MONDAY

Read new colleague’s “Gardening Tips” with interest, hoping to find inspiration for coming season. As husband gave me new gloves for Christmas (an unusual pair in luminous yellow leather) to go with the rather sharp looking hand fork from son, I’m obviously well prepared for a Fresh Start. Haven’t yet managed to fumigate greenhouse, but sitting room has been done several times already, thanks to new supposedly-improved chimney cowl recently fitted by builders, who’ve been here on and off since November generally creating havoc and a new patio that looks more like a helicopter pad.

TUESDAY

Spend morning in parish Office attempting to help fellow curate bind service sheets into cohesive whole. As traditionalist collator refuses to deal with chalk and cheese, exercise turns into ideal opportunity to practice team work and clerical bonding – much to the amusement of Ashburton Parish Secretary and priest in charge who turn up half way through. Can’t remember who said it, but the names “Laurel and Hardy” were mentioned. . .

WEDNESDAY

Having generously passed over responsibility for drawing up service rotas to new colleague, feel strangely bereft. Try hard to fulfil the part-time nature of my contract by reading detective novel, completing a borrowed jigsaw puzzle in record time, repotting last year’s somewhat neglected seedlings, knitting a jumper, grappling with a tapestry elephant and generally getting under husband’s feet. Finally realise that I’m probably suffering from a minor crisis of identity brought on by Fresh Start. Decide that with Lent approaching now’s a good time to go back to basics, so, mindful of Ignatius of Loyola, put aside the detective stories and pick up book on Quantum Theology instead.

THURSDAY

Get really excited about light waves and quarks and butterflies and black holes and string theory. Look forward to sharing some of this enthusiasm with congregation on Sunday – a perfect opportunity to engage with the mysteries of God, Creation, Incarnation and the story of the Transfiguration. Well, perhaps not all at once, but it is high time that we reclaimed the truth of some of our religious myths and stories now that postmodern scientists are also beginning to see the light.

FRIDAY

Organ in Holne is seen to after it refuses to join in half-way through priest-in-charge’s first evensong in parish. Not sure of the significance of this, but smile when fault turns out to be a failure of the string holding it together. Make note to lend Philip book on Quantum Theology so that he doesn’t lose the thread again.

SATURDAY

Spend morning at Princetown meeting to review local union with Methodists. An interesting exercise in how to weave a useful rope from different threads without it unravelling at one end whilst you’re happily plaiting away at the other. Get back in time for meeting with couple about tying another sort of knot, which turns into fascinating discussion of life, the universe and everything.

SUNDAY

Am amazed when twenty-eight people turn up at afternoon meeting to talk about Fresh Start and Moving on in Mission and Ministry. Visions of the future range from ripping out pews, worshipping together every week, to putting in loos. Suspect that there might be a considerable number of dead bodies to climb over before some of these can actually be put into practice, but as atmosphere was generally positive, look forward to new era of connection and co-operation - inspired and enabled by a Holy Spirit that sets us free to walk together in quantum light.

Copyright © 2005 Corynne Cooper.

Back to Top