tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87974814675262026452023-11-15T10:49:28.231-08:00Will Lyon Tupman's BlogWill Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-50187341990823647792020-01-20T04:23:00.001-08:002020-01-20T04:23:24.168-08:00Call and Response: Being Led by God <br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Call
and Response: Being Led by God </b></u></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sermon
for Choral Evensong at Girton College Chapel, Cambridge – Sunday
19</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></span></span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
January, 2020. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Today's
Bible readings:</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
1 Samuel 3:1-21; John 2:1-12. </span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Speak,
Lord, for your servant is listening. May the words of my mouth, and
the meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O
Lord our strength and redeemer. Amen. Please be seated. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Good
evening, everyone. It is a real privilege and a pleasure to be here
today, opening this series of sermons preached by Alumni of Girton
College Cambridge - in this, the College's 150th anniversary year. It
is wonderful to be with you celebrating our heritage, our
anniversary, and our future together today. I'm especially grateful
to my former Chaplain, the Reverend Malcolm Guite, for so generously
inviting me to preach today. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Girton
College is a place - indeed, a home - where, at first, I'd never have
thought I'd be able to come. As some of you may know, my Father died
in 1999, and my Mother died in 2008. Being orphaned by the age of
thirteen, I'd also not been to school until that time. Less than ten
years later, I graduated from Girton College with a 2:i in Theology;
all set for my Master's at King's College London, my year of parish
work in Croydon, my ordination training now at Westcott House here in
Cambridge, and all with many, many friends. Girton - thank you. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
love my friends. I'm incredibly lucky and grateful to have so many
wonderful friends in my life. Friends here; friends who are not.
Friends from all around the country; around the rest of Europe; and,
indeed, across the whole world. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm
very interested in keeping up with what my friends are doing in life.
I always like to keep in touch with them, and to meet up with them
too for, say, a run; a walk; a meal out; a drink (or two); of just to
enjoy some time in fellowship being busy doing nothing (because
that's okay too). To take an example, I'm very grateful for all of my
friends in Girton Choir - although when I was in Choir here I hope
they enjoyed my company a little more than my puns! </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
my free time, I have a packed social life. One of my friends from
King's College London remarked at "what a wild social life"
I lead! I also love parties; these are just as great an opportunity
to meet new friends as they are to see friends I've known for longer.
I often think of others not as "friends and strangers," but
"friends who I have met and friends who I haven't yet met." </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now,
there was one evening recently when I found myself very kindly
invited to two different parties - in different parts of London -
and, planning my evening to the minute, I found a way of attending
both of them! At the second of these two parties, one of my friends
from Cambridge described me as a bit of a party animal - and that I
should write my ordination dissertation on "The theology of the
sesh"! I'm actually doing my dissertation on something else, but
I guess some of the content of my sermon today might act as a form of
that dissertation. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jesus
loves His friends - and, as we can see from today's Gospel reading,
He also liked His parties. Calling people we'd expect to be His
friends - and calling those we might not so soon expect. Yes, Jesus
calls - and leads – and loves – all of us. Going so far as to
serve the best wine last, when everyone at the party was already
drunk - when most people would serve a less refined wine last, when
the guests might not be able to appreciate its taste to the full. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But
Jesus goes even further than that. He - the Son of God - gives us His
very self, on the Cross at Calvary - His very own Body and Blood,
which we may receive any time we attend the Mass - and, all-lovingly,
offers the gift of eternal life to all people, having been raised
from the dead. Whether you are happy, sad, well, unwell, certain or
uncertain about things, and regardless of any aspect of your
identity. God's love knows no limits. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What
did you do when you last met up with friends? Perhaps you were
studying together, sharing a meal, going to a society, party or other
social occasion, or here singing in Choir in the Chapel. Our time
with others is valuable, and God teaches us to love one another as
well as loving Him – in times of joy, sorrow, thanksgiving, grief,
celebration, and more. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Are
you okay? You are; good, that's great. Usually I am too. But are you
really sure you're okay? Or are you putting on your best face, or
playing "#InstaFine", as another friend of mine once said?
Because that's okay too - and, I think, quite common. What even is
being "okay," or - perhaps better put - being "normal?"
There's no such definitive thing, I don't think – it is all
relative. I'll be honest, my relationship with my mental health has
been quite changeable at times. Maybe you might feel your own mental
health has, too – and that's okay. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Take
a break. It is okay to look after your mental health and wellbeing –
for by looking after ourselves, we are more able to look after
others. Here are just some ideas you might like if this rings true
for you (and even if it doesn't). Read a book. Eat that treat – but
also eat and drink healthily. Practise yoga. Go for a walk. Go for a
run (it is relaxing, honestly!). Phone a friend or a family member.
Go to Chapel or Church more often. Paint a picture. Take a picture.
Sing or play music. Enjoy music. Enjoy life. And it's okay to let
others help you in your wellbeing, too. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's
okay to not be okay. And it's okay to be okay. Because we are all
working towards our own definitions and destinies of being okay.
Being called and being led by God, whether we consciously know it or
not, to be the people - His children, who He so dearly loves - He
wants us to be. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">God
calls us all. How might we best respond? Let Him lead us. Be open to
the Holy Spirit. God works in mysterious - and wonderful – ways. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And
I for one am incredibly lucky and grateful that God continually calls
and leads me throughout my whole life, in good and in difficult
times, and today as I journey towards the Anglican priesthood. This
is such a remarkable journey, and I could not do this without the
help of God, my friends, and my family. God works and leads us
Himself - and through others. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
think this can be said for many of us. Samuel is led by Eli, in our
first reading; and Jesus is led by His Mother, the Blessed Virgin
Mary, in our second reading. Before I recognised my calling to
ordination, God led me in the encouragement of the late Fr Francis
Dobson OSB at Ampleforth, who with the assistance of God spotted my
vocation a whole five years before I did. God made my life possible
at a time it really didn't feel all that possible at times - by
giving me the family, friends and support at and from a time of
desperation in my life. And a few years on, God led me through
Malcolm Guite the day he gave me this very magazine, the very same
day back in December 2015 I first articulated my sense of being
called to the priesthood to someone - to Malcolm, here present. And
God leads me in my heart. God leads us all in our hearts. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">God
leads me. God leads us. Sometimes I can really feel where and how God
leads me - yet, at other times it is harder to discern. But God knows
when we find it easy - and also, thankfully, when we do not. God
calls us all, and God calls me - a work in progress, who tries his
very best - and I pray that I may always respond by continuing in His
ways as best as I can. I also greatly appreciate your prayers too. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">God
has brought me here; to this place, to this point in my life, and
will bring me to my destiny as He sees and knows it. My journey with
God is so, so exciting. What is your journey with God like? Is it
exciting? Peaceful? Pained? Joyful? Curious? A rollercoaster?
Several, none, or all of these things? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What
is your journey with God like? Sometimes we may know; and sometimes
we may not. But He always knows; He always loves us, and - if we let
Him - He leads us. He has led all of us here; where is He leading us
next? He calls us all, in all kinds of ways to all kinds of
vocations, careers and journeys; let us therefore always respond by
doing our best to love Him and our neighbours, and to let us be led
by Him to our destinies, fulfilling our God-given vocations and
callings with fitting responses. In the name of God, who is Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. </span></span></span>
</div>
<br />Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-11803689315103481222019-12-23T07:13:00.000-08:002019-12-23T07:13:03.726-08:00Living in love, peace and harmony – led by our Incarnate Lord Jesus Christ <br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u><b>Living
in love, peace and harmony – led by our Incarnate Lord Jesus Christ </b></u></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sermon
the 2</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
Sunday of Advent, 8</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
December 2019, preached at St. John's Hills Road, Cambridge. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Today's
Bible readings:</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>
Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12. </i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">C.f.
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>Matthew
11; John 1. </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">May
the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all our hearts, be
acceptable in your sight, O Lord our strength and redeemer. Amen.
Please be seated. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">I
am an animal lover. My family in Oxfordshire has the most adorable
little cat, called Nelson. (Actually, he's not so little really). I
always love to see him (and my family) when I go on my travels in the
vacation, and when I'm with Nelson I often get sidetracked from
whatever I'm doing – by feeding him when he pretends not to have
been fed, cuddling him, being followed around by him, supervising him
when he decides to take a walk across my computer keyboard with the
Word Processor open, or taking photos of him. He's doing rather well
for a cat who's in his late teens – and he's certainly well loved
by us all. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Putting
Nelson within the context of the zoo seen in today's first reading
therefore might seem like a somewhat horrific idea, which neither
myself nor my family would entertain at face value. I couldn't
possibly imagine putting him with a wolf, a leopard, a lion or even a
cow. But, of course, that's not what the reading is getting at;
Nelson is quite safe. Rather, it is a vision of peace, harmony and
unity within diversity – and diversity in unity – that this
reading points us towards. It might seem at best idealistic, and
almost utopian; but this is something we ought to pray for and help
foster, as we seek to bring about the Kingdom of God here on Earth as
it is in Heaven. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Advent
presents us with a perfect opportunity to think about these things.
It is a time of repentance and expectation, as we prepare to greet
Jesus Christ at His birth. Throughout the season of Advent, we
remember those who prophesied and prepared the way for our Lord; on
Advent Sunday, we remembered the Patriarchs, and over the next two
weeks we will remember John the Baptist and the Blessed Virgin Mary,
and their roles in preparing the way for the Messiah. On this, the
Second Sunday of Advent, we particularly remember the Prophets. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Advent
also marks the start of the Church's new liturgical year. In this
year's Lectionary, in our cycle of readings we will hear much from
St. Matthew's Gospel throughout the year. St. Matthew was a Jewish
Christian, who was particularly familiar with the teachings and
prophecies of Judaism; one of his crucial aims was to remind the
readers of his Gospel that Jesus is indeed the fulfilment of all of
these prophecies. In our Gospel reading today, we meet John the
Baptist and hear some of his testimony. Can we think of him as a
Prophet? He actually denies being a Prophet in St. John's Gospel; but
in Matthew, Jesus affirms John the Baptist as a Prophet. And
functionally yes, he is indeed a Prophet; he was the immediate
forerunner to Jesus, and points us directly towards Him. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">John
the Baptist comes preaching a message of repentance; a call to
repentance, in preparation for the coming of Christ. For many, Advent
presents us with an opportunity for self-examination and fasting –
in a similar way to Lent. Are we doing our best to love God? Are we
doing our best to love our neighbours as ourselves, to help those
less fortunate than ourselves, even when it might not be all that
easy? And are we loving ourselves, as dearly beloved children of God? </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Sometimes,
we are very successful in some or even all of these areas; other
times, maybe less so. And it may come more naturally at some times
than at others. But we are still called to - and God is infinitely
understanding and patient with us, even if our understanding and
patience is limited. For it is God who loved us first, and is the
source of all love so that we might love ourselves and others, as
well as loving God. How well do we welcome our neighbours? How might
we do better? Wherever we may be in this, Christ Himself is before
all things, and all things hold together in Him. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">We
are of course not perfect; for only God is perfect. Yet, we are
called to try as best we can. The Holy Spirit, which has resided
within each and every one of us since our Baptism, leads and guides
us; we just have to remain open to the grace and inspiration of the
Holy Spirit. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">We
are called to live in peace, and to celebrate our diversity in unity
- and our unity in diversity. John the Baptist's call is that of
Jesus Christ, who universally calls all people to Himself – for all
people are created in the image of God, and through Christ. It is a
call of repentance, and a call to love. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Let
us again consider that seemingly unlikely zoo from our reading from
the Prophet Isaiah. We are called to proclaim, practise and enact
equality – one of our country's greatest values – and standing up
for the weak and defenceless. We have much more in common than not;
and how powerful we can be when we all come together, work together,
flourish together, and live together as best we can. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">But
I also recognise that – whatever our political beliefs are – it
can sometimes seem almost impossible to imagine exactly what this
utopian scene of peace, unity and universal celebration of diversity
looks like. Many things are possible for us; yet, some things still
prove impossible, even when we try our hardest. But who is it who
leads all the animals in the Isaiaic zoo? And who is it who leads all
of us today? </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">It's
the little child. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">It
is this very little child who becomes Incarnate by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, who comes into our world and leads us, who
holds our unique, diverse, divided, united, pained, delighted
communities together. Jesus, who is fully divine, now becomes fully
human; and even when we cannot find a way to bring about this perfect
peace and unity that we ought to strive for, we can rejoice in how
nothing is impossible for God. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Let
us rejoice. Let us prepare to greet Him at His Nativity, and here
today when we behold the very Lamb of God, as we meet with Him in the
Eucharist. In the name of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen. </span></span></span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-12991575254922623732019-12-10T10:45:00.000-08:002019-12-10T10:45:00.868-08:00Strong Foundations for Successful Performance <br />
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</div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Strong
Foundations for Successful Performance </b></u></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bible
readings:</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
1 Corinthians 12; Matthew 7:24-27; Luke 6:46-49. </span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #14171a;"><span style="font-family: system-ui, apple-system;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Also
consider: </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #14171a;"><span style="font-family: system-ui, apple-system;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Brighton
& Hove Albion Football Club's recent progress. </span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: system-ui, apple-system; font-size: small;">A
dream house's inner, invisible foundations are just as important as
its outward, visible appearance; you cannot realistically have the
latter without the former.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: system-ui, apple-system; font-size: small;">These
words might well describe the recent successes of my football club,
Brighton and Hove Albion, and their current level of performance in
the Premier League. Brighton, a club founded in 1901, were only
narrowly saved from complete bankruptcy in 1997, and were promoted to
the Premier League for the first time at the conclusion of the
2016-2017 season. Today, the Club enjoys great success, having
recently beaten Everton and Tottenham Hotspur (apologies to any
supporters of those clubs reading this!).</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: system-ui, apple-system; font-size: small;">Financial
stability; financial instability. All kinds of team members – some
staying for a short time, others for longer – and all working in
their own fields. Different styles of leadership. All these variables
have changed over the years with the Club, and for the greater good
of the club; for example, the Club are now performing much better
under our recently appointed Manager, Graham Potter – and yet his
successes with the Club would not have been possible without his
predecessor, Chris Hughton, who laid the foundations.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: system-ui, apple-system; font-size: small;">I
think this model is often seen in many other scenarios, such as in
the Church – whether in our own communities or across the wider
Church as a whole. As St. Paul suggests in his First Letter to the
Corinthians, we all bring our own gifts to the Church – many
different and sometimes unique gifts, but under the inspiration of
the same Holy Spirit, and all for the same common goal.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #14171a; font-family: system-ui, apple-system;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">And
whether we are considering our personal formation or the start of a
new mission or project in our communities, we must take one step at a
time – ensuring that, in order to achieve our goals that our
foundations are not built on sand, but on rock.</span></span> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-85238861504755641042019-12-10T00:36:00.000-08:002019-12-10T00:36:44.492-08:00Care, Cambridge, the Church and I<br />
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
</div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Care,
Cambridge, the Church and I </b></u></span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">By
Will Lyon Tupman (Girton 2014; Westcott 2019).</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span></sup></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At
thirteen years old, I was orphaned and had not been to school. It was
almost impossible at that time to even imagine that, eleven years
later, I would be a Cambridge graduate embarking on my journey
towards ordination in the Church of England. How did this happen, and
how crucial is Cambridge in my story? </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Almost
my whole life changed after the death of my parents; I started school
and moved into foster care, where I lived for six years as my life
gradually stabilised again. While I had initially thought even
considering applying to Cambridge to be completely unrealistic, my
foster carers encouraged me and sent me on an open day organised for
people in foster care by the Cambridge Admissions Office. The team
there frequently kept in touch with me throughout the application
process, supporting and advising me along the way, while my school
and foster carers helped to prepare me for my interviews and my
exams. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
amazed myself, and made my offer to Cambridge to study the Theology
and Religious Studies Tripos. I specialised mainly in Biblical
papers, but I also studied numerous other papers including Christian
doctrine, philosophy, ethics, and even New Testament Greek! In the
spirit of St. Anselm's </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">“faith
seeking understanding,” </span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">this
aided my understanding of the Christian faith – and my faith was
also an aid to my studies. Having a greater understanding of my
faith, through academic study, is helpful both for me and others
around me, as I use my understanding and theology to help guide
others in their Christian journey. </span></span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
loved my three years at Girton College; through Girton, and the wider
University, I have made a great network of friends. College life
suited me perfectly – and I especially enjoyed the countless
Formals I attended! I was also very generously supported financially
by my College and its Benefactors, by means of awarding me a bursary
each year – boosted further for me, as I had been in foster care. I
am very grateful for this, and for how Cambridge is continually
working to ensure that the University is open and affordable to all. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">With
over seven hundred societies and clubs at Cambridge, it was easy to
get involved with the extra-curricular life of Cambridge – both in
College and the wider University. Photography and writing are two of
my favourite hobbies, so I spent two years as a photojournalist for
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Cambridge Student. </span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
addition to attending a number of Churches and working with the
Christian Union, I was a Chapel Warden and Choral Scholar at Girton.
