Rebecca Parnaby-Rooke writes:
IT WAS announced by the Ordinary Office on 27 October that its founder, David Lucas, had died the previous day, aged 64. David, known as Dave, had global reach through his pioneering work in online ministry, and his impact cannot be overstated.
Dave was born in Jarrow, North Tyneside, and celebrated his Geordie heritage. He loved music and played his guitar in bands around the pubs and clubs of Tyneside. He was raised a Roman Catholic, recognised his calling as a teenager, and entered seminary after leaving school.
Ever a champion for social justice, Dave acted as a whistleblower during his final months of seminary, and, as a result, left his formal training for the priesthood. Soon after, he met Denise, and they were married. Dave continued to pray the office using his breviary, as a way of focusing his life on God.
In his thirties, Dave began to notice that his sight was failing. Angry at God, he found that there was no space for him in a Church which focuses on rites and peace. This experience fuelled Dave’s passion for inclusion, no matter where along the path of life a person was on. He believed wholeheartedly that Church should be a space where rage and sorrow could be expressed just as freely as joy and praise.
Dave began to adjust to life with a disability. In 2001, he became a guide-dog owner, welcoming Abbot into his life. Abbot taught Dave so much about faith; Dave often spoke of his experiences when out and about with Abbot, and later Jarvis, in which his dogs kept him safe even when he couldn’t perceive any danger. His dogs brought him closer to God.
Dave was a champion for disabled Christians. First, with Disability and Jesus, then latterly as founder of the Ordinary Office, Dave was an activist and outspoken critic of the established Church. Identifying as a critical friend of the Church of England, Dave and Jarvis were often seen at General Synod, presenting at information stands, and being a visible witness to the leadership that a blind man could offer.
In 2018, Archbishop of Canterbury held a conference at Lambeth Palace celebrating the lives and gifts of disabled Christians and seeking to learn from them. Dave attended, and in the following years continued to hold the Church of England to account for the promises made at that time. He was instrumental in the inclusive carol services developed at Newcastle Cathedral, which he was hoping to revive. Frustrated with the lack of progress on inclusion as a whole, Dave ultimately left the Church of England behind as he had the RC Church. His habit of praying the daily office continued, however.
Dave sought to bring the daily office to wider community in a more accessible way and so developed the five prayers which came to be known as the ordinary office. Published online using symbols, with an audio and video version, Dave used X (formerly known as Twitter) to share his prayers every day, five times a day, often getting up in the night to ensure that Nocturne was posted. The Amen button on the website is constantly ticking over, as more and more people pray the ordinary office together. At the time of Dave’s death, the count was nearing 7 million prayers.
It was one of Dave’s many dreams to write a book about the Ordinary Office, and, in 2022, Words for the Journey was published. It was well received within the community, and Dave was planning additional works and an album of songs that he had written. He was a visionary, constantly coming up with new ideas and challenging those who read his thought-provoking posts.
Dave’s health was a constant challenge to him in recent years. In the end, his death was sudden. Messages of condolence have been sent from Australia, Canada, the United States, Europe, and New Zealand, demonstrating the impact that doing Church online can have. Dave leaves behind his wife, Denise, and his brother, John, who were both with him in his final hours. Dave also leaves the Ordinary Office, a praying community of online pilgrims who will never forget his quizzes, quips, and love of baked goods.