Some of you will recognise this blog title as the title of a song by American rock musician, Alice Cooper. Perhaps you have heard of him and are familiar with his reputation. And maybe you don’t know all there is to know about him. Speaking of his own life’s journey, he said (in an interview in 2021), “I was a poster boy for everything wrong and then when I got sober and came back to the church I realized that’s where I belonged.” There’s no doubt God has changed him. The son of a pastor and the grandson of a pastor, he had grown up in a Christian environment, but turned his back on the Christian life in a big way. “I always refer to myself as the real prodigal son because I went out and the Lord allowed me to do everything and then just started reeling me back in.” (Quotations from MoveGuide website.)
I’m sure that throughout his career, there were plenty of people praying that Alice Cooper wouldn’t influence their children. I’m equally sure there were others praying for him – that the prodigal would come home. And we know that at least those latter prayers were answered. So maybe this summer, while school’s out, we could make an extra effort to pray for those who have lost touch with church or worse, walked away from the faith. The new term in September might be a good opportunity for a new start for them, even as it is for us. If Alice Cooper can be brought home, there’s hope for everyone! (And let’s not forget St Paul, who admitted to persecuting the church and described himself as the “worst of sinners” before meeting Jesus on the Damascus Road.)
If you have not yet registered with the updated deanery website, please do take the opportunity over the summer to do so – that way you can guarantee to receive the relevant news as soon as it is available and, if you are a Synod member, gain access to relevant documents. (Click here for information.) And if you get the chance to worship with a church while you are away from home, do take it – then bring back news of what blessed you and how you were able to bless others. It would be good to share some happy news in our first post-summer blog.
I hope you all have a very restful and joyful summer.
Mark Dunstan
Rural Dean
Image by Steve Bidmead from Pixabay