During my time in Choir we had three fantastic tours – to Portugal,
Toronto, and Hong Kong and Macau; I feel especially lucky to have had
these experiences. Evenings with Girton's poetry society were a real
highlight – even if I was probably better at enjoying the poetry of
others than writing my own! I am also a keen runner, and enjoyed
representing both my College and the University competitively
(especially at Varsity!), and in my third year I co-captained
Girton's team to win the College League in both men's and women's
categories – the first time Girton has won both competitions in the
same year. I also helped to run the very same open days I had once
attended during my time at Girton, as a former Care Leaver. </span></span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After
three fantastic years at Girton, I graduated with my BA and then
spent two very exciting years in London. My time at Cambridge had
perfectly prepared me to study my Master's in Biblical Studies at
King's College London, a year which I also thoroughly enjoyed. After
completing my Master's, I spent a year working as a Pastoral
Assistant at St. Michael's Church in Croydon, a placement which has
given me many invaluable experiences – both in the Church, and in
the wider community. I have worked as a hospital chaplain, a refugee
volunteer, and a College Chaplain at Croydon College – a diverse
school, where I have also founded a Chess Club. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What
does the future hold for me? It was during my time at Cambridge that
I began discerning with the Church of England to see whether I have a
vocation to ordained ministry. This initially began with a
conversation with my College Chaplain, the Rev'd Dr Malcolm Guite; he
was not at all surprised that I was feeling called by God in this
way, and he encouraged me to pursue this further. I have continued
this journey of exploration since then. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Following
the Bishop's formal recommendation for me to train for ordination, I
will be returning to Cambridge to spend two years of study, training,
formation and placements at Westcott House, an Anglican theological
college and a member of the Cambridge Theological Federation. Words
can hardly describe how excited I am about this, and my whole future
– something which Cambridge has been instrumental in helping to
guarantee. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nothing
is impossible; everything is possible. Realise your potential;
achieve your goals. </span></span></span>
</div>
<br /><br />
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-1211527458365152402019-12-09T11:39:00.002-08:002019-12-09T11:39:17.811-08:00Poem: London, Lindisfarne, Learning, Living & Loving<br />
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Poem:
London, Lindisfarne, Learning, Living & Loving </b></u></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">By
Will Lyon Tupman. Written during a retreat at Lindisfarne with King's
Chaplaincy, summer 2019. </span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></span></sup></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>A
poem reflecting on my time at King's, my studies, my retreat, what I
love about London, & my hopes & dreams for the future. </i></span></span></sup></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Composed
by writing a set of one-line reflective sentences, before rearranging
them into a new order. </i></span></span></sup></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've
loved studying Theology at King's and Girton. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And
photographing a place as beautiful as Lindisfarne has been thrilling; </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
love to run in lots of London Parks – Richmond, Wimbledon, Ally
Pally. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Go
to the Ice Bar in Mayfair; it's very cool! </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<br /><br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Eating
with one another has been wonderful. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">An
afternoon tea with cake at Paul, please. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Have
a G&T at The Duck with Aleksandra and Sophia; </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And
I've lost count of the different types of Mead I've tasted! </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<br /><br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Come
to Evensong and Eucharist at King's Chapel! </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
heartbeat of Mass, Morning & Evening Prayer. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Praying
for peace around the world – just like at Lindisfarne. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<br /><br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Writing
sermons with the aid of Theology is always fun! </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Theology
aids my faith; faith aids my theology. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
love using my theology to help others explore faith. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
wonder what I'll study next, at Westcott House! </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<br /><br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
hope to meet lots of new people in my ministry. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
hope to minister God's Grace in many different places. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
hope to be there for those in need – especially if others aren't. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<br /><br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
hope to always keep learning; discerning; being formed. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
hope to be exactly the Priest God is calling me to be. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I
hope to always be a good Christian, friend, family member; me.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-26688020098281764082019-07-17T10:54:00.000-07:002019-07-17T10:54:43.576-07:00Loving God, loving our neighbours, and God's love for us all<br />
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u><b>Loving
God, loving our neighbours, and God's love for us all </b></u></span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sermon
for the 15</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></span></span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Sunday of Ordinary Time, 14</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></span></span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
July 2019 – preached at St. Michael's Croydon. </span></span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bible
readings:</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Deuteronomy 30:10-14; Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 10:25-37, </span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">C.f.
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Genesis
1, Deuteronomy 30:19; 1 Corinthians 12; Galatians 3:28; </span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Kierkegaard,</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
King & Peasant Girl. </span></i></span></span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">May
the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all our hearts, be
acceptable in your sight, O Lord our strength and redeemer. Amen.
Please be seated. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Imagine
that you're a member of the Royal Family. You're studying at
university, or college. It's been the end of a busy day of lectures,
and you're off to the pub with some friends to relax. You also happen
to be single, and – completely by surprise – that special someone
captures your heart. You're Royalty; surely if they're single too,
you could easily make them fall in love with you! But you don't want
to risk it being a forced, one-way relationship. You want the other
person to genuinely, freely express their love for you too, just as
you express it to them. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
is a modernised version of the</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
analogy of the King and the Peasant Girl, by the 19</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></span></span></span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. His analogy might help
us in understanding how God asks us to respond to His love for us; He
wants us to freely choose to genuinely love Him and our neighbours,
rather than to force us. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
our readings today, we are reminded of the importance of loving God
and our neighbours. These are two of the greatest commandments God
gives to us, and we are commissioned to always carry this mission out
as best as we can. But let's briefly consider just why we are asked
to do this? God is omnipotent – that is, He is all-powerful, and
could therefore easily force us to – and He would probably do a
better job of it than we sometimes do. Yet, God gives us many gifts –
including those of free will, reason and conscience. These are some
of the properties which define us as human beings, who are all
created in God's own image – and it is by these gifts that God
wants us to choose to genuinely love Him and our neighbours. God's
infinite love for us comes from Him – our love for God and our
neighbours must come from us. So, how might we do this most
effectively? </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
our first reading today, we are reminded of the importance of obeying
God and His commandments. Elsewhere in Deuteronomy, we read that it
is our calling to “choose life;” it really is in our hands, to
respond to God's love for us by expressing love ourselves. It is our
duty – our joy – our responsibility – to use our free will as
best as we can. Thinking back to the Book of Exodus, remember the Ten
Commandments – these collectively instruct us to love God and our
neighbours. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jesus
very helpfully affirms these in today's Gospel reading, when the
instruction to love God and our neighbours is recalled by the lawyer
with whom our Lord is speaking. This a well-known and well-loved
parable of Jesus; even before studying Theology at university, this
has always been one of Jesus's parables that has particularly struck
me. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Who
is the neighbour? Well, it seems obvious from today's Gospel passage,
and it's not the person we would have expected. Samaritans and Jews
did not normally speak to each other, and yet it is the Samaritan who
comes to the fallen man's help. Note how those we might expect to
help just pass by. Was this because of embarrassment? Or not knowing
what to do? Perhaps being set in their ways, they just would not
associate with someone they assumed had been stricken down because of
his sin, or maybe they were just too preoccupied with what they were
on their way to do. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">St.
Luke himself, as far as we know, was not himself Jewish. He was a
Gentile Christian; a Christian who was not of Jewish heritage, rather
than someone like St. Matthew who, having originally being Jewish,
converted to Christianity. And this parable of Jesus, as recorded by
Luke, breaks down the barriers between peoples of different religions
and nations. Let us consider the words of St. Paul in his letter to
the Galatians – that “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is
no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all
of you are one in Christ Jesus.” </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">St.
Paul in our second reading today reminds all of us that we are all
God's children. Christ is the first and the last; He is the Alpha and
the Omega. He is supreme to all – for He is fully divine as well as
fully human. And yet, as we read in the creation accounts of the Book
of Genesis with today's Epistle, all people are created in the image
of God and through Christ. All people – you, me, those who come to
our Church regularly, those who do not, and indeed all adults,
children, babies both born and unborn – all people. Life itself,
together with what is in it, is a gift from God to us; this is the
sanctity of all human life, and – seeing God in all people – it
is so important to always serve those around us, just as it is to
serve God. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What
a huge task, you might be thinking – but you're probably already
doing it, on an everyday basis – even when you're not conscious of
it! In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul describes how
the one and same Holy Spirit dwells within us, and moves us in a
whole variety of different ways. We are all gifted in different ways,
and are called to serve God and His people in all kinds of different
ways. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
nurse. A doctor. A teacher. A priest. A chaplain. A farmer. A
professional driver. A politician. A foster carer. An adoptive
parent. A gardener. A musician. You. These are just some of the many
ways in which God calls us to serve Him and His people; we all have
our distinctive God-given vocations and callings in life. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">How
good are we at this? Sometimes we're very successful in loving God
and our neighbours; and sometimes maybe less so. Sometimes, it may
come naturally; other times less so. But we are still called to. And
God is infinitely understanding and patient with us – even if our
understanding and patience is limited. It is God who loved us first,
and is the source of all love so that we might love others, as well
as loving God. How well do we welcome our neighbours? How might we do
better? Wherever we may be in this, Christ Himself is before all
things, and in Him all things hold together. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've
certainly felt very welcome here at St. Michael's, and at our
chaplaincies at Croydon College, Croydon University Hospital and at
the refugee centre, where I have ministered once a week alongside
being here over the past academic year. I have felt welcomed,
encouraged, and fully supported throughout, and I feel both ready and
excited to be embarking on the next steps in my journey towards
fulfilling my calling to ordination, as I prepare to start at
theological College from this September for the next two years. So
thank you all, and I will of course be back to visit! </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">God
the Word Himself, is very near to us – and is here with us – in
our mouths and in our hearts. And through His great love for us, He
invites us all to share in glory with Him – both in the future, and
also here and now as we prepare to meet Christ in the Eucharist. Let
us always respond to this great love He has for us, by loving Him and
our neighbours as best we can. And we are not alone in this; God is
always here with us. Let us give thanks for His presence with us now,
and in all our lives. In the name of God, who is Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit. Amen.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-71487036012110260772019-06-19T10:10:00.000-07:002019-06-19T10:10:37.781-07:00Equality and unity in diversity: Refugees are welcome here<br />
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Equality
and unity in diversity: Refugees are welcome here </b></u></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">For
the Refugee Week Celebration Event, Croydon College. </span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bible
passages:</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Matthew 2; John 13</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">. </span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></i></span></span></sup></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
is Refugee Week, a time when we celebrate the great contribution
refugees make to our society, as members of our society - here in our
College, in Croydon and Coulsdon, in the rest of London, and in many
other places. Refugees give so much to us all – for instance,
socially, culturally, and by means of the many skills they bring. We
should - and must - always welcome them. To any refugees reading
this: thank you. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Refugees
have often had some of the roughest journeys in their lives
imaginable. Actually, sometimes we cannot imagine what they have
experienced in their journeys, and the choices they have had to make
- or the choices they have not had. Do you risk your life by
travelling hundreds or even thousands of miles to a new place? Or do
you risk your life by staying in your original country, where it is
not safe, stable or secure? </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Refugees
not only often find themselves in a new culture and place, and often
having to learn a largely new language - but often they have to
recover from loss in some of the most extreme ways. This might be a
loss of possessions; a loss of homes; the loss of loved ones; and
more. It is our duty to be here for them, to welcome and to help them
as best we can; whether practically, pastorally, or otherwise, as
they find and rebuild their lives here with us. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm
not a refugee, but I can certainly identify with one or two examples
of loss which many refugees have experienced. My parents had both
died by the time I was thirteen, and I then left my old home and
moved into foster care for a few years. A new place; a new home. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">During much of this time, my life took the journey of an emotional
rollercoaster, before it's stabilization - and I'm certainly very
grateful to all those who have helped me along the way. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
a similar way, we ought to help those less fortunate than ourselves -
especially refugees. We have a duty to raise awareness of the needs
of refugees to others; especially in this day and age, when refugees
are often given a bad press. The current rise of hard-right politics
amongst some in this country can pose potential danger to some of our
refugees, and certainly to one of our country's very greatest values,
which we cherish – equality. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">'We
are far more united and have far more in common than that which
divides us.' These were the words of the late Jo Cox MP, which she
spoke in her maiden speech in the House of Commons following her
election as Labour's MP for Batley and Spen, West Yorkshire. Her time
was tragically and brutally cut short just over three years ago, by
someone who violently objected to her vision of equality. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Following
this, each year the Jo Cox Foundation hosts the Great Get Together
weekend - a get together, a lunch, a tea party, a street parade, a
sports day - where we all, as a community, are invited to meet
together. Here in London, there are many such events this-coming
weekend where we will remember Jo Cox, and come together with one
another - meeting in her spirit and example of fellowship and love of
one another. How can you as individuals welcome your neighbours? How
can we all collectively welcome our neighbours? There are many, many
ways that we can help others to flourish with us. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At
these events and in Refugee Week, we celebrate our diversity in unity
- and our unity in diversity. Let us proclaim, practise and enact
equality. We have much more in common than not; and how powerful we
can be when we all come together, work together, flourish together,
and live together as best we can. To any refugees reading this now -
and to everyone else too - you are so welcome. Thank you. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I'm
one of the College Chaplains here at Croydon College - known by some
as the Chess Chaplain, as I've been running the College's Chess Club
this year! I've really enjoyed spending this year with you - thank
you all. After the summer holidays, I'll begin my training for
ordination to the priesthood in the Church of Eng</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">land,
at Westcott House, Cambridge. All of us on the Chaplaincy team here
at Croy</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">don
College are very happy to talk with students and staff - from all
faiths and none - and you can usually find us here in the Common Room
on most lunchtimes. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
Matthew 2, we read of how Jesus and His family were once themselves
refugees; let us love one another, following the example of God's
love for us.</span> </span></span></span></span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-52699209743832092692019-06-07T10:21:00.001-07:002019-06-07T10:21:28.464-07:00Reflections on my placement at St. Michael's Croydon <br />
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Reflections
on my placement at St. Michael's Croydon </b></u></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
can almost hardly believe I'm already approaching the end of my
placement as a Pastoral Assistant at St. Michael's Croydon. How time
flies when you're having fun! I have had a truly wonderful placement
here, which has been instrumental in my pastoral, sacramental and
academic formation – both in the Church and in the wider community. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
sacramental life at St. Michael's is firmly rooted in the Catholic
tradition of the Church of England, characterised by our daily
routine of Morning Prayer, Mass and Evening Prayer. I am involved in
all of these services – often either as a reader, server, or
leader, as well as helping to keep the Church open for our many
guests who visit us throughout the day between services. I have found
our prayer and worship very helpful; perhaps collectively the
heartbeat of the Church's sacramental life, this has provided me with
a spiritual anchor and consistency, which I practise both at work and
on holiday. I feel this perfectly compliments all the various other
activities I am involved in throughout my week. Moreover, we have
also made two visits to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (on the
National and Adoremus Pilgrimages); these have both helped to further
foster my spirituality and devotion, and I have particularly enjoyed
meeting more people from the wider Catholic tradition from across the
country. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Croydon
is one of the most diverse regions in the country; it is home to
people from many different countries and cultures. However, it is
also one of the most deprived regions – and, as visibly committed
Christians in the community, at St. Michael's we believe a vital
aspect of our ministry is in accompanying and aiding others in
relieving their poverty as best as we can. As part of my placement, I
have volunteered at a winter night shelter for those who are
homeless, and I also volunteer every week at Croydon's Refugee Day
Centre, meeting and helping refugees from all over the world.
