I had a very early start this morning, due to an urgent request to fill in for another retired colleague who couldn't do the 8.00am Mass at the Church of the Resurrection. Since I was travelling west to St Marychurch for my first booking of the day, I had to pass that way, so it was only a question of setting the alarm and hoping for the best. As well as two St Mike's students in attendance, there were fourteen in the congregation. That's a good early turn out for an urban Parish these days. At St Marychurch there were the usual eleven and at St Hilary twenty one. Then, there were eleven of us for Evensong and Benediction at St German's.
I got my sermon done quite early this week. Then three of the five students preaching this weekend sent me sermon drafts on the same texts to discuss with them before preaching - others would be hearing them in situ. That was an interesting experience, and it helped me realise what diverse gifts and backgrounds contribute to shaping someone as a 'poet of the Word' to rob a phrase I first heard from Bishop Freddy Temple, back in the eighties, making a pun on the Greek 'poeitai lógou', (doers of the Word) from James 1:22. Even if the vast majority of people are disinclined to listen to anyone preaching nowadays, it's still to my mind, a creative art, to speak freely and offer wise insightful, but also beautiful and inspirational commentary on the mysteries of the Gospel. I'm glad that I'm still able to preach regularly, and receive by giving.
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