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Hello all,
What a year it’s been! I wrote this just over a week ago, but events overtook us, so it’s coming out late. Before getting to everything I wrote last week, when the news reached us of Her Majesty’s death, I wanted to add this.
On Sunday morning as we came together with so many agendas – to mourn the Queen or our own losses, to gather at the start of term, to meet for the first time in our new settled patter of worship, there was such a sense of community in the church, and of God’s presence moving in different ways.
Whatever we’re doing together, it’s working – or rather, God is working through it, through us. Be encouraged.
Well, today marks one year since I became Vicar of Calverley, 49th in line on that imposing Oak Board. I thought I would share a few thoughts on the last 12 months. If this were a marriage, the traditional gift is paper, so perhaps it’s appropriate that this letter is a little long!
First and above all, let me say how very thankful I am to be here.
Last night I was at the licensing and installation of a friend as a new vicar at her church, and I was struck again by that moment in the service when in turn she and then the wardens were asked by the bishop if they felt God was calling her to that place at that time. I look back to that same moment here a year ago , and I still feel it to be profoundly true – this is the right place for me and the rest of the family, the right fit. There is never anywhere better to be than where the Lord is calling you. I am still excited by the journeys ahead of us, still delighted to be among this vibrant, welcoming, optimistic, practical, joyful community, and still humbled by the support of so many as we seek together to Love God, Love Calverley, and Grow Together.
It amazes me how much we have done this year, especially as we were still emerging from COVID restrictions as I started. Some notable highlights for me have included:
- Our church vision day, from which our new logo and strapline emerged, an ethos which shapes all we do.
- Big Festivals! Christmas and the joyful whirl of many services; Easter with its dawn service, rolling bacon sandwiches from the fire pit, prosecco and cake, and a sense of community as we all came together.
- Living in Love and Faith – it was a privilege to wrestle with so many of you on the issues of sexuality, relationships, and gender, and to start thinking through what it is to be a welcoming church at the heart of the community. Our first engagement with Leeds Pride weekend was very special.
- Our breadth of musical worship – the fabulous, restored organ (and our fabulous organist!), drums, fiddle, saxophone, guitar, clarinet, YouTube, making it up together when the tech goes wrong, ancient hymns and modern dance moves – we make so many different joyful noises to the Lord here!
- We’ve had beautiful weddings and moving funerals, and baptisms galore – community celebrations and commemorations that have been offered here for nearly 900 years.
- Our schools – regularly leading worship at Calverley C of E, seeing Open the Book restart, and having more services together in church, as well as working with both C of E and Parkside on What’s the Story and Heritage Days (every church needs a Brenda!).
- Our PCC! I don’t know how many vicars look forward to PCC meetings, but I know it’s not all of them; working with this group of people who are committed to the spiritual health of our church and our mission in Calverley is always a pleasure, and one I don’t take for granted.
- Our Children’s work on a Sunday morning – Rachel and the team do such a good job; our kids are truly well-served there and it’s been a pleasure to join them from time to time.
- Experimenting with our worship times and styles. It may seem like little has changed in going back to 9:15 and 11, but the period where we tried afternoon worship and different styles of seating was encouraging in so many ways. It’s a hallmark of growing churches that they are not afraid to try things, and many of the things we learned will inform our worship in the next season. I have always felt called to foster a variety of worship, and to keep us all just slightly on our toes. It’s said that church should be a place where everyone is safe and no one feels comfortable, a place where we can discover God in new places and situations.
- Ask Me Anything – one of my favourite Sundays in the term. Eugene Peterson, writer of The Message translation of the Bible, said ‘Believers argue with God, sceptics argue with each other.’ Church, a community of believers, is perhaps then a place where believers argue with God together. I love that we have started wrestling together, voicing our doubts, cherishing curiosity, preferring questions to answers and holding each other up as we do so; expect more of this!
I could go on, and forgive me for not mentioning too many other projects, events, and people. We are richly blessed by each other.
I have learned a lot too: some things take longer than expected while others come together so easily; apparently I can’t do it all and God gave me as many hours in my week as everyone else! One can get used to the church bells; cricket can be a delight even before it is understood; having no shower or kitchen in a house gives wonderful opportunities to be welcomed and hosted, and there are few better ways to feel at home in a community.
I have seen the incredible generosity of the time and commitment of local people – we are lucky to have vergers who understand the rules about graveyards, burials, and weddings. Coffeeshop thrives on a raft of volunteers from both within and he church community and beyond.
So many people lead and preach both in the building and online I struggle to fit them in sometimes, thank you all! What it a gift it is to us to have a breadth of perspectives at the front, and I look forward to hearing from more as we continue to hear The Gospel According to each of us.
Wardens and readers are worth their weight in gold, likewise retired priests, and our staff – Sandra and Dan, John, Sally, and Toby, you are all real blessing to us.
I’m sure you’re also wondering what’s next? Me too!
I was reading about Peter, James, and John leaving their boats to follow Jesus this morning, I bet they asked him the same thing. If Jesus answered them, we’re not told what he said; it seems we’re called to follow without necessarily knowing where we’re going! That said, we do know a little more about where we might be headed than a year ago. We are called to Love God, Love Calverley, and Grow Together, a picture of our mission which grew out of the whole church Vision Day and since adopted by PCC. This will help shape our response to the current financial crisis, as we ask what Loving Calverley might mean and how we can help.
We will soon be appointing someone to help run our buildings and events, helping us connect to the wider community as well as generate income for the church such as with our upcoming Beer Festival.
We have our first START! course since I arrived coming up in October, a chance for people to gather with their questions, to explore faith and life, and (for some) to prepare for confirmation.
We face a few challenges in the next year:
Our children’s work is excellent, but we know we feel called to do more for and with our youth. Sandra and Dan are stepping down in May, so the search is on for the next wardens. Our finances are not where we would like them to be. As we face all these issues, I am comforted to know that between the many gifted people who serve at church we have a range of strategies and ideas, but more than that; we are called to live in faith. I firmly believe that God has already equipped us with everything we need to be and do what he calls us to.
Beyond those challenges, my priorities for the next year are still guided by two principles: Joy and Vocation, and I believe a focus on deepening discipleship will be at the heart of this next season.
I pray that St. Wilfrid’s becomes increasingly place known for joy, where people find they have already been found by God, and once found, discover who God is calling us to be, both individually and collectively.
I wonder, what is God calling you to next?
How can we help you discover and shape it?
I’ll leave it there for now, other than to finish on this note: you know I believe that gratitude matters. ‘Let us rejoice,’ we say at the start of the service. As I sit in my study and take note of what I am thankful for each day, it is consistently the people of this Parish.
Thank you for everything.
God Bless,
Rob
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