Further jottings from the Diocesan Clergy wellbeing day (Sept 2022)

I didn’t take full notes on everything, but in addition to the jottings I already blogged from The Revd Will Van Der Hart, I also went to session by Bishop Martin, Dr Sr Gemma Simmonds CJ and The Revd Dr Earl Collins:

 

Sara Maitland on the laughter of Sarah

 

 What makes you think / provokes your imagination / makes you see differently? – things that transcend and connect?

 

Put on your own oxygen mask first! Only with a reasonable degree of self care can we effectively care for others over the long haul

 

D. H. Lawrance poem “Pax”: “All that matters is to be at one with the living God /
to be a creature in the house of the God of Life….”  https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/Poets/L/LawrenceDH/Pax/index.html

 

Stillness even in the heart of the storm

 

Disconnection of body / mind, praying self / working sel, inner / outer

 

Monk Damian Lundy: “I’m Damian and I’m okay because God doesn’t make rubbish” – post it note on bathroom mirror – Another brother added: “No, he just collects it!”

 

She adds: God is in fact the greatest recycler in the business!

 

The last chapter of The Cloud of Unknowing: “Because it is not what you are nor what you have been that God looks at with his merciful eyes, but what you desire to be.”

 

 Pope Francis: “"I am a mission on this earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world. We have to regard ourselves as sealed, even branded, by this mission of bringing light, blessing, enlivening, raising up, healing and freeing." 
(Evangelii Gaudium)

 

George “Hacksaw” Huxley liberating the locked up swings on a Sunday in Belfast – prosecuted!

 

Sabbath – rest from creation – celebration of redemption – foretaste of fullness of the Kingdom

 

A blessed hospitable community feast formed by God’s rescue

 

A Jewish song for welcoming the Sabbath:

 

“Come, my friend, to meet the bride; let us welcome the presence of the Sabbath.

Come, my friend, to meet the bride; let us welcome the presence of the Sabbath. 

"Obse​rve" and "Remember​ the Sabbath day," the only God caused us to hear in a single utterance​: the Lord is One, and his name is One to his renown and his glory and his praise.

Come, my friend, to meet the bride; let us welcome the presence of the Sabbath. 

Come,​​​​​​​​​​ let us go to meet the Sabbath, for it is a well-spri​ng of blessing;​ from the beginning​, from of old it was ordained,​ - last in productio​n, first in thought.

Come, my friend, to meet the bride; let us welcome the presence of the Sabbath. 

O sanctuary​ of our King, O regal city, arise, go forth from thy overthrow​; long enough hast thou dwelt in the valley of weeping; verily He will have compassio​n upon thee.

Come, my friend, to meet the bride; let us welcome the presence of the Sabbath. 

Shake​ thyself from the dust, arise, put on the garments of thy glory, O my people! Through the son of Jesse, the Bethlehem​ite, draw Thou nigh unto my soul, redeem it.

Come, my friend, to meet the bride; let us welcome the presence of the Sabbath. 

Arous​e thyself, arouse thyself, for thy light is come: arise, shine; awake, awake; give forth a song; the glory of the Lord is revealed upon thee.

Come, my friend, to meet the bride; let us welcome the presence of the Sabbath. 

Be not ashamed, neither be confounde​d. Why art thou cast down, and why art thou disquiete​d? The poor of my people trust in thee, and the city shall be builded on her own mound.

Come, my friend, to meet the bride; let us welcome the presence of the Sabbath. 

And they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that would swallow thee shall be far away: thy God shall rejoice over thee, as a bridegroo​m rejoiceth​ over his bride.

Come, my friend, to meet the bride; let us welcome the presence of the Sabbath. 

Thou shalt spread abroad on the right hand and on the left, and thou shalt reverence​ the Lord. Through the offspring​ of Perez we also shall rejoice and be glad.

Come, my friend, to meet the bride; let us welcome the presence of the Sabbath. 

