Tealby

 I don't often go to Tealby.  Or rather I don't often go to Tealby Church.  The King's Head at Tealby is one of my favourite eateries.  

The King's Head

On Sunday I lead a Holy Communion service there for the first time since January 2020.  It was great fun, especially as we were visited by a scatty cocker spaniel which ran several laps around the church before deciding to settle down in a pew and have a snooze.  The congregation was greatly amused, as was I.  (It had come to check on its humans.)

Tealby Church is rather nice.  It's got associations with the Tennyson family whose vault is under the chancel.  

And the congregation is rather nice too.  As well as welcoming a cocker spaniel they welcomed this stray vicar too and fed her coffee and chocolate bikkies.  I don't know what the spaniel got but I suspect she was happy too.

From Bach to Whitacre

 via Mendelssohn, Faure, Saint-Saens and Rogers and Hammerstein!

 

The audience waits

The C of E has some wonderful buildings but they are seriously underused.  Many have just one service a month - and some even less.  The buildings are much loved by their communities and especially by their congregations, but keeping them open, in use and in good repair, is a challenge, to say the least.

Pi

Pimms await

St Peter's Church serves a population of about fifty at Normanby but they get about twenty to twenty five people at their monthly Communion service.  Some of those worship only at Normanby but most travel to whichever village has a service that day.

soloists

So, yesterday, Claxby Community Choir gave a concert at Normanby.  Claxby is less than a mile away.  The two villages share a village hall but each has its own church.  

The concert was wonderful.  It was just over an hour and we heard music ranging from Bach's composition of 1732 to one of Eric Whitacre's compositions for his virtual choir during the pandemic.  We had four soloists, including a cellist and incredible verve from the conductor and her husband who was also the accompanist.  I was seated in a not-very-convenient part of church so my pictures aren't great - sorry about that.  

And it was followed by Pimm's and strawberries.  Pretty good Sunday afternoon!

Sad but lovely day

Yesterday I went to Thoresway church to say goodbye to Claire.  

Claire has been in Market Rasen for eight years, first as curate and then as their vicar and has been much loved by all the Market Rasen Group of four parishes.  When the Priest in Charge of the Walesby Group left three years ago he was not replaced so Claire took on a further ten parishes.  She has been the only paid cleric for fourteen parishes for these last two and a half years.  There are a lot of trained ministers (including me) helping her, fortunately!

She said goodbye at Market Rasen last week and The Walesby Group yesterday.  (Last week we clergy took her out for lunch which all of us enjoyed!)  It was an emotional service as she has been very well loved and will be sadly missed but she is going to another parish in this Diocese and will doubtless be much loved there too.

The end of the service was especially emotional and she gave us all God's blessing.  What she didn't know was that E, a non-stipendiary priest in that group and M (that's me!) had planned on sending her off with God's blessing so there were tears as she knelt and we laid our hands on her head.

May her new parishe be as richly blessed through ministry as we have.  

Plan B in operation

 Plan B is in operation today because the Plan A priest is away on holiday.  Plan A is also a volunteer rather than a stipendiary minister.  (She's a retired highways engineer who is also ordained.)

Anyway, today I am going to Claxby.  About 160 people live in Claxby and about 20 will be in church today but some will be  from neighbouring villages.  There are eight churches in the group so each gets a monthly service.

You might think that vicars are a bit thin on the ground but organists are the proverbial hen's teeth around here.  I take recorded music to the churches where hymns are sung.

Claxby Church takes very good care of me.   Many churches are very happy to help people with disabilities but can overdo it.  I think it is part of my ministry to show that people with disabilities also have abilities and want to offer service. 

Parking is a bit tricky near the church so I park at someone's house and she will feed me coffee and home made cake after the service.  

Claxby Church likes to use the old Book of Common Prayer so we will praise God in words which have been in use since 1662 in a building which has been there since at least 1300.  

And today I will be there to help people to praise God and hear his word.  

What to wear?

Today's quick answer to that question is "as little as possible"!  However, I was taking a service and trotting into church near starkers wasn't an option!

So I took all my usual gear with me but when I got there I asked the churchwardens if they would mind if I just topped off my ordinary clothes with my stole.  Bless their hearts, they thought that was a great idea.  

Alb and girdle

The "usual gear" in this case would also have included an alb and a girdle.  The white robe shown here is an alb.  It is a symbol of baptism, of being cleansed and dedicated to Christ. 

Then the girdle.  I have to confess that its primary importance for me is to stop me tripping over the bottom of my alb!  Albs are rather voluminous.  And that is also linked to its liturgical significance which is being ready to serve and I first wore a girdle when I was a deacon, ie a servant.  

