What an amazing week that was

Last week was one of those amazing weeks that blesses your socks off yet leaves you wondering where it went (and how come so much is left to do.

Sunday: Ordination of the Revd. David Short at St Alban's Abbey

The sun shone, the choir sang and heaven rejoiced!

Monday: Staff meeting, business meetings, Kid's Club, Home visits and (yeeha) PCC!

4:28 - the quiet before the storm 

Tuesday: Tamworth Street Angels comes into being with various other meetings and engagements on this, a business and paperwork day.

At last - a dream comes true and we're off!

Wednesday: Funeral visits, Bike Ride to the Wall, Chaplaincy work

Standards of the Royal Signals Association as we remember those who have served

Thursday: Early communion service (more chairs needed yet again), drop-in, boat building (see I do take time off), Air Cadets.

Final stage in the lining out complete!

Friday: Dedication of the new names added to the Armed Force's memorial walls - Fifty-two names were added to the wall this year - dona eis requiem.

A salute by the BBMF's Lancaster
We will remember them

Followed by Kid's Club (now that's a sea change :-) )

One of the many blessings that this church gives to the community

Saturday: Provided PA for a church fete and then on to medicals and recruit training before finally ending the day (19:00) with a barbecue (even more time off!)

Of course there's loads of telephone calls, paperwork and ad hoc meetings that act as the filler in the normal daily run but, all in all, an absolutely fantastic and blessed week

And so - on to a great day with early communion, all-age service, Youth Alpha and BCP evensong to challenge, cause to worship and generally bless.

You know? I couldn't pay enough to be a minister and yet I get to do it for free.

How wonderful is that?

St Roke - Patron Saint of Curates

Many years ago, whilst attending a priesting in one of the churches in our diocese I was fortunate enough to find myself sitting before a most wonderfully decorated kneeler (AKA 'Hassock').

The design was beautifully crafted and around three of the edges were the words (name of place changed to defend feelings of kneeler's creator):

'SPLOTWORTH - ST  ROKE - ASSOCIATION'

One of those around us asked who 'St Roke' was and soon they were brought up to speed with this wonderfully colourful mediaeval Saint who was a star turn on the church circuits with his talking monkey. 

Roke would appear at church functions and the monkey would run around doing amazing things and was also heard reading the Gospel and preaching, albeit rather clumsily, on occasions.

Everyone loved the monkey and its appearance would cheer the hearts of many as it brought God's word into the place it was to be found.

As time went by, Roke was adopted as the patron saint of all curates, and this accounted for the presence of the kneeler.

All of us present, being curates felt some unseen link to this man and his simian assistant (who many of us could relate to for some strange reason) whose saint's day fall at the beginning of April!