Wednesday 16 October 2013

The Taming of the News

A phenomenal experience last night, as Les and I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar at the Echo Arena (a late birthday present - thanks family!) I was totally gripped by the whole performance, amazed at the power and the energy, and deeply moved by the story. I've seen it on stage once before, years ago, and am acquainted with many of the songs. After all, it's been around since 1969! Interestingly JCS was released as an album before it was a stage show. Lloyd Webber, who wrote the music, was only 21 at the time. It's hard to believe that, when it first came out, it was regarded as blasphemous by some Christians, who opposed it vehemently, not least because it finishes with the Crucifixion - there is no resurrection. Somehow, they seemed to miss the point: this was a representation of the Gospel story, not the whole truth.

Cleverly, the setting for this performance is the global economic crisis, and the Occupy! movement. Jesus' disciples come from the ranks of the protesters outside an unidentified government building. From the beginning, revolution was in the air and the message of Jesus was one that naturally threatened authority, both political and religious. He drew people around himself, eager for his 'good news' of love and empowerment for the weak, the sick and the powerless; he shows himself indifferent to the opposition of the state. You could tell it was written by young men! He was always controversial, and a key figure in the show is Judas - an anguished and desperate man, who is disillusioned in the end by Jesus. Like everyone else in the story, Judas just doesn't 'get Jesus'. ('What's it all about', sings Mary Magdalene.)

The most powerful moment in this production is Jesus in Gethsemane, wrestling with God (a truly amazing performance by Ben Forster) as he finally surrenders himself to death. Humanity and divinity in conflict, and resolved only by surrender. Goodness, it seems, must sacrifice itself in order to triumph. The final scene in this production is the kind of shrine that we see nowadays, when a community or nation mourns - as we first experienced when Princess Diana died. A huge outpouring of grief, guilt, love and sorrow.

It made me think how tame sometimes is our presentation of  the 'good news'; how ineffective the church in commending the power of God's love, proclaming the arrival of a new world order under the sovereignty of the now risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps it is because we are unwilling to sacrifice ourselves. Perhaps we are more interested in self-preservation. How does one - how do I - recover that sense of a divine, cutting-edge mission which brings good news?

I have been driven back to the Gospel, and spent a couple of hours reading Mark this morning. It's interesting how often (in Tom Wright's translation, which I read for freshness) the words 'astonished' or 'amazed' or 'afraid' occur in reaction to Jesus' words and actions. How often is there any kind of reaction to what the Church does? Is that about social indifference to the Gospel in our culture, or our failure to connect?

The Gospel of Mark begins: 'This is where the good news starts...';  it ends 'They (the disciples) went out and announced the message everywhere...' There is an obvious connection  between the message Jesus brought (and died for) and what the Church is about (and dies for?) I'm not sure we always 'get it' - 'get Jesus'.

Monday 14 October 2013

Stocks, Shares and Stories

I have never owned stocks and shares, but I have a sense that the flotation of the Royal Mail reveals something of what is wrong in our society and with modern capitalism. As I understand it, the original idea of stocks and shares was to enable a company to set up business and the shareholders had literally a vested interest in the enterprise. Those who paid the piper called the tune, you might say: managers or directors managed or directed on behalf of the shareholders. But with the growth of capitalism and the flourishing of huge multi-national corporations, the distance between shareholder and manager grew and grew with the result that ownership was separated from overall control. Managers/directors reign supreme and shareholders have become impotent, though with one benefit: the shareholder has exchanged control and responsibility for the delights of liquidity (F. Mount, The New Few). In other words, the shareholder can make a killing and institutional investors make vast fortunes: in the case of Royal Mail, £433m on the first day!

Now there is nothing wrong with this per se, and it is a perfectly acceptable way of investing and making money. However, it seems to me that lack of 'ownership' is a problem becoming endemic throughout society, and our economic system reveals it. There is powerlessness on the part of the many, and increasing power and wealth for the few. Everything is someone else's problem, which leads to the opt-out we are seeing in our political system. In the end, we just play the game and do what's right by ourselves. Or as someone said recently, 'No one believes anything any more'. An overstatement that makes the point.

How refreshing then to see the film Les and I watched at the weekend, Life of Pi. It was a wonderful film, both visually and the plot. Often you asked yourself, 'how did they do that?' - boy and tiger on lifeboat following shipwreck. The best line for me is when Pi describes himself as a Catholic Hindu (or was it Hindu Catholic?)  'I didn't know you could be both,' says his friend. 'Yes,' says Pi. 'I feel guilty before a hundred gods!' Essentially, it is a story about human growth through adversity with a richly spiritual theme, as Pi does battle with what St Paul might call 'the elemental spirits of the universe.' In the end, it turns out there are two versions of  the same story and Pi's friend is invited to choose which he prefers - with or without God? The version with God being the better, according to Pi.

Monday 7 October 2013

A New Identity

I watched our latest rental DVD on Friday night: 'Blood Diamond', with Leonardo diCaprio in the lead role. The setting was Sierra Leone 1999, and a story about diamond smuggling. The subtext was about young boys being brutally kidnapped from their homes to become boy soldiers on the side of rebel forces. For me the most moving scene occurred when one such boy is pointing a gun at his own father, who gently approaches him, reminding him of the life they once shared and of their relationship which could now be restored. Both characters are in tears, as the boy lowers the gun and they embrace each other. His identity as 'soldier'gives way to that of 'son'.

On Saturday, I had the great privilege of sharing half a day with 40 or so key leaders from our three churches. I spoke to them of our identity in Christ, of how despite the challenges which face us in today's world, it is our identity as God's people (with which God clothes us) which is determinative for all we do and say. I also shared this quotation from CS Lewis from Mere Christianity:

‘The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became man for no other purpose.’ 

It's a challenging statement, but I do believe it is ultimately what we are about: helping everyone to find a new identity. This does not mean of course that we are overbearing or manipulative; but it does mean that we are in a state of constant invitation. We hope to follow this through with a Week of Blessing at the end of this month, with the themes of Heaven, Hope and Hospitality.

Then on Sunday, it was the 30th anniversary of a couple from St Barnabas, who wanted the whole church to celebrate with them. I spoke again of the new identity, how man and woman accept the identity of husband and wife, given them by their marriage vows. From the realisation of that identity should come the necessary changes in behaviours and priorities which go with being married.

I suppose 'become what you are' sums it all up.
‘The Church exists for nothing

else but to draw men into Christ, to

make them little Christs. If they are

not doing that, all the cathedrals,

clergy, missions, sermons, even the

Bible itself, are simply a waste of

time. God became man for no other

purpose.’  CS Lewis  Mere Christianity


 
‘The Church exists for nothing

else but to draw men into Christ, to

make them little Christs. If they are

not doing that, all the cathedrals,

clergy, missions, sermons, even the

Bible itself, are simply a waste of

time. God became man for no other

purpose.’  CS Lewis  Mere Christianity

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Of Malls and Palaces

The recent event in Nairobi is the stuff of which nightmares are made. Trapped inside a building, under fire from brutal men (and woman?). It is significant of course that the terrorists went for an up-market shopping mall, a symbol of wealth and prosperity, hitting a country where it would hurt most.

I have been thinking this week about the interior life. Our spirits sometimes feel they are being invaded by hostile forces which threaten us: fear, unfulfilled ambition, anxiety, low self-esteem, desire for wealth, power or recognition. We all have different 'soft spots' in the landscape of our lives, which we try to protect in a variety of different ways. It's what sometimes makes us aggressive, over-sensitive, depressed or moody.

I am struck by something CS Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, borrowing an analogy from George MacDonald. Imagine yourself as a house, in a bad state of repair. As we grow in grace, it is as if God is fixing the damage but then we realise he has another plan altogether. Lewis concludes,

You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but God is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself.

