I’ve watched the first episode of Inside Man, and I think a lot of bother could have been saved if David Tennant had paid attention at his Diocesan Safeguarding training.
I am, once again, thinking of starting to cycle to work. Bike has been in various garages for 20 years (but it should still work, shouldnt it?) I’ve never cycled in a city before. What do I need? What should I do? Try and work out a not terrifying route?
Son 1 starts secondary today. I can’t quite tell you how massively proud of him I am.
(Glad they’ve given them permission to wear PE kit today - it’s hot!)
No Boris. You cannot schedule your address to the nation at 8pm: that is Bake Off. We need comforting cake baking TV action at this troubling time
#GBBO
I need to take a packed lunch to SCP Chapter today and Son 2 has just presented me with his fire engine lunchbox “I’ll let you use this!” and now I’m trying to decide between disappointing him or actually taking a fire engine lunchbox to a serious Priestly gathering.
There’s an anti-LGBT video out from a Christian organisation called ‘A Beautiful Story’. I’m not watching it. What I am doing is scrolling through
#beautifulstory
where Christian LGBT+ people are reclaiming the hashtag.
One of the elements of Priesthood I hadn’t clocked during discernment was the amount of chair-arranging Priestly ministry seems to involve. I’ve just made this pleasing semi circle of chairs in advance of lunchtime communion later
#ILoveMovingChairs
#JustAPriest25
We’re in the last 10 minutes of this match and my child has just confessed he thought it was Torquay playing.
Not Turkey.
Torquay. Against Italy.
Easy mistake to make I suppose… 🤔
Twitter LOOK!!! I left my house at 11.05, and here I am at 11.21, at work. I didn’t fall off or anything!
(I did push up v steep bit of Thornton hill, and walked it along a footpath as wasn’t sure of the law, and I stopped to chat to a man about my bike. So could’ve been faster!)
Pray-ers, please could you pray for University staff at this time. The week before Freshers is always busy, but this year they are dealing with a phenomenal amount in a constantly-changing landscape. I am genuinely awestruck by the stuff some individuals and teams are juggling.
It’s Freshers Fair and I’ve decided to do an experiment.
2 hours cassock, 2 hours clericals (no Multifaith jumper), 2 hours Multifaith jumper (no clericals), 2 hours Multifaith jumper and clericals.
I will report back on this scientific experiment later…
It was a privilege to welcome Archbishop Justin to campus yesterday. A very moving afternoon of reflection on loss. Very grateful to many amazing people for making it happen. This is the only photo I have (credit to
@Lossky
for taking it!) More to follow I’m sure.
I know I’m a smidge early to
#clergymaltclub
but my cover service was a 10pm, and I’m anticipating a verrrrrry early wake up call from the youngsters. A very Merry Christmas to you all. Joy to the World, the Lord is come.
I normally need a supply of tissues as I watch the Med students swear their Hippocratic oath each summer grad. Today, as they graduate early so they can put themselves on the frontline, I fear I may need an entire toilet roll.
I haven’t been affected by the payroll incident, however it’s clear from tweets that the incident has highlighted how many clergy are (like me) having to live month-to-month, with no financial safety net. Surely we need to be wondering about that at some point.
My husband: Owns two face coverings. One on the hook in the hall, one in the wash.
Me: Owns approx 25 face coverings, presumably in various cardigan and cassock pockets, baby change bag, work bag, don’t know where any of them are right now though.
I’m doing a bit of academic reading at the moment. I am choosing to structure it in blocks of exactly 1 hour and 42 minutes because that is how long Frozen is.
BREAKING NEWS! The University Multifaith Chaplaincy are on an away day today and we have been ACCIDENTALLY LOCKED INTO our meeting room. The lock is not working from either side! What will happen??!!! 😮
Well. It’s taken nearly 8 years of ordained ministry, but for the very first time this morning, I forgot, and had to resort to emergency measures.
#ClergyProblems
When I entered the selection process for ministry, Mr A vowed never to become a stereotypical vicar’s spouse.
6 years on, he has spent the last 4 days washing and drying 30 Choir cassocks.
Went to see my Spiritual Director this morning.
She said I need to take a week off and get a cottage in the middle of nowhere, where kids, husband and I can run around screeching.
She is a wise woman.
Now, where to go?
A couple of weeks ago I put some books about priesthood through the door of a student who is exploring vocation. I realised yesterday I put them through the wrong door.
I wonder what the residents of the house thought?
Every. Single. Ash Wednesday. The word ‘inestimable’ trips me up in the post communion prayer.
And then I forget all about it until the next year, when I flip over that page in the book.
We have a date for non essential retail opening, but nothing yet on when we can see our families.
My parents work in a basket shop. I’m going to be buying a lot of baskets. A lot. 🧺
First time back in Church.
Mask + 28 weeks pregnant + humid day = fainting in Church
That’s probably me done with places I have to wear masks for an extended period for the next 12 weeks or so ☹️
My
#MinistryMum
tweet! I had my first, Arthur (6) in the middle summer of ordination training, spina bifida makes life interesting. Rowan (2) was born early in my time as a Chaplain at Exeter Uni. The rhythm of Chaplaincy & a v supportive husband allows me to juggle.
To the junior person
@churchofengland
who made this error. As a 21-year-old administrator at the County Council, I made a mistake that lost the Council about £10k. On the rare occasion one of my Chaplaincy Assistants makes a minor error, I tell them this story.
To the junior person
@churchofengland
who made this error. Don’t worry about it. We all make mistakes. When I was a junior person at the BBC I once took BBC TV schedules off air and also disconnected a live feed from a stadium as Wolves were about to score. These things happen.