Stole as worn by a deacon

And finally the stole.  This is the symbol of authority given at ordination.  Deacons wear the stole over their left shoulder and fasten it at their right hip .  When the deacon is ordained priest s/he wears the stole around the neck as shown.  

Stole worn by a priest

The colour of the stole is dictated by the theme of the day.  White stoles denote  joy, light, glory, and resurrection and are worn for the really important days like Christmas and Easter.  Purple is for penitence and is worn for the preparation times of Lent and Advent.  Red is for blood and fire and is worn at Pentecost and for remembering Christian martyrs.  And green is for growth, and ongoing spiritual renewal and is worn for most of the year.

Today we were remembering the life of St Peter who was a martyr, so I wore my red stole.  

And I reminded the congregation that of the three events normally remembered in my liturgical gear (baptism, ordination as a deacon and ordination as a priest) baptism is by far the most important and neither of the other two could take place had I not been baptised.   

The 1994 cohort

The Bishop of  London

"The 1994 cohort" doesn't sound very exciting but it's a group to which I am very proud to belong.  It means the thousand plus women who were ordained in 1994 after a very long wait to become priests.

My personal thirtieth anniversary was back in April but the C of E has had various events over this last year commemorating the contribution of women (both ordained and lay) to the ministry of the church.   On Friday the 1994 cohort was invited to join in the national celebration in London and over a hundred of us accepted the invitation.  Since 1994 many of those thousand women have "been promoted to glory" and others are too frail to make the journey to London.  

A "Popemobile" to take me across King's Cross Station!

My good friend E, (a priest of a mere twenty years standing!) came with me and helped me and without her I wouldn't have been able to go.  We travelled by train and taxi to make things as easy as possible for me.

First I went to Lambeth Palace (the official home of The Archbishop of Canterbury) where "the cohort" was treated to a wonderful afternoon tea.  Then coaches took us to St Paul's Cathedral where the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, presided at a memorable Eucharist.  

Thirty years ago we were  regarded with a great deal of suspicion by both clergy an laity.  It would be hard to imagine the C of E without its clergy women today.  Thanks be to God!

W is for Willoughton and Walesby

St Andrew's Church, Willoughton

 For nearly fifteen years I was Vicar of Willoughton.  It was one of the five parishes in my group.

Today I have taken a service at Walesby.  I go to Walesby a few times each year, sometimes to lead and sometimes to be part of the congregation.  I have no "formal" relationship with Walesby, I am not their vicar.

Only a minority of Willoughton residents came to church but everyone knew me as the vicar.  Sunday by Sunday I lead worship in the various churches in the group.  They knew they could call on my services when there was a wedding or a funeral.  I would attend as many village events as I could.  

St Mary's Church, Walesby.

I take services at Walesby only when invited by the Priest in Charge.  She looks after eleven parishes and needs help every Sunday but there is a Non Stipendiary Priest and several lay ministers helping her most Sundays.  Today the NSM was away so I filled in.  I don't take weddings in that group and take only very occasional funerals when asked to by the Priest in Charge.  I don't live in the group and I attend very few events there.  I am free to accept invitations anywhere I want, and I fill in for clergy who are ill or on holiday.

I take services on one or two Sundays each month but I am free to say "No" when invited.  Eventually I will no longer lead but I will still be in church, in a pew, grateful for the love of God shown to me through other ministers.  

K is for Kirmond le Mire

 

I don’t often go to Kirmond le Mire.  I’ve celebrated the Eucharist there once and preached a couple times but they don’t have many services. 

St Marton's Church, Kirmond le Mire

There are only thirteen households in the village but they want to keep their church open.  Church events are well supported and the cake is always good!  They have concerts, coffee mornings and Easter Egg Hunt, Strawberry Tea, Harvest and Christmas Carol Services but their best “thing” is Snowdrop Weekend.  There is a lay-led Evensong each month and they get Communion services about six times a year.

 

St Peter's Church, Kingerby

I could equally well have said K is for Kingerby.  That is another church with a charming simplicity where I have taken services.  Kingerby is described as a deserted village but there are still a few houses.

 Kirmond and Kingerby churches are typical of so many Anglican churches.  They are very important buildings, much loved by their people, but incredibly expensive to maintain.  Many would like more frequent services but we no longer have enough people to take them.  Visitors would like more churches to remain open but the buildings need checking regularly and extra cleaning done and there are fewer willing volunteers.

J is for Jesus and Joy

 

I was less than nine weeks old when I was baptised so I have no recollection of it.  However, I do know that the first reading that day started with, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice!”

