15 Mill Fields
Shepherdswell
DOVER
Kent
CT15 7LN
Tel: 01304 832861 mobile: 07725 475857
Email: HarveyCTK[at]aol.com
Dear friends,
It is a great joy to be writing in my first 'Newspoints' for Churches Together in Kent.
As I have only just begun my work as County Ecumenical Officer, I feel that my knowledge of current and forthcoming events and items of news is rather limited. However, there are at least two major issues calling for our attention - the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Scotland and England 16-19 September, and the 'We are all Chaplains Now 3' event at Aylesford Priory on 27 October arranged by Kent Workplace Mission - and a few other matters relating to our new ways of working as CTK.
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The Visit of the Pope
This is a great moment in the life of the whole Church. As Churches Together in Kent this provides us with a specific opportunity to thank God for the life and witness of the Roman Catholic Church. On the final day of the visit (Sunday 19 September) Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate the beautification of Cardinal John Henry Newman in Birmingham.
It is fascinating that Newman's famous poem 'The Dream of Gerontius' (set to music by that quintessential English composer Edward Elgar [whose family roots lie firmly in the Dover area of Kent]) is loved as much by Protestants as by Catholics. Even the earliest performances of this great work in the first years of the twentieth century were received far more excitedly in the heartland of Protestant Germany than in Elgar's and Newman's Midlands England!
There is something strangely powerful about expressing ourselves by playing and singing different themes and melodies together at the same time; and who can resist 'Praise to the holiest in the height!' in full harmony?
It is our dearest hope that the Papal Visit will foster a renewed desire for all Churches to love, serve and worship God in full harmony. Gone are the days when the true Church of God can sing only one tune in unison! Away with such sentiments as 'Ours is the one true Church!' and 'All others will never be quite right until they become one with us!'
May the visit of Pope Benedict be remembered, less as a time for venting our anger over child abuse, etc, and more as a time for all God's people to rediscover the joys of reconciled diversity, variation and variety, along with the wonders of living 'better together'!
- We are all Chaplains Now 3
I am attaching with these 'Newspoints' a flyer which gives details of this event at Aylesford Priory on 27 October. This is a further opportunity to learn more about being Christians in the High Street, and to support the sterling work of the Kent Workplace Mission. It provides ways of engaging with our faith in the world of work, commerce, materialism and commercialism. No doubt it will pick up the same threads of diversity and the benefits of living the Christian life and bearing our Christian witness together with others.
It has been famously said 'The Church exists for Mission as a fire exists for burning' (I think by Max Warren); surely it can also be said that 'If the Church's Mission is to be effective, it can no longer be done separately, it must be done ecumenically, together'. I warmly commend this important study day to you all.
- Other matters
This month's 'Newspoints' give me the opportunity to express our huge thanks and appreciation to Fr David Vannerley who has worked tirelessly during the past 18 months or so undergoing a complete Review of the life and work of CTK. We thank you, David, most warmly.
Apart from some significant structural changes, such as the need to strengthen the work of the Enabling Group and the Church Leaders' Group, the Council of CTK is now dissolved, and there will be freedom built into the celebration of an annual County Forum.
Part of the strengthening process is the emphasis that needs to be placed upon the pioneering and exciting work done in LEPs and Local Churches Together Groups around the county. I am hoping to make the support of these groups into one of my priorities as CEO. I am available and most willing to share in the life and work of our LEPs and LCTGs, - by preaching at Sunday worship or by visiting your locality, etc, - and I sincerely hope you will 'make use of me' in this way.
Finally, as we welcome Bishops John Hine and Brian Castle into the roles of Co-Chairs of CTK, we also say a fond farewell to the Revd Canon Nigel Uden, who leaves the Chair of CTK and moves to local ministry in Cambridge. We extend to Nigel, and his family, our kindest good wishes and fervent thanks for all he has given and done among us.
With warm regards,
Harvey
(added later...)
Last week I sent out the September 'Newspoints' from CTK with some references to the forthcoming visit of the Pope.
During the week there has been a great deal of publicity about Stephen Hawking's new book 'The Grand Design' in which it is stated that science leaves no role for God in the creation of the universe.
Consequently