Licensed!

Like pubs, vicars need a license to operate and I got mine last night from Bishop Michael.

It was a great service.

St Anne's

I felt the whole of my life was passing before my eyes as I welcomed people from the parishes we have previously served (Holy Trinity, Redhill; St Peter's, St Helier: St Luke's, West Norwood), old friends from school days, theological college, and pre-theological college days in Streatham - and, of course, members of my immediate family.

It was great to see them all. At the same time there were so many new people to meet: councillors, our member of parliament, the headteacher of St James School, fellow ministers from the deanery and the other denominations, and, most importantly of all, many members of St Anne's and St James churches.

St James

One verse in the Gospel reading set for the day particularly struck me. It's where Jesus says 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to children; yes, Father, for such is your gracious will.'

It's a way of saying - in a typical kingdom-of-God-turning-things-upside-down kind of way - that a good education or being brainy is no particular advantage in God's Kingdom (in fact, if you're not careful, its a positive disadvantage).

I like that.

It's not about being clever. It's about knowing God. And its about having the kind of humility that opens you up to learning from him.