The Saint Barnabas’ Blog

Earlier this week I spoke of two understandings of ‘justice’ and noted how the one we adopt leads to a different understanding of Christian faith. One is faithful to tradition, the other formed within the maelstrom of modern secularism, with its emphasis on self and liberation from the shackles of constraint.

Today I want us to consider another distinction, between orthodox and liberal Christian, which sheds further light on the cause of conflict within modern Anglicanism. At the outset I need to thank +Michael Nazir Ali who first verbalised this distinction in my presence.

The one thing which orthodox believers of all persuasion share is belief in a ‘revealed’ faith. Evangelical and Catholic may differ wildly on the sacraments, worship style, the role of saints, et al….but we share the most important thing of all. We believe in a ‘revealed’ faith. What do I mean by that?

A ‘revealed faith’ means that at Christmas we fall on bended knee because we actually believe that God descended to earth in human form. That the babe in the manger truly was born of virgin. Furthermore we really believe in the miracles of Christ, in his death and resurrection, in his ascension into heaven and every word laid down in the creed. For us it happened, there is no fuzziness of thought in our statement of faith. Whilst we may accept some biblical truths are revealed by allegory, such as the creation narratives (as is clear to anyone with intellect including those who wrote it), as regards the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we believe it as fact. The Jesus of history is the Jesus of faith. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

For us his incarnation was the pinnacle of history, when God was made manifest and revealed to us his truth. Here is our unique reference point in history, the person, teachings and life of Christ Jesus. When seeking theological clarity we look back to him and his scripture. Little wonder for if Jesus really was God then this scripture is not just a dead work ,containing the wisdom of the past, it is the living word of God, divinely revealed and containing all that is necessary for salvation. When faced with a thorny modern issue, those trusting the ‘revealed’ faith apply their intellect and only endorse things justifiable biblically and through the holy tradition of the universal church throughout the ages. This is how the Spirit speaks to us! We favour a model weighted in favour of Christ’s divinity.

The liberal Christian favours a model weighted in favour of Christ’s humanity. They prefer a ‘development’ faith. That is to say the Jesus of history is not necessarily the Jesus of faith. Scripture is important but fallible and the liberal would urge deep caution when reading it and applying it to life, after all it was written at a patriarchal moment in history when the liberation of many peoples was yet to come. For many liberals, doctrines such as the virgin birth have theological importance but may or may not have happened. Jesus was limited by the wisdom of his age, and the Gospel accounts of his miracles are open to interpretation, as is his resurrection (a view made famous by the former Bishop of Durham). Naturally there is a spectrum of belief within liberalism, with some believing more than others, but the uniting theme is a wooliness of certainty.

For the liberal then, the life of Jesus was hugely important but the revelation of faith was not fulfilled by Christ alone. Rather it is still in a process of being revealed and fulfilled by us his people. When faced with thorny issues we must listen ‘to the voice of the Spirit’ and be ever mindful of the wisdom of the past, scripture included, but sometimes scripture will need to be compromised. Re-interpreted to make it relevant to the modern age, after all the world has moved on! (Has human nature changed one iota I interject?)

It follows that the Christian gospel, however much we may love and respect it, is only one place in which the voice of God is found. We may also find it in the creeds of other faiths or the experiences of people today. Humans wrote the creed, they can re-write it is the oft adopted mantra.

So are these two different but equal choices? No. Let the reader understand that the fluid, malleable liberal model is innovative and radical in terms of Christian history but it lies at the heart of what the Anglican church in America, and many parts of England, profess today. It is its invention that has led to schism and the almighty mess we now find ourselves in.

So we must ask if we stand by a ‘revealed faith’ or a ‘developing faith’, mindful that one sits comfortably with modern secularism (the light hidden under a tub?) where the other stands out as a sign of contradiction to this sorry society (like a light on a hill?) One is challenging and counter cultural (salt for this world) the other permissive and inclusive (salt that is tasteless?).

