Monthly Archives: June 2021

Highlight of the Week:

The virtual visit of Rabbi Naomi from Kol Chai Hatch End Reformed synagogue who spoke about her faith journey and her work to the Reader’s Post licensing Group. 

I am delighted that she has agreed to come back next year for the next group to help with our multi-faith conversations. 

Reader Kay Short asked on Facebook: Kay Short

“Can new to the Diocese Readers join in too? And do any (evening) groups exist for Readers to continue learning and reflection that I could join please? If not, could I start one? I miss being able to read and reflect theologically with others!”
 

Well I would be delighted if Kay started an evening for reflection and learning and would be the first to sign up if it is an evening when I am not already tied up.  

If you would find this helpful drop me a line and I will pass it on to Kay. The Monday Morning Chat will remain open on ZOOM although I am not promising to always be in attendance but several people have asked for something with a little more focus in an evening.  I am happy to host the ZOOM so that Readers from across the Diocese can take part. 

 

You can read something about Rabbi Naomi here: From a BBC newsroom to the pulpit as a rabbi – The Jewish Chronicle (thejc.com)

and you can read more about the Hatch End Reformed Jewish Community Here!

Prayer and my Mobile Phone

Attitudes to mobile phones and other technology van be quite polarized…  the press portrays the evils of teenagers peering into mobile phone screens and not speaking to anyone, at our  toddler group at church the leaders have noted the parents who spend the session on their phones and not playing with their children and then there are those who speak of Facebook as ‘facade- book’ and paint pictures of users as needy folk seeking approval, or as bullies, stalking and trolling the more vulnerable. 

Of course all those pictures are true of some people but life is not as simple as the easy stereotype that we can all feel cross about.  Teenagers are all very different and some have never spoken to other people finding something to bury themselves in for all time…. social media has been a God-send to isolating people of all ages in the past year,  and as for trolls and stalkers….. well they really are a hazard of the technological age. 

I really like my mobile phone and use it a lot….. but probably its chief function is as a camera! On my hour or so of dog walking in the early mornings I am always looking for a picture, something that shows the glory of God’s creation, or that tells a story or something that just fascinates.  Checking the weather, tide time tables and following footpaths on the installed ordnance survey maps probably comes a close second.  And then of course are the radio programmes I have downloaded to listen to while I am out…. the most regular being ‘something Understood’ which I really wish they were still producing rather than running old ones.  If I use social media it is to communicate with others – often putting up photographs which bring great joy to those who cannot get out of their houses, or their beds to see the subjects. 

So I feel irritated when folks dismiss the phone as a completely bad thing!  All technology can be used badly but to dismiss it altogether is to throw many babies out with much bathwater.  From the lady who joins morning prayer from her hospital bed on ZOOM to the sharing of ideas on the diocesan face book page to the reflective short prayers of the Bodmin Hermit on Twitter and happy birthday wishes that show the lonely that they are not alone…. the phone has its uses,  So I am off to open my Daily prayer app for compline. 

 

The Office Computer that conspired against my Day off! 

The last year is taking its toll on my energy levels, that and having a dog that needs to be walked early in the morning so I find myself in need of a rest and some time off. The trouble is there is always something that jumps in the way.  My Rector, Caspar kindly made sure I had no commitments last Sunday and I duly took the opportunity to take a book to the conservatory and put my feet up….. the telephone went!  The call was from the church office where the photocopier was not talking to the new computer and to cut a long story short three days later and a dozen hours of research I solved it…. but my time out had disappeared. Mind you I just HAD to solve it…. !!

I am planning to take two weeks out in August….. this year.  In the meantime I wonder if anyone has thought about whether they are called to be the next chaplain to Readers – or to be an assistant Chaplain…. let me know if you feel that that might be you! 

In the Blog this week reflections on:

  • The Reader Selection Day last week
  • Living in Love and Faith Session 2
  • For I went to the stall where they sold sweet lavender
    (“Only a penny for a bunch of lavender!”).
  • The joys of being an ex-teacher 

My dear wife, Lez, holding a box of lavender plants sent to us by Rocket Gardens     by an ex-pupil, Paige who had heard of Lez’s awful service from Suttons seeds who had sent the order so late and so badly packaged that nearly all of the plants were dead and not fit for purpose.  If you click Lez’s picture it will take you to Rocket Garden’s very impressive online shop  based near Helston. We shall be using them in future – so this is a free plug!! 

 

The Suttons Seeds offering

In the last 12 months an ex-student has helped me to rebuild my computer to make it fit for ZOOM and editing video, anther had recued the gardener and others have sent lots of cheery messages and news….. still others I have seen as teachers and health service workers doing such a brilliant job in times of great stress. I count myself very lucky, and just a tad proud, to have known them and to have ben part of their education for a couple of years. 

 Jane LePage has asked if I will publish the Tear Fund Link…. Click HERE and add the work of Tear Fund to Your Prayers

If you have not watched the Simon Reeves programmes on Cornwall yet- you can still find them here… BBC Two – Cornwall with Simon Reeve

Last Saturday 6 men and women presented themselves on ZOOM  at the selection day to train as Readers beginning in September. 

We congratulate 4 of them on being selected and I ask your prayers for them as they face the hard work of studies over the next two or three years. Please also keep in your prayers those who were not selected and are still searching for what they are being called to by God. 

Presenting yourself to have your vocation, the task you think you may be called for, examined so closely calls for bravery, honesty, faith and trust  and it is a huge privilege to be on the panel that listens to their personal stories and their answers to some really deep and stretching questions. 

Each of the six was asked to tell a story suitable for all age worship to the other members of the Wardens Advisory Committee and the others hoping for selection and then have an hour long in-depth interview as well as lunch with the rest of the Wardens committee on Zoom.  Thank you to all of them. 

