Issue No 198
Magazine for the Builth Churches February 2018
New Years Resolutions By Archbishop ++John In his enthronement address, Archbishop John asked the Church to take on some ‘new year resolutions’. With his kind permission we share some of his words here. Let our churches resolve to face down the caricature of being an institution, focused on simply surviving and being against things. Let churches and their charities, proudly affirm caring, loving and openhanded initiatives which, often in partnership with others, they are already taking; supporting and affirming needy communities and people, for example through family centres, food-banks, night-shelters, homelessness projects, affordable housing initiatives, in chaplaincies and schools, in towns and cities through the work of street-pastors, through aid agencies and individual churches rebuilding broken and struggling communities in far-flung destitute places, and in many other ways. Often the work goes unseen, as does a remarkable amount ordinary but supportive community engagement at home. But, in such ways what churches say they believe takes flesh, has real meaning, and the kingdom comes. Christians must be ready, not afraid or ashamed to say so and explain so. That should become part of what I believe has to be a commitment to an overdue drive to rehabilitate and refresh how we explain our Gospel message, helping others really grasp that it’s not simply about going to church. And among those others, let all our churches resolve to share with me and act upon an active and deep concern for witness to the young. So many of them so evidently have a deep and clearlyarticulated sense of moral right. They are keenly aware of the need for social and economic justice, the stewardship of creation, and equality of opportunity; they are equally aware of the need for a society free from any form of prejudice rooted in anything which is part of the individual identity, gender, race, origin, religion or orientation of anyone.
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Interestingly, many of them have a deep admiration for many ideals actually to be found in scripture - they would probably give Job a high-five or even an affirming hug; they would encourage the Colossians to clothe themselves with that overcoat of blood-red love; they would be blown away by the radical teachings of Jesus, the Good Shepherd - and, if they could, would almost certainly have a selfie taken with him! Perhaps, however, they don’t associate our sometimes-struggling churches with these ideals, or hear those churches saying a clear enough ‘hear hear’ to them. Lastly on resolutions, and beyond churches and religion, can we not all simply resolve, in our increasingly divided, bewildered, unbalanced and uneven society, to be clothed with goodness, to call to account and encourage the reform of individuals, regimes and entities which deliberately or by stealth, neglect and carelessness collude in oppressing minorities, burdening the poor and robbing individuals of their dignity? Nothing churchy or exclusively religious about that either … I hope that you can agree, that today and many of its words have something to say to each one of us wherever we may be in relation to religion and matters of faith, something with which to challenge each one of us. But please excuse me from expressing one particular hope for those of you for whom the church is actually a bit of a turn-off, even a bit weird, or just a bit of an unknown quantity? My hope is that today might just help you to grasp a little more of the truth what the gospel and the church really are about. I might even dare to hope that you could think about engaging with them in some way and find a welcome for any fresh insights or challenges which you might bring to us.
EDITORSHIP Under new editoriship. Please note new email address: signpostsmagazine@gmail.com