Think carefully which path you follow, for I believe it will have a profound effect on the type of Christian and person you become. Furthermore it will have a huge implication on your soul and your salvation. For only one is consistent with the teaching of the New Testament and the faith of the ages. The other is radical, new and- I believe- a total sham. An invention designed to allow for cherry picking as regards biblical faithfulness, a clever means of playing with the language of faith that we may make biblical ‘disobedience’ and societal ‘rebellion’ seem like dignified positions of intellect and reason.

Hayley’s Aunty Millie, shown in this photograph from last year, is an inspiring woman. A regular member of her local protestant Church in Northern Ireland, she has been instrumental in developing better relationships with neighbouring Roman Catholics. The evidence of this can be seen in the photograph above, for she stands in an allotment she helped set up, where both Catholics and Protestants tend the land together. This simple but effective strategy allowed for the building up of genuine friendship and the erosion of hostility and suspicion. Do please pray for an end to all that divides the people of that beautiful land and for all the work being done to bring Christians of different denominations together. Sadly inspirational stories such as these do not recieve the same publicity as the less representative and negative stories of violence and strife.

Aunty Millie is a great sender of devotional emails, some are funny, some poignant and some saccahrine and naff! but yesterday she sent a really lovely story which I thought worth sharing with all. It certainly gave me food for thought:

A Church goer wrote to the local newspaper complaining that, after many years faithful service, he now realised he was in error and that it made no sense to go to church. ‘I’ve attended for 30 years,’he wrote,’and in that time I have heard over 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one. Not one! Surely I’m wasting my time then and the priest, lovely fellow though he is, is wasting his by writing these sermons at all. I mean, really, what is the point?’

Thus began a real controversy in the ‘Letters’ column of the paper, much to the delight of the editor. The debate raged for several weeks with passion increasing on every side, until someone wrote this clincher:

‘I’ve been married for 30 years. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. She loves cooking and it is her passion. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for even a single one of those meals. But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not lovingly prepared these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!’

When you are DOWN to nothing…. God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND spiritual nourishment and pray for those in need of either or both! Finally I leave you with a picture that shows how much God is blessing the ecumenical allotments- just look at the size of that cabbage…the produce in her hand is quite big as well!

Though questions concerning ‘sex’ have dominated Anglican life in recent time, it remains a subject rarely dealt with in a sensitive, honest or constructive manner. Whilst there is no shortage of opinion, often noisy, from both sides of the theological divide, there seems almost no gentle, meaningful discussion to help normal Christian people living in 21st Century Britain.

Instead we suffer endless media fallout from the unpalatable extremes; one seeking to ignore scriptural teaching and sanction any and all sexual expression; the other seeking to elevate sexual sins above all others! Neither is helpful. So how might the Church better deal with sexual behaviour? That we might actually support those wanting to serve God in all aspects of life in a way which is manageable and sensible?

The first thing we must do as a Church is grow up, because too often Christians have failed to engage with sex in an adult or responsible way. I was reminded of this when a Roman Catholic friend shared an account of ‘sex education’ at Seminary. Apparently ‘it’ was dealt with by an embarrassed nun, who offered one solitary piece of advice: ‘Sometimes you wake up with Satan in your loins lads…when that happens, throw open the curtains and just rush to morning office!’ (Hardly helpful but at least there would be no shortage of places to hang your biretta!)

Treating sex as ‘naughty’ or ‘shameful’- in and of itself- only trivialises this gift from God. Furthermore an attitude of embarrassment and denial has a dangerous tendency to drive sexual expression underground, from where it is prone to develop in unhealthy, even dark, ways. If this account from Seminary is true, which I sadly do not doubt, it is very alarming. For it suggests that within certain areas of Catholicism lies an under-developed and repressed attitude to sexual matters.

Yet I equally support the way Roman Catholicism values celibacy (though think it silly when it is enforced). Celibacy is a sacred gift-but it cannot flourish without proper support and genuine understanding of human nature. Healthy celibacy is the embracement of chastity by one in touch with their sexual identity, it must never be the repressed action of one pretending sexual desire can be ignored.