 It seems to me that my life in Christ began with joy and that’s how it is now.  

I don't mean that life has been a bowl of cherries, far from it.  I have cared for two relatives  through their lengthy terminal illnesses.  I have known rejection.  I have suffered depression and a mental breakdown.

St Andrew's Church, Stainton le Vale

However, though everything God has held on to me, even when I haven't been able to hold on to him and in my seventies I know a deep joy like never before. 

Today I have celebrated Holy Communion in a tiny village high in the Lincolnshire Wolds and rejoiced at that privilege.  

Thanks be to God.

A Quiet Christmas

Over the years I have had noisy Christmases, sad Christmases, busy Christmases.  These days my Christmas of choice is very quiet.  I get lots of invitations to go out but I prefer to spend it alone, just me.  

The only exception I make is to go to church.  The last few years (apart from the 2020 lockdown) I have gone to this delightful church at Market Rasen to celebrate Holy Communion and give thanks that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, full of grace and truth.

 It's also a thanksgiving for all my family Christmases over many years as it means that their regular vicar can have some precious time with her children on Christmas Day.

 

May your Christmas be blessed. 

 

Clarissa the Crowned Corgi

 Remember Normanby church which I mentioned yesterday?  It has a new guard dog at the gate.  Meet Clarissa.

I wonder if corgis will continue to be seen as the royal dog.  The present King and Queen favour Jack Russels.  Battersea specials.

Great fun, this retirement lark

Stainton le Vale

 One of my close (clergy) friends has been on a cruise around the world in eighty days (lucky girl!) and will be back next weekend.  So next Sunday will be the last of a run of twelve Sundays when I have been booked to take her services.  These are the churches where I have been doing my bit with God's help.  It's still a joy to serve Him but it's getting to be a rather tiring joy!

Normanby le Wold

Great fun, this retirement lark.  I started to draw my pension over thirteen years ago but I keep being needed to cover for sickness and holidays.  I'm no longer willing to cover because a parish wants more services than the regular clergy can take but I want the regular clergy to have holidays and to recover from illness so I still help out.  

Claxby

I'm glad to help because I care about my fellow clergy and their congregations.  There are far less clergy on the payroll now than when I started in ministry over thirty years ago and those who are in stipendiary ministry are having to work even harder.

Croxby

I'm leading worship next Sunday then I have one Sunday off before I take two services the last Sunday in the month.  Great fun, this retirement lark!

Walesby

Lunch

 

One of our local churches is having a lunch tomorrow for people who live alone.  I wanted to help so I offered to make some gifts for people to take home.

It took quite a while!

St Peter's, Normanby le Wold. Treasuring.

I've been to the highest point in the wolds today, to the tiny village of Normanby.  These villages with a population of about 60 are quite common in this part of Lincolnshire but each has its own church which is treasured by its community.

I feel very treasured by the congregation here.  During the pandemic, when I was fairly rigorously isolating, they made it possible for me to celebrate the Eucharist on Christmas Day.  It was the first time in over nine months that I could do so.

There has been a church here since before the Doomsday book of 1086 but the present church is much newer, dating from the thirteenth century.  By 1867 it was very dilapidated so it was "restored" and a new chancel built.  It's open daily for visitors, often people walking the Viking Way.  I helped to provide some benches so that walkers could take off their boots and have a good look around without fearing of leaving muddy footprints!

It is cleaned (and loved!) by a wonderful lady and she is a treasure!  During the pandemic I was one of a group of well wishers who assembled (socially distanced of course) to sing Happy Birthday when she was ninety.

Stainton le Vale

 

Stainton le Vale isn’t one of the largest places I have ever been to as it has a population of just 50.  Yesterday there were 8 people in church but some were from other surrounding parishes as well.  We even had a lady who had come from Derby, about ninety miles away!  She visits the area regularly and likes to try a new church each time she comes. 

It was the old Book of Common Prayer service with a sermon but no hymns.  Last month they had their very popular Harvest Festival and next month they will have an equally popular Carol Service. 

Stainton is steeped in history. There is evidence of Roman habitation and an Anglo-Saxon settlement and there are some of the most extensive mediaeval earthworks in the country. The present church dates from about 1100AD but of course most is from later periods.

It’s a church which is open most days and stands as a silent witness to God as it has for over 900 years

D is for Deacon

 I decided not to write a post yesterday because I wanted to save "D" for today, the anniversary of my ordination as a Deacon.

