Mayor making

 

I'm supposed to be retired, but due to a set of circumstances, I found myself attending the local mayor making to act as the new Mayors chaplain. I was leading worship at St Hugh's, which I do very occasionally, while we await a new vicar. It just so happened that Sunday there was someone I didn't recognise in the congregation. It turned  out to be someone I had spoken to on the phone when undertaking  research about our community, as we explore future uses for our building. It was Kieron our local town councillor, district councillor and county councillor. He has had a long association with the church. Chatting about various matters he said he was going to be made mayor in a  couple of weeks and had hoped the new vicar could act a s chaplain. "He wont be in place till end of summer I'm afraid" I said, and then almost as an after thought I said "I'll do it if that helps"  Be careful what you offer!!

So I found myself sitting int the Town Hall as people gathered for the mayor making. It has been tradition for part of a Psalm 84:9-12 to be read so I duly obliged and then was able to observe everything taking place. It was encouraging to see how in fact Banbury is far more multicultural than some may think. The councillors reflected this mix and that includes people of different faiths.

This all took me back to my early ministry in St Ives in Cambridgeshire where I was mayor's chaplain for at leat one if not two years. The encouragement of such events is to see how people are willing to serve their own communities, and for many to rise above party politics.

However, as much as I enjoyed the event, is was really refreshing to then slip away, in the full knowledge I didn't have to represent the church and mingle as part of that community building you do as a local minister. But that didn't stop the unexpected encounter. Walking back from the town hall in my hardly used dog collar I was stopped by a man "hello Father  or Vicar" who wanted to talk about life. We ended the conversation agreeing how good it would be if all people could accept each other. 

Well we are getting a new vicar so I'll be able to just fade once more into retirement!!!

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