It’s a remarkable thing that no British – or Australian, or New Zealand – person under my age of 63 can remember a time when we had any other Head of State than her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. One of my earliest memories is her father’s funeral on our neighbour’s television following his death just 60 years ago on February 6th; by her coronation, like many other families, we had our own TV; and soon after, I was taken to the cinema for the first time to see the film of her Commonwealth tour.  Ever since then our Queen has been, at one level, the star of the most amazing soap opera on earth; a family and national story of fairy-tale weddings, state funerals, romances and tradgedies, family joys and sorrows, that has increasingly captivated the whole world as the reach of the media has grown.

Of course, there is a much deeper level than celebrity and soap opera.  At the heart of the story is a remarkable woman who never applied for the role, but who, having been thrust into it, remains faithful in her old age to a vow she made aged 21 to dedicate the rest of her life to the service of God and her people, and who was set apart for that service by her anointing with holy oil prior to her coronation.  A coronation by which she became not only monarch, but also Supreme Governor (not Head, as Henry VIII claimed – a subtly but importantly different thing) of our Church of England.  Strengthened by her faith, she has fulfilled both roles conscientiously and with dignity, often remaining silent in the face of much criticism, well past the age when her subjects have put their feet up; spurned the modern cult of celebrity and spin in favour of deeper values.

Not all of my parishioners are monarchists, and this isn’t the place to or time to debate the issue; but it surely befits monarchists and republicans alike to generously acknowledge a remarkable record of service this year, as we will do at both churches on Februry 5^th.  In my opinion, we are arguably celebrating ‘Elizabeth, Queen and Saint’.

ROBERT WRITES:

I apologise for the non-appearance of a November edition of the Heron; but my work schedule, and that of others at the heart of church life, was put out by my announcement on November 6^th of my intended retirement next summer and all the repercussions.

My announcement will not have been a great surprise to those who had worked out that my 65^th birthday will be in March 2013.1 shall be going about six months before that, so that we can move – our house in Wollaton being ready – during Kate’s summer holiday; and my last services will probably be on  July 1^st, to allow a month or so for leaving  things in good order and for packing.

Kate and I and the children – who have known no other home – have huge regrets about leaving our home and friends in church and neighbourhood who have been so good to us. But I am sure it is right for us; for the Diocese; and probably for the two parishes as well. At 64, and in less than robust health, it will be time for me to have less pressure and settle into the next phase of life and ministry. For the Diocese, it is an opportunity to re-deploy and economise, while seeking to do right by both parishes in times of shortage of both money and priests.

As for the parishes – especially Lady Bay after 28 years of the same incumbent -1 believe they need someone more in tune than myself with the committed 30, 40 and even 50 year-old Christians of the area who at present worship mainly elsewhere at modern evangelical churches. I think the Diocesan plan to appoint a ‘Pioneer’ minister to reach out to them and enlist them in outreach to our youthful and interesting area is an exciting one – providing, as intended, this is additional to, not in place of, continuing ministry to the more traditionally-minded (young as well as old).

This is a tall order for someone who will be paid on only a half-time basis for parish ministry, the other half of their time being committed to lecturing in Pioneer Ministry at St John’s College, Bramcote. They will need lots of help; from, initially, two small and already hard- working teams of fantastic lay people plus, probably, retired clergy and students and others from St John’s; and this will all need lots of managing. These will be ‘interesting times’ indeed in Lady Bay with Holme Pierrepont and Adbolton.

The two Church Councils are working with the Archdeacon (Peter Hill) and Area Dean (John Bentham) towards a joint advertisement with St John’s College that will go in the national press in December, and I believe that an appointment is hoped for by spring, subject to the agreement of your parish representatives. 1 shall be praying for them and for all concerned in the process, and invite you to do the same; that what we have all worked so hard for may thrive and develop as God wishes.

There will be much more to say next summer; but for the moment Kate and I thank all of you who have given us your friendship over the years and your best wishes and understanding on our announcement.

