Dear Friends

When I was first ordained I had a clear idea of what it would mean to be a successful Vicar. By those standards I have failed miserably! Thankfully I have decided that those standards were both unrealistic and had little to do with what this weird job called Vicaring is all about. Far more importantly, I am not sure they even had much to do with being a Christian or a good person.

It turns out that it is not my job to persuade and cajole totally uninterested people into coming to church- lovely though it would be if I was successful at that. Instead I think I am on this earth to love God, love my neighbour, and perhaps along the way others might think that looks like an attractive way to live.

As you may have guessed this will be my last article as the Vicar of St Blazey and Luxulyan, and its inevitable that I am going to get a little misty-eyed and nostalgic about the last 8 years. It’s a good thing to reflect every now and then and to ask “What could I have done better?” That doesn’t need to mean a dose of self-flagellation, more a simple desire to learn what I need to learn from this time and to take some little encouragements and happy memories with me on the next stage of the journey.

I think I have changed quite a bit in the last few years, I am more self-assured, more realistic about my manifold failings and I value the little things which my younger self would have dismissed. I have become what my friend calls more of a ‘starfish person’. I am sure that I have shared this story before- but here is a little reminder.

Once upon a time there was an old man who used to go to the beach every morning. Early one morning he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the beach littered with starfish, as far as

the eye could see.

In the distance the old man noticed a small boy. Every few seconds the boy would bend down, pick up a starfish, and throw it into the sea.

The old man walked over and asked him what he was doing.

“I'm throwing starfish into the sea. The tide has wash them up and they can't return to the sea by themselves. When the sun gets high they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”

The old man replied “But there must be thousands of starfish on the beach. You won't be able to make much of a difference.”

The boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the ocean. Then he turned to the man, smiled and said “But it made a difference to that one”.

As we approach Christmas, that wonderful time when we celebrate the light of the world, Jesus Christ, descending into the darkness of this world, its easy to dismiss it all as a nice story.

When we hear the traditional readings at a carol service we may be tempted to think of the incarnation - God made flesh - as something of cosmic significance but something that makes little real difference here and now, to our lives.

And so I simply wanted to remind you that God sent His son in the world for you. So that in your darkness the light might come. So that in your grief or pain you might find faith and hope for a better future.

You are one of the starfish that our loving God walks along the beach to rescue.

Amidst the big-ness of Christmas, don’t lose sight of the little-ness of Jesus. He came as a person so that we might know Him walking by our side day by day.

And in turn you and I are called to be those starfish people, who may not save the world by lunchtime, but who pay attention to every person we encounter and bring light into their darkness as Jesus brings light to ours.

I am acutely aware that this may be a little long for a usual article but I know our esteemed editor will forgive me (love you, Anne) if I leave you with some final words of wisdom.

“A rule I have had for years is this: to treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend. His is not a creed, a mere doctrine, but it is He Himself we have.” (D.L Moody)

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” (John Wesley)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4)

While I am very sad to be moving away, I am so grateful that our God is faithful. In both space and time he ‘hems us in, behind and before.’

With my love as ever and a very happy Christmas to you all,

Jules