At the end of July, my family and I travel to Alderney for a few weeks annual leave in the Channel Islands. As the year started decamping to Alderney wasn’t part of our thinking, but the opportunity to cover part of their interregnum was too good to miss. It will be the first time my children, Izzy and Henry have flown anywhere and to land in Alderney, we have to fly via Guernsey. Thomas Merton in “Thoughts in Solitude” wrote ‘my Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.’ Such ambiguity would be quite unsettling if you were driving a car and couldn’t see the road ahead of you, or boarded an aeroplane and had no clue where it would land. However travelling has always embraced a degree of adventure and travelling usually helps shape us and our world view. Our Gospel passages from Matthew recently have told of the almost nomadic nature of Jesus’ ministry, ‘the Jesus went about all the cities and villages.’ (Matthew 9.35). Well I hope Jesus knew about Airbnb and Uber as he travelled. But seriously, Jesus travelled, like many of you might this summer and in each place, he visited and he engaged with local people and their needs. At the time of writing this, I couldn’t quite lay my hands on the tourism statistics for our diocese which takes in the Peaks and Dales and National Forest amongst other tourist areas. We have churches in almost all the locations that those travelling to our diocese this summer will visit, that’s a wonderful opportunity to express God’s welcome to tourists.I have recently returned from a holiday to Spain where in one city (which shall be nameless) we visited the prominent catholic church just off the main public square. It was a hot day, and on entry I was still wearing a hat. From seemingly nowhere, a verger appeared and with an intent stare and some impressive finger wagging and hand motions, I was commanded to remove my hat. Another lady in the church was talking on her mobile phone, when again out of nowhere the same verger appeared with a stare and finger wag and hand gesture that the phone call should cease. Now vergers in our diocese are quite removed from the staring, finger wagging and hand gesturing of the Spanish verger I encountered. But my experience got me thinking about what experience of welcome tourists would receive across our diocese this summer.If you’ve read this article this far and you’re a part of a church in an area frequented by tourists, give that question some thought. Of course the nature of tourists is itinerant – they come and go – but the opportunity to leave an impression that speaks something of God’s welcome is vast. The Ven. Matthew TrickArchdeacon of Derby City and South Derbyshire
Many of you may already have seen Rev Margaret Slyfield in the White peak Parishes. Rev Margaret is currently Associate Minister in the Buxton Team but is joining the White Peak Benefice to assist Reverend Adele in the White Peak, particularly with Chelmorton, Earl Sterndale and Taddington.Margaret has written the following introduction: I live in Tideswell, sharing a house with my mother. I have 5 children and 3 grandchildren. I love spending time with family, listening to music and reading. I am a self-supporting minister (SSM), so I work part-time in the mornings at Markovitz in Tideswell.I was ordained in Derby Cathedral in 2014. I served my curacy in Buxton,then licenced as Associate Priest to the 6 churches there. I strongly feel that as children of God, lay and ordained, we are called to play a part in God’s mission in our part of the world. We have gifts and talents and are to use our God-given gifts for the benefit of all, so that we can grow and feel nurtured in our faith through learning and discipleship.I am excited for the future of both benefices under Adele’s leadership. As the team continues to grow, this gives more possibilities for ministry in our benefices.I look forward to getting to know you better over the coming month
June is a month of growth and beauty – in this country certainly, as we often experience warmer (often hot) weather and many plants reach their most beautiful in appearance.It’s hard to ignore the way in which plants ‘grow’ (whether classified as weed or not in our minds); growth in size, in depth of colour, in flower production and in the setting of fruit. It seems as if at the roadside, through cracks in the pavement, in gutters and gardens transformation continues apace as spring turns to summer.In the church year we step into a season of growth as well, growing in our following of Jesus through what is known as Ordinary time. That can sound quite dull, even though it begins with Trinity Sunday, reminding us of the mystery and wonder that is God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit but building on that we can grow, moment by moment, day by day, through the ‘ordinary’ things of life, following Jesus in our workplaces, in our schools, in our homes, together as we worship and when we are alone, letting the Holy Spirit fill us with hope, joy and peace and giving us the power to truly live for God.It's that daily growing as we follow that continually transforms our lives, helping us to become more like Jesus in every action, every word, every thought and then, slowly but surely, the church itself grows (in number and depth) and our communities are built up, as we, individually and collectively live out our calling to serve and to tell, demonstrating the love and goodness of God. It’s often challenging and can be tough, being transformed, but as God’s people, loved deeply and abundantly by Him we can trust the process, especially as we stay close.Other people often say these things so much more effectively and so I want to leave you with a prayer that anyone can pray and encourage you to use it as you follow:Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus ChristFor all the benefits you have given me,For all the pains and insults you have borne for me.O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother,May I know You more clearly,Love You more dearly,Follow You more nearly … day by day.(attributed to St. Richard of Chichester).Let’s daily ask for God’s transforming love and power to fill us, helping us to grow in Him all the way through ‘Ordinary’ time – time that is anything but!
For more details, please see the attached poster and let the organizers know by the afternoon of Monday 15th May
