Recently we removed the churchyard 'compost' heap. For generations the flower ladies and those tending graves had thrown dead flowers into this far corner, but in recent years people have also left all kinds of plastic rubbish there. And none of us had really noticed that the growing heap had almost reached a number of children‟s graves. So we have levelled and seeded the site, planted some rose bushes and sited a bench to face the beautiful view. The families of recently-buried children are delighted and grateful and the flower ladies are content enough with new arrangements. But many others who come to tend graves are unhappy about being asked to take their rubbish home.
Shortly after this revolution, one Friday morning we found a small tent pitched in precisely this corner. It belonged to Paul, a young man from the nearby town whose life had fallen apart. He had just lost his job, his girlfriend and his young son and needed a few days to regroup before moving on to find a new life elsewhere. We agreed with the Community Warden that he could stay over the weekend.

That Sunday happened to be our APCM followed by a bring-and-share lunch. We invited Paul and he came. He talked to lots of people, and came back later to Choral Evensong. He joined in the singing and listened carefully to the sermon. Afterwards a member of the congregation took him home for a shower, a hot meal and a dry bed. Paul was profoundly and genuinely grateful. And on the Monday he packed up his tent and left the village. We felt that we had helped a stranger in his hour of need.

BUT... we now discover that there is a great deal of outrage in the village and in the congregation (including the PCC) that we had allowed someone to camp in the churchyard – and especially when we had just banished the rubbish heap from that very spot. We have allowed the children‟s graves to be desecrated and put local people at risk.

Never mind women bishops or common tenure! These are the issues which test our Christian calling as a parish church. What should we do next time a homeless person pitches a tent in the churchyard? The PCC is split down the middle.

Caroline Spencer