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You might have guessed from the fewer posts in the last couple of weeks, that I’ve been away!  There is much to catch you up with though, so please don’t give up on us!  The first couple of weeks in my summer break were spent, as usual, with the Wiltshire Army Cadet Force, who were based at an Engineers’ Camp down at Chickerell near Weymouth. 

We take away some 300 cadets, aged from 12 – 18, and some 80 adults, who I do admire for all the hours and energy that they offer these young people.  As you will know, when you take people out of their usual surroundings and circumstances, you’ll find that all kinds of issues and emotions emerge.   For two weeks, these good people become my “parish”, and I live and work alongside them as we undertake all kinds of activities, physical, emotional, and spiritual. 

After some eight years, I am now an accepted part of the whole community, offering a listening ear to all souls, whether they have a particular faith or none, and I have found an amazing amount of ministry, which challenges and rewards.  Last year I baptised two members in the sea off Cornwall, and this year I have attended the funeral of a wife of one of our officers, and I have just conducted a funeral for one of our female officers.  Next week, I will conduct the marriage service for two of our NCOs.  Most of the pastoral work involves people wanting to discuss relationships, worries about friends and families, and hopes and ambitions for themselves and the future.

It is no holiday, but I do throw myself into all the activities, and try to live alongside these people as I know that Christ would do, and indeed did!   I was captured during an exercise when I was being transported down to negotiate with a group of insurgent terrorists; and after a period of time, I was rescued by another unit, and grateful for the care and attention that the padre usually is afforded.  The photo shows you that I try and blend in to whatever background circumstances are – although my hands need a little more camouflage cream!  Fresh air, solid food, and companions to journey with – what more could a padre ask for?

I stayed at a house recently in the course of my duties, and was amazed to see a beautifully appointed downstairs cloakroom, with a Victorian water closet.  It was made by the famous Thomas Crapper, and clearly he had great taste and respect for the better classes, as he had named this particular toilet water closet: The Venerable!   It was with some pride, and honour that my stay was made so comfortable!  Now, when people ask me why the Archdeacon has been given the title Venerable – I can show them one picture, that clearly paints a thousand words – or more!

Every year for a week in August Edigton Priory Church holds a festival of music within the liturgy and this is the week.

Last night I went with my mother to Solemn Evensong followed by Compline and it was wonderful. I’m not someone who could be described as high church but this week is a time when I can experience the whole cathedral type worship and I thoroughly enjoy it, including incense.

The singing is provided by three different groups, all the singers come from various cathedrals and colleges (about 60 in total), and this is probably the only time they sing together. The organists are also from these establishments with clergy from various places supporting the local clergy. Last night’s settings for the evensong music were by Charles Wood and the anthem by Brahms with Mendelssohn for the organ music at the beginning and end. Compline was in candlelight.

At the end we came out to a full moon shining in a clear sky – neither my mother nor I could find words to express what we were feeling other than to say that we felt a peacefulness.

If you can’t get to Edington this week (see their website www.edingtonfestival.org for the list of services – usually three a day) you can hear them live on BBC Radio 3 on Wednesday 25 August at 4.00pm.

This headline caught my attention and was the theme of  the prayers I led at Church House on Wednesday.

The article was in a free paper from a particular supermarket and I was perusing it whilst drinking the coffee which I had brought at said supermarket.  It said – here’s a great excuse to put your feet up and relax – people feel happier and healthier with fewer aches, pains and symptoms of stress, when they spend the weekend doing exactly what they fancy, says a study by researchers at the University of Rochester USA. And of course they are correct, doing something you like is far better than doing something you have to do. It is done with better grace and energy which is why so many people I know who are retired seem busier than before R Day – they are enjoying doing something they chose to do even though it takes up the same or more time as their work before R Day. On the wh0le they also look well and have a more positive outlook, now I’m not making retirement out to be the best thing since sliced bread as I am aware that it is difficult at times to manage the change of status but I do know that on the days when I can do what I like I feel more rested even though I may have been mroe physically active.

Now all I need researched is how I go about finding the time to do what I like whilst working, running a househ

This month’s collection of Parish Magazines have tumbled through my letterbox, and once again, I’m impressed with the tales of mission and ministry that happens in some many creative ways, in so many places.  This month’s good practice is as follows:

St Bartholomew Benefice: The parishes are organising some away time together, to build confidence, to get to know one another, and generally have a good time with their Christian faith.  A sailing trip to France, over the weekend of 30 September to 3 October.  If the seas doesn’t float your boat, the a trip to the Holy Land is being contemplated for 2011.  A new monthly Sunday initiative called TOAST [Time on a Sunday together] kicks off with breakfast in the School Hall at Semley, with an informal, child and family friendly expression of church.  taste and see that the Lord is good!

