LIFE LESSONS: I probably don’t allow enough time to reflect (From Oxford Mail)

Today we talk to the Rev Toby Wright, team rector at St Mary the Virgin Church in Witney

10:00am Wednesday 15th February 2012 in Columns

WHAT I’M CALLED: All sorts of things, from Rector, Vicar, Rev, Father, Padre, God-man, Oi you or even simply Toby.

MY AGE IN YEARS: 36 WHAT I DO: I’m the team rector of Witney, which means I lead a great team who look after four churches covering Curbridge, Crawley, Hailey and Witney.

WHERE I LIVE: Just off Church Green in Witney. We moved here from Peckham in South London, where we had lived for five years.

WHO I LOVE: First off, God. I’m also really fortunate to have a wonderful wife, Sally, and two lovely children, Caspar and Felicity. Caspar is three, and Felicity coming up to nine months.

HAPPIEST YEAR: That’s a tough one. It’s just over 12 months, but 2002-3 included my priesting and my marriage, which was an amazing time.

DARKEST MOMENT: As a teenager I suffered from ill-health for seven years. There were some grim times during that.

PROUDEST BOAST: I’ve abseiled off the highest possible civilian abseil site in the UK. It was one of the hospital towers in South London where I worked.

WORST WEAKNESS: So many, where to begin? I’m always eager to move on, I probably don’t spend enough time reflecting on what has happened and enjoying what has happened.

LESSONS LEARNED: There’s nothing you could ever do that would make God love you more. There’s nothing you could ever do that would make God love you less.

DULLEST JOB: Probably cleaning loos when I was staying at Taizé in France.

GREATEST SHAME: Standing in the sea as a child, feeling proud, with my back to the incoming wave which knocked me off my feet.

LIFELONG HERO: Isaac of Stella. A 12th century Cistercian monk who lived off the coast of France. He got into lots of trouble, but stood up for what he believed in.

OLDEST FRIEND: It’s almost Sally, whom I met when I was three. However, my best man, Matthew, I met while still in the womb and we’ve been friends ever since.

WIDEST SMILE: Caspar and Felicity make me smile so much, they’re so funny. Caspar’s getting better at knowing how to make me laugh, he’s great at being cheeky.

FAVOURITE DREAM: Probably being able to fly.

BIGGEST REGRET: That I never learned a martial art.