How blessed we are to have been given such a wonderful farewell! Thank you for the beautiful farewell gift, already hung in our living room, for the cards and messages and the very kind words spoken to Maurie and to me as we concluded our time at St Paul’s. We were deeply moved by your expressions of affirmation, and thanks, for our ministry amongst you and with you.

Now on to the next chapter for us all!

As I said when I returned to work after Long Service Leave in October, you all managed more than adequately in my absence – however I confess to concerns over the stress/burdens falling on the shoulders of wardens, nominators, parish councillors and Elizabeth, who are already working long hours and trying to keep themselves and their families afloat. Please be gentle with one another – and remember that everyone is working hard and doing their best to follow God’s word and move forward in Mission.

I know that you will be well cared for, during this interregnum, by a “locum team”. Please make all involved welcome. And when you have your own Parish Priest again make him/her and family feel supported and welcome. It is hard to break into a ready-made community and find your own place and way of being. Please remember also St Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 3

“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labour of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.”