One more step....

Today is the 30^th September 2012, and in just over an hour, I will begin to lead my final service as Vicar of Ollerton and Boughton, and as a stipendiary priest, and tomorrow, I will officially be classed as a pensioner.

 And this is after almost 44 years of work.

 I joined National Westminster Bank at the very beginning of 1969, had my first tested call to ordination to the priesthood turned down in the mid 70’s, and then, having vowed I would never go through it again, left the Bank in 1988 after a positive selection conference a year before.

Salisbury and Wells Theological College beckoned, and  Sue, Daniel, Duncan Charlotte and I all moved south, and so began the preparation for, and the experience of ordained ministry.

My ministry as an ordained man started on 1 July 1990, when I was ordained deacon in Southwell Minster by Bishop Patrick Harris, who also ordained me a priest a year later in Hyson Green, Nottingham.

And this ministry has seen me serve as Curate at St Leonard’s Wollaton, in the suburbs of Nottingham, and then as Vicar of Clarborough and Hayton, near Retford, for half time, with the rest as an assistant Chaplain at Ranby Prison.

Then for over 10 years as Vicar of Rainworth and Blidworth followed by my 4 years at Ollerton and Boughton.

From today my ministry continues – it most certainly doesn’t finish, it just changes pace, to allow for my medical condition, through which I am convinced God continues to speak, not just to me, but to those I come into contact with.

Last Sunday I was indeed at a lunch in Wollaton for Chris, a priest and a friend with whom I worked alongside in those early ordained years for me at Wollaton.

He was leaving to move south in retirement, with his wife Lynn.  How great it was to see so many faces I remember from a parish I left over 19 years ago.  And they remembered me, (and told Sue she looked even younger!) and made us both to feel so welcomed once again.

After Wollaton, I had my first parishes of Clarborough and Hayton, just outside Retford, and this coupled with being Assistant Chaplain at HMP Ranby.

Before I went to train for ordination, I had never set foot inside a prison, so when choices had to be made for my 6 week residential placement in London, it was the prison service I wanted to experience.

HMP Holloway is where I went, and I loved it! I learnt more there, I think, than anywhere.  Inmates didn’t have two heads, or weren’t any more violent than they are on the “out”. 

The greatest lesson I learnt there, and in my 5 years at Ranby, is never to judge a person by their outward appearance, or “pigeon hole” them or label them, by preconceived images.

Some friends from Clarborough Hayton are coming to the service today, and to the “do” afterwards. 

How interesting it is that my dear friend Mark, who was a teacher at Lake View in Rainworth when I went to be Vicar of Rainworth and Blidworth in 1998, and following our many discussions was ordained himself, is currently Vicar of Clarborough, along with many other parishes, and my association with Clarborough and especially its Vicarage, which is the best Vicarage we have lived in, continues to this day and into retirement.

I moved to Rainworth and Blidworth having been inspired in part by Tony Blair’s election victory in 1997.

As much as I loved it in the Retford area, I wanted another challenge, so I applied, was interviewed, and spent a happy 10 years there. 

Rainworth and Blidworth - two ex-mining Communities – communities which I love, because of their honesty and sense of reality, communities torn apart by the events of the 1980’s, communities which God will never abandon.

We had lived in a mining Community, Cotgrave while I was working in the Bank, and we lived there through the 1984 miners’ strike.

Rainworth and Blidworth were good times, with the usual amount of upsets and extra challenges, and sadnesses, but once again, after 10 years, I wanted another challenge.

I still have many friends in Rainworth and Blidworth, and whilst I won’t be getting involved in the churches there, I do hope to keep connected with my friends, and I am looking forward so much to moving back on 16^th October 2012.

So wanting one last challenge, I applied for Ollerton and Boughton which had been vacant for a while.

The Archdeacon tried to dissuade me, but I was convinced this is where I wanted God to send me, which I still think, so after a stiff interview, I was licenced on 21^st September 2008.

This move also meant that Sue could still continue with her work as Post Office Manager in Bilsthorpe – a job which she loves, and which money is going to be so needed in my retirement.

Ollerton is not a place at peace with itself, and there are many issues which have raised their heads whilst I have been here. 

It is a large ex-mining community, which was torn apart by the strike in 1984, as families were bitterly divided between NUM and UDM – and I have conducted many funerals while I have been here, when a brother, or brothers have not attended, because of the rift caused by one being in NUM and the other in UDM.

I have often been asked whether I regret coming here.      You bet I don’t! 

There are some wonderful people here, and we have done some good things, which can often get lost in our memories through difficulties and struggles, and some silly situations which can get blown up out of all proportion.

