With Thanks

Ministerial Meandering

With thanks

You’ve spoilt me for any other parish; I don’t know how I could take another one after all you folk have given me - us - Sheila is included in all of this.

I remember reading David Price’s letter to you after he left, listing all the things he had done with you over the ten years he had been with you.  I don’t intend doing that - you only have to look around you to see all that you have achieved in the last 6 years (minus 3 months).

What I really want to say begins and ends with ‘Thank you”.

You came at exactly the right time for Sheila and me.  We were ‘camping’ on a farm, not knowing quite which direction to take or where to go, when the opportunity to cover your New Year services after David left came up.  For reasons that can only have been directed by God, you asked me to apply for the permanent position - and, God having a really good sense of humour - I was appointed.

I have had more gifts than I can possibly say.  You have trusted me with your greatest joys and deepest woes, which is humbling for anyone.  You have also trusted me with your health problems - some of you more than others, and I won’t embarrass anyone by naming any of you.  You all know who you are.  I am only sorry that I was not in practice any more, so I could not help you any further.  I would have dearly liked to do some of your surgeries, and hopefully saved several of you from the ghastly complications you have had to endure at the hands of the woefully deficient Canadian medical system.

Within the workings of the church itself, I have been blessed with a superb working group in the Parish Council.  All of you have pulled your weight and contributed in so many different ways.  That is what teamwork is all about.

Some of you have also had to listen to my grumblings and woes from time to time - for which I am also extremely grateful.  You didn’t have to, but you did.  Vicars are strangely human too - just some are more strange than others, I guess!

You welcomed Niko and Gracie, and we became known as the dog-friendly church.  People enjoyed the communion rail with a sniff from Gracie - at least, I think they did.  Gracie did anyway.

I will continue to write my ‘normal’ Ministerial Meandering for the foreseeable future - until I run out of steam or you ask me to stop.  It might not be appropriate to continue to put the MM into the Bulletin when you have a new priest, but I would be happy to continue to send it to the distribution that I currently have of about thirty of you.  If any of you want to stop receiving it, or know of another who would like to receive it - please let me know.

So for now this is not so much ‘Goodbye’ as ‘au revoir’.  Keep your eyes on Jesus and keep loving one another.  Welcome the stranger - remember you were one once.

As ever,

Philip+