(Rt) Revd Pat Storey

What fantastic new from across the Irish Sea that Revd Pat Storey, the Rector of St Augustine's Londonderry, has been appointed as the Bishop of Meath and Kildare in the Republic of Ireland; thus becoming the first female Anglican bishop in Great Britain and Ireland. The Church of Ireland announcement can be found here but I've an addition to it.

For a few years Malmesbury Abbey had a link with St Augustine's Londonderry and Pat led teams to Malmesbury and I led teams out to Derry. You can see me on the walls of Londonderry below:

Whilst visiting Malmesbury I invited Pat to preside at Holy Communion at the Abbey. She agreed and was the first woman to do so, breaking a small barrier for women in ministry. Now she's broken a big one.

Please pray for Pat, Earl and their family as the transition begins.

Catering Budget

Dear Sir,

Given the current financial crisis I am slightly concerned by the spiralling catering budget for Luke’s gospel. Things start so well in Luke 1 where we learn that John the Baptist will never touch a drop of wine and in Luke 2 where the infant Jesus is breastfed. I was initially concerned by the cost of feeding the ‘multitude’ of angels that appeared to sing at Christ’s birth but mercifully they left promptly, and without the necessity for refreshments.

Given that gluttony is one of his major acts, the devil rather surprisingly seems to have no catering budget in Luke 4 whatsoever and resorts to tempting Christ to turn stones into bread; ha! The instruction about fasting in Luke 5 brings me deep joy, the boat on a squally Sea of Galilee is going to leave nobody with an appetite, and the feeding of the five thousand from a single lunchbox is inspired cost cutting. Impressive.

I would however draw your attention to the profligacy of Luke chapters 14 & 15. Jesus first dining with a crowd of Pharisees, then a story about a wedding feast, then a story about a Great Banquet, then a party when a sheep is found (yes! a sheep!!), then another when a coin is found, and then a feast and a celebration WITH A FATTENED CALF just because some wretched prodigal finds his way home – yet another mouth to feed!!! Who is going to pay for all this? At least Zaccheus in Luke 19 has the decency to get his wallet out for once.

But this is my most serious concern. In Luke 22 the Messiah breaks bread, drinks wine and commands all his followers to do this in remembrance of him. Doesn't he know the cost?

Yours,

Accounts.

Rabbi

Looking at Luke’s gospel, as we all are at the moment, I was struck by the breadth of Jesus’ teaching style. Christ of course engaged people relentlessly with story, including the parables that we’re studying this autumn, and I’ve noticed in my own preaching how often the congregation seems to turn up or possibly wake up – you know who you are – when I use a story or analogy. Suppose one of you has a friend and he goes to him at midnight and says… (Luke 11:5). Now we’re listening.

But Christ doesn’t just teach in parables. Detail is not my greatest strength; I have to work pretty hard to scale down from the vision of an awesome family life to actually put the bins out and do the washing up occasionally. So Christ working in the detail reminds me: He said to them, when you pray say: Father, hallowed be your name (Luke 11:2-4). It’s not a liturgy; it’s the detail, the specifics of praying for the transforming presence of the Kingdom.

But Christ doesn’t leave it at the small picture. Metaphorically Christ the Prophet gives sight to the blind and places a compelling vision before us; such as in Luke 11:30: For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. Jonah coming forth from a fish on the third day to change a people; Christ coming forth from the tomb of the third day to change all peoples. Big picture teaching - can you see it?

But if we recognise the story and detail and vision of Christ’s teaching ministry, perhaps we are left most uncomfortable when he launches an assault. We want our Jesus domesticated and skip over the challenge of Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but the inside you are full of greed and wickedness… (Luke 11:39) Because of course we’re not like the Pharisees are we? Surely he’s not talking to me. But as we reel in our hypocrisy we shouldn’t miss the pastoral teaching of Jesus; He is after all a shepherd: I tell you do not worry about your life… (Luke 12:22) The same white-hot holy love that challenges the Pharisee in us, leads us to still waters and binds our wounds.

His words challenge and comfort, instruct and inspire. Awesome God, awesome Rabbi. 

September 2013 Abbey Diary

While we are experiencing problems with our website the Abbey Monthly Diary will appear on this blog. You can make any enquiries and request a PDF of the weekly Abbey News Sheet from office@malmesburyabbey.com:

Saturday 7th              

9am                 Morning Prayer

10am               Prayers for Janet Parke in Le Flambé

10am               Healing in the Streets

2.30pm            Wedding

Sunday 8th                

8am                 Holy Communion

10.30am          Holy Communion

4pm                 Informal Worship, Junior Church & Trax

6.30pm            Deanery Choral Evensong

Monday 9th               

9am                 Morning Prayer

9.30am            Abbey Tour – no guide

7pm                 Malmesbury Singers

8pm                 Home Group Leaders in Parish Office

Tuesday 10th             

9am                 Morning Prayer

9.30am            Women Alive!

