My dear brothers and sisters in Christ (It’s a formal greeting, I’ll give you that, but I felt it was important to set the tone and to remind myself, and us, that this is what we are…)
I am hoping to achieve a couple of things by starting this little blog.
Primarily it’s my way of giving you a glimpse into my mind from week to week as I go about the business of my new role as your Team Vicar.
I hope to convey a sense of my own faith journey as I contemplate the scriptures and our seasonal Christian tradition, and, God willing, provide you with some spiritual food for thought as you navigate your own faith journeys.
I'm hoping it will enable you to go deeper into our wonderful spiritual tradition (it is truly 'full of wonders') and allow you to draw closer to the God in whom we already live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).
It’s also my way of getting to know you better by inviting you into the conversation if you would like to do that. So feel very free to reach out, to comment, to clarify, to disagree, to enquire or to respond in any way you see fit. I’d welcome your engagement.
Those of you that are familiar with some of my story will know that it’s been a while since I’ve done this ‘vicaring’ thing.
There’s an old Yiddish proverb that goes, “If you want to make God Laugh, tell him your plans”. It’s a humourous paraphrase of Proverbs 19:21: Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Well, after 10 years out of formal ministry, for reasons you will probably discover over time, one thing has led to another and here I am!
Even though I have a strong sense that I am exactly where God wants me to be I still feel as though I am 'getting back on the horse' in many ways. Please bear with me as I learn the ropes again and familiarise myself with the intricacies of the 'care of souls' in 16 parishes. I honestly don't know how George does it!
I feel very humbled, and very privileged, to find myself serving in the Three Valleys Benefice. I look forward to getting to know you better and to living out the rhythms and the practices of our shared Christian life alongside you.
May God bless you all and grant that you would live deeply rooted in the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Yours in Christ,
James.
PS The Blog is a work in progress so you might find it changing in appearance from time to time. J