From the Vicar

At the time of the Ascension, the disciples went outside Jerusalem with Jesus. They said their final goodbye to him, and we are told that a cloud took him away out of their sight. Picture language it may be, but we are given a very strong image of the disciples continuing to gaze upwards, watching the sky as you do when a balloon filled with helium seems to be visible still as a tiny speck in the distance even after it has long vanished from sight. As the disciples stood there, eyes lifted upwards, unable to think what to do next, two figures in white stood by them and challenged them, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven?" They were encouraged to turn round and go to Jerusalem, to walk towards the future, not to dwell in the past.

Well, in a short while we shall be saying goodbye's to each other. Most of you will know by now that I am leaving Moseley, to take up post of Team Rector in a benefice to the east of Carlisle. But before I talk about the future, perhaps I can spend a little time gazing at the past.

These three years have been so full that I am surprised they are only three. Together we have had to come to terms with all the difficulties surrounding the running and viability of Centre 13, we have raised funds to restore the stonework of the clerestory, and we have planned events for the 600th anniversary year. There have been meetings to look at what kind of re-furbishment we need for the church building, and recently we have commissioned a Community Audit to help us discover what the local needs are and the ways in which the church might be able to meet them. In all of these things our desire has been to have a church that is at the heart of the community in Moseley, open and accessible to all, a place where the love of God in Christ is revealed in action.

There is more. We do not do this alone, but through our links with the parish of St. Anne, Moseley. The Rt. Revd. David Shepherd, when Bishop of Liverpool, wrote a book with the then Roman Catholic Archbishop called "Better Together". Perhaps that could be a catch phrase for the shared ministry of out two parishes. We are better together. Together we can reach out into parts of our parishes that we would not be able to do alone, and that is especially true of the work with young people.

The exciting development is the appointment of the Revd. Rosemary Donovan as priest/youth worker, with special responsibility for the pastoral care and worship at St Anne's, but a member of the shared ministry team and with particular responsibility for youth work across both parishes.

I see these past three years as a period of transition. When I came to St Mary's, the diocesan papers suggested that the church needed to discover a new direction for her ministry. That was all; no clues about which way to go. But when I arrived I found that the community centre was not the flourishing place I had thought it was, but rather that it was struggling, financially and in other ways too. We worked with that and in the end as a parish took the difficult but important decision to close the centre down. A new vision was taking place, a vision to make the church building the focus of our outreach as well as our worship. These have not been an easy three years, but they have been important. They will enable whoever follows me to look to the future unencumbered by some of the burdens of the past.

There is so much that I have gained from these three years with, and I am sure that even more will become evident to me in the months and years ahead. Slightly tongue in cheek I quote Nietzsche: "If it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger". Thank you for making me stronger, for enabling me to develop skills I didn't even know I had. Thank you to all those who have shown their support over the years, with an understanding word just when it was needed. St Mary's has been a place which has welcomed my husband Sandy and our son Peter, and I thank you for that. Peter especially is sad that we are leaving, for he has made St Mary's his spiritual home, and even managed - just occasionally - to get you to clap with him when we sing "Shine, Jesus, shine"!

When we take our leave of you on August 14th it will not be easy to say goodbye, but I trust we shall be moving as a family into the future that is God's call upon our lives for the next phase of our ministry. The benefice to which I am going is known as the Eden, Gelt and Irthing team ministry so shall be team rector of three rivers! As well as the rivers there are nine parishes and ten churches, occupying an area of 150 square miles. It is of course a rural ministry: the total population is around 8,000 adults, which is not much larger than the parish of St Mary's. Half of these live in or around the market town of Brampton, the others in villages and in scattered communities and farms. We shall live in Brampton, in the vicarage which is opposite the church. If you want to discover more about Brampton, and you have access to the internet, click on http://www.stmartinsbrampton.org.uk. The church in Brampton is the only one built by the pre-Raphaelite architect, Philip Webb, and it boasts a William Morris screen and a fine collection of Burne-Jones windows.

As soon as I arrive, we shall need to draw up the job description for a team vicar, which will be part of the developing structure for the team. The first challenge will be how to organise the benefice with the resources available so that each parish is affirmed and cherished whilst becoming part of the whole. ‘Better Together’ will I hope be something that each parish will be able to say, though it may take sometime for us to get to that position.

On a practical note: Brampton is only a few miles east of the M6 motorway, on the Carlisle-Newcastle road, well-placed for those of you travelling to Scotland or indeed for a visit to Hadrian's Wall. The vicarage will have a guest room and you will be very welcome.

One of the main benefits for us moving to that part of the world is that we shall be so much nearer our family. My daughter and her husband and our young grandchild used to live in Skipton. That was far enough away, but now they are in St John's Chapel, in Weardale, in County Durham. From their village it is only 30miles to Brampton, admittedly up and over the Pennines, but making it possible to visit them for the day. And then we shall also be much nearer to my parents, with more possibility of seeing them, which has become increasingly important since my mother had a stroke at Easter which has left her unable to speak.

A great deal of thought and prayer has gone into making the difficult decision to move on. But I trust that as we move into the future God has planned for us, so it will open up new possibilities for the work and worship of the parishes of St Mary's and St Anne's in Moseley. There are of course regrets. One is that I will not be part of the decision making about the way in which the church building will be refurbished; but I look forward to returning for a visit when all is completed. Another is that I shall not be present to see the ending of the 600th celebrations this year. And a third is that I shall not be around to see the ministry of our new curate, Peter, blossom and grow as I am sure it will.

Dr Peter Hansell is to be made a deacon in the cathedral on July 3rd .In the evening we shall have an evensong of welcome for him and for his wife Anupama, who is herself ordained and serving as a curate in St Martin's- in- the- Bullring. Peter and Anupama hope to be moving into the curate's house in Woodrough Drive sometime in June. Peter's quiet, reflective approach. His willingness to listen and his academic ability are gifts that will enrich the worship and ministry of our church. I shall enjoy the three week induction period that I have planned to spend with Peter before we take our family holiday at the end of July.

Moseley is never a place that stands still, but a place which is always re-creating itself. May God bless you as you take the past into the future.

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