Thinking about the interior life, what is going on in the minds and the hearts of terrorists? How corrupted have they become? What can persuade them to sacrifice themselves not for the life but for the death of others - thinking of the Christians recently killed in Pakistan? It is as if they themselves have been invaded, and the spirit of their creator God driven out.



Friday 13 September 2013

Syria - and the Common Good

It seems like more than a week ago that I was on a conference at Liverpool Hope University, entitled 'Together for the Common Good'. It was an exploration of the work of Bishop David Sheppard and Archbishop Derek Worlock, to see what might be learned for today's Church in facing issues of social justice. Below, you can read a letter which I wrote to the Church Times afterwards, and is published today. A first for me! The conference was obviously rated significant enough to merit 4 letters on the letters page, plus a report.

However, on my mind the whole weekend was Syria - as it has been before and since. I am so thankful Parliament took the stand it did; that President Obama seems to have followed suit; and that now there seem to be diplomatic moves between Russian and Syrian governments, to deal with the issue of chemical weapons. However, these weapons don't seem to me to be the issue: tens of thousands more lives have been lost by the use of conventional weapons and by various forms of brutality and torture on both sides. Chemical weapons (like WMDs in Iraq) cannot be made a reason for intervening, making a truly terrible situation even worse.

There are at least three reasons for not getting involved militarily:
  1. It's not just about Syria, but the whole middle-East, including Israel-Palestine. Robert Fiske (journalist with the Independent) points out that behind the current conflagration stands Iran - the real enemey, he suggests, in American eyes - and western interference could have the effect of bringing them further into the conflict with unthinkable results.
  2. There is the issue of foreign governments involving themselves in the affairs of other sovereign states. Where would that end? There are many other unjust regimes in the world, yet the West has stayed out of those. The only justiable reason for such action would be if one's national security were threatened, as for example, Britain in 1939.
  3. The Bible has a clear instruction for dealing with situations where wrong prevails. It is to 'overcome evil with good': 'Goodness is stronger than evil', says the South African song. To start bombing Syria would add evil to evil.
I don't believe that not intervening amounts to indifference to Syria's plight, as some have suggested. Humanitarian and diplomatic efforts are where the UK has historically excelled. Would it not be possible, for example, with the agreement of the governments concerned, to ring-fence Syria with refugee camps in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan - even Israel and Iraq?

Could not 'common good' thinking apply to international politics as well as to local issues of social justice?

Here's the letter:


Letter to The Church Times, 10 September 2013

A Coalition of the Just

Sir – Hilary Russell’s article (Restate the Common Good, 30 August) rightly highlights the need for a new confidence for churches, acting together in the face of an increasingly polarised and unequal society. The conference to which the end of her article referred has just taken place at Liverpool Hope University. It was a truly remarkable event, drawing together over 150 people from a whole range of different fields: politics (including a smattering of MPs), journalism and the media, universities, charitiable organizations, and the Church (archbishops, bishops, clergy and various lay employees, from several denominations). These mingled with a number of mainly Christian local activists from all over the country to recall the Sheppard-Worlock partnership of the 70s, 80s and 90s to see what lessons could be learned for today.

I returned with two clear impressions. Firstly, the ‘state we’re in’ is probably far worse than many people realise. The growing number of foodbanks and the displacement of people from their homes because of the ‘bedroom tax’, are just two signs of chronic poverty particularly in our urban areas. Furthermore, as many delegates pointed out, our political system is proving quite incapable of dealing with the problems which face us. Meanwhile, it is evident that an oligarchy of wealthy individuals have increasing power while proving themselves indifferent to the needs of the poor.

However, in terms of response to our nation’s ills, the situation may be better than many people realise. The passion for justice and the common good at the conference was palpable and those present were only a tiny proportion of like-minded people, including their own colleagues. Not all were practising Christians; most were. And the clarion call of the conference was for them to have more confidence (like Sheppard and Worlock) that the Church does indeed have a prophetic voice to speak to a nation, city or community in distress. Furthermore, by partnering with each other, with those of other faiths, and those of none we can speak with a voice which unites rather than divides. We can form indeed a coalition of the just. With the raising of hope, action will follow.

With the 2015 General Election coming into view, could the language of ‘the common good’ be one we could speak together? Could this language help to form more alliances to address our local and national needs?

Papers and responses from the conference can be found at www.togetherforthecommongood.co.uk

 

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Running Backwards!

It was the first home game of the season last Saturday for Everton, and only the second for our new manager, Roberto Martinez. We were playing West Brom, and it was not the most exciting of games, ending in a 0-0 draw. We will have to do a lot better if we are to achieve anything this season. But it's early days, as Martinez brings his own style to our team. One perceptive fellow-Evertonian said, 'I can see what Martinez is trying to do - but not sure we have the right players to do it!'  Time will tell whether they can adjust.

During one particularly uneventful period of play, I was captivated by the referee. (That shows how dull the game was!) I am not exaggerating, from a throw-in, he ran half the width of the pitch backwards! Once I'd noticed this, I became aware that referees often run backwards. I suppose that is part of their training: keeping their eye on the play, while getting to where the ball is likely to be kicked or thrown. It's quite an art actually: don't try this at home, but I bet you couldn't run far backwards without falling over!

I remembered this as I began to read a book I have recently been recommended: Relationships - A Mess Worth Making by Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp. As the title suggests, it addresses an issue which I guess brings us the greatest joy and the bitterest struggle. Most of us, the writers suggest, live somewhere between two extremes as far as relationships are concerned: on a continuum between Isolation (the safe option) and Immersion (total dependence). Neither are healthy for human wellbeing. The first precludes healthy relationship altogether; the second inevitably leads to disappointment and dashed expectations. Somewhere along the line there has to be struggle, engagement, risk, hopes and values honestly shared. The writers say, 'The highest joys of relationship grow in the soil of the deepest struggles.' But they are worth it!

Unfortunately, the tendency is to 'run backwards' from relationships. This is not the same as running away, turning one's back on the other person. It is more keeping one's distance, not getting involved, avoiding conflict or difference - and therefore not investing in that person's life. Inevitably, that means we will not receive from them either. The Church is full of people running backwards! And so is our culture.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks has just retired as Chief Rabbi. In an interview on Sunday, he said that society is 'losing the plot', as illustrated by the collapse of various institutions, most notably the banks, and including marriage. At the heart of the problem is the loss of trust between people and institutions. The reason is that secular society is highly individualised (people running backwards?), fearful of commitment, which of course is one reason why marriage has become less popular.

Put positively, I often say at weddings that the newly-married couple are an inspiration! They believe there is a future, and that the future is held in trust to one another. The best thing about marriage is that one person promises another that they will give themself to the other for the rest of their life. The fact that this promise is mutual is the basis of trust in that relationship.

As in marriage, so in other relationships: they are healthiest when we move towards each other, and even embrace each other, rather than observe from a distance, preserving our own space, doing our own thing.

Monday 19 August 2013

Leaving Church

Perhaps I should begin by saying, 'I'm not!' - leaving church that is! But an awful lot of people are, for a whole lot of different reasons. It's sometimes said that church has a narrow front door (it's hard to get into) and a wide back door (easy to leave). In my experience, not many people, having belonged to a church, decide to leave. They just miss for a few weeks - perhaps through illness or personal circumstances - and find they didn't miss it. Even worse, no one seems to have missed them either. At least, no one bothered to say so by getting in touch to enquire.

