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Aug132011

Rioting on Sunday Morning

It seems only two minutes since I found myself standing before the congregation as a “community leader” to talk about the headline news from Norway.  And yet, here I find myself once more.  It is a strange place to be as people look to me to try and make sense of the world around them.  The church can sometimes just stick its head in the sand on a Sunday morning and carry on regardless.  “Riots you say?  What riots”?  I find myself unable to do that.  Perhaps it is a failing of mine and I should add it to the ever-growing list.  No matter where I turn I can’t escape the incarnational God who gets his hands dirty.  I can’t skirt around the God who told us to pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as in Heaven”. 

You may have noticed that I have been strangely silent on the blog this week.  Mostly this has been because I have felt a bit numb.  Living in the UK and watching it descend into chaos is all too reminiscent of The Dark Night.  Fortunately we live in a part of the city that hasn’t seen any unrest.  West Yorkshire police dealt with any flickers of trouble around Leeds and Huddersfield brilliantly and we did not see the same level of unrest as others.  However, the whole country seems to be gripped by fear.  I spoke to my brother earlier in the week about the football match we are going to this afternoon.  He was wanting to call it off.  The mood in our community is troubled. 

Some how tomorrow I will stand up and try to help our community make sense of all of this.  I will try to encourage them to be part of the future.  To start to bring that kingdom to our communities. 

I have put together some simple prayers that we will use.  Then we will pray the prayer from the CofE website in solidarity with our nation wide community.

Father in heaven,

In our homes.

Your kingdom come, your will be done.

In our families

Your kingdom come, your will be done.

In our communities

Your kingdom come, your will be done.

In our cities

Your kingdom come, your will be done.

On our streets

Your kingdom come, your will be done.

In our parks

Your kingdom come, your will be done.

In our schools

Your kingdom come, your will be done.

In our police forces

Your kingdom come, your will be done.

In our town hall

Your kingdom come, your will be done.

In our government

Your kingdom come, your will be done.

Gracious God,
We pray for peace in our communities this day.
We commit to you all who work for peace and an end to tensions,
And those who work to uphold law and justice.
We pray for an end to fear,
For comfort and support to those who suffer.
For calm in our streets and cities,
That people may go about their lives in safety and peace.
In your mercy, hear our prayers,
now and always.

Amen

Jul232011

An Oslo Lament

I have just got back from holiday and have quickly prepared something for the morning service about the terrible horrors that have unfolded in Norway.  I will not offer commentary on the events themselves as there are people much better qualified to do that than myself.  However, I will offer the response I am going to use with the congregation tomorrow morning.

When such a shocking event takes place it is easy for the church to bury its head and ignore what has transpired.  In this situation we have a man/men who have taken the lives of the innocent in what has been reported as the name of “Christianity”.  It seems to me that the correct response should be lament and repentance for a broken world.  I asked twitter

What would you like to tell my congregation tomorrow about #oslo in 140 characters? Will project and talk through in morning. Please

I was amazed by the number of responses I received and their thought provoking nature.  I am going to project them in the morning and talk about each one before the confession in the service.  These are the responses I have received.  A big thank you to everyone who replied.

@EdwardBGreen struggling with this. Can’t even bring myself to echo Vaux’s “God is found in the shit”

@SwindonG I didn’t know them,I haven’t visited their country & can’t speak their language – but they r my brothers & sisters, it hrts

@Melanie_Cooper Tragedy is part of life’s tapestry. Our job is to project Christ’s love into each situation as we are able – incl. prayer

@Nevillina_3 I don’t understand how anyone can hate enough to plan and inflict such suffering. I pray I never will.

@SwindonG  … reflecting on Norwegian PM’s response ‘we will fight this with more Democracy’ … I don’t know where he gets his wisdom

Half an hour later @SwindonG went on to say:

@SwindonG … re PM his statement has me close y to tears each time I read it

@S_Cat #oslo it is not about Islam vs Christian. It is faith vs fanaticism.

@sh52mjh Tragic loss of young lives; potential unfulfilled; a lesson not to jump to conclusions – fundamentalism Christian & muslim

@twurchsteward that ‘fundamentalism’ and R Wing hate arise out of our complacency. We must all challenge hate where ever we meet it.

@artsyhonker “By their fruits ye shall know them” Murderer identified himself as Christian but actions show otherwise. What  about us?

@sh52mjh Fundamentalism can affect all creeds & religions to the same tragic end. Welcome the diversity in God’s wonderful creation

@fragranceofgod God is there with everyone involved in the tragedies #oslo and has compassion for his children who mourn.

Once we’ve briefly explored the issue we are going to use the Kyrie form of confession.

For a world so marred by intolerance,
in which race is a reason for hatred
and communities are torn apart,

Lord have mercy,
Lord have mercy.

For a world that is shattered by violence,
in which innocent lives are taken
in the name of the prince of peace,

Christ have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

For a world in which parents are grieving,
for their children who didn’t come home.
For communities who’ll always remember,

Lord have mercy,
Lord have mercy.

May God our Father forgive us our sins,
and bring us to the eternal joy of his kingdom
where dust and ashes have no dominion.
Amen

Sorry it’s so late and I didn’t have time to do a bit more.  Many thanks to everyone who helped.

Apr52011

Rev | The Gospel and Social Change

If you managed to catch the sitcom Rev last year you will have seen Tom Hollander depict the sometimes hilarious and sometimes harrowing reality of inner city ministry.  He has been interviewed in The Guardian about his experiences of vicarage life growing up.  He juxtaposes the stereotypical view of church with the radical experiences of his father:

My own father was a genuine radical and our breakfast table conversation tended to be less about the church roof or the jam tarts for the local fete and more about the gospel as an instrument for real social change or whether my Dad was going to get arrested on his next direct action against an MoD weapons facility (which he usually did, to my acute childhood embarrassment, with a group of Dominican friar mates of his, often all dressed in monastic habits. The shame).

Jan272009

When I needed a neighbour…

I was hungry, and you formed a bible study group to discuss my hunger.
I was imprisoned, and you crept off quietly to your chapel and prayed for my release
I was naked, and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.
I was sick, and you knelt and thanked God for your health.
I was homeless, and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love of God.
I was lonely, and you left me to pray for me.
You seem so holy, so close to God,
but I am still very hungry – and lonely – and cold.

Sorry, I don’t know where it comes from originally.