Of course this attitude of embarrassed shame concerning sex is nothing new. One sees traces of it littered throughout ecclesial history, no doubt exacerbated by ascetic ideals and those heresies that poured scorn on the physical realm. For instance, one detects a certain prudishness in the Syriac tradition that Mary conceived through her ear! Whilst I understand that the ear is the correct vessel for receiving ‘the Word’, I also detect here a reticence to engage with ‘ladies bits’!

And its not only Catholics of East and West who are guilty of repressing matters sexual. I recall with toe curling horror the attempts of Evangelical youth leaders to teach about sex. At an age when sexuality was awakening we had to suffer grinning imbeciles rejoicing in accounts of their marital bliss, whilst gravely warning us of the perils of passing ‘base 1’. In all honesty my sixteen year old ears blocked out the crass advice, I felt neither understood nor helpfully guided.

Asking the young to abstain from all sexual activity until marriage was challenging in a culture when people married in their teens. In today’s over sexualised world, in which most marry in their thirties, it is nigh on impossible! And a guilt ridden anxiety over matters sexual just comes across as ludicrous to the majority of people. How many souls have been turned off the church by a prudish and unrealistic approach to sexual behaviour? Which leads to the huge challenge facing Christians in the 21st Century. How can we uphold sacred teaching, without alienating the populace and setting people up to fail?

Perhaps we should begin with biblical absolutes. Those ‘black and white’ areas laid down by God in scripture. The main point being that intercourse is reserved for marriage; the sacred union between man and woman which echoes the father’s love for his creation. A gift given for the purpose of procreation, in order to place children in the security of a Christian home with a father and mother to love them.

But thereafter, should we not relax a little over the many small ways in which love and intimacy may be expressed. These are, perhaps purposefully, not referred to in scripture. Nor, in my opinion, should we Christians worry about them overtly. Might our youngsters not be taught, that whilst intercourse is strictly the reserve of the married couple, that thereafter they may enjoy some degree of sexual activity within the boundaries of an exclusive, loving relationship? Precisely where that line is drawn should be between God, man and confessor.

I am not advocating here that the Church should be encouraging sexual experimentation, or producing guidelines on what may or may not go on in the bedroom! Far from it, I am simply wondering why, if we strictly teach that intercourse is sacred to marriage, we get so het up about all other areas of sexuality? The precise nature of close friendships which may or may not be sexual to any given extent? And why we so often project such a prudish, silly attitude to sex to the world at large? It seems to me that what is needed is less noise from those pre-occupied with sex and more noise from those theologians who might skilfully address these matters in accordance with a living and joyful faith.

Yesterday we considered how dangerous it is to stereotype priests and/or expect them to embody styles and appearances relevant to an age different to our own. The romantacised priest is not nearly as useful as the authentic priest, what use the man playing Cardinal Newman when living in 21st Century Britain? God calls many and various people to serve as priest within his church and each should focus on being the person God calls them to be, not the person they or others feel they should be!

However, that does not mean that there aren’t characteristics that every priest ought to embody. Firstly every priest, regardless of personality, must be rooted in prayer. How many defunct clergy actually burnt out because they stopped working on their own relationship with Jesus? Corporate prayer is not enough, we each need time alone with the Lord. After all, how can we possibly hope to do Christ’s work unless we are tuning our hearts to discern his will and purpose for our lives?

Which leads to a second essential- discipline! Ensuring offices are said is not a chore for the priest but a life-line. Every priest must find a way to organise life and this includes making time for family and self. Ministry is a marathon not a sprint, the demands are huge, and too many burn out because they neglected their own health and needs. The day off and time to unwind is vital if we hope to reach retirement in good health…but that is not an excuse to be lazy! It is all about balance, and every priest will tell you, this can be hard to maintain.

