I recently finished reading D.A. Carson’s biography of his father, subtitled The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson. I’ve found a humbling reminder, of how we are meant to live ‘ordinarily under the gospel of grace.’ So often we aspire to the famous, well known preachers of our time, but Tom’s story was not about being well-known. It was living a godly life in the communities in which he was called to be.
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather have Him than riches untold.
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I’d rather be led by his nail-pierced hands -
Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin’s dread sway.
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.
Carson, p. 106, excerpt from his father’s journal dated September 6th 1973.
When I was in primary school I was always so moved by the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ by John McCrae;
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
I also remember so well being told the story in assembly, during the first world war, how over Christmas the Allied forces and the Germans brought a truce and played football together in no-man’s-land. I love that story. I always wished it hadn’t just been that one day. I wish it would still be now. That we could live in a world of peace and harmony.
Today, I had the privilege of serving at the Royal Albert Hall for the annual Festival of Remembrance with the Queens’ Scout Working Party. For the matinee service, myself and James (with whom I was on the Readers’ team for the National Scout Service of Queen’s Scout at St Georges’ Chapel, Windsor for the Centenary of Scouting in 2007) were wheelchair pushers, which involved meeting the less able people at the security entrances, helping them into a chair and taking them to their seats. It was really great getting to chat with some really incredible people. And helping those who’d got lost back to their coaches at the end!
In the evening, I was on duty in the Grand Tier, ‘selling’ programs. I say ‘selling’ because they were free, but a donation was requested. It was interesting, because many of the boxes are ‘owned’ by certain patrons, who host a select number of guests. And there is A LOT of money on that level! It was interesting to watch how a lot of people who came to the evening performance were there ‘to be seen to be there,’ in contrast with the sincerity of some of those who had been at the matinee.
I was stood about 6 ft away from the box David Cameron, his wife and other important people entered. It felt somewhat surreal! Ed Milliband almost pushed me over as he entered the Grand Tier – I wouldn’t have minded, but it wasn’t as if the corridor was heaving with people at that point (it was empty)! As the service began, Karen and I hung around to wait for the Queen to arrive a few minutes in to the event. A lot of the Royals were there, we counted everyone except William and Harry.
I remember watching the Festival on the television most years with my parents while growing up. I know it’s a very moving occasion. And yet, I still struggled with it’s intensity, of being in the auditorium during the service. Clapping as the Chelsea pensioners and widows etc. entered the arena just doesn’t cut it. This annual festival doesn’t pay for the loss of any person. Nothing we can do or say can ever make up for even a single life lost in conflict, however just or unjust. And that’s what I know some internationals struggle with; Remembrance Day isn’t about endorsing war or conflict, it’s about paying respect to those who have fought and given their lives for the service of others. To enable us, British citizens, to sleep safely in our beds at night.
The famous stanza from For The Fallen (1914) by Laurence Binyon left me holding back the tears.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Today in our training session, we were told about this:
The organ in Macy’s, the department store, is the largest in the world, played to lure customers in to the store. The Philadelphia Chorus were dotted around the Cosmetics department during the busy Halloween weekend as they struck up and performed Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus amidst bemused shoppers.
Since starting my role as a Church Assistant, I have made SO much coffee. What is it about the church that requires so much time and money to be spent making small cups of a brown addictive drink? I don’t understand.
I don’t drink coffee. I don’t like coffee. I have never liked coffee. Or the smell of coffee. And since beginning Nutritional Therapy, I rarely drink caffeinated Tea. It’s bad for me. And YOU.
The first Sunday we new, shiny Church Assistants were left to fend for ourselves, we ran out of coffee at church. My colleague wound up running to another church building to bring back enough coffee to get us through the whole day. I obviously didn’t appreciate the grandeur of the disaster we were facing at the time! I asked uninformed questions like; ‘Shall we make instant instead?’ or, to the Rector, ‘can you make an announcement during the notices about the lack of coffee..?’ My colleague, by running and leaving us to deal with ‘real church’ while he ran on his coffee hunt, was heavily praised for his good deed of the day.
I am thankful that considering the amount we consume, as a church, that we are a Fair Trade Church. That does a least make it ethical.
Still, I often wonder what would happen to the institution we know and love, called the church, if coffee was banned? People would go into withdrawal. There would be much lethargy. Worship would be bland. Meetings would turn into siestas. And, seemingly, the church would cease to function.
This came to a head for me when, on Tuesday, for a conference held at church, I spent the entirety of my shift MAKING COFFEE!
I texted my good friend, explaining that I spent my whole day making coffee, and asking;
Did Jesus drink this much coffee?!
He replied with that well known miracle in the first chapter of the Book of Coffee;
And the master of the banquet tasted the water, and it had become coffee, because that’s what the Christian’s wanted. And everyone thought Jesus was awesome.
I mean, how could I forget?
If only we were as addicted to Jesus as we are to coffee. No?
