My archdeacon said recently that ‘I was born to be the vicar of Holy Island’. I will take it as a compliment: all good remarks need to be embraced when someone is in ministry. On 22 August, I will have served 6 months as the Vicar and Team Leader of the Bro Cybi Ministry Area. You can find the official record of what has been happening here: http://bangor.churchinwales.org.uk/news/2014/05/bro-cybis-journey-1/

I think ‘born to be’ is a little too strong, but at present I am called to be the vicar of this glorious place, just as previously I would say that I was called to be the vicar of Bartley Green, a place of much gladness and one that I did not actually want to leave.

Six months in: what has happened?

I think there will be an official blog entry with a list of achievements coming soon. I think the most important thing we have done is to have begun to listen to each other. It is not a task that come easy to most of us. Listening and vocation go hand in hand. Vocation, I think, comes from the word “voce”, “voice”: we need to hear. In order to hear, we need to make space.

That is probably what the last six months have been about: making space.