Author: Jim Seth

https://youtu.be/GW7i4jarpTE09:55:21 From Hugh Nelson : This is the report on Reader ministry that Imogen has just referred to - https://transformingministry.co.uk/publications-handbooks/#resourcing-sunday-to-saturday-faith09:56:04 From Hugh Nelson : And you can read Kingdom Calling here - https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/Kingdom%20Calling%20Web%20Version.pdf09:57:04 From Lydia Remick : Thank you +Hugh09:58:53 From Hugh Nelson : https://transformingministry.co.uk/10:13:40 From Lydia Remick : Amen, thank you Imogen10:36:59 From David Fieldsend : We seem to have a tension between training that could be accessible and modular and losing the benefit of training readers and clergy side by side.10:37:03 From Claire Salzmann : We 5 agreed to disagree! 10:37:37 From Lydia Remick : My husband is drilling so I will type. Biggest things in our room were concern about ‘dumbing down’ of training if it was modular v’s the accessibility if we want working age people to be able to training with more flexibility. 10:37:48 From Sue Wilcox : Encouraging ideas and thoughts from Imogen10:37:53 From Robin West : We thought modular was a good idea but must ensure we do not dilute theology study.10:37:55 From Deborah Crocker : I liked the idea of modules to top up training but was less certain of that as a way to do initial training as the danger was losing the benefits of a group working through tricky material together and supporting one another10:38:19 From Richard Laugharne : Richard from Room 2: we agreed with Imogen that the idea of modules was a good one; but character formation and supervision is as important for leadership and accountability. Need both skills and attitudes suitable for spiritual leadership.10:38:35 From Richard Laugharne : Happy to speak10:38:58 From Jane Kneebone : Ordained ministry and licensed lay ministry are different and distinct callings.  10:42:47 From William Hazelton : In favour of modular bur should be core basics on fundamentals. Anyway, why distinction between lay and ordained?!10:42:56 From Kay Short : Do we have local reader groups for continued learning and encouragement post licensing? I miss the theological discussions we had when training!10:43:04 From Claire Salzmann : Why would modular = dumbing down / lost? It strikes me that there would be no need to water down the content just because it is being delivered in a different manner.10:43:29 From Lydia Remick : I agree Claire, I don’t see the link between modular and dumbing down…10:44:21 From Robin West : I do not think we were suggest it would dumb down, but fear that it must be keep in check that it does not.10:45:17 From Kay Short : With modular would there be a core set of modules that everyone did need to do, then a choice of modules so you could play to your own particular calling? But how might you discover God is calling you to something you haven’t thought of if you don’t experience the wider range of modules?10:45:25 From Lydia Remick : Some of us started weird and don’t plan to change!10:49:55 From Kay Short : Could there be an option to do additional modules after licensing?10:50:36 From Jane Kneebone :…

Each Monday morning for the past year a group of readers in various combinations has met to chat between 10 and 11:30. The mixture of topics has been fluid and for the most part there is no set agenda but after a chat with William we are going to trial spending at least half an hour each week looking at the lectionary readings for the following Sunday which will help any of us who are preaching.  TheSunday following the next Monday morning is Pentecost when I shall be preaching from St Euny so I have a particular interest in wanting folks to join in and share their experience and learning!  The link is in the email and the room is open from 9:30 - there is no waiting room!!

with services resuming in churches across the benefice Zoom continues to be a popular way to worship especially for those who are not able to come to church for a variety of reasons from the infirmity of age to having to work and from being resident in a hospice or hospital to being out of county.St Andrews has a telephone line with a broadband link  so Zooming from church was comparatively simple there. St Euny, where they hoped to open a sort of internet café to teach people who are not confident with the technology.  Getting BT to put in a line proved to be full of obstacles and so through O2 they obtained a 4gb hub (with a grant) which would provide access for enough devices at the same time. The rest of the benefice has found the hub invaluable for streaming / zooming services from the other churches. A service typically uses a few gbs of data and the cost of the rental is roughly £1 per gb  so pretty good value even without a grant. The nature of the ZOOMING will certainly change over time without the need to stream music from St Martin in the Fields or YouTube but Zooms are set to continue because they are a way of reaching our most vulnerable at the time they need the church the most.. the challenge is reaching those who do not have the technology or no longer have the capacity to use it,   Morning prayer on ZOOM (link by request) is at 9am every morning and continues to be a delight especially when most services begin after we have calmed the participants from a fit of mirthful laughter about the topic of conversation of the morning. There are rarely less than 8 people and often as many as 18 each morning experiencing a variety of styles from Northumbrian Celtic office to Common Worship but usually with the thread of lectionary readings and psalm. One we can go back to church, I don't see this transferring but rather being a permanent electronic fixture. 

