Monthly Archives: August 2022

Deanery Chaplains

The plan is for the Deanery Chaplains to be commissioned in October at the annual Reader Service but before then each of the prospective chaplains will have to be recruited / appointed.

Some of the Deanery Reader Stewards have taken up the important work of chaplain with great enthusiasm since the title of Deanery Reader steward was made redundant and I have been hugely grateful for their support and commitment.

The more I speak to Readers, the more I am convinced of the importance of chaplaincy and for more local chaplains.  “Why?” you may ask……

When you look at he diocesan website there is an encouraging page on Clergy Wellbeing Clergy Wellbeing Archives – Truro Diocese : Truro Diocese  which lists a variety of resources for Clergy and some resources for Diocesan staff.  In speaking to Readers about their clergy, however, there is a difference between providing a service and people actually using it; or at least using it before the problem gets really serious.

 

Readers are not mentioned.

Because we are such a disparate bunch in the Reader community it is hard to describe what the life and duties of a typical reader might be, there is no such thing as a typical Reader! Some Readers are quite content taking evensong and preaching once a month, others are church wardens, running a foodbank and leading worship weekly, while others are balancing Reader duties with working full time and supporting a family.

The stresses on Readers are very varied as a result.

  • Depression and frustration at not being able to minister
    • Through lack of a working team
    • Lack of engagement with the incumbent
    • Ill health or caring for someone with ill health
  • Transition
    • Too many duties across too many churches
    • Being taken for granted
    • Feeling they have very little say in choice of a new incumbent
    • Feeling threatened by not getting a new incumbent.
    • Churchwardens not including them on rotas
  • Balancing Ministry and family life
    • Where a spouse or child is ill mentally or physically
    • Financial pressures and the need to work for a living
  • Faith
    • Even Readers can suffer doubts and anxieties!
    • Mismatches of churchmanship or theology with their local church or new incumbent.
  • An aversion to bureaucracy
    • Finding it difficult to engage with safeguarding training or the requirements of health and safety in the modern church
    • Feeling that “on the Way” for example is something that is being “done to” them.

…and so on. I am quite sure you can think of more!

Chaplains are not just there to mop things up and being consoling when things get tough, they are also have a duty to be proactive and to provide the support before it becomes a big issue where someone has to ask for help. Asking for help is a tough thing to  do and people have to know they need it. Chaplains who get to know their people are invaluable here.

Currently we do not have enough Chaplains to cover all Deaneries and in some Deaneries there are folks who are not Chaplains who would be brilliant at it.

If you know someone who you think would be a brilliant chaplain…..  possibly covering a nearby Deanery if not their own, please do let me know.

If, after prayer, you think your vocation might be to minister to your fellow Readers as Chaplain then please do let me know as well!

If you just want to chat about it, then join us on Zoom on Monday morning or give me a call.

 

The duties of Local Reader Chaplains might include the following

 

    • To attend Chaplaincy Meetings (three monthly)
      • to share responsibility for the pastoral care of Readers
      • to discuss issues relating to the wellbeing and care of individual Readers (including those in training and Readers Emeritus)
      • to provide a forum for support, mutual learning and discussion for those providing pastoral care to Readers
    • To be in regular contact with Readers under their care.
      • g. birthday cards, phone calls, email or possibly the occasional newsletter.
    • To consider arranging training or social meetings
    • To foster vocations

Jim

Chaplain’s Blog Stardate 20-08-22

Deanery Chaplains

The plan is for the Deanery Chaplains to be commissioned in October at the annual Reader Service but before then each of the prospective chaplains will have to be recruited / appointed.

Some of the Deanery Reader Stewards have taken up the important work of chaplain with great enthusiasm since the title of Deanery Reader steward was made redundant and I have been hugely grateful for their support and commitment.

The more I speak to Readers, the more I am convinced of the importance of chaplaincy and for more local chaplains.  “Why?” you may ask……

When you look at he diocesan website there is an encouraging page on Clergy Wellbeing Clergy Wellbeing Archives – Truro Diocese : Truro Diocese  which lists a variety of resources for Clergy and some resources for Diocesan staff.  In speaking to Readers about their clergy, however, there is a difference between providing a service and people actually using it; or at least using it before the problem gets really serious.

Readers are not mentioned.

Because we are such a disparate bunch in the Reader community it is hard to describe what the life and duties of a typical reader might be, there is no such thing as a typical Reader! Some Readers are quite content taking evensong and preaching once a month, others are church wardens, running a foodbank and leading worship weekly, while others are balancing Reader duties with working full time and supporting a family.

The stresses on Readers are very varied as a result.