Priests also need backbone, a part of the body sadly lacking in many modern clergy! Unless we learn to say NO to those things that are not strictly necessary, and unless we learn to grasp thistles and deal with conflict, we are liable to be used and abused. Parishes are notorious places for bringing out the best and worst in people and strong, clear leadership is essential.

One could continue with this list for a long time. We might talk about a need for trustworthy listeners, good communicators, exemplars of good behaviour, inspiring preachers etc…. Chances are your priest is some of these but certainly not all, for the perfect priest does not exist. Like S. Peter and all the apostles, modern priests make mistakes and struggle to live up to their call. So be it, as long as they earnestly strive to do thier best, they deserve our love and support.

2009 is the official year of the priest and dedicated to the patronage of S. John Vianney, pictured above, the patron saints of all priests. Do you pray for priests each day? Do you pray for new vocations to the priesthood? Do you encourage vocations? No living person can possibly hope to succeed in ministry unless upheld by the prayer of the church. Perhaps that is why it is often said that parishes get the priests they deserve! So let us pray for the work of all in holy orders, praying that we might support them in all they do and say. Do that and, in return, they will do the same for us.

An interesting question arose last week, when I attacked some inflammatory tracts. Whilst the vast majority congratulated me for taking a stand, a small number voiced concern that I should publically attack a fellow priest’s thinking, no matter what was being said. Could a priest really be seen as aggressive, accusatory and outspoken? It is an interesting question, how should priests behave? Indeed it is a question I have encountered before, possibly because my character and personality is far from the norm amongst Anglo-Catholic clergy! It has even been suggested I ought not play rugby as it is not in keeping with a ’sense of priestliness’…I must say that baffles me!

If we performed the notorious (and slightly over-hyped) Myers-Briggs personality test on clergymen in the Church of England, we would find that the vast majority are INFJ. In layman’s language that means: introverted, intuitive souls who are organised, compassionate and caring. This is not the norm amongst the general public who tend to be more extroverted, led by the senses and fairly disorganised! They would however share the ability for compassion and feelings.

But we surely do not need Myers-Briggs to tell us any of this! We simply need consider the romanticised archetypes of the English priesthood. The Anglo-Catholic (or black shirt) must be a bookish, bespectacled man of gentle learning, whose thin frame and slightly unkempt appearance speak of a soul not quite in this world. The broad churchman (or grey shirt) is the jolly soul, whose poor haircut, dandruff and bad taste in jackets is compensated by good sense of humour and a great love of the people. And finally there is the evangelical (or blue shirt) whose puritanical good living leads to an attractive and athletic build, a uniform of chino and deck shoes matching the large bible which is always clutched to the chest.

All rather contrived and amusing, and clearly drawn from experience, but is it really helpful? The truth is that God calls many and various people to the work of his kingdom, and this is not to be restricted by tradition. Indeed we will severely paralyse God’s work if we restrict holy orders to just one type of person. Too many introverts and the mission and outreach of the church might suffer. Too many extroverts and the space for silence, reflection and inner holiness could be lost. Not that introverts cannot make outstanding missioners or extroverts skilled at creating a sense of holiness, but you get my drift!

Perhaps people need to re-evaluate their vision of the priesthood? Elevating clergy to superhuman levels only alienates them and leaves them liable to disappoint! Are we mistaking politeness and gentleness for holiness? Are we wrongly assuming extrovert people cannot be prayerful or that quiet souls are out of touch? Do we mistake a love of silence for a love of God? Are we pretending that English manners and a shying away from conflict are what Christ called us to in his Gospel? Should priests be ‘nice’ at all costs…I am not certain they should.

Because Jesus did not create a church on earth to be a finishing school for middle classed people! Rather he called rugged working classed fisherman, like S. Peter, as well as highly educated academics, like S. Paul. What united them was not personality or niceness, but rather a passionate love of the Gospel and a willingness to stand up for Jesus no matter the cost. And I see that in S. Barnabas today, where we welcome a wonderful mix of rich and poor, young and old, bright and simple, lower, middle and upper class, white, black and all shades of colour in between, worship Jesus with equal worth, dignity and integrity.

