Monday 22 December 2014

Yesterday

Yesterday I met someone who told me about the 'brilliant' news that we had a woman bishop, so I asked them why it was brilliant, but they said they didn't know!

Yesterday I met someone who told me that, 'They'd had it with Church because,' because we had a woman bishop, so I asked them what was so bad, and they said fear too much!

Yesterday I had a conversation with a bunch of people. They thought it was a sermon!

Yesterday I was taken to one side and told how people in their church wanted 'more of the Bible, more about Jesus, more about how to live as a Christian!'

Yesterday I met people who saw past their rights, their wants and themselves to offer a hand to others because that was who they were because of Jesus, the Christ!

Yesterday bread and wine and a young woman who said, 'Yes' whilst those people who passed by outside, thinking they saw 'Church', were confused by what was really 'family'!

Yesterday was a time of joy and tears and remembrance and hope and loss and assurance focused on a piece of wood, a broken body and a healed people.

Yesterday was not the 'foreign country where things were done differently' but an extension of that tomorrow brought to us by one outside of time who chose to confound reason and logic by doing things differently.

And today?

Is it just yesterday reheated?

OR

Something to be served fresh - something that is new every morning?



Today:
Lord, guide my feet to stay upon the path.
Help me to keep my mind from straying and my tongue from tripping others.
Help me to see in those I meet the image of the invisible God made visible.
Help me to not have opinions but assurances.
Make me a mirror for the living God.
Make me a disciple.
A friend.
A priest.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry - are you for or against women bishops then? You say you had two different responses regarding them but don't say which you supported

Vic Van Den Bergh said...

I'm neither for or against them: I am happy for those who are happy and sad for those who are sad and being so leaves me in the wonderful position of being free to get on with the Gospel.

Hope this helps

(It does me)

V

Anonymous said...

So if you are not against those who oppose women as bishops then you must be in favour of their views?

Vic Van Den Bergh said...

Aha - now let me see.

If I'm not against those who oppose, or struggle in some way, with the consecration of women then I must be for them. Is this the premise you are working from I wonder?

'But if you are not actively for the consecration of women then you are against them, I hear you cry.

Here we have the collision of the zealot versus the Christ in that those who are not against women being consecrated are surely with them. but of course by not being against those who oppose such things then I must be in favour of them.

Now here's the rub:

Am I:

i. In favour of those who oppose women as bishops views, or

ii. Acting pastorally in a situation whereby relationship needs to be restored (with integrity on my part nonetheless) before correction, or at least guidance into a path of peaceful coexistence, might be acheived.

Or should I just throw out one side of the debate out of the church and then, being so polarised, nail my colours to one of the two masts and putting down my Bible pick up my blinkers?

Yes, I am definitely in possession of an opinion and happy to dialogue with others in the hope that I can bring peace without being biased either way. Good old anglican via media ;-)

Pax