As a single person, I am used to silence; as an introvert, I positively relish it. Silence is however rarely total. As I write this, alone, I am aware of the wind blowing outside, the faint hum from the central heating in the house. One of the most magical silences I regularly experience is being alone in a church; to hear the birdsong, the bleating of sheep, perhaps less romantically, the sound of traffic or a plane in the sky. As a vicar, I wish I could tell you that this is when I hear God speaking to me. I don't and the more I try to be holy, the worse it gets. The silence is broken in my head by a babble of voices as I relive past triumphs and disasters. Better just to enjoy the silence. But, as a vicar, I also believe that God is ever-present. God enjoys silence as much as I do; it is not necessary for him/her to be constantly chattering to me. Somehow through that very silence when I am simply enjoying it, God is transfusing into me and strengthening me. The language of God is indeed silence.
We are delighted to welcome the Rev Kina Robertshaw as our new rector, who was formally installed as rector of all the parishes in our benefice on April 18th. Kina was previously Associate Minister at Bromyard where she gained considerable experience of working in rural communities. Kina was born in Angola and left home at 17. She was a successful entrepeneur in the fashion industry until she started to train for full-time ministry. She carried out research on Christian entrepreneurs for a master's degree and has co-authored a book on the subject. Kina can be recognised by her broad smile, her enthusiasm for meeting and talking to people and her dog, which she takes for walks. For those who want to know more about Kina, her website is Kina Robertshaw