Come in peace, thou crown of thy husband, with rejoicing​ and with cheerfuln​ess, in the midst of the faithful of the chosen people: come, O bride; come, O bride.

O Bride, Shabbat Queen, now come here!

Come, my friend, to meet the bride; let us welcome the presence of the Sabbath.”

 

https://israelforever.org/interact/multimedia/Music/revivo_project_lecha_dodi/

 

Sabbath as end or start of week?

Beginning at sundown or sunrise?

 

Sunday – The Lord’s Day – Resurrection Day!

 

The transfiguration of life

 

Death and life

 

“Where shall the word be found, where will the word
Resound? Not here, there is not enough silence...” (T.S. Eliot, Ash Wednesday, section V)

Will Van Der Hart - Clergy wellbeing - Emotionally Healthy Leadership

 

The Revd Will Van Der Hart on Clergy wellbeing – Resourcing Emotionally Healthy Leadership

It was really interesting to hear Will, who has had his own struggles with mental health, speak on this subject. Some jottings:

Too often we chase our idea of “success” in Christian leadership. We can be goal driven. But there is always a new goal! We can seek approval and our idea of self / identity / purpose based on how our performance is perceived.

We may speak a lot about “vision” but maybe we are very goal oriented.

In Christian ministry, our ambition can be hidden or spiritualised, but what are we really seeking and why?

We can want to be a Superhero / Fixer / Saviour / Messiah.

But a better kind of success is likely to come from security – not if we seek security through success. If we are secure, we are more likely to be able to take risks which might lead to success.

How can we be real, honest and present with ourselves so that we are leading without delusions?

What might good leadership looking post-Christendom, post-Covid, in difficult financial times, if we face lean years / famine?

Most of those who die on Everest die on the way down! “Success” can bring its dangers.

Cf. Transfiguration – you can’t live on the mountain top all the time, you have to come down and face the world with its problems.

Success can be stressful. “Suc-stress” – how do I keep all this going, growing, bigger and better? Success tends to lead to more responsibility, which leads to greater extension, causing you to be over stretched and stressed. Learn to stop and think and pray and perhaps say no to some good things, perhaps many.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs (Google!) – Highest Level 5 – self-actualisation – meta-motivations – we are drawn towards something higher, altruism, love – fullness in Jesus Christ, we would call it

How do we find value and purpose in everything rather than just in achieving goals?

Opportunities won’t dry up. There will always be ways to serve. Is this the right opportunity for you now?

You can never be perfectly affirmed until heaven! Your good works will never affirm you. People are competitive and they won’t like it is you do a great job and win! True and perfect affirmation is only in Christ. Some people will never like you! You are wasting your time seeking their approval. It hurts when people are hurtful but it is fruitless to chase some people celebrating you.

To do lists have a habit of getting longer. Don’t be tyrannised by your to do list and don’t depend on ticking off jobs to prove yourself.

There is always a crisis in which you can be the Saviour! We can have / create mini-crises! You don’t always have to be immediately responsive to every supposed emergency! What is God calling you to?

You can unlock your own disciplines. No one else (e.g. the C of E or the diocese or the wardens or the PCC or…) is going to solve this for you. What could you do to build resilience for the long haul? What could you put in place?

A good tree will inevitably produce good fruit (Matthew 7v17). The fruit takes care of itself. Pray that you might be a good tree, abiding in Christ, given life by him. Don’t try to be a cannabis factory under fake lights etc. pushing for excessive and untimely fruit. There may be seasons of more or less fruitfulness. Rest. Trust. Good fruit is part of your ministry; it is not your driving purpose.

Take a step. Turn round. Give thanks. Repeat!

