The congregation at Upwell were a huge encouragement. Standing at the front of people I mostly didn’t know was a huge moment. I told them I was really glad to be there. A lovely Supernumerary shouted out “and we are glad to have you!” I joked at the end “can I come back?” They all shouted out “yes!” I was “a breath of fresh air” apparently. I’m told that a lot. I never understand why people say it to me. I’m just me. It was brilliant to be for a first time in this recuperative time with an encouraging and responsive community.
My evening congregation at Warboys were equally encouraging. We shared a quiet informal service. I took the same service as I did at Upwell, but I delivered it very differently. I love evening worship. Sadly it’s dying out. Some people just don’t do mornings. I think Circuits need to offer something somewhere on a Sunday evening each week, even if it is a different place each week. It was a blessing to be with them.
Yesterday in worship I spoke about remembering those in history who through their example, encourage us to make a difference.
Octavia Hill was her father’s eighth daughter (hence her name!) and was born in Wisbech in 1838. She is remembered for her campaigns for improving the state of housing for the poor, for her pioneering system of housing management, and for her protection of open spaces. She was one of those who was responsible for preventing developers building on Hampstead Heath. Finally, she was one of the three founders of the National Trust.
She was a fierce campaigner on behalf of the poor and underprivileged. The Bishop of London once said that having listened to her for half an hour was “the worst beating in all his life”. That’s great isn’t it! The model housing estates which she ran were exemplary.
She is still remembered by a London housing estate which bears her name. An Octavia Hill Society (established in 1992) has established a museum in the town of her birth. One example of persistent keeping going knowing doing nothing won’t change anything.
The great “cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews chapter 11 put their faith in a God who was not on the side of the big military powers. As William Barclay put it, “The honour roll of history is of people who chose to be in God’s minority rather than with the world’s majority.” Who do you thank God for today who by sticking their neck out encourage you to believe in the goodness of humanity again?
Who are the people who just by being them encourage you to keep going? My dear wife has suffered too much this last year because of my frustrations and dark moments. She stands by me and encourages me to try new things like driving a van or eating salad! Alice the cat has come to live with us. She needs encouraging to live with the others, and not spit at them! We need to remember stages on our journey where people intervene and encourage us to know our worth:
The late Revd Geoff Hawkridge who inspired me as a teenager in my home chapel with his lively and empassioned preaching and challenged me later to candidate...
The late Revd Graham Slater, my beloved college Principal in Manchester who convinced me I was not thick!
Those lovely church members in the six Circuits I’ve shared in in 23 years who just remind you why you do this when planet church goes into freefall...
My current Chair who has been superbly pastoral to us since we landed in our new situation and who is helping us with whatever comes next.
And others!
We need a new commitment to be encouraging because that is the Gospel. My Chair of District is reading some Rowan Williams. I’ve asked his permission to nick this quote:
‘To talk of ourselves as redeemed sinners is to talk of ourselves as having learned how to tell our story differently. Or to put it in a rather condensed way, the unredeemed sinner is the person who has not yet learned how to tell a different story about themselves, but only the story of failure, the story of loss, the story of guilt.......’
The quote is taken from Rowan Williams’ new book “Luminaries: Twenty Lives that illuminate the Christian way” (SPCK 2019) I’ve been this afternoon in Southwark Cathedral shop and bought a copy.
So often the Church concentrates on keeping the Church going. I’m not sure we’ve got it right anymore. The call is to encourage the lost, to value people in a mess, to fight a cause. I imagine depressed and stressed commuters on a Monday need some encouragement to keep going!
We also need a new commitment to be an encouraging community or form community again. I rather like this cafe in Islington where I was at lunchtime writing this. There are benches so strangers sit next to strangers. The sad thing is we were in absolute silence, all of us are on our smartphones! We need them banned sometimes and we need to start conversation again!
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