Wednesday 11th        

9am                 Morning Prayer

10.30am          Holy Communion

2pm                 Tour

5pm                 Wedding Rehearsal

7pm                 Pipeline in Parish Office

Thursday 12th            

9am                 Morning Prayer

10am               Guided Tour + lunch

10.30am          Pop In – Le Flambe

4pm                 Evening Prayer

7pm                 Choir Practice

Friday 13th                

9am                 Morning Prayer

Saturday 14th            

9am                 Morning Prayer

10am               Healing in the Streets

12noon            Wedding

Sunday 15th              

8am                 Holy Communion

10.30am          Holy Communion & Alpha Invite

4pm                 Alpha Guest Service & Junior Church

Monday 16th             

9am                 Morning Prayer

7pm                 Malmesbury Singers

7pm                 Hearts, Hands & Voices in Le Flambé

Tuesday 17th             

9am                 Morning Prayer

7.30pm            Refresh!

Wednesday 18th        

9am                 Morning Prayer

10.30am          Holy Communion

7pm                 Pipeline in Parish Office

7.30pm            Alpha

Thursday 19th            

All Day             Organ Tuning & Maintenance

9am                 Morning Prayer

10.30am          Pop In – Le Flambé

4pm                 Evening Prayer

7pm                 Choir Practice

Friday 20th    

All Day             Organ Tuning & Maintenance

9am                 Morning Prayer

10.30am          Creative Response!

                                   

Saturday 21st             

9am                 Morning Prayer

10am               Healing in the Streets

  Organ Rehearsal for tonight’s concert

1pm                 Wedding Blessing

2.30-onwards  Organ Rehearsal for tonight’s concert

7.30pm            Concert

Sunday 22nd             

8am                 Holy Communion

10.30am          Morning Prayer & Healing Ministry

4pm                 Informal Worship, Junior Church & TRAX

                                   

Monday 23rd             

9am                 Morning Prayer

7pm                 Malmesbury Singers

Tuesday 24th             

9am                 Morning Prayer

9.30am            Women Alive!

                                   

Wednesday 25th        

9am                 Morning Prayer

10.30am          Holy Communion

7pm                 Pipeline in Parish Office

7.30pm            Alpha

Thursday 26th

9am                 Morning Prayer

10.30am          Pop In – Le Flambe

2pm                 Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Jennifer Sears followed by tea

4pm                 Evening Prayer

7pm                 Choir Practice

Friday 27th    

9am                 Morning Prayer

Saturday 28th            

9am                 Morning Prayer

10am               Healing in the Streets

ALL DAY         PCC AWAYDAY

4pm                 Set Up & Rehearsal for tonight’s concert

7.30pm            Concert

Sunday 29th  

10.30am          Coffee

11.00am          Festival Holy Communion + Licensing & Commissioning

Monday 30th             

9am                 Morning Prayer

7pm                 Malmesbury Singers                

New

See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:19) I have always avoided using this word from the prophet Isaiah because it can be one of those phrases that lazy vicars tend to use to get their own way. ‘Let’s build a new church hall’ – do you not perceive that this is what God is doing? ‘Let’s sack the choir’ – isn’t it time to forget the former things? (Isaiah 43:18) ‘Let’s get rid of the pews’ – this is the new thing of God. It’s not particularly hard to manipulate using scripture, and worse. Isaiah deserves better.

Isaiah is also particularly challenging to read right now, because Israel, Egypt, Assyria, Syria (Aram) and Iraq (Babylon) are never far from consideration; alongside oppression, conflict and mass people movements. If we needed any reminding of our chaotic and painful world, which we don’t, Isaiah gives us one, geographically and historically. We can be grateful to the prophet that it is his voice that also proclaims a ‘light for the gentiles’ and a great light seen for ‘the people walking in darkness.’

But as Isaiah proclaims the ‘new thing’ it is more than a word for Israel, it is a word about the nature of God. God is merciful; God renews; God always breathes life. So holding the reality of darkness in one hand we do celebrate the renewing presence of God in the other. To be honest, I do perceive something, and as our autumn begins in Malmesbury I look with gratitude at new and invigorated staff and leadership, renewed commitment to our Glory! and daily prayer meetings, about 40 signed up for Alpha, strong teams ministering in worship, healing, ministry to the elderly and the young, and a great team of small group pastors.

So as we pray for God to renew the church our own community, we can also pray with hope for the renewing of the far older church in Syria, and the utterly broken world in which they serve. As Isaiah prophesied, we watch for streams in the wasteland.