The Vicarage
June Lane,
Dear Friends,
“When I became a man I gave
up childish ways” (1 Cor
“Whoever does not receive the
(Mark
Here are two well known verses of scripture – until now I had never
noticed the apparent contradiction.
I have just returned from the Diocesan Clergy Conference held at Butlins in Bognor Regis. Our theme was “Christ our
Contemporary” and we spent much of the time together thinking about the ways in
which we can proclaim the reality of Christ alive today to a culture that is
largely indifferent to such claims.
There was a real sense of celebration of resurrection about the
conference and an excitement and enthusiasm for the task of making this good
news known to those who simply do not understand what the fuss is about.
But what are the tools by which we can make this a reality?
Each morning I made my way to our conference venue, through the Sky Line
Pavilion. In the years of my childhood such a place would have left me
awestruck. There was a huge “Bob The Builder” area for stories and games, a
little train, a colourful place for climbing and jumping, machines that buzzed
with the possibility of cuddly toy prizes, Burger King, a stage for round the
clock music and dancing, the rattling and flashing of a hundred slot machines
and the smell of ice cream and doughnuts. Music and colour was everywhere and
it pulsated from dawn till dusk. Some clergy walked the “long way round” so as
to avoid the place.
I found it hard to accept that such a place was no longer for me. I
would have liked to have lingered and joined in for while. Just a few pennies
for the arcade, just one train ride! The truth was that I had serious work to
do, deep theological concepts to grapple with. – and
actually I could not recapture the sense of magic that I know I would have felt
all those years ago. Yet here was precisely the culture with which we are
presumably trying to engage.
When I became a man I gave up
childish ways……………
Paul is calling the church towards spiritual maturity and an ever
deepening relationship with God. The accomplishments of Christ through His
death and resurrection are so enormous that it will take a lifetime for us to
grow into them, so we must never settle for resting our discipleship on a
comfortable plateau which brings our “growing up into Christ” – to a full stop.
At one level, church life must never stand still because it is about leading
one another to this increasing maturity. Whilst we are suspicious of too much change
– the reality of our life is that we are to be changed – from glory to glory.
It is sad when this sense of growing up results in the loss of the child
like capacities for wonder and amazement, fun and laughter, enthusiasm and
excitement – for I believe these are the calling cards of the kingdom.
One clergyman (of this deanery!) told me how he had missed one of the
lectures so that he might go on the Dodgems when no one else was looking. He
enjoyed three rides – circling round all on his own – by all accounts loving
every minute of it. Here was one Vicar who had life in perspective!
Whoever does not receive the
When the wonder of childhood is left behind, it often lets in feelings
that run counter to the kingdom. Fear, anxiety, suspicion and
cynicism. These can dominate our adult mentality whether we are people
of faith or not and can result in the silliest of things becoming monumental
problems in our lives.
At the conference, I found myself suddenly chosen to “chair” the session
to be led by Dr Christian Baxter, the lay chairman of General Synod. I was so
anxious to get things right and not to say or do something stupid. The prime command of scripture is “do not
fear” and in the resurrection of Jesus we are presented with the visible
reality of Him in whom all our hope is founded. All sorts of things can be a
distraction to this great truth.
Maybe the “Skyline Pavilion” at Butlins begins
to offer a simple solution to a church anxious to communicate this reality but
not sure quite how to do it.
To rediscover our common calling as children.
This does not mean a life of innocence, naivety and blind acceptance nor a caving in to the latest packaged sensation.
It requires of us a readiness to be awestruck and dumbfounded, excited
and positive about the world in which we live and the God who weaves his way in
and out of all experiences. To discover in the risen Christ, that love which
casts out fear.
I have a confession to make about the 24/7 prayer room in
Of all the wonderful aids to prayer we found there this year – I love
spending time at the children’s table – and when no one else is there – to do
some colouring in and some cutting out! Several adult members of our church
have confessed to similar impulses – so I don’t feel too much of an oddity.
That table gave us the space to be children once again – to sit at it was no
recourse to babyishness – but actually, can you see, a drawing out of an
essential truth about ourselves that we lose in pursuit of the serious business
of being grown up.
Not all the holiday makers at Butlins looked
especially happy – the many “laid on attractions” did not seem to completely
satisfy. There is a huge gap between the way the church speaks of Christ and
the perceived needs of the average sea side holiday maker, yet on both sides of
the chasm there is, I think, a common yearning. Simply put, it is to find a
meaning to living. In those days of our childhood we were closer to that
discovery than we realised and it strikes me that the wonder of the
resurrection gives us a way back to that perception – transfigured by His
grace.
With much love,
Andrew
VICAR’S NOTES