When I was a Padre in the Army Reserve, part of my role was to look after the spirituality of the soldiers in my regiment. In the Army, there are people of all faiths and none and my role was not to push them in any direction, it was to enable them to flourish and explore their own spirituality which informed their values and beliefs and as a result, they can flourish as individuals and find the inner resources to do a hard job on a difficult day.

I did that representing the CofE and my viewpoint of someone who tries to follow Jesus. I was always amazed at the turnout for church parade where we would sing hymns, pray for our family and friends and they would humour me by laughing at my bad jokes in the sermon. Amongst them were Agnostics, regular Churchgoers, Pagans’ Spiritualists Muslims and Gurkhas of the Hindu faith. These church parades weren’t compulsory, but an opportunity for all of us to gather and explore the individual inner world as a community. Afterwards the conversations with these soldiers we're often about their values, there hidden inner lives, their fears and worries as well as their hopes and dreams. It was and remains one of the greatest privileges I've ever had to be trusted and privy to their inner world.

What feeds your inner world?

Each of us has experiences that nourish us. It might be the simplicity of a walk, the laughter of a child, the sight of a bird soaring against the sky. Some find sustenance in silence, others in a stirring piece of music that resonates inexplicably deep within. For many, faith is a touchstone—a candle flickering in the dark, a whispered prayer carrying hope.

Too often, we neglect this inner space. Yet, it is something we should value, nurture, and protect.

During the Occupation, Canon John Wilford wrote of the women of The Guild of Service and Intercession, who worked tirelessly to serve both church and community. They had a future dream, to restore the Parish Church’s Lady Chapel as a Chapel of Memories, a place where anyone could come for reflection. Wilford captured this beautifully:

“It will be a haven of rest for weary people in the years that are ahead. Into it will come many an anxious soul, any day at any time, to seek the rest and quiet which a little chapel, hidden away from the outside world, will surely give.”

The Parish Church was a haven during the occupation, it is still a place where anyone is welcome to wander around, to sit down and find space and quiet, to bring a grandchild into the children’s corner. It’s a space where a candle can be lit, a prayer muttered, or silence can be welcomed from a busy day or the Labyrinth in the Lower Cemetery can be explored. The Church is a place which is there for you - to feed your soul.