The Last of the Boxes

Yesterday was, as noted previously, the last of the lasts in this circuit, after spending the last 13 years back in this part of Belfast, and 8 years as Superintendent of Belfast Central Mission. Thankfully the BCM board are letting us stay in our current Manse until after I have had my sabbatical and move to my new post in July, so I won't have to spend all of my sabbatical filling boxes. But I cleared my office at BCM HQ in Grosvenor House on Thursday and posted the attached photo on social media. This is the first of two pieces prompted by the photo (I haven't finished the other one yet).

Throughout my time in BCM when at that desk I have been very aware of the pictures of the 11 previous Superintendents looking down on me... wondering whether they would approve of what I was doing or where things were at. The space left for me as the 12th Superintendent in that seat always had a certain inauspicious sense of "completeness" to it, although I genuinely hoped that they would have to source a matching panel of four spaces for my successors. But it was not to be. And when the Grosvenor Hall congregation closed last November, I was deeply touched that one of thrir final requests was that before they finished that my photo should be professionally taken and placed in the appropriate box. And that, at least, was granted...

The last box has been filled:

A superficially smiling superintendent,

The last of the twelve, watching

Over a new but empty chair.

The last box has been filled:

Minutes and mementoes filed

in cardboard, plastic and online.

Desk cleared. lights off, key turned.

The last box has been filled:

The to-do list ticked off

With no great “ta-da” just

a solo walk to the exit.

The last box has been filled:

The pieces are now in place

for whatever comes next

now it is finished. And breathe.

Selah

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