Last Wednesday I led the second Living in Love and Faith Course on ZOOM for a Redruth Benefice group. Session two produced some wonderful in-depth discussion and sharing of quite diverse ideas and feelings. The course video was a step up from the first one and really is well worth doing.  Do consider offering the course in your area… it is a great one for Readers to Lead!

This morning, Saturday 19th June I am at the first of two sessions (10 till 1) before going on the National List of Vocations Mentors. More on this next time as I am typing this in the coffee break! But so far what an enthusiastic bunch of people! 

The Reader Journey draft diagram…. Reader journey diagram v1

On Sunday, I am leading a service in a Methodist Church for the fist time since 2019 so I am quite looking forward visiting Centenary (sent’n’ri) but I do wish we were not wearing masks and allowed to sing! If I am not leading a service, I would really rather be at home in my study running the ZOOM service in comfort. 

Zoom is to the fore tomorrow (Saturday 12th) when some brave men and women who have felt a call towards Reader Ministry, have to tell a story, attend a lunch (online) with the Warden’s committee and have a searching interview. They will be informed at the end of the day whether they have been selected. It is not a competition and all, some or none may go on. 

On Wednesday I attended my third C2 session in 10 days with another on Monday – at least as a trainer I can also get my own safeguarding up to date which meant that I have had to redo the reflections and exercises but I have found it very beneficial in  Benefice terms and it has prompted me to make some forms to collect details form all our churches about DBS checks, training levels and risk assessments. It is the first step in encouraging the next round of training, although some of the Church Wardens tell me they are on a waiting list for C2 courses because so many people want training.  It is a good sign when people are looking to be trained. 

On Tuesday I went to the Bishop’s Study Day which I found both informative and thought-provoking although on a different day I might be quite critical of some of the technical bits of the presentation.  I would love to have another session on the topic but this time focussing on Cornwall’s demographic and how we encourage greater diversity in our churches. When the first speaker was telling us about being turned away, or not exactly being welcomed at services in her own diocese I could not help but picture her arriving at the doors of St Andrews Redruth, or actually any of our benefice churches. Her problem would not be being turned away but how to escape the clutches of the welcome, and avoid being on the PCC, helping with the Arts Festival and being signed up for the Toddler Group before the end of her visit.  That might sound a little flippant but Mean it in all seriousness – the only group that might have real problems of prejudice might be those who look like they might be drunk or on drugs, or “not altogether ‘wholesome’! ”  However, I really have not investigated attitudes in our churches but I would imagine that there is a wide range with some fringe extremes as their are about women’s ministry.  Interesting and needs more work….. I just don’t know how!

The other big event was leading the first of the Living in Love and Faith sessions on ZOOM. Having gone through the first session again with our Rector, Caspar, we felt that the lack of any story videos in the first session was to miss an important element so we decided to insert two. It proved a good decision because they were easily the highlight that provoked most discussion and deep thinking. The two young presenters reminded at least one participant of ‘Play School’ presenters – wonderfully earnest, enthusiastic, bright eyed and wholesome. We are looking forward to session two and some more deep and thought-provoking breakout room discussions.  I really do think that all our church members should be engaging in the course in one way or another and that perhaps the equalities issues need a similar treatment. 

 

Perhaps the highlight of the working week was as spiritual director…. or really spiritual accompaniment which I always find as helpful as I hope my directees do.  

The Barney the collie stories continue on his page! 

 

Life seems to be gathering in pace rather like Barney’s rubber ball rolling down the beach towards the sea…. as I am inextricably drawn to gallop after it as best as my ancient hips will allow.  I find myseld unexpectedly preaching on Sunday at Treleigh in their somewhat delapidated hall (the church is being re-decorated) which will be a joy. Then there is a short worship to prepare for next Saturday for  thr start of the Readers in Training selection / discernment day Please pray for all those putting themeselves forward for Reader Training that they might show the best of themselves and that the Holy Spirit will guide us and lead us to wise choices. 

Next Sunday I have my first Methodist service for well over a year at the wonderful Centenary Methodist Church in Camborne which some of you will know is the centre of much foodbank work and where Don Gardener, who has been such a prominent figure in fighting poverty in Cornwall, worships. Faith and mustard seeds seem good starting points there!

Alongside that in Redruth we are beginning our series of Living in Love and Faith Groups – mine is on Wednesday evening on ZOOM and really should be very interesting. If you have not logged on the the Living in Love and Faith website and seen any of the fantastic resources and well prepared video stories I would urge you to do so. Living in Love and Faith | The Church of England Just click this link! 

 

It is amazing how things present themselves as a focus for instant prayer especially when I am out with Mr. Dog. This morning we found a string of blooms scattered along the tide line presumably washed up from a short time at sea.  I wondered why they had been in the sea and considered a dropped bouquet, or scattered flowers at a scattering of ashes or thrown into the waves by someone who has had their offer of undying love rejected along with their flowers. 

Whatever the story of these flowers and that long stemmed red rose my prayers were for all those anonymous people and all those stories being written in real life as I write. 

Reader / Licenced Lay Ministry Administration

You shuld all have received a letter from Bishop Hugh about this and also requesting you to consider putting yourself forward to help with safeguarding training. If you missed the letter you can find it here… The Warden’s Page – Chaplain to Readers in the Diocese of Truro (readers-chaplain.org.uk)

I joined in the ZOOM C2 training that is running currently and was really impressed by the quality of discussion and questioning and how attitudes to safeguarding have changed positively since I began to be involved as a trainer. It is a role I am delighted, and indeed privileged to be doing once more. 

Do consider it if you have teaching and leading skills…. it is SO important.