20th December

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. -Luke 2:19

How fitting that this is today's verse when it's the Sunday in advent that we particularly think about Mary.

This morning marked the end of my placement at St Peter's House, the university chaplaincy which covers the University of Manchester, Man Met and the Royal Northern College of Music. I went in there knowing very little about the team and what they did. The placement was to experience a place of secular or sector ministry and after 19 years in the NHS I felt it was necessary to experience something outside of healthcare. I hoped this would enrich my calling to secular ministry.
What I've encountered over the 4 months I've been at St Peter's has been surprising, encouraging and endlessly fulfilling. The thriving, inclusive, and diverse worshipping community was the biggest surprise. I've often felt on the outside edge of my own branch of Christianity, not quite sure where my own slightly unusual calling and indeed my personal theology sat within the parish system the Anglican church seems to be built upon. I've always felt at home in secular ministry and finding a church as inclusive and accepting as I find chaplains to be was remarkable.
Chaplaincy and sector ministry is about accepting people in all their brokenness. It's not about making disciples, growing churches or sermonising. It's about being there for people and accepting them and loving them, because that is what God does.
The service this morning at St Peter's was beautiful, with a wonderful sermon preached by URC minister in training Alex Young, who prior to training was part of the St Peter's team. The sermon reflected on Mary's beautiful hymn of Praise, The Magnificat, but aimed to uncover the truths; how did her soul, and by extension our souls, magnify the Lord (as she says) when we are fearful, broken people?
For me it's about accepting truths- the truth of who we are and the truth of our purpose, which I believe is to be a loving and worshipping community of people.
We can look at ourselves, being honest about what is broken in us, what we are struggling with and be secure in the knowledge that, no matter what, we are reflections of God, our souls magnify him and we are loved in all our brokenness.