Barney a.k.a. Mr. Dog or Barnabus is  cultivating his own fan-club on my Facebook page (link here: (3) Jim Seth | Facebook) and so everyday there is a small but growing group for whom I publish pictures each morning and update on his behaviour and training progress. I am also trying to take a picture a day I can put on Twitter with a prayer focus. This morning was a photograph of fern fronds of bracken unfurling in the midst of the still smelling gorse fire-scorched land with the words,"bracken like a phoenix arising from the ashes of the gorse fire - in the depths of the blackest moments something is waiting to grow.... I am praying for those who are waiting today."  I like twitter for following certain folk - if you would like to follow my prayer posts they are here:  Jim (@Trewirgies) / Twitter  Ball please! Your serve.....

Last Monday at the Coffee and Conversation Chat we had a frivolous ten minutes coming up with possible straplines for those considering reader ministry.....  I wonder if you have one to add?Want some high adrenalin adventure…..? become a readerFeel called to feed sheep? Be a ReaderReader ministry reaches the parts that others don’tProbably the best preaching in the WorldReader Ministry – Just do itReader Ministry because you’re worth it…..Cornish Reader ministry- not jam tomorrow – Jam firstReader ministry – have it your way…Reader ministry – is it in you?Reader Ministry- we go the extra mile.Reader Ministry now appearing in pulpits everywhereReader ministry – it gives you wings,,Reader Ministry- Any time anywhereReader ministry- we can pass the buckYou don’t have to be crazy to be a reader but it helps…Keep Calm and carry on …… preachingBecome a Reader- your country needs youReader ministry- work rest and pray.I am looking to hearing more from Bishop Hugh at the Readers Day tomorrow and from other readers about what they think their role is in succinct, easy to understand terminology.  Below are four definitions offered to the current working party which will be presenting its report very soon. David Fieldsend will be sharing more information about it at Readers Day. Community (or lay) theologians who enable everyday faith.Licensed Lay Minister is a key role (?) embedded in the local church and community. Teaching the gospel in word and action, in work and in playA multifaceted role grown from the gifts of the individual.A wide-ranging ministry, from Bible-Studies and House Group leadership to mentoring worship leaders and taking funerals backed by accredited theological training enabling the Reader/LLM to bring the gospel to the people.A Reader is a Lay Minister working under episcopal license and in agreement with their incumbent, theologically trained and qualified to preach, teach, lead church services and interpret the Christian faith to other lay people from a position of understanding of secular life and to offer pastoral care in the name of the church to all sorts and conditions of people in sickness and in health, in dying and bereavement. They are also to assist in mobilising fellow laity for mission and helping to build discipleship

Life with Barney a.k.a. Mr Dog enters its second month with more early morning walks. This week the tide has been fairly low first thing so we have gone down there most days. Mr. Dog is very good at returning the missiles launched from the 'Chukkit' and so exercises hard for an hour. If he needs a break he chases the waves instead while we take in the joys of being alive under heaven from the dawn and the sea air.   One end of Portreath Beach is freezing and the other end is warm once the sun begins to get to it. Prayers today were for those who for one reason or another cannot enjoy the warm enfolding of the rising sun or the Risen Son. (I post on photos and prayers on Twitter @Trewirgies )An Interview with Carrie Tucker as she leaves the Diocese and he role as Secretary to the Readers. So in attempting to replace Carrie with three people we have so far received enquiries from er.... one person.  Readers / Licensed Lay Ministers we really do need you if you have minute taking skills, enjoy organising events or just want to help your fellow Readers in a practical way. I asked Carrie the question that we so often ask those discerning their vocation to become a Reader which is; If you could only preach one(more) sermon what would be the topic and why?  Carrie only thought for a moment before saying that it would be a bout practical love - all very well to follow Jesus commands to love one another but practice has to follow intent and rally that is what Carrie has done, to love her felw Readers through service and for that we are all hugely grateful. In the interview she says what she enjoyed and some advice for us all - please do pray for Carrie and pray for your own evolving vocation and ask God if it is something to which you should contribute some time.https://youtu.be/uXxXWKeEfhAUnconscious BiasI attended the course yesterday ably led by Dawn from somewhere in the South East on ZOOM. It is always good to be reminded of these things although through my work as a Governor and in my pre retirement career in primary schools I was steeped in the culture of non-discrimination and often had charge of writing the equalities policy. the racial abuse policy and the bullying policy as well as the school access plan so I probably did not learn anything new. When I moved to Cornwall from London having been brought up in Birmingham where my friends were from a variety of ethnic backgrounds I was actually surprised by the level of racial prejudice. Examples were often preceded with the phrase, "of course I am not racially prejudiced but...................."  At the time (1978) I was teaching 38 children in a temporary classroom in a medium sized village school. When plotting where the children had been on holiday I was amazed that 10 had never visited the…

