Child Catcher is Off to Trawl her Nets in New Waters

This may appear a strange title but stay with me. The piece is not about child protection or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. As many of you are aware, in July I stepped down after four years as St Mary’s Children’s Groups Coordinator. As I recalled in my speech at my presentation I am grateful for the many gifts the children have given me along the way. Through them I have had many opportunities to meet God.

I have also been supported by many ‘big people’ including someone who called me the ‘child catcher’. This was because he said as soon as a child walked into St Mary’s I was catching them into the ‘net’ of Children’s Groups. Although Chitty Chitty Bang Bang gives a sinister connotation of this, it has recently dawned on me that Jesus told us all to be ‘Fishers of Men’. Yes it’s ‘Men’ not people for me. I grew up at a church dedicated to St Andrew singing ‘I will make you Fishers of Men’. Sung with a Somerset accent it probably had an even bigger impression. I suppose I was called by God to be a ‘Fisher of Little People’. ‘Called by God’ can sound very scary and not what happens to ‘ordinary’ people like me. Well yes it does, we are all called by God to use our gifts and talents and tell our faith story to others.

About three years ago this went a step further for me. It felt like I got a kick up the backside from God telling me he wanted me to explore becoming a priest. I tried to ignore it but that didn’t work and it wouldn’t go away. Then I tentatively started asking people hoping they would tell me I was mad but they didn’t. About a year ago, with the support of Jeremy and Rosemary, I started to explore this ‘sense’ further with people from the diocese.

This exploration has included many discussions, doing a course on St Matthew’s Gospel, a quiet day and exploring mission on top of what I was doing in the Benefice. I am continuing this exploration in the autumn term by going on placement to Holy Trinity, Lickey. This means spending Sunday and an evening a week in the parish. I will still continue being a structural engineer on weekdays and will be returning to the Benefice in the New Year although you may see me around on the odd occasion in the meantime.

I include ‘Drake’s Prayer’ which I feel is appropriate for us all at this time.

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves;
when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little;
when we arrive safely because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly —
to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery;
where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

Thank you all for your help and support and may we all be open to what God is calling us today and the future.

Best Wishes,
Lis Sparrow

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