‘And Finally………..’
This well-known ‘catchphrase’, used regularly by newscaster Sir Trevor McDonald for many years as he concluded presenting his TV news programme, feels strikingly apropos for me as I write this final column for the benefice’s Parish News, drawing to a close more than 23 years of serving as Vicar of Alrewas with Fradley and Wychnor – as I now rapidly approach my final day of over 40 years of stipendiary ministry on the 30th day of September and begin a new chapter in my life as a retired Vicar!
Although I’ve certainly used plenty of words throughout my ministry in both the United States (as a Lutheran Pastor) and for the past 33 years serving in the Lichfield Diocese of the Church of England, on this occasion I’m finding it strangely difficult to find the words which can truly capture the many deep emotions and cherished memories I have of worshipping, working and serving with the wonderful communities and residents of our three special villages!
Suffice to say, I have felt incredibly honoured and grateful to be part of your lives during the time I and my family have had the privilege of residing in this special benefice; I wish to share my deepest personal thanks and appreciation to all in our three churches as well as communities for your friendship and support, which has indeed sustained and energized us in continued ministerial service over the decades.
I also wish to express my sincere gratitude to both the ordained and lay colleagues I’ve had the immense joy of working alongside over these many years – your unique contributions have blessed our shared ministries and endeavours immeasurably!!
Relieved that this column will not be the final opportunity to share thoughts and feelings (my family and I are looking forward to the numerous exciting events we’ll be sharing with you throughout September!), I wish to offer reflections on three specially selected words which I hope will be a reminder of the heart of my own Christian faith and conviction which I’ve endeavored to offer you over these precious years together, and which I hope will continue to sustain and empower you long after I have completed my time with you:
‘Love’ - more times than I can possibly calculate, I’ve had the joy of sharing with you my all-time favourite Bible passage which, for me, is the heart of the Good News of Christianity and the ‘vital key’ for our faith and hope:
‘Beloved, let us love one another, for God is Love….
Anyone who loves is born of God, and knows God…
No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another,
God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.’ (I John 4: 7ff)
To believe and trust that God’s very ‘DNA’ is that spirit of Love which is truly unconditional, unchanging and unending, is the key to releasing us from fear and anxiety, and empowering us with hope and strength beyond our own ability….the assurance of God’s loving presence and power sets us free to live our lives ‘to the full’, ‘abundantly’!
‘Affirmation’ - When I was being ordained in the USA to serve as a Lutheran Pastor, a very wise professor told us that ‘the stole a Priest is privileged to wear signifies the power to affirm others….’ My subsequent ministry has been profoundly shaped by this insight!
The fact is, each and every one of us needs, and longs for, affirmation – the assurance that (to give some examples) you are ‘one of a kind’, utterly unique in the universe, loved and valued by God more than you could ever imagine; that your unique being and contribution in this world matters to God and all those whose lives we touch.
This truth is beautifully expressed in the following anonymous quotation:
There is an old Christian tradition
that God sends each person into this world
with a special message to deliver,
with a special song to sing for others,
with a special act of love to bestow.
No one else can speak my message,
or sing my song,
or offer my act of love…..
these are entrusted only to me.
I most sincerely hope that the assurance of the value and importance of you as a beloved human being liberates you to deliver your message, sing your song, bestow your special act of love…..and that your love and value for others helps them to feel similarly affirmed, and be set free to affirm others too!
‘Dash’ – Those of you who have attended a funeral I have conducted over these many years will possess ‘insider knowledge’ about this third special word! It’s not in this case a reference to running in a race, nor a grammatical symbol – it refers to a very precious and powerful poem called ‘The Dash’ (written by Linda Ellis, and readily available on the internet) which I’ve felt privileged to share in many funerals as we’ve reflected on the significance and impact of the life that beloved person lived whilst on planet Earth, and challenging us to think seriously about the significance of that ‘little line’ between our own birth date and death date, and how we spend ‘our dash’ – including how we would wish to be remembered by others, and what lasting impact we would want our life and love to have on those around us.
Elaine Dolman, of Alrewas, completely surprised me with a very personal, hand—crafted tapestry she made in honour of my retirement by stitching the words of The Dash poem and surrounding it with a variety of things associated with my ministry in the benefice (including my musical rainbow waistcoat!). I am deeply grateful to you, Elaine, for this fabulous and amazing gift, which certainly has helped me contemplate my own ‘dash’….I hope this inspirational poem helps each of us to be ‘intentional’ with the way we live and spend our own ‘dash’ in ways which bless others with love, affirmation, and abundance of life – and puts a big smile on God’s face in the process!
And finally….. whilst I hope these ‘three key words’ speak personally to you, I sincerely hope I will have the joy of meeting and speaking with you ‘in person’ in the weeks leading up to 30th September – that will provide me with the greatest gift of all!
With the assurance of my love, prayers, friendship and every blessing - Vicar John