TEXT FOR THE MONTH
"A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so
you must love one another.
By this will all people know that you are my
disciples, if you love one another" (John 13.34-35)
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
"When we think about love so often we are thinking; what will this this love do for me? So often at the back of things it is our happiness that we are seeking. But Jesus never thought of himself. His one desire was to give himself and all he had for those he loved. His one desire was to do something for them, something that he knew that he alone could do."
William Barclay , commentary on John's gospel Dear Friends,
As I write this article we have recently heard that the Archbishop of
Canterbury is to retire this year. I thought an article on this subject would
be timely.
Firstly let us thank God for George Carey's leadership over the
last ten years. Of course many people argue that he has not been as present in
the national spotlight as some previous archbishops, but that in my view is not
his fault. It is a sign of our society and media which seems only to show an
interest when there is a controversial issue such as homosexuality on the
agenda.
The vast majority of his sermons and utterances have not even been
reported by the press or television, and that is not the Archbishop's fault.
What George Carey has done is to keep the Church of England together when it
was going through its deliberations about whether to ordain women as priests or
not. He has also done much to modernise the internal structures and rites of
the church, playing an important role in shaping the new liturgy Common
Worship, and he has presided over the international Anglican church with great
skill, standing in solidarity with the suffering Christians of southern Sudan
and working hard on inter-faith dialogue throughout the world.
So who will
follow him? Ladbrokes I understand have put our Bishop of Rochester Michael
Nazir-Ali 3 to 1 favourite.
The two great advantages he has over the other
contenders is that he has great insight and relationships with the other
religions alive in Britain today, and also has an international presence in the
worldwide Anglican church which few can challenge (and let us remember that the
worldwide Anglican church is over 100 times larger in numbers than the Church
of England, and it is over this international church that the Archbishop will
be presiding). But then again, it would be equally good to have the Bishop of
Liverpool, James Jones as the next Archbishop.
Purely in terms of relating
to the media and getting out a relevant Christian message, nobody in my view
can match him, and perhaps this is what we need most of all in our society
today. What is certain is that the next Archbishop faces a huge challenge.
How can the church be made more relevant to our society today? How can we
attract more people to church and the life of faith? It is an issue which we in
Aylesford struggle with, and if the stresses are keenly felt on a parish level
I can only assume they will be all the more difficult to bear for the person at
the helm.
Whoever is chosen, please pray for him, that our Lord will guide
him to lead the Church of England into a time of renewal and growth, in which
people will turn from mere pleasure and materialism to a deeper faith that
enriches society and leads it back to God. In the meantime please also pray for
those who have to make the decisions involved - especially our Prime Minister
who, strange as it may sound, has the final say on who it will be .
Simon Tillotson
This letter appears in the parish magazine. To subscribe to the magazine please email Brian Eddy or contact the church office.
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