The Archbishop of Canterbury Speaks . . .

And, as is often the case with this bloke, I like what he has to say:

Now those are very good words indeed (and of course we need to extend them to people who will disagree with our theology on grounds of choice, what society wants and selfish desires - but that wouldn't have been a sound bite by the time that had been said, would it?)

Sadly, I haven't seen too much of that in Church so it would be a great move forward to see this being done.

Happy Wednesday

Use Words

This Pentecost the Archbishops of Canterbury and York are calling on the Church to pray for those who have not yet encountered the love of God in Jesus Christ. They are calling on us to:

USE WORDS           (click on link)

It's a great initiative because so many people tell me how concerned they are about new people coming and yet they are rarely seen acting upon this concern. Some will tell me how they just can't share their faith and get all wound up with self-condemnation and guilt. The response to this is always that the most important thing is the desire to see people come to faith and see this combined with intelligent, persistent prayer.

So I can't tell you just how pleased and excited I am that the 'Use Words' initiative has hit my screen especially because (and I quote):


The word ‘evangelism’ means sharing good news.

For Christians, it means sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ – what he has done for us, and what he continues to do in our lives.

What does that mean in practice? 

It means introducing the people around us to Jesus. We do this by how we live our lives and how we relate to one another. But we can also do it by how we express our faith in conversation.

Jesus did all of this so well, and he invites us to share the gospel not just in actions but in words too.

The website (http://www.usewords.org/) has been created to help Christians find those words.  It’s being launched with a call to prayer for evangelism by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York – please find out more and think about joining us.

But this is not a one-off, or a campaign, or a PR stunt.

It’s about praying continually that more and more people will become followers of Jesus Christ – and asking God to work among us to bring about this transformation in other people’s lives. If you’ve never prayed for evangelism before, there are so many ways you can.

Whether you’re praying alone, with a small group of friends, or with your whole church, you’ll find prayers for asking God to bring the knowledge and reality of Jesus Christ to all kinds of people.

How amazingly cool is this?

According to many* around me, St Francis' of Assisi told us to go and evangelise - using words if necessary, and whilst I have tried to live by this principle words I am aware that many around me have taken them to be an excuse for silence rather than as a spur for less words and more action. Hopefully and actively engaged AND praying Church will come out of this exciting move from the blokes at the top of the tree.

Pax

* he never did by the way!

A Few Good Vicars

So here we are, it's the end of the year and the new man at the helm of the Anglican Communion has an opportunity to say stuff and make a state of the Church (of England) speech. How do you think he did?

Some of my colleagues are sighing, one has 'gone shopping', and others are bemoaning and bewailing Justin Welby's BBC Radio Four appearance this morning.  Aside from that 'good Vicars' comment, some are pointing their toes and holding their breath (and they can, believe me!) over other things that he (Justin) did, and didn't, say. So let's consider what some have told me represents the end of the honeymoon and makes Justin fair game:

'I think there sometimes is a disconnect, we sometimes give the impression at the national level that we are obsessed with a small number of issues whereas the reality that people experience in the church is of communities that are messy and untidy because society is messy and untidy, but which get on with the job that they're there for. Of course there are churches that are doing better and churches that are struggling more - depending upon area and leadership and that comes back to something Antony Jenkins has been talking about - but the reality is that where you have a good Vicar, you will find growing churches.' 

I have to say that I have to applaud the acknowledgement that we, the Church of England, have indeed become so bound up with a few issues that whilst obviously important to some are truly nothing to do with communicating the Gospel. In fact there are some clergy whom I have met, heard of (and avoided) who are so taken up with their cause of choice that they appear to have totally forgotten that we are called into the diaconal, and subsequently the priest ministry, to ensure (in addition to our baptismal calling):

That the people of God may be better equipped to make Christ known,

That we exercise a sacrificial, self-giving, ministry, washing the feet of others in humility,

The leadership of God's people in the offering of praise and the proclamation of the gospel,

That the people of God are shepherded and sustained by the ministry of word and sacrament,

That they are also taught, disciplined, discipled, equipped and released (by example and teaching),

To preach the Gospel in and out of season, when it is popular and when it is not.

