I woke early and dozed off again, but for longer than usual, so it was half past eight when I got up, and had to rush breakfast and leave for St Peter's Fairwater for the nine thirty Eucharist. It meant that I didn't have enough time to say Morning Prayer before starting the day. It was overcast and drizzling when I left and stayed like that until mid-afternoon. With the children there was a congregation of about forty. One of the youngsters assisted me as an altar server. He's still new to the job so it was more a case of me helping him rather than him helping me! Not that I mind, it's lovely that without their own regular pastor, people in the congregation are encouraging involvement in the service by children.
I didn't have time to socialise as I had to get to St Luke's and preach again while Fr Rhys presided at Mass. The traffic was awful and I made it to the church with just five minutes to spare. There was a meeting of the congregation afterwards to discuss which key points of action could be agreed upon to report next week at a meeting with Archdeacon Rod Green about the future of the church. There's a proposition on the table from a church planting group of evangelicals to share the church to develop ministry to young adults with families in the area.
There's a measure of uncertainty and reserve about embracing this prospect, even if it could be to the financial benefit of the Parish congregation. St Luke's has an inclusive liberal Anglo-Catholic tradition, and the concern from some is that its 'offer' could be compromised by sharing with a more conservative set of values. It's good that some are thinking about this seriously. St Luke's was once a showcase for liberal Catholic culture and values, and at one time knew about how to evangelize. But, it has lost its way when it comes to propagating the ideals of what it stands for. An ageing congregation has run out of energy and not yet figured out how to continue to attract a new generation of seekers. Without its own priestly leadership, people are reluctant to commit themselves for as long as they have the energy to do anything at all. Lay leadership and initiative is capable of great things but changing the existing culture is painfully difficult.
I got home for lunch just before my usual time, but Clare had just started eating lunch as she thought I'd be back much later than usual. I'd mentioned that next weekend after Mass at St German's there's a Coronation cake and a glass of bubbly to be shared to toast the health of King Charles III, and she got the timing wrong, but never mind, we did get to eat together, just.
After lunch, while she was having a siesta, I recorded and edited this week's Thursday Morning Prayer. It had stopped raining by then, so I went for a walk in the park for a couple of hours. Then I returned, I settled down to watch the last four episodes of 'Non me lasciare' which, with a break for supper, took the rest of the evening. I found the whole production quite impressive, with an unexpectedly redemptive end to it, above and beyond the arresting of the baddies and breaking of the paedophile ring. The last of the rescued kidnap victims with no family of his own finds a welcome into the home of the lead investigator who lost her teenage son in a freak accident. I like the way it's presented in an understated way.
I also liked the emphasis on trust in lasting friendship, and innovative teamwork between a group of experts who aren't for once, prima donnas in their field, bonded together by a strong sense of purpose. The lead investigators knew what they needed to know and could express this clearly enough for others to pursue from their expert angles what was needed for progress in the case. Everyone respected for what they could contribute.
It's not competition for success, but co-operation for a common goal that matters to all that makes the future possible for us, so it's good to see this modelled in a story that has to find out many things before it can begin to solve the difficult challenge it faces. I don't think we're quite there yet with the St Luke's congregation in terms of teamwork. Confidence in each other's gifts and abilities still needs to be developed.
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