  • Depression and frustration at not being able to minister
    • Through lack of a working team
    • Lack of engagement with the incumbent
    • Ill health or caring for someone with ill health
  • Transition
    • Too many duties across too many churches
    • Being taken for granted
    • Feeling they have very little say in choice of a new incumbent
    • Feeling threatened by not getting a new incumbent.
    • Churchwardens not including them on rotas
  • Balancing Ministry and family life
    • Where a spouse or child is ill mentally or physically
    • Financial pressures and the need to work for a living
  • Faith
    • Even Readers can suffer doubts and anxieties!
    • Mismatches of churchmanship or theology with their local church or new incumbent.
  • An aversion to bureaucracy
    • Finding it difficult to engage with safeguarding training or the requirements of health and safety in the modern church
    • Feeling that “on the Way” for example is something that is being “done to” them.

…and so on. I am quite sure you can think of more!

Chaplains are not just there to mop things up and being consoling when things get tough, they are also have a duty to be proactive and to provide the support before it becomes a big issue where someone has to ask for help. Asking for help is a tough thing to  do and people have to know they need it. Chaplains who get to know their people are invaluable here.

Currently we do not have enough Chaplains to cover all Deaneries and in some Deaneries there are folks who are not Chaplains who would be brilliant at it.

If you know someone who you think would be a brilliant chaplain…..  possibly covering a nearby Deanery if not their own, please do let me know.

If, after prayer, you think your vocation might be to minister to your fellow Readers as Chaplain then please do let me know as well!

If you just want to chat about it, then join us on Zoom on Monday morning or give me a call.

 

The duties of Local Reader Chaplains might include the following

 To attend Chaplaincy Meetings (three monthly)

    • to share responsibility for the pastoral care of Readers (including those in training and Readers Emeritus) 
    • to discuss issues relating to the wellbeing and care of individual Readers
    • to provide a forum for support, mutual learning and discussion for those providing pastoral care to Readers
  • To be in regular contact with Readers under their care.
    • g. birthday cards, phone calls, email or possibly the occasional newsletter.
  • To consider arranging training or social meetings
  • To foster vocations

 Jim

Chaplain’s Blog Stardate 20-08-22

Deanery Chaplains

The plan is for the Deanery Chaplains to be commissioned in October at the annual Reader Service but before then each of the prospective chaplains will have to be recruited / appointed.

Some of the Deanery Reader Stewards have taken up the important work of chaplain with great enthusiasm since the title of Deanery Reader steward was made redundant and I have been hugely grateful for their support and commitment.

The more I speak to Readers, the more I am convinced of the importance of chaplaincy and for more local chaplains.  “Why?” you may ask……

When you look at he diocesan website there is an encouraging page on Clergy Wellbeing Clergy Wellbeing Archives – Truro Diocese : Truro Diocese  which lists a variety of resources for Clergy and some resources for Diocesan staff.  In speaking to Readers about their clergy, however, there is a difference between providing a service and people actually using it; or at least using it before the problem gets really serious.

Readers are not mentioned.

Because we are such a disparate bunch in the Reader community it is hard to describe what the life and duties of a typical reader might be, there is no such thing as a typical Reader! Some Readers are quite content taking evensong and preaching once a month, others are church wardens, running a foodbank and leading worship weekly, while others are balancing Reader duties with working full time and supporting a family.

The stresses on Readers are very varied as a result.

  • Depression and frustration at not being able to minister
    • Through lack of a working team
    • Lack of engagement with the incumbent
    • Ill health or caring for someone with ill health
  • Transition
    • Too many duties across too many churches
    • Being taken for granted
    • Feeling they have very little say in choice of a new incumbent
    • Feeling threatened by not getting a new incumbent.
    • Churchwardens not including them on rotas
  • Balancing Ministry and family life
    • Where a spouse or child is ill mentally or physically
    • Financial pressures and the need to work for a living
  • Faith
    • Even Readers can suffer doubts and anxieties!
    • Mismatches of churchmanship or theology with their local church or new incumbent.
  • An aversion to bureaucracy
    • Finding it difficult to engage with safeguarding training or the requirements of health and safety in the modern church
    • Feeling that “on the Way” for example is something that is being “done to” them.

…and so on. I am quite sure you can think of more!

Chaplains are not just there to mop things up and being consoling when things get tough, they are also have a duty to be proactive and to provide the support before it becomes a big issue where someone has to ask for help. Asking for help is a tough thing to  do and people have to know they need it. Chaplains who get to know their people are invaluable here.

Currently we do not have enough Chaplains to cover all Deaneries and in some Deaneries there are folks who are not Chaplains who would be brilliant at it.

If you know someone who you think would be a brilliant chaplain…..  possibly covering a nearby Deanery if not their own, please do let me know.

If, after prayer, you think your vocation might be to minister to your fellow Readers as Chaplain then please do let me know as well!

If you just want to chat about it, then join us on Zoom on Monday morning or give me a call.

