November Notes from the Vicarage Garden,
Yesterday, I was mainly clearing drains in the rain. Damp on the walls and mould in the electrical cupboard suggested there might be a problem, but even so, my intrepid colleague and I were slightly shocked at the amount of soil, pebbles and yes, plant roots that had backlogged the drains. Clearly a job that had not been done for a while. And not a job I had imagined myself doing as a vicar either. As I lay in a muddy puddle, water overflowing from my gloves and even more unpleasantly, trickling down one armpit, I tried to recall if it had ever been mentioned during the ordained ministry selection process, or if I had somehow missed the lecture on unblocking church drains?
Every job worth doing, every project worth undertaking, includes tasks we would rather avoid. The unglamorous routine stuff that perhaps doesn’t seem particularly important (not many souls saved for Christ while unblocking drains) but nevertheless causes significant problems if left undone.
Likewise, November can feel like the month we would rather avoid. It begins with the annual Bereavement Service (2nd November @ 4pm in St Anne’s) continues with Remembrance Sunday (10th November 10.15 St Anne’s & 5pm, Holy Trinity). On the 25th November (IAWM) International Anglican Women’s Network launch 16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women (more information can be found on the Anglican Communion Website) when we have time to recall the work of women and men responsible for the many forms of mission and ministry aimed at ending and preventing violence against women and girls. November leads into the Christian season of Advent and we prepare for Christmas celebrations by considering the four last things; Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell. Which, as the nights get longer, is enough to make anyone want to crawl under the duvet and stay there...
And yet, and yet,
...something amazing happens when we face our worst fears; our mortality, our sadness, the human capacity for dreadful deeds... just like degunging a blocked drain and watching the water start to flow again, we are able to begin to move from despair to hope. Despite the deeply serious themes of Advent, this is a season characterised by expectation, rather than morbid introspection, as we wait for God to fulfill his promises of abundant life through the birth of Jesus Christ. We begin again the journey to Easter, to the Cross, and beyond the Cross (for the journey doesn’t end there in despair) to new joy, life and an earth renewed and restored by Love. For as the Biblical poet writes; Love is stronger than death, many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. (Song of Songs/Song of Solomon ch. 8 vs 6-7). Hurrah to unblocked drains, so worth doing.
