Journal: Walking in the footsteps

The day now ended was a real buzz as we filled Lichfield Cathedral with music, ideas and people. The reason for this being the new bishop's launch of a direction for the diocese to begin to travel in and heralds a season of personal evangelism and discipleship for every member of the Church.

A bit of 'back to basics' without all the endless planning meetings with goals being set and outcomes and objectives being endless discussed as those employed by the diocese do their usual stuff - usually managing to have it all squared away as a new direction is announced and all the previously formed stuff is binned so they can start talking again!

Church ministry, chaplaincy, schools, fresh expressions - the thrusts we, the people of God (or as I like to call it: Laos), are (or should always have been) compelled to engage with. I have to say that I like this a great deal as I do church ministry, am in engaged in multiple chaplaincies, and involved with a few schools at various levels and do fresh expressions stuff too. This new bloke ticks all my boxes and seems to be a generally good guy too and so gets my vote (which of course if he didn't would undoubtedly stop him sleeping at night ;-)

On the day the wife was doing her pioneer minister stuff on the fresh expressions stand whilst I did my funeral Champion thing on their stand. I enjoyed talking to people about funeral poverty and fair funerals, things that make funerals fly or crash and burn and had some amazingly good engagements during the marketplace bit. Yes, I love funerals - give me more of them every day and you'll make me smile.

Later in the day there was an opportunity to engage with people about military ethics and this provided a bit of light relief and some real joy )hopefully for all present) before rushing off to make sure all was in place for the first Tamworth School's Music Festival. It not only was but it was a great success - so applause and additional buckets of respect go to Tamworth's sublime church organist.

Found myself spending some three hours tonight (wife out with the Street Angels) studying and reading the word - I know the working hours are shot this weeks, so what they hey? - looking forward to the services tomorrow (which looks like five with a potentially tough scattering of ashes in a favourite spot during the day).

Who ever said it was a quiet life in the regular clergy?

Lord, for all that has gone - Thank You,

For all that is to come - Hallelujah!

Journal: Another Chapter

No the book type but the gathering of clergy type. A good turn out and an able speaker from the Children's Society made for something more passable than some I've lived through, so that makes it a good day. This week is set aside for Holy Week preparation and next is going to be a week where I am retreating glaciers into reading and praying and not going to do a sterling impersonation of the proverbial 'Blue wotsit fly' - as has been the case almost every year I've been here.

Noosiree - this is a year where I'm preparing for Good Friday and since I already have a full dance card, someone else will be answering their doorbell. Needs to be done :-)

Had an amazing Communion in a local care home, had a few newbies today and that means I have to do a bit of learning to make sure that I remember who's a 'sipper' and who's a 'cheers, got any more?' for the next visit. Amazing how the time flies when you're having fun and it wasn't long before Kid's Club was starting again (so no Lent Course for me today).

Evening went well and I'm looking forward to a day off tomorrow - going to see the film 'denial' which, considering the subject matter, is another film likely to get me wound up. But tomorrow is going to be a day when (crises and mourning families aside) I am off and unavailable.

I'm about to analyse the last quarter and see how well I did in terms of work/life balance and will be responding to the scores in a positive learning outcome sort of way.

Talking to a colleague about this work/life thing they made an interesting observation in that those who keep to a 'compact' work element often feel that they've really pushed the boat out when they extend their working week but those who tend to have something more Range Rover in size feel that a (proper) Austin Mini of a week is theirs when the reality says something different. Yeah, I get what they were trying to tell me - blame God for making ministry so much fun, that's my assessment of it all!

But my Spiritual Director's raised eyebrows say that God might like me to have a little less fun, so I guess I'll be sharing it this coming month :-)

Lord, for those with whom I will meet next week to bury their dead, give me the words that bring comfort. For those I will meet who are broken and lost, give me your words of life. For those I meet who need special attention, can I have a stick with nails in please?

And for the woman who thought her Fiat 500 (enlarged and ghastly though it be) was the size of a Challenger AFV, can you buy her a bicycle please?

And Lord, a special thought for all those overworked clergy tonight: May I never become one one of them and may it always be my paid for pastime!

Now, where's that bed?

Journal: What was that?

2am and I find myself hitting the sack after what has ended up being a seventeen and a bit hour day - so much for me telling the other half I was going to behave with my daily round! But that's what this ministry thing is all about; meeting needs and being there.

The interesting thing is that there were no aircraft crashes or other disasters - all that happened today was just life going on, in abundance, but nothing more.

And me? I was showing God's love and doing the stuff people take for granted. There was. O running into burning buildings or any heroics: and that is what being a Christian is all about: Being there for the silly things; for the tragic events: The, "I don't want to bother you, but . . . " things.

Lord,
for the mundane things I give you thanks, for in them we meet with the exceptionaL
for the small things that combine to create a gargantuan,
For the minefields other create and in which we seek to grow a garden of peace,
for the grace to forgive as we are forgiven.
for the tears of loss and the laughter of remembrance.
for all that today was and tomorrow will be,
I offer You my thanks, love and self.

Accept this as my Lenten sacrifice this day.