'In the Spotlight' is a new regular column which will focus each month on a member of the Partnership Team so that you can get to know them a little bit better. This month's 'In the Spotlight' focuses on :
The Revd COLIN LUNT
What is your position in the Partnership?
I am a stipendiary priest working in the four parishes of the partnership. I have been Vicar of Coalpit Heath for eight years, and during the past year have become additionally Associate Vicar of Frampton Cotterell, Winterbourne, and Winterbourne Down.
Do you have family in the area? (e.g. spouse, children, pets)
I live with Janet, my wife, who is a musician and artist, and my eldest child lives in Winterbourne. I have three grandchildren so far, the latest one, Jed, being just a year old, and great fun.
What made you join the Clergy?
I have felt so blessed by God's goodness to me, as to be impelled to share what I have received with others. I have always been involved in churches, and have led house groups since I was a teenager. I did think about exploring the path to ordination when I was a student. At that time, I lived in a Christian community, but I ended up getting married, having kids and needing to support a family. However, when my children reached a stage of independence, I started to explore this path again. It took several years even to begin training and I had to do a placement in another church first before even that. By this time, I had been a member of the Diocesan Synod, and lay chairman of the deanery, for a number of years. The church was looking to train people who were happy with managing change, and I thought my work in managing people and projects in a computer software company was pertinent. I have particular interests in worship and spirituality - I try to keep up with the latest developments in liturgy, both practical and theological, and continue to explore new areas of spirituality. I had a commitment to Daily Prayer before being a priest - it is a canonical obligation of all clergy, and is a good reason to live near a church (though such proximity does also have disadvantages). I try to let the life of prayer, both formal and informal, affect not just what I do but what I am, and what I am becoming.
What does the Partnership mean to you?
It is a positive way of engaging in the church of the future, as we have to manage with less stipendiary ministers. I visited a Welsh diocese in the summer which has no single parish benefices - all the churches have to share. The benefits are in team working, fellowship, efficiency, joint projects, and learning from each other. I don't particularly like having extra sets of meetings, but in our existing setup these are unavoidable. I enjoy meeting new people, but knowing even more people means knowing them less well. It is one of the changes in my role.
What is the best thing about being a Priest?
It is a life-changing experience, a privilege to celebrate the sacraments, an honour to be trained, ordained and appointed to the care of souls, and also a profound responsibility. I am always praying, on and off, throughout the day - wherever I find myself, prayer is part of the context.
What is the worst thing about being a Priest?
It is not like any other job I have done; it is not a job you can switch off from - I am always aware of my responsibilities - seeking God, praying for people, listening for God's voice. Lots of people think they know what my job is, what I should be doing, and how I should be doing it. It is tempting to try to please everyone and 'go with the flow'; that is where a sense of vocation and vision are necessary. There is a clash of the urgent - demands, events, deadlines - with the important - prayer, planning, reflection, learning, but there are only 24 hours in a day.
What (if any) problems do you foresee for the partnership? How can they be best avoided/overcome?
There are a lot of complications in our rather unique arrangement of parishes. Each parish has been used to being independent, so there is a lot of learning to be done and a need for understanding, consideration, and compromise. Each parish also has ecumenical connections, so there can be quite lot of different groups and activities. One of the hardest things to achieve will be training/commissioning lay people for responsibilities in areas such as mission and pastoral care, which historically have been thought of as the job of clergy and readers. The best results will come if each of us becomes involved in the process of change and is willing to step into new roles and go beyond what we are used to.
What sort of holidays do you like and where?
Although I like traditional holiday places like the countryside and the seaside, I actually quite like cities - the architecture, ambience, museums, art galleries, churches, coffee shops - so much to see and do. A holiday for me is also an opportunity to read a largish novel. Last summer Janet and I stayed in Glasgow, and had a week or so exploring the world and work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, which was enjoyable and inspiring. My favourite place is Venice.
What is your favourite film?
I have to admit that I prefer films in which not very much happens and no-one gets hurt. The most remarkable film I have seen recently is 'Into Great Silence' (director: Philip Gröning; 2006) which is a nearly silent documentary of life in the Grande Chartreuse - it lasts nearly three hours and very little happens! For a film of fiction, I would nominate the original film version of 'Solaris' (director: Andrei Tarkovsky; 1972). It is lyrical, intriguing, profound, and confusing. It adapts and interprets the novel, 'Solaris' by Stanislaw Lem, and is a sensitive and startling exploration of the experience and effects of mysterious phenomena and poignant memories. Although it is science fiction, the special effects are mainly psychological.
How can you be contacted?
The best way of contacting me is by email or by phone, 01454 775129. My phone/fax number also has an answerphone. People also call to see me on spec. as I live next to one of the partnership churches (surrounded by a large car park!), and am in my study on and off most days. You can also catch me after Morning Prayer (8.30 - 9.00 a.m.) and Evening Prayer (5.00 - 5.30 p.m.) at St Saviour's most weekdays.
