A new year has come around again and what a year 2013 has been! I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my time at Cranmer Hall. I had some wonderful placements in the Summer:
- I learnt about Rural Ministry in the Ripon Deanery
- I spent two brilliant weeks at Bradford Cathedral – seeing the ordinations of deacons and priests and the installation of the new Dean Jerry Lepine
- I spent some time at the Greenbelt Festival with the Blessed team and then went on to Roborough Team Ministry in Plymouth to learn from the wonderful Fr Simon Rundell – an experience that will really influence my future ministry (and my choice of gin!)
My husband Paul graduated with a PhD from York University – I’m so proud. Then he went on to get a new job so we are moving to the North East where he will be consultant at St Benedict’s Hospice in Sunderland. I am going to be serving my curacy (I will be a curate for 4 years – that’s a trainee priest) in Houghton Le Spring at St Michael and All Angels – starting in July – I’m very excited, it’s a wonderful community. My ordination as deacon, God-willing, will be on 29th June 2014 in Durham Cathedral.
I am also going to be writing a book for DLT – here’s the blurb:
According to popular culture in Britain vicars are either bumbling (if they’re male) or simply love curlywurlies (if they’re female), Christians are old (usually), stuck in the past, obsessed with sex and always take the moral high ground. This book explores why these stereotypes exist – some are satire, some are pure nostalgia, some are just toe-curlingly accurate! The church has provided a rich seam for comedians to mine, some great characters for crime fiction and nostalgic storylines for soap operas. How do Christians feel about their portrayal in the media? What does it mean when Christians laugh along with the stereotypes or get incensed at misrepresentation?
Look out for it in 2015.
I’m not one for making New Year’s Resolutions but the last couple of years I have resolved to try and have more fun – a good way to start a new year I think!
Here’s wishing you a very Happy New Year!
New Year Prayer
Here’s a prayer for the new year taken from the Loyola Press:
God, thank you for a new year. May we all be willing to begin anew with a clean slate. We know that you are always ready to forgive us. Help us to be willing to forgive ourselves and to forgive one another.
As we begin a new year, remind us of our truest values and our deepest desires. Help us to live in the goodness that comes from doing what you want us to do. Help us to put aside anxiety about the future and the past, so that we might live in peace with you now, one day at a time.
Amen.
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Finally, thank you for reading my blog, it wouldn’t be the same without you!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for my blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 23,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 9 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Bryony Taylor 