A week in the life...
Rector’s Letter
The Rectory, November 2002
In
the course of that most enjoyable yet poignant event in September when we
all bid our fond farewells to Eileen and Jim McLean, Eileen said that she
doubted if very many people really had much idea of what the daily life of
the clergy was like. Certain things which have been said to me since then
have reinforced that view, so I thought it might be enlightening, and even
mildly interesting, if I just laid out for you what a random week from my
diary looked like. This is not designed to evoke expressions of sympathy
from anyone, but rather just to try and give a flavour of what we get up to
in a city centre church. So here goes:
Sunday
Fran is off to look after her Dad for a couple of days while her Mum is
away. She leaves more or less as I go down to St Peter’s to preside at the
8am Communion service. I get away from church at about 8.45am and go into
the office to print off my sermon for the 10.45am service (having finished
the preparation at about midnight the night before). I get home for a bite
of breakfast, before returning to church for 10am to see people and to
prepare for the 10.45am service at which I preside and preach. The
confirmation class that follows for five of our young people is supposed to
begin at 12.15pm but it is always difficult to extricate myself, and it is
nearer 12.30pm before we begin. We have a look at the subject of prayer, and
the group have lots of interesting things to say, as well as lots of
biscuits to eat! I manage to get a visit in on Sunday afternoon, but also
have to prepare a meditative address for the evening service. Iona liturgy -
lovely; and then another visit after the service.
Monday
Normally a day off, but we need the time to shortlist candidates for our
new post of Parish Administrator. So, having lost part of the day (and since
Fran is away) I have also agreed a meeting with Refugee Action, a
government-funded body seeking to support asylum seekers and refugees. They
are hoping we might be able to host a weekly drop-in centre for women asylum
seekers in the St James’ Room, mirroring a facility housed in Leicester
Cathedral.
The shortlisting goes well, and from twenty-four applications we are
ready to invite five for interview - but it’s a long process. In the evening
I go round to John Perkins House, part of the All Saints’ complex, to remove
a lot of rubbish and try to sort out furniture which needs to be given or
thrown away.
Tuesday
Zip up to All Saints’ for the 8.30am Communion, and then back to St
Peter’s for the 9.15am gathering of clergy from city centre churches - we
pray together once a week, and have a short time to exchange news and
discuss issues. The Footprints team are due in at 11am. Before then I must
get the letters out to candidates for the Administrator’s post, and letters
to referees and to unsuccessful applicants. I then see a member of the
parish who is going to take on Home Communions, preside at the lunchtime
Communion Service, see one of our Readers, and then meet with Hilary Evans
for further discussions about the interviews for the Parish Administrator.
Although the evening is blank in the diary, I end up visiting the hospital.
Wednesday
Wednesdays begin early with a Communion service in the seminar room at
8am. Very quiet and reflective, with rarely more than one or two others
present. A rush to try and get details of Sunday services - Harvest Festival
coming up - sorted out before going off to the bi-monthly meeting of all
deanery clergy (Chapter) - except that only a small number turn up, which is
disappointing. There is so much going on in the deanery at the moment, and
we really need to co-ordinate with one another. I was supposed to be going
to a training event at lunchtime on ‘Violence and Challenging Behaviour’ at
Highbury Hospital, but I just couldn’t make it because there was so much to
get through at Chapter. I get back to the office just in time for the
meeting of the Standing Committee of the PCC, which lasts for an hour and a
half. The evening should take me to a meeting of the Magazine Committee, but
I’ve had to arrange a visit to a family who are wanting a baptism later in
the month. If I want to see both parents - and I do - it usually has to be
in the evening, but there are very few evenings that are free…
Thursday
I try to get some work done at home in the first hour or so of the
morning, but a number of phone calls interrupt that! I preside at the 11am
Communion Service, which has a very good congregation - we often do a little
study course after the service over coffee; but we’re resting at the moment!
Plenty to talk about however! And then I have to rush off to meet someone
for lunch who may be able to contribute to this continuing debate about
violence in our city, which is becoming of more and more concern.
Unfortunately he doesn’t turn up - but I have a very interesting
conversation with the bar staff instead! Return home to await call from the
company fitting a burglar alarm at the Assistant Rector's house to be shown
how to work it. Then get out to make two visits. And also one in the
evening…
Friday
Communion service at the Sisters, when we have up to ten people present,
and Pippa and Irene give us breakfast afterwards - a lovely way to begin the
day. Friday morning has always in the past continued with a staff meeting.
With Eileen going I arrange instead to meet with David McCoulough in the
office - but get held up at home by phone calls, so everything gets behind.
I have arranged to meet another of our Readers later in the afternoon, so
use the early part to try to catch up with some admin.
Saturday
Turns out to be a hectic day! I am asked to go out to see a parishioner
who lives quite a long way out of town - but it is Goose Fair, and the
traffic is terrible. Getting there is OK, but getting back… and I need to
call at the City Hospital as well, where someone else has had a bad turn;
but the ACORNS (Toddlers Group) are having their Harvest Service at 3pm, and
thanks to the traffic, I just get in to St Peter’s in time. But the service
is great, and run entirely by others! Then the people setting up for the
showing of the Hitchcock film ‘The Farmer’s Wife’ arrive, and there is other
setting up to be done. I leave church at about 5pm, and need to be back for
6.45pm. But when am I going to prepare my Harvest sermon? The film is a
great success, with around seventy people - a wide range of ages - but then
the clearing up must be done so that Trevor doesn’t find everything a mess
on Sunday morning! Fran and I get home at 11.15pm. And still the sermon must
be prepared!
Well, folks, that’s what that particular week looked like. Another one
would be quite different. There is very little continuity week by week or
even day by day. But I hope it gives a flavour of what we are up to; and if
we are hard to get, it is not because we are being wilfully obstructive!
Andrew Deuchar
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