So what should priests be like? Nothing more, or less, than the people God called them to be! Many a vocation has been damaged because the priest is trying to be someone else and not themselves. This only ever leads to dishonesty, sham and breakdown. So a message to all my brother priests. You know better than anyone how ill equipped you really are- well tough! God called you to do your best, as the person you are. So go out, and get on with it, whilst using a very good rule of thumb: take your vocation as seriously as possible but don’t take yourself seriously at all! Then, as long as your prayers are said, God will do the rest…to your surprise and the surprise of all around you.

Yesterday I explained how some deeply worrying tracts, written by Revd Tony Windross of S. Leonard’s Hythe, had fallen into my hands. I was so horrified that a priest could be writing such offensive anti-Christian drivel that I have chosen to run a mini-series exposing what Windross says and placing it alongside the teaching of the orthodox Church throughout the ages. Let the reader decide which path leads to salvation.

Yesterday Windross rubbished the Nicene Creed, suggesting it was out-dated, irrelevant and man-made writing which could, and even should, be dismissed by the present generation. I suggested it was not only a summary of the faith throughout the ages but an essential checklist for every Christian wishing to be faithful. Today we turn our attention to the subject of sin and, as ever, what you are about to read took my breath away….

Tony begins by explaining that the Atonement (the doctrine that Christ took our sins upon himself on the cross, and by offering himself for the sake of the world, gained us life eternal). For Tony, ‘it is a repulsive picture, based upon a monstrous understanding of God….the fact that considerable numbers of Christians continue to subscribe to it is very scary indeed. Not only does it reinforce the idea that Christianity is unspeakably ludicrous but it also gives too high a priority to sin…such ideas are given voice in phrases such as ‘Jesus died for my sins’ and ‘I am washed in the blood of the lamb’, language that is grotesque and disgusting to intelligent and civilised people.’

Having dismissed one of the central doctrines of faith, and rendered dormant the sacrifice of our Lord, our confused cleric then decided to vent his spleen on the doctrine of orginal sin. ‘There is something not just grotesque but deeply offensive about the idea of each new born baby already contaminated by the stain of Original Sin. Most thoughtful people would find this bizarre and horrible.’ He then returns to the subject of sin as understood in the teaching of S. Paul and S. Augustine, he writes, ‘This is such a sad, sick, stupid view of life that the sooner it disappears the better.

He concludes ‘It is high time it (sin) played a far less prominant role in Christianity…although it is customary to lament the decline of Christianity in our society, as far as Open Christians are concerned an end to the baleful dominance of the ideas about sin that stem from Paul and Augustine cannot come soon enough’. Yes, you read that correctly, Mr Windross despite being a Church of England clergyman is delighted at the decline of our faith!

Ok so what should the Church teach concerning sin? Well for a detailed examination I direct you here. But for the purpose of a quick summary, the best definition is provided by S. Augustine (whom Windross finds so detestable), ’sin is an utterance, desire or deed contrary to the law of God.’ Sin is vitally important because, if left unchecked, it will harm and destroy us.

Poor old Tony Windross, he has it all wrong! By telling us to simply downplay sin, he leaves us no richer than before! Ignoring sin, or even learning to live with sin, does not diminish its reality or hold on us. With Windross we are saddled with all that threatens to destroy us. The best we can hope for is a life of delusionment.

Whereas proper Christian doctrine has something more wonderful and exciting to teach us. Far from having to face sin and be miserable, as Windross believes, Jesus Christ, S. Paul, S. Augstine and all the company of heaven would have us laugh in the face of sin. Good news- we can free of it, death has lost its sting!

Why? For the very reason that Christ did offer himself as an atonement for sin, thereby reconciling man to God. The glory of his rising is encountered in many ways, not least in the genuine power of forgiveness available through the sacrament of Confession. Here, the orthodox Christian need not live in the shadows but can live in light, freed from sin by the grace of God, thereby growing in faith and holiness. Perhaps Tony would like to come to formal confessional and bring his anti-Christian pamphlets with him?

