Dear All

I 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 Randoms

My 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……

Buckets to catch the storm at St Andrews Redruth

A Tale of Lesleys

My life has been blessed with a number of Lesleys , my dear wife, Lesley Borden and Lesley Margetts our former secretary to Readers who gets a brief mention as the other Lesley Lesley B’s funeral sermon. A fourth Lesley is Lesley Michell who has a commendation as a reader on the anniversary of her licensing on March 25th and I shall be going to ST Mary’s in Penzance that evening to present her certificate. I am looking forward to it. Doubtless Lesley B will feature in future sermons and other Lesleys may as well!

My Lesley (Lez) trying to fit in an audience and still move! The photo is so she can remember for next time.

Safeguarding

It has been gratifying in the safeguarding training I have been leading to see a much more positive commitment towards safeguarding and in particular our care of and recognition of the pain of victims of abuse. I have been from Sennen to Rilla Mill with a mixture of safeguarding training and Chaplaincy visits. One session was one to one so that a Reader could be re-licenced and the last was a C3 in my house for Readers in Training and two readers who needed to refresh their training so that the trainees would be ready for their placements. It seemed a good thing to do on the morning of my birthday:)

I maintain that everyone who comes to church should have basic safeguarding training – not so that we are suspiciously looking for misdemeanours and culprits. but so that we love each other enough to spot when someone is suffering and then do something about it. Readers have such an important role here in spreading the word and changing the culture.

Jim

Prayer List – news in the accompanying email.

the damp looking stones at the bottom… mossy, grassy, stained but so important….. a bit like safeguarding!

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 and the family’s Lesley, My Lesley or Lez (with a Z) and the other Lesley. You may be wondering where on earth I am going with this.

Well my Lesley (Lez) plans and runs a big arts festival every year and asked Rev Annie Henry to come and teach the “Crafty People” group how to sew prayer labyrinths. Well to cut a long story short, Lez was in her craft room (yes it’s a serious business) sewing her labyrinth which had taken a number of painstaking hours when she wandered across to my study and said words to the effect of “This might sound a bit strange but I have a real sense that I should give this to Lesley which decoration do you think she would like?”

John’s Lesley was delighted with it and Liz (who read the Revelations Reading at the service) subsequently borrowed it for various things. Now Lesley and Lez had never met but whenever I mentioned news about Lesley, (Johns) Lez would say ..”oh do you mean My Lesley?”

In many ways Lesley belonged to all of us here but we all probably knew her in different ways – different facets of her character and personality as we have heard in the wonderful eulogy from Kate earlier…. But I suspect if you asked quite a lot of people here what they remember of meeting her one of the things they would all say would be similar to the greeting she would give me….. “oh how’s Lez? Is she doing her exercises… tell her not to worry….. “

She would have wanted us to hear that reading today and to hear that everything was going to be fine, that all would be right in the end, that our tears would be wiped away and that she was OK….. Don’t worry she has no more pain, or death – and is with her beloved Jesus.

For those of us here without that faith she would also have wanted this address, and her life, her example, to open up a little chink of query in our hearts to seek to find out what it is all about. I am not giving answers here… after all it has taken me 60 years to get to this point and I still only scratched the surface myself.

I was so pleased that Liz and I were able to visit in the last couple of days of her earthy journey where she was aware of us as we talked to and prayed with her. At one point, Kate came in to say goodbye before going to pick up Lesley’s granddaughter, Ella from school ………. and the last words I heard Lesley say were “love you”

And that’s what it’s all about. Lesley followed Jesus command to love others like Jesus loved her and her example will live on not only in the family through genetics and influence but in all who met her and indeed in the new heaven and the new earth of revelation.

In the meantime, there may be many tears to be shed, both today and in coming weeks, along with all the other emotions that go along with grief – but hold onto that image of Lesley as the embodiment love….. tell the stories of her life but most importantly follow her example.