Furthermore, I work as a Chaplain at Croydon College, a diverse
school of several thousand students where I have established a chess
club for people of all levels of experience at the game. Many of our
students are also refugees; and my chess club, as well as providing a
fun and educational activity for those who attend, also helps to give
a much-needed confidence boost to those who are not yet as proficient
in English as some of their friends. Moreover, I am a Chaplain at
Croydon University Hospital, visiting both patients and staff around
the Hospital. I have felt this to be a crucial aspect of my
placement; many of the people I meet on a regular basis have
experienced all kinds of loss; and yet, they often still display an
inspirational degree of hope. To be able to do my part in playing a
role in their journeys helps me just as much as it helps them. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Alongside
these pastoral and sacramental aspects, there has been a distinctly
academic character to my placement. St. Michael's has been one of the
most academically-focused Churches I have served in to date; this has
particularly appealed to me, having studied theology at university.
Our studies have been largely focused on various elements central to
the Christian faith; the Incarnation, the Paschal Mystery, and the
Saints and Sacraments. Engaging with a variety of ancient and modern
texts (from St. Athanasius and Melito of Sardis, to the former
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Pope Emeritus Benedict
XVI) has provided me with a great sense of the consistency in the
development of the Church's understanding of doctrine. I have
particularly valued the variety in ways and mediums we have explored
these Christian texts and doctrines; be it by seminars with the
priests at St. Michael's and the Archdeacon of Hastings, or viewing
and examining beautiful Christian artworks and artefacts at the
National Gallery in London each term with one of the Curators there.
I have both furthered and expanded my theological repertoire during
my time at St. Michael's, in the spirit of St. Anselm's motto of
“</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">faith
seeking understanding.</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">”
As well as for myself, I relish any opportunity to apply my
theological learning and understanding to help other Christians on
their journeys – and offering presentations to parishioners in
study groups (such as our weekly </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Catechesis
</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">series
in Church, which are open to all) gives us the perfect chance to help
others around us to explore more about our faith. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">My
placement at St. Michael's Croydon has been absolutely invaluable to
me. I feel incredibly lucky to enjoy the experiences I have gained,
and to have journeyed with the priests, my fellow Pastoral Assistant,
and everyone else here. The placement has been vital for my
vocational discernment, and particularly for the successful result I
attained from my Bishops' Advisory Panel when I was formally
recommended to train for ordained ministry. My year at St. Michael's
has equipped me brilliantly, as I continue my journey towards further
training and formation for ordination. I am immensely grateful to
everyone who has helped make this placement possible for me – to
those who pray for me, to those who mentor me, and to those who have
funded the placement to make it financially possible.</span> </span></span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-89800246927326414482019-05-31T07:16:00.002-07:002019-05-31T07:16:39.178-07:00Saints in St. Michael's Croydon <br />
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Saints
in St. Michael's Croydon </b></u></span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">For
a Catechesis class on the Saints at St. Michael's Croydon, 30</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></i></span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
May 2019.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Saints
play a crucial role in the life of the Church. They are people who
are recognised for their exceptional devotion to God, and for their
service to other people. Saints are remembered and commemorated for
their great Christian witness in life – either in recognition for
the holiness they lived their lives by, or often for a particular
thing they did – and their lives, words and deeds can inspire us
today. Some saints are also martyrs – people who freely gave up
their lives on earth because of the love they had for Christ and for
others. St. Stephen, who was stoned to death soon after the
resurrection of Christ in Acts 7 for refusing to renounce his belief
in Christ, is the first martyr of Christianity. An example of a
modern-day martyr is St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Roman Catholic priest
who took the place of a stranger who had been condemned to death at
Auschwitz; the stranger and his family lived to see the saint's
canonization. Some saints are recognised as Doctors of the Church –
people whose work is recognised theologically as being of particular
authority in Christian doctrine, especially when orthodoxy is
reiterated over heresy. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">St.
Michael's Croydon is a very beautiful Church building. Designed by
John Loughborough Pearson and built in about 1880, it has a Gothic
Revival architecture. This lends itself perfectly to the
Anglo-Catholic tradition practised here, and it also provides a
fitting home for the many statues, shrines and other visual
representations of some very important saints. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Blessed Virgin Mary is well-known here at St. Michael's; but perhaps
less well-known is St. Anne, the mother of Mary – and thus the
Grandmother of Jesus! She is venerated both in Christianity and
Islam, and although neither the Bible nor the Qur'an mention her by
name, we do read of her in the <i>Gospel of James </i>(from about 150
AD)<i> </i>in the <i>Apocrypha. </i>She lived from about 50 BC to 12
AD, and is the patron saint of several places and professions –
Canada, Brittany, Detroit, children and their carers, those without
children, grandparents, mothers, pregnancy, house moves, teachers and
poverty. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">St.
Thomas of Canterbury, or St. Thomas Becket, was Archbishop of
Canterbury from 1162 until his martyrdom just eight years later,
following conflict between himself and King Henry II over the
Church's privileges and rights. We have recently celebrated the Feast
of St. Augustine of Canterbury, who was the first Archbishop of
Canterbury and this saint's predecessor; and St. Thomas is the patron
saint of secular clergy, the city of Portsmouth, Arbroath Abbey, and
Exeter College Oxford. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">St.
James the Greater was one of the Twelve Apostles called by Jesus, and
the son of Zebedee, and lived from about 3 AD to his execution by
Herod in 44 AD (Acts 12:1-2). We read of his calling to follow Christ
in Mark 1:19-20 and Matthew 4:21-22, and he is one of only three
apostles to accompany Jesus at His Transfiguration. He is the patron
saint of many places, including Spain (his shrine being in the
Santiago de Compostela), Guatemala and parts of Mexico and the
Philippines; and he is also the patron saint of woodcarvers, oyster
fishers and pharmacists. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">St.
Martin de Porres was a lay Dominican brother, who lived from 1579 to
1639. His life demonstrated a concern for the poor; he lived a simple
lifestyle himself, often fasting from certain foods. Moreover,
through his love of others he established a children's hospital and
an orphanage. He is the patron saint of mixed-race people,
innkeepers, barbers, and racial equality. His work for the poor
inspires the work of many Christian organisations and charities today
such as CAFOD (the Catholic Agency For Overseas Development).
Furthermore, it also inspires us today – for instance here at St.
Michael's Croydon, we collect food, clothes, toiletries and other
things for the refugee day centre at West Croydon Baptist Church,
where I volunteer. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">St.
Joseph, sometimes known as St. Joseph the Worker, is the wife of the
Blessed Virgin Mary. According to the Apocrypha, Joseph is the father
of a number children including James, Simon and Jude – but most
significantly, he is the foster-father of Jesus Christ. Jesus is
fully human as well as fully divine, and needed to be fostered and
nurtured after His birth and Incarnation – just like any newborn
baby. He is the patron saint of the Catholic Church, unborn children,
fathers, workers, carpenters, immigrants, and of course people who
are or have been in foster care – like me, which is why St. Joseph
is one of the saints who inspires me the most. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">St.
Michael, Archangel, is our principal patron saint here at St.
Michael's Croydon (along with St. James, and all the angels). He is
also the patron saint of the Jewish people, the Guardian of the
Catholic Church, Vatican City, police officers, Germany, France,
Ukraine, Toronto, Brussels and parts of the Philippines. St. Michael
is thought by Jehovah's Witnesses to be Jesus, in his pre-human and
post-resurrection existence – and Michael is identified as Adam by
Mormons; but that's not our understanding! Michael the Archangel
appears in the Book of Daniel, and particularly in the Book of
Revelation where he is the one who leads the armies of God to defeat
Satan and all evil spirits. This is the source for the </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">'Holy
Michael, Archangel' </span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">prayer
which is often said towards the end of the Rosary. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">St.
George, or St. George of Lydda, is of course patron saint here in
England – but he is also the patron saint for many other places
around the world, including Ethiopia, Georgia and Catalonia, as well
as a number of universities. He often appears as an armoured soldier,
and is depicted as slaying a dragon as per the legend; although we do
not actually know many details about St. George or his life with any
certainty. What is widely accepted, though, is that he is a martyr –
he refused to give up his Christian faith. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">St.
Ambrose was bishop of Milan. He lived from about 340-397 AD, and is a
Doctor of the Church. He is one of the most fierce defenders of
Christian orthodoxy, firmly reiterating how Christ has always existed
– that is, His attribute of pre-existence, being fully divine as
well as fully human. He spoke against the heresy of Arianism, the
belief that Christ had been created by God at a point in time. St.
Ambrose is the patron saint of bishops, bees and their keepers,
livestock, and Milan; and he also wrote the well-known Christian hymn
of praise, the </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Te
Deum, </span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">which
we say during prayer offices on particular feast days and has been
set to many choral anthems and settings. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">St.
Gregory the Great was a Pope, and another Doctor of the Church, who
lived from about 540-604 AD. He is the patron saint of musicians and
singers, as well as students and teachers; another saint who
particularly inspires me, given my love of academic study and how I'm
a musician (I sing and play the flute – and I've also started
learning the ukulele, too!). He is particularly remembered by
theologians and Christian scholars for his </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Commentary
on Job. </span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">St.
Augustine of Hippo is a philosopher, and a particularly well-known
Doctor of the Church. He is the patron of the Augustinians, brewers,
printers, and theologians. Living from 354-430 AD, he was a bishop
and has written some of the most influential Christian works,
including </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
City of God, De Doctrina Christiana, </span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
of course his </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Confessions.
</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">St.
Augustine's </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Confessions
</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">are
almost unique in his field, because of their genre; the work is
written as a prayer to God, as he journeys from his earlier
affiliations with the Manichees towards Christ, and his coming to
repentance from earlier sins. This is a helpful and reassuring
reminder that even the saints are not perfect – noone is perfect,
apart from God – and we can look to them for inspiration as we seek
to live our lives as best as we can. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">St.
Jerome, who lived from about 347-420 AD, is another Doctor of the
Church. He is best known for the </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Vulgate
– </span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">this
is </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">his
extensive translation of the Bible into Latin, and also for his
commentaries on the Gospels. He is the patron saint of
archaeologists, Biblical scholars, libraries and their librarians,
students and translators. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These
are just some of the many saints who are depicted in the Church
building at St. Michael's Croydon. Which of these saints inspire you
the most? And are you inspired by the lives and works of other
saints?</span> </span></span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-42321417410029391822019-05-30T06:27:00.001-07:002019-05-30T06:27:42.269-07:00Loss and hope: Vocation and our journey as a pilgrimage with God<br />
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Loss
and hope: Vocation and our journey as a pilgrimage with God </b></u></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><sup> </sup></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Focus
texts: </span></span></span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Exodus;
1-2 Kings; Mark 1:40-42; Matthew 16; Luke 9:23, 15:11-32. </span></i></span></span></sup></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Today,
I would like to reflect on finding hope in times of loss as we
journey with God; in particular, how my experiences of this have
helped to form my sense of vocation; and how we might help others who
have experienced loss of any form to find hope. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
our lives, we are all on a journey. Together as individuals in our
daily lives; with our families and friends; with the wider Christian Church; and
beyond. Life is like a pilgrimage; it has a beginning, a destination,
and a journey along the way. God is both our companion and our
destination on this journey; our Christian vocation takes us to our
destination. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
j</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ourney
in life has many features and characteristics; like a long road trip,
comprising of several different sections, and times of certainty and
uncertainty. Sometimes it's easy and well signposted, and the road is
free-flowing as we follow our planned routes. But at other times it
is not; diversions and unforeseen circumstances cause uncertainty in
our path. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Perhaps
one of the most profound times of uncertainty is when one experiences
a loss of life. I have experienced this to a fair degree on my
journey so far; this is perhaps why I'm particularly interested in
the topic I've chosen to talk about today. I had been orphaned by the
time I was thirteen years old, and my grandparents had all died by
the time I was one year old. For some time, my journey's direction
seemed to be uncertain. What was I to do when presented with so many
difficult forks in the road? </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Was
I without hope? No. For God - who is omnipresent - has always been
there. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">God
is always with us on our journeys; e</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ven
when I didn't know where my journey was headed, God did. This is
something I came to realise more in hindsight – and realising my
absolute dependence on God through my circumstances has been
instrumental in my discernment on my vocational journey so far,
together with my sense of call to serve God to a greater degree than
I currently am. One of my favourite poems is 'Footprints in the
Sand'; to me, this beautifully demonstrates how God is always with us
on our journey - giving us hope - even when this is less obvious to
us. God Himself works in us, and through those around us; even at
times of loss, God – our hope – is still with us. How beautiful. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">There
are many other forms of loss; for instance, loss of health, status,
stability, job, possessions or home. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">As
part of my current placement at St Michael's Croydon, I volunteer at
a refugee centre and a hospital once a week, where I meet with many
people who have experienced loss in these ways. And yet I often find
they still display hope and joy, even in their sometimes profound
circumstances; just last week, I met a patient in the hospital who
prayed for me just as much as I prayed for him, so happy he was when
I told him I'm discerning a vocation to the priesthood. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
the Bible, we can see many kinds of journey; both individual journeys
like Jesus's parable of the lost son in Luke 15, and collective
journeys such as the Moses story in Exodus, and of course the Exilic
Age. The themes of loss and hope are both prominent in these accounts
– and we ourselves might be able to relate to them. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jesus
acts with great compassion when He heals those who have lost health
or life; for instance, the leper in Mark 1; the resuscitation of
Lazarus in John 11; and, even just before His earthly death, he makes
sure that His mother and the beloved disciple will take care of each
other, in John 19. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If
and when we suffer loss, we are not without hope, empathy or
understanding – for Jesus Himself knows what it is like. In Matthew
16; Peter tried to talk Jesus around the Messiah's prediction about
His death; but Christ knew that He had to suffer before His
exaltation, and remained firmly committed to following through on His
journey. It is Christ we follow on our journey, as Christians; and,
while at times this is not necessarily always easy (as Jesus suggests
by saying how we must take up our cross), we are made stronger as a
result. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">We
are all moving. We are all travelling. And we are all making
progress; however much or not we feel it. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
is perhaps especially important to remember at times when our
journeys might lack certainty, or when we experience loss. Our lives
happen in the providence of God, who gives us hope; His omniscience
is both comforting and reassuring, especially when we don't know what
might be in store for us on our journey. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We
all have vocations; all we need to do is to listen to God throughout
our journey in life. How might God be calling us to help others?</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-36481816507988584832019-05-11T10:50:00.000-07:002019-05-11T10:50:02.238-07:00From Chevetogne Abbey to Aachen Cathedral: A Lenten retreat<br />
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>From
Chevetogne Abbey to Aachen Cathedral: A Lenten retreat </b></u></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Reflections
on my retreat at Chevetogne Abbey & visit to Aachen Cathedral,
April 2019. </i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Focus
texts: </span></span></span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Matthew
6:6; Passion Narratives (Jesus & Pilate); The Rule of St.
Benedict </span></i></span></span></sup></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As
many of you will know, I am someone who likes being busy, doing
things I enjoy, and living a generally active lifestyle. But I had
also felt a desire to take a break, in order to reflect on my journey
with God and my discernment process with the Church by means of a
retreat – particularly a monastic one – whenever such an
opportunity arose. Moreover, travelling is one of my favourite
hobbies; whether returning somewhere familiar to me, or exploring a
completely new place. For a week during Lent last month, I made my
first visit to Belgium and Germany, to spend a few days on a monastic
retreat at the beautiful and ecumenical Chevetogne Abbey, after which
we also visited Aachen Cathedral just across the border. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
particularly wanted to go on a monastic retreat because I had gone to
school at Ampleforth College, a Benedictine Roman Catholic school
attached to an Abbey in the countryside of North Yorkshire. It was my
time at Ampleforth which introduced me to Roman Catholicism (and,
perhaps, my particular appreciation of the Catholic tradition in the
Church of England); I attended Mass and sung in the choir, and I
often attended Compline since the monastic offices were also open to
everyone. As a student, I had been on a number of retreats organised
by the school, both with my house and my school's year-group. But
what would a monastic retreat in a smaller group as a prospective
ordinand in the Church of England be like? </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Chevetogne
Abbey is beautifully set just outside a small village in the
countryside not far from a city; rather like Ampleforth. The
community, true to their Benedictine identity and the </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Rule</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
extended a warm welcome to us as soon as we arrived. They invited us
to attend all of the services as we wished, and we ate together with
them at mealtimes. Their hospitality extended further still; some of
the monks showed us around the monastery and grounds, explaining the
history of the community along the way. We even learned how to make
incense in their workshop, and bought some back home to use at St.
