Whilst visiting a church, having spilled some tea I popped into the toilet to get some paper towels and as I walked into the room I found myself eye to eye with a lady sitting upon the throne, door wide open, aghast that she was no longer alone! Quick as a flash I said, "It's O.K., don't get up," and took a couple of paper towels and left. Now years ago I would have turned and run, but now I have become the ultimate in polished and suave vicarness and am therefore proving my selectors right in their choice I'm sure. Mind you the lady involved always blushes and scuttles off when she sees me so perhaps this tells me that not all are applauding my British reserve and unflappability!
A while back (must be almost a year) I visited a school to talk about Ash Wednesday and having asked the assembled children if they knew what day it found that none of them did. So, hoping to give them a datum from which they might evermore discern when Ash Wednesday was I asked what the day before had been. Obviously having read the script and being subject to excellent teaching they answered in union, "Tuesday!' "And did you have anything special to eat last night, "I prompted. "Pancakes!" they mercifully cried and up went a sea of hands from volunteers eager to tell me of their culinary experiences. we had a few tales of pancakes shared with parents, siblings, grandparents and the like and then one of the assembled informants, hand waving wildly, finally getting their turn told the assembled school: "I had two pancakes last night!" "Excellent, I cried (looking to move things back to Ash Wednesday), but there was more, "I got Daddy's pancake too because my Mummy says he's been giving Auntie Pauline's one!"
Pandemonium! The student teacher who was sitting in with me leapt from her chair, eyes blazing in what looked a bit like panic. I indicated that all was well and told to our proud and pancake-replete student how lucky they were - "Two pancakes! WoW!" And then, without flinching moved us swiftly back to ash and how we all do things wrong at times!
Now I have to be honest and say that when I started out in this role I found the school stuff to be a real challenge at times because I like to ask rhetorical questions (don't I?) and this incident showed me how I'd managed to settle (at last) somewhere above the high-water mark).
There are days when we get our ministerial encounters just right and rise above the things that once would have caused us to stumble, fumble and confound whatever it was that those who saw a calling in us saw. When they come we can but learn from them, taking what is good and determining not to repeat that which is bad, and keep on ministering in the conviction that we are called and better still forgiven.
Keep looking at Him and the waves will merely provide a gently audio background to the journey to His arms? After all where there are clumsy clergy there is always a gracious God!
Pax
