Welcome to St Mary Magdalene's Church, Rusper

Not afraid to learn from his mistakes Bishop Lindsay would squirm whenever I teased him about his advice that I move to a country benefice for ‘rest and reflection’ and I think it fair, if a little pointed to venture that the sum total of rural parish experience between senior clergy in our diocese suggests a reason for this blind spot! What is life really like for modern clergy in our ‘sleepy’ slow paced villages? I decided to do a diary of a normal week while reflecting on the seasons of the Church Year. The proposed article soon took on the life of a mini series. So here it is...

  Life in the Fast Aisle - Day 1 Sunday

Advent is the church’s annual time of waiting, reflected for me at the start of every Sunday, the start of every week. Advent resonates at many levels; excitement, mystery, preparation. I like to begin the week early before the house wakes up and at this time of the year that means it is dark when I creep into the study to start the Lord’s Day in contemplative mood. I don’t know how I would get through a busy Sunday without a couple of hours’ stillness. I get to church half an hour before the first service begins. There is a palpable sense of warm togetherness at the 8am service that is a strong spiritual foundation to the day. Having waved people off and grabbed a quick breakfast I jump into the car and am off to the 9.30am service, praying that the cyclists will not be out in force, which as you all know is quite a Summer phenomenon round the villages. The four or five miles from the 9.30am to the 11am service is often a journey through time from Cranmer’s Prayer Book and traditional chants to an altogether less predictable style of service. From delivering a measured conventional sermon I have to switch to a different style of informal delivery with an ‘off the cuff ‘feel. Arriving only 15 minutes or even less time before a service begins I don’t personally find conducive to worship, particularly when there are questions, information or anything unforeseen to assimilate. Anyone who has suffered the frustration of giving me a notice 5 minutes before the service only to watch me forget has shared that frustration!

Lunch is usually a hasty sandwich, especially when there is a Christening, and again the turnaround seems short as I make sure I am prepared before heading back again and to the farthest reaches of Colgate again for an evening service at Cottesmore School Chapel. I usually manage to be back for a meal before 9pm and am more than ready to unwind, once I have given at least some thought, if not actual preparation to school assembly.

  Nick