From Rock Singer To Hymns Ancient And Modern

These reflections contain an account of my personal journey during the first three years as Team Vicar with charge of two delightful rural churches, Holy Cross & St Mary, Quainton and All Saints, Oving.

We often fall into the trap of approaching life with pre-conceived ideas and mis-conceptions about people and situations that we’ve never really encountered. And all this is often driven by the media.

The only encounter I ever really had with rural church was watching the Vicar of Dibley on TV. I’m not naive enough to believe that’s the way it really is, but you can understand why I was worried – and intrigued.

The fact is that the people I have come to know and love in these beautiful villages are nothing like the people of Dibley!

I learn from them in so many ways, and have come to appreciate God working in the most unlikely places and through people who give so much to the community.

Stay with me and I’ll share with you many of the things I have discovered – mistakes made, lessons learned, and victories won!

Along the way I discover some important truths about myself and how to be effective as a priest in rural ministry. I discover that what I thought were my strengths, are actually weaknesses in this new assignment.

I learn lessons as my preconceived ideas about the traditional Anglican church are shot out of the water. I am educated into the value of real community and take a dip into the waters of choral Evensong.

Peoples’ names have been changed to protect the innocent (and the guilty!) – you know who you are!

Let’s get started.