Michael's Croydon! Most importantly, we spent much time with the
monks in conversation; we formed friendships, with our shared
interest and desire for further ecumenism. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chevetogne
is a monastery where both Eastern and Western traditions of
Christianity meet; a crucial aspect of the monastery's ecumenical
life. The community worships in two different places; those in the
Western tradition worship in the Latin Church, while those of the
Eastern tradition worship in the Byzantine Church. But they remain as
one community; they all share mealtimes together, and – perhaps
most significantly – they live under the direction of one Abbot. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We
attended Mass and Compline in the Latin Church, and while the
services were in French, these were very easy to follow; it was
immediately obvious as to what was happening. While Matins and
Vespers in the Byzantine Crypt were less familiar to us, we realised
the monks there prayed essentially the same things as we do at
Morning and Evening Prayer back at St Michael's; and it was so
interesting to get a taste of how Christians in the Eastern tradition
pray these offices. The offices were very elaborate; much of the
language went over my head (being in a mixture of French and
Slavonic), but – thinking of us present in the congregation –
some of the monks very kindly said a few prayers in English for us.
Regardless of our familiarity with the languages, the monks were
still praying for us – and with us. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
think one of the biggest differences in Eastern services to Western
services is how many people walk in and out as they wish during an
Eastern service. Services in the Eastern tradition, on the whole, are
significantly longer than Western services, sometimes being twice as
long or more. Timekeeping was, thus, a key difference; while you
would normally attend a whole service in the West, in the East you
can attend it all or just come to as much of the service as you feel
or require – like recharging your camera batteries, or refuelling
your car. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
monastic offices marked the beginning and end of each day, providing
a routine of stability around our days otherwise filled with a rich
variety of activities and times in silence. Praying and eating often
happened in sequence; in the morning for instance, Matins and Mass
would be followed breakfast; lunch would be eaten immediately after
saying the Midday Office, and supper would punctuate Vespers and
Compline. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We
lived a very monastic lifestyle during our time at Chevetogne. We
stayed in simple yet perfectly comfortable rooms, we wore cassocks
when in the monastery and around the grounds, and I also found I had
more time to do things like reading, writing, occasionally visiting
the two Churches for some more silent prayer – and of course a run
in the valley. True to what I had desired in this retreat, we spent
as much time in silence as we did in prayer and worship. Furthermore,
while I had taken my mobile phone with me, I chose to keep it on
'Airplane Mode'. I was thus free from any distractions from the
outside world, which – given the United Kingdom's political
situation at the time – was quite refreshing! I think it's good
that we experienced the monastic life as fully as possible during our
retreat, in many ways – indeed, we spent a few days living pretty
much as monks. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />En route home, we took the opportunity to visit
Aachen Cathedral (with both Chevetogne and Aachen being close to the
Belgian-German border). We were made most welcome by the Cathedral
staff, who very kindly showed us around on a guided tour they ran
specially for us. There are a number of very sacred relics kept in
the Cathedral and in the museum nearby - probably the largest
collection of relics I've seen in one place so far. During our tour,
we saw the Throne of Charlemagne, a large stone structure composed of
a large chair atop some steps. It came from the palace of Pontius
Pilate in Jerusalem; these may be the very same steps that Jesus
Christ Himself walked on, when he was led up to be presented by
Pilate to the crowd at His trial. How very moving and powerful
indeed. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: small;">After
attending Mass and a visit to the Cathedral's museum and shop, we
returned to England. I have found this retreat both restful and
restorative, and I am already looking forward to visiting again in
the future. Have you ever been on a retreat? If not, would you
consider going on one? How might a retreat help you to become closer
to God?</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-84564293358524982392019-05-08T11:07:00.002-07:002019-05-08T11:07:59.116-07:00The importance of academia in the Church<br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Reflections
on the importance of academia in the Church </b></u></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>By
Will Lyon Tupman, Lay Pastoral Assistant at St. Michael's Croydon </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
addition to the many pastoral and sacramental aspects of being a Lay
Pastoral Assistant, there has been a distinctly academic flavour to
my placement at St. Michael's Croydon. Having studied theology at
university, this has been particularly appealing to me – and St.
Michael's has been one of the most academically-focused Churches I
have served in to date. Our studies each term have been focused on
three main themes; the Incarnation, the Paschal Mystery, and Saints
and Sacraments. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
examining these doctrines and beliefs central to the Christian faith,
the priests at St. Michael's have run a course of guided reading,
using a variety of academic texts by some of today's most renowned
theologians. These include former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan
Williams, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI with
his trilogy on </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jesus
of Nazareth</span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
Crucially, these academic texts clearly radiate the faith of the
authors, which has been particularly pleasurable for me as a
Christian and a theologian, especially as I explore ways in how I can
use my theological learning and understanding to help myself and
other Christians on our journey. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Further
to our guided reading programme with the priests at St. Michael's, we
have attended seminars with the Venerable Dr. Edward Dowler,
Archdeacon of Hastings. In these sessions, we have examined the texts
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">On
The Incarnation </span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">by
St. Athanasius, </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">On
Pascha </span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">by
Melito of Sardis, and </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Rule of St. Benedict. </span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
have both furthered and expanded my theological repertoire – and
attending these seminars have been very much like attending Cambridge
supervisions! </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
addition to our reading and seminars, we have visited the National
Gallery in London each term. One of the Senior Research Curators, Dr.
Susanna Avery-Quash, has kindly led us on a study of some of the most
beautiful and theologically significant images (many of which were
originally used in worship in Churches) relating to the Incarnation,
the Paschal Mystery and the Sacraments. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">St.
Anselm's motto of “</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">faith
seeking understanding</span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">”
underpins our Adult Catechesis programme, a series of Christian
learning sessions at St. Michael's open to all, which has
corresponded with our Pastoral Assistants' study scheme. Offering
presentations to parishioners in study groups gives us the perfect
chance to apply our studies and learning to assisting the learning –
and faith journeys – of others around us. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">My
academic formation at St. Michael's has been both useful and helpful
for me, especially in how we have comprehensively examined some of
the most important Christian doctrines and beliefs from several
denominations – and in both textual and visual mediums. I believe
it is vitally important to attain a good balance of sacramental,
pastoral and academic aspects of the Church's life – and my
placement at St. Michael's excellently embodies this. Having a
greater understanding of my faith, through academic study, is both
helpful for me and for those around me, as I use my understanding and
theology to guide others in their Christian journey.</span> </span></div>
<br />
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-19959775149721748502019-03-16T09:35:00.000-07:002019-03-16T09:35:24.593-07:00Exploring the meaning of Lent<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u>Drop, Drop Slow Tears:
An Exploration of the Meaning of Lent</u> </b></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">For
a Lent Quiet Day at St. Giles' Cambridge, 16</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></i></span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
March 2019. </span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Focus
texts</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">:
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Genesis
1:26-28; Mark 1:12-13; Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; John 2:18,
3:16-17, 6. </span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We've
just come to the end of the first full week of Lent, with about
another five weeks to go. We may all know or have a good idea as to
what Lent is; especially if we're used to it, or if it's something we
or our families have always observed. But what is it really all
about? What is the meaning of Lent? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lent
is a time of commemoration. In most traditions, Lent lasts for forty
days and forty nights. This is Biblically founded; Jesus fasted for
forty days and nights in the desert, when He was being tempted by the
Devil. Accounts of Jesus's temptation can be found in the three
Synoptic Gospels; Mark 1:12-13; Matthew 4:1-11, and Luke 4:1-13.
Mark's account is relatively brief, but Matthew and Luke offer more
detail the three temptations Jesus experienced. The Devil tempted
Christ to turn stones into bread; to jump from the Temple to then be
caught by angels; and to own all the Kingdom that is set before him.
You might also observe that the order of these temptations differs
between the accounts of Matthew and Luke; commentaries have all sorts
of things to say about this. There isn't an account of Jesus's
temptation in the Fourth Gospel; but some scholars, such as
Whittaker, have identified parallels to these three temptations in
John. I agree with Whittaker; his claim seems to be well-founded.
John 6:26-31 makes reference to the temptation of turning stones into
bread; Jesus is told to perform a Messianic sign inside the Temple in
John 2:18; and there is mention of taking the Kingdom by force in
John 6:15. Christ was, being fully human as well as fully divine,
tempted just as we can be tempted today. He was like us in every way,
although He did not sin. Especially in Lent, we commemorate Christ's
resistance to these temptations; and we also aim to imitate Christ in
His resistance of temptation as best we can. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lent
is a time of self-examination and contemplation. We are human beings,
and while we are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis
1:26-28), we are not perfect. Only God - the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit - is perfect. By the life and example of Christ, by our
God-given gift of reason, and with the guidance and assistance of the
Church, we are also able to reflect on our own lives, our decisions,
our thoughts, words and deeds, and to discern how we can love God and
our neighbours more dearly. By doing this, and allowing God to form
us in these ways, we can follow Christ more nearly. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
some traditions, and particularly in Anglican and Roman Catholicism,
pilgrims pray the Stations of the Cross during Lent; this allows us
to further contemplate and experience something of what Christ
Himself experienced for us, because of His great love for us -
further evoking a response of love and awe of Him. Additionally, some
Christians find it helpful to go to Confession; a particularly
personal way of saying sorry to God and being absolved by Him, as
well as being a reminder of His infinite mercy and forgiveness,
together with helpful advice from the priest as to how we can do
better in the future. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
Lent, Passiontide, Holy Week and at the Easter Triduum (the latter
being the sequence of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter
Sunday), we contemplate the Paschal Mystery. This eventually
culminates in the passion, death and resurrection of Christ; three
distinct occasions in Jesus's final week of His Incarnate life on the
Earth, and yet also each constituting an element of the one, united,
perfect salvific event - Jesus's salvific work which opens the gate
of life to all. Observing a holy Lent is perhaps one of many ways we
can thank God for freely choosing to send His Son to us, to save us
from our sins, and to open the gate of life to all. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Today,
many people around the world - Christians and also non-Christians -
observe Lent. This often involves giving something up - some
traditional examples of things to give up for Lent include meat,
fish, alcohol, and various other things. There are also lots of other
things people today give up for Lent - like chocolate, social media,
and more. What would be a good challenge for you? What might you find
hard to give up? Whatever it is, that's probably what you could
consider giving up for Lent. It shouldn't necessarily be too
difficult a task; I think it is often the intention that matters the
most. But it isn't supposed to be too easy either; Jesus, being fully
human as well as fully divine, did not find His temptations easy.
Doubtless, after the Devil had finished tempting the Messiah, Jesus
will have taken much comfort from the angels who helped Him after the
temptations, in Matthew 4:11. But remember - Jesus is the Son of God,
and - while we are children of God - we are perhaps not expected to
always respond as perfectly as He did, for only God is perfect. It is
God who heals us, and God – being omniscient, or all-knowing –
knows all that we can and do experience. In good times and in bad; in
easy times and in difficult. And that's incredibly comforting! </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For
many, Lent can also involve taking something on. For example, by
doing more exercise, or spending more time reading the Bible or other
Christian literature. Today, more people are doing the Forty Acts of
Kindness - a generosity challenge by Stewardship, a UK Christian
charity. Many Christians spend more time in prayer, fostering their
devotion and relationship with God. A Lenten calendar may be
especially helpful for people who would like to draw themselves
closer to God again in these ways, and I think such practices over
time can help us to be formed more in the ways God wants us to be –
and, being open to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit – allowing
God to do that formation even if and when it can sometimes prove too
much for us to take on. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So
in Lent, some people give something up; others take something on; and
some people do both. What about me? I've given up alcohol for Lent;
so for instance when I go out with friends from university, instead
of having a pint or two I have a fruit juice or one of those
alcohol-free beers or ciders (yes, those are a thing – I don't know
how they make them but they're delicious!). I've also taken on extra
exercise, as I prepare for the athletics season with my sports team,
the Croydon Harriers. What are you doing this Lent? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Why
do we observe Lent today? It is because of our love of God - our
response of love to God, who has infinite love for us. We read in
John 3:16-17 (one of my favourite Bible passages!) that God so loved
the world, that He gave us His Son, that whoever believes in Him may
not perish, but have eternal life. God didn't send His Son into the
world to condemn the world; but that through Him, we may be saved. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And,
for me, this is the core meaning of Lent - a time to remember; a time
to say sorry; a time to say thank you; and also a time to rejoice
(but saving the word “a**e*uia” until Easter!) - that by His
stripes, we are healed. It is a time in which we especially thank God
for His great love of us; so, let us too thank God by and through
love, as best we can.</span> </span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-30106497716722032262019-03-01T03:44:00.000-08:002019-03-01T03:44:07.586-08:00Jesus's journey to Golgotha: the Stations of the Cross<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Jesus's journey to
Golgotha: the Stations of the Cross </b></u></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">For a Catechesis class at St. Michael's Croydon,
28</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></i></span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
February 2019. </span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Focus:
New English Hymnal, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Stabat
Mater</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">;
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Stations of the Cross; Rood, </span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">St.
Michael's Croydon. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Stations of the Cross are a series of fourteen images or depictions
of Christ, following His journey from being handed over by Pilate to
Christ's burial in the tomb after being crucified. These images are
used in devotion by many Christians, in the form of a spiritual
pilgrimage both inside and outside the Church building, with prayers
and contemplation about what Christ has achieved for us. This
devotion is especially practised during Lent and Holy Week. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most
of these stations are Biblically sourced; however, one that is not is
station number six - and I would like to focus on this, and to
consider what (if any) impact the station's lack of Biblical
foundation may have for the practising Christian. The sixth station
remembers how a lady called Veronica, during a beautiful display of
adoration at Jesus's passion, wipes the face of Jesus with her towel.
Jesus, who is fully human as well as fully divine, is visibly
suffering during His journey to Golgotha, and Veronica recognises
this and helps Him - which He freely accepts. The towel then became
imprinted with the Messiah's face on it, upon Christ handing it back
to Veronica. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But
does the fact that this account is not in the Bible affect our
understanding or devotion compared with stations that are in the
Bible? Should it? To me, in a word, no. Of course, the Holy Bible is
God's word - a revelation to us by God, the divine author, through
human writers, and as such we should always recognise its authority.