What I do regret is having to cut my proposed length of ministry here from 10 years, to 4 years, and my initial task remains uncompleted.

From 1 November I will have a permission to officiate licence from the Bishop and occasionally I will be leading worship in this deanery in parishes which don’t have a vicar.

I am also going to be offering more spiritual direction to people who seek it, and need it, and also I hope to be  helping out wherever I can as a priest.

So what has been right at the core of my faith which has brought me this far through life, both as a bank official and as a Church of England Minister?

Those words from Isaiah 43, which I will take as my text in 2 hours’ time for my last sermon here.

“I have called you by name, you are mine”

- words which are right at the core of my Faith.

Words that God whispers into my ear, and into your ears.

Words that God whispers into the ears of us all - English, German, American, Russian, Iranian, Afghan,  black or white, male or female, straight or gay, those who have plenty, those who have nothing, those are opposites or enemies, and those who live in harmony.

Two weeks ago in our Gospel reading we heard Jesus ask his disciples, “who do you say I am?”, or in other words what do you think of me? – and until we can get that question right, we shall just stagnate in our faith, and eventually see it die.

Today, as I move on, I want to turn that question around.

I want to say to myself – “Who does Jesus think I am, who does God think you are – what does Jesus really think of you, what does Jesus really think of me?

Now there’s a question!

Two weeks to go!

Two weeks to go to retirement, and to be honest, I don't know what to feel.  Still very much involved with the day to day running of the parish, and with all the major life threatening issues which demand so much of my time, like whether an organist who isn't playing at a wedding, gets paid or not, for not playing.  And where are the hymn numbers for this Sunday?


Big issues like how can we raise more money to keep going, or do we need three churches in our parish when we can't even fill one, let alone keep one going financially, fail to attract any attention for action.  I suppose arguing about who puts out the church's wheelie-bin is more important to people!


And this impacts for me on the sermon I have just prepared for tomorrow morning.  Text "Jesus says 'who do people say I am?'"  I am asking the good people of Ollerton and Boughton that question tomorrow - it will be interesting to hear their responses, because sometimes, with some people, I really do wonder!

Two weeks to go to retirement, and I ask myself whether I will miss it all ....you bet I will.  This is the best job in the  world, and I just love the variety of people and issues I get involved with - my big regret for me is that I have to retire 6 years earlier than I had planned (at the age of 61 and after only 4 years here) because of my cancer.  But to be fair to myself, and to my family and my friends, the fight with cancer has to take priority, and I am so greatful that the Bishop and the Church of England have agreed that I can take early retirement on a pension that I would have got at the age of 65.

I shall be moving back to Rainworth, although I won't be involved in that church where I was vicar before I moved here.  I am hoping to help out in other parishes as much as my health allows, but of course being on a pension, I can decide how much that is.  Email me if you want my new address and phone number - richardgoodhand@gmail.com.

Friends are very important to me.  I have spoken on my blog at length about how much I love my family, and all they mean to me, especially Sue and our 3 wonderful children. But my friends also mean so much, and have kept me going through even the darkest moments.

My Mondays with Mark and Kathryn, Neil, Martin, David, Tom, to name just 6 of my many dear friends.

And last night I went to Lincoln to have a curry with my two oldest friends (oldest in the sense of the number of years we have been friends - 53 years) John and Peter.  It was so good to be with them, and to look back on life, and look forward to things of the future - Peter (who is a few months younger than me, and who has already retired) has said he will come with me on a few Railway days out, which will be good - but as I drove home I thought I hope I don't become like some character off "Last of the Summer Wine!".

Our holiday in Cornwall and Anglesey went very well - we had a lovely time.  Sadness since, though, in that Daniel and Louise have split up.   All Sue and I can do is to be there for them.

Been in quite a bit of pain, particularly at night, but this has now subsided a bit.   Oramorph has helped.

9 days into new drug - Everolimus - oncologist this Wedensday, so we will see how things are then.

Plenty has happened since I last blogged.   Much of it I have reported as fact, rather than my thoughts behind it.  Much is about to happen. 

Next Friday, for example, I am being interviewed by BBC Radio Nottingham - hope I don't mnake a mess of it!

At the start of the year, if you had said to be I would be retired by October, I wouild have laughed at them, and said never!

But I have learned never to say "never". 

Quite looking forward to retirement now, as long as I have plenty to do, and am able to do it.

If I can help anyone, as a priest, as a friend, or as a family member, you only have to ask me - I will do whatever I can while there is still life in me to be lived.