Let the Christian understand then, by rubbishing the Atonement Mr Windross does not liberate us from sin- he merely deludes us that we can ignore it. But deep down we know this is not true. Whereas Christ’s passion and resurrection, taken seriously, offer us more, so much more. They claim to take away that sin that we may truly be free to become the people God calls us to be.

It is always sad when one discovers preaching like this within the Church. And whilst I take no delight in causing trouble or dismay to anyone, these pamphlets are bothering me a lot. Wrongful teaching is a dangerous cancer, it damages the faith of others. Therefore I have decided to email the Bishop who is defender of faith for S. Leonard’s Hythe, asking for an explanation as to why the Revd. Tony Windross is allowed to function as a priest in God’s church? I ask because I fear that Mr. Windross is being unfaithful to his ordination promises. Furthermore somebody must consider the fate of those who worship his church. A concerned parishioner placed these tracts in my hands and surely I have a duty not to simply brush it under the carpet? After all, bad things happen when good people do nothing! And if more people had faught off the threat of liberalism in its infancy the church would not currently find itself in the mess it is in. What does it say when faithful Anglo-Catholics must fear for their future, due to faithfulness to the faith as recieved, when people such as this are allowed to behave as they please?!

I have just returned from hospital where Ken Boughton, a member of S. Barnabas’ church, is in the process of dying. As the last working fragment of his heart weakly beats, so the rest of his body shuts down. His kidneys have now failed, he is covered with bruising from various clots and his breathing grows shallow. How fortunate that the medics are doing such a superb job in keeping him comfortable. And how wonderful that he, amazingly, remains fully aware of all that happens around him.

Ken’s dignified death is proving inspiring to those around him. His family are keeping vigil at bedside and the nurses are astonished at his manners and grace. ‘I have never encountered anyone who remains as polite and calm at this stage’, said one nurse this morning. This news did not surprise me, Ken is not afraid because he knows the way to where he is going.

As a priest it is an honour to be close to the dying and I am often taken aback by the different way in which people face death when it arrives. Where non-believers and flaky-believers will often cry out in fear and anxiety, a serenity seems to befall those whose prayer life is strong. How important our faith becomes when life on earth hangs in the balance!

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that an angelic host surrounds Ken’s bed at this moment in time. As I have prayed with him, anointed him and offered the last rites the power of the Holy Spirit has been tangible and strong. In this moment, as Ken stares death in the face, the promise of resurrection assures him. Jesus beckons and he is soon to be gathered up into that most sacred heart. How true the hymn turns out to be, for Ken ‘death really hath lost its sting!’

Pray today for your Christian brother Ken and for all who suffer and are dying. Pray too for the departed and those who mourn them. Pray that at the hour of your death your prayer life may sustain and reassure you. How close to Jesus are you? Would you be ready to greet him as friend if the moment of death fell upon you this day? Would you be reconciled to him and your family and loved ones on earth? Be ready- for we know not the hour or the day.

I think we can all sypathise with the young curate who leaves seminary at full steam, full of enthusiasm and ideas, only to crash to earth a few months later. It happened to me and has happened to almost every priest I know. And the temptation to focus more on ‘doing’ rather than ‘being’ does not end at curacy either. On appointment to a parish the temptation is there to roll up the sleeves and go at it hammer and tongs. But sadly this approach rarely works- it only burns out the priest, unsettles the laity and causes much disruption.

I, like many, have often had to learn this lesson the hard way! The simple truth is that ministry is a marathon and not a sprint, and the best work in the church has often been accomplished by those who have learnt to adopt this approach. Sadly though they are few and far between for, as an Arch-Deacon once informed me, ‘priests seem to fall into two camps, those who do far too much and those who do far too little!’. Little wonder for the reward of hard work as a priest is, very often, the creation of even more work! When your ministry is fruitful people will come , when it is not they will not bother.

