This weekend has been a time of many celebrations in the Anglican Church it has been a time for candidates for the ordained ministry to make some sort of commitment before Bishop and God that is life lasting. I went through the same journey a number of years ago from deacon to priest sliding nervously but passionately into parish ministry, my commitment was also followed by a family party to celebrate! This Sunday morning I preached on 2 Samuel 1:17 end. I thoroughly enjoyed the preparation, it is King David’s lament for Saul and Jonathan and their death on the battle field. This section of the Old Testament recognises the cosmic shift from God and people to God, King, the Kings Kingdom and Gods people. I think this new favoured one of God, David, genuinely laments for Saul and Jonathan’s death. David in his lament models to his people the passing of something and someone in death knowing new possibilities to come. So I wonder on the Sunday when people celebrate being ordained would we not be better lamenting something passing and dying. Lament Our old lives, our ability to come and go as we wish, our careers, our network of friends, the option to choose where we shall worship. As I start my 16 year in my parish (my!) I am more open to lament, (you won’t win many friends focussing on lamenting) more sober of the possibilities of God more aware of my own need for God to change me let alone my (my!) Church and my (my!) parish. So celebrate away my Anglican Church there will be a time of lamenting I hope.
A while back Bishop Phillip North spoke to New Wine and caused a bit of a reaction one of it was a Tweet to my millions of followers. In response I had a phone call from The Church Times asking for a quote because I serve in a poor parish, I declined and said I would put a more considered response on my blog, so here it is with a link to The Bishops full talk. https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/4-august/news/uk/there-s-a-future-for-the-church-if-evangelicals-put-the-poor-first-bishop-north-tells-new-wine 1. One of the issues the church does not recognise is the exportation of people , talents and money from parishes like mine to middle class parishes which is draining and demanding on leadership. For 10 years I thought I was building a community, then it dawned on me I was building people up to go to other places. 2. Bishop Phillip talks of abandonment of the poor: I think it’s more complicated than that. When I came back to my Deanery in 2000 to my
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