The Vicar Writes
June 2010
Government and Church: Coalition and a Community of Love
Dear Friends,
Government and Church: Coalition and a Community of Love
Last month I was speculating whether the televised debates of the main political party leaders would make any difference to the general election campaign and its result. Who would win? Well, who could have imagined that so many people would get so interested in and excited by political argument and process? And who would have imagined that the first coalition government for sixty-five years could have been accepted by so many as a vessel of promise and hope in the face of immense national and international challenges.
What we could have predicted, probably, was that some would be quick to question and even rubbish the possibility of previous political foes coming together in unity for the sake of national interest and the common good. Within hours of the new ministers receiving their seals of office at Buckingham Palace the media was dredging up adverse comments from members of the governing parliamentary parties; members who didn't happen to have jobs within the government! It was obvious that in some quarters there was little hope of a unity which could overcome differences for the sake of the greater good.
My hope is that the sceptics are proved wrong for the sake of our nation and its people. The church needs to pray for this Prime Minister and his administration, as we do for every prime minister and government. May God grant them the wisdom and strength to do the difficult work that is ahead of them.
Here is an old prayer that I often use at Evening Prayer:
Guide we beseech thee,
O Lord, all those to whom is committed the government of this nation;
and grant to them at this time special gifts of wisdom and understanding,
of counsel and strength;
that they may consider all questions calmly in their deliberations,
and act wisely and promptly,
upholding what is right, abhorring what is wrong, and performing that which is just,
so that in all things
thy will might be done
and thy kingdom come;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Seeing the Church as a coalition
We have just celebrated the feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came in dramatic force to the first disciples waiting in Jerusalem. On the first day alone three thousand people were baptized: we can only dream of such statistics in our country today! And it becomes very clear very soon that this spirit-filled church of Jesus Christ is for everyone without exception. People who were otherwise totally different and from opposite ends of society were brought together in the life of the early church. Wealthy business people found themselves alongside slaves; jailors were baptized by their prisoners; Jews and gentiles ate together. This was radical: a broad coalition! The Church is called to be no less today, but there is more.
More than a coalition: a community of love
There has inevitably been talk of the new government in terms of a marriage and speculation about the extent of the commitment between the Prime Minister and his deputy. I guess no one would expect these partners to fall in love! But that is exactly what is asked of those who find themselves together in the Church. St. Paul writes to the Ephesians, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us..." (Eph. 5:1-2)
Little wonder that Paul should teach this when Christ, the evening before his crucifixion, charged his disciples to love one another and prayed that they might be one, showing the same love that is found between Jesus and God. (John 15:12ff; 17:20ff).
"So that the world might believe that you have sent me"One of the great things about the church is that it brings together people who otherwise would have nothing to do with each other; people who are often very different from each other in many ways. Bank balance, skin colour, social standing, age, size: these, and countless attributes like them, make no difference in the Church. Membership is open to those who would be united with Jesus, and all are asked to be united in love with each other as well as with Christ.
This is the unity in love that Christ prayed for; it is the sign that his renewed creation, the life of God's Kingdom, is already breaking through into the life of this world. It is sobering to think that it is our words and actions that determine whether Jesus' prayer is answered or not! Each one of us is called to put aside petty arguments and differences - whether they be of taste, temperament, opinion or anything else.
When the world sees politicians trying to overcome differences for the greater good, it might be suspicious, but it can't help but take notice. If the Church could live as an open, welcoming community of love, what difference could that make to the world?
It is up to us!
Many thanks for the flower festival
The recent "A Celebration of Life" flower festival that we held was a veritable triumph, I am pleased to say. There is a report about it further on in this magazine. I would just like to say a huge thank you to all who helped to make it both a reality and a success: Ian Groves and the members of the organising committee; Jane Currie and the members of Darlington Flower Club; Jane Bradshaw and the Hospice representatives; the Apollo Choir; and all members of the Church who helped in any way.
Thanks to the generosity of the sponsors and the hundreds of people who visited, we raised about £6,500. This, as we promised, will be shared between the Church and St. Theresa's Hospice.
The Bishop of Durham
As you will have heard by now, Bishop Tom is to leave the diocese to become a professor in the University of St. Andrew's. He and Maggie will move north of the border during the summer to enable him to begin his new job on 1st September.
After his seven distinguished years as Bishop of Durham, we will be sorry to say goodbye to Bishop Tom. Using his love and encyclopaedic knowledge of scripture, he has encouraged us to take the Bible seriously and to search in it for God's revelation to us. In addition, we in Blackwell will always remember him as the bishop who laid the foundation stone for, and consecrated the new parish church. As with his predecessor, Bishop Michael Turnbull who opened the Millennium Centre, his name will remain on the building for as long as it stands.
There will be an opportunity for all of us to go to the Cathedral to express our gratitude to Bishop Tom and Maggie on the evening of Tuesday, 13 July. That is to be an event which is open to everyone; there will be no tickets. In the meantime, we can pray for them as they prepare for the move
Please, would you also pray for Bishop Mark, the archdeacons and the Dean who will be leading the diocese through what is likely to be a long vacancy. In addition, pray for those who share the responsibility of choosing the man to be the next Bishop of Durham.
With my very best wishes
John