This week I attended a service at Christ Church, Julian Road, Bath to welcome and install a newly appointed priest in charge. Heather is new to the diocese, and this was a great celebration. Christ Church plays an important part in the Christian life of Bath and has a long-standing relationship with the University Chaplaincy. The Church’s profile, in a section entitled ‘Who we are … ‘ says “Bath has many churches, yet we believe we have a valuable place amongst them. No single church’s worship and community can fully encompass every aspect of God’s nature and Christ’s ministry and there are certain aspects we believe we have a calling to express’.
These aspects include welcome and hospitality, an intention to explore and debate our faith to learn together, the appreciation of beauty (both music and liturgy) and inclusion. They say ‘we do not discriminate on any level on ground of economic power, gender, mental health, age, family configuration, physical ability, race or sexuality’.
The sense of celebration that these services always give was, however, affected by our thoughts. There were about 12 guests with a variety of ministries in churches, in this diocese and Salisbury. As we priests robed up, we began to share our feelings and morale. We were talking about the Church of England, and words that echoed around were pensive, disappointed and very sad, disheartened, dismayed, angry and borderline incredulous.
Bishop Ruth led the installation. It was her first week back in the diocese after about a year in Coventry. She was her usual encouraging and buoyant self and did much to make the evening such a happy occasion.
The next day the heaviness persisted in me. I spoke to my colleague Chaplain Joe about this as we walked the grounds of the campus. I realised that we are all carrying quite a lot of hurt and concern and how difficult it was to stay positive. We have a tradition on these walks to pause at a certain point and read some scripture and pray. I asked Joe if he had a verse in mind. After a moment’s thought he suggested a verse from Psalm 34
The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’
Joe is from Fiji and has a beautify reading voice. I asked him to read it twice. It was a verse that was spot on for me at that moment and we had some deep prayer together.
My spirts restored, we continued our walk. For me there is no shame or failure in having low days. Rather, it helps us recognise what we do carry. It also shows the importance of working with others and how we are called to support each other at such times. And this is perhaps one of the roles of a Chaplain. One of my foundation verses is:
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, so that we overflow with Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13 in the first person)
And overflow with hope we must; this in turn will help those we meet.
Revd Nigel Rawlinson, University Chaplain
6th February 2025
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