Author: Jim Seth

a fifteen minute story written originally for children... https://youtu.be/O1t8ZfUuAsk

A story that affirms however useless we may feel in our current state - God has a use for us. https://youtu.be/pLGdUnQAayc

Sometimes we are taught stuff we don't really understand but it might just be the thing we need that helps us get home. https://youtu.be/Uxy70b4GuSQ

A tale of empty shelves https://youtu.be/Ijli8Mx_mms Princess Ellie & the Cakes When my grandaughter Ellie was about two years old she was living with us because Mum who was expecting little brother Patrick was not very well.  One day Ellie and I were in the park when she asked for a story....... a story about a Princess called Ellie.... and some cake.  This is the story- but an apt one in these times when our supermaket shelves seem empty.  Watch Now

https://youtu.be/tm029_CyArM A Story for Strange Times The first in a series of stories, some for adults and some for children. This one is for adults.  Watch Now

Continuing Professional Development and Ministerial Development Review CMD & MDR – Don’t you just love a good acronym?Last week I attended a working group about CMD (Continuing ministerial development) at Epiphany House. Readers were well represented and the group led by Sally Piper (a reader herself) in the place of Rebecca who was unfortunately able to come because her son was unwell.We had a a fruitful morning talking about what made a good course and what made a bad one as well as discussing in general terms practical matters such as location, time of day, housekeeping arrangements and so on.  The second, and probably last meeting will look at content, duration and geography! More thoughts on MDR and how it should affect CPD  (and Reader Licensing!) in due course. 

Important news items:1, Chaplain’s Coffee and Conversation on second Mondays in Redruth has now been cancelled until the current crisis abates.2. Reader Day has been cancelled for this year.3. Transforming Ministry – (The old Central Readers Website) The CRC website is no longer active – it is now Transforming Ministry – www.transformingministry.co.uk   Richard Roh's Meditation and wise words for today..... (click the picture!)  Love Alone Overcomes Fear  Thursday, March 19, 2020

Important news item: Chaplain’s Coffee and Conversation on second Mondays in Redruth has now been cancelled until the current crisis abates.Reader Day has also been cancelled for this year.The picture is the lounge at the Penventon Hotel - we tend to meet in that far corner - cosy, quiet and good for conversation. Join us when it restarts in...... perhaps June.

Dear AllI don't think I have actually been so busy since I was actually working for a salary and I have given up being chair of governors of two schools! As  I have said to many folks, many times, The trouble with retirement is that you don't get a day off!"Regular readers of the blog will know that I officiated at my first funerals just before Christmas and since then I have done a couple more and preached at Lesley Boyden's - as requested in Lesley's funeral plan. It was quite an emotional occasion though just getting the request was poignant.  Another couple and I will have taken more funerals than I have attended in the past 60  years or so! Funny how one's ministry changes in response to need and the skills we gain with experience. When I was first licensed as a reader in 1988. death and dying was not something I wanted to think about and focussed very much on children and young people but after four years as Chaplain to Readers and longer with my involvement with those in training and with Spiritual Direction sitting and listening take less physical energy that my youth ministry used to! The mental effort of making sure that once captures the real essence of the deceased person so that everyone at the funeral recognises them in one's words is both challenging and rewarding. (when you get it right!)   The St Andrews RandomsMy lovely wife amongst all the other things she does puts on a twice yearly musical event. Last week it was a folk night rather than the usual themed event so rater than the usual skilled keyboard accompaniment I was drafted in to play guitar and tell a folk tale in six parts. My fingers were so sore by the end of the performance but the story went down well and a good time was had by all making £600 plus towards the MMF making it a really worthwhile event in the eyes of the parish treasurer! The real benefit though is that some of the cast are not church goers and the same is true of half the audience meaning that it is a very really contact with Christians doing relatively normal fun stuff in a safe environment.    Storm Dennis took its toll on the Readers committee which has been postponed to March 21st. It should be an interesting meeting with a number of good discussion items on the agenda. One current issue you might like to comment on is about PTO, permission to officiate which starts somewhat arbitrarily at the age of 70. Having just had my 68th birthday this looms somewhat ominously. It does strike me that it is largely an irrelevance if we are all being re-licensed every 3 years or 5 years depending on diocese, a number does not make the job change, capacity does. More on this after the meeting. It will of course have something of a knock on effect on training......…