This presents quite a challenge for those of us in leadership. For one thing, we need to have a church culture where people are missed and are contacted if they go missing for any length of time. This is not as easy as it might sound, because these days not many people go to church every week: such are the complexities of modern living and the other choices available, from caring for elderly parents to owning a weekend cottage or caravan. It is also sad, but true, that too many people only come to church if they have some particular reason to do so: assisting in children's ministry (which might mean they don't appear in church anyway!), reading the lesson, singing in the choir or music group, administering at Holy Communion, being on welcome team etc. It betrays an attitude which is more about doing than being church. Whether or not we have a particular function on a particular Sunday, our presence is required. Who knows whether or not God might call on us to offer a word of comfort to someone who is struggling, or to rejoice in someone's good news? And don't we all  need to make ourselves available to God by offering ourselves in worship, open to the promptings of the Spirit and the teaching of the Word week by week? Ok - so not all sermons are brilliant, but you never know when that light-bulb moment may happen!

Recently, after a rather difficult church meeting, someone said 'Where was Jesus in that meeting?' I wish I had thought quickly enough to say, 'he was sitting next to you, or across the room'. In other words, he was present in your brother or sister. I think it was Martin Luther who used to say that every Christian should be a 'little Christ', representing their Lord to each other and the world.

I am reading 'Leaving Alexandria', by Bishop Richard Holloway, former Bishop of Edinburgh. Here is a man who has definitely and intentionally left the church, eventually finding the conflict unbearable between private doubt and public ministry. He is a scholar whose life journey has taken him from Glasgow slums to national prominence. It is a sad book, I think, and I find myself wondering whether his deep disappointment is more with the Church than with God. He seems to have fallen in love with Church - its rituals and its monasticism - in his teenage years and somehow this got in the way of his relationship with God. As disillusionment set in, so it became impossible to continue as a member of the Christian church. I am reminded of another bishop, John Robinson, years ago who wrote that it was important to love Jesus more than the Church.

To which I would add: we love the Church for Jesus' sake.

Coincidentally, I was reading at the weekend an interview with Barbara Brown Taylor - an American Episcopalian priest. She has also left the Church, in the sense that she has moved out of parish ministry, after many years as a particularly gifted preacher and pastor, into academia as a professor of religion. She says, religion gets in the way of God when the well becomes more interesting than the water...She has actually written a book called 'Leaving Church', which I suspect is more positive than Holloway's. What holds us together [as 'church'] is a certain way of seeing the world; a certain set of sacred stories that keep that view in place; and a certain way of responding to them that gives life meaning. That's not a bad way of describing what it means to belong to a 'community of blessing'.

September 29 is 'Back to Church Sunday' (www.backtochurch.co.uk). A good opportunity to re-engage with those who may not have left, just taken leave.

Wednesday 7 August 2013

James Bond and the Importance of 'We'

Les and I had a marvellous weekend a few days ago. We travelled south, with Jude, for some time with Les' extended family. On Friday night, an early 70th birthday meal for her elder sister, and the next evening a much bigger party for her cousin's 50th. We were particularly delighted that our own entire family made the journey to Hertfordshire to share in Saturday's festivities. They all love being with aunts, uncles and cousins. En route there or back, each of us in turn visited my mother, who is in a nursing home in Rugby, together with my sister and her husband who live nearby. So, a good all-round experience of family. During the day on Saturday, we wandered leisurely around St Albans, where I was brought up. It was market day, and the place was truly alive. I have never seen so much fresh fruit and veg on display. It was good to revisit the Abbey in particular, where I was confirmed just after we won the World Cup in 1966!

It was so good to reconnect with wider family and my own past.

On our return (leaving at 5.30a.m. to get back in time for church!), we found ourselves with a free Sunday evening. So we watched our latest rental DVD, 'Skyfall' - the most recent James Bond epic. Here I have to confess: I have never watched a James Bond film before! I gather this one was typical in terms of the spectacular effects, car chases, shootings and sexual encounters. Hugely entertaining stuff, but my overall feeling was that it was much ado about not very much. The plot, such as it was, made little sense to me. But I gather this was a more sensitive picture of Bond, by now an aging agent, rather past his sell-by date with more normal human feelings and a definite vulnerability. I guess I'd give it 3*s out of 5.

Presumably, if bizarrely, because of 'Skyfall', James Bond was the theme of the youth pilgrimage to the Anglican shrine at Walsingham, Norfolk last month. The ABC (Archbishop of Canterbury) addressed the pilgrims, saying that as Christians we are the opposite to James Bond: it is not our task to save the world single-handedly. Rather, we are part of a community, the Church, to whom God has indeed entrusted that task as the Body of Christ. This is a truth which bears on me more and more the longer I serve in ministry. I don't think many of us Christians realise just how important we are, as a body, in God's purposes for creation. For this reason, it is so important that we think in terms of 'we' in the Church rather than 'them and us' - for which you can read those of different theological persuasions, Christian denomination, or leaders and led.

I have had cause to address this recently in a particular situation, where them/us language has crept in. For Church, it is always 'we'. Could not the same be true of society, if we seek the common good? I have just started to read 'The New Few' by Ferdinand Mount. His thesis is that slowly, inexorably over more than 50 years Britain has slipped into oligarchy, or the exercise of government by the few i.e. the wealthy and powerful. Despite Osborne's 'all in this together', nothing could be further from the truth. It is very much 'us and them' - the wealthy, powerful few and the general public. Mount quotes Adam Smith from 1776:

People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but that the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public or in some contrivance to raise prices.

Ring any bells? The worrying thing is that history shows oligarchy e.g. in Rome to be a sign of a crumbling society.

Tuesday 30 July 2013

Human Flourishing

Last weekend, Lesley and I celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary - or 35 years of wedded bliss, as I sometimes joke! Thanks to a 'gift' from Les' tax inspector we were able to go out for a meal at our favourite local Indian restaurant. The night before, we shared a meal with some friends who married the same day as us. It was great to see how their lives are taking off in new directions. She, in particular, is flourishing wonderfully in her slightly-after-middle-age!

Yesterday, my daily Bible reading was from Psalm 1, which reminds us that those flourish best who have their roots in God. The commentator quoted from a North American Indian:

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive...I want to know if you can be with JOY, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness...if you can source your life on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon. YES!

The commentator goes on 'What interests you?' I think my answer would be 'human flourishing'; and conversely, what saddens me most is seeing people crushed, shrivelled, unable to live their life to the full. Of course, I happen to believe that we flourish best when we have faith in Jesus Christ, and many years ago I took as my 'motto' St Paul's words from Colossians 1.28-29, my life's work being the desire to present everyone mature in Christ. How effective I have been in that, I will not know until I leave this earth, but I know that I often fail my own test.

A friend has recently pointed me to the work of Naomi Klein, a Canadian author and journalist. She has coined the phrase 'Disaster Capitalism' to describe what seems to be a pernicious political strategy of the modern world. The most blatant example of this to date has been the 'shock and awe' tactic in Iraq, which cost many lives and enormous damage, on the basis that new businesses could move in and create a whole new infrastructure - and make a lot of money for themselves. Of course, this hasn't happened. Well, some no doubt have made money but the country remains unstable. The point about Disaster Capitalism is that it creates chaos, or moves into a chaotic situation, ostensibly with a rescue plan but really in order to create wealth for the investors. What has this to do with us? Well, it is said that the same tactic is being used with the NHS: create a sense of disorder, chaos, not-fit-for-purpose-ness, and it's ripe for privatization. It is said that the real problem at Mid-Staffs, for example, was not uncaring nurses or incompetent doctors, but mainly shortage of nurses. But create a sense of unease, of fear of going to hospital, and we'll welcome any change. So the theory goes.

But the desire for human flourishing goes very deep, and most people would rather improve and grow rather than dismantle and start again. Only in exceptional circumstances would this be the only solution. At the heart of Christian faith is resurrection, which is about taking what is and breathing new life into it - not destroy and replace.

