The Chaplain’s Blog

Reader Geoff Cox writes, ” just a few minutes ago (7:24 )  I was listening to an interview on radio 4 with  Canon Stephen Pye on the above subject. He had 8 churches in the North of England and was saying the new ruling only accepts what’s happening now which I can understand in some cases. (radio 4  7:25 “Today” Saturday 23rd Feb)   http://keswickstjohn.org.uk/stephen-pye/ 

However all he could talk about was communion services which he could not do. There was no talk of lay led services at all I feel sure that  there would have been some lay led services in a cluster of 8 churches.

Is it just that some of our ordained colleagues do not see a lay contribution as valid services. I could not believe that the lay contribution was not mentioned.

On a more positive not I was very taken by an article in the Reader magazine by a focal Minister in Wales. It seems that at least some places see the value of making a lay minister a focal point of contact in a parish and the fact that he takes baptisms was interesting.”

The annual survey and my conversations with Readers across the diocese shows a very mixed picture, sometimes in the same benefice, with Readers not used or relied upon too heavily and some places where life seems rosey!  If you would like to comment or add to the discussion please drop me a line! Jim

Birthday lunch at the Gurnards Head after a blustery walk along parts of the cliff path,

The Picture of the pub is shamelessly nicked from their website- but there is a link to it from the picture and if you have never been I can recommend it!

We dropped in for coffee at 10:30 and then battled the freshening breeze and enjoying the patches of sunshine until lunchtime. 

Our table was in the main part of the pub rather than the restaurant by the fire and opposite us was a couple.

Now Lez and I have always been people watchers often making up stories about who they are and what they have been doing and so I noticed this pair right away. He looked a businessman perhaps in his 50s and  was pouring rather generous glasses of wine for himself and the young woman who shared his table. 

Father and daughter having a celebratory lunch perhaps or maybe a reunion. 

We ordered our drinks – ginger beer for me as I was driving (and actually wanted to be awake for the afternoon.) their meals arrived and more wine poured  As the weather was good the pub was very busy and so lunch proceeded at a very leisurely pace and by the time our orders arrived the couple had finished theirs and were deep in conversation – he was doing much of the talking- she leaning forward and stroking his fingers as they were wrapped around the stem of his glass…… it is hard not to look when its only 6 feet away and right in front of you. 

Work colleagues- the boss treating his doting personal assistant – or perhaps as it was a Friday they were on the first day of a weekend ‘conference’ …… 

While she went off to the ladies he poured the remainder of the bottle of wine into his glass and drained it and signalled to the hostess that he wanted another bottle of the same vintage to take out. “I hope he’s not driving,”  I whispered to Lez.

Their bill paid he got his car keys ready and left while we awaited our pudding.

My thoughts were several ranging from: I hope he’s breathalysed to I bet he’s the owner of the flash silver merc parked across the front of the pub -rather than in the car park. 

 

……….continued

I reminded myself that I was being both harsh and judgemental especially because I had decided it was most definitely an illicit affair and that someone was going to get hurt and hoped he was not going to show off in his merc with the best part of two thirds of a bottle of wine in his system. 

But….. there may have been a taxi waiting….. it could still have been an innocent family reunion….. but is was easier and more satisfying to judge.

That was chastening as I had been taking the moral high ground all week on the story of the Shamima Begum which has stirred up so much controversy. A priest I know commented, “Oh I tell people she should be allowed back but collected from the airport by Prince Philip.’

A Reader queried why she should be allowed back – after all she would be on social security and given a house with our money! That she ‘had made her bed and ought to be made to lie in it’ seems to be a common opinion – an eye for an eye and all that.

So I asked some questions this week in social media and in discussion:

  • Is she a victim of sex trafficking, having been radicalised while still a child at 15?
  • Is there any wonder that she does not show remorse at some of the crimes of Islamic State when she will have  been brainwashed for the past four years or so.
  • Should she not come back and face the consequences?

In the end of course, her citizenship revoked, she remains stateless and wandering and bringing up a baby boy who eventually might prove a greater problem. Time will tell.

But I don’t know the answer- merely felt that I should ask the questions in the interests of fairness…….. and because of the Gospel. 

