Overdue recognition

I woke up to rain and it continued until late afternoon. As usual another Monday morning was taken up with housework, preparing next Sunday's readings, mailing them out, and inserting them into the new edition of Sway for next weekend. 

Sister June called me to say she's still made no progress on getting her landline reinstated, then later on, she sent a message to say that two OpenReach vans were parked in front of her building. Another resident told her the engineers were installing a landline, so it was possible to alert them to her faulty connection, and get it fixed. Sheer serendipity! And a great relief for me as well as her. She relies on her landline for domestic emergencies, but just as important to her, for calling long standing friends her own age.

I also had a conversation with Rufus, who has just completed his six weeks of training and induction in his new role as South Wales Ports Chaplain for Missions to Seafarers. He was down in the Port Talbot centre for seafarers, which like other facilities has suffered the loss of its volunteer teams due to the pandemic. There's a lot of work to be done getting places fully serviceable and adapted to fast changing conditions, recruiting and rebuilding welcome teams and ship  visitors. It's a job that makes the most of his practical as well as pastoral skills. He's in his element. 

A few days ago I had an invitation from Philip, one of Rufus's fellow students when they were ordinands in training at St Mike's. I was lucky enough to have these two mature professional men in my tutor group, both giving up successful careers to follow their calling to full time ministry, each very different, each bringing with them understanding and experience of the working world to apply in pastoral life each facing challenges and setbacks on the way. Philip is being licensed as Ministry Area Leader for the group of seven churches he's worked in as team Vicar for several years. So good that his true worth is finally being recognised by the diocese. But why did it take so long? Before ordination he worked for Daf trucks as an engineer overseeing apprentice training. He's a real asset as a priest who's a home in a tough working class area, as well as among the better off elite.

Clare went out in the rain to collect her prescription medication while I was on the phone. I made lunch for us to be in good time to drive for our hair dressing appointments with Chris at two, but she didn't get back until nearly one thirty and had to eat lunch in haste before we could set out for Rumney in driving rain and heavy traffic. We got there ten minutes late, and it was getting dark when we left for the drive home in rush hour traffic. We stopped at the big Tesco Extra for petrol, and went to the nearby Aldi for food and wine on our way. As soon as we got back, I went out again and walked for nearly two hours in the dark. grateful that it had finally stopped raining.

After supper there was more work to do on Sway and letters to write. I didn't have time for telly, and went to bed a bit earlier instead.