Margaret Armitage Musing 30 March 2014 - Farewell

Saying thank you and goodbye to those you are deeply fond of is not easy. I know because today is my last official appearance as Church Administrator at St Philips and I feel very much like I am saying farewell to my large family and feel deeply grateful to all of you for sharing your home with me over the past four years. It is hard to leave!In November 2009, when Brenda Hogg and Andrew Howe interviewed me for this position, I did not know what to expect. Having been involved in the indifferent world of the corporate IT industry for more than 20 years, the back-end of church life was an unknown to me. I knew I wanted to work in a place that recognized Jesus as Lord and where this was lived out daily; all the other aspects of the job seemed interesting but not significant. Brenda and Andrew challenged me on the reality of this: would the day-to-day work be enough to keep me interested? I didn’t know the answer to that but thought the more important question was: Would an Anglican church want to employ someone non-Anglican? – a Pentecostal, non-denominational Christian, no less!’ We agreed, despite the unanswered questions that it was worth trying. Then I met Malcolm! His enthusiasm and authentic love of God expelled any doubts I might have had – and I was in. Thank God!Now four years on, I have many rich experiences to carry away with me - like watching the sewing girls and the art group stitch and paint their lives together; the playgroup mums, dads and ‘grandys’ playing while they watched their children; the intellectually-deep conversations I have shared with many of you and the dry wit and humour of others, making me cry with laughter; the ideas of the young and enthusiastic that have inspired and encouraged me; learning about humility and authentic relationships in our lives and church community from the leaders here; the discernment of people like Cheryl Potts and Liz Pemberton and the gentle spirituality of Pam K. Then we found James – or did he find us? The Duffs have been the icing on the cake for me. I love James, Jane and the Duff boys.Malcolm reminded me this week that Jesus taught us, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains only a single seed. But if it dies it produces many seeds” (John 12:16). I think there are some precious people I have worked closely with who have helped the kernel of corporate life in me fall to the ground and die in the rich soil at St Philips. The generous, warm-hearted office volunteers Elle and Lesley (before Lesley, Doreen Holding and Ruth Anderson), coming in week after week to make tidy the Sunday services, along with faithful Norm Clough who has fixed every loose screw or broken globe on my request; Lady B and Bev B doing the banking every Monday for over 20 years; not to forget the Treasurers, Andy J and Phil Hirst. Thank you all for this. And Mavora, thank you for coming along to water the seed that died!Mostly I will miss the vibrant Tuesday & Thursday morning prayers with Malcolm, James and Cathy (and others sometime) and the small group who join Mid-week communion - and all of YOU. Thank you to the wonderful, warm, loving family of St Philips and thank you especially to Malcolm and Cheryl for sharing this family with me and adopting me into it.May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.See you around,Margaret