The Gospel not as an afterthought but because it underpins our way of life. Jesus tells us not to judge, to forgive, to give our coat, to turn the other cheek but us humans  are really good at finding ways around it……. “She shows no remorse,” “there are other folks on whom we should spend the resources that she would receive” and so on. 

And, after all is said and done we like to be affronted, to have something to complain about, to judge and find a soap opera drama in real life….

I hope that father and daughter enjoyed the taxi ride to St Ives station to meet Mum travelling down to meet daughter’s new partner and arrange the wedding.  There- that’s better….. a happy ending.

The silver merc had gone when we left for home.

The Advent Quiet Day at Epiphany House on December 7th will be led by Reader Garth Wright who has recently taken on the task of minister to the third order of St Francis in Cornwall.

The day is entitled ‘Franciscan Spirituality’ and I am really looking forward to it. 

We suggest a donation of £10 towards the cost of hiring Epiphany House and for the refreshments on arrival and at lunchtime. Please bring your own packed lunch.

I am now governors for two schools!  My grandchildren pictured above (winning a young detectives event) go to schools in the Crofty Multi Academy Trust.

The most recent is where I have been drafted in to help build a local governing board and prepare it for inspection sometime in the near future.

At the chair’s a meeting for the multi academy trust of which both my schools are part, we asked who had vacancies for governors in their schools. Three of us had five or more vacancies which means a lot more work for those governors that we do have.

Please please do consider supporting your local schools and are offering yourselves for this very important role. It can be very rewarding and a unique access to an important part of your local community.

I’m particularly interested to hear from anyone within reasonable distance of Camborne-Redruth but happy to talk to anyone about the role of governor.

I now have two directees so I can call myself a spiritual director,  although in all honesty the word ‘director’ is an inadequate title for what I actually do  as I spend most of the time listening and the directing is more like the very occasional  gentle suggestion of things that the directee might like to experience such as a constructing a personal spiritual timeline or a trying a style of prayer.

It is however a great privilege to sit and listen to people searching their hearts for 90 minutes in a quest for a deeper understanding of their faith and certainly a vocation that I feel called to.

Interestingly I find myself  between spiritual directors and looking for a new one. More on the search in blogs to follow. Currently I am praying that one will just turn up!

On March 20 I have been asked to be chaplain for a prayer and painting quiet day at epiphany house with Maureen Edwards.

My role is to do the opening and closing worship on a prayer and painting theme and to the available to chat to during the day.

I’m hoping that there will be folks who really will want to chat so I don’t have to do too much painting that  other folk might get to look at it so well as of my comfort zone. Give me a story to tell and that’s my art!    A paintbrush feels quite alien even after 30 years in primary classrooms.

Places can be booked through epiphany house and there’s more information on the Quiet Days page of this website (under the Prayer heading!).

 

In January a three person evaluation team descended on the readers in training course to assess its efficacy!

I met two of the team on three occasions, the management team meeting, the tutorial staff meeting and at the Saturday Day School. The picture features Jeremy Putnam leading what I thought was a fantastic day on Community.

At that time of writing I have not heard anything about to the report but the process was an interesting one and, though likened to OFSTED, it was a much more conversational affair. The assessors were astute and asked probing questions that certainly got the grey cells working.

I think one of the development points that might come to the fore  is how we promote  reader ministry, especially with younger folk.

The diocesan website is a convoluted maze at best and there does need to be a clear message about what a reader ministry is and why folk should consider it as a vocation.

Your suggestions please! I will collate the best and put them on the website!

 

Morning session – 2 options.

I am really looking forward to Reader Day this year – especially as I quite fancy the walk! 

Hopefully Bishop Philip will be able to be there as well for our question time session in the afternoon which should be really interesting. 

The planning group (not me) met recently and below is there draft planning – lots of hard work and great ideas! Thank you all! 

 

Option 1 – a walk to Nanstallon.  Organized by Margaret Sylvester-Thorne –

led by Bishop Chris.