Monday 22 July 2013

People like us?

It was a very full-on weekend. On Saturday, we went to a Ruby Wedding celebration in Lancaster. This was a very special time of reunion, but I was embarrassed when a picture of me came up on the screen, from 1971, complete with full evening dress and in the company of a young female student who did not become my wife. I hadn't told Les about that one! The event also gave us some ideas for our own 'Ruby' next year - if we're still together!!

Yesterday was basically non-stop, comprising a big baptism service, a lunchtime meeting, BCP Evensong and finally Communion. Oh and a bit of domestic cleaning on the way!

I was told a few days ago that Mossley Hill/Allerton (where I live) is in the Sunday Times Top Ten for places to bring up a family. Get that - Liverpool, a good place for families! I was naturally gladdened, and can understand why this should be: good schools and local amenities, relatively low crime rate, good transport links etc.

As it happens, I was in a different conversation with a neighbour concerning the issues of our area. I asked him what he thought the main issues were. There aren't really any big ones, he said; people round here are 'small-c' conservative. They live here because they want to conserve what they have. My friend would be the first to admit that there are 'issues' here: lonely elderly folks living by themselves in large houses, the family having moved away; I suspect that levels of debt and alcoholism are rather higher than most of us realise; and there is undoubtedly mental ill health, often stress-related, for professional people in many walks of life. But, all things considered, this is a good place to live.

How does it affect church life, when it is all too easy to be complacent, self-satisfied, yet we constantly pray 'your kingdom come'? What would that look like? I and others talk often these days about the need for culture-change within the church, infected as we are with that 'nothing changes here' mentality. Here's a quote from a book I've mentioned before, Unapologetic  by Francis Spufford. He is describing particular areas where the Church (of England) is open to criticism. One of these, he believes

...(is) our recurring tendency to give religious sanction to whatever is 'small-c' conservative in a society, at the expense of everybody who falls outside the conservative definition of what's good and natural ...It is possible to see the church...as virtue's tribe, as a new version of the self-satisfied Us...Then whatever is inside the tribal boundary begins to seem good because it is inside, and whatever is outside begins to seem wicked because it is outside.

Today the Church remembers Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus cast seven demons and who was quite possibly a prostitute before becoming a disciple. She followed Jesus to the Cross and beyond to the tomb, becoming the first to see him following his resurrection  and bearing the news to the other disciples. Would she have found a place within our church, I wonder?

Monday 15 July 2013

Acting the Good Samaritan

There was an end of term feel to yesterday morning's service at Mossley Hill, with a party following at which lunch and cakes were served with proceeds going to our heating appeal. We have just about reached 50% of total, so are well encouraged.

The Gospel reading was the Good Samaritan, and I had some children acting out the story. They were brilliant, especially the young girl who played the thug, beating up the hapless victim - who happened to be her brother. She acted the part energetically: 'years of pent-up emotion', said their mother! The point I emphasised was that the question the teacher asked Jesus ('Who is my neighbour?') is different from the one Jesus asks him ('Which one was the neighbour?') - it's a distinction between law and grace. Law which says 'what should I do?' and grace which says 'how should I live?' It's interesting that Luke the evangelist tells us the teacher 'wanted to justify himself'. That's what law does: gives you the means of protecting yourself, making you secure within your own terms of reference. But that isn't necessarily the way of Christ, who went beyond established boundaries and paid the price. Ultimately, of course, it is Christ who is the Good Samaritan, showing pours out mercy upon fallen human beings. And he is also victim, who calls us to take risks as we meet him in the poor and needy.

I used the example of Malala Yousafzai, the 16-year old Pakistani teenager shot by a Taliban gunman for championing women's education. Last week, she addressed the United Nations Youth Assembly:

I am (not) here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban...I do not even hate the one who shot me. Even if there was a gun in my hand and he was standing in front of me, I would not shoot him. This is the compassion I have learned...This is the philisophy of non-violence I have learned...This is the forgiveness I have learned. This is what my soul is telling me: be peaceful and love everyone.

I think the key word is 'learned'. Malala has been on an amazing journey, which has taken her from her small village to the UN. It has also been a journey to grace, releasing her from any sense of bitterness and strengthening her resolve for the cause she has espoused. A journey into grace is one we could all make: in short, it is about seeing the bigger picture, beyond our own personal circumstances to what God is doing in our life and in our world. That's something the teacher who met Jesus found it hard to do. It was all about him.

Thursday 11 July 2013

Murray - Minted?*

* with apologies for the pun. (Are Murray Mints still around?)

So - Andy Murray did it last Sunday. I arrived home just in time for the last game, having listened to bits of it on the car radio while I did some parish visits. I confess I felt quite emotional as he won that final point, and the crowd erupted. I don't think it had anything to do with the '77-year wait for a British Wimbledon champion'. It was just that I love to see a person do well, especially if I have some kind of attachment to them - and here I must admit it is because he's British (well, Scottish I guess he would want to say). Les and I watched a documentary about Andy Murray a couple of weeks ago, and he came across as a really genuine person, who has known tears as well as joys in life. His parents, of course, are divorced and he came within an ace of the massacre at Dunblane Primary School: his class was the next one due in the gym where that terrible event occurred. He is clearly still scarred by the memory, as he wept talking about it on the film. It says much for him that, although Sue Barker (interviewing him) said, 'It's ok, we can cut this' as he struggled to control his emotions, he must have agreed to let that piece stay in the programme.

What now for Murray? A millionaire already at 26, fame, success and a celebrity. I hope he can handle it well. The signs are good, as I gather he has donated his Wimbledon winnings to the Royal Marsden Cancer charity. (He has a close friend who is seriously ill with cancer). It was also good to hear he phoned his grandparents straight after the game!

David Cameron wants to give him a knighthood. I cried out, 'Noooo....!' Too soon. Maybe at the end of his career. Maybe an MBE now. Such a reaction from the PM suggests to me much that is wrong in our current social attitudes. We are a meritocratic society, where rewards come too readily to people for their smallest achievements. I know winning Wimbledon is a big thing for a Brit, but I believe the bigger rewards (such as a knighthood) should be for lifetime achievements, or for outstanding contributions to the common good.

Speaking of the common good: have you signed up for Together for the Common Good this September? Go to www.togetherforthecommongood.co.uk. It concerns the legacy of David Sheppard and Derek Worlock, connecting faith and the good society.

On a related issue, here is something I've just read, about the dangers of allowing wealth (as in the Gross National Product) to determine our national priorities. It's by former US politician Robert Kennedy:

(it) does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education,or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate, or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning...it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.

While we rejoice at Murray's success, the magnitude of his rewards and the adulation heaped upon him say much about what we really value in our corporate life.

Sunday 30 June 2013

Holiday Reading

We returned from holiday on Friday, to the inevitable backlog of emails. It's been a really good couple of weeks for me and Les - we even had some sunshine. I feel physically refreshed, spiritually restored and renewed. There's a lot happening over the next few weeks and months.

Generally, I like to keep 2 or 3 books on the go at the same time, and did so while I was away. For light relief, I read Michael Frayn's Skios - a farce involving mistaken identities on a Greek island, where wealthy patrons of a Trust have met for their annual gathering. Fun!

