It is most definitely spring, and with spring come signs of life and growth. The garden, after all, is full of them. Perhaps that explains why we've been getting many of the moderately established but unwanted trees at St Geoffrey's hacked back, before they can continue in their unwanted growth.
At Poppleton New there are also signs of life. Not just the increasingly frantic scurrying of students, some of whom have realised they actually have a degree to study for rather than simply a night-life and a low-paid job to support it, but that dissertations are due any week and with exams to follow, earlier this year than has been common. More surprisingly I have been delighted and surprised that my attempts to encourage and support the Christian Alliance have resulted not only in a chance to speak to a regular meeting but also to speak to the International meeting as part of their campus crusade (chainmail optional!). And, as an upshot of preparing for that meeting I received a phone call on what would otherwise have been my day off and would otherwise have gone to my answering machine. From the secretary of Bishop Nigel no less, the suffragan Bishop of Brambling, "Can the bishop see you at University tomorrow at x.45pm?"
I can't say the communication was a total surprise, but it was still a little off-putting. I'd better explain. A few weeks back a colleague of mine pointed out that a rather nice University Chaplaincy post was up for grabs. It was, in fact, a post I'd considered applying for a few months ago. The reason I hadn't applied in the end was that it came up at the same time as the exceedingly good Diocesan Conference at Goosewell, when I realised that I would really rather stay in this diocese and plucked up the courage to speak to Bishop Rex about whether there were any possibilities. I had, however, heard nothing, and so decided when the post was re-advertised (something which seems to be happening too much lately) that I should go for it, although not before emailing Bishop Rex to let him know and ask whether anything was happening about making Poppleton New a Full-Time post. Interestingly, or providentially it was timed quite well for a Diocesan Staff Meeting, but that might have nothing to do with it.
So there I was, put on the spot by Bishop Nigel's secretary. Twenty-four hours notice and trying desperately not to second-guess bishops, who after all can travel in four directions, and all of them oblique!
I'm most pleased to report that Bishop Nigel had providentially seen our beloved Vice-Chancellor the day before, and, over the course of a wide-ranging discussion had broached the prospects of Poppleton New actually putting come money into the work of the Chaplaincy in the light of all the work it was doing and had received an encouraging response. (This comment to be noted in the light of the current 0.5 provision of yours truly and the need for institutional "buy-in"). Hence my hope and now-made appointment with our dear leader... And also, of course, the reason for almost-optimism in the Vicarage...
You heard it hopefully here first, but, of course you don't know who I am, or who the Bishop described as a "natural chaplain", and as the Vicar of St Geoffrey's Argleton would say, "I couldn't possibly comment". (But maybe, just maybe, after 5 years of groundwork things might be pulling together).
