Sunday: Lovely Prophets at the Cathedral event with challenging message about importance of pacifism. News that a vicar has resigned.
Monday: Quiet day working from home. Archbishop rings at tea-time. Voting is complete. Majority is replete. Letter of Offer coming.
Tuesday: Sign Letter of Offer. Meet Charlie Gates of The Press for interview. Think that goes well. Sign Declarations with my father as witness. Am now officially "Bishop-elect of Christchurch." Media release. Work afternoon tea. Lovely photo of Teresa and me on the Stuff website.
Wednesday: Buy two copies of the Press to take to Auckland. Dad and me are on the front page. Interviewed by Susie Ferguson of Morning Report over my phone while in airport departure lounge. Not as scary as I thought it would be. Fly to Auckland for two day meeting at ST John's College.
Thursday: Check Morning Report files on internet. No interview to be seen. Either I am Mr Boring or the announcements at the airport made for poor sound quality. Memo to self: arrange interview times not to coincide with airport lurking. Conduct another radio interview. Everyone asks about the cathedral and about same-sex blessings. My colleague whom I have shared a room with says I will never need to share a room again. He is right: there are too many emails and I will need to get up at 5 am when away.
Friday: Post Ordination Training but I cannot make the whole day. Meet with Archbishop Philip x2 in the afternoon. Then to the TC for a celebration of the signing of the Cathedral joint venture agreement - it is the joint venture agreement which means I do not have to work out which mix of mortar is best for the cathedral reinstatement.
Saturday: believe it or not, I get some gardening done. Potatoes planted on 1 September. Strawberries too.
Sunday: Lovely service at St Aidan's Bryndwr. News that another vicar has resigned.
There have been some ups and downs in my first week as bishop-elect but overall Teresa and I have this amazing, and unexpected excitement about the role and about the future of the Diocese.
5 comments:
Just another day in the office then : ) enjoy synod and I hope you don’t loose any more vicars it seems like they are having a tendency of late to wander off!
I only just heard about your promotion, Peter. Congratulations, prayers and best wishes for your new role.
Congratulations on your election. I met your grandmother at All Souls, Langham Place when I was on staff some 50 years ago!!! I will always hold Christchurch in my heart. May you encourage my home church All Saints, Hokitika. I will be praying for you. Www.tedschroder.com
Nice to see a comment here from Ted Schroder. I've never met the gentleman but I did once hear John Stott say that this "wild colonial" with his brash Antipodean ways helped drag Stott and All Souls into the 20th century. By that I think he meant 'engage (as a faithful evangelical) with the world as it really is'. Thereafter Stott would regularly talk about 'the necessity of dual listening: listening to the Word and listening to the world'.
William
Dear Ted
Thank you for your kind words. I know your were a great friend to my uncle and aunt, Dale and Marie Oldham.
Best,
Peter
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