A place to learn and grow

Rod and Claire after the service

Rod, the Vicar, may well be retiring imminently, but members of the Priory continue to respond to God’s call to licensed and ordained ministry. Currently, three of the congregation are in training at the Queen’s Foundation, in Birmingham.

Claire is training to be a Licensed Lay Minister (Reader), Gilly and Philippa are ordinands…and Gilly will be ordained Deacon in Worcester Cathedral in under four weeks’ time…more to follow, in due course.

Claire took a significant step in her training yesterday, when she gave her first sermon at the 10.30 Parish Communion. Armed with notes, having distributed the all-important Queen’s Feedback Forms to a selection of clergy and laity, and surrounded by the love and prayers of Priory folk, she preached on Mark 2 23 - 3 6 and Deuteronomy 5 12-15.

Rules! Illustrated by Claire’s childhood games with her sister of Teacher and Pupil and Doctor and Patient (where, as the younger sibling, she was always the pupil and the patient!) she unfolded the Pharisees’ challenge of Jesus over the disciples actions as they plucked heads of grain in the cornfield on the sabbath and shared the implications for us all, today.

Claire’s sermon built beautifully on Rod’s talk for the children, where he brought his vintage Subbuteo table-top-football game as an illustration of rules. It certainly did seem complex, as when offered the chance to ‘have a go’, all the children declined, to a spontaneous outburst of laughter from the congregation.

The first Sunday after Trinity ended with a gentle, peaceful, evening Holy Communion - the Service of Healing and Wholeness, where the individual prayer needs of the congregation were shared with prayer partners.