So, the last service at Dibley. Very well attended - a good smattering of lunch club folk and a few ex-members of the church as well as the interim moderator joined us for our last service together. I was especially touched that someone on the fringe of the church who has a terminal illness was able to be with us.
As you can see, we are in a school hall, surrounded by PE equipment and have had to block out the sunlight so that the projector wil be effective given where the screen is currently located.
Unusually it took two photos to fit everyone on.
The photos were taken after the final blessing, as I have a thing about photos being taken during worship!
At the end of the service we had a lovely cake to share and, porkine pandemic influenza or not, we had lots of hugs!
In a service of four mini-sermonettes, we focussed on
- John 3:30 'he must increase and I must decrease'
- Luke 4: 16 - 21 the Nazareth manifesto
- James 2:26 'faith without deeds is dead'
- John 20:17a 'do not cling to me'
I think it worked.
I leave Dibley job jobbed and, hopefully, God glorified.
Comments
Pastoral leaving is itself a spiritual experience Catriona. The very relationships that constitute pastoral commitment, make of your leaving an act of trust - entrusting to God the people who called you to Dibley and trusting that your time with them has been to their good and God's glory - which surely it has been. And then entrusting yourself to God and a new community where relationships have to start all over again. Who would do this unless sure of God's call and help? God bless you Catriona, and make you for blessing.