I haven't posted for a while because life as been incredible busy. Just about everything has changed. I have left Wycliffe Hall in Oxford and Joanne and I have moved to East London. I have started a new job in Spitalfields and three weeks ago I was ordained as a deacon in the Church of England. Getting used to those three changes is hard work so things have been crazy over the last few weeks.

Our flat is absolutely fantastic, but was not yet finished when we arrived at the end of June so Andy our Vicar let us stay in the Rectory whilst the builders completed the house. It means that I went away on retreat without actually having moved in. Whilst I was enjoying the surroundings of St Katherine's Foundation in Limehouse, a retreat house with great facilities and great food, Joanne, Andy and a whole host of church members were beavering away to ensure that my parents would have somewhere to stay and we'd have somewhere to celebrate my ordination. Needless to say, all was just about ready when I arrived back from the ordination and we had a great party with family and friends, both old and new.

The ordination service itself was awesome. Our concerns over the retreat were largely unfounded. The retreat was actually very good. There was perhaps a little too much silence for an extrovert like me but we were all able to escape to the pub when we needed to. It was great to meet the other ordinands, particularly those from Ridley and Oakhill who were a very impressive bunch indeed. I was delighted to discover that in the Stepney Area there are six other fantastic new curates wheich should ensure that Post Ordination Training may possibly be a joy rather than the chore it usually is. Anyway, having prepared well at the retreat, having heardan intimate biblical reflection on the renewal of Peter's call by Jesus on the beach from the Bishop of London, exhausted after a day ministering to those dealing with the impact of the failed terrorist attacks, I was determined to ensure that the service would not go over my head due to the intensity of the day. I'm pleased to say that it didn't. The service itself was a moment of sheer experience and clarity. I was present to every moment and every moment was incredibly powerful. About two and a half thousand people were crammed into the Cathedral. When they were asked whether it was their will that these men and women before them should be ordained into the church of God, their reponse 'It Is!' was like a tidal wave of sound that hurtled towards us, building to an overwhelming crescendo before echoing away up into the star burst above us. It was incredible and very, very emotional. It was lovely seeing so many friends and faces outside, celebrating with my sending church and my new church, as well as those who have encouraged me along the way was very special indeed.

The three weeks since have been an incredibly steep learning curve, both getting used to being an ordained person who is in some sense public property, and at the same time learning the ropes in a new job. On the day of my ordination I experienced being a public figure for the first time. Just before the service 'National Treasure II' starring Nicholas Cage was being filmed so there were hundreds of extras dressed in cassocks just like us. A member of the public came up to me and asked if I was an extra or the genuine article. When I said he was genuine he asked if he could ask me a question. I prepared myself to respond prayerfully and theologically, only to be asked where the nearest public toilet was! Similarly, walking down Brick Lane once or twice in my dog collar has provoked smiles, timid glances and the occasional 'OK boss?'. Its all a little disconcerting.

The job itself couldn't be better. I have a great vicar, I'm on a great staff team. The members of the church are young, dynamic and passionate about Jesus and they've welcomed us wholeheartedly into the life of the church. The possibilities and potential at the church are enormous and I'm looking forward to getting beyond the induction process, finding my feet and embedding myself in the community. I preached last week which, I think, went as well as could be expected for a first sermon in a new church. You can listen to it hear if you really want to!

I must say I have already had a few depressing encounters with the deanery which seems to be rather divided, with some of the clergy clearly tired and a little demoralised frustrated by new church plants with lots of energy, resources and people. In the light of the pressures of inner city London I suppose its not too much of a surprise that church can easily become more about civic responsibility and involvement and building management than anything else. Unsurprising perhaps but sad nevertheless. It was therefore really good to go out to the pub for a beer with the clergy of our local cluster last night. We spent the entire evening chatting to these guys who couldn't believe we were Christians. I had a couple of great conversations that I hope will actually bear some fruit. It was nice to feel we were actually getting down to business. God is on th move in this part of London and I pray for a real renewal of the church and the strenghtening of its leaders. Please continue to pray for me as Joanne and I settle in and we get used to my new role.