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| 21st July 2008 |
More than Five Verses
The Eucharist in Canterbury Cathedral on Sunday morning ended with a rousing version of Charles Wesley’s great hymn “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” – five verses sung in four different languages simultaneously!
The service provided a bridge between the Retreat and the Conference itself. The Retreat ended with a powerful call from the Archbishop of Canterbury to work together to find the way open to us in Jesus Christ. The arrival over the following lunch of pressure groups and people bringing stalls for the market place served as a reminder of the fact that our leadership involves hopes and experiences far beyond the dynamics of our interpersonal relations in this Conference. Therein lies the complexities of leadership aimed at following a common way. The Archbishop hinted at this agenda and quoted Alan Ecclestone “Episcope involves insight as well as oversight.”
After the Retreat we welcomed ecumenical guests – from a vast variety of churches: each bringing a particular perspective to add to the mix of the Conference.
Sunday morning – early to the cathedral to robe for the official opening service: over an hour stood in the study crypt. As conversation developed, so did evidence of some of the divisions and differences between various groups within the Conference. Passion is as powerful as pastoral sensitivity within the mix of ingredients from which this gathering will be shaped.
The sermon by the Bishop of Colombo was excellent. He challenged us to honour three things about Anglican spirituality and identity: the discipline of self examination (“the mote in the eye syndrome”); the importance of unity in diversity; and the role of prophecy on behalf of the needy and those without a voice. His words invited an important shift from awareness of our own roles and responsibilities to the needs of the world that God seeks to save.
At the end of a very long service we sang the five verses of Charles Wesley’s great hymn as the procession began to leave the cathedral. The hymn ended, and for another 20 minutes people processed out, organ music in the background, members of the congregation standing patiently. One spouse said it was like waiting at the luggage conveyor, wondering if you had missed your case and whether it would come round again!
Why did we have just one five verse hymn? (Written for smaller occasions?)! Surely a number of hymns could have been sung, to send us out singing praise to God, rather than a tired, silent tramp of Lambeth “baggage.” This strange, weary ending may be a sign for the whole Conference: we can organise five verses, i.e. handle relatively small scale projects and webs of relationships – but anything on a larger scale defeats our resources of imagination and experience. Yet leadership requires insight into the very large scale context (poverty, interfaith, sexuality ……..) within which smaller projects take their place.
Perhaps our aim must be to learn how to sing God’s praises over more than five verses – so that everyone is properly engaged and many are not left to tramp along wearily, desperate for water!
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Posted by derbyatlambeth on 2008-07-21 12:31:49 | Rating: | Views: 274
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