Of the Arrival of Bishop David, Reader day and a poser about Communion.... Chaplain’s blog Stardate 17- 05-2025I write this while watching the installation of Bishop David, and feeling rather glad it is being live steamed so that I can sit in my study in relative comfort and protect my dodgy hips and knees!Watching online has a few downsides, like getting distracted by writing a blog, interruptions by Mr Dog wanting attention or he possibility of the phone ringing on the other hand the different camera angles allow seeing much more of the wondrous goings-on! The Anglican church really does do a wonderful ceremonial service on these occasions- the good folk of the cathedral staff will be exhausted afterwards!Of course, as Readers we got a privileged preview of Bishop David’s ministry last week in St Petroc’s in Bodmin for Reader Day when those of us listened to his views on Lay Ministry and took part in a question and answer session. For those of you who missed it.. Reader Tim Symons said it was, “an interesting and encouraging day last Saturday. It was great to hear from such a range of speakers from such a wide variety of ministries, especially the bishop, and the refreshments were excellent too!” Which just about sums up the mood of the room I think! Claire Salzmann- deserves a huge vote of thanks for all the work she put in to organising the event.But back to the cathedral…A full cathedral and 206 people online listened to Bishop David’s first sermon in the Cathedral beginning with thanks to Bishop Hugh, our warden to Readers which received well deserved warm applause from the congregation. It looks like Truro, for the moment, has a wonderful team at the top! We will indeed pray for Bishop David, and indeed Bishop Hugh as they pray for us.My prayer is that as Readers we will be inspired, motivated and warmed by the fire of their faith.Readers and Communion…. Or one sort and another. In various conversations with Readers I have gleaned a variety of opinions and practices from across the diocese.Reader involvement in the Eucharist falls into three categoriesThe service of the word part of the communion service up to the ‘Peace’Taking communion to those who are unable to leave home or to groups in Care Homes.Communion by Extension.Personally I am reluctant to do communion by extensionI feel my ministry is distinctive to that of a priest and somehow communion by extension seems a second-class option.The diocesan rules; (links below) are clear and quite specific about wat must or must not be done. https://trurodiocese.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/CbE-in-DoT-policy.pdf https://trurodiocese.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Training-liturgy.pdfGoing to a service early on a Sunday to collect the blessed sacraments and then going on to take a service of extension makes for a very long morning which, as I plough on into my 70s is more than I want to do.I was going to quote some bits of these two documents but instead I will put them at the bottom of this article as well as…
Chaplain’s Blog -4th April 2025 – Encouragement, challenge and support. Spiritual Direction mattersWork agreements and Ministerial ReviewReaders Hanging up their scarves- or taking a breakSafeguarding in the News.... and in the Parishes. I wonder how many Readers have a spiritual director...... and how many have filled in a form asking for one and not been successful? Spiritual Direction / accompaniment is such an important part of ministry- to have someone walk beside you who can challenge, question and encourage. It makes a time when we can take stock and focus on our own spiritual lives in space apart from all our other ministerial duties. If you still need a director and have not been able to find one, please do let me know and I will enquire. Work agreements, ministerial review and the three-year cycle of relicensing. Here are the links on the Diocesan website for the documents you need: Application-for-Renewal-of-Reader-LLM-License.docx Reader-LLM-Annual-Ministry-Review-Process-summary.docx Reader-LLM-Annual-Ministry-Review-template.docx Reader-LLM-Annual-Ministry-Review-Preparation-template.docx Closely linked to direction is our opportunity for annual ministerial review, although most folk probably make a perfunctory stab at it once every three years before re-licensing. As I need to be relicensed in October and we have a new rector it was very helpful to meet with my Rector yesterday to reflect on my role in the parish, my work load, things to take on and things to give up and what fed me spiritually. If you are wondering what I might give up - it is safeguarding administration and the parish dashboard - hopefully someone with a more organised brain will take that on. I will still be co-ordinating and training however! One of the questions asks how often I will meet with my incumbent / ministry team to which I replied “at least weekly.” The weekly ministry team meetings which were instituted by Caspar, our last Rector are incredibly useful and, in many ways, vital to building a team that can encourage and support. We usually begin with a check-in to ee how everyone is doing followed by looking at the lectionary readings for the coming Sunday. Business includes the rota, but also looks at projects, coming events, strategy, the needs of individuals and individual churches. Once a month we include the administrator who updates us on marriages and so on. As I write it is still four days to the one year anniversary of the post stroke seizure that curtailed my driving for 12 months. Having filled in forms in February and submitted them, only to be sent another medical form 3 weeks ago which I returned by return of post- I still have not received an envelope with my new driving license from the DVLA. That curtails my activities somewhat! I leave you to imagine my frustration at having to reply on lifts! I need to remind myself that I am lucky to be here and writing and walking 5 miles a day rather than moaning about the lack of motoring independence. It is too easy to get into a cycle of negativity…. We have a few readers who have hung up their scarves…
