Commissioning the Diocesan Vocations Team

A Sermon preached at St Oswald’s, Ashbourne on Sunday 19th February 2012

By Bishop Humphrey

Mark 9. 2-9

A moment on a hillside: Jesus, flanked by two iconic heroes of the faith in dazzling, impossible light – Christ in glory.

Another moment on a hillside: Jesus, flanked by two icons of sin and failure, each – like him – stretched out upon a cross, in thick, impenetrable darkness. Christ in glory.

And lying between the two (liturgically speaking) is the season of Lent, which starts on Wednesday (in Ashbourne after the football, of course!). Lent: the time of growth and flourishing as the days lengthen and spring unfolds, as much a spiritual as a natural reality (if we use it properly, of course) – a time of attentiveness and faithfulness to our calling and our status as beloved sons and daughters of the Father.

Read more: Commissioning the Diocesan Vocations Team

Epiphany 2012

To view a copy of this year's Epiphany message from Bishop Alastair, please see attachment below

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Bishop Alastair writes... Taking Time - The longer View

Time to Come

At New Year we are conscious of time, the future, of wanting to improve – hence the practice of making resolutions!

Choices

There is a well known distinction in Greek philosophy between pleasure – the desire of the body – and virtue – the agenda of the soul. These two elements confront us with a choice.

Pleasure

The daily needs and rhythms of our bodies put the present to the fore: food, senses satisfied – give pleasure. The danger of an undue concentration on pleasure is obesity, excess, struggle. We have an understandable need to give priority to the physical, the sensuous desire for satisfaction. Pleasure converts such basic need into something enjoyable, fulfilling.

Virtue

Virtue takes the longer view. Life is not just about the body – it is primarily about the soul. The body (or flesh as Paul calls it) will perish, decay. But somewhere deep inside is a spark of a different kind of life – the seed of eternity.

The Kingdom

Jesus knew that we need food and clothes and physical well being: but He thought that the most important thing was the Kingdom: knowing ourselves to be part of eternity. This puts human pleasure in a different perspective, a divine perspective.

Taking Time

For us in a new year – we should plan for our needs, our pleasures, our stewardship of the body – for ourselves and for others.But this is only a small part of our ‘time’. The greater part is a longer project – the spiritual discipline of schooling ourselves to acknowledge our Maker, follow our Redeemer and Saviour through this valley of the shadow of death; let that spirit of eternity grow within us.

To Pray

We need to develop practices and perspectives of prayerfulness. This is the life of virtue – the longer view. It puts pleasure in its proper place, and opens up the vista of eternity. It demands disciplines of reflection, proportion, priority for the agenda of eternity.

This is a pathway and an example we are called to pursue – for our own sakes, for the sake of others, and for the fulfilment of the Father’s Kingdom. Take time to take time seriously, and not just sensuously.

Archdeacon Christine writes…

Last Updated on Monday, 31 October 2011 15:57

During the past year our diocese has been taking part in an important project for the Anglican Communion called the Continuing Indaba Pilot Conversations.

Indaba is a zulu word for a gathering of purposeful discussion. It is about respectful listening. The Anglican Communion has 80 million members of widely ranging cultural, political, social and economic contexts. With such rich diversity it is hardly surprising that we find it difficult to reach a common consensus. Indeed in our own more familiar cultural context we have to work hard to find agreement. The debate in our synod later this month on women bishops will present opposing views within our own Church of England.

The indaba pilot conversations have brought together Christians from Mumbai, New York and Derby to listen to one another’s unique mission contexts. Through it we are beginning to grasp and understand our different values and world views Through cross cultural visits we have been able to explore how each of our three dioceses expresses mission and understands the call to proclaim the Gospel and participate in building the Kingdom of God.

The task is made more complex by the diversity represented within each of the indaba teams. Not only are each of us looking through a particular cultural lens, we also come from different churchmanship’s and backgrounds. There is as much to learn about respectful listening from our own team as there is from our partners in Mumbai and New York.

The task is to look for common ground amidst our many differences. All of us share a deep commitment to Christ and yet we know we often disagree about how that is expressed. We are driven by the same gospel imperative but our response is shaped by different values and priorities.

Last month during his visit Archbishop Rowan challenged us when he asked “When does my particular position get in the way?”

It was a timely question both as we prepared to host the indaba process in Derby at the beginning of October and also as we prepare for our important debate at our diocesan synod this month.

I offer you this prayer from another of the indaba pilot conversations between El Camino Real, Western Tanganyika and Gloucester as we seek to be open to God and to one another:

Generous God

the companion of our journey

the source of love on which we draw:

in our openness to your Spirit

and in our listening to each other,

grant us moments of grace, deepening communion

and a vision of the church you long for us to be;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever. Amen.