A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care

Science Fiction Books I enjoy: Frank Herbert's Dune

'A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care.'

Thus begins the story of the book.


I prefer reading to television because it requires more imagination and with reading and radio the pictures are so much better. Television does it all for you, and fails to engage the imagination in quite the same way.

As I write this the nights are cold, and frosty, new shoots on plants have died, and spring seems a long time coming. The grass has had its first cuts, and the garden bins are being collected.

Our world is changing around us, though whether we will notice the difference is a moot point. Of course I am thinking of the coalition government and the appointment of the cabinet and of junior ministerial posts. The beginning is a delicate time, and we do well to remember to pray for politicians.

Churches change, it is part of the nature of human society that they change less slowly than any other organisation, but they do change whether we like it or not and whether we oppose that change or not. Our national church, the Church of England is a very different animal than it was 20 years ago, and the discussion at General Synod in July about Women Bishops will lead eventually (in 2014 at the earliest) to the appointment of women bishops. Some of my colleagues from college from 1990-1993 are in elevated positions in the church as their bishops seem to queue women candidates for the episcopate ready for the legislation to be passed. Very good ministers of the gospel they are too.

Our diocese continues to change, and the Church of England Boundaries Commission which reports in July this year may recommend no changes, or might recommend that a diocese for the whole of Yorkshire is formed. I can see no rationale worthy of keeping Wakefield, Bradford and Sheffield dioceses as they are, and with three months reserves or less and huge operating deficits with collection rates in Wakefield Diocese for quota / common fund being the lowest in the Church of England plainly there is something wrong.

How will the Church change? Will it have to change locally as well as nationally, will we notice the difference, and will we mind? Those are a few thoughts to ponder as our nation marks a new beginning and an end of one era and the beginning of another.

May God bless you, your friend and vicar,
Adrian