The duties of Local Reader Chaplains might include the following

 To attend Chaplaincy Meetings (three monthly)

    • to share responsibility for the pastoral care of Readers (including those in training and Readers Emeritus) 
    • to discuss issues relating to the wellbeing and care of individual Readers
    • to provide a forum for support, mutual learning and discussion for those providing pastoral care to Readers
  • To be in regular contact with Readers under their care.
    • g. birthday cards, phone calls, email or possibly the occasional newsletter.
  • To consider arranging training or social meetings
  • To foster vocations

 Jim

129 CV                                Thought for the Day – Trinity X – by Didymus

Evensong readings: Isaiah ch.30, vv8-21 / 2 Cor Ch.9 / Gospel: Matt ch 21 vv.28-32.

It is in mid-August that one finds, apprehensively, the Book of Revelations appearing in the Lectionary, although the sufferers are the hapless attendants at Matins. 

The three readings this week have some common themes – the lives that we live, the punishment of wayward people and God’s forgiving mercy.  Isaiah’s book is the first and arguably the greatest of the prophetic books.  If a prophet was a bearer of God’s word, all of the Hebrew and Jewish patriarchs were prophets of a sort.  Indeed the greatest prophet recognised by Hebrew or Jew was Elijah, who was seen at the Transfiguration with Moses as the lawgiver from God.

Elijah was not a leader so much as God’s evangelist battling with the worship of false gods and general apathy.  Several miracles are attributed to him, and to his successor Elishah.  Unlike Elijah, however, Isaiah and his colleagues could see all too clearly the consequences of the Hebrews having effectively abrogated God’s Covenant.  That had been established with Abraham, reiterated with Noah, Moses and David, whereby the Hebrews’ faith in God was rewarded by God’s protection against attack.

The message was both obvious and urgent, but disregarded in Samaria (the Northern kingdom, which had taken the name of Israel)

In his 30th chapter Isaiah launched a fierce tirade against his countrymen and women.  The parallel with our politics today tempts me very strongly indeed, but I shall not stray into that quagmire.   A paraphrase of Verse 10 appears almost daily. 

Plus ce change, ne change pas.

But Isaiah was ignored and some 30 years into his life as a prophet, Samaria, the northern kingdom, was attacked and conquered by the Assyrians in 721BC.  The southern Kingdom, Judah, formed of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, played politics with Assyria and Egypt, the neighbouring power.  It didn’t work, as eventually Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian empire, which had earlier conquered Assyria including Samaria, lost patience with Judea and overran it in 589BC.

Although God forgave the Hebrews after 50 years of exile, the Restoration back to their homeland occurred in at least three mass movements, and lasted from 538BC for at least 150 years into the 4th century BC.  Before very long, conquest by another force – Greece – led by Alexander the Great was imminent.  A second century rebellion led by the Maccabees ended Hellenistic domination (Greek), only for the country of Israel to fall to the Romans.  The Covenant was not renewed until Jesus offered the New (and different) Covenant.

By contrast Paul urged, wordily, the Corinthians to work at their faith, for the more they gave, the more they would receive, like any faithful believer. 

It is, however, Matthew’s Gospel that simply addresses the problem.  Better, on reflection, to do what is right, rather than agree to do what is right and then renege on your promise.

 

 Illustrations:  Isaiah (above) and the father with his two sons in Matthew’s Gospel..

AMEN

This week has been an another interesting one beginning with preaching at our Benefice Joint Service at All Saints Lanner.  It is amazing that after 34 years of preaching that I still get that adrenaline hit in those minutes before as I pray prior to preaching but if I did not get it, I would start to worry that I was starting to take the privilege of preaching for granted.  Although I had a slip of paper with half a dozen well-rehearsed points it was more of a ‘comfort-blanket’ and I did not refer to it. 

You may be relieved that I am not going to relate the seron content here!

Monday Morning and Ministers in Conversation (on ZOOM) was the first time I have logged in where the women outnumbered the men which i thought was fantastic!  There were some great discussions and conversations  and I do hope more folk will spare an hour of their Monday mornings and join us.   Anyone, lay or ordained…. or worship leader…. or in training…. or retired is most welcome to join us! Just look out for the link in the emails and drop in between 10 and 11!  I know some who would like to join can’t because of other commitments – if I get enough requests, I will set up an evening one as well.

Deanery Reader Chaplains

The Deanery Chaplains are going to be a key part of the way Readers / Licensed Lay Ministers are looked after and represented.  It is vital to have some folk who will contact, listen to and be available to Readers in their areas whether they are current, in training or retired. They will also relay Reader concerns to the Warden’s Group and be an influence on the way the diocese works with Lay Ministry. If you are not already in the role please do consider whether it is part of the vocation to which God is calling you. If you have been a DRS and you feel that it is time for someone else to step up, please do not feel guilty about stepping back and do let me know. 

