) and I felt a new found confidence when attending the Staff Team meeting in Alderbury on Wednesday.  I now feel that I am indeed a full member of the Team whereas before I was simply a trainee and felt reticent in saying too much.  Wednesday also saw the Installation Meeting of Sarum Lodge with the Provincial Grand Master, Francis Wakem, presiding.  A lovely meeting with many visitors, The following day at the Annual Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge Francis announced his retirement following the Sarum meeting next year.  I felt very sad at this news and had a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat – I don’t think that I was in any way alone.  He is an outstanding Provincial Grand Master and Mason and I felt extremely privileged that he attended my admission and licensing at the cathedral last weekend.  He also found that a very emotional experience.  So much emotion in such few days.  He shall be sorely missed.  We had our usual house group meeting on Thursday evening when we watched the final session of Gerard Kelly’s bible study talks from Spring Harvest (the First Epistle of John).

On Friday, after attending Ambassadors’ Breakfast Club I was on duty as chaplain at the homeless drop-in centre where I am now getting reasonably well known and finding the role extremely rewarding.  Tonight Mary attended a youth service at St. Paul’s.  She loves this church and the people she is now meeting.  I am so pleased for her.

On Saturday morning  I went with James to St. Francis’s Church to hear our MP, John Glen, speak at a men’s breakfast meeting organised by St. Francis’s, St. Paul’s and CityChurch.  He gave a very powerful speech making it quite clear that he would never sacrifice his Christian principles for the sake of the political “greasy pole”.   A real inspiration.  I spent a good deal of Saturday afternoon preparing the service I was officiating at Alderbury the following day with Morning Star.  The other part of the afternoon was assisting Sara in building our new low bed.  Between us we managed to work out the complicated instructions and we survived Saturday night without a collapse.

I was up early on Sunday and drove over to St. Mary’s Church, Alderbury where I led my first service as fully qualified church minister.  I wasn’t preaching and so I only had to concern myself with the liturgy and the rubric.  Morning Star (Bev) gave a wonderful presentation with Jake assisting by reading the gospel from Luke and giving a short testimony.  Another occasion when there wasn’t a dry eye in the house!  A really lovely service and I was so pleased that it went well.  Morning Star and I received a really warm reception and I will look forward to going back there again sometime.  Next week I will be repeating the service at Farley.

After the service, Thom and I drove to Southampton for the Saints’ game against Swansea.  A 2-0 victory has left them in fourth position in the Premier League.  I rang Mum this evening.  She had had a visit from my sister but was not feeling very well.  We only spoke briefly and I let her get an early night.  Richard came over at 8.30 p.m. and instead of our habitual Sunday evening at the pub, we had an “American Evening” in with Thom watching the Carolina Panthers lose 6-22 to the Arizona Cardinals.  Thom had been hoping for a perfect day – lovely church service, a Saints’ win and a Panthers’ win.  It wasn’t to be.  Richard left at half-time (around 10.30 p.m.) and Thom  went to bed before the end of the game (in frustration for his team). It was a lovely evening though, with hot dogs, nachos, peanuts and beer.  A real American evening at home.  My desk is littered with papers and unanswered letters and emails so it looks like a long day in the office tomorrow – and a further tutorial in the evening.