‘TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE^‘

‘When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place’. So in the second chapter of the Book of Acts St Luke begins his Whitsunday story of how God’s Holy Spirit descended on the disciples and the church began. Together’, is a very important word in the Whitsunday story. God’s Spirit would never have arrived, nor his church begun, if the disciples had been scattered individuals. They had been together in the years of Jesus’ ministry; and so they continued after his death and resurrection. Indeed, Jesus ‘ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father’. For the ten days after his Ascension, ^they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, and ‘all… were constantly devoting themselves to prayer’. So the Whitsunday experience arose from a background of actual and spiritual togetherness, with lots of ‘bonding’, studying, discussing, worshipping, praying.

That’s surely a lesson for Christians in all places at all times. When we spend time together with God in our thoughts and prayers, he can do many things with us that he otherwise can’t. When we are together, the understanding that we are ‘the body of Christ’ grows, and our conviction with it; we spark ideas off each other and think creatively. Growing churches, the experts who study these things tell us, invariably begin with prayerful togetherness.

Do we spend enough time together, with God at our centre, to let him empower us in our work for him? In worship, in prayer, in discussion, in enjoyment? Please bear this in mind as, for example, you respond to the All Hallows’ Whitsunday event invitation, and the Launde Abbey day on July 23^rd.

Robert.

ALL HALLOWS’ EVE

A wise man said “If you can’t beat  ’em, join ’em”. For the last quarter of a century, the churches have been trying to beat ’em.  We have been very disparaging about the celebration of ‘Hallow’een’, which thanks to TV has come to us from Scotland via America and been hugely commercialised in the process. We have hoped it would go away – pumpkins, trick and treat and all, and stopped our youth organizations from participating. The fact, however, is that we have lost the battle. ‘Hallow’een’ has become the most popular event after Christmas in the children’s calendar; and many of us feel it is time to accept that, build on its positives, and try and recapture its part-Christian roots as the celebration of saints and souls past.  The positives include – at its best – a great sense of neighbourliness; and a strong sense of the existence of another, spiritual realm.  At All Hallows’, we have decided to offer hospitality to our neighbours who are out and about on the evening of the 31st, and to gently connect the spiritual aspect with our own Christian traditions and teachings. Do come along, and invite your neighbours to do the same.  Happy All Hallows’ Eve!

Robert.

Minding our Ps and Qs (well, our Ps anyway!)

I left the country for a few days – and mayhem broke out! On Portuguese television, I followed the progress of the August riots with incredulity, and the debates about their causes with concern. Blame theories seemed to largely revolve around four Ps;

1                     Policing. Weaknesses in police intelligence, strength and tactics at the outset; a failure to ‘nip it in the

bud’, so that many   joined   in   for   easy spoils; inadequate penalties.

2                    Politeness. A fundamental decline in mutual respect towards each other, so that some feel entitled to

take whatever they want and  abuse any who stand in their way. Perhaps rooted in a):

3 Weak, unskilled Parenting, There is talk of family breakdown, of fathers absent or ineffectual; of lack

of sanctions in home and  school; of the lack of a moral and spiritual dimension in both. Or in b):

4 Politics. Politicians’ inability to tackle 30 years of high unemployment and welfare dependence in

some areas that has undermined   parental authority there; three years of high youth unemployment that has

sapped the hopes of a youth generation; selfishness and  corruption among our political and financial elite that

has destroyed any sense that ‘we are  all in it together’.

The memory of the riots and looting may be fading; but I hope the discussion of their causes won’t. Somewhere in

there is God, his justice, and what it means to live in a fair and well-run society which all ages and people feel part

of and gladly contribute towards.

Yours politely,

Robert

RETREATING AND ADVANCING

A party from both churches in the Benefice will be spending a day at Launde Abbey, the lovely Leicester Dioces Retreat House, on July 23rd. We are lucky to be able to do so; and I realise that those who most need a day or two of quiet and reflection, such as parents of young children, usually find it difficult to make the opportunity.

The busier we are – in jobs, family or church and voluntary life – the more important it is however to try and find some space for reflection. It may be times away, but it may be in the routines of life – gardening, walking the dog, fishing – I have even heard people say that they reflect best in the bath or in the loo, with the door locked against the world’s intrusion!

