What We Call Stuff

I have mused here previously on the delight we felt at Trendlewood Church when the independence of our lively and unusual congregation, who have met for 29 years without a building, was blessed by the diocesan legal team with the name 'Conventional District'.

A few years back a sign in a church in Ufton was drawn to my attention, praising a former Rector who, in the nineteenth century, 'preached here without Enthusiasm for fifteen years'. It had to be pointed out to me that this was high praise, then.

Earlier this month the Church Times clergy obituary column featured someone described as an 'Extraordinary Fellow' and I almost didn't bat an eyelid (other things to do with eyelids are available). You don't, obviously, need to be an extraordinary fellow in order to be an Extraordinary Fellow.

I was driving home from the ordination rehearsal last month, trying to explain to the husband of my soon-to-be curate what a precentor does. Best answer so far - he is the one who centors before the others... and I found myself chuckling at the enthusiastic, unconventional, extraordinary life this fellow leads.