Lesley Boyden - Reader 18.06.49 to 25-01-20 Lesley at Bishop Chris' left hand in the licensing service October 2019 Lesley's prayer labyrinth by Lez. Lesley second from the right at the licensing. Her worry was that her wig might be dislodged when the Reader Scarf was placed around her neck. Sermon for February 21 2020 Revelation 21: 1-7 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,‘See, the home* of God is among mortals. He will dwell* with them;they will be his peoples,*and God himself will be with them;*4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes.Death will be no more;mourning and crying and pain will be no more,for the first things have passed away.’ 5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. The funeral of Lesley Boyden A quote from Lesley’s application to be a Reader back in May 2016. (Not 2018 as I said in the service! A vocal typo!) “I feel that I will bring the strength of my years as a Christian from the joys and difficulties I have experienced along the way  and the many lessons I have learned and am still learning. I am sure my love for people will also benefit…..” That Lesley should have chosen this reading is unsurprising as, for me,  it really seems to epitomise her outlook on life especially in the time that I have known her. She exuded such positivity and faith firmly holding to the notion that her illness would take her home to Christ where the seas of earthly troubles would be no more, where He would be waiting to make all things right, wiping away tears and looking after his faithful like children. I had heard that Lesley had planned her funeral a few weeks ago but until I got an invitation to preach on the reading from Revelation I did not know what she had planned; it seems such a short time ago but I was preaching at her licensing as a reader in the cathedral in October. My life has been blessed with people called Lesley, there’s Lesley (or Les with an S) we remember and celebrate today, There’s my wife, though she likes to be known as Lez, and another reader called Lesley to name but three. So to avoid confusion we have John…

Since William started training in 2013 he has notched up an impressive 201 preaching engagements! Great to see a Reader so well used! How about news from other Readers..... and perhaps some pictures and comments. :) 

More on Funeral Ministry Yesterday I took my second ever funeral and the first in a church and the first at Penmount Crematorium.Because it was a celebration for a local legend who was president, chairman, Lodge Master and choir member there were an awful lot of people who wanted to say farewell and I found it an enormous privilege to be able to to take the service and provide pastoral support for the family.I never intended to get involved in funeral ministry and it does not even appear on last September's Work Agreement but  I have done so with  the encouragement of my Rector, Caspar Bush, who backed up his encouragement with a good deal of conversation and email because I like to get things right and pay attention to detail!The funeral yesterday was a marathon affair and I suspect only really fell my way because the Eight Saints Cluster is somewhat short staffed for one reason or another at the moment. The family were really helpful and even gave me a lift to the church arriving at the same time as the church warden (Terry Lister) who could not have been more helpful in providing local knowledge to help with the choreography of the service- there were no spare seats and we even had Truro male voice Choir singing in the choir stalls! The first mourners were there over an hour before the start to get a parking spot and the seat of their choice but I was able to greet most of them at the door."Oh are you the vicar?""No not me..... not a vicar just a licensed Minister taking the service"or"Thank you reverend..""No I'm not a reverend""what are you then...?""Oh I'm a Reader, a licensed Lay Minister""Oh are you Methodist then?""Well no, I'm an Anglican minister but I am on the Redruth Methodist preaching plan"(There is a question about Reader identity here I suspect!) I had been wrestling with the cough that has lingered on since mid December and continued to do so as I wandered sedately down to the lych gate to await the hearse and the family. There I offered up my usual pre service plea for some spirit filed assistance and another one specifically about coughing.  Interestingly, and rather wonderfully I did not cough again until three hours later when we left Penmount. Thank you Lord!  The wake had been planned for immediately after the service - so having shaken a couple of hundred hands and had several lengthy conversations I headed down to the bowls club to join the party- without my Readers robes, without them I could easily have been invisible- it was fascinating!  I had to explain I had just taken the service so I could jump the long food queue and get a mug of tea. The undertaker mustered the family at just after four and I threw on my robes once more and headed for the short committal at Penmount and then I was taken home! Everyone was incredibly grateful…