A Cambridge God Adventure* 82) A slip of paper

(*please skip if you have not been following this story). As I began my sermon I did not expect the vestry door to open for quite some time.  I preached my normal length of 20 minutes but there was no movement so I continued for another 10 minutes.  I have mentioned before my concerns about not abusing preaching minutes.  I knew that to go on and on was abuse!  Since many of the congregation were seated in positions where they could also see there was no action from the vestry I sensed inevitable growing restlessness.  It was taking longer than on the previous Easter occasion.  So, I announced the last hymn.

But, even as we were singing, Vernon opened the door and gave me a slip of paper. He had just finished calculating the gifts and promises.  And, yet again, I looked out on faces full of bright anticipation as I held another practical step of faith - written down on a piece of paper in pounds and pence.  I announced that £56,903 had been given and promised of which £24,039 was immediate cash to meet bills.  By the evening the total had risen to £61,746 of which £26,809 was available.

As we stood to sing the Doxology we knew that Willingness owned the day.  What joy there was. Since then inflation has dulled memory of how far £62,000 would go.  In fact, using an inflation calculator which measures past figures with contemporary ones I can hardly believe what that would be worth today-  £199,000!  Indeed, looking back the people of St. A's had largely given and promised since that first step of faith in 1984 over £750,000.  In today's value it would be £2, 415,000.

Though some assumed that this large sum must have been bankrolled by a few wealthy individuals, Vernon assured me that right to the end it remained a congregational effort involving many sacrificial but smaller sums that together added up so gloriously and significantly.

Alert readers will have spotted however that there was still a considerable financial shortfall...some struggles and surprises were still in store.