lurchersontheedge

Between my colleague and myself, when Christmas Eve arrives, we will have conducted eleven funerals in 10 days (less if you discount the intervening weekend).

Each funeral was a tragedy, even when death was described as a release. I happen to be with the Apostle Paul that death should be described as an ‘enenmy’. No one who has heard the final ‘wail’ of someone grieving when curtains close or do not close in a chapel following the prayer of committal will not have had their common humanity touched to the core.

I wonder how others cope with such a touching?

To those of my generation of a certain musical persuasion, the edge is, naturally, part of great rock band U2. To those who would share my gentle evangelical catholic spirituality, the edge embraces the place that Jesus of Nazareth seems to have occupied during his life and ministry.

I am on the edge for a number of reasons: I am in Bartley Green, which is an outer estate area of the edge of Birmingham. I am on the edge of that estate because as one of the members of my congregation puts it, ‘you have too many books to live around here’. In English terms, I am a middle class educated professional living in a working class patch. I am also on the edge because I am a priest. Priests within the Church of England used to be at the centre. That is not true anymore, we are sometimes sought out for spiritual wisdom; although people tend sadly to go elsewhere for such resources instead of to Christian ministers.

The edge is a good place to be. It can be uncomfortable, but you can with such a view from being on the edge see much more than from residing in the middle. With such sight, words can be spoken after ears have listened.

I am glad to be on the edge… what about you?

I am a priest in the Church of England. I find I enjoy being a priest. I am not particularly interested in some of the current debates going on within the Church of England or wider Anglican Communion. This is not because I do not care, but at present they deviate from what I see as my primary goal, and incidentally the primary goal of the Church, which is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What is this Gospel? It is that ultimately God loves people and is there for people, alongside people, and this has been especially revealed in Jesus Christ.

Why is this website so named? I have two lurchers who keep me sane, and we live on the edge of Birmingham. I like living on the edge; it suits my personality to be on the edge looking in; sometimes going into the middle but not have to stay there.

Enough for now.

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!