But that doesn't take away from the authority of God's revelations to
us that are manifest in other ways; two of these other such ways
being reason and tradition. While still acknowledging the priority of
Scripture, the importance of integrating Scripture, tradition and
experience together was first clearly articulated by the sixteenth
century Anglican priest Richard Hooker; and his legacies are of great
value to us today. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If
we want to be reminded of exactly how Jesus instituted the Eucharist,
or of some ways in which we can help the poor (such as feeding the
hungry), or loving one another, do we look to the Bible? Of course we
do; Jesus teaches us clear guidance on this, seen throughout the
Gospels (such as in Matthew 22-25). But what about dealing with
climate change and global warming? Yes, we have a duty to look after
the world as it's stewards (see Genesis 1-2), but what of the
scientific details? And if anyone is unlucky enough to have their
bank account or computer hacked, how do we go about solving that by
looking at the Holy Bible? Not as easily. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
is in instances such as these where the Holy Bible sometimes doesn't
give us a clear answer to a question or problem. But, be it by direct
revelation by Him, or indirectly through others, God still can. God
is omniscient; He is all-knowing. He has given us many other methods
of discernment - especially through our use of reason, a God-given
gift, freely given to us - and which sets us apart as unique when
compared to other animals. It is this reason that is used together
with the interpretation of Scripture when discerning various teaching
and doctrinal aspects of the Christian faith - such as the Church
councils, the liturgy of our services if they feature non-Biblical
texts, and more. And thus, because of this, the inclusion of the
sixth station of the cross is fully correct; while it may not be
Biblically sourced (unlike the other stations), it still greatly
assists our devotion and contemplation of Christ, what He experienced
for us, and how Veronica - and we ourselves - can respond to His love
for us, with our love for Him. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Rood here at St. Michael's displays a portrayal of Mary the Mother of
God and the Beloved Disciple next to Jesus on the cross. They are
giving a similar response to Jesus as Veronica does in the sixth
station of the cross - a response of adoration, as they gaze upon the
peaceful yet powerful Messiah on the cross. This is the response we
might ourselves offer to Jesus, as we contemplate His passion while
praying the Stations of the Cross – adoration. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This
image is based on the account of Jesus's dialogue with Mary and the
beloved disciple in John 19:25-27, where Jesus - moments before his
death, in John 19:30 - proclaims Mary is the beloved disciple's
mother, and the beloved disciple is her son. Here, Mary - the Queen
of Heaven - is dressed in a blue robe, which is frequently how Mary
is depicted. The beloved disciple is believed by many to be St. John
the Evangelist; the writer of the Fourth Gospel may have inserted
himself into the narrative here, a literary technique often practised
by eye-witnesses, although scholars are divided on whether this is
John the Evangelist doing this here. Again, this is an image of love
- the love Jesus shows for us, and also the love that others show for
Him - and an invitation for us to love Him fully, too. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Many
of these very moving images and depictions of Christ at His passion
are powerfully expressed by the </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Stabat
Mater</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
a thirteenth century Latin hymn for Good Friday (hymn number 97 in
the </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">New
English Hymnal</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
here set to music from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries). </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
is a traditional hymn for the Stations of the Cross, which we can see
from the first line of verse one "At the cross her Station
keeping." It is written in F Major, the key of complaisance and
calm according to Schubart. This is highly fitting when we think of
Jesus on the cross - once he had died, His suffering was over - He
was at a full, perfect peace. He knew exactly where He was going; the
last words of Jesus on the cross were "Father, into your hands I
commend my Spirit" (Luke 23:46), and "It is finished"
(John 19:30); and even the cry of dereliction seen in the Gospels of
Mark and Matthew (where Jesus says, "My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?") could be part of a recitation of Psalm 22 -
which concludes with joy and celebration at God's saving work. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
great sense of calmness and peace is evoked by this hymn also by some
of the performance directions; it is suggested that the hymn is
performed "in moderate time;" that it should progress, but
not at all rushed. The events - the event - of the Paschal Mystery
ought to be fully contemplated, with nothing risking being
overlooked. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
text of the hymn invites worshippers to engage in an act of devotion,
marvelling at the death of Jesus, just as we do when we pray the
Stations of the Cross; this is especially true of verses one through
five. We do not hear of the Beloved Disciple's response to Jesus's
death in this hymn; the focus is firmly on Mary's response. She is
"weeping," "bereaved of joy" and "deeply
grieved" in verse one, as any mother would be upon losing her
child. In verse two, her eyes are fixed on her Son, and in verse
three the worshippers are invited to "share" something of
the suffering she felt at seeing her son on the cross; this theme is
expanded in verse five, when the worshippers sing "May I bear
with her my part." </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But
death is of course not the end; the resurrection follows. It is
important to remember the Paschal Mystery is the passion, death and
resurrection of Jesus - three events, yet also all one, perfect
salvific event collectively. Verses six and seven, while still
speaking of the cross, are more centred on the salvific action of
Jesus on the cross, and looking forward ultimately to "Paradise,"
seen at the conclusion of verse seven. In verse six, Jesus's wounds
"heal... enkindle, cleanse, anneal" the worshippers, and we
are thus guarded on the judgment day. We are "befriended"
by Christ, in verse seven - and into Christ. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Stations of the Cross, thus, are a beautiful way of engaging in
devotion and adoration of Jesus Christ, particularly during His final
hours before and at His death. But what is equally and especially
important is what happens after then - our eschatology, our eternal
future, has been made certain by His salvific action - the Paschal
Mystery, in which Christ died and rose to save us all. Thanks be to
God! </span></span></span></div>
<br />Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-66347781506085495332019-02-24T10:21:00.001-08:002019-02-24T10:21:05.661-08:00Consistency, continuity, and God as our Creator & Sustainer<br />
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><b><u>Consistency, continuity, and God as our Creator & Sustainer </u></b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>By
William Lyon Tupman. Sermon for the Eucharist at Christ Church Chelsea, on February 24th </i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>2019 (2nd Sunday before Lent) </i></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Bible
readings: Genesis 2:4b-9, 15-end; Psalm 65; Revelation 4; Luke
8:22-25. </i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">May
the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all our hearts, be
acceptable in your </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.18cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sight, O Lord our strength and redeemer. Amen.
Please be seated. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Good
morning everyone! It's wonderful to see you all here at Christ Church
Chelsea again. I'm very grateful to Mother Emma, Father Brian and
Father John for inviting me back to preach today. For anyone who I
haven't yet met, I worshipped and sung in the Choir here while I was
studying for a Master's degree in Biblical Studies and Theology at
King's Co</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">llege
London, last academic year. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Today,
I'd like to focus on the themes of consistency and continuity. As
many of you will know, I'm on the journey to hopefully becoming a
priest in the Church of England. This is a very exciting journey for
me, and it's a time of both discernment and formation. When talking
about exploring a vocation to ordained ministry in the Church of
England, it is easy to follow the traditional understanding of what
discernment and formation is - that you are in the Discernment
Process from when you start meeting with your incumbent or chaplain
to talk about the possibility of being ordained, until you attend
your Bishop's Advisory Panel or BAP (the selection conference I'll be
attending in less than three months from now, after which I will
learn if I'll be training for the priesthood) - after which, you then
start the Formation Process, which sees you through your training at
theological college and beyond. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While
this is presented both logically and helpfully by the Church, I think
to confine these terms like that may risk being too narrow an
interpretation and understanding of them. We are always discerning
what God is asking of us; we are always being formed in the ways He
wants us to be, in accordance with His will. We are always learning;
and we are always making progress, however much or not we may
consciously feel that at times. What underpins this, to me, is
continuity - something which has been a significant characteristic of
my journey in faith, discernment and formation so far. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Continuity
- what is it? It can be something that is unbroken, and it can be
something which is consistent; but it still allows for change and
progress. Here's an analogy for any car enthusiasts like me here
today. Take the Jaguar XJ, as it was produced from 1968 to 2009.
While the car was occasionally updated and modernised over time, the
core design was left relatively unaltered; if you saw the 1968 and
2009 models stood next to each other, you would doubtless observe
their strikingly similar appearances – hence, there is much
continuity between them. Most significantly, the same character is
still present in both, and in all the models in between. But at the
same time, progress had been made over the years - the newer models
were more energy efficient; they were faster; they were modernised;
and they were better for the environment. But they were still,
unmistakably, the Jaguar XJ. (For anyone who's wondering, the car is
still produced today, but it was completely redesigned in 2010!)! </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This
concept of continuity is something which underpins and characterises
much of my journey in the Church so far. I've had a lot of change in
my life so far. I was home educated; I'd lost both my parents by the
time I was thirteen; I then started school; I lived in two different
foster homes; I went to university, and I loved it there so much that
I went on and did a Master's; and more. Some of these changes have
been, as you can imagine, quite challenging to me, such as my
bereavements; whereas other changes have been both positive and
exciting, such as pursuing my studies, and meeting more friends. Much
change, therefore; but an equal level of continuity, too; if not
more. The Church has always been there for me; the Church has always
been here for me. In all of my sorrows, and in all of my joys - the
Church has, is, and always will be, here for me. And the same is true
for each and every one of us. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's
some more continuity. I've not moved too far away from Christ Church;
as the priests here all know, I now serve as a Lay Pastoral Assistant
just a few miles away at St Michael's Church, Croydon - and the
parish priest there is good friends with Fr Brian. Moreover, one of
the reasons I came to King's to do my Master's was because our
director of music, Gareth Wilson, recommended both King's and Christ
Church to me, having also been my choir director at Girton College
Cambridge where I did my BA. Now how's that for continuity! It is a
placement which I love very much, and it is giving me a whole range
of different experiences. I work six days a week, mostly serving and
being with the community in my Church, but as part of this placement
I also volunteer once a week at the chaplaincies of the refugee day
centre at West Croydon Baptist Church, I run the chess club at
Croydon College, I visit the patients and staff in Croydon University
Hospital, and I also currently volunteer once a week at the Croydon
Churches Floating Shelter for homeless people, which is currently at
Croydon Minster; I'm on the overnight shift there tonight. All in
all, and especially at my young age of twenty-four, my placement at
St Michael's Croydon is equipping me with many valuable experiences,
and a great variety of different aspects of service - both
Sacramentally and pastorally - and both inside and outside of the
immediate Church setting. I am truly grateful for this. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And
we can see this theme of continuity in today's readings from
Scripture, since it is God who is both our Creator and Sustainer. God
is continually bringing about His creation, and sustaining us. Psalm
65 is a helpful reminder of God's continual involvement and
faithfulness in creation, even when we transgress. He is making and
shaping the world as we know it, and brings order about from chaos.
This is brilliantly illustrated by Luke in today's Gospel reading,
when Jesus – who, being fully divine as well as fully human - calms
the storm, and displays authority over the waters, bringing them from
chaos into a state of peace and order. In the Hebrew Bible, watery
storms are symbolic of chaos - and God conquers them and brings about
order, as we can see for example in Genesis 1, and also in Psalms 29,
106 and 107. Jesus doing exactly the same thing in today's Gospel
reading is therefore a reassuring reminder that God still brings
order where there is chaos. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
our first reading from Genesis 2 today, we read the Yahwist creation
account; the second of two accounts of creation at the start of
Genesis (the other one, spanning Genesis 1, being known as the
Priestly account). In Genesis 1:26-28, humanity is created and is
given "radah" in Hebrew - that is, dominion or stewardship
over all the created world and its inhabitants. But there is a very
different balance of power in these two words, dominion and
stewardship - can both be correct? Are there two different
interpretations on offer here? And if so, can both be connected? </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let's
consider the beautiful and majestic description of God in Revelation
4. Can you imagine having the same level of dominion as that? I
can't. Both this reading and our first reading suggest that God
appoints us to be stewards of the earth; He still has ultimate
authority, as the creatures who sing God's praises in Revelation 4
recognise and acknowledge in their worship of Him. Creation is a gift
by and from God to us, and we are given ultimate responsibility for
looking after it. That's a kind of calling in itself; we all have a
responsibility - a vocation - to look after our created world. Do we
still have a special, superior ranking in the order of creation? Yes,
we do; but this means we have a particular degree of responsibility,
in accordance with how God has equipped us more than other created
beings. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
remainder of today's first reading tells us about the creation of
Eve; in Genesis 2:18, God states that it is not good for humans to be
alone, and thus creates for Adam his wife. Does this suggest that
everyone should get married? Are we all called to marry? Some of us
are (I feel called to marry when the time comes); while others are
not. It is another example of vocation. Let's remember two of the
most prominent Church leaders from the New Testament; as far as we
know, Peter was called to marry (for Jesus heals Peter's
mother-in-law in Matthew 8:14-15), while Paul tells us that he
remained unmarried (1 Corinthians 7:8), presumably for his whole
life. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sometimes
being alone is good - especially if you want to go on a relaxing run,
or if you need to finish an essay perilously close to a submission
deadline (these being a couple of scenarios I often find myself in!).
But I don't think it's good to be permanently alone. And we are not.
Marriage is a beautiful and wonderful thing, but of course it isn't
the only way of being in company; many of us here will have a network
of friends, be it from Church, from work, university, school,
college, neighbourhood or otherwise; and those living the religious
life in monasteries or convents are unmarried but living together in
a community. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whatever
our vocations are in these areas, God is always with us. He is
consistently with us; again, that theme of consistency comes up
again, no matter how changeable our lives can sometimes be. God is
unchanging, infinite, and eternal. He is omnipresent (that is,
present at all times and in all places) and especially when we meet
with Him and receive Him in the Sacrament of the Mass. Thus, we are
never alone. How comforting! </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Psalm
65 also reminds us of God's forgiveness. Even when our transgressions
"overwhelm" us (verse 3), we all still have the assurance
of God's forgiveness. If we carried on reading just a bit further
beyond our first reading today, we'd see how valuable that is when
Adam and Eve sinned by eating of the tree of knowledge of good and
evil! </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This
is guaranteed forgiveness, thanks to the salvific work of Christ in
His passion, death and resurrection - the Paschal Mystery. It is
everlasting, since Christ's one, eternal sacrifice for us is perfect
and complete. This forgiveness is, thus, consistent. If we weren't to
accept this, we wouldn't be fully appreciative of the scale of what
exactly Christ achieved for us on the cross, and in the whole Paschal
Mystery - something we will soon contemplate in further detail, as
Lent quickly approaches. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And
that's certainly something I'm grateful for! In my journey, sometimes
in the past I've felt unworthy to even consider the concept of being
called to the priesthood. But I've come to realise that God still
counts us all worthy to live the lives we are being called to – and
for me, I feel, hope and pray that that is the Anglican priesthood,
if it is in accordance with God's will. He will never ask us to do
something we cannot do; and even if He does, He will equip us. And
not just adequately at that, but fully and beyond fully. He counts us
worthy - because, since He has made us worthy, we are worthy. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
are all on a journey, as we pursue our various callings - our
primary, common vocation in Baptism, and any other vocations God is
calling us to. A nurse, a doctor, a teacher, a priest – these are
just some of the many vocations people can be called to. And, no
matter how changeable things may at times be, there is consistency
and continuity in our lives - in small ways, in bigger ways, and in
perhaps the greatest way possible - that God is always here with us.
Let us give thanks for His presence with us now, and in all our
lives, especially as we now come to receive Him in the Eucharist. In
the name of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.</span> </span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-64879123307153866872019-02-21T05:40:00.001-08:002019-02-21T05:40:31.212-08:00Hymns for Passiontide: "Cheerful He to Suffering Goes?" <br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Hymns for Passiontide:
“Cheerful He to Suffering Goes?” </b></u></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">By
William Lyon Tupman. For a Catechesis class at St. Michael's Croydon,
21</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">st</span></i></span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
February 2019. </span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Focus
texts: New English Hymnal, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Passiontide</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
hymns; Apostles' Creed; Julian of Norwich, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Showings</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hymns,
such as <i>“My Song is Love Unknown”</i> by Ireland and Crossman,
are a beautiful and important feature of our Christian worship. They
allow us to put two of the many gifts God has given us (music and
words) to a perfect use – to aid our worship of Him, giving Him
glory. How fitting. But hymns are also able to teach us more about
aspects of the life of Jesus Christ, His ministry and our theology,
and often reiterating Christian orthodoxy over heresy. I will now
examine four hymns for Passiontide from the New English Hymnal; if
you have access to a copy of the hymnbook, having it to hand now will
be very helpful, but otherwise you can find all the words and tunes
to these hymns online (including rolling scores on YouTube). </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hymn
82, "Drop, drop, slow tears," is a well-loved devotional
hymn. Being very short (with only three relatively short verses), it
is both simple and effective in its devotion to our Lord. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
is a hymn which emphasises Christ's agony and anguish throughout; all
three verses focus on the tears of Christ. Verse one opens with the
line "Drop, drop, slow tears". The repeated "drop"
comes in a major third higher than the first instance of the word (F
to A), immediately fixing the focus on Christ's tears. It seems
doubtless that Christ's suffering is the focus, here; the words
"tears" in verse one, together with "eyes" in
verse two and "floods" in verse three (all occurring at the
end of the first line of each verse) are all set to the note C in the
soprano part; the highest pitch of note heard in the hymn. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">However,
it is not only Christ's passion which is in the spotlight; so is our
hope and salvation in Christ. The tonality is firmly settled in F
Major (with major keys or chords generally signalling positive
emotions in music), which hints at reassurance. Furthermore, this
hymn is usually sung slowly and moderately quietly; a real sense of
peace is implied. For wider context, the beautiful and peaceful
'Spiegel Im Spiegel' by Arvo Pärt is written in a similar way. And
it is indeed peace which equally prevails in this hymn; Christ is the
"Prince of Peace" (verse one), and He brings us peace by
drowning "all" our "faults and fears" (verse
three) - through and with the tears of Christ. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hymn
84, "It is a thing most wonderful," is longer and has a
more elaborate tune than "Drop, drop, slow tears." The hymn
expresses the awe of the worshipper at the love Christ showed us, by
how He Himself came to save us from our sins. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
last term's Catechesis sessions at St Michael's, we explored many
aspects of the Incarnation of Christ; this term, we are focusing on
the Paschal Mystery (Christ's passion, death and resurrection). This
hymn showcases the union of Christ's Incarnation and Passion, as seen
in verse one, where we see how "God's own Son should come from
heaven, and die to save a child like me". A sense of awe is felt
strongly here; E-flat is the highest note heard in each verse, and it
is set to the word "Son" in verse one. Yes, it really is
God's own dear Son who came from Heaven to save us from our sins. Is
it "almost too wonderful to be"? Maybe - but this is the
decision God has made for us, to come as God Incarnate to save us
from our sins (as the worshipper sings in verse two). The
Incarnational words "come from heaven" is creatively
word-painted to a falling melodic line in verse one; Christ freely
chose to stoop down from Heaven, in order to save us. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Throughout,
this hymn evokes awe at Christ's death because of His love for us,
with the worshipper singing of seeing His death in verse three. This
is almost like Julian of Norwich, who prayed to suffer so she could
experience something of the suffering of Christ, as an act of
devotion and love. And this is the key-note of the whole hymn - love.
