Last Saturday I went to a little village in Staffordshire\ncalled Mavesyn Ridware, for the memorial service for my old university\nchaplain, Jonathan. Jonathan had been brought up there, but I knew him getting\non for 40 years ago, when I was a student at Dundee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After being a Chaplain, Jonathan was a vicar in different\nplaces in the Midlands, but what was striking was that there were 20 of us who\nhad come from around the country who had known Jonathan in his Dundee days, all\nthat time ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What was it that had made such an impact on us? It certainly\nwasn\u2019t that Jonathan was cool – he had been brought up at the Old Hall and he\ntalked with a rather posh accent, which we always teased him about. He didn\u2019t\nlook very impressive, with his drab cloths and understated manner, and he was\nquite traditional in many ways – as you can tell by the language he chose for\nhis service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But there was a warmth and genuineness about him – a serious\nconcern for you, along with an enjoyment of teasing and being teased. He really\ngot to know us – he cared for our souls. The friend and fellow priest who spoke\ntold how Jonathan described his ministry in Dundee as \u2018positive undermining,\ndoing irreparable good\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He certainly did irreparable good to us. Partly by\nintroducing us to some rich spiritual resources – taking us to Alnmouth Friary,\nand Iona, arranging Quiet Afternoons – which ended up being not very quiet –\nand leading a simple but profound communion service on Sundays at the\nChaplaincy, often followed by lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where did all of this come from? Well, Jonathan had talked to\na few of us about his experience as a child, of looking up at the church tower,\nand feeling that this was his home. He went to a Quaker school, and learnt\nabout silence there, but when we were getting all excited about charismatic\nrenewal he also revealed that he thought that he actually spoke in tongues, in\nthe bath. Despite his natural conservatism, he was open to the spirit in his\nministry, and in the conversations he had with us. It was more about being than\ndoing – somehow through his being he lived and shared the accepting love of\nGod. And he could be very practically helpful – he once lent me \u00a3100 – and I\nwasn\u2019t the only one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We heard some verses from Psalm 84 at the service: \u2018Blessed\nis the man – and woman – whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are thy ways\n– blessed is the one who putteth their trust in thee.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes we feel that we should be doing many things – we\nshould be achieving things, impressing people, creating a legacy. Jonathan did\ncreate a legacy, just by focussing on this one thing – putting his trust at a\nvery deep level in God, finding his strength in him, and walking in his ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So let us pray for the same grace\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We might light to think of those who have somehow, through\ntheir lives, allowed God\u2019s love to shine upon us\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Loving Father, we thank you for those who have shone your\nlove into our lives. We thank you for the way that their lives have spoken to\nus. May we honour their gift by the way that we live\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Loving Father, you call us to put our trust in you. Sometimes\nit\u2019s very hard. When we go through the vale of misery, may we find there also a\nwell from which we can draw life giving, healing water\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Loving father, may we be doorkeepers, holding wide the door\nof the home you invite us into – standing there to welcome those who hesitate\nor who don\u2019t feel good enough – making known through the way we are, your warm\nand accepting love\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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