–
N.B. I would like to make it clear that I do not condemn the social, fellowship, which often occurs over a hot beverage. In fact, I endorse it. I am just making light of the amount of coffee which is consumed in our culture.
I always love it when CD’s from an event I was involved with arrive. Usually I’ve pre-ordered them at the event itself, so they’re arrival brings back happy memories
When I got home from work today, the latest All Souls Orchestra Prom Praise CD & DVD, How Great Thou Art recorded Live at the Royal Albert Hall on May 8th this year, was awaiting my return. I’m now sat listening to it.
So, I’ve taken an interest in exploring the issue of women in ministry, the ordained type. To be entirely honest, I don’t know exactly what I think, which is why I am trying to spend time reading up various perspectives, to figure it out for myself, so please excuse my rambled thoughts and confusions.
My cousin, a vicar currently working with CPAS, recommended the book Growing Women Leaders, by Rosie Ward, which I have just begun reading this weekend.
Seriously?! Maybe I should get back to my knitting, cleaning, ironing, cooking etc. Because obviously as a female, I’m only allowed to say ‘Amen’ in church at appropriate times, with the whole congregation.
I find it weird, I don’t consider myself a feminist. I have always understood that men and women differ in numerous ways, and we have traditionally had different roles which reflect that. The creation narrative demonstrates the complementarity of gender differences.
But the views of the conservative evangelical church is somewhat frustrating to me. I had the opportunity today in conversation with a minister at church, to ask his thoughts on the subject, after he had asked a male colleague whether or not he had considered ordination himself; he had not, yet. It didn’t surprise me that he complies pretty much wholeheartedly with the views of the church we work in. He affirmed the role of women within the church; endorsing the female minister on the senior leadership team, and the varying roles women play within the work and ministry of the church, leading services, prayers, small groups, teaching children and youth, women’s groups. But he doesn’t endorse women preaching on a Sunday, or a female incumbent.
Although the idea of me, personally, up front, leading a church and preaching scares the what-sits out of me, I’m left feeling; frustrated, confused, discriminated, lost…
Why am I reacting this way? Am I just being rebellious; bucking the system I am in? I need to get my head around this.
A wise lecturer of mine pointed out to me that I am “in a church where women are considered to be great for teaching other women, but men (poor dears) will be led astray the instant they hear a woman teach. … [a church which is] not typical of the C of E.”
I appreciate the viewpoint of the minister I spoke with today, that most churches ‘fudge’ somewhere along the spectrum; from raving liberals to those who hold very conservative views. There is no ‘clear cut’ decision within the Church of England, never mind the Church as a whole. That, wherever the line may be drawn, there will be some who don’t agree on both sides.
And yet, when I come to Scripture, I see why 1 Corinthians 34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:12 can be read with the view that women should not teach or preached to mixed gatherings, i.e. the main church worship. Others don’t believe women should have overall headship of a church.
I knew back home, at Southwell Minster, there was a member of the congregation who wouldn’t attend the Eucharist if it was the female Precentor leading the service. Ironic that this person was female, too. But she didn’t have a problem with her preaching?
I don’t want to be accused as someone with poor hermeneutics, but I (and others) read the above passages within the context in which they were written, to a specific group of churches, in a specific culture in a specific time; cultural. And I get that the problem appears when we don’t view the remainder of Paul’s writings as only cultural; we take most of Paul’s teaching and apply it today, so why not these also?
Speaking to a colleague this evening, he said that there are women at his ‘home church who still cover their heads, and don’t listen if a woman is praying from the front.’ To which I replied; ‘Wow.’
1 Corinthians 14:34-35
… women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to enquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
I understand that in the Corinthian culture, women were not allowed to question men in public. Some of the new Christians were misusing their new found freedom and confidence, to confront men during corporate worship. Obviously, this wasn’t healthy for the church as a whole. Especially as they were asking questions publicly which could have been discussed within the marital home, privately. Thus preventing division and unease within the gathering of the church.
1 Timothy 2:12
I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man; she must remain silent
I’ve just learned that the Greek word Paul used, here translated as ‘silent’ more expresses an attitude of quiet composure, and another word was used to convey ‘complete silence.’ Aside from this, women in the Ephesian churches were again misusing their new freedom; they did not have the knowledge, experience or Christian maturity to teach those who already had extensive scriptural education. Cultural.
Paul did not forbid women from ever teaching. His co-worker, Priscilla, taught Apollos (Acts 18:24-26). And Paul frequently refers to other women who had positions of responsibility within the church. 1 Corinthians 11:5 – Women publicly prayed and prophesied…
As I said, I have in no way finished with exploring this debate within the church. I have yet to read chapter two of Growing Women Leaders, I’m sure other books will follow suit, and quiz other colleagues about their stance. I’m still trying to get my head around it myself.
… [a church which is] not typical of the C of E.”