I have much enjoyed reading Unapologetic by Francis Spufford. It's a recently-published book, the author of which takes on the likes of Dawkins and Hitchens to claim that Christianity makes surprising emotional sense, in spite of all the alleged inconsistencies. Spufford himself is a practising Anglican Christian, but hardly typical in terms of his writing. It is racy, witty and passionate (proves that Anglicans can sometimes have these qualities!) and actually very convincing as he deals with some of the arguments for unbelief thrown at Christians. But don't read it if you're easily offended. He uses quite colourful language, as for example his definition of sin as the HPtFtU (the Human Propensity to F*** things Up)! He confronts head-on the problem of evil, both in terms of personal misfortune and global terror. My favourite quote is Far more can be mended than you know. I would recommend this to any Christian who feels at all browbeaten or defeated; and definitely to any sceptic who wonders whether Christianity can be believed in at all, with integrity.

Then, I am still wading through excerpts from Samuel Pepys' diaries. Here's a couple of things I didn't know: they are incredibly detailed and voluminous, including not only historical detail but also what he wore from day to day and what he ate; secondly, they cover only a period of less than 9 years, from January 1 1660 to May 31 1669, when he was in his late 20s/early 30s. He describes his rise to prominence during the Restoration of the monarchy (King Charles II comes to the throne), as a senior administrator for the Navy under the Earl of Sandwich. Although never quite achieving a knighthood (which he regrets) he is clearly highly thought of. Historically, of course, this was a period of considerable turbulence during which there was the Great Plague and the Fire of London in 1666, both of which are described in minute detail. Anglicans will also realise it was the time when the Book of Common Prayer (1662) was finalised, and Pepys often makes mention of Common Prayer, which he uses both privately and on 'the Lord's Day', as he always refers to Sundays.

November 4 1660 Lord's Day: Mr Mills did begin to nibble at the Common Prayer by saying 'Glory be to the Father etc' after he had read two psalms. But the people have beene so little used to it that they could not tell what to answer.

And as to religion itself: I see religion, be it what it is, but a humour (i.e. a mood), so that the esteem of it passeth as other things do. Nevertheless, Pepys is a most religious man who regularly comments on sermons he has heard and gives thanks to God for his good fortune.

An interesting debate to be had here about the difference between faith (as experienced and lived by Spufford) and religion (as meticulously observed by Pepys). There is no doubt in my mind that the latter must give way to the former otherwise - which is what 'religion' means - we are simply bound.

Tuesday 18 June 2013

Blackbird sings

My favourite bird has to be the blackbird. I can remember years ago, doing my A levels one hot summer, a blackbird was my constant companion singing constantly in the high branches of the leafy horse chestnut tree outside my window. Ever since, I have loved the blackbird's song and it never fails to cheer me. You'll see him (it is the male who sings!) perched not only in trees but on TV aerials, on roof tops and chimney stacks, singing away. Look carefully and you'll see how his whole body is involved: a huge amount of energy goes into that song. It's described in one of my bird books as 'superb, musical, full-throated, mellow, warbling with many variations'.

Les and I went for a long walk today, and observed another songbird - the skylark. Its behaviour is amazing (captured in Vaughan Williams' music,  'Lark Ascending'): soaring high into the air with an exuberant outpouring of sound, till - seemingly exhausted with the effort - it sinks to the ground  and rests, still chirruping away. Again, it is as if all the energy of the bird goes into its song.

I wonder why birds sing. Sometimes, it seems to be entirely for our entertainment if, alone in some country place, a bird is in full voice. I believe it is also just one illustration of the Psalmist's exhortation, 'Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord!' Is it too far-fetched to believe that is precisely why the song bird exists, to give praise to our Maker, to lift our spirits heaven-ward?

This little fella came and landed by me while I was taking some pictures on Lindisfarne last month.

Friday 31 May 2013

A Cultural Experience

Day off today, so Les and I decided to see what was happening in our wonderful city. First to the new Central Library. (You really must go! - http://liverpool.gov.uk/libraries/find-a-library/central-library/) We had coffee and cake, only disappointed by the fact they don't serve decaff, which Les prefers. We spoke to a manager about this, so next time we go...? Then another tour of the Library, including the fantastic roof terrace, and the discovery they have meeting rooms up there. I wonder whether it could be a venue for church meetings sometime? They seem very well equipped, and with such marvellous facilities all around it would be great. We enquired, and found they are not yet in use. We need to check it out again sometime in the future.

We enjoyed the new auto-booking facility and took some books out, more for the fun of it than anything else! I also found out how to auto-book a book (Samuel Pepys Diary, in fact). Guess where it was - Allerton Library! So we were able to pick it up on the way home. Wonderful!

From the Library to the Walker Art Gallery next door, where there is an amazing exhibition of photos by Rankin entitled 'ALIVE in the Face of Death': http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/events/displayevent.aspx?eventID=13609. In stunning, sometimes almost macabre but always thought-provoking images Rankin invites us to consider human responses to death and mortality. There are stories with the pictures of people who have escaped death, people who are living with dying, and in one case of a woman, age 42, who died of her illness just 3 days after the exhibition opened. Each subject was invited to suggest ways in which they might be photographed, to reflect their character or attitude to death and life.There are also pictures of people whose business is associated with death e.g. a funeral director, grave digger and professional mourners. Each story is an inspiration, and if there's one word that summed it up for me, it's courage.

One thing was missing, though, as far as I could see, and that was any suggestion of life beyond death, of hope beyond the grave. It reminded of something I read only yesterday*: Today many Christians are influenced by the secular non-Christian view that death is a catastrophic end to be delayed as long as possible and to be resented as a destruction of the one thing that really matters to us, that is, physical life. There is a sense in which this view comes through in the exhibition, whereas Christians believe (the writer continues) that life in this world is integrally related to life in the next. Indeed, the Gospel of John and Paul's epistles assume that heavenly life has already begun on earth...

From the exhibition to a little shopping in Liverpool One, a quick visit to see Jude in her place of work - rightly denied entry because of the confidential nature of her work - and lunch. After a good deal of dithering we ended up at Wagamama, specialising in Japanese food. Well it was different, is about all I can say. I should have noticed the chilli in the sauce before I poured it over my sticky rice! Blew my socks off!

So much for our culture. I could put off the gardening no longer. But in the back of my mind all day, and sometimes at the front, was a very different cultural experience: that of C, a member of one of our churches, who was only confirmed less than a fortnight ago. C is a young Nigerian woman, who has lived in the UK for 11 years and has been seeking asylum here. We always knew her stay here could be limited, but we did not expect the decision to come so suddenly. When she reported to the Border Agency office on Tuesday, she was detained and imprisoned near Manchester Airport. I and a friend from church went to see her the next day, and were shocked at the security conditions. A huge, windowless building, looking more like a warehouse than a place of human habitation. We had to provide ID, were searched, and had just 1/2 hour with C in a small room. She was very distressed and fearful: after so long away from her original (I won't say 'home') country, she has noone to return to. No family, no friends. Since then I have been in touch with her legal representative and her MP to try and stay her deportation, but it looks pretty hopeless. I am simultaneously in touch with a mission partner in Nigeria to see if there is at least someone who can look out for her.

This is a kind of underside of our culture, something most of us rarely see. Immigration is a huge issue politically and economically and in a situation like C's it's hard to know what to feel. You know that technically the law is not on her side. She is here illegally - but only because as a naive 16-year old she was trafficked into the country (her grandmother being complicit in the transaction), seeking a better life. Since then, escaping from a life of slavery, she has lived on her wits, gained some education, learned to speak excellent English and, I guess, would make a very good citizen. But there are many others like her, and each has their own story to tell. I guess my role, like many others who aid asylum seekers frequently, is just to do the best we can for the people we come across - wanting the best for them as fellow human beings, in God's image.

I spoke to someone at Asylum Link this week (a charity which provides for asylum seekers in Liverpool). He told me to remember that, when they hear sometimes months or even years later from refugees who have returned home, they thank him not for food, clothing or shelter, but just for being there, being a friend. I guess that's the kind of cultural experience we would want to receive ourselves in the same circumstances.