See further: https://www.willvanderhart.com/

https://www.mindandsoulfoundation.org/Articles/542162/Mind_and_Soul/About_Us/Revd_Will_Van.aspx

Parish Magazine Item for October on HM Queen Elizabeth and The Proclamation

 

From the Rectory

 

We continue to give thanks for the life and reign of Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. And to pray for King Charles III and all the royal family – and indeed for our nation. Many of the events surrounding the Queen’s death were quite extraordinary. The live-streamed lying in state and The Queue were phenomenal. One of the most remarkable parts of that memorable week was the Proclamation of the new king, with colourful regalia and fanfare by The Garter King of Arms and then by The Clarenceux King of Arms in London, and more soberly in these parishes. I was pleased to be able to attend this little piece of history, organised by our civic parish councils, in Rushlake Green and Dallington. If you missed it, you can find a video taken outside Warbleton Parish Church on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JghXFX3tAms (“220911 Proclamation of King Charles III”). The full text of the Proclamation can be found online for example at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proclamation_of_accession_of_Charles_III#Text_of_proclamation

 

A number of points are noteworthy. Her Majesty’s death is strikingly described as Almighty God being pleased to call her to his mercy. What a wonderful way to speak of Christian death! The Queen is dead, but really and truly she is more alive than ever. She has gone to be with Jesus which, as the Bible says, is in many ways for her, better by far.

 

The Proclamation goes on to say that Charles is king, “by the Grace of God”. Kings and Queens, we’re told, reign by God. That is not to say that the Bible is clear that monarchy is the best form of government. Or that God approves of particular kings or their actions. But it is to say that God is sovereign: he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He raises up kings and empires and brings them down. Rulers continue only by divine permission. It is partly because of this that the New Testament can exhort submission to the powers that be, even though some of the Roman Emperors were pretty terrible. The order God has established is sometimes better than rebellion and chaos. Christians are called to be good citizens and seek the good of the city.

 

One of the great things about “our late Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth the Second of Blessed and Glorious memory” was that she took her allegiance to Jesus Christ very seriously, as her Christmas messages often showed. As others have commented, at her coronation, before others pledged their loyalty to her, she knelt at the high altar and prayed. Apparently she would also get down on her knees daily in prayer. After the model of Jesus who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many, she was indeed The Servant Queen. (See further Bible Society’s resources: biblesociety.org.uk/search/Servant%20Queen/).

 

A final great strength of the Proclamation, in my view, was its commitment to prayer. We beseech God “to bless His Majesty with long and happy Years to reign over us”. The response “God Save The King” – and indeed the National Anthem – are no mere form of words but a prayer. Even kings, depend on the grace and kindness of God. We might also use these prayers from The Book of Common Prayer:  

 

O LORD, our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth: Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lord, King CHARLES; and so replenish him with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that he may alway incline to thy will, and walk in thy way. Endue him plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant him in health and wealth long to live; strengthen him that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies; and finally after this life he may attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly beseech thee to bless Camilla the Queen Consort, William Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and all the Royal Family: Endue them with thy holy Spirit; enrich them with thy heavenly grace; prosper them with all happiness; and bring them to thine everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

The Revd Marc Lloyd

Notes for an all age / children's talk for Harvest on John 6v27 Jesus the bread of life

 If you are coming to any of our harvest services this year, look away now:

Harvest All Age Talk 2022

John 6vv25-35 (page 1070)

 

(Before reading - explain v25 - they and him – they= the crowd Jesus has just fed; him = Jesus, whom they've been looking for)

 

John 6v27 (p1070)

Jesus said:

^“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”

 

The Bible is all for hard work.

It even says that if someone refuses to work for a living they should not eat.

Now of course some people can’t work, but if you could work, and you just won’t, you can’t expect others to provide for you.

 

Today is certainly a day to give thanks for all the hard work that goes into our food.

It can be a complex process to get stuff to our dinner plate, can’t it?

Many people will have worked long and hard to feed us.

There might be farming or fishing.

And maybe vets and repairs.

And processing and packing and distributing and selling.

And then there’s all the preparing and cooking – and probably a lot more than we can think of.

So we give thanks for all that hard work.

 

But Jesus tells us not to work for food that spoils.

Or, rather, we might explain it: do not work only, or above all, for food that spoils.

 

All food spoils.