Dressed as a Deacon ready to officiate at my first wedding

It was in 1990 that I was ordained in Leicester Cathedral, now famous as the burial place of Richard III.  In the Church of England and some other churches, the diaconate is the first stage of ordained ministry but in some other churches deacons are not ordained.  However they are appointed, deacons are a sign of servanthood in the church.  The word "deacon" actually means "servant".  Our ordination service says 

"Deacons are ordained so that the people of God may be better equipped to make Christ known. Theirs is a life of visible self-giving. Christ is the pattern of their calling and their commission; as he washed the feet of his disciples, so they must wash the feet of others"

Although I have since been ordained priest, I will always be a deacon, a servant.  I value this ministry.

But ordination cannot compare to baptism, that sacrament in which "Christ claimed me for his own".  What a blessing!

Rascal!

 No, I'm not talking about Jack today but rather about the new Rascal in my life.  I hope Jack doesn't get jealous!

For the last twelve years I have used a Trundle Truck or, if you use official terminology, Mobility Scooter.  My TT means freedom to me so when mine became very unreliable, I had to have a new one.    

So, forward The Rascal Vista.  Like all scooters, it is quite an expensive bit of kit, so I am deeply grateful to the many people who, over several centuries, have given money for grants to help elderly clergy in the Diocese of Lincoln.  Many of them would never have seen a trundle truck ever but I hope they would be glad to know that they have given freedom back to me.  I've never applied for charitable funding before (I've always seen myself as a giver rather than a taker) but a scooter which suits my needs is around £2000 and I need a new one every 5-6 years so I decided to go for it.  

And it is wonderful!  I've been shopping this morning without any fear that I would be stranded if the trundle truck broke down.  And I am able once again to plan days out this summer.  Fantastic!

It's an unwrap!

 I had a lovely Christmas although it was probably not much like yours and it looks as though most of you had a great time too.

I started my day with going to church at Market Rasen at 8am.  I offered to take the service there because the vicar has young children and I thought they might like extra time together on Christmas morning.  That's probably the best gift I gave to anyone.  

And it was a gift to me!  The 8am service is usually very quiet with maybe half a dozen people but many of my extended family came as did Annie-the-home-enhancer and her family so altogether we had twenty three people including nine children.  My cousin had brought a children's activity so there were just joyful, happy noises from the children's corner as everyone celebrated the birth of our Saviour.

After church we had a general present swap and then I came home to my traditional quiet day.  Except that I thought the phone would never stop!  So many good wishes (and quite a few making sure I wouldn't like to go for a noisy Christmas lunch as well!).  

Christmas lunch was a ham roll, mince pies and cream cheese.  I can never be bothered to cook much on Christmas Day and this year I couldn't be bothered to cook Boxing Day either.  Each day I opened a few presents, snoozed, listened to audiobooks and relaxed.

Yesterday I finally cooked my Christmas lunch: Three bird roast, pigs in blankets, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, peas, sprouts, tenderstem broccoli, chestnuts, lardons, and roast beetroot, parsnip, onions, carrots, and sweet potato.  All for me.  I didn't bother with pud!  

And after lunch I opened the last of my presents, a stocking filled with home-made treasures from my dear friend Bonnie, including these beautiful birds to hang on my tree.  

A Special Day

 which I missed!

You may remember that a few weeks ago I wrote about hearing Kathy preach and I told you that soon she would be admitted and licensed as a Reader.  Well, today was the day - and I had to miss it!  This knee has a lot to answer for.  

Kathy with Revd Elaine and Revd Chris with whom she will serve

Kathy was admitted as a Reader in the Church of England today at Lincoln Cathedral.  According to the Church of England website "Readers (also called Licensed Lay Ministers have a leadership role serving alongside clergy to support people in faith and enable mission".   I was a Reader for a few years before I was ordained and I helped five men and women to train as Readers whilst I was a vicar,  I valued the Readers who worked with me because they were able to bring a wide range of gifts and experiences to the ministry of the church.  

I couldn't go to Lincoln to the service but I've been praying for her at home

Every blessing, Kathy

Sixhills

 I've been feeling a little anxious all week.  During the pandemic I haven't been much involved in leading worship and have only done so with another priest but today I was alone.  To add to my anxiety my service was at Sixhills, a church I had never been to before.  A dear friend and fellow priest e mailed me, . "Remember you are not flying solo.  There is a far greater high priest standing alongside you. "

All Saints' Church, Sixhills

So off I went to Sixhills.  Isn't it a dear little church!  And there was a lovely congregation of about eight.  There was an organist so we were able to sing (keeping masks on) and they've said I'm allowed to go again so probably I was OK. 

I probably won't be leading again much before Christmas as I have to isolate before surgery and then expect to take a while to recover and get on my feet.  The memory of today wll be important.  

It's good to serve that Great High Priest