It's Andy John! The next Bishop of Bangor! Here we had been, all worried that we might end up with Jeffrey John, and instead we get Andy John - a wonderful godly man, a biblical man, a lovely funny human man, a gentle and generous man of God whom I am pleased to know. This morning I prayed and prayed that the electoral college would not place us in a terrible dilemma - and indeed they have done anything but! They have given the Church in Wales a great gift.
How wonderful. How wonderful.
This picture comes from a million years ago. Stuart Bell, Harry Latham, Andy John and I were the clergy in Aberystwyth. We were at the St David's Diocesan Clergy Summer School in Oxford, at St Peter's College. It must have been 1997. England were playing a World Cup qualifier against Moldova at the old Wembley, and I got us tickets, so we bunked off Evensong and drove over... I remember everyone chanting "make your people joyful" in the chapel, and the falling third on "joyful" sounding anything but joyful; yet exactly the same interval used by the crowd at Wembley as they chanted David Seaman's name sounded excited and full of life!Remember this Andy? Mercifully I am not in the photo, so we can all simply look at Stuart and think how youthful he looked back then!
How wonderful. Glorious days. Thank you Jesus for a man like Andy as a Bishop in your church now in these days. Thank you!
3 comments:
This is wonderful news.
Is that really the same Stuart in your photo? Bumped into Harry at Christ Church, Oxford in summer 2007 at the ordination of Deacons, he hasn't changed quite so much as Cmdr. Bell.
Richard Huss
(One of those two mad Ulster-born basses in the St. Mike's choir)
Richard,
How good to hear from you! It is indeed good news. It has made me smile for days on end now.
Though I seem to recall that Andy's brother, Richard, was a Man Utd supporter, and Andy followed Liverpool - so his judgement was occasionally rather suspect. Still, I guess Richard J often prays for him.
I'm also encouraged by the recent appointment of our new suffragan Bishop of Aston, Andrew Watson. (He's being consecrated in a couple of weeks time.) 47 year old vicar of large London church, coming with a particular mandate to develop mission and evangelism in parishes.
Haven't met him yet, looking forward to doing so next month. (Lucky chap, we've invited him to Deanery Synod. Bwahahaha.)
Since leaving St Mike's, and in the last 2-3 years in particular, migraines have become a major problem as I understand they are for you too. Pizotifen helps but has been doing interesting things to my waist measurement.
Two bouncy, energetic children. (I think arrival of No. 1 was fairly imminent when we last saw you, he's five next week.) Reader in local CofE church. God is good and I'm not quite sure where the time goes!
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