Two weeks holiday has proved a useful reminder that I can, when not careful, work too hard and begin to neglect my family and own needs. It is all to easy to get sucked into your vocation at the detriment to health, working all hours in order to placate a fragile conscience. I say ‘placate’ because I fear that I sometimes busy myself because, deep down, I have always felt unworthy of my calling as priest. Why would God ask this weak and fault ridden man to represent him on earth? And so, in order to try and earn worthiness, I overcompensate for my failings with extra labour. How silly this is- you cannot buy worthiness in God’s eyes- but I bet it is true of many a Christian.

But more sinister still, there are other times when all of us, clergy and lay, can use work to mask spiritual laxity. We beaver away at the ‘industry of ministry’ as a way of hiding from true engagement with God- the prayer, devotion, silence and solitude that each of us needs offer. In a bizarre way we use business as a way of being lazy! At times like these we must find the self discipline to get back on our knees and stop hiding from the one who loves and calls us.

And finally the busy Christian might ponder the role that guilt and fear can play in motivation. I so often look at S. Barnabas parish, onced staffed by three or four priests and crammed full of people, and consider how its resources now grow thin. Christ sent his disciples out in pairs for a reason and I remain convinced that one priest parishes- very much the norm today-are not what God intended. They are simply the fruit of our slothful labour within a nation where faith has been pushed to the margins. And the tragedy is that, whilst the church struggles to fund more priests, and the nation struggles to supply vocations, the problem is likely to get worse not better. How then to ensure healthy home/work balance when you are already stretched thin and when spending time on self and family necessarily comes at a cost to the parish? It is not a nice question to grapple with.

Part of the answer lies in better use of the laity. The ‘father knows best’ approach, in which everything that happens must involve the priest, is simply no longer viable. There are many aspects of ministry that can be shared (even if training and careful appointment are vital) – the visiting of the sick, the distribution of the sacrament, the maintenance of church buildings, fund-raising etc… Which is why I am so very grateful to the many who do assist with the life of the church at present and for those who are just starting to understand that church membership involves the taking on of responsibility and the giving of time.

Let us then reflect on our work/life balance and ask God to help us get it right. And let each of us dedicate ourselves to the work of the church and encourage others to do likewise. For the great news is that such work always binds us together in love and is, so often, a pleasure and delight. And finally let us pray for more priests, that the Lord of the harvest may send more workers to the harvest. We might consider in such prayer the vital work that is done by the ‘Additional Curate’s Society’ to fund and implement this vision. May God send us priests, and may others fund them, for the good of the world and his kingdom on earth.

There was a time when sentimental images such as this would have adorned many a child’s bedroom throughout the Western world, reminding them that Christ is a true friend and saviour. Saccharine and wet such images may have been, but at least they made Christ present. No longer- for the rise of commercialism, coupled with the loss of national faith, has ensured that there are plenty more attractive fictional heroes to take Jesus’ place. How can he compete with Tinkerbell, Spiderman et al, when they are so celebrated by society and elevated by the media?! How can he hope to be present for children when he is no longer really present or treasured by their parents or society at large?

Now clearly the decoration of bedrooms is not really important- hence Jemima has her Tinkerbell theme! But what is vitally important is the fact that our children are not being nurtured in the faith as was once the case. Even families who do attend church do not, I suspect, say grace at home or pray sincerely as a family once would have. And even when faith is instilled at church and in the home it is liable to then be mocked and deconstructed in the school. For, despite it being law that Christian worship should be offered daily in assembly, devotion has in fact given way to citizenship training since the 1960’s. How confusing for our little ones and how unsuprising therefore that the faith of Christ is weakening in this land.

I am utterly convinced that the path to genuine Christian revival begins with our young, meaning that events such as the national youth pilgrimage- and the establishment of parish Sunday Schools and youth groups- is THE most important work being done by Christians today. How sad then that there is often such lack of enthusiasm for embracing the young in many churches I visit. How sad that we Christians so often view children as a silent church of tomorrow and not the genuine church of today. And even where children are loved and embraced- so often our liturgy does little to include and inspire them. This is something that has to change.

