Man its been a week. 17 services- I think somewhere in the region of 15 homilies. Easter in an Anglo- Catholic setting is really something else! I have genuinely journeyed through Holy Week at a whole other level- and have emerged on the other side with a sense of newness but also of exhaustion.
I have also emerged three stone lighter than I was in the middle of November. Lots of people have asked how I have done it and that is the stuff of another post- but suffice to say it is done and I am happy!
Last week was manic. It was busy in a wholly different way. Its left me with so much to think about how I would do things next year/ in my own church/ ever. But I want to hone in on maybe one aspect.
On Monday of last week I rushed into church for a Eucharist that I was preaching at. I had come straight from school and my purse was in my bag. Which I left in the vestry and in the rush did not lock. A guy was hanging around at the back of church- and even walked halfway up the aisle as I preached. At the end of the service my purse was gone and someone had tried to get £200 of cash using one of my cards.
Aside from the faff and the thinking, why am I doing silly services at the front when at the back someone is struggling.. the whole thing just gets weirder. This same guy turned up at a further three or four services through the week. He was challenged by my boss, and denied it- and then was still hanging around.
Yesterday as I was preaching (on forgiveness/ grace/ new starts) I saw him disappear into the back of church again (this time followed by a church warden). More money has gone missing.. but what is going on? I feel so challenged to ask the Jesus question- what do you want me to do for you?
My prayer is twofold.. trivially I would like my drivers licence and student card back please! More significantly I pray that this guy will know God's grace and love. That somehow in all the faff and non contact he would have had a sense of the risen Jesus calling him by name. And I guess I also pray that God will continue to challenge me and speak to me about what He is up to in all this.
I have also emerged three stone lighter than I was in the middle of November. Lots of people have asked how I have done it and that is the stuff of another post- but suffice to say it is done and I am happy!
Last week was manic. It was busy in a wholly different way. Its left me with so much to think about how I would do things next year/ in my own church/ ever. But I want to hone in on maybe one aspect.
On Monday of last week I rushed into church for a Eucharist that I was preaching at. I had come straight from school and my purse was in my bag. Which I left in the vestry and in the rush did not lock. A guy was hanging around at the back of church- and even walked halfway up the aisle as I preached. At the end of the service my purse was gone and someone had tried to get £200 of cash using one of my cards.
Aside from the faff and the thinking, why am I doing silly services at the front when at the back someone is struggling.. the whole thing just gets weirder. This same guy turned up at a further three or four services through the week. He was challenged by my boss, and denied it- and then was still hanging around.
Yesterday as I was preaching (on forgiveness/ grace/ new starts) I saw him disappear into the back of church again (this time followed by a church warden). More money has gone missing.. but what is going on? I feel so challenged to ask the Jesus question- what do you want me to do for you?
My prayer is twofold.. trivially I would like my drivers licence and student card back please! More significantly I pray that this guy will know God's grace and love. That somehow in all the faff and non contact he would have had a sense of the risen Jesus calling him by name. And I guess I also pray that God will continue to challenge me and speak to me about what He is up to in all this.
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