Reflections on first 13 years of retirement

What an enjoyable experience ‘retirement’ is , or can be .

It’s just over 13 years since Ruth and I left Tawstock , in rural North Devon, where I was Vicar both of Tawstock and within a team of 11 parishes .

We had been in Devon since 1982 (when I came down to finish off my short service commission as an RAF Padre at RAF Chivenor) moving into the Rectory at Tawstock in 1984.

It was from there that we retired to nearby Torrington in 2010 . We felt quite ‘Devonian’ by then and having made a lot of friends in those 28 years it felt prayerfully right to stay where we had been so happy (with challenging and sad times too, of course)

When we retired ( I say we because Ruth was such an important part of my ‘ministry’ and very much loved and appreciated in the parishes) I was encouraged , both by the parishioners and the Diocese, to write a few ‘memories’. Countryfolk are quite ‘laid back’ when it comes to getting things done-sometimes- and we had imbibed this relaxing way of living too.

Hence the ‘memories’ did not get written for some time and, by the time I had started putting pen to paper, a good friend who helped in our literacy projects for our charity (www.bookreliefuk.org) and had built our website suggested a ‘memories’ website.

It was such fun working with Nigel Wright to build a website about rural ministry and especially Tawstock. So to the title encapsulating two . for me , very central parts of our spiritual and Christian walk with God.

Trivial Round , Glory on the Way (www.trgow.net) , our ‘memories’ website, tried to capture some of the feel of rural ministry-which , of course, is centred around the community and Jesus’ Way (John 14:6) of following Him in the ways of loving service both to God and that community (Matt.22:36-40)

Summarising the benefits of these last 13 years

1. Spaciousness –not being tied to a long list of things to do, people to visit ,meetings to attend ++ and so having extra time to spend in just ‘being’ Favourite Bible verse summing this up for me

In His Presence is Fullness of Joy (Ps. 16:11)

• Enjoyment of study , especially now ‘online’ .Our daughter asked me on my 75th birthday  if I could share any wise words

‘Yes, Rachel, be a lifelong learner’

I have since , with Nigel’s help, added a new area to trgow

with title of ‘My curious life’

• Appreciating others –perhaps more, perhaps just having more time

before rushing off to the next job, appointment etc

This, for me , has started with being able to be with Ruth so much more

and percolated through to immediate family and now such a lovely variety of people I meet

(formally and informally)

• Involvement with Quakers-this started very occasionally when  there was a free Sunday by attending a local MfW and has now been able to become regular most Sundays.

(still ‘helping out’ churches though where needed)

About 5 years ago God impressed upon me

‘John, now is the time to learn a little more about Being’

hence  being an attender at our local Friends Meeting (Bideford)

• Learning about Quakers—several enjoyable courses at Woodbrooke(Quaker Study Centre in Birmingham)

Involvement with the Quaker Universalist Group as committee member and publications distributor.

• Various other ‘involvements’

A small literacy charity of which I was chairman

for many years (Home (bookreliefuk.org)

Director of small Arts Company (Wolf and Water)

(Wolf + Water Arts Company – Using the arts as a tool for personal and community development (wolfandwater.org)

Committee member of The Lifestyle Movement

(The Life Style Movement – Sustainable Living – Live simply so all may simply live)

I hope this gives a flavour of what,  for me has been such a happy 13 years

and the new way of being that it has brought with it.

I have found many spiritual teachers to help me in this.  One of them ,Richard Rohr talks  a lot about this , in his book ‘FallingUpwards’ (A Spirituality for the Second Half of Life)

______

John Carvosso   -July 2023

What a valuable lesson I learnt (again) this morning

when I was a little poorly and so had to postpone a zoom chat

with a very challenging and interesting friend ,Dan Flynn.

Dan enjoys ‘rude health’ (words used by a friend of one of our Power of 8 group members as he requested us to pray that he return to ‘rude health)

and I was ‘envious’ of that for myself.