 

Bread quickly past its best, isn’t it?

Nothing quite like really fresh bread – maybe still warm from the oven.

But in a couple of days it’s best for toast and then it soon spoils.  

 

Stole from our bread bin a week ago last yesterday.

8 days plus how ever long it had already been there.

 

Protective clothing.

 

All food will spoil.

 

Tin it, freeze it, freeze dry it.

 

Jesus is not just talking about literal food.

 

Elsewhere he speaks of treasure:

Moth and rust destroy.

Thieves break in and steal.

 

There’s more to life, Jesus is saying, than a full belly.

More to life than stuff.

 

Jesus the Bread of Life.

Jesus is the one and only truly essential food – the one we really need.

(Not cake or jam sandwich but bread)

Jesus is not an optional extra or a nice to have but a must have:

Without Jesus, we will perish.

Jesus alone can give us the true eternal life which really matters.

 

And like the Manna God gave Israel in the wilderness, Jesus will get us to the promised land of heaven and the new creation.

It’s Jesus we really need.

Jesus is all we need.

Jesus can keep us going and take care of us.

Jesus will supply our ever need until this mortal life is done.   

 

Jesus is the bread of life – a full, abundant, overflowing life which means knowing God now and which goes on into eternity which will never perish, spoil or fade.

Jesus offers us today life which even the grave cannot destroy.

 

So Jesus is better than sliced bread.

Better than all the most delicious bread in the world.

Jesus gives us himself as the bread of life, as food which can never spoil.

We can never run out of Jesus!

He never goes past his best before date!

Jesus is never stale or boring.

 

And what’s more, Jesus tells us not only to seek this bread, but that he will give it to us.

Don’t work for bread that spoils but for the heavenly bread of life which Jesus – who is the bread of life – will give you.

Jesus will give us himself, freely as a gift.

We could never earn or deserve this bread of life, but Jesus generously and completely gives himself to us.

This really is a free meal!

 

There is nothing more important.

Nothing better.

 

We receive this living bread, Jesus says, simply by believing in him – by faith, by putting our trust in him.

We are hungry beggars, and Jesus in his kindness will feed us if we’ll only receive him.

If we stretch out our empty hands to Jesus, Jesus will give us himself.

 

And, Jesus says, if we believe in him, we will never hunger again.

Jesus is more than able to satisfy us for all eternity.

In Jesus, we are full, complete.

 

So come and feed freely on Jesus Christ by faith today!

 

Let me read again our text and then we’ll try to be quiet for a moment and think about it and I’ll lead us in a prayer:

Jesus said:

^“27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”

Reading The Torah (Genesis and Exodus) as Christian Scripture for the Church Today - Towards an approach

 Corrections? Additions?

Invitation, introduction and approach: as Christian Scripture for Today’s Church   

 

Close, careful reading with attention to the big picture and to today

 

As Christian Scripture

 

Grammatico-historical criticism – just like any other book?

 

The original intention of the human author for his readers but also God’s Word for us today (and for the church in all ages)

 

Prayerful!

 

The role of the Holy Spirit – inspiration, illumination

 

Canonical

 

Progressive revelation

 

Perhaps the human writers spoke better than they knew – a fuller sense? – The benefit of hindsight!

 

Focus on the final form of the text not hypothetical reconstructions of its origins

 

Theological – TIS – The Theological Interpretation of Scripture  

 

Christological

 

Prophetic

 

Openness to typology – i.e. patterns, pictures etc.

 

With the church (global, living and dead)

 

For the church (and obviously for the world!)

 

Practical, devotional – faith seeking understanding, and obedience

Reading The Torah / Genesis and Exodus Resources

 

Resources

 

These range from the basic and introductory to the academic.

 

Some of the following is relevant for any Bible reading, some is more particular to the Torah or Genesis & Exodus.

 

You may find some kind of study Bible helpful. The NIV Proclamation Bible gives a useful one sentence summary of each Bible book, some notes on introduction and structure etc. and some suggestions for further reading.