*Bearers of the Spirit - Spiritual Fatherhood in Romanian Orthodoxy, by Nicholas Stebbing CR.

Saturday 25 May 2013

Where have all the young men gone?

Even in the midst of the most awful atrocity (the murder of the young soldier in Woolwich) there can be both courage and humour. The Cub-Scout leader who confronted one of the murderers showed amazing courage, engaging him in conversation. What amazes me is not only her calmness, but that fact that he stopped to talk rather than flee or even attack her.

Then, a day later, there was a vox pop from Woolwich, with some young men from the area. One of them spoke of grandparents who had fought for their country in the war: 'if they were alive now, they'd be turning in their graves!' Wonderful lol moment: I was driving at the time, and it was hard to keep concentration!

But seriously, the fact that one of the murderers is from a devout Christian family and was converted to Islam, going on to be 'radicalised', has drawn much comment. The more so, since there have been several other examples of terrorists acting in the name of Islam who were not originally of that faith. What's going on here? By contrast, why is it that many of our churches have a predominantly female membership? It was noticeable last Sunday, when I attended a confirmation service where the majority of candidates were female. Our own group of 18 teens and adults consisted of 14 females and 4 males.

There was an interview this morning with a Muslim leader who converted to Islam from Roman Catholicism over 20 years ago. He was asked to explain why young men turn from Christianity to Islam. In his own case, he said, it was because Islam offered a 'way of life', something which concerned the whole of life. By contrast, he said, the Roman Catholic church (for which, I'm sure, you could read any other Christian denomination) seemed only to offer man-made rules and regulations for belonging to an insitution (I have been unable to find the exact words). Elsewhere, I have read of the need for challenge, adventure, a cause to fight for (I don't mean with weapons) which especially appeals to the male of the species. In fact, many men who do come to church are simply bored.

There is surely something for Church leaders to reflect on here. For myself, I have often thought that we need to reclaim the concept of Christian soldiers - of both genders. Complacency, indifference, a religion of comfort rather than challenge typifies many of of our churches. Read the lives of the earliest Christians in the Bible, and of saints down the ages and you will find they are men and women of immense courage with a tremendous spirit of adventure which took them to the ends of the earth.

There are signs that we are beginning to recover that sense of 'whole-life discipleship'. The community to which I belong (St Aidan and St Hilda, based on Holy Island) preserves that emphasis from Celtic times with a strong emphasis on a rule of life. The challenge is in keeping the three vows (based on monasticism) of purity, simplicity and obedience. No room for complacency there, especially as each of us makes ourself accountable to a soul friend. Might such an approach encourage more male disciples?

Sunday 19 May 2013

'Speak to Me'

A lot has happened in the 10 days since I last blogged. There have been 2 very busy weekends, and in between a special time on Holy Island/Lindisfarne with 8 other folks from our 3 churches. We spent the mornings in seminars, thinking about how Celtic spirituality and mission 'speaks' to the church of today; the afternoons were free to wander and wonder; the evenings spent in conversation together. Each day, we observed the prayer rhythm of early morning/midday/evening and night prayer.

Travelling to the island, I was listening to the latest album by the band Iona. One track stuck in my mind: Speak to Me. The words are by Chief Dan George, and are worth quoting:

The beauty of the trees,
the softness of the air,
the fragrance of the grass
speak to me.

The summit of the mountain,
the thunder of the sky,
the rhythm of the sea
speak to me.

The faintness of the stars
the freshness of the morning,
the dewdrops on the flower
speak to me.

The strength of fire,
the trail of the sun,
and the life that never
goes away

They speak to me
and my heart soars.
They speak to me.

As a famous theologian once said, we should pray with eyes open sometimes, lest we miss anything that God may be wanting to show us. I carried those words 'speak to me' through the week and found inspiration. Easy enough of Lindisfarne! For example, 'the rhythm of the sea.' Last year, I made a DVD recording in which I suggested that Church can sometimes feel like a beached whale, the tide of secularism having washed us up. But as I observed the beach at low tide, a couple of things occurred to me. First, one thing you can be sure of, the tide will come in again. There are seasons in the life of the Spirit, as in creation, so there is every reason to hope. Second, low tide does not mean the absence of life or energy. There are rock pools full of life and colour: crabs, shrimps, small fish, seaweed, sea shells etc. Even the occasional treasure, for the beachcomber. So when it is low tide for the Spirit (personally or nationally) look for the signs of life and work with them!

Immediately after my return, I was privileged to attend the opening of the refurbished City Library. Talk about a wow factor - it is amazing. The best thing, as Mayor Joe Anderson and others said, 'it's for the people of Liverpool', something of which we can justly be proud. (Mind you, the best quote of the evening came from Joyce Little, Head of Libraries, who has worked for 15 years on this project. Speaking of her favourite book, by Hilary Mantel, she said 'it has intrigue, passion, loyalty and treachery!' Sounds like a good read!)  The next night, Les and I went to see 'Blue Remembered Hill' at the Playhouse (that's another story) and thence to the Library so Les could see it. It was wonderful to see 1000s of people streaming through, late at night. A Library as a tourist attraction! That speaks to me.

This is a bit of a leap, but what a shame to hear the row in the Tory party about Europe. There has been a lot of talk about 'what's best for Britain', and I can't help feeling this comes from a Little Englander mentality, which is surely outdated in the modern world. Today, the world needs trustful partnerships (so there is a link with the Library, which is a PFI partnership). We should be thinking not just about what we can get out of Europe but, perhaps even more importantly, what we can contribute to a thriving European community. That speaks to me.

Thursday 9 May 2013

Handover

So he's finally gone - Sir Alex that is. And our own (I speak as an Evertonian!) David Moyes lined up to succeed him. It will be a big step up for him, from a smaller, less successful club to such a legendary and successful institution as Man U. Every Evertonian will wish him well. He has done so much for us, the only disappointment being he never won any honours with us. That must make him a bit of a risk for Man U, but then again Everton have never had the financial resources of a really big club. Moyes has done well to keep us consistently in the top half of the Premiership. So who will succeed him at Everton? Martinez of Wigan has been suggested.

It's interesting that Ferguson seems to have groomed Moyes for this moment. It comes as no surprise really - except that, is it really Fergie's appointment? Don't the owners and the directors have a say, or does Fergie's success entitle him effectively to appoint his own successor? For Moyes, his accountability will not be to Fergie - except perhaps personally - but to the Club. Whilst Fergie will cast a long shadow, he will not directly be influencing things.

By coincidence, today commemorates another 'handover', as the Church celebrates Ascension Day. Jesus returns to heaven, having completed his work on earth. However, he remains 'in charge', and his appointment is not of one successor but of the Church, to be his witnesses. For now (as with Moyes, pending his appointment and starting the job) there is a period of waiting, for the coming of the Holy Spirit in 10 days time.

But...our task is not to work for the success of the 'club' (the Church) but for the continuation of Christ's work on earth till kingdom come.

Friday 3 May 2013

Skydive!

Up very early tomorrow morning: taking my daughter Jude to (near) Lancaster for her charity skydive. She is raising money for 'After Adoption' - the charity for which she works. http://afteradoption.org.uk/

She has already been promised nearly £700: wouldn't it be great if we could make it £1000 by the time she launches herself out of that plane?!  http://www.doitforcharity.com/JudeB.

Lesley is not coming, partly because of work commitments and partly because she thinks she will be too nervous to watch! I will go equipped with camera, and Jude hopes that the whole experience will be recorded on video. No doubt it will appear on Facebook afterwards.