This is a good flat walk with only little road walking involved.  The walk is along the rail path.  It is anticipated that the walk would take about an hour each way – walking past Bodmin Jail may be pause for a prayer either on the way out or on the return

Expect to leave St Petroc’s by 10.30 and arrive about 11.30 at Nanstallon Church.

(Ann to liaise with Nanstallon: have church open, to see if tea and coffee could be supplied; to find out if there is telephone reception, find out about toilets.  If necessary speak to Methodist re using their facilities. Donation to Nanstallon for refreshments (out of Reader budget).  To find out if there is telephone reception at St Petrocs.

11.30 to Noon: refreshments and a short service. 

It is anticipated that Bishop Philip will walk – but it would be good if he could join those in church rather than walk back.  (transport needed).

To be aware that some may need to return to St Petroc’s rather than walk both ways.  Need first aid kit and telephone.

Option 2 – to be a Pilgrim in St Petroc’s

for those who are unable or don’t want to walk. – led by Carrie & William

10.30 to 11.30 activities in church (organized through Nigel Marns) Prayer stations with activities on the theme of being a Pilgrim.  Also Together we Walk – a pilgrimage in Church.

11.30 to Noon – refreshments and the same short service as at Nanstallon Church.

(this is to link both groups)

Noon until Pilgrims return – Lunch

On Pilgrims Return have lunch together – grace

1.45 – AGM

2pm – Witness statements on being a Reader – 4 each lasting 5 mins on own experience of being a Reader.  This needs to be balanced – not a dig at parish priests.

2.20 – 2.40 over to Bishop Philip chance to speak to the Readers

2.40 – 3.00 – opportunity to ask Bishop Philip questions. (have questions sent in

3.00 – Cream Tea

3.30 – Bishop Chris – and Closing Blessing (pilgrim)

I’ve been part of a trade-off. Following the closing of Carn Brea Methodist church most of the congregation joined in with St Euny church in Redruth.

That means that once a month they have a local preacher from the Methodist church who comes to do a service and the trade-off is that I get to be on the Methodist plan and going around the churches in the district at least once a month. This Sunday I had the delight of experiencing Camborne Wesley Church and although I was taking the 10:30 service, I was invited to drop in to the cafe church that preceded it.

I was are welcomed with a hug from of an old colleague that I had not seen for many years and escorted across the action to the serving table for some coffee. The local preacher leading it, a (young- compared with me) teacher called Nick, was effectively using laptop and projector for the structure of the service and providing accompaniment for the singing of worship songs are from Youtube. After  a short talk interspersed with a clip from Youtube from an American speaker  discussion points  were posted up to enable the group to talk. Nick kindly sent me the link and questions which appear below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX7HjbYOOjQ

  • Have we strayed from the church of the bible?
  • What’s missing from the church of Acts nowadays?
  • (How can we make “insert church name here” about Him)
  • What would make God Pleased most in “insert your area”
  • Should we change our services/Change our hearts.
  • When was the last time you were awestruck to be a part of God’s church?
  • What could you give to the church?
  • Pray for the church. (world wide, Local)

I’m afraid the American speaker did not really inspire me at all, I prefer my preaching live, but the questions are certainly of interest and some are probably those that are asked in churches of all denominations throughout the land in one way or another. Some of the questions also grated somewhat in their language being rather loaded, but the one that  pricked my interest  was “should we change our services or change our hearts?” 

My first thought was that this should not be an either or question, after all we can change both services and hearts just as we can change one of them without the other. And….. if you change hearts they might just want to change services….. or not!

 I’ve now been a reader for 30 years and an active worship group and house group leader for half a dozen years longer than that and change is something with which  I have wrestled more or less zealously for all of that time. I used to think that need to throw out the old staid services and replace them with lively, attractive, entertaining offerings that folk from outside the church would want to attend. These days I hope I’m a little more pragmatic and understanding of the needs of both those in the church and those outside. Let’s delve a little more.

The service I lead on Sunday  was in the chapel. There was a large projection screen on which I had my service and the words of the hymns of which two were reasonably modern and two were old but very singable  and all had a theological content that was appropriate to the service. There was a good sized choir who, like the rest of the congregation, were mostly quite senior. There were a few children and would normally be more if it were not for café church first. Because Wesley is so large the congregation were quite spread out so it was hard to judge numbers but it seemed more than I have had elsewhere.