So what is God asking you to do in the near future? Vocation evolves, it does not stand still and it is not restricted to accredited ministry. We  should all leave regular space in our prayers to ask God about what we should be doing, or exploring.I am sure many of you will have stories about where God has dragged you out of your comfort zone into something which you realise is what was needed.  As a young reader when i was teaching I was a preacher and teacher and specialised in anything to do with children from assemblies to youth groups and from family services to drama groups. I did the funeral training, and discussed pastoral visiting and even took a few home communions but I never envisaged doing much of those things and in fact avoided anything to do with funerals, age and illness. 35 years on and funeral ministry turns out to be something that I am actually quite suited to and sitting listening to the bereaved and teasing out the stories about the departed is s huge privilege. That I was asked to be chaplain was a surprise too - but  that is another story. So why am I writing this now? Well as you will have heard, Carrie, our brilliant, hard working, efficient and tireless secretary to readers is moving out of the county and away from the job. She did so much that after some thought we have split the role to make it more manageable by ordinary human beings rather than Super-Carrie who would be almost impossible to follow! Below are two links to documents from Bishop Hugh! Readers / Licensed Lay Ministers we really need you to pray for the discernment process and to ask yourself whether you might be called to one of the roles. Clergy colleagues are asked to pay and give their readers a nudge if they think they might have the skills.... and other readers with a small 'r' are asked to pay that we find someone  2021 April 28 - letter to Readers re Admin rolesReaders Administrator role descriptions Please do contact me for further information or to chat through the commitment.  This Mixed Week.... it has been another interesting week.... time seems to fly past at alarming speed, I am surprised Barney does not bark at it as it whooshes by!Lez and I had our second covid (Pfizer) jabs on Wednesday and both felt a bit groggy yesterday so dog walking was  a bit of a chore but either side of that Barney and I headed over Carn Brea in mist and in sunshine and prayers were said. I was booked to do a funeral yesterday but it had to be postponed for a week for lack of official paperwork which was something of a blessing because I was not at my best! It has been wonderful to see the grandchildren this week who are all desperate to play with Barney - eleven year old Ellie, on hearing that I had had my second jab asked, "Does…

In the beginning was the ball, and the word was ballDog looked at the ball and gave it freely expecting that it would be thrownAnd it was thrownAnd Dog saw that it was good….. Then created was the walk,And dog was told that he may partake of any pleasures in the walk excepting the fruits of chasing cars, cyclists or eating joggers.But the seed had been sewn and dog saw only the moving cars, the delicious cyclists and the scrumptious joggers no matter whether they were lithe and fast or large and wobbly…. And dog could not resist. Thus there was much gnashing of teeth, of cries in the wilderness and elsewhere and there was much anguish. Thus came the great commandments “Closer!” – thou shalt place the ball within easy reach if thouest wants it lobbed verily.“Sit!” – Thou shalt sit, an remain sitting until thy owner allowest movement“Stay!” Thou shalt remain, until told “good boy” or instructed otherwise.“calmmmmm….” Thou shalt sit, make an attempt at relaxing  and breathe - and take in the good air“Oh Barney / Barnabus !!!” Thou shalt consider what sin thou hast committed and repent with anappropriate sorrowful expression.“Get DOWN! ?Get Off!” Thou shalt not attempt to climb into thy owner’s ear, nor trample the flower  beds, or share the duvet.“Come to me/ Barney come!”  Thou shalt come.Nb. The final commandment currently needs more work.  (With thanks and credit to Simon Cade who created a version of this on Facebook a few years ago and from whom I pinched the idea)    Barney the 10 month old Collie has been with us for a fortnight and progress has been made albeit slowly… but the taste for cyclists and joggers in going to be hard to break. The head harness has stopped the pulling to a large extent which means I no longer have to stop to recover while I sew my arm back onto my shoulder! Saturday morning’s dawn expedition yielded something of a breakthrough when a jogger ran past without much reaction from Barney and he did not jump at any cars until the final one before we got back through the gate. A fortnight ago I was celebrating a year of solitary morning lockdown walks when I prayed, wrote sermons in my head, rehearsed sermons and mulled over the issues of the day. Then suddenly all changed and all focus was on whether a jogger might be around the next corner or whether I could grab his collar at the sound of a car which has rather curtailed the spiritual meditative rhythmic pacing in the dawn light along the mineral tramway and the Great Flat Lode. Life changes suddenly and lurches off in a different direction from that which you expect, sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a way that can devastate.  As chaplain, a spiritual director  and as a licensed Lay Minister who now has a funeral ministry I talk to all sorts of people about tragedies ranging from  grief for a recent bereavement to the…