Arrowhead, for the parishes on Salisbury Plain, is always a good read, and a mix of community, adverts, and church activities get a blitz in the editor’s blender.  I was impressed by the Shrewton School’s Party in the Park event; the Annual Orcheston Weekend, including tractor rides and target shooting; and the Re-Cycling page, which give people the opportunity of getting rid of, or requesting various items.

Steeple and Street, for Whiteparish in the Clarendon Team, offered some great summer fun in the Parish Picnic with food and games; a May Ball for the Pepperbox Pre-school; and the Whiteparish Pony Show, with collaboration with the local riding school.  They’ve also organised a Whiteparish tidy up day, to give the whole community a chance to contribute to making their village the tidiest in the area.

Focus – on the Community is the mag for the Nadder Valley Team, and included some local articles on the Neighbourhood Policing Team’s new Community Beat Manager, and also a report from the Tisbury Watch of the Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, including a really helpful guide to the role and responsibilities of a retained firefighter – essential for the rural communities.

The Open Door, the mag for St Thomas’ Ensbury Park contains a helpful page of prayers; advertises a parish visit to the Theatre in Christchurch to see “The Screwtape Letters”; some book reviews; and a great puzzles and smiles page, alongside the usual news and views of the parish church and wider community.

Thank you to all those who send me their magazines, and I look forward to receiving others too.

Yes, today was the day that the Parish of Wilton with Fugglestone, and Netherhampton, and the Parish of Bemerton united to provide a connection that took us back to the George Herbert days.  I’m also reading the book entitled, If you see George Herbert on the Road, Kill Him! This aims to make it clear that the idealising of the GH methodology of ministry does nothing to help the contemporary parish priest, whose circumstances are very different indeed than the blessed George’s.

We started at St Peter’s Church Fugglestone, and enjoyed a 20 min talk by The Rev’d Dr John Gosling, sometime former Vicar of Stratford sub Castle, and Director of Continuing Ministerial Development for the diocese. John outlined the history of the church building and its immediate surroundings.  John reminded us that in fact Fugglestone ws the parish church in GH’s day, with Bemerton being the chapel of ease, and later church building.  It is really because Herbert lived in Bemerton, and was buried in the church there that the Bemerton tag seems to have carried more weight.  We then moved out of church and walked around to the main gate of Wilton House, where the Earl had kindly given permission for us to walk though the park and then out onto the Netherhampton Road, before walking through Quidhampton, and onto St John’s Church Bemerton where people stopped for some much appreciated tea and cake.  The group then walked a little further onto St Andrew’s Church in Bemerton, and a service of Evensong completed the journey.  At a couple of stops along our pilgrimage, the Rector of Wilton, Rev Mark Wood read to us from Herbert’s treasury of poetry.

We learned a great deal from our conversations, mostly speculating about the Saxon meanings of our travel route.  Fugglestone apparently mean Mr Bird’s Farm – from Fogel’s Ton, and Quidhampton means something like rubbish dump [don't tell the residents!] from the word quid [filthy]  We can’t be sure of course, but it made for some interesting thoughts as we walked.  The group of 35 or so, seemed to really enjoy each other’s company, and the walk offered some great view points, rarely seen, together with a perfect walking afternoon, with hazy sunshine and temperate breezes.  Perfect!

Every now and then a theme emerges over a weekend, and this particular weekend it has been crossing over!   We started off by going over to move our eldest daughter from her existing flat to her new flat in the boarding school where she teaches.  It was not far, in fact it was the flat next door, but unfortunately we had to go down two flights of stairs, and along a corridor and then up another two flights of stairs!  It was a great workout, and after a few hours, Hollie was settling into her new abode.  What struck me most as we moved from one flat to the other, was a sense of knowing when we were over half way in shifting the boxes.  There came a point as we stopped to rest or partake of a cup of tea, when we actually stopped using the old flat, and started using the new – and I don’t think it was anything to do with moving the kettle!!

Then this morning, I started reading the next book on the pile I keep in my study, and I found it was a book called Sum: Forty tales from the afterlives.  It is a fascinating book, given in cases short stories from authors who have speculated, or perhaps fantasised about what happens following our death.  I’ve just read the first ten or so, and it will be interesting to see what other people make of crossing over.

The third aspect of this theme occurred when I was taking a few minutes to catch up on some zzz, and catch a few rays in the garden.  We have a lovely garden, and enjoy every square inch, and of course the river.  One of the given factors though, is that we lie under a flight path from the airfield at Old Sarum, and every few minutes a light aircraft, or microlight, or helicopter makes its progress across the sky.  I don’t mind actually, and it is a fantasy of mine to fly, or even learn to fly in a small aircraft.  Today, one of the men [or women] in their flying machines was performing aerobatics, and I was imagining the amount of G-force that the pilot must have been pulling in the stunts, as s/he crissed and crossed through the sky.  Lovely, and lucky for them.