Lessons learned

1.Don’t be envious (https://www.openbible.info/topics/envy_and_jealousy

2. ‘Be’ content (1 Timothy 6:6)

After another hours rest and a shower I was feeling refreshed

and ready to get on with the day but glad I had learnt again and thinking

of that challenging parable of Jesus about how we think of ourselves (see Luke 14:1-11)

AND what lovely affirming words the song from ‘Oliver’ has

At Home

Part of the Family

One of Us

Surely God’s words to me today

My teckie friend, Nigel Wright, has helped me add to my ‘memories of parish life ‘ website (www.trgow.net) a new , more personal, area under the title ‘Serendipity‘

It’s entitled ‘My Curious Life’ so this blog is just building on that theme

but from the point of view of rabbit holes.

Alice’s rabbit-hole experience caused her to exclaim ‘curiouser and curiouser’ and my Quaker friends, using slightly quaint jargon, would say

‘My Friend speaks my mind’.

So this morning saying ‘what fascinating things am I going to learn about/experience today has led me

beginning a Latin course with the Idler Academy (https://www.idler.co.uk/lesson/cases)

Start looking at The Embodiment Conference(My Conference(theembodimentconference.org)

Take 2 very refreshing walks talking to the bees and watching the swallows performing and enjoying the ‘silence’ , cook a tasty ‘Gingster’s ‘ pastie

with roasted vegetable and green beans, watch some enjoyable TV

Contact some friends via email ++

No wonder one of Jesus’ almost throw-away sayings is so amazing

I have come to bring you Life in all it’s fullness (John 10:10)

Two short chorusses speak about this to me

I am remembering who I am

and

May the streams of God’s wondrous love

come flowing through me

Maybe Satchmo’s song from ‘High Society’ sums it up too

‘What a Wonderful Life’

We have just been watching ‘Who do you think you are’ and were entranced by Kevin from Grimsby (of Strictly Come Dancing fame)

tracing his wonderful ggggg-grandmother back to her Canadian indigenous roots and very eventful/hard life.

No wonder the power of story is so important in many ‘Spiritual traditions’ and listening is such an amazing gift ( and to be worked hard on!!)

Jesus’ parables , for example, seem to me to be both so true to life -hence both appreciated by all who listened so eagerly(what great crowds followed Him around and loved His teachings) and able to lead all who read them now into deeper ‘life truths’

I’m half way through this challenging and inspiring CAC course taught by Jim Finley. It’s based on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous & focusses on the spiritual lessons we can learn from this wonderful healing programme so greatly used and valued throughout the world.

I’m especially enjoying the opportunities both of Jim’s deeply satisfying , though sometimes quite hard to understand, teaching because it is so well-paced. The video teaching (and hour or so in each of the 8 modules) is grounded in the other elements of the modules–through personal meditation and journalling based on the teachings.

Only half way through because although the modules are finished now

the course has built in a 3 month deep reflection period during which we are encouraged to complete ‘a thorough and fearless moral inventory’ seeking God’s grace in letting the results of this sink down into our hearts/spirits.

Sometime ago , on one of the TV interview shows, we heard Foster & Allen talking about their unique brand of music and then closing the show by singing one of their own songs.

Last Christmas we were given an ‘Alexa’ echo which we now use in the kitchen and listen to a lovely variety of music and so Foster and Allen fairly often. One of our favourites is the song about ‘Hugs’ –these are some of the words

‘We all need a hug in the morning

And one at the end of the day

As many as possible squeezed in between

To keep life’s troubles at bay’

For me, God’s loving hug comes with the words ‘I love you’ so , a prayer using the inbreath ‘I love you’ is hearing God’s words to me

and the outbreath ‘I love you’ contains my responsive words to God

As Jesus said to His disciples ‘If you love me , keep my commandments’ (John 14:15) and after His resurrection to reinstate Peter we read the challenging words ‘Do you love me’ (John 21:15-18)

This daily ‘hug of love’ is both a wonderful comfort and a challenge to show my loving response by loving God and my neighbour (Luke 24:25-27)

So who shall we give a ‘hug of love ‘ to today ?