From Saturday Morning prayer - the Ester Bonnet parade on Zoom before our rather solemn service with much prayer for those in our thoughts for various reasons. I am giving Zoom a miss next week as far as I can,  and will be walking the newest addition to the Seth household who is travelling down from Bristol today.Apparently he is a bit of a handful.... but we are looking forward to the challenge and the delights of having a dog again. It may have influenced my choice of the Easter Picture further down the page! :)  and on the dog theme here is Jac's story on the diocesan website A story about Percy, God's dog - Truro Diocese : Truro Diocese "The Elephant in the Church" Clicking the title will take you to an interesting piece in The JC (The Jewish Chronicle) sent to me by an old friend from college days, Pauline, who worships at Hatch End Reformed Synagogue.  For me, I do not think of the  condemning crowds before Pilate as being Jewish, I think of them as representing countless numbers of human-kind across the millennia who when faced with oppression and injustice can be manipulated by religious or political organisations.When you look around our world today it is repeated over and over again with mobs, factions, rioters, violent extremists all looking to blame, to shame and often to maim. The resurrection  of Jesus gives us hope that somehow we can rise above, be something more forgiving, more loving and caring, more discerning about what we are told.  The general populace is swayed by the media that tells us what to think, the loud voices of the tabloid press, the stirring up of anger by the likes of Piers Morgan and by the well oiled machine of spin that is the stuff of Government. I feel rather sorry for Judas..... a man who took his own life realising that he had got it so badly wrong.  A zealot who was probably manipulated himself to think that what he was doing was for the best- I just don't buy the "dishonest thief who stole from the common purse" picture, that is a Piers Morgan type catch-all simplification. How could anyone be around Jesus as a disciple with that intent? But I can believe that he thought that precipitating action by his hero would bring down the powerful oppressors. How deluded was he and how desperate he must have felt! From the Easter hope we need dialogue, understanding and above all the love of the risen Christ.  Not only between the world's religions, between countries and continents but between ourselves. When  women are still not seen as equal to men, when we discriminate on the grounds of race, colour, creed and sexuality  and when we cause hurt to others because of our views, whether or not we have been manipulated into thinking them, we are not being loving.Simply, the message from Jesus is to love everyone and that through the resurrection and the gifting of the Holy…