We are all very proud of our Jude. This is a first for the Butland family - the nearest I got being an abseil down the church tower at St George's, Everton 23 years ago!  She has always wanted to do a parachute jump but it was only when she saw the opportunity of doing it for charity that she decided to have a go. She is passionate about adoption, reading and hearing about so many people whose lives have been changed - even rescued - by the kindness of adoptive parents and families. We also have personal experience, as a family, of an adoptive child, and realise what a difference this has made to a young life. Another factor in Jude's big adventure tomorrow.

Adoption is at the heart of Christian faith, believing that through Jesus Christ we are adopted children of our heavenly Father. The great thing about being adopted is knowing you've been chosen!

Go Jude!



Sunday 28 April 2013

AGMs and Assault

Blog has rather missed out this week, as I've been preoccupied with Annual General Meetings: 3 of them! It's not as bad as it sounds, as the agenda is pretty much the same. You get on a bit of a roll really. What's interesting though is the best-supported is the smallest church. I haven't got the exact figures, but it may even have been the second-best attended as well. Their total membership roll is less than a third of the other two, and yet about half of them turn up for the meeting. Furthermore, when it came to elections, there were 6 nominations for the 6 places. Well more than either of the bigger churches managed. And...3 of those 6 were under 40! How good is that?! Definitely signs of life there.

The truth is, it's easier to lead a smaller church - in this case, a membership of 70. There is more sense of cohesion, unity of purpose; less sense of 'plenty of others, they don't need me'.

There were no major problems at any of the meetings, and all were able to end on a positive note, with a major challenge to face in 2013. For two of them, there's the possibility of a new heating system for next winter. I think we're all realising that one reason for falling attendances (but only one) is that's it's just too cold in the winter! Ok - so you can argue that it's always been like that, but people's expectations these days are higher.

As part of each meeting, we showed the latest video from the Church Mission Society, 'Does it matter if the world knows Jesus?' It was only 6 minutes long, but took us to Tanzania, Argentina, Nepal and...Hull, UK! It demonstrated how the Good News of Jesus requires actions as well as words. At one meeting, when I invited comments, one person simply said 'wow'! Interested? See www.cms-uk.org/knowjesus.

By contrast, I was frankly appalled by the biting incident last weekend of Luis Suarez of Liverpool FC. It's the kind of behaviour you expect of a child. In any place of work, such an assault would lead to instant dismissal for gross misconduct. I am sorry that Liverpool, with it's history of experiencing injustice, did not take the moral high ground on this occasion and dismiss him. Their 6-0 thrashing of Newcastle yesterday shows they can perfectly manage without him! Sadly, as several people I have heard on TV or spoken to have said, 'there is no morality in football. It's all about success and money.'

Mind you, yesterday's result leaves me, as an Evertonian, very nervous about our chances at Anfield next Sunday! 

Thursday 18 April 2013

Us and Them

The Bishop of London was quite right. In death, Margaret Hilda Thatcher was just 'one of us'. Death is the great leveller: no social, class, racial, gender, or political divide there. What a shame it is that there can't be more equality this side of the grave. But where there's death there's hope.

On Tuesday, Alan (my colleague) and I went on a training day for clergy in 'multi-church benefices' - i.e. where there is more than one church per vicar. He and I oversee 3 churches between us. Such situations require significant changes in the way vicars do their work, compared with the traditional one church/one vicar model (though in fact, this has never been a universal pattern). In the next 10 years, 40% of all full-time, paid vicars will retire: Alan and I are two of them. There won't be enough vicars being ordained to fill those gaps, so we are already having to work differently. I have for years seen this more as an opportunity than a problem, believing that (in the words of the Bishop of Carlisle, James Newcome) bishops should be more apostolic, clergy more episcopal, and lay people more priestly. That needs unpacking, but for us clergy it basically means more sharing of ministerial tasks, standing back to offer oversight, direction, spiritual and human resourcing. For myself, it's been a journey 'from vicar to leader.' In other words, the clergy/lay divide needs dissolving. To quote another favourite saying of mine, 'it's not that lay people help vicars to run the church; rather, vicars help lay people to change the world!' Despite many signs of decline in the church, there are even more signs of life, as the church - realising the challenge of the age - learns to live and to serve differently.

Yesterday, I convened a meeting of various professionals and volunteers at the riding stables for the disabled near where I live. Because of government cuts, the City Council can no longer fund this establishment so we're having to think about how to manage ourselves. This will involve finding the necessary money, employing staff, caring for animals, maintaining buildings and equipment etc. Most of us were well beyond the limits of our experience, but without exception willing to have a go. Why? Because we believed in the importance of what the stables have to offer and because we could see the potential. Scary though! None of us was prepared to think in terms of closure.

We have heard of yet another dreadful atrocity in Boston, Mass. and then of the factory blast in Texas. In both cases, and in many other similar situations we hear of amazing tales of courage and compassion. In the face of death, many heros are found.

Somehow, 'death' (literally or figuratively) always seems to bring some hope or blessing with it. As Christians, we have the best reason of all for never giving up!

Thursday 11 April 2013

Mrs T

I find the huge variety of opinions expressed about Margaret Thatcher very revealing - revealing of a nation not really at ease with itself, and in many ways divided. Some of the comments are hateful and ignorant. We forget that Mrs T and her government were democratically elected on three separate occasions, and so governed with permission, whatever anyone may think of her. Furthermore, she was a woman of great integrity, who passionately believed that what she was doing was for the good of the nation. Privately, she was known to be caring and sensitive while publicly she was often bullish and strident. Bishop David Sheppard said that he found facing her as nerve-wracking as batting against Australia's fastest bowlers!

Simon Walker in his trilogy The Undefended Leader, likens Margaret Thatcher to F.D. Roosevelt whose leadership he regards as an example of  'the Commanding Strategy' (Leading with Nothing to Lose pp.49-51). Roosevelt became President of the USA in 1933, just after the Great Depression, when the state of the economy was dire. Unemployment was at 25% and industrial output had fallen by more than 50% in just 4 years. Roosevelt's approach was highly interventionist - it had to be - as he had to determine a way forward which would bring hope, confidence and prosperity. Margaret Thatcher came to power in similar times for Britain in 1979. Something had to be done, as strikes paralysed enterprise and strangled the economy. She confronted the unions, as Roosevelt had previously done with a greedy private sector: in both cases, suggests Walker, it was like a new teacher putting his foot down with an unruly class of children, imposing order and demanding compliance with his rules.

The Commanding Strategy is not the only way of leadership, however, and if there is no discernment and no checks, it can lead to an abuse of power, becoming tyrannical. There are plenty of examples of that in history! Ultimately, it was Mrs Ts undoing: she seemed incapable of changing her style and her 'children' revolted - on the streets, because of the infamous poll tax, and in the Cabinet because of her treatment of colleagues. The same democracy which had given her power was also able to take it from her.

I wonder also whether the Falklands factor was particularly unhelpful in this sense: that it encouraged some Britons (inflamed by some sections of the media) to hark back to the glory days of Empire, and to forget that years ago we lost the desire to dominate and to fight. Which is partly why we have this confusion over Mrs Ts legacy. Some regard her as a 'great Briton'; while others see her as having ruined any sense of social cohesion.

The unfortunate thing is that political leaders since Mrs T seem to regard her as a role model, with their TINA (There is No Alternative) language. Although we are a nation in crisis - to some degree of our own making - the Commanding Strategy will not work, unless there is space for others to offer their opinions and work out their own solutions. 

In 1975, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Donald Coggan, issued his Call to the Nation. As I recall, he asked two questions (I cannot find the actual words):
  • what kind of nation do we want to become?
  • what kind of people should we be to become that nation?
He invited members of the public to write to him with their answers (one letter began 'Dear Chief Godperson'!) It seems to me we still don't know the answers.