Today at soup lunch we all concluded the answer to social awkwardness is to ride a horse everywhere.
See someone I vaguely know in the street? Can’t talk, am on a horse.
Acquaintance going in for a hug? No can do, am on a horse.
Horses are the answer.
#ChaplaincyConversations
Son 1 was in ICU for 4 weeks in 2012, inc on a ventilator for 2 weeks.
Just listened to Newscast from ICU and shocked by how those machine beeps bring it all back.
Terrifying. Hereby resolve to moan less about constant CBeebies and keep both Sons happily safe until this is over.
Upon realising that every single t shirt I now own is black, and every shirt is a black clerical shirt, and as I have 8 days of annual leave, I’ve decided to branch out…
Hannah’s top purchasing tip for the Newly Ordained-
A5 display books. A pack of ten will last you years. Keeps your services in order. Thank me later 😘
Oh btw, is anyone else wearing this classic today? Always a conversation starter.
“Interesting jumper Hannah”
“Yeah, it once got me in the Mail on Sunday.”
“???”
It’s Freshers again. My 8th as Chaplain, and I’m looking forward to another year of big conversations, big laughs, and the great privilege to minister in this place.
Next Monday 26th March, 5pm, outside X Keys the ashes of our friend Beast will be scattered. All his St Luke's friends are welcome to attend. Thanks to his owners for letting us be there for this
@UniofExeter
@ExeterMed
I’ve never watched any Strictly, including this series, but am away in Cornwall and haven’t got my computer and the TV can only tune into BBC1 and nothing else and IS IT ALWAYS THIS EMOTIONAL???? 😭 😭 😭
Son on mobility scooter, making 2 min journey from Chapel to home on his own for 1st time.
Me on phone to husband “he’s going down the road. Yep, he’s ok. He’s ok. Going round the corner now. Now. Can you see him coming round? Now? Now? Good.”
Bet son feels amazing.
Me: Ok. So Mummy’s off tomorrow and your big brother’s at holiday club. So we can go anywhere you like! Library…? Museum…? Waitrose cafe…? The playground….?
4yo (mimicking my tone exactly): Legoland…? Disneyland…?
The awesome Friday Connections Cafe crew have worked out the lights in the Chaplaincy Room are on a timer of exactly 17 mins 45 seconds. So I couldn’t resist having a go at something…
Students from across the road knocked on our door to let us know they are having a birthday party tomorrow night. They gave us their phone numbers and told us to call if it got too loud or upset the kids. I was genuinely touched by their courteousness.
Because there are LGBTQ+ people in every congregation.
Because of Christ’s example of love.
Because God created us in all our wonderful diversity.
#ChristiansAtPride
@ExeterPride
Me, last month: It will be easier when he can crawl. He can entertain himself a bit more.
Narrator: And the baby learnt to crawl. And it was not easier. Because he wanted to entertain himself by gnawing on wires.
My 10 year old lad has a Phantom of the Opera obsession, and demanded I send him a photo of Her Majesty’s Theatre while I was in the vicinity of the West End today.
(Shhhh I have also secretly bought him tickets for Christmas 😱)
Paul and I were married at
@UniExeChapel
11 years ago today. I shall be licensed at the Chapel in just over a month. Life has a funny way of bringing special places around again.
Son 1 (10) tearing up at the mobility centre because he’s been told he needs orthotic boots, and all the ones in the catalogue he’s been given to look at aren’t cool.
I know I need to remind him it’s about staying healthy, not being cool.
But I get it, bless him.
Oh no. Just heard the news. Deeply deeply saddened for my LGBTQ+ friends in the Church. I will go to work and look after my students at Exeter Uni, many of whom are LGBTQ+, all of whom we love and celebrate. I really hope there’s still hope for this.
Brought my eldest child to Evensong this evening. I think it went quite well and he enjoyed it. The last time I took him he loudly said “was that baby shark?” after the Mag, so there’s progress.
Chaplaincy outfit update.
My first look of the day. Standard. Multifaith polo shirt, collar, rainbow lanyard. It’s hard to know how people responded to this because it’s what I’d pretty much always wear to this kind of thing. Worn 10-11.30.
Having a deep vocational conversation with my spouse about how long the Lord is calling me to remain in my current ministry while trying to choose between £12.99m and £14.99m in Carpetright is peak Clergy family.
Have had to leave doing Son 1’s secondary application form for the night because I’ve realised need to fill out a supplementary form and get it signed by a member of Anglican clergy to say I go to Church.
Have emailed local charities offering them the big chest freezer I want rid of. However, a friend has pointed out that if their emails do the thing where it just previews the first few words, it reads:
From: Rev Hannah Alderson
Subject: An offer
Message: I have a big chest…
🤔
Out with some old friends tonight. One has asked me to bring pencils to diagram the whole ‘a Vicar is a Priest, a Priest may not be a Vicar’ Venn diagram & how Rectors, Chaplains, Catholic Priests relate, as my trying to explain this to her by WhatsApp has been inadequate.
It’s 6 years today since I was licensed as St Luke’s Chaplain. You can’t tell, but what I’m actually thinking is “oh dear me, I’m 12 weeks pregnant. How long after my licensing do I wait to tell everyone?”
Multifaith Chaplains be like...
Jewish Chaplain: Can I borrow a candle?
Me: Yes. I’ve got loads. Votive candle? Altar candle? Advent candle? Acolyte candle? Christingle candle?
Jewish Chaplain: One this size and shape?
Me: No. I have none like that.
The 4 y/o has persuaded me to take him to a soft play.
In my mind’s eye, this involves him playing independently while the baby sleeps and I sip a coffee and read Tales from Lindford.
The likely reality involves me crawling through a germy tunnel with the baby under one arm.