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Fr Robert Halshaw, Chaplain at RAF Kinloss in north east Scotland, gave the second in our series of Lenten Talks. He began by describing his journey to the priesthood, addressed this year’s theme of “Hold firm and Take Heart” and gave a powerful insight into the role of a forces chaplain.

Currently there are 54 Chaplains in the RAF though strenuous efforts are being made to recruit more.

Forces chaplains have to undergo physical and military training to prepare them for some of the dangerous, unpredictable detachments they may join; chaplains of all denominations work alongside commanders and personnel on all deployed operations, often in very harsh and demanding environments. In the course of his ministry, Fr Bob has consoled the dying and bereaved, the injured and anxious, but has observed a steadfast cheerfulness and camaraderie throughout as men and women move from the mundane to the highly dangerous. He urged us to pray for them as they strive for peace, whatever our views on their deployment in Afghanistan.

Fr Bob gave us a number of Bible readings to consider and drew our attention to Exodus 14, verse 14: “The Lord will fight for you; you only need to be still.” The emotional resilience and strength amongst the forces, he said, springs from hope; to find stillness and therefore hope in our busy lives is worth striving for as it brings us closer to God. If we could only communicate the value of this to others, he suggested, our churches would be full!

The Fairtrade stall swings into action after the Lenten talk.