From that quote at the beginning, Lesley said, “. I am sure my love for people will also benefit…..” and we all have.

Heaven has a new angel – I can’t imagine her actually resting – but in any case she will certainly rise in glory. Amen

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 but I just felt that I had been in the right place at the right time and hopefully said the right things.

So I am glad that when God opened that door a fraction I stepped inside to give it a go and to learn new things. Even at 67 and three quarters you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Rest in peace Denzil.

The New Year was ushered in relatively quietly: the grandchildren were taken home by 10 pm after an evening of Mahjong and other board games and I nursed my cough through till midnight and the usual well wishing by text. There was a certain relief at being in bed within the first hour of 2020 and a certain smugness in reminding myself that I had never broken the resolution I made back in 1967 – that I would never again make a new year resolution. This year I kept it again.

If there is something one needs to resolve to do its not worth waiting till New Year- begin today….. if you fail then have another crack tomorrow but don’t wait a whole year.

I have posted a couple of eulogies from the Redruth Parish Magazine from 2010 remembering a couple of Readers, Arthur Skewes and John Brown both of whom had an impact in one way or another on my ministry. I wondered if we should have a section of the website for Readers Remembered and include contributions from around the diocese. Let me know what you think….. better still – send some articles.

Journey With Jesus Resource

Epiphany Sunday with granddaughter Ellie and the chess board.

“Farewell” to some good friends (2010)

In the last month we have lost two faithful former Readers in the Team, Arthur Skewes and John Brown. They were both in their very different ways well known and loved members of our town and churches. We include here very personal reflections on two characters who will be missed and long remembered.

Arthur Skewes RIP

I fist met Arthur when he was part of the Lay Readers team which included Frank Michell, Fred Martin, Bill Combellack and John Brown. He always had a smile, a pithy comment and a kind word. Arthur seemed to find joy in all situations and had the wonderful ability to see the funny side of people’s quirks and idiosyncrasies. In later years Arthur took over as organist at Pencoys and “emergency” organist for other churches in the benefice. He never said, “no” when I rang him in a panic on a Saturday night asking him if he could play the next morning. He would turn up as cheerful and good humoured as usual as if he had been given several weeks rather than several hours of notice.

I met Arthur again , more personally, this time when I visited him at home after he had a stroke. Although he was reasonably well (physically) the stroke affected his speech, which for someone who had always been good with words must have been very frustrating.

In spite of this Arthur was always warm, welcoming and friendly and took part fully in the home communion service. Eventually, however, the effort and energy that this took became too much for Arthur and we put these visits on hold. They were due to resume in the new year but before they could happen came the sad new of Arthur’s death from a second stroke.

It was a privilege to spend those few months with Arthur, to share communion and fellowship with him and to sit in his company for a while. I shall remember him for his quiet humour, his unassuming nature and his love of serving God in so many ways.

May he rest in peace.

Lez

John Brown RIP

At John’s funeral his great nephew Rowan read a “rap” composed for John. It was a moving, memorable, affectionate rich tribute to John and we can offer no more fitting tribute here than to print it in full.

Rowan makes his living from “rap” and music, he is known as Dizraeli.

UNCLE JOHN

Solid in solitude with his dreams and his memories

A resolute raft, ploughing the seas of the century

Chin set, he settled and barely admitted tenderness

for friends, Romans, and country walks with his weathered stick.

I remember John among the gorse of the Cornish cliffs,

Calling to his boys, with his voice free from ornament;

“Val! Asti!”

A smile broad as a house hides

In his cheeks, and only shows itself as an outline.

I remember John sat in the chair that he sat in,

Reading a hardback, as squared as his passion

As Greek ghosts gather at the back of his mind

And the wallpaper yellows with tobacco and time…

I sit with him. I like the way the quiet makes my head buzz

Silence my twelve-year-old self doesn’t get much.

It tingles my blood and it settles my bones;

Uncle John Time, slow as Old Testament stone.