Chaplain’s Blog for Christian Unity As I led Zoom morning prayer this morning which marked the first day of the week for Christian Unity I was rather struck by the 1 Corinthians 5 reading set by the lectionary for the day that called for Christians not to associate with the greedy, the idolaters, the sexually immoral, the drunkards or the robbers and to drive out the wicked. My first thought was that that requires a lot of judgement of just who those folk might be and how we might actually think about ourselves. How can we hope for Christian Unity if we can’t actually get on with our neighbours who might be struggling with addiction, poverty or some other difficult situation that labels them for being ‘driven out?’ As for the greedy, we look at the richest in society who have far more than they could ever need, who can afford day trips to space, huge yachts, vast mansions and own social media platforms that perpetrate their views or stir up the sort of unrest that keeps them in power… should we stop talking to them in the hope that they might actually turn to altruism and do some work for God? Perhaps building hospitals, battling the effects of climate change, researching cures for cancer… the list is endless! So Christian Unity. We have a simple common purpose I think…. I wonder what creed would have to be constructed to that could be agreed upon by all Christians? Now there is a challenge. Here are a few of my favourite illustrations…. I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. So I ran over and said "Stop, don't do it!" "Why shouldn't I?" he said. I said, "Well, there's so much to live for!" He said "Like what?" I said "Well...are you religious or atheist?" He said "Religious." said "Me too! Are you Christian or Bhuddist?" He said "Christian." I said "Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?" He said "Protestant." I said "Me too! Are you Episcopalian or baptist?" He said "Baptist!" I said "Wow! Me too! Are you baptist church of God or baptist church of the lord?" He said "Baptist church of God!" I said "Me too! Are you original baptist church of God or reformed bapist church of God?" He said "Reformed baptist church of God!" I said "Me too! Are you reformed baptist church of God, reformation of 1879, or reformed baptist church of God, reformation of 1915?" He said, "Reformed baptist church of God, reformation of 1915!" I said "Die heretic scum," and pushed him off. Emo Philips All Purpose Late 20th Century Creed – Simon Rae I believe in my beliefs. it's my belief that my beliefs Are truer far than your beliefs, And I believe that your beliefs Are threatening to my beliefs, So I'm defending my beliefs And all who hold the same beliefs Against your dangerous beliefs And who share your false beliefs Or what I think are your beliefs. And…
A New Year Blog for 2025On New Year’s Eve we drank tea and were in bed by 10:30 waking briefly for the nearby fireworks at midnight. Mr. Dog the collie was mildly interested but not enough to get out of bed and he soon went back to munching through his night-time biscuits.Facebook reminded me of a decade earlier when the family gathered and at midnight and after toasting the New Year with a wee dram of single malt, we sang Aul Lang syne and then set about the annual tradition of egg hurling. This involved those who could throw going out to the front of the house armed with a raw egg with their name written on it and taking it in turns to launch them over the house with the aim of getting them to land without breaking on the back lawn.We never had a year when at least one egg was successful but there were many casualties from wayward throwers who hit the front of the house, the car on the front drive, the pond (we found one in the pond late one summer….. still whole but very very soft and squidgy) and various stones or paths in the back garden. These eggs were not wated as the dogs charged around gleefully licking up the wounded eggs.Back another two decades and that gathered family as children acted as spotters racing from one side of the house, indoors, to the other to announce when an egg was coming over. In the back-garden, those who did not want to throw donned hard hats and carried torches scanning the night sky for the next missile. Often new year was in fancy dress with a theme. The year of children’s literature saw Jasmine and Aladin accompanied by a very tall methodist lay preacher dressed in a tutu as Tinkerbell trying to reach any whole eggs before the dogs could get them.Another year the police stopped in a patrol car outside the house to see the strange gathering standing in the road, eggs in hand, dressed in kilts waiting to hear the news of the latest landing. It gave them a laugh in their long shift…. We offered an egg but they thought they had better not join in.I do not regret my early night this year, although I would love the throwing arm of my prime, the memories of those past events are enough and that we could give people those joyful occasions playing silly games. ( I will save tales of “Are you there Moriaty?” and “bottle Walking” for another occasion.As every year for the last four decades we had a house guest for a couple of weeks who has somewhat different tastes to us in watching TV so we avoid the uplifting Rom-com and try any find a compromise. This proved to be Jumanji, University Challenge and The Big Bang Theory. If you have not come across the latter on Netflix, there are countless clips on YouTube so I won’t…