You know what? I think Justin has hit it on the head with his first part of that which is above. He has noted that some do better than others and you know something else that's interesting? Those who are doing well do, generally speaking have good Vicars at the helm (of course there are always the 'comfortable' churches where numbers remain fairly static because it's one of 'those' areas where people are comfortable enough to 'do' church!). Then again, some churches that are fairing less well would look even worse if it wasn't for the fact that they too have good Vicars (so smile - without you it could be even worse!).

 The reality is that there are many clergy out there who might have fuller churches if they put as much energy into preaching, living and proclaiming the Gospel as they do over the issue of __________ (add the issue your dogcollar is passionate about in the space provided and if it's isn't the reconciling love of Jesus and the Gospel then they, and you, need to get up and do something about it).

I think Justin's words will sting (I know they do for me) and yet I thing the reality is that sometimes it has to sting to let us know the medicine has been applied.

End of the honeymoon? No WAY!

Merely me getting ready to celebrate out first anniversary and to look forward to a year of challenge and growth.

Thank you Justin - timely and essential words!

Caption Contest - Friday the Thirteenth

Here's one to get the grey cells buzzing (I hope)!

If the mitre fits .....

Sad end to Rowan's reign?

Listening to a 'phone in' on the way back from a meeting today and some ditz was on the air wittering on about how Rowan was leaving the Archbishop of Canterbury's post as a 'failure'! The reason for this label was  down to the fact that he (personally and single-handed I assume) had failed to get the measure for the consecration of women passed! She went on to say that for him to have been 'successful' he would have needed to 'have gone out with something notable achieved!

Well insofar as 'going out with something notable'  I don't think there could have been anything more 'notable' than the media frenzy caused by yesterday's amazing General Synod! But apparently the vote negates completely not only Rowan as he leaves but shoots Justin down before he's even got in too!  (The reason being that Rowan has failed to deliver and the new man, condemned before he even starts, failed to win over 'his' church either - I can think of a word but I'm not allowed to use it!)

Let's step back from all the stupid comments that seek to vilify people for voting as their conscience demanded or demand that in future clergy and bishops make the decisions (as long of course they are the decisions they want!) or seek to find legal means or loopholes or whatever it takes to get the decision they desire make reality and look at Rowan and his time in office.

For as long as I can remember, the various blokes what have done the +Cantuar job have never been as intelligent as the outgoing incumbent. Suffice to say that the man is brilliant at som many levels and in so many ways and his theological mind is Premier League calibre.

When he took the job in 2002 there weren't many of us expecting to find the remarkably intact Anglican Communion (whatever that really is) or Church of England that we still have today. I assumed that Carey had passed over a ticking bomb to Rowan but he has managed to get out without the explosion that we assumed would come and pass the box on to JW! This has taken the amazingly gentle and humble man that RW is (RW, JW is a pattern emerging?).

I haven't always been a fan of RW but have always been in thrall of his ability to seek the right direction in the journeying of our denomination and have been humbled by his humility.

A failure? No on your nellie!

The man has run a good race and has been a good, if perhaps a little too quiet on some of the important issues, leader and spiritual example to the nation. I, for one, pray that the next phase of his life will be blessed and profitable for him and his family and for the Church as a whole.

He leaves bloodied, disappointed but unbroken and most certainly not a failure - may God bless him.

Pax

Canterbury - Welby unsurprised

But the first thing we need to do for the rank and file on the Clapham omnibus ordinary man (and woman) in the street is make sure they know who's been picked.

So to help stop any confusion over which Welby is the Archbishop of Canterbury (elect), here's a couple of photographs which might be help to distinguish between the two:

JUSTIN Welby

MARCUS Welby

One is a fictional character and the other is a highly respected person who has brought comfort and solace to many!

So, as we seek to pour oil(man) on troubled waters with regards to women bishops, homosexuality, intolerance, a financially-floundering church and global Christian relations all that remains is for us to pray for the man who would perhaps be king(maker) and let the other candidates breathe a sigh of relief and get back to the normal run of things.

I'm sure Welby blessed by him ;-)

And goodbye to Rowan too!

ps. As the announcement isn't until tomorrow I'd name someone else at 11:00 on Friday just for the sheer fun it would induce in the media and the church itself (go on, you know you'd want to)