Coal goes in the scuttle

Tobacco in the pipe

It isn’t any trouble if you stay for the night

But the forks live there.

Realign your chair when you stand!

And God help you if your manners aren’t right.

To me, at sixteen, he breathes fire, dust and history

He lives Redruth and Pompeii just as vividly.

Lord Governor of his interior economy

In a cold bath, with the Roman Empire for company

John keeps time on a chain in the pocket of his waistcoat;

It falls and it rises at his say-so

So innovation is as unnecessary as a wrist watch

… and here am I, trying to explain hiphop

It doesn’t matter: family is family.

John keeps photographs of us on his mantelpiece

And now, at twenty-seven, I’m proud to have been

a face among the many in that gallery

where Coal goes in the scuttle

Tobacco in the pipe

It isn’t any trouble if you stay for the night

But the forks live there.

Realign your chair when you stand!

And God help you if your manners aren’t right.

Coal in the scuttle

Tobacco in the pipe

It isn’t any trouble if you stay for the night

The forks live there.

Realign your chair when you stand!

And God bless you.

John Brown was a Reader and retired History & Classics Teacher who was quite an influence on me as a young readers…

A Franciscan Blessing ~ May God Bless You With Discomfort, Anger, Tears, and Foolishness

May God bless you with a restless discomfort
about easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,
so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.
May God bless you with holy anger
at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people.
May God bless you 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 you may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you really can make a difference in this world,
so that you are able, with God’s grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

Here is a slightly different version of the blessing . . .

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts.
May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, hunger, and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done, to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

‘The Reader Training Dept is holding a Study Day for Y3 students and any Readers who would like to join them on Saturday 8th February at The Old Cathedral School from 10.00 am to 3.30 pm.

The subject is ‘The Dominical Sacraments – Baptism and Eucharist’ and will be led by Rev’d Joachim Foot.

If you would like to attend please contact Jane Kneebone on janekneebone@gmail.com to book your place or to find out more .

Numbers are limited to 20, so book early to avoid disappointment.’

My grateful thanks to Joy Gunter who has collated the prayer list for a number of years. She has passed the baton on to me to put on the blog.

I do have a few concerns about the publishing of names on the blog because of privacy so there will be no details.

If you think someone should be on the list, let me know. Likewise if there are updates on folks on the list please do tell me! If you need to have updates please contact me by email or telephone because no details will be posted on the site. The majority of those on the list are Readers or Clergy or have a particular connection.

Please pray for:

Ali,

Anna.

Becca,

Deb,

Garth

Gordon and Jean,

Graham

Gwen,

Jane & Frank,

Joan,

Lesley,

Margaret,

Margaret

Miriam,

Molly & Steve,

Penny,

Roy & Chris,

Sandie,

Shirley & Terry,

Stephanie,

Sue,

Roy,

Robin,

Those facing Christmas alone or in an abusive or dysfunctional relationship.

Dear Readers with a capital R (and other interested parties)

Perhaps I should be writing “Dear Transforming Missionaries” rather than “Dear Readers” as the Central Readers Council is changing the name of the “Reader” magazine to “Transforming Mission.” It seems indicative of the current trend in the church to speak of Lay Ministry as being pastoral ministers, home communion officiants, Worship Leaders and so on but not really including Readers. We seem to be, at least in the Truro diocese, somewhere in the limbo-land between the enthusiastic but ultimately briefly trained and the ordained ministries. It is no wonder that a number of Readers (Licensed Lay Ministers) (transforming Missionaries!) feel somewhat disgruntled about putting aside two or three years for theological training and then watching others with less than 18 hours training in total give ‘talks’ in the sermon slot.

