Where are you from? I was born and grew up in West Oxford, in a house my parents still live in. You could say that I’m averse to change, as I stayed here for University where I met my husband, George (we both sang in the Chapel Choir at Exeter College), and now after a decade in South West London, we’re back for good with our 1 year old son, Edgar.
How did you find St Margaret’s? I’m a big believer in the parish church, and a community coming together in one place from a variety of backgrounds to be a witness to God’s love and grace. St Margaret’s is our parish church, so here we are! Of course, it is a bonus that the church’s pre-disposition towards corporate liturgy, a commitment to social justice, and a supportive programme for children and young people chime in with our own faith priorities.
What do you do here? George and I still feel like newbies (although very heartily welcomed newbies!) at St Margaret’s, and there is lots more we hope to be able to contribute as we get to know you all better over the coming months. We previously worshipped at St Luke’s in Chelsea, where we sang in the choir, led intercessions and I served on the DCC. Aside from worshipping here on Sundays, Edgar and I have loved joining the Toddler Service on Friday mornings, and Edgar is determinedly learning the group’s songs and prayers at home!
What do you like about the church? We were bowled over by the warm welcome we received the first time we set foot through the church doors on a rainy October morning last year. The sense of love and commitment that rang out from everyone we spoke to was palpable, and very energising. The sense that there are so many people here who are living out their vocations – whatever they may be – makes it a very exciting community, and has helped us to think about what might be next for both of us in our journey of faith.
What are you looking forward to over the next few months? Well… we have spent the majority of the last six months renovating our home in Jericho and putting down the roots of our new life in Oxford after quite a bit of upheaval, but now the reality of COVID 19 has hit. I won’t lie, it has been very hard coming to terms with the fact that the life we had so looked forward to start living has been put on hold, not to mention the daily logistical challenge of juggling our jobs whilst keeping our tiny extrovert from climbing the walls without much social contact. It’s easy to simply wish the time (and anxiety) away, but I am so grateful for the inventive ways we can try and move forward in the meantime, and there are certainly a lot of opportunities to develop faith and fellowship through it all – in particular, it has been a revelation to be able to set aside time to listen to a streamed sermon properly rather than to hear it in snatches whilst chasing a toddler around the Baptistry!
What three words would you use to describe your faith? People that know me well know that I don’t mince my words or shy away from confronting difficult topics, and this is true in my faith as well.
With that in mind, the first word I would use to describe my faith is angry. I am horrified by the brokenness of our world, and the ability for human beings to get things so very badly wrong almost all of the time. And whilst the Bible is full of hope and redemption, it is full of anger too: Jesus’ frustration with his disciples, the despair of the Psalmist… I find anger to be a huge motivator for my faith, and I think we all need a bit of fight in us to make the world fairer and more merciful.
My second word is pragmatic. I don’t have much time for ideological purity when there’s obviously sleeves to be rolled up and work to be done – and with the future trajectory of the Church of England looking incredibly fragile as congregations dwindle and the ‘missing generation’ fails to be drawn in, there is certainly a lot of work to be done.
My final word is numinal (sorry to be so pretentious…). I feel closest to God through sudden and sometimes unexpected sensory experiences – the final chord of a passionately sung hymn dying away in a cathedral, a candle that flickers in the darkness, a moment of silence during a service that’s usually filled with busyness and noise. I think that it’s important to leave opportunities for God to creep up on me.
Tell us something most people would never guess about you… Perhaps you would guess this after reading through these answers, but I wrote my first letter to the Prime Minister (about education cuts) when I was 6 years old – and got a reply!