Waiting for a new start

Once again I celebrated the Solemn Mass at St German' this morning and Benediction this evening. Their new lay Reader Mike preached at Mass. It was a welcome change to listen to someone else. The sun shone, sending beams of light through clouds of incense, to add to the pleasure. 

I was glad to learn that work has now started on renovating the Vicarage for its next occupant, two months after it was vacated. Sensibly, to my mind, Fr Dean is resisting being licensed to the Parish until he has a place in which he can both live and work. Settling into a new community would be very stressful if the house was a building site with workmen  coming and going while he's trying to work. 

Let's hope there are not too many delays. At this stage, unless there's a miracle, I doubt if they'll be finished in time for his new ministry to be launched before the end of the year. Mindful of that yesterday, I emailed Area Dean Fr Mark a list of my remaining locum duty availability for the last quarter of the year. I don't envy him the task of providing all the necessary duty cover.

I admire the cheerful patience of church members, getting on with their regular duties, welcoming various guest clerics, also parishioners seeking pastoral offices. It's business as usual until they can work with their new pastor to figure out what fresh initiatives they want to take together. I get an insight from here into what it must have been like for the locum clerics who did duty at St John's during the fifteen months after my retirement. A pity it always seems to take so long.