I’m writing this while BT Openreach drill a hole into the hall wall at Boroughbridge trying to get WIFI sorted for us. We’ve had five attempts to get it sorted which I won’t bore you with and today nearly didn’t happen. He arrived and said he’d need a hoist to climb the pole in the lane behind the church and he said it would be a day’s work. I said “haven’t you got a hoist?” He put in a call to “hoist support”! We will see what happens! Clearly “hoist support” hold the key to progress today!
We all need somebody alongside us to help life move on or be fuller. On Monday, I was in Liverpool. My meeting didn’t last as long as I thought it would so I had time to explore the vast Anglican cathedral, and then walk along Hope Street to the Roman Catholic one. Half way down Hope Street are two sculptures of the two Archbishops who decades ago did much for Christian Unity in the city, David Shepherd and Derek Worlock. Underneath the sculptures, is a circle with the words “Better Together” on it. We all need somebody alongside us to share insights, challenge our position and tell their story or just do something we cannot do, like “hoist support”!
Take our Circuit at the moment. We are seeing churches worshipping together more. We are sharing each other’s stories more. We are being honest about our problems more. It was good for me last Sunday to guide Harrogate Road through their annual church meeting. It’s been over two years since I worked with them and while we miss Sarah, it was good for me to hear where they are as Allhallowgate work in partnership with them. Ecumenical partnerships are developing as well. It’s my role in the District to encourage this. I’ve turned up at a lot of C of E special occasions recently, the licensing of Sue, the new vicar in Boroughbridge, the Diocesan Synod in Leeds and in a few weeks the licensing of my friend Claire as vicar at Kirby Hill. The Bishop of Ripon said to me the other day “oh for goodness sake, just become an Anglican!”
John Wesley preached a sermon about the importance of different groups of Christians working together called “Catholic Spirit” (“Catholic” meaning universal.)Wesley asked this question: “Is thine heart right, as my heart is?” He recognized that, in the church, we have many differences. Those differences are important and we must not deny them, but the core question for whether we can work together is, “Are our hearts alike?” I am confident that the answer for us in our Circuit in this moment is, “Yes, our hearts are alike!”
Wesley goes on from there to ask, “Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may…”If it be, give me thy hand.” I do not mean, “Be of my opinion.” You need not: I do not expect or desire it. Neither do I mean, “I will be of your opinion.” Keep you your opinion; I mine; and that as steadily as ever… Let all opinions alone on one side and the other: only “give me thine hand.”
We need each other! And the world needs to remember we need each other. Else all is lost.
This prayer offered by Rev Dr Raj Patta is where we are and from where we pray. It’s very powerful.
In the meantime, I’d better go and see if “hoist support” has done anything. It’s gone awfully quiet!
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