In the service I used prayers from the Iona community and the Northumbrian community but it pretty much followed a pattern of Anglican or Methodist morning worship interspersed with stories for children who left after second hymn and a  sermon that was a little longer than I would preach in an Anglican setting. It seemed very well received and I found the experience both uplifting, energising and spirit lead. Just because the service did not use worship songs, a band and involve people losing themselves in the music did not mean that this service was any the less efficacious for the people there. Were the service to be changed radically to appeal to what our idea would be popular and then we might well run the risk of losing the good folk that we already have, and worse, we might even blame them for having hard hearts that won’t change!

Somehow we have to do a balancing act even if it means having two or more congregations and I don’t really see any problem with that anymore. The Church of England and the Methodist Church has a theologically broad membership who have different needs. Trying to please all of the people all of the time is an impossibility though you may certainly please some of the people some of the time and if you are very lucky, all of the people some of the time.

So I’m intrigued, what did you think of the clip and the questions, would you use any of them in a service? 

Lay Ministry Officer

The Church of England’s Ministry Division is looking for an
experienced lay minister, or person who has worked closely with lay ministers,
to take the lead on the Church’s efforts to renew lay ministries across the
country. This is a substantial role and a wonderful opportunity to make a real
impact on the shape of the Church’s ministry.

Bishop Martyn, lead Bishop for lay ministries, comments:

“Given the flourishing of lay ministry within the church
over recent years, it is now vitally important that every part of the church,
local, regional and national, celebrates and integrates this work in to every
other area of ministry. We are looking for someone who can help coordinate this
work nationally, and enable further growth in both the numbers of lay ministers
and their development as theologians, practitioners and key partners in
ministry.”

We are looking for someone with strategic project management
experience who can develop a clear narrative on the place of lay ministries in
the life and witness of the Church, and act as an advocate for lay ministry in
influencing Bishops and Diocesan Officers. As a member of our senior management
team, you will share in the strategic leadership of Ministry Division, working
efficiently to ensure lay ministry remains a key component of our thinking,
planning, and resourcing.

You will need to have a clear grasp of the variety of lay
ministries, both authorised and commissioned; the structure of the Church, with
an ability to negotiate with ease the relationship between parishes, dioceses
and central structures; and a willingness to work across the full breadth of
traditions within the Church of England.

Promoting lay ministries is a major component of Renewal and
Reform, the Church’s vision for change. This role will require all of your
enthusiasm, confidence, authority, sensitivity, maturity, teamwork and
emotional intelligence.

You will be supported by a hardworking team of colleagues
with a variety of skillsets, including research, communications, finance,
events, and pioneer ministry.

If this sounds like you then we would urge you to
prayerfully consider putting your name forward. Applications can be made
through Pathways where a full job description and person specification
is available.

The Bible – Friday 22nd March at St Petroc’s Church Bodmin -from Reader William Hazelton 

Do you sometimes find the Bible a perplexing – if a fascinating – book; how does Genesis relate to Romans; or Leviticus to the Sermon on the Mount etc?

The Bible Society has prepared a course – called somewhat originally “The Bible Course.” This course attempts to answer the big questions about the Bible. To promote the course the Society is going on tour.

At 7.30pm on Friday 22nd March at St Petroc’s Church Bodmin there will be a multi-media presentation on the course under the title “The Greatest Story Ever Toured”. Paul Karenson (stand-up comedian and script writer for “Miranda”) and Andrew Ollerton (creator of the Bible Course) will give a lively and humorous whistle-stop tour of the Bible. There will be live music with Susie Lopez.

To find out more, and to book a ticket (we hope for a full house), go to https://biblesociety.org.uk/biblecoursetour

If you would like then to do the course – or to encourage members of your church to do so – you could form a group. Or you could join up with others in a combined course.

At St Petrocs we are running the course on Wednesday evenings starting on 3 April and finishing (with a break over Easter) on 29 May. You would be most welcome to join us.

To find out more please contact William Hazelton on w.hazelton@btinternet.com or 07757 444066.