However we find our reflection time, it is so important to the balance of life. Jesus himself often went into the hills to pray, as did the prophets. It is in the quiet times that the busy times are put in perspective; in retreat that sound plans are laid for the next advance. In the holidays and in the summer as church life and some other activities are suspended for a time, may you find some opportunity for retreat.

Robert

CONFIRMATION (and BAPTISM)

There hasn’t been a Confirmation in the Benefice since All Hallows’ hosted one in 1996; and there hasn’t been one at St Edmund’s since 1963. This will be put right at 4.00 pm on Sunday October 16^th, when Bishop Tony will confirm at St Edmund’s, which should be at its most glorious with the sun (we pray!) highlighting the autumn colours round about.

There will be candidates from other churches in the Diocese and our W. Bingham Deanery in particular; I know there will be, some from All Hallows’, and I very much hope there will be some from St Ed’s as well – it is a rare chance to be confirmed on ‘home ground’.

Amongst our readers there are quite a lot who sincerely follow Jesus’ teachings but have not been confirmed, and in some cases haven’t been baptised either. During the early summer, I intend to hold discussions for those who would like to know more and work out whether this is for them, with a view to (Baptism and) Confirmation preparation for those who think ‘yes’ after the summer holidays.

Do please speak to me if you are interested, preferably in the next couple of weeks. Age is no barrier, though I would have to make out a special case to the Bishop for under-tens.

Though the service is at St Edmund’s, it is very much a Benefice event; All Hallows’ members will be ringing bells and singing in the choir, and other help, such as with refreshments will be appreciated when the time comes.

Robert

I understand that many years ago a law was passed that Parliament would agree to a fixed date for Easter once all the big churches were agreed on it. Not much chance of that then! The Christian calculation of Easter goes back many centuries before clocks, radios or even the printing press, when each priest in each village had to work out the day by reference to the only fixed points – the sun and the moon. Easter was and is the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox (March 21^st); and what we have done for 2,000 years, many are loath to change.

If we ever do have a fixed date for Easter, I hope it will be a late one, like this year.   With Ash Wednesday not coming till March 9^th, there is opportunity to recover from Christmas before planning Lent courses; they can be held when the days are lengthening and the weather has passed its worst. By the time Easter arrives (April 24^th), spring will have well sprung and put us in the mood to rejoice in the resurrection.

While we go about our peaceable – and for the most part petty – routines of life, the Arab world is in turmoil, with nations demonstrating, struggling, praying, for good government and freedoms that we all take for granted. The sacrifices of so many are surely an inspiration and, whatever the outcomes, raise the world’s opinions of the peoples of these countries. Let us pray that the outcomes will be good ones rather than anarchy or increased despotism; and let us particularly pray for Christian and other minorities which are so vulnerable.

EDITOR’S NOTE: If we could have a fixed date for Easter, when would you have it and why? Let me know and maybe we could have a selection if ideas in the Easter edition of the Heron    Ruth 0115 982 0181

‘Religion is the cause of all wars.’ – we hear it said regularly. This bit of ‘pub nonsense’ has taken such a hold in popular thought, and has become such an excuse for opposing all religion, that it is important for us to challenge and refute it at every opportunity.

And nonsense, it certainly is. Such great warmongers of the past as Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan weren’t moved by religion. Nor, in our own times, were Hitler, Stalin, Mao or Pol Pot who between-them killed 100 million people – they all tried to destroy religion. Our own government sent die army to the Falklands or Iraq for what it regarded as reasons of national self-interest – perhaps also for secular, democratic ideals – not because of religion.

It is true that religion can get entangled with nationalism and tribalism, as in Ireland and the Moslem world today. But the gun-carriers in Ireland, though labelled ‘Catholic’ and ‘Protestant’, weren’t religious people at all, but fierce Irish or British nationalists. Just as so-called ‘extreme Islamicist’ terrorists aren’t even good Moslems, but anti-Western nationalists who have picked up a smattering of religion to justify their cause.

Truly religious people, of all major religions, seek peace, and find common cause with the truly religious of other faiths. Whatever our faith, we all need to distance ourselves from those who, with mixed motives, try to use our religions to fight other battles. And  together, to make it clear we are working for peace. And so to make sure the ‘peace loving’ atheists and secularists who are now so powerful have no ammunition for their war on us.

Robert.