Marking the journey
If you enjoy hill climbing, you'll know that hill tops are often
marked with a pile of stones put there by people marking that
moment in a tangible way. It happened in the Bible too - Israel
marked their crossing into the promised land with a heap of 12
stones, so future generations would remember (Joshua 4).
We've been marking journeys at St Francis last weekend and this,
not with stones but with weddings and a baptism and on Sunday
afternoon, a service where Caroline, Rachel, Terry, Sofia and
Naomi will be confirmed by Bishop Debbie, and I will be
'upgraded' to be vicar of the parish. Simply - when Rev Peter, the
last vicar left, the role of vicar (which comes with greater job
security and rights) was suspended, in case the then Bishop
wanted to change the parish boundaries. Over the past year or
so the Diocese has been 'unsuspending' posts like mine.
Though I was licensed to the parish on Advent Sunday 2018,
some bits of that service were omitted, like giving me the keys,
symbolically! We'll do that on Sunday - and you get a chance to
say if you want me as your vicar too! Come and be heard!!
Read the rest of the newsletter here.
