A new start on Midsummer Day

I woke up early this morning and for the second day running found myself able to work on the book I am trying to write. Once I'd completed additions to a chapter that I woke up thinking about, I switched to digitising a roll of black and white negatives belonging to my sister June, taken in the 1960s. Some of the photos were taken from her office in the City of London at the time the Barbican centre was being built. Others were taken on holiday in Florence. I was pleased with the result and uploaded them to her Picasa web album site, and later received a delighted email full of reminiscences.

After lunch, it was time to put on a suit and tie and spend a late afternoon hour in the office before making my way with Ashley to St John's City Parish Church for the induction and welcome celebration of Liz Griffiths my successor as Vicar. Nearly 250 people were present including several dozen clergy, with Archbishop Barry, plus the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon and the Bishop designate of Salisbury, currently at St Martin in the Fields. Both of the latter were former incumbents under whom Liz worked. Everyone was so delighted the deputy Mayor made a brief speech of welcome on behalf of the City that she received a round of applause. This kind of positive bonding with the City 'fathers' prepares the ground for a ministry that will engage her with Local Authority members and officers from the outset. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to make the case for this in the last three years of my ministry, and now to see it have good support from church leaders.

Ashley, Clare and I sat right at the back of the nave together. It was not an occasion for me to dress up and parade with clerical colleagues. But it was a time of happy re-union with members of the congregation that I haven't seen for many months. It's like being part of an extended family. I so hope that Liz soon experiences their warmth and openness towards her ministry. It was also an occasion to feel a sense of completion of closure. It was right to retire when I did, right for the church, right for me. But I felt less right about leaving when there was no early appointment, and when I was given to understand how difficult it was finding suitable candidates to interview. Nevertheless, when the time was fulfilled, the right person appeared. 

It was so good to see how pleased Archbishop Barry was to announce the appointment of the first woman incumbent in the eight hundred year history of St John's. Yes, but not any woman priest, rather one with strong experience behind her of the kind of ministry she is about to start exercising in a full leadership role at St John's.

Inspector Tony Bishop attended the service in full dress uniform, representing the Police. His retirement begins on Friday. I'm sure he won't miss the unsocial hours, but I wonder how he will feel about no longer being in the public eye? I know I don't much miss it. But I do miss that sense of being part of a community that prays and cares for each other. Wherever I go on duty, I'm welcomed, but I'm a visitor, just passing through. I have to learn how to belong all over again, now I'm not appointed to belong anywhere in particular.