Perhaps blog readers might spend time considering how they might better assist the spread of the Gospel amongst the young? Parents might pledge themselves to pray each day with their children- ensuring that the ‘Our Father’, ‘Hail Mary’ and ‘Glory be’ are soon known by heart. Parents might also promise say grace before every meal- including when non-Christian friends are present! And most importantly parents might ensure that they model faith for their children- Sunday attendance being seen as non-negotiable. Just these little things can have an enormous impact on children who learn so very much from those who rear them. Never forget that little ones will very quickly discern if your faith is living or sham.

And parents and non-parents might remember that it is a feeble lie to pretend that the young alone should do all the youth work! Whatever your age you might consider assisting with Sunday Schools and Youth Groups-for you are never too old to take an interest! And finally ALL of us should be praying for the young, asking God to raise up a new generation of believers to heal the pain and confusion caused by those who went before them.

I have been growing increasingly concerned for Christians who happen to be gay. Ever since the American branch of the Anglican Church, having succeeded in inventing women priests/Bishops, decided to fight for ‘gay rights’, the spotlight has been unfairly turned in the direction of those attracted to people of the same sex. This has led to a two fold disaster in my mind.

Firstly it has led some to express what can only be termed as foul homophobic views. As progressives have sought to sanction sexually active homosexuals to enter holy orders, so others have gone too far in expressing disapproval and for all the wrong reasons. The result being that homosexual sin has been elevated above other sins, allowing many with beams in their own eyes to scream for the removal of specks in others!

For evidence, we might consider how some Christians seem fine ignoring the wicked Anglican ambivalence towards abortion or are happy endorsing women priests and embracing remarriage of divorcees in church, whilst then being passionate in voicing disapproval on all matters gay! Pick and mix orthodoxy is no orthodoxy at all and we do well to remember that. A persecution of homosexuals has no place in Christian faith and those who feel truly hostile towards gay Christians should look long and hard in the mirror! Many of the finest priests and laity happen to be gay.

The second disaster is found on the other side of the coin, whereby homosexual unions are treated in the same way as marriage. Churches who offer this service of blessing are guilty of deluding themselves and the people they seek to serve. If someone asked me to bless a civil partnership I would refuse, not because the thought of homosexual relationships bothers me, but because I have no blessing to give. As a priest I can only give God’s blessing and I would be leading people astray if I claimed an ability to bless things which I cannot be certain God himself has blessed.

The Christian faith and my holy orders must trump my personal feelings, I am not free to do whatever I fancy. This lesson concerning obedience in faith is something the American Episcopal Church, and some Christians in this country, seem to have abandoned. When we start preaching what we think God ought to say, instead of what he has revealed in scripture, we are on a slippery slope. Removing God’s face from his throne and replacing it with our own comes very naturally to humans. The faith is ours to follow it is not ours to invent.

See why I feel sadness when the media drags this issue through the press? It is cruel on those affected, the gay Christians themselves, and my heart goes out to them. On the one hand I want to offer them my total support but on the other I am not able to offer something which the Christian faith itself does not have to offer.

Instead, as a priest, I attempt to offer love, compassion and support to all whilst preaching the faith as I have received it. I cannot pretend that the Christian tradition allows for active unions when it does not, but that does not mean I close the doors on those whose lives fall short. Many modern sex lives fall outside the Christian boundary, my own has at times, and the church has a confessional for this purpose. Forgiveness is there for all who turn to Christ.

So today let us all pray for homosexual Christians, remembering that the faith we have received tells us the only place where sexual intercourse is sanctified is within marriage, for the benefit of society and the welfare of children and not the gratification of individuals. And Let us encourage all people, married and single, to order their lives in accordance with Christ’s will, knowing he will provide grace to overcome temptation to all who pray with sincerity. Finally let us never single out certain sins for special criticism, nor misrepresent the faith we hold dear, but always seek to offer love, encouragement and support to fellow sinners.