a raid on the inarticulate

More change ahead....

Well, we have had the discussion about my working agreement, although the training plan and the ridiculous year grid on which we are supposed to fill in all meetings, sermons and training arrangements until September 2008 are still to do.  And one major hurdle, which could have meant that my commitment to Christ Church would be severely limited by the need to get a paid job, has been removed by the diocese finally agreeing that I can live in the curate's house .  So I shall be able to let my flat, cover my mortgage and concentrate on the parish with the day or so a week for the Parole Board.

It's very odd to think that when I began training for ordained ministry almost exactly 3 years ago (we started in April after selection in March) I was a full-time senior manager with a functioning marriage and two children living at home.  I can't quite think now how I thought I was going to combine all that with ordained ministry and presumably God didn't think I could either, although the amount of change over the three years has been very drastic indeed -- and of course it isn't over yet with another house move in prospect (the third in less than two years) and the major one of ordination in September.  But despite all the upheaval and grief I feel very lucky and grateful that I will be able to do work I so want to do in the place I believe I'm called to be, at least for the next few years.

It's surprisingly difficult to get used to being able to look forward to something with almost no reservations (yes: I know it won't all be a bed of roses....).  Although I would have said I used to enjoy my work, the ease with which I was able to let it go two years ago, and subsequently let go of other similar roles, makes me wonder how much of me was braced for how much of the time against things I didn't even know I didn't want to do.  If that makes sense!  There hasn't been a day when I haven't been glad not to be in the Home Office (which has been impossibly under the cosh since I left it -- definitely no connection though) or the Court Service.  Of course I learnt a lot about leadership and management -- and the Criminal Justice System -- but now I have the chance to put all that to use in working for Christ Church and its people, which for the moment is all I want to do.  Feeling lucky and grateful hardly begins to describe it! 

Judge not......

This would be an excellent sermon illustration if only it didn't deal with the defecatory habits of cats, which means that the only thing to do is to blog it.

For the last week I have been at my wits' end as Joseph has been putting the bathroom to what is arguably its proper use for humans but not for cats.  Since he is a dictatorial and demanding animal I had assumed that he was protesting at the amount of time I'm out and so not able to give him the attention he believes he deserves.  Having disinfected the bathroom daily I was getting very fed up with his dirty protest and he, in turn, was getting fed up with being grabbed, shown the evidence and shouted at.

Things were taking their usual course last night when I suddenly had a moment of vision, a flashback to last Wednesday when I entertained a friend tolunch, together with her three-year-old son who was intrigued by the cat flap and amused himself by locking and unlocking it repeatedly.  As I headed for the bathroom with Joseph, who was howling as only an indignant Siamese can, I suddenly seemed to hear J. saying, in a tone of great satisfaction: "Now the cat can't go outside".  So I dropped Joseph (more indignation), rushed upstairs (I have an upside-down flat) and, sure enough, the cat flap in the back door was locked.  Of course, I was mortified and full of guilt as having misjudged Joseph, who had in fact been doing his best in very difficult circumstances - although I did wonder why he couldn't have done as any sensible moggy would have and simply banged his head against the locked catflap a couple of times rather than glowering from the back of the sofa in a sinister and embittered Oriental sort of way which was what made me think he was protesting about my behaviour rather than about J's little joke.

Anyway all is now well and Joseph and I have forgiven each other -- in fact all through last night he woke me up at intervals nuzzling my hand and asking to be stroked in a very endearing fashion.  Which just goes to show that it is important to examine all the possibilities before deciding who is to blame when something goes wrong!  Although I do wish he wouldn't walk on the key board when i'm trying to blog.....

Word in Gipsy Hill

   This is one of the photos from the Op/en exhibition currently in church.  We are trying to incorporate an "alternative" element into the main 10.30 service during a sermon series on aspects of the Communion liturgy - last week the focus was on the Ministry of the Word and a small group (not including me) produced the photographs you can see here.

Definitely worth a close look.... but for the one of the shop to have its full impact  you need to know that it is really called West 9.

Acknowledgements to Matthew and Bettina, and Jane who had the original concept.

Onwards and upwards...

Another assignment ticked off last night, and for once completed on time, but I'm still not counting how many there are left to do before the course finishes in July. What comes after that -- ordination on 30 September, Bishop of Southwark permitting -- is beginning to seem alarmingly real, especially as I have a meeting with the vicar tomorrow to discuss my working agreement for next year.

The diocese has issued us both with a helpful 94 page book which of course makes the very reasonable assumption that curate and incumbent don't know each other and that the curate is new to the church and the area.  I've been here twice as long as him so at least we needn't worry about the couple of pages dealing with local customs such as where the church keys are kept (one set at least lives on my key ring), who is on the PCC and what the child protection policy says (because I wrote it!).  But what we do need to do is to develop a different kind of relationship to add to the ones we have (and have had) so far: as well as new incumbent and PCC secretary, informal spiritual director and potential ordinand, mentor during training, colleague, boss and friend we now need be training incumbent and honorary assistant curate.  The whole of tomorrow afternoon is booked out to begin work on this.....

And I still haven't started work on Sunday's sermon or, indeed, the reflection on my hospice placement.....

Never mind the primates, this is real church

Overheard in the church office:

Q:  "Where are the palm crosses?"

A   "In the vestry, on top of the Father Christmas outfit"

Of course.  What else would you expect?