New lease of life

Rosemary Alldis, former College tutor, but still a Chaplain, when she's not teaching courses to clergy out in Indonesia, addressed us at Morning Prayer today, enthusing about the work she's been involved in, and will be returning to next week, stimulating a more creative approach to reading and preaching from scripture. It's a programme devised by the late John Stott, himself a great biblical preacher, and it's now become popular in churches all over the world. Like me, Rosemary is a retired priest, and she's full of energy and delight in doing what she's asked to do. What's the secret? Freedom, pure and simple, being able to respond to a need, to a request without feeling that one has an obligation to try and do everything. 

The delivery of a License to a priest to serve in a Parish or special area of ministry is a solemn commission that defines the scope and limitations of your work. Even though this is expressed in broad terms, it imparts a sense of duty and responsibility. It's wonderful to feel entrusted with the mission, but it can feel burdensome when duty means having to do things you think beyond your ability or capacity. By the time you reach retirement age, you have some idea of what you do best and what you'll be relieved to let go of. And you can choose how much or little you do. Thanks to improved health and fitness, it's meant a new lease of life for me - and evidently for Rosemary too.

We had a long first tutor group meeting of the term after breakfast, which I chaired. There was a lot to get through and we finished just as lunch was due to start. I hope there won't be so much to work on next time we meet in a fortnight. I worked in my office all afternoon until it was time for tutor group meeting. 'Becca and Rachel had been on hospital placements, and both written excellent reflections on this, so we discussed this experience, and while we talked, we worked together stuffing chocolate cream eggs into little knitted chicks and bagging them with gift stickers - part of a fund raising effort for Velindre hospital, which 'Becca brought with her back from placement.

The, home for a quick supper and walk to Chi Gung class in the rain. I didn't want to take the car and risk losing my car parking space in the street. It's become harder to park in the vicinity recently. A few more new cars, larger cars often badly parked, reduce the number of spaces available, so this discourages frequent casual car use. Not a bad thing really.