Living On A Prayer

It's not easy being a vicar. Not only does the Rev Adam Smallbone have a misfit congregation to keep happy, but the demands of parenthood are also taking their toll in BBC Two comedy 'Rev'.

In the series opener last Monday (24 March), Adam (Tom Hollander) met the new Area Dean (Joanna Scanlan) and Diocesan Secretary (Vicki Pepperdine), who hinted that unless Adam could raise the profile and finances of St Saviour’s Church, they may be forced to close it. While they agreed with Adam that the area was a challenging location, they still insisted that he needed to up his game.

At home, Adam’s wife Alex (Olivia Colman) joined him in feeling frazzled. On top of the exhaustion of looking after their ten-month-old daughter, Alex was worried that her new job would leave her little time for the family. In next week’s episode, the pressure on the family only increases. Alex is feeling run-down, so Adam suggests they go away for a night. The trouble is, Alex is swamped with work and it seems difficult to find a reliable babysitter.

At the church, Adam continues to be harassed by money problems. The Archdeacon (Simon McBurney) says the church has to pay its way. Desperate to keep St Saviour’s open, Adam attends a ‘transform your church’ course, led by his colleague, the Rev Roland Wise (Hugh Bonneville). Roland guarantees Adam that his newfangled methods will fill the pews. Adam, having previously opened his church doors to ‘sure-fire’ methods, is unconvinced.

While Adam struggles to cope with the trials and tribulations of daily life, one thing is constant. He remains in conversation with God. Sometimes, he voices his frustrations about the way the Church is run. Other times, he tells God of his concerns for Alex or acknowledges his shortcomings. Occasionally, he confesses that he doesn’t understand why or how he has ended up with his particular set of troubles.

Although Adam’s search for answers might be an ongoing part of his life, he takes comfort from being able to ask God the difficult questions. He knows that God welcomes honesty. He believes that God can handle whatever people say to him.

In the Bible, even Jesus - God’s own Son - questioned his Father, asking: ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ (Matthew 27:46 Contemporary English Version). Dying on a cross, Jesus knew what it meant to feel alone and full of pain - and he wasted no time in telling God about it.

We can do the same. God can take our questions, our doubts and our disappointments. He is willing to listen while we wrestle with the same insecurities over and over again. He is ready for us to pour out our heart, until we get everything out of our system.

When we turn to God, we don’t have to censor what we say, or how we say it. What matters is that we talk to him. What matters is that he can make a difference. What matters is that God is only ever a prayer away.

UK & Ireland War Cry 29 March 2014