'There’s One Thing I Know . . .’ ‘It is 4.30am and I’m lying in the dark, in an unfamiliar bed, feeling rather miserable. It’s not just the discomfort caused by the varied symptoms of post-surgical radiation therapy, though I’m beginning to wonder how I’ll live with these ongoing symptoms. Will I continue to be able to ‘do it anyway’ – my life-long policy when faced with things that could stop me or inhibit my plans – or maybe this time, will it really prove too much for me? Does God want me to get licensed as a Reader in October and move into that ministry? Or perhaps God is saying ‘Time to give up – you’ve done your best, I know. No shame on you but let it go.’This is also the morning of my seventieth birthday. Who would have thought I’d be spending it in a city far from home, undergoing cancer treatment, in the middle of a Covid-19 pandemic with all the restrictions that we have/have not got used to. Well, that’s the reality, I think. So get over this misery moment and cheer yourself up before your hubby starts to stir in the bed beside you. Get ready to enjoy your birthday, and give thanks you are still around to celebrate your ‘three score years and ten’.So I find my phone and put in my headphones, searching my music library for the right music. Maybe my lovely Bach, my favourite composer – who shares my birthday, though he was born in 1685, not 1951. No, I know, I’ll play my CD of the Penguin Café Orchestra. That always cheers me up. I love the joy these musicians express in their playing together. So I click on the first track, feeling calmer and anticipating the opening strains of the cello section. But – what’s this? This isn’t the PCO. It’s a work by Gavin Bryars that I haven’t listened to in years.Jesus’ blood never failed me yet,Never failed me yet,Jesus’s blood never failed me yet.There’s one thing I know,For he loves me so . . . Click the Picture NOW for the music- while you read! https://youtu.be/xMrjhN_iQF8How did this happen? I don’t even have that CD in my music library! What a mystery!* * *Gavin Bryars composed this work in a novel way, at the time. He began with a recording he had made when he happened to hear an old homeless man singing under the arches near the river in south London. The man was singing words from this hymn he’d remembered, maybe from childhood, who knows. He may have been drunk, but his voice is so touching, singing this hymn of comfort with such feeling. Bryars added orchestration that gradually joins in with the voice, reaches a crescendo, and then fades away, leaving just the solitary sound of the old man singing, until that too fades away. The sound continues to haunt you long after the music stops.As I listened to this work, on my…

Carrie Tucker - Our Secretary is Moving!! Carrie is moving house when Covid restrictions allow the details to be sorted out to be closer to family in Plymouth. So as she is leaving the Diocese we will be saying goodbye to her with huge thanks for her amazing work and support of Reader/LLM ministry - without her the admin would look very different. I am interviewing her on ZOOM in the very near future and hope to post it on here next week. In the meantime... here are a couple of links to Carrie articles.Maundy Money arriving by post not pageantry - Truro Diocese : Truro Diocese  Kathy Lang - Methodist Local Preacher - RIP Many Readers/LLMs will have known Kathy Lang who was a Methodist Local Preacher in Looe who preached occasionally in St Martins Liskeard. She died last night having discovered a few months ago that her cancer had returned.  Even though she knew her time was limited she managed to come to some of our Monday Morning Sessions where she joined in discussions enthusiastically and even came this Monday though she did look poorly. As a serial attendee at any training day many will  miss her presence, her sharp mind and often witty responses.  I met her properly wen she came down to St Andrews in Redruth to hear me preach before booking me for the choir festival in Looe that summer.... she was a woman who knew exactly what she wanted but her love of the Lord never faltered. Rest in Peace Kathy..... and rise in Glory.Malcolm BowersSo sorry to hear this news. I valued her as a friend. Her faith was at the centre of her life. She had a sharp mind and loved music winning cups at competitions. The Lord will certainly say “well done good and faithful servant”. Jane DarlingtonRest dear Kathy xJacqueline HainesA very special person xxJohn James Kendrick-CrawshawOh my gosh, I'm so saddened to hear this, Kathy has touch so many peoples lives, from her preaching to her 'at home' get togethers. Rest in Glory Kathy Lang xxxRoss IsbellSo very sad to hear this news. Rest in peace dear Kathy. xx A Cartoons I found on Social Media..... tis week! DISCUSS :) Maybe a Monday morning theme? Morning Prayer continues on ZOOM with a growing congregation at 9am each day.There always seems to be much hilarity before we begin, on the day of Mary's hat several of us were wiping tears of mirth from our eyes...but if you want the story you'll have to join us .... before 9 when all goes still and we pray together. The link is in the weekly email! So this week, having discovered that the roof of the shed was no longer completely watertight I bought some special sealant from Screwfix and set about painting it on...... that was at the beginning of the week, it took two attempts over two days and I am still aching having discovered pains in muscled I had forgotten I had.  But the sky was blue,…

Reader David Watters found this heartwarming tale on social media Katharine Hepburn, in her own words:“Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus.Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me.There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean.The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives.The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as if to say, "You're my knight in shining armor." He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy.The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus." The ticket lady stated the price.The man's wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price.The man didn't have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn't have enough money to take them to the circus?Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket."The man understood what was going on. He wasn't begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation.He looked straight into my dad's eyes, took my dad's hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family."My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with.Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide.That day I learned the value to give.The giver is bigger than the receiver. If you want to be large, larger than life, learn…