1.0Musicademyhttps://www.musicademy.com/blogrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="NL7iIjhKlX"><a href="https://www.musicademy.com/blog/i-am-the-vicar-i-am/">I am the vicar, I am</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.musicademy.com/blog/i-am-the-vicar-i-am/embed/#?secret=NL7iIjhKlX" width="600" height="338" title="“I am the vicar, I am” — Musicademy" data-secret="NL7iIjhKlX" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(c,l){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(l.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(!(t.secret||t.message||t.value));else if(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret));else{for(var r,s,a,i=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),n=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=0;o<n.length;o++)n[o].style.display="none";for(o=0;o<i.length;o++)if(r=i[o],e.source!==r.contentWindow);else{if(r.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message){if(1e3<(s=parseInt(t.value,10)))s=1e3;else if(~~s<200)s=200;r.height=s}if("link"===t.message)if(s=l.createElement("a"),a=l.createElement("a"),s.href=r.getAttribute("src"),a.href=t.value,a.host===s.host)if(l.activeElement===r)c.top.location.href=t.value}}},e)c.addEventListener("message",c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",t,!1),c.addEventListener("load",t,!1);function t(){if(o);else{o=!0;for(var e,t,r,s=-1!==navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE 10"),a=!!navigator.userAgent.match(/Trident.*rv:11\./),i=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),n=0;n<i.length;n++){if(!(r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute("data-secret")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+="#?secret="+r,t.setAttribute("data-secret",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute("security"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:r},"*")}}}}(window,document); </script> https://drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Graham-Hunter.jpeg600480I am the vicar, I am. I am the pastor, the carer, the listener the one with the time to drop everything and I also understand global politics and immigration and I am the one who knows about Afghanistan and cares about ‘our boys’ and I care about speed-humps graffiti litter and the positioning of zebra crossings near schools. I am passionate about school assemblies council meetings mums and toddlers and also I am good at one-to-one and small groups and I listen and empathise and at the same time I am the one who plans and strategizes and I am the one who understands budgets and decides if we can buy any staples or replace the heating system. I am the vicar, I am. I am the quiet reflective prayer and I am the speaker, the enthuser, the motivator, the learned teacher and I can engage a room of 10, 50, 300 people with no problem because I am the one who relates particularly well to children older people the middle-aged the jobless the employed the doctors teenagers and I am the one who is always one step ahead and I am the one who is endearingly disorganised. I am the vicar, I am. I care passionately about church politics I care passionately about domestic abuse I care passionately about the plight of Anglo Catholics women priests gay clergy evangelicals and I listen to the pope the archbishop and Rob Bell. I am up-to-date with theological developments. I understand the history of the reformation the armed forces the war the government the deanery the Jewish background of Jesus and I care about the excluded and I manage my admin and I know how to access children’s services. I am the vicar, I am. I am the one in whom trust is placed I am the one in whom grumbles are placed I am the one who is always talking to everyone else I am the one who models worship marriage family gardening conversation baking prayer listening talking planning. I often get it wrong. I am the one who has to keep my doubts under wraps and I am also the one who is vulnerable and dependable stable trustworthy. I am the one who chairs meetings I am the one who manages group discussions I am the manager of an organisation that employs only me I am the volunteer co-ordinator the opinion co-ordinator the trespasser on the territory of people who have been around a lot longer than me and will be there after me. I understand the heating system the financial system the rota system. I love committees. I drink tea with older people And coffee with younger people I listen to stories of bus routes and hospital visits and I believe in transforming our community through the power of Jesus. I am the one who is very tired. I am the one who hates wearing dresses but still smiles and would love to be muddy all the time. I am the one who only works one day a week. I am the one who loves this job. I am the one who is making it up as I go along. I am the one who would not swap this for anything. I am the vicar, I am.