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In July this year, the Lambeth Conference will begin which
takes place every 10 years at the invitation of the
Archbishop of Canterbury. Over 800 Bishop and spouses will
attend.
The Conference will have exciting topics which would enthral
you all: Hermeneutics and Biblical interpretation,
ecumenical management, the role of Bishops, gender and
sexuality, HIV/Aids and no doubt woman Bishops!!
High on the debate will be the great splits which are
appearing across the Anglican Church not the least of these
will be same sex relationships.
Thankfully I will be away on holiday for the most of the
conference and so I look forward to reading reports when I
return!
This week a tramp came to the Rectory Door – I was rushing
from a funeral to change quickly to go out. I was a late. He
said, ‘I know that you are in a rush but could you make me a
cup of tea’. Of course I could. He had a cup of tea, a
double-decker cheese sandwich and some money. He is one of
my regulars. Very polite, very caring and very honest.
The Church must be available for people and to be interested
in its community. Often you visit Churches which are like
static museums, and Church communities which are so
interested in their own self -preservation that they have
lost their way. Not everything must revolve around the
Parish Share, Church insurance or the Restoration Fund.
In St Luke 15 1-10 we read of a shepherd who had lost one of
his sheep, and a woman who had lost a precious coin because
it was probably a day’s wages.
In our society many people feel lost and they consider that
the Church has let them down. People would be believe in the
Church if the Church showed more interest in them. In former
day the Church was at the heart of society and making sure
that people were cared for. There are still good examples of
the Church’s care but so often the Parish Churches which you
see around the country are very sterile to visit, and have
little welcome.
My wife enquired recently about an event in a village in
Norfolk. She was greeted by a gruff Vicar on the telephone,
who was frankly was quite rude and unhelpful. We decided not
to go to the event after all. It rained anyway!
Soon this Church will be one of the Diocesan Gateway
Churches with an increase welcome and helping people to
visit other nearby Church and places of interest.
With those coming will be people with major problems and
worries. We must never be too rushed to help.
When I first came to Norwich I had a major personal problem
and knocked on the door of a local Vicar on the outskirts of
the city. I was wearing a clerical collar. He made some
excuse for not seeing me and asked me to see his curate down
the road. I knocked on the curate’s door and was greeted by
the curate who was going out and too busy to see me. I felt
completely let down. I still feel very hurt.
I hope this church is different. People always come first.
May be the next knock on the door will our Lord returning –
we should never turn people away who are in need.
My prayer is that the Lambeth Conference will see the Church
stronger and it will only do so, if it sees the moral and
church problems we have as opportunities for unity and not
excuses for disunity.
Adrian Bell
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