The cathedral has been buzzing over the last two days and the building has been made ready for the service of inauguration and enthronement of Bishop James as the 107th Bishop of Rochester.

The service starts today at 11.30 in the cathedral and I have been watching from the sidelines as draft after draft has been put together. many would not believe the amount of massive hard work that people, particularly Neil, our precentor, and the vergers will have put into this to ensure that everything runs smoothly and to time.

in addition people like Darren have been working hard at installing large screens so people can see what is happening from different part of the cathedral. It really is a massive operation!

As a curate I am excited and intrigued as we welcome our new bishop. It will be exciting to see how the diocese changes and where Bishop James feels we should be heading as a diocese. On a personal note, I will be interested to hear his views on fresh expressions and pioneer ministry. But all that is for conversation over the next few months.

Today we celebrate with him and welcome him to Rochester ….