Yesterday found me at the 1030 service at Wilton, and a triple baptism for the parish priest, Mark Wood.  I settled into my pew to find we were trying out for the first time a new form of the morning service with a baptism.  The previous Family Style worship left the regular congregation rather wanting for liturgy, and the normal parish Eucharist would not have been accessible for the baptism family and friends.

The service worked well, and the three candidates, a mother, her daughter aged about eight years, and a baby from another family, all performed their words and actions impeccably, and Mark spoke well during the address.  A happy connection for the congregation too, so we wish them and the candidates and families well for the future.

Within the pew notice sheet for the coming week was an interesting event coming up this coming Sunday 1 August.  “Walking with the Poet” is an open afternoon at St Peter’s Fugglestone, in celebration of George Herbert, Rector of Fugglestone and Bemerton from 1630 – 1633.  The event begins at 1500, with a short history of the the Church, and then from 1530 there is an organised walk through the grounds of Wilton House from St Peter’s to St Andrew’s Lower Bemerton, hearing some of his poetry on the way.  After tea at Bemerton, there is a short service of Evening Prayer at St Andrew’s.  Sounds great, and if you’d like to go on this outing please phone the Rector [01722 742571] or the Parish Office on [01722 742393]

After the service and lunch last Sunday I headed out to Milton Lilbourne to conduct a marriage rehearsal for two young people.  The marriage is not until October, but the groom is serving in the Army, and has just come back from Afghanistan, and will need to go back out there until just before his wedding.  It was a moving occasion, gathering the families and running through the service for them.  To be honest he looked too young to be a Royal Engineer recce platoon commander, too young to be risking his life out in that theatre, but I was impressed with his courage and commitment. I realised that for many people, the disruptions of this effort to keep peace in a remote part of the globe, and to give the Afghan people a chance of rebuilding their country will have lasting impact on so many lives.  Please pray for the couple as they prepare, long distance, for their wedding day, and for protection and peace for all those who serve in this way.

How right that is and it has been demonstrated over this weekend for me – accompanied by encounters with nature and two small boys.

Friday night we gathered in Pewsey church to welcome Michael McHugh as the new team vicar in that team, the church was packed, the singing was good and the sermon was excellent (thank you John). I caught up with people I had not seen for sometime and enjoyed the chatter. On my drive home I saw a flock of birds flying cross the sky making wonderful patterns as they did.

Saturday saw me having a trip to Branksome St Clements church, very urban, and on the way home from that seven swans flew in formation in front of me.

Sunday and I was at Fittleton @ 9am taking part in a quiet said Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion service. A lovely quiet way to start the day – no birds although we heard them singing. At 10.30 I was at Figheldean with the music group playing – this week they were mostly wind instruments with drums and keyboards, a very nice sound. After the service I spent a long time talking to Patrick and Ivor about all sorts of things including rainbows, birds and whales. They were delightful children and I couldn’t stop smiling at their views on nature and life in general. No birds but later I did sit in my garden with my mother watching a female blackbird gathering food for her offspring, she seemed to not mind how close we were to her and later we saw her offspring in all his glory.

It has been a delightful three days and I enjoyed the differences.

Saturday started with one of those memory flashbacks while doing a simple task.  Shelling peas, and broad beans.  A simple task, but one that connected me with my grandmother, long since promoted to glory, and many happy weekends doing the same simple task, and remarking how beautiful are the beans and the peas, the beans secured within their felt padded pods and yet the pods are marked, spotted and gnarled on the outside.  How is that like being human, or even being a Christian?  Are we attractive on the outside, superficial, yet not so attractive on the inside?  Or perhaps, people we know, work alongside, even even share our lives with, are people with hearts of gold, who are dedicated and  faithful servants of Christ, and yet we fail to get below the surface, so fail to see the glory of God that lies hidden. 

Later in the day, Anita and I drove out to Great Chalfield, that delightful country manor  house between Bradford on Avon and Melksham. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-greatchalfieldmanor I was co-hosting the Wiltshire launch of the Friends of Wiltshire Churches, a fundraising and social arm of the Wiltshire Historic Churches Trust, of whom I happen to be the Chairman.  It is a lovely house, so do get along and see it.  The church next door is simply lovely too, and worth a visit.

It was a splendid evening, wonderful canapés, in delightful surroundings, and enchanting company [do you feel you've missed a treat?  Then think about joining the Friends - no don't think - act: http://www.wiltshirehistoricchurches.org.uk/Home.html ]

We had a moment of drama, when one of our distinguished guests collapsed, and as often happens at these events, two doctors and a nurse emerged out of the crowd to take control and reassure our patient.  Within minutes a paramedic  team arrived and I’m pleased to say that our friend is well and ready to bounce back.  The clergy were on hand too, but the Last Rites were far from our thoughts.  It is good to know who your Friends are – sometimes, you only  really know that when times are testing and tough; if you want to be a Friend, then get on and demonstrate it before it is too late.