As well as it being written in the key of love and union with God
(E-flat Major), love underpins the whole text of the hymn; Christ's
love for us in verses one, two and three, and the worshipper's love
for Christ in verses four and five. While the love Christ shows for
us is still infinitely more than we can possibly express (perhaps
symbolised to a degree here by the three-two verse ratio), we still
do our best to love Him; the word "love" in verse five is,
again, on the highest note of the verse (E-flat). The hymn concludes
eschatologically, with the worshipper looking forward to when they
see Christ "as thou art" in verse five. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hymn
85, "Jesu, meek and lowly," is again emphatic of the love
Christ has for us, and of our gratitude at His salvific actions. The
suffering of Christ is not as pronounced in this hymn as it was in
"Drop, drop, slow tears"; here, the emphasis is more on the
salvation won for us by the powerful, triumphant Christ. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On
the surface, it would seem that Christ's meekness is emphasised (in
verse one); but this refers more to His character than any notion of
Him being weak, and it perhaps also reminds us of His Incarnation (as
seen in verse one of "It is a thing most wonderful"). Verse
one introduces the crying theme also seen in "Drop, drop, slow
tears"; but this is the worshipper's tears here, rather than
Christ's. Jesus is predominantly portrayed as being powerful and
triumphant in this hymn; He is the "Prince of life and power"
in verse two, and our "salvation's tower" who still calls
sinners to follow Him - even while He is on the cross. Christ is,
here, clearly in control of His passion; just as the Gospels of Luke
and John explicitly emphasise (and Mark and Matthew, albeit more
implicitly). Indeed, his display of power on the cross inspires the
worshipper to bend "low" before the Lord in adoration in
verse three - just as we do at Benediction in front of the Blessed
Sacrament. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Christ's
passion and suffering is, of course, still remembered in this hymn;
His "red wounds streaming... blood" in verse four are a
testimony to this. But the wounds stream with "life-blood"
which is "gleaming," "flowing" and "bestowing"
pardon freely. Thus, the focus remains firmly on the salvation Christ
has won for us, His followers, by his death through love for us,
uniting us with God. Moreover, the tonality of the hymn maintains
this positive focus, again being in E-flat Major - the key of love
and union with God. In addition, the eschatological direction of
verse six brings the hymn further into the present context; Jesus's
salvific actions in the past have guaranteed for us a safe future,
and now we may be continually accompanied, guided, directed and
protected by our Lord. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hymn
93, "Were you there?," is as well known as an anthem as it
is a hymn. It is a Spiritual song; in its traditional form, the
melody is an American Spiritual designed to be sung in unison
throughout, and the words are a Negro Spiritual (the choir version
and adapted anthems feature various harmonisations). It is in some
ways quite different to the other three hymns seen so far; but it
also shares much in common. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
hymn unmistakably resonates with the Creed, in a way much more so
than the other three hymns; yet all four of these hymns promote
orthodoxy over heresy. Let us consider how Christ was, as the
Apostles' Creed states, "crucified, died and was buried... On
the third day He rose again from the dead." In this hymn, Christ
was crucified (verse one); Christ died (verses three and four);
Christ was buried (verse five); and Christ rose (verse six). </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
way in which the Creed is set here invites us to ask, "do we
realise what Christ has done for us?" And also, "do we know
what this means for us?" Every verse is composed of one Credal
line, repeated once, and using a similar melodic contour but at a
higher pitch in its repetition (and once again, like two of the three
other examples of Passiontide hymns I've analysed here, it is written
in the key of E-flat Major – the key of love and union with God).
And each verse – whether being about Christ's crucifixion, death,
burial or resurrection - evokes the same response from the
worshipper, in the chorus - three-fold trembling (repeated), followed
by a further repetition of the content of the verse. To me, this
emphasises how Christ's passion, death and resurrection are all parts
of Christ's one, complete, eternal and perfect salvific event. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Together,
these hymns for Passiontide show both the suffering and triumph of
Christ, in His passion, death and resurrection - the Paschal Mystery
– and how we respond in devotion, awe and love. While some hymns
may emphasise either the suffering or the glorification of Christ
more, the hymns are united - directly or indirectly - in their
recognition of Christ's motivation of love for why He performed His
salvific actions - and our love for Him.</span> </span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-64276245986734526132019-02-07T05:38:00.003-08:002019-02-07T05:38:47.275-08:00Walsingham: my first pilgrimage to England's Nazareth<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Reflections on
Adoremus – my first pilgrimage to Walsingham </b></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just
over a couple of months ago, I made my very first visit to the Shrine
of Our Lady of Walsingham - a particularly sacred place in Norfolk
affectionately known as England's Nazareth, and where many Christians
frequently gather to worship the Lord. Many parishes and other groups
make their pilgrimage there, and my first encounter was with Adoremus
(a pilgrimage for young adults, aged eighteen to thirty-five). I
thoroughly enjoyed my first time at Walsingham, and as soon as our
weekend there ended, I found myself looking forward to my next
pilgrimage. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">During
the weekend, we had a series of workshops where we discussed various
aspects of Christian living, vocation, and practising evangelism. As
well as finding such a chance to openly discuss the Christian faith
with other like-minded people in this way particularly valuable, one
of the most significant things I was reminded of was how all
Christians have a common vocation in our Baptism. This is then
supplemented by our distinct vocations (such as to academia,
priesthood, teaching, nursing, foster care, a combination of these,
and many more). What a great joy, to be united with Christ and my
fellow brothers and sisters in Christ by our common Baptism, as well
as in the wide variety of ways in which God's gifts are manifest in
us and our lives. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We
spent many hours together in worship, and our first visit to the Holy
House is an experience which I will always remember. The stunning
altar and statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was most striking to me;
no amount of searching for pictures of the Shrine on Google Images
could have prepared me for the experience of actually visiting the
Shrine and praying there! Some of us returned there the following
evening spontaneously to say Evening Prayers together there. The Mass
at St. Mary's Parish Church was also very moving, together with a
procession of the Blessed Sacrament afterwards. But perhaps my
favourite service we all attended was on the Saturday evening - after
a beautiful Mass, we received the liturgy of Reconciliation
(including the anointing by the priests), and we then prayed for a
while afterwards in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the
Shrine Church. With no time limit, and no need to think of anything
else at all at that time, we could easily keep our eyes focused on
Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) - something we should always aim to do
throughout our lives, at all times and in all places, as best as we
can. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On
the Saturday afternoon of the pilgrimage, we had some free time. Many
walked the Holy Mile to the Slipper Chapel (something I would like to
do on my next pilgrimage to Walsingham); others stayed at the Shrine;
and some of us went for a nice and relaxing walk by the sea in Wells.
I was in the latter group, taking photos of the beautiful seascape as
I went. Especially since my first Walsingham pilgrimage, I now often
pray when I go to the beach. I'm often in Church when I pray;
certainly, I find it especially easy to focus on my prayer when I'm
in a magnificent building like St. Michael's Croydon. But I also feel
very lucky indeed to be able to pray anywhere - for God created all
things, and He is omnipresent (that is, present at all times and in
all places). To pray somewhere where the natural beauty of His
creation is so powerfully evident, such as at the beach, for me is
always a wonderful and moving experience. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
many ways, the Adoremus weekend felt to me like a retreat. A
different context; a different set of surroundings; a different
setting. Only the previous weekend, I'd been on a wonderful retreat
at Cumberland Lodge (Windsor) with the Chaplaincy of King's College
London; again, a weekend of interactive classes and other activities,
fellowship and worship, and in a different setting. This was also
very helpful to my process of discernment. But I think that while a
pilgrimage has all of these characteristics of a retreat, it is also
distinct from being a retreat; we make our pilgrimage to a particular
place, and - in the case of Walsingham - to a Shrine where Marian
apparitions have occurred, and to a place where Christians from all
around the country are drawn to see - and drawn to be. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Over
the past couple of months, I've observed the positive impact my first
visit to Walsingham has had on my journey in the discernment process,
my devotion (especially when praying the Angelus and the Rosary), and
my faith as a whole. Together with the experiences of my time so far
at St. Michael's, I feel I now have a much greater understanding and
appreciation of the person and role of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To
take a couple of further examples, I often think of that feeling of
awe when I first visited the stunning Holy House in the Anglican
Shrine - especially as I say Morning and Evening Prayers in Church.
Moreover, whenever I serve at Low Mass, I am usually either near or
facing the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham - a comforting daily
reminder to me of how a candle is lit in the Shrine Church at
Walsingham, where St. Michael's is prayed for there every day,
together with many other Churches. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One
of the things I loved the most about the pilgrimage was meeting the
community with whom I stayed there; like-minded people, new friends
and Church family, and we all had a wonderful time together. In
pilgrimage, in worship, in prayer, and of course in fellowship and
friendship during our free time at meals and at the pub! I will
continue to keep in touch with all those I met there, as we journey
onwards together in the Christian faith - and I'm hugely looking
forward to my next pilgrimage to Walsingham. </span></span></span></div>
<br />Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-29556746509690056202019-01-04T12:25:00.000-08:002019-01-04T12:25:34.721-08:00Jesus: His Parents and our parents<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Jesus: His Parents and
our Parents </b></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">By
William Lyon Tupman. </span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bible
passages used:</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mark
9; Matthew 1, 6; John 14, 19, 20; Galatians 3-4. </span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Today,
on the twentieth anniversary of my late Father's passing, I had a
very special experience at Mass. The priest asked me to do the
reading - this was Galatians 4:4-7, which speaks of how we are all
adopted as God's children, and by His grace and Holy Spirit we cry to
him "Abba! Father!" </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This
was no coincidence; God had this beautiful moment, during Mass today
at St Bartholomew's Church in Brighton, perfectly planned. I somehow
managed not to cry (in amazement) while I was doing the reading, when
I realised this! God works in beautiful and mysterious ways - and
infinitely more than I can describe. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As
many of you will know, both my Father and Mother died young during my
childhood. As a consequence, I went in to foster care, for six years.
My foster carers, among others, filled in and played the role of my
Parents as much as they could, helping me to come to terms with what
had happened in my life, helping me to progress along my journey, and
helping me to get into the world of university. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There
are many people who are being, or who have been, fostered at some
point in their lives - more than one may ordinarily imagine. Jesus
assures us that we will not be left as orphans (John 14:18) - and the
Messiah Himself needed to be fostered too! God the Father, while
sending us His Son into the world so that we may be saved, Himself
remained in Heaven - and appointed St. Joseph to be the foster-father
of our Lord and Saviour. While Jesus is of course fully divine, He is
also fully human - and He was just as needy as you and I during our
childhood. Thus, with the Father not being physically present with
the Son after His Incarnation at that first Christmas, the chaste St
Joseph was commissioned by an angel (Matthew 1:18-25) to become
Jesus's foster-father, raising and nurturing the young Lord, together
with his wife the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.</span> </span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most
of us have, or have had, a "normal" (however one defines
that word!) relationship with our parents. But many people haven't;
and yet, we still have more than one set of parents. Yes, more than
one set of parents! For, in addition to our Godparents and / or
Baptismal Sponsors, God Himself is our spiritual Father, together
with His representatives on earth. And the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of God, is our spiritual Mother. We are all God's children,
for Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 9:7), and since we are all siblings
in Christ (Galatians 3:26), we all now share in this beautiful truth.
Jesus Himself entrusts us to Mary, and Mary to us, in John 19:26-27. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After
Mass today, Fr David also very kindly gifted me a book on the Wisdom
of the Greek Fathers (compiled by Andrew Louth). In it, he wrote a
message wishing me well in my ministry in the Church. As well as
someday becoming a father to my future offspring, I am so excited to
hopefully becoming a father to the flocks God gives me in the Church,
providing the Bishop gives me the green light at my selection panel. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We
all have, or have sometime had, our parents - and we all still do,
thanks to the grace and salvific action of God. But in addition to
our own parents, we may in another sense also look to God Himself as
our Father, and the Blessed Virgin Mary as our Mother. God is Jesus's
Father and our Father; His God and our God (John 20:17). Let us now
pray in the way our Saviour Himself taught us: </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our
Father, who art in heaven, <br />hallowed be thy name; <br />thy kingdom
come; <br />thy will be done; <br />on earth as it is in heaven. <br />Give
us this day our daily bread. <br />And forgive us our trespasses, <br />as
we forgive those who trespass against us. <br />And lead us not into
temptation; <br />but deliver us from evil. <br />For thine is the
kingdom, <br />the power and the glory, <br />for ever and ever. <br />Amen. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mary,
Mother of God, Pray for us. </span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">St. Joseph, pray for us.</span> </span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-32299966497061519722018-12-10T06:17:00.001-08:002018-12-10T06:18:15.862-08:00Hymns and carols in worship and teaching, the Nicene Creed & the Incarnation<br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Reflections on the
Nicene Creed, Hymns, Carols and the Incarnation </b></u></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">By
William Lyon Tupman. For a Catechesis class at St. Michael's Croydon,
21</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">st</span></i></span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
November 2018. </span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><sup> </sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Focus
text: Nicene Creed; Come Thou Redeemer; A Great & Mighty Wonder;
O Come All Ye Faithful. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hymns,
carols, anthems, songs and other kinds of Christian music can help to
enrich our worship of God; indeed, St. Augustine is widely believed
to have once said "To sing is to pray twice." But hymns are
also intended to help teach and remind us of some very important
Christian doctrines, and in some cases as a response to some
heretical strands of theology which conflict with more orthodox
Christian doctrines. Let's now take a closer look at three Advent and
Christmas carols, examining the theology they teach and what heresies
they may be refuting - these carols being Come Thou Redeemer Of The
Earth; A Great and Mighty Wonder; and O Come All Ye Faithful. It's
best to now have have a copy of the Nicene Creed and the texts of
these hymns ready at hand to see, and also access to an audio or
visual recording, if possible. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Come
Thou Redeemer of the World was written by St Ambrose, who lived from
340-397 AD. He was an Archbishop of Milan, and was a staunch opponent
of Arianism (the heresy which rejects Christ's divine attribute of
pre-existence). He has also widely been regarded to be the Father of
Western Hymnody; he was responsible for introducing metrical hymns
into the liturgy. Perhaps his most famous hymn is the Te Deum – a
hymn of praise to God, which has been set to countless musical
settings in ancient and modern anthems and hymns. Here at St
Michael's, we also pray the Te Deum during the Divine Office (Morning
and Evening Prayer) on certain Feast Days and Solemnities. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
hymn is very theologically sound. The Virgin Birth is emphasises all
through from verses one to eight, and the heresy of Arianism is
particularly countered in verses five and six, which clearly state
that Jesus came from God the Father, is equal to Him, and goes back
to Him. To reiterate the refute against Arianism, verse two sets the
word "Begotten" on a melisma, for further emphasis - Christ
is, as the Nicene Creed states, "Begotten, not made," and
the text "the Word of God in flesh arrayed" is set to a
descending melodic contour; would that is most appropriate for the
Incarnation (using a musical technique called word-painting).