I have to qualify that by saying that it is what I have been told by Readers on my travels rather than my personal experience which is rather different. In Redruth as a Reader I enjoy going to the weekly ministry team meetings (Readers and Ordained Clergy) for our Bible study and business. We do have worship leaders who are encouraged and guided the Ministry Team but they don’t preach but then the worship leader who felt called to preach is currently undergoing Reader Training. I actually feel quite strongly that as Readers, we have a responsibility to foster the vocations of others at all levels and that enabling someone else to share the Good News might be more important that our individual need to stand in the pulpit.

Elsewhere, outside the diocese of Truro, Readers (or whatever one likes to call them) are undergoing different paths and different levels of participation but it does not seem I danger of dying out in the near future. After all, there is personal benefit to being trained as well as to equip us for ministry. Ultimately we go to lectures, attend residentials, write essays and sample sermons because we want to and get something from it. God nags at us and we respond….. but should we expect pats on the back or sympathy or should we just be grateful that we have been given a job to do, that a door has been opened before us and we should joyfully go through it….. until we meet a closed door.

I had my favourite ever compliment following my half hour sermon/talk to Camborne Wesley Ladies Fellowship last week. An elderly lady approached and said how much she had enjoyed it, that it was fascinating and interesting and that she had loved every minute. Then she apologised for falling asleep in the middle and having to be nudged awake by her daughter- it was the tablets. I had to laugh.

So, back to open and closed doors. Many of the problems faced by those in ministry, both lay and ordained seem to stem from lack of appropriate communication which in part is why I bang on about work agreements, a document that gives a great basis for discussion. A work agreement should not be drawn up in isolation and rubber stamped…. It should be discussed. Here are some sample starting points….

Are you doing too much or too little?
What are the needs of the Parish / benefice and how do you fit?
Where does the incumbent need help most?
Are there things you don’t like doing?
Are there things you love doing but don’t get a chance?
How many committees are you prepared to attend?
How many committees do you actually need to attend.
Ideally how many services could you manage?
Is there any training you need?
What would help you carry out your ministry better?
Would it be helpful to work ecumenically? (e.g. help on the Methodist Plan)

There are several varieties of work agreements on the website because one size does not fit all. Pick the one closest to your situation or your style and use it as a base changing, deleting or adding to as necessary but in conversation!

Health warning: I have come across incumbents so stressed that they can no longer delegate because they don’t have the energy to let alone host a meeting about work agreements – as Readers it is important that we choose our time and be sensitive if we are to Transform our Mission into something more useful / suitable.

Dear All!

Next Monday, the 11th Of November is Chaplain’s Coffee and conversation at the Penventon hotel in Redruth between 10am and noon. Last month there were about seven of us sharing all sorts of topics from choosing hymns and the use of music in worship to the rights and wrongs (or rites maybe) of the extremes of religious practice! I am sure the world was a better place as a result. Do join us if you have time….. and a sense of humour 🙂

Please do book for the Quiet Day on the 7th December- we need spiritual food too! Details on the post below this one!

Chris Kingshott’s Christian novel, “The Cardman” is available in its entirety under the prayer and reflection Tab at the top of the web page. (I will add a downloadable PDF file at some point when I have time!)

The suggestion that we keep additional details of the work we do as Readers has prompted a number of conversations with questions raised such as, “why are we doing it?” and “What is going to be done with the information” alongside some expressed reservations about what some questions actually mean. A good example of that is, “What is the difference between assisting at a communion service and being a deacon?” The survey is always interesting and does help to inform the thinking of the Readers Committee and the Diocese but discussion of what should be asked and how it should be asked is worthy of debate. Please do send me your opinions and I will try to reflect the range in a future blog.

Blessings and best wishes

Jim

Prayers – keep in mind: Ali, Miriam, Lesley, Lesley, Joan, Molly & Steve, Sue, Penny, Stephanie, Anna. Gwen, Sandie, Roy & Chris, Gordon and Jean, Jane & Frank, Shirley & Terry, Roy, Roy, Robin, Deb, Becca, Margaret, Margaret and those Readers licensed in October.