Chaplain’s Blog – Stardate 14-01-2023

Greetings Reader / LLM colleagues and esteemed others!

Having has a chest infection right across the Christmas period I am only just beginning to get some energy and motivation to do something more other than be dragged out for a daily dog walk by Barney the energetic collie!

Thankfully antibiotics came to the rescue at the right time, but the festive season seemed to pass in something of a blur with the tastiest treat being max strength Lemsip! I am quite certain that I won’t have been the only minister in the diocese to have to miss out. On that note….

The Prayer List! 

Reader, Joy Gunter, and others have a vocation to pray of others who are suffering and would really appreciate a focussed up to date list. If you would someone put on the list or if you would like to be on the list yourself please let me know.  I will only send the list to those Readers who request it for their own prayers.

Those we have lost and making the most of each day.

 In the past year we have lost a number of friends through various illnesses, some well before they should have died. Some have been members of one of our churches and others have been friends from elsewhere but each one has underlined how important it is to make the most of each day. One of those who died recently and whose funeral I will attend remotely was in the first Sunday School class I taught at St Euny Church way back in late 1978- which in many ways marks the beginning of my path to ministry.  Simon died in his late 50s as the much loved and respected headteacher of an International School in Pakistan.

When Lez and I first met Simon, I had just taken a job teaching nine year olds at Stithians School and was reeling somewhat at the contrast with teaching in North London where fast, sharp wit was the order of the day.

My first class in Stithians stared at me with some bemusement. Simon and that Sunday school group provided some respite from the puzzled faces of that first village class.  He was a Truro school student who came as a pair with his friend Mike. At the age of 12 he wore a cravat and held some quite right-wing opinions setting himself as a fair target for my teasing. Like many young teenagers he had a tricky time negotiating life with his parents and so he spent increasing amounts of time at our house where he enjoyed the discussions and demolition of some of his wilder opinions.

Simon and Mike once decided they would amuse themselves on the tricycle bought for our children who were quite young. Simon pedalled, knees sticking out at an odd angle, while Mike stood on the back. Much jollity was had until Simon forgot to steer and they ended up in the flower bed – the front forks bent beyond repair!  

When the curate moved up to Pencoys Church in Four Lanes we followed and the lads followed us, piling into the back of our Yellow and black Austin A40. Simon would be handed a stick and instructions that if the car started to falter on its way up the hill that he had to hit the fuel pump which was conveniently situated behind the back seat. Following the thump with the stick it would burst into life with a wild ticking and the car would recover.

Simon and Mike made quite an impact on our children as they grew up and influenced musical tastes.  Both took part in the worship workshop we ran at Pencoys and Simon as he got older would even come and perform his music at school discos and parties where the quaffed blonde hair behind the multiple keyboards would be watched by the adoring ten year olds! I was sent the photographs of the tributes written by his students in Pakistan and it was certainly evident that his youthful charisma had blossomed as he had matured.  He will be much missed.

Rest in peace Simon, and rise in glory.

Transforming ministry Magazine

I have just received an email invoice for my subscription for next year at £17.50.  It seems quite a lot for a singe digital subscription so I am in two minds whether to bother this year especially as my reading of it is sporadic to say the least….. I always intend to read it thoroughly but more often than not it gets glanced at and then adorns various places on my desk until it is recycled.  I certainly could not justify the diocese paying for it for me.  Perhaps I will just procrastinate…

The Retreat Association

I have been sent the “Retreats 2023” booklet. If anyone would like it just ask and I will pop it in the post to the first request I receive!