Moreover, verse three reminds us of how Mary is the Mother of God,
since God now dwells in her womb as His Temple - a title perhaps to
clarify the often more frequently heard "Mother of Christ",
and therefore emphasising how Christ is fully divine as well as fully
human. The loud dynamics of verses six and eight, in addition,
reflect and further emphasise some of the most important aspects of
St. Ambrose's message - a nice, Credal summary. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
Great and Mighty Wonder is a carol written by St. Germanus, who lived
from 378-448 AD, set to music by the German composer Michael
Praetorius, who lived from 1571-1621. This popular hymn, which is
often performed at the annual carol service from King's College
Cambridge, emphasises the nature of the Virgin birth of Jesus. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
obedience of Mary is greatly contrasted with the disobedience of Eve,
a theme initially bought into the spotlight by St. Ireneaus, Bishop
of Lugdunum (now modern-day Lyon); this is particularly evident in
verse one (“The Virgin bears the Infant, with virgin-honour
pure!”). Moreover, the hymn alludes to both the First and Second
Comings of Christ - first, how Christ comes in the flesh at
Christmas, by His Incarnation (verse two), and how He will come again
at the end of time (verse five) - all in the same hymn. This is
highly relevant for our practice as Christians in Advent, a time in
which we commemorate and celebrate the first coming of Christ, and
also we prepare for and anticipate His second coming. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">O
Come All Ye Faithful, is a Christmas carol usually attributed to the
English hymn writer John Francis Wade (1711-1786). It is perhaps one
of the most well-known and best-loved Christmas carols of all time;
indeed, it is sung in Churches, Chapels, Cathedrals and in all kinds
of settings every year, and is a perennial favourite. In addition,
while it was written long after the heresy of Arianism first surfaced
centuries ago, it is one of the most Credal carols we have today, as
it sets to counter heresies as they resurfaced. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
full divinity and full humanity of our Lord is emphasised throughout
this carol - and, together with the words of glorification and praise
to God, the text of the Nicene Creed features prominently in this
carol. This is most clearly evident in the words of verse two, which
quotes the Creed verbatim with "God of God, Light of Light...
Very God, begotten, not created." This again strongly reiterates
the Divine attribute of pre-existence which Christ has, while at the
same time also rejecting Arianism. Additionally, with fewer words to
set to the music, the notes are held for longer; one could almost
imagine the Creed being spelt out in block capital letters in this
verse, especially with the melisma clearly emphasising "Very
God". Furthermore, in the final verse (which is normally only
sung on Christmas Day itself, unless the tense of some of the words
are cleverly altered just as the Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian
Union do at their carol services!), Jesus is described as the "Word
of the Father," set to a striking chord which draws much extra
attention to the word it is set to. This clearly demonstrates a high
Christological view of Jesus, that identifies Him as the "Word"
of Genesis 1 and John 1. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hymns
and carols, as these three examples demonstrate, are of course here
to assist us in our worship and prayer to God – and to sing to Him
the praise that is due. But they also reiterate vitally important
Christian teachings and understandings, especially in order to
maintain orthodoxy over heresy. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So
next time you're singing hymns or carols, perhaps ask yourself the
following questions: </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;">→
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Text:
What is the message of this song? </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;">→
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Music:
How does the music express this message? </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;">→
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Context:
What was happening at the time; when and why was the text written? </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<br />Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-90489322276311023542018-12-03T02:11:00.002-08:002018-12-03T02:11:57.980-08:00Pope Benedict XVI, the Incarnation & methods of Biblical study<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI, the Incarnation & methods of Biblical study </b></u></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">By
William Lyon Tupman. For a Catechesis class at St. Michael's Croydon,
15</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></i></span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
November 2018.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><sup> </sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Focus
text: Pope Benedict XVI, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jesus
of Nazareth (vol. 3). Bible passages: Mt. 1; Lk. 3; Gen. 1; Jn 1. </span></i></span></span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In our Catechesis sessions this term at St Michael's, we are studying
the Incarnation - and alongside our study, as part of our pastoral
assistants' formation programme, we are also studying the infancy
narratives of Jesus Christ as written about by Pope Benedict XVI.
Here are a few of my reflections on his methodology, as he writes on
aspects of the Incarnation. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pope
Benedict XVI highlights the importance of equally appreciating the
authority of Scripture, tradition and reason in the formation and
understanding of Christian doctrine. This is, to me, very important;
we human beings are finite and limited, whereas God is infinite and
eternal. Thus, our own analysis and understanding of the Bible may
well be good, but we can never fully comprehend what God has not yet
revealed to us. Yet, using the God-given gift of reason, together
with the tradition of the Church as instituted by Christ Himself, we
may have a good understanding of the message of the Gospel, as
revealed to us by God through Christ Jesus. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This
concept is helpful when contemplating the infancy narratives of
Jesus, which Pope Benedict XVI writes extensively about. The four
Gospels do not tell us very much at all about Jesus's life as a baby
and a child; indeed we see nothing in Mark or John, and only
something in Matthew and Luke. Both Matthew 1 and Luke 3 offer
genealogies - almost in the form of a family tree - leading to the
birth of Jesus. Yet, upon reading and comparing these, some of the
names and details differ. If one interprets the Scriptures literally
in this instance, one is left with an uneasy conflict - with no easy
explanation as to why there isn't a single and consistent record of
Christ's genealogy in the Bible. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But
when Biblical interpretation is carried out together with the
Church's tradition, by the discernment of our God-given reason, it is
still possible to both authoritatively and confidently comprehend
these genealogies, as well as other Biblical passages of all kinds
and genres. Pope Benedict XVI recognises this, and also how, in this
instance, the spiritual significance is more important than the
literal accuracy of these genealogies, with regard to Jesus's earthly
origins and lineage; His Heavenly heritage and pre-existence is of an
infinitely greater degree of significance than His earthly lineage,
along with the immediate Holy Family. Yet, while literal accuracy can
sometimes be of secondary importance, it is certainly crucial in many
other passages of Scripture - namely all the aspects of the life,
teaching, passion, death and resurrection of Christ. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
the light of Pope Benedict's writings and these theological
understandings, can one believe the Incarnation literally happened as
we see in the Bible? One may wonder how such a thing is biologically
possible - but we can have full confidence that the Incarnation, and
the Virgin Birth, happened. For God, all things are possible - He is
omnipotent, or all-powerful. The Incarnation is a manifestation of
the Holy Trinity - just as God the Father brought creation into being
through His pre-existent Son by the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1, John 1),
God the Father sends the Holy Spirit to Mary to make her conceive, to
bear God the Son. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />Certainly, stories like this are perhaps
overpowering in everyday terms; indeed, Mary herself seems perplexed
at first when the Angel Gabriel announces good news to her. But Mary
is contemplative, and her humble, free acceptance of the angelic
message is crucial - as well as serving as an example and role model
for our faith, her openness and response to God allows the Dear
Christ to enter in to the world, to be in and with the world. She
says yes, and then it happens; as Karl Barth writes, God intervenes,
and reveals Himself in the Incarnation. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Perhaps
most importantly, this is the attitude we should always have when
studying the Scriptures, and theology in general - to be open to the
Spirit of God, and especially as we learn more about the life and
Gospel of His Son - a balance which Pope Benedict XVI attains
excellently.</span></span> </span></span></span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-81190298115255357222018-11-08T05:47:00.001-08:002018-11-08T06:01:31.698-08:00St. Athanasius, the Incarnation & the Trinity<br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Reflections on St
Athanasius, the Incarnation and the Trinity </b></u></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">By
William Lyon Tupman. For a Catechesis class at St. Michael's Croydon,
7</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></i></span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
November 2018. </span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><sup> </sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Focus
text: St. Athanasius, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">On
The Incarnation. </span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bible
passages used: Mark 1; Matthew 3; Luke 3. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 0.18cm; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">St.
Gregory of Nazianzus highlights some of the most admirable qualities
of St Athanasius, which we can all strive for; namely that he is
accessible to all, slow to anger, quick in sympathy, pleasant in
conversation and temper, effective in discourse and action, assiduous
in devotions, helpful to all kinds of Christians of all ages and
classes, a theologian with the speculative, a comforter of the
afflicted, a staff to the elderly and a guide for the young. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />These
are qualities which I aspire towards, both as a theologian and in my
daily life. St. Athanasius is clearly an academic theologian, which
all practising theologians of all religious and spiritual persuasions
are. Yet, he is crucially also a very pastoral theologian. This is
just as important - and, arguably, even more important - since one of
our primary goals as Christian theologians is to further our faith's
understanding, and to assist others in a similar way as best we can,
as we journey onward together in the Christian faith and life. There
are many other theologians who write both pastorally as well as
academically – for example, Pope Benedict XVI, Rabbi Jonathan
Sacks, and Archbishop Rowan Williams. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />The
Incarnation and the Trinity are, to me, two of the most significant
Christian doctrines - and St. Athanasius writes and preaches about
them both. Chiefly, by His incarnation, Jesus - who has always
existed - becomes both fully human and fully divine (Philippians
2:5-11). Furthermore, St. Athanasius's belief that Christ is of one
being with the Father - that is, homoousios - goes hand in hand with
our modern-day understanding of the Trinity, in which the one God is
revered as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - one God in three Persons,
the blessed Trinity. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Graham
Greene, in his novel <i>Monsignor Quixote, </i>illustrates a helpful
analogy of the Trinity within the context of his story, when a priest
and a mayor enjoy three bottles of wine at a picnic. They have three
different bottles, but they all contain the same wine within them. It
is the same substance, with the same origin and property, that is
manifest in the three different bodies. In a similar way, the same
and one God is manifest in three Persons – the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />Superficially,
the Trinity may not appear to be Biblical; indeed, the word "Trinity"
is never seen in the canon of Scripture. However, the Trinity is
heavily Biblical, and there are some powerful manifestations of the
Trinity in the Bible. To exemplify, the Trinity is seen in the
creation, in which the Father brings creation into being through the
Son by his breath or Spirit (Genesis 1; John 1); and, later on,
following the Incarnation, at the Baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit
descends upon Jesus like a dove as His Father proclaims the Christ to
be His Son (Mark 1; Matthew 3; Luke 3). Moreover, the whole of Christian life
may itself reflect the nature of God as Trinity; by His incarnation,
Jesus enables us to come to God the Father, by the power and gifts of
the Holy Spirit – especially the gift of prayer. </span></span></span></div>
<br />Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-4548702183203787432018-08-29T12:27:00.003-07:002018-08-29T12:31:35.485-07:00The Parable of the Prodigal Son: repentance & helping others<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) </span></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></i>
<i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">By William Lyon Tupman. Reflections based on a Bible Study evening, St. George's Church, Lisbon. </span></i></i></div>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">29th August, 2018. Bible passages used (NRSV): Luke 15:11-32 (see also Luke 10:25-37, 15:1-10). </span></i></span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></i>
<br />
The Parable of the Prodigal son is a well-known, well-loved passage which displays some of the core values of Christianity, together with the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15:1-7 and the Parable of the Lost Coin in Luke 15:8-10. These passages can be a helpful and comforting reminder that wherever we are in our relationship and journey with God, God is always present. He is more ready to hear than we are to pray, and he loves us freely, infinitely and unconditionally. <br />
<br />
Here is an account of, and some reflections on, Jesus's Parable of the Good Samaritan, found in Luke 15:11-32. <br />
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Luke 15:11: "Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ 20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. <br />
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25 “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’"<br />
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Free will is given to us by God, as a free gift; how we respond to this gift is our choice. In Luke 15:11-16, we see how the younger son chooses to live an extravagant lifestyle. For him, while this gave him a short time of enjoyment, he would later discover that such a lifestyle was unsustainable and he runs into problems. God probably would not intent for us to misuse our free will, but by the very nature of what free will is, God does not intervene; but He does not abandon the younger son. <br />
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In Luke 15:17-19, we see a radical change in character in the younger son. He is now truly and genuinely repentant, and makes a new commitment; but what might have caused this? There are several possibilities – his running out of money, his conscience, a revelation from God, (whether or not the younger son consciously recognises it), a combination of these factors, or something else we are not told. Whenever we might make a mistake, it may be any of these or other things which help to bring us back; God has many ways of bringing us back to Him. <br />
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The son's father appears to have chosen to freely forgive his younger son before the latter apologises to him, in Luke 15:20-24. So, did the younger son even need to repent? If the father in the parable represents God the Father, then yes. God is omniscient; that is, He is all-knowing, and He knows immediately when one repents of their sins. This is a beautiful example of how joyful God is when we truly turn to Him - again and again - and when we use our God-given free will correctly (even when we don't get it right first time)! <br />
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The father has rolled out the red carpet for his repentant – and forgiven – younger son. But his older son has always been faithful, and expresses his jealousy in Luke 15:25-30; how fair is this for the older son, and is he justified to feel like this? Perhaps so; it is a natural human reaction, and having always been faithful he wishes to receive his due reward too. But perhaps he has missed the point as to how significant his brother's return was, given the progress he has made from times before; a point illustrated further by Jesus in Luke 15:7, when he concludes the Parable of the Lost Sheep by proclaiming “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” This is also the message of the father in Luke 15:31-32; he reassures his older son that he will still be rewarded, and also how great the scale of the change in his younger son is; this should be recognised by his older brother. <br />
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Who are the characters, and who do they represent? In Jesus's parable here, the father represents God, and the two sons represent two different possible responses to God's free invitation to us. But the characters could also represent anyone; are you, or have you been like the father, or one or both of the two sons? Do you know anyone who you can help; perhaps especially someone who is in spiritual need? A friend, or a family member? Sometimes there are many ways in which we can help people in need; yet at other times, there are fewer ways. Sometimes the ways in which we can help are obvious; other times, they are less so. <br />
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Often the most important thing, in all kinds of circumstances, is being there for someone. Listening, being as understanding as possible of them and their potential needs, and offering any advice we can. While some things may well be impossible for people, Jesus reminds us in Matthew 19:26 that for God “all things are possible.”; thanks be to God. <br />
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When we sin, God is always ready for us to come back to Him; always more ready to hear than we are to pray, and He loves us freely, infinitely and unconditionally. Thanks be to God! Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-38981579057515042992018-07-15T11:03:00.001-07:002018-07-15T11:03:25.823-07:00Our journey in life: listening to God's Call<br />
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<b><u>Our journey in life: listening to God's Call</u></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">By William Lyon Tupman. Preached at the Sunday Eucharist at St. Paul´s Estoril and St. George´s Lisbon, Portugal. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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15th July, 2018. Bible readings: <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Amos
7:7-15, Psalm 85:8-13, Ephesians 1:3-14, Mark 6:14-29. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">May
the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable in
your sight, O Lord our strength and redeemer. Amen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We
are all on a journey; as individuals in our daily lives, as families, as
friends, as our Church gathered here today, as well as the wider Christian
Church, and beyond. Here I am; this is where I am, on my journey at the moment,
here on placement as I explore what my vocation is, or what my vocations are,
in the Church. </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">It is a real pleasure for me to be here, to meet you, and to have this opportunity to serve God and serve you in this way; thank you all. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Fr. Philip, who is the curate at the Church I´ll be serving at
from September for a year (St. Michael´s Church in Croydon, South London), is
being ordained priest today -</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">a
significant milestone in his journey in faith and in life. Many of my friends
from university are preparing for the next stage in their lives - whether
that´s continuing on to the next academic year of their studies, or graduating
and moving on to a career, further training or study, or taking some time to
relax and maybe also travel. Many of you will have been on journeys which have
taken you to several different parts of the world; and what a variety of
different careers, lifestyles and stories everyone here today will be able to
tell! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Our
journeys in life have many features and characteristics - quite like a long
road trip. Our life-long road trip, comprising of several different sections. Sometimes
the journey is easy, and the road is free-flowing; other times, it is not, with
unforeseen circumstances causing a delay or other hindrance in our journey. Sometimes
we may be progressing along our way for ages before the next resting point or
landmark; other times our next chapter may be just around the corner. Sometimes
the route is obvious, and well signposted; other times it is less so. Most of
the time, we´ll probably be able to follow our planned route; but, even when we
think we have everything planned out, occasionally we might need to take a
diversion, and the new route may well be unfamiliar and unknown. Or, some might
be on a journey where they have no idea at all where they are going; perhaps
with ideas, yet perhaps also totally unsure, and wondering what to do when a
fork in the road meets us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But
still moving. We are all moving. We are all travelling. And we are all making
progress. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Sometimes
you might come to a signpost along the way that directs you in a particular way.