On Monday afternoon I helped lead the Safeguarding Leadership Course which, as always, provided a great forum for discussion and I invariably come away with something I need to remember to do from a job description for a toddler group helper to a risk assessment for food bank volunteers. 

I am still unconvinced about the wording of the booklet instructing participants to reflect on four questions before they come to the first session. The problem, for me,  is the mention of a word count of 250-350 words.  Yes, the invitation to use bullet points has been added but it still looks like an examination instruction and that is not what we are doing safeguarding for.  We want folk to reflect on the issues and to make some notes for discussion on each of the topics….. why does the National Safeguarding Team insist on making it look like part of a GCSE syllabus? It does a disservice to the course, to the promotion of safeguarding and to its credibility!  That I get frequent moans that it is a box ticking exercise is unsurprising, but it is also saddening as I am a passionate promoter of safeguarding in its widest sense! 

Tuesday began with my ZOOM morning prayer using a musical version of the Northumbrian Office with the lectionary readings prescribed for the day. Laughter before hand as always and prayerful reflection from a faithful group to begin the day. 

Then New Curate Chris and PTO clergy Margaret arrived to plan Sunday’s service which is trying desperately to find a family friendly interactive experience crammed into an ‘informal’ communion …… in a normally high church setting….. It is tricky! 

In the meantime, the damson tree in the garden is creaking under the strain of the ripening fruit and I am steeling myself for some afternoons of balancing on the steps with a bucket!  Then it will be the turn of the apple tree; things seem to be ripening quite early this year! 

Wednesday was annual MOT and service day for the car, so I took the opportunity to take Barney the Collie and take the scenic route home around Carn Brea via a cup of coffee with the grandchildren in Carnkie. The car passed without issue thankfully! 

On Thursday I took the funeral of a local man at Treswithian Downs Crematorium which was a good opportunity for our Curate Chris to see a different style having experienced the very different approach of our other PTO priest, Father Peter.   The family was very grateful. Because he had been a part time fireman, a fire engine pulled up behind the hearse and four  firemen in full kit shouldered the coffin into the crem.   The sister very kindly said that it had been worth the seven hour drive to attend the funeral of her brother. 

 

Safeguarding Prayers 

Loving God, we pray that the church may be a place of welcome, security and compassion.

Keep us watchful yet caring, trusting yet ready to question, that all who worship in our churches may do so in safety and in the knowledge of your love;

May the doors of the church be wide enough to receive all who come seeking God and fellowship.

May the doors of the church be narrow enough to shut out pettiness and pride, envy and enmity.

May the threshold of our churches be no stumbling block to young or frail feet. May the threshold of our churches be too high to admit complacency and self-seeking.

May the church be, for all who enter, a safe place and the doorway to a richer life in Christ.

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Blessing

May God bless us with a restless discomfort about easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may seek truth boldly and love deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with holy anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people.

May God bless us with the gift of tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.

May God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we really can make a difference in this world, so that we are able, with God’s grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

Amen

Safeguarding Prayer

Lord Jesus we thank you for calling us to the service of others.

Bless us with a generosity of spirit to ensure the vulnerable are protected.

Bless us with  compassionate hearts so that we will reach out to those who are wounded by abuse.

bless us with courage and determination as we seek the safety of everyone in our parish communities.

Help us dedicate ourselves to this work of service and pray that you will help us to do your will at all times and in all places.

Amen

Lord, our God, Look with favour on our children whom we as a Church commend to your tender

care.

Your Son, gladly welcomed little children.

He took them in his arms, blessed them, and held them up as an example for us all.

We pray that you, Father, will also send your blessing upon all of us gathered here this day, so that

we may play our part in helping our children to grow in Christ,

and by the power of the Holy Spirit, may they become Christ’s witnesses in a world which craves

their energy, light and generosity.

Allow us to create environments where both children and priests flourish and minister to each other

in a spirit of light, love and joy.

We also beg your pardon for the times we have failed in this ministry. We remember those who

have been hurt and those who are hurting, may your healing be a source of strength and comfort to

them and their families.

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen Lord, we thank you for the gift of our children;

they are our light and our joy.

Give us wisdom to guide them, patience to teach them, and a desire to encourage them always. As

we strive to love them sincerely, may we never betray their trust, dampen their hope, or discourage

their spirit.

May we help them achieve their potential and fulfil your dreams for them.

May your grace and love fall gently upon them giving them the inner strength, peace and patience

they will need for the journey ahead.

And as we strive to create safe environments where we can freely minister to them, may we be open

to you ministering to us in and through them. Amen

Loving God,

we pray that the church may be a place of welcome,

security and compassion.

Keep us watchful yet caring,

trusting yet ready to question,

that all who worship in our churches may do so in safety and in the knowledge of your love;