We ask the Revd Canon Dave Bull some questions on where he finds God in his everyday life and his hopes for his new role.
If you could invite one person from the Bible or Christian history to dinner, who would it be?
Jesus, obviously, but otherwise Moses. He talked with God face to face and I’d love to ask him about it and about his extraordinary life.
Who has been influential to you in your faith journey?
My parents, who have prayed for me every day. My wife Helen, who like me came to faith in her 20s and is very different to me has taught me so much. My first vicar, who took an interest in me and taught me about Jesus while we watched Champions League football together.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
Discovering more of the things God is doing in our Diocese. I never grow tired of seeing lives being changed by the Holy Spirit working in individual people.
We know you enjoy time sailing and mountain biking – where do you find God in any or all of these?
Like many people, I often feel closest to God outdoors. Whether it’s cycling through a sun-dappled wood and surprising a squirrel or toiling to the top of a steep hill and enjoying the view – I love stopping to simply be with God in the beauty. I feel very close to God when I’m sailing and find it easy to pray when I’m surrounded by wind and water and alone with my thoughts and with God in the hugeness of his creation.
What brings you joy?
The gift of being alive each day. The love of family and friends. The beauty of creation. Play and laughter. The endless wonder of being friends with God.
What is your favourite liturgical season?
Hard to choose – I enjoy the changing seasonality of the year. But I’m going to say Ordinary Time – because I relish the ordinary, hidden days where we discover God at work all around us and learn to follow Jesus in the routines of everyday life.
How do you pray?
That’s a bit like asking me how I move. In lots of different ways, but not always elegantly! My spiritual director once said to me “pray as you can, not as you can’t”. I love that advice and try to learn as many different ways of praying as I can.
How do you rest?
Again, in lots of ways! Going on walks, playing card games, reading (especially novels and biographies), watching TV (especially sport and nature documentaries), going to the cinema, catching up with friends, going to visit somewhere nearby I’ve never been before – but most of all, sleep. To my wife’s annoyance, I can sleep anywhere at any time.
Which saint’s life inspires you?
Brother Lawrence (a 17th century monk) has been an enduring inspiration. He saw sweeping the kitchen floor as a place of worship and closeness to God and encourages us all to practice the presence of God in everyday life, wherever we are.
What lesson have you learned by listening?
That every time a person speaks, they reveal something about themself and – if we are curious enough – we can learn about them from listening.
What’s the most urgent or important message you bring to the communities and people of the See of Buckingham?
Jesus is alive! He is bringing life all around us and we need to learn together how to perceive and focus on what he is doing.
When times are difficult, which Bible verse inspires you?
Deuteronomy 8.2 – it explains why the Lord sometimes leads his people through wilderness times: to humble us, to test us in order what to know what is in our hearts and to see if we will keep his commands.