It may or may not give you a choice. Some may say "Dual Carriageway
ahead," or maybe even "Motorway ahead." "Next destination
300km to go," followed by a gentle reminder that there´s "No stopping"
even if you want to. These may be fine for most drivers - if you´re experienced
and comfortable with what you´re doing. But if you´re new to the road - starting
a radically new chapter in your life - they may be a little daunting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Some
signs are such that we do not need to particularly worry about them. In England
we have these somewhat hilarious signs which read "Plant crossing the
road" - I assume this refers to tractors moving from one field to another,
because I must say I´ve not yet seen trees uprooting themselves and walking
across the road! Other signs are more helpful, like a roadworks sign in advance
of a set of traffic light; even if it looks like a person having an argument
with their faulty umbrella. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But
if we deliberately ignore important signposts along the way, we could be headed
for trouble. There´s suddenly a speed restriction in place on that motorway,
and your lane has been unexpectedly closed just ahead; you´ll need to change
lanes. Another road has just been closed due to roadworks, and you´ll have to
take a detour. And there is a traffic light, which is lit red. It would be
ridiculous to ignore signs like these; and I think we would all follow these
signs and signals whenever we see them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">These
signs are often in the form of commands. Some examples of these in the Bible
are the Ten Commandments received by Moses and the people in Exodus, and
Jesus´s command to us to love one another in St. John´s Gospel. As we saw in
our first reading today from Amos 7, the people did not listen to God, and
deliberately ignored His important commandments - and were punished by means of
exile. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Some
signs are obvious; as are many in life. But many other signs are less obvious,
and we have to look more carefully. We have to listen more carefully; that´s
certainly something I´ve found at times. I attended a Benedictine school, which
was attached to a monastery where the monks follow the Rule of St. Benedict.
St. Benedict, who is revered as a patron Saint of Europe, began his Rule book
with this crucial word: "Listen." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Psalm
85 today reminds us of the importance of this. If we listen to God, and if we
seek His ways, He can inspire us, by the grace and direction of His Holy
Spirit, and He will give us reward. God asks that we listen to Him and follow
Him, as best as we can; He does not expect perfection. We are not perfect; I`m
certainly not perfect, although of course we can strive to live as well as we
possibly can, with the help of God. For us, some things may be impossible; but
nothing is impossible with God. Psalm 85 also reminds us that we have
forgiveness, and that our sins are pardoned; this is something that is opened
to all of us, by the works of Jesus Christ, and is manifest in us in many ways
- from the moment of our Baptism onwards, and especially every time we receive
Christ - who is always present, at all times and in all places, and especially
when we meet Him in the Eucharist. We may always receive His direction by being
open to the grace and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He always increases what
is good, and this is something He will continually bring about in us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We
all know that we are on a journey, together and as ourselves; and so do many
others. But do others know exactly what kind of journey they are on? Maybe. At
the end of our reading from Amos, we have a commission to prophecy. Yes, this
is a historical text, intended for the audience and recipients at the time; but
it is also a call and commission for us today, since God´s word is eternal. We
can both give and receive help to and from each other, since God is at work in
us. I am a keen runner, and yesterday I took part with Fr Frank and Jim in my
first Hash run in the countryside nearby; and we all finished the course by
helping each other, navigating the course and the directions laid out for us.
We followed the signs; we appreciated them; and we helped each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So,
we try our best to listen to God, and to how He is directing us in our journeys
in life. But does God listen to us, when we pray? Indeed, He does; because He
knows us. In our reading from St. Paul´s Epistle to the Ephesians today, we
learn how Jesus Himself chose us. Just as Psalm 139 details how God knew us as
He knit us together in our mothers´ wombs, Jesus has always known us - and
still does - and always will. And that´s very reassuring! He knows us
throughout our whole journeys, and even when we do not know where we are headed
on our journeys, He does; again, this can be very reassuring. We are adopted as
His very children from the moment of Baptism, into His life, death and
resurrection - and, as a result, our inheritance - our salvation - is indeed
ours. This is a free gift from God to all; a relationship with Him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">God
has a plan. He is omniscient; that is, He is all-knowing. This is especially
reassuring, especially when we remember how we don´t know everything. All we
need to do is listen to Him on our journey in life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So,
let us freely accept God’s free invitation, and to look for opportunities to
love and serve Him and our neighbours, empowered through having faith in Him. Let
us always abide by this, and encourage our siblings in Christ to do the same. In
the name of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-80559506444352866182018-07-06T09:05:00.001-07:002018-07-06T09:05:20.891-07:00Nothing is impossible; everything is possible. Realise your potential; achieve your goals. <br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Nothing is impossible;
everything is possible. Realise your potential; achieve your goals. </u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>By
William Lyon Tupman. Speech at the ELAC Virtual School Graduation
Ceremony, North Yorkshire County Council, County Hall, Northallerton. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Suggested
Bible readings: Matthew 19:26, Luke 1:37. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">I'm delighted to be here with you today to bring to you
my message and story, as we celebrate all of our great achievements. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">First, I would like to offer my sincere congratulations
to you all, for what you have done; we are all here today to
celebrate our own and each other's achievements, and – especially
considering what some of us have been through – these are hugely
significant. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">I'm twenty-three years old, and used to be in foster
care from the ages of thirteen to eighteen, and then also staying put
for an additional year with my foster family. I'm now a Master's
student at university, and I'm currently on the road to becoming a
vicar in the Church of England. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">My message to you is this: nothing is impossible, and
everything is possible. Realise your potential, and achieve your
goals. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">My Father passed on very shortly after my fourth
birthday, in 1999, and this was one of the reasons why my Mother
decided to educate me at home. I lived at home with my Mother, until
she passed on in 2008 when I was thirteen. I then moved in with my
Godparents, and later that year I moved into foster care, and I also
started school. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">While I have always been a Christian, it was at this
time that I realised my absolute dependence on God, and became a more
fully practising Christian. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">So, there was a lot of change in my life, in a very
short space of time. In the space of just a few months, I'd been
orphaned, I'd started school, and I'd moved homes twice. To help me
come to terms with, and to understand, everything that had happened,
I had five years of counselling, and my social workers were also
particularly helpful at this time. I'd say I relied quite heavily on
the first three years of my counselling; the latter two years were
still very helpful of course, but by that point I'd processed and
worked through a lot; I'd become much happier, and therefore the
remaining counselling sessions became more of a safety net. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">I had a lot of fun at school; I discovered one of my
favourite hobbies (cross country running), I made lots of friends, I
learned how to play the flute, I continued singing in choirs, and it
is also where I discovered my love of academic study. It was also the
first time someone – the late Fr. Francis Dobson OSB, monk of
Ampleforth Abbey and College, York – told me I may have a vocation
to ordained ministry – and he continually encouraged me in my
journey until his passing a few months ago. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">My teachers were all extremely helpful and encouraging
in helping me to prepare for university. By this time, I had also
moved to live with a different foster family, who were instrumental
in encouraging me in aiming high and applying to some universities
I'd never have even thought of applying to. At first, I had never
even thought of applying to Cambridge University, but my foster
family and teachers all said I should. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">And so I did. And, as a result, I studied my BA Degree
in Theology and Religious Studies, at Girton College Cambridge, from
2014-2017. I absolutely loved it; I met lots of new friends, I worked
in the Chapel, I sung in the Chapel Choir, I served two terms on the
Freshers' Committee, I ran for the University's cross country team, I
captained the College's cross country team, I wrote a few essays, I
went to lots of parties, and I even became involved in a bit of
student politics! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">During my time at Cambridge, I began my Discernment
Process with the Church of England, and my College Chaplain (Fr
Malcolm Guite), vocations advisor (Fr Geoff Dumbreck) and my Diocesan
Director of Ordinands (Rev'd Anna Matthews) all helped me embark on
my vocational search within the Church – and still do so today. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
also filmed a short documentary for Fixers UK, a charity which works
to make young peoples' voices heard on a variety of topics, and
crucially therefore raising awareness. Filming in Cambridge, they
interviewed me as I told my story and set out my message of
encouragement to everyone who is in foster care or adoption, as well
as foster carers, adoptive parents and members of staff in local
authorities across the country. The story was aired on ITV News
Anglia in April 2017; if you'd like to see it, here is a link to the
feature: </span></span></span><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiLaNXr2ELY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiLaNXr2ELY</a> </span></span></span></u></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">I
enjoyed my time at university so much, I decided that I'd like to
study further, and that's where I'm now at today. I'm studying for a
Masters in Biblical Studies and Theology, at King's College London,
where I'm having a great time. I've also met many wonderful new
friends, and I've joined more societies – political, athletic, and
ThinkMental, which is an organisation which campaigns for and raises
awareness for mental health. I'm very shortly about to submit my
dissertation, which is a thesis on the ordination of women to the
priesthood in the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches, ecumenism,
and Biblical interpretations and ideas relating to the subjects. It's
very interesting, and I'm hugely enjoying it! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Next
year, I will be a Lay Pastoral Assistant at St. Michael's Church,
Croydon, Greater London. The journey I am now on with the Church is
indeed a very exciting one, and I will be also serving my next parish
placement in Portugal at St. George's Church, Lisbon, and St. Paul's
Church, Estoril, for a fortnight. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Finally,
I would like to thank all my wonderful friends, my family, my foster
families, the Church, all the team at North Yorkshire County Council,
my teachers, lecturers and everyone else for helping make and develop
me into the person I am today. Even at times when I thought such
things were impossible for me to attain, it was the continuous
support, encouragement and help I received along the way which helped
make these things possible, and I love my happy, blessed life. I am
so grateful, and I really hope that this shows that </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">nothing
is impossible, and everything is possible. </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Nothing is impossible; everything is possible. Realise
your potential; achieve your goals. Good luck to you all, and God
Bless.</span> </div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797481467526202645.post-27989318009468374412017-08-20T09:58:00.001-07:002017-08-20T09:59:12.635-07:00God's covenant with us: our relationship with God and with others<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><b><u>God's covenant with us: our relationship with God and with others </u></b></span></div>
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<i>By William Lyon Tupman. Preached at the Sung Eucharist at St. Thomas
the Apostle, South Wigston. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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20<sup>th</sup>
August, 2017. Bible readings: Readings: Isaiah 56:1, 6-8, Psalm 67, Romans
11:1-2a, 29-32, Matthew 15:(1-10), 21-28. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">May
the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable in
your sight, O Lord our strength and redeemer. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Maintain justice, and do what is
right.” </span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Don’t worry, I’m not going to
attempt to go through the readings line-by-line! This command the Lord gives
here sums up much of the relationship between God and his people. This
relationship is God’s covenant with us, a distinct theme we encounter in our
readings today. The writer here is likely writing after the Israelites had been
restored and returned from the exile. This was a time when the Israelites had
been punished for their disobedience against God, but through God’s mercy He
had not forgotten them; instead, he forgave them and brought them back. God’s
faith is steadfast, in his covenant with us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What
exactly is a covenant, and why is it so important? A covenant has several
characteristics. It is a two-way agreement, or a promise, involving two or more
individuals or groups of people. Some covenants are small; a few years ago, a
couple of friends asked my Mother and I if we could look after their pet cat
for a couple of weeks while they went on holiday, in return for letting us stay
in their house for free (and I actually cat-sat again just last week for some
of my family!). Other covenants are bigger, such as the agreement between the
people involved in the transfer of deeds when buying or selling a house. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There
are several major examples of covenant in the Bible, initiated by God – God’s covenant
with Noah, the people and the whole earth; with Abraham and his descendants; with
Moses and the Israelites; with David and more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Now
these are all pretty big covenants; God often promises these individuals and
their nations many descendants and much land, which are two of the most
desirable goals of these times. The covenant here in Isaiah 56, however, is
even bigger than any of these covenants on their own. It engulfs these
covenants, and expands upon them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In
earlier times, God made covenants exclusively with individuals like Abraham and
their descendants. Anyone outside of this covenant was not to be included, and
if anyone in the covenant disobeyed they would often be punished for breaking
the covenant by being “cut off” from the covenant. But that is no longer the
case here – this is God’s all-inclusive covenant, for all people, and Isaiah
56:5 tells us it is “everlasting.” It is an open invitation, to all of
creation. We see how foreigners will be gathered alongside those already
gathered. That means God’s originally chosen people of Israel, plus everyone
else – Gentiles, us Christians, all people – are freely invited to share in the
same benefits, “to the ends of the earth” as the author of Psalm 67 writes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Paul
in his letter to the Romans remembers this, too. In our passage from Romans 11
today the apostle is quick to dismiss any notion of God rejecting his people;
for that he would have to forget and abandon His covenant, which God logically
cannot do with this everlasting covenant. His gifts and calling are, as Paul
says, “irrevocable.” Therefore, we need not fear that God would ever turn away
from us. Even if and when we sin, we still receive His forgiveness and mercy.
He is faithful forever; His love endures forever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That’s
a lot about God choosing to include us – all of us, without exception. But what
about us choosing God? How do we respond to God’s open, generous and
all-inclusive invitation? We are invited to respond by choosing to accept God’s
freely initiated covenant. This is the two-way agreement; a typical form of
covenant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It’d
be impossible for us to repay Him to the degree He delivers for us; but God
does not expect us to be perfect. He asks of us what each of us can give. We
can of course bring God worship and prayer here at Church, or indeed anywhere;
but there are lots of little (and big) things we can do, and what we do for
others we do also for God. We can welcome guests to eat and stay with us (thank
you, Fr. Chris and Laura!); we can counsel those in need; we can give a meal to
the homeless person by the supermarket; we can sponsor someone on their charity
project by donating to them or their online fundraising page on the Internet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Now
this all sounds very nice, but isn’t it a rather tall order? I certainly know
I’d love to help every homeless person I see, and having lived in cities for the
past few years, unfortunately I see many people who are homeless. I always help
them when I can, but it just isn’t always possible for me to help them.
Sometimes, we just don’t have the means; other times, things can be too much
for us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Yet,
provided we are willing to help, God does – or helps us to do – what we are sometimes
unable to do alone. Think of when we support someone who is being baptised, or
a couple getting married. When the priest or deacon asks us for our support, we
respond, “With the help of God, we will.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In
our Gospel reading today, no matter how willing she was, there was no way the
Canaanite woman could herself have healed her daughter. Yet as soon as she displays
her faith, Jesus is “instantly” able to heal her daughter without delay. Here, in
God’s covenant with us, Jesus’s willingness to heal and act is God’s offer; our
response is to have faith and trust in Him, knowing God freely and gracefully
blesses us. God is with us – and, as we see in Isaiah 56 – this is an
invitation that is open to all of us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">God’s
covenant with us unites us with God. Jesus is referred to in our Gospel reading
as the “Son of David” – one of the many titles of Jesus in the New Testament.
This alludes to the covenant God made with David and his offspring. The
all-inclusive covenant seen in Isaiah 56 therefore includes this covenant too –
another way we are united to Jesus, as well as through our Baptism as
Christians being united into his death and resurrection, and by encountering
Him in the Eucharist. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And
we can encounter Jesus in each other; God is omnipresent, or present at all
times and in all places, and in each and every one of us. Therefore when we are
with each other – when we help each other – we are with Jesus, and helping
Jesus. We are accepting God’s invitation, God’s covenant, which He so freely
offers to us all – no matter how great or small our actions are. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I
pray that we may always continue to look for opportunities to accept God’s free
invitation, by loving and serving Him and our neighbours, empowered through
having faith in Him. In the name of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Will Lyon Tupmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09226558230210348555noreply@blogger.com0