My family

Especially Mum & Dad who cared for me, prayed for & with me, supported me throughout my life and careers

My dear brothers –Peter (who died 4 years ago and I look forward to meeting again in God’s Presence-Ps16v11)who shared my schooling in Sussex and Essex and a flat with me in Ealing for 3 years whilst he was doing his Journalism training and I my Chartered Accountancy.

Paul -though 7 years younger still a great companion through childhood

schooling and family life. Paul wonderfully prepared a family book ‘We three brothers’ which was such a comfort especially when visiting Peter in hospital in Dublin shortly before he died.

Then my lovely wife , Ruth, of 46 years. Companion from the beginning of our loving relationship ‘for the journey’ in all that life has brought through our two great children (Rachel and Tim) and in daily parish living -Serving the Lord and His people together.

I think of ‘inspiration’ (breathing and living in the Spirit of God) as the gift that He gives -especially through others. In my Christian based worldview this equates to learning through I.P. how to become a better person

(Mirroring/Expressing the nature God gives us all -Gen. 1v27/Col. 1v27)

I am very grateful to so many groups and individuals who have taught me ‘on the Way ‘(John14v6)

Work friends, college colleagues (Christian Life College, Oak Hill and Sarum Theological Colleges) as well as parishioners in the RAF and at Tawstock (& linked parishes in both Taw Valley team and Two Rivers team)

Now retired and a ‘lifelong learner, especially some inspirational spiritual teachers

1. CAC (https://cac.org) –Richard Rohr/Jim Finley/Cynthia Bourgeault
2. Brene Brown
3. Eckhart Tolle
4. Tara Brach

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Attenborough

)‘A life on Our Planet‘

What an enjoyable, challenging and inspirational listen.

Enjoyable as it gives a glimpse into David’s fascinating life as he (reader of the book as well as writer) gives us his ‘witness statement & vision for the future’. Part one of the book –our greatest mistake– chronicles how we (mankind) have got ourselves into such a series of catastrophic situations. David uses his many groundbreaking and adventourous TV series to underline what a beautiful but fragile world/series of eco-systems we live in and share with some of the greatest natural wonders (from the ‘Zoo Quest series’ right through to ‘The Blue Planet’)

Challenging as he spells out what all this means -now and in the future- for us all if we continue with ‘life as we know it’ (to quote a Mr Spock from Star Trek)

Inspirational as the second part of the book reminds us of ‘Our greatest opportunity’ and how we can all be involved in ‘rewilding our world’ by reconnecting to it because we are part of it’s fragility and beauty.

So I’m a supporter, and , on the way back from my swim this morning have seen that this will mean 1. Understanding more about our links with

this natural world-The Great Chain of Being ( as Franciscan Philosopher & Theologian, St. Bonaventure, (with Wm. Shakespeare amongst many others ) reminds us

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Great+Chain+of+Being+Theory&form=IARSLK&first=1&tsc=ImageHoverTitle

The Great Chain of Being

2. Do all I can to support all those who share this visionary ‘opportunity’

For example recently The Earthshot Project’ – the first prize ceremony and overview of the projects last year (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p09w80wb/the-earthshot-prize-repairing-our-planet

This Centre for Contemplation and Action (CAC) online course is one of the , at present, 7 online ‘spirituality’ courses it offers.

I will be writing about the other 6 in due course

Breathing Under Water/Introductory Wisdom School/Mary Magdalene

Divine Exchange/The Franciscan Way/The Interior Castle

In ‘immortal Diamond’ Richard Rohr (Franciscan priest & CAC founder) reminds us of the goodness of God and His creation including us – men and women created in His ‘good’ image (Gen. 1v26/28)

God looks at his newly created world with loving delight and says ‘it is very good’ (Gen.1v31). The Immortal Diamond -a quotation from a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins- is both the title of Father Rohr’s book on which the course is based and the True Self that God created in His image.

The major theme of this book is transformation-how God’s grace is at work to enable us (fallen from that original grace) to be restored to our original True Self. The Immortal Diamond

In the forum posts which I made during work on the course in 2018 (and which are shown in the Word document below) I noticed how God’s Spirit has been teaching me what this True Self is and cooperate with and allow Him to transform my False Self into this deeper and truer ‘made in the image of God ‘ self.