 

Best Commentaries - https://bestcommentaries.com/

 

A bible atlas and dictionary (again I use the ones published by IVP)

 

The Bible Project – videos on how to read the Bible, Genesis and Exodus and themes such as sacrifice - https://bibleproject.com/

 

Dr Alistair Roberts comments on lectionary passages for much of the Bible - https://audio.alastairadversaria.com/explore/

 

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (IVP)

 

Some kind of Bible Overview is probably very useful e.g. the work of G. Goldsworthy

 

Vaughan Roberts, God’s Big Picture (IVP)

 

Full of Promise (Good Book Company) – Old Testament Overview – interactive Bible Studies

 

http://rosclarke.co.uk/bible-overview/ - Part 1: Creation and Covenant (talk, handout, PowerPoint)

 

Resources on how to read the Bible and Bible Studies on Exodus - http://rosclarke.co.uk/bible-study-guides/

 

James M. Hamilton Jr., Typology: Understanding the Bible’s Promise-Shaped Patters – How Old Testament Expectations are Fulfilled in Christ

 

Vern S. Poythress, The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses (P&R)

 

Jean Danielou, From Shadow to Reality: Studies in the Biblical Typology of the Fathers (Ex Fontibus Company / Bloomsbury)

 

Christopher J. H. Wright, Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament (IVP)

 

‘The Bible as Holy Scripture’ Katherine Sonderegger Pro Ecclesia Volume 31 issue: 2, 127-141 (2022) This essay argues that the governing motif for a Doctrine of Scripture should be writing (a holy text) rather than speaking or disclosing, and Instruction rather than history or story. Paying close heed to Scripture's own self-identification as writing, as Book, brings the Five Books of Moses (the Pentateuch) to its proper place as head of the Scriptures, and places the New Testament as written text as proper complement to the Old. Torah is seen not mainly as narrative but testimony (a direct pointer to divine being and presence). Not all is prophetic / Christological / Messianic. We must not allow even the saving acts of God to eclipse God himself.  

 

The Torah has a temple-like status. It is where God is found. The Lord dwells here for his people.

 

The Law first and principally.

 

We should not read the bible above all Christo-centrically or sotereologically but theologically and for encounter with God.

 

The Bible is a holy, redeemed, elevated social creature of human-making.  

 

Prayerful spiritual metaphysical reading of these deep and unsearchably rich words.

“I advocate for Israel’s Scriptures as Magistra for Christian doctrine. Israel’s Scriptures, under several descriptions, are the great Teacher of Christian dogma, and the long history of the Trinitarian and Christological debates are unthinkable without them. Unlike the narrative or Messianic notion of Scripture, however, I want to underscore here that the Five Books of Moses, the Torah, is the proper and original, the lasting Teacher of Christian doctrine, and I urge its return to prominence in Christian conceptions of Holy Scripture, and as guiding force in doctrine. The original ordering of the elements of Israel’s Scriptures, I say—the Law, first and principally, followed by the Prophets, and the Writings—will invigorate Christian teaching by grafting it more firmly to its Root, the Life-blood of Israel and of its Cultus.” (135)

 

* * *  

 

Churchpodmatics https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/church-podmatics/id1626400036  A really interesting discussion of Katherine Sonderegger’s writing as somewhat flowery, homiletical, even mystical and worth taking time over. There is an argument but its affective as well as analytical.

 

* * *

 

The Task of Dogmatics: Explorations in Theological Method Los Angeles Theology Conference Series ed. Oliver Crisp and Fred Sanders (Harper Collins, 2017)– ‘Holy Scripture as Sacred Ground’ pp131-143 – The Bible as the Burning Bush, God speaking, and we take our shoes off at this Holy Fire, meeting God there, the divine presence is here to be encountered

 

* * *

 

 

Some of my own stuff can be found here - https://marc-lloyd.uk/home/my-stuff/ - I’ve got some material on Leading Better Bible Studies that I hope to get round to adding soon