Sunday 7 April 2013

Another Day of Resurrection

Easter has come and gone. But has it? Every day is potentially a day of resurrection - new life, fresh hope - and every Sunday celebrates the first Easter. As the sun penetrates the clouds, as a plant penetrates the frozen earth of winter so God's Kingdom penetrates our lives. If only we will see it!

On Friday, Les and I went to see 'A Day in the Death of Joe Egg' at the Liverpool Playhouse. Catch it if you can: it's on till April 27th. It's described as a 'black comedy', and was first performed in the 1960s. It has that feel about it. Brian and Sheila struggle with their marriage as they care for their 10-year old child, disabled from birth. The play reveals much about attitudes to disability, as relevant now as 40 years ago. The stage in the first half is dominated by a huge finger pointing downwards, which gives a rather ominous tone to the dialogue. Who's the greatest baby? Brian (the dad) or the disabled child? Guilt, shame, blame, cynicism abound. We loved the way the actors interacted with the audience and played a play within a play at times. There was even some theology! (I hope I'm quoting reasonably accurately). 'Faith is not believing in fairy stories. It's having a receptive mind. Always looking for signs.'

There is something very isolating about pain. As Job found - like Brian and Sheila - friends aren't necessarily the best help, try as they might. (That's the story of the second half). What dies in the play, for me, is hope. There have been many definitions of hope. For me, it has something to do with believing the best while facing the worst. And ultimately it's about a gift to aid us in our struggle.

In October, we are planning a special week of mission. Not that we're not in mission the whole time, but to raise our game, so to speak. Our themes are 'Heaven, Hope and Hospitality.' Watch this space.

Monday 1 April 2013

It's Personal!

Today, a day of winding down after Holy Week and Easter. People often say 'your busy time'. It doesn't feel any busier: the days are just filled with different things, though if anything there is more space, as we reflect on the events of 2000 years ago and their impact today. Once again, it has been a very special time, and I am thankful for the 3 Christian communities here which have invested much time and effort in planning and preparation.

Three highlights. On Good Friday morning, we had 'Messy Church' when adults and children come together for food, worship and crafts. It's mainly intended for those who don't 'do church' in the traditional sense. We had over 120 people of all ages, and what particularly interested me was the story-telling as part of the worship. We have a gifted story-teller, Janet (a retired school teacher). Everyone was captivated as she simply recounted the events of the first Good Friday and Easter from the Last Supper to the Empty Tomb. No notes, no pictures. The only movement was from babies and toddlers. Otherwise, silence. The power of story.

Shortly afterwards, we had our Churches Together Walk of Witness along the main highway in the parish. Over 80 people from 6 Christian denominations took part: it was a glorious day. You can view some pictures here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintbarnabaspennylaneliverpool/sets/72157633124306870/
It interests me that this a real 'all-age' event: parents with children and babies in prams and buggies to folks in their 80s. All are glad to meet up with friends from other churches, and very simply, unpretentiously represent the presence both of churches and of Christ in the neighbourhood.

My Easter theme was 'It's Personal'. After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to several of his friends to convince them that he was truly alive. They went on to witness for him both near and far. Ever since, encounter with the risen Christ has been a life-changing experience for countless Christians, and has inspired them to courageous acts of self-sacrifice which have brought freedom, hope and new life. As I was preparing my Easter sermon, I received the newsletter from one of our mission partners: Dr Ruth Hulser in Tanzania. Her letters make my heart ache and sing simultaneously, as she tells of the chronic medical and social needs of those amongst whom she lives and the help and comfort she is able to bring.  http://www.cms-uk.org/Ourstories/Newsarticles/tabid/151/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/3920/My-story-the-importance-of-dwelling.aspx.

Then I read in Third Way magazine of of Anne-Marie Wilson, a Christian who gave up a promising career in HR to found a charity dedicated to the ending of female genital mutilation across Africa. It's a very tall order which has cost Anne-Marie everything, but one she undertakes out of her faith in Christ. You can read about it at www.28toomany.org.  

I say 'it's personal' because I believe that to have faith in the risen Christ is to accept there is a specific call upon our life which leads each of us to do some work for him. It doesn't have to be as ambitious or as sacrificial as Ruth's or Anne-Marie's, but for each of us there is a call to obedience in some way, great or small.  And it can be life-changing for others.

Sunday 24 March 2013

The Pope meets the Archbishop

Last night, I sang with the Oriel Singers in a performance of Mozart's Requiem. The concert was well attended, despite the weather, and most people agreed that we have raised ourselves to a new level as a choir. It was a  humbling experience. This was Mozart's last work, and was incomplete when he died. Although it had been commissioned, it is likely that he was aware he was writing it for his own death. The contrast throughout between the awesomeness of God's sovereign power and humanity's need for forgiveness and restoration inevitably causes one to reflect on one's own mortality and 'the last things'. And especially at this time of year, to be profoundly thankful for 'the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world' (Agnus Dei).

Last week saw the inaugural mass of Pope Francis in Rome and the installation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury. These events were only 3 days apart, and it does seem something of a God-incidence that these two great, historic churches begin a new chapter at the same time, just before Holy Week and Easter. Past and present pope met each other yesterday, apparently; but what would happen if pope and archbishop were to meet? Such an encounter would inevitably attract the attention of the world's media, but in private might the conversation go something like this?

Pope Francis:  Archbishop, I'm so pleased to meet you. May God richly bless you in your leadership of our brothers and sisters in Christ of the Anglican Communion. It seems to be ordained that we should begin our new ministries at the same time.
Archbishop Justin: Thank you for your greeting, Holy Father. May you also be blessed as head of the Roman Catholic Church. I'm sure there is much we may share together under God. We have both entered a new world, which neither of us would have expected 30 years ago: I from the oil industry to Archbishop, and you from Argentina to Rome.  I tremble, as I'm sure you do, at all that may  be expected of us.
PF: As you know, I requested the prayers of the faithful as my election was announced and I depend daily upon the grace of God as servant of the servants of God.
AJ:  And I spoke at Canterbury of the need for courage as we step out with Christ into the stormy waters of today's world.
PF: We have one thing in common anyway: we preside over a church which herself has many problems and divisions. But I have a sense that the worst thing we could do would be to turn inwards upon ourselves, and try to sort them all out. Some problems just won't be fixable, though we have some that must be addressed.
AJ: I agree. For all our difficulties, our primary concern must be to engage in God's mission to the world, to face outwards rather than in.
PF: I've been thinking, how would it be if from time to time you and I were to speak together to God's world, of God's passion for peace and justice, God's love for humankind? You know the kind of thing: joint statements, united action, maybe even sharing a pilgrimage together. Wouldn't that be quite something - the Pope and the Archbishop speaking with one voice, acting as one? We wouldn't have to agree on everything before that could happen, would we?
AJ: I am amazed and humbled that you could suggest such a thing. Thank you. Actually, there is a kind of precedent in a local rather than global sense. Nearly 40 years ago, in Liverpool, England, there was another God-incidence of Anglican and Roman Catholic leaders taking office at the same time. Our man was Bishop David Sheppard, and yours Archbishop Derek Worlock. They became firm friends; they shared together their faith in the crucified and risen Christ; they acknowledged their theological differences but in crises - local and national - they often acted together in Christ's name, to great effect and for the common good.
PF: This is a story I must learn more about. And I don't suppose either Church was free of controversy then either.
AJ: No, although I think it would be fair to say that, with the passage of time, our reputations publicly have become rather more tarnished. There is a lot of ground to make up, but I still agree with you that becoming self-obsessed will not fulfil the missio dei, the mission of God.
PF: Let us talk some more of these things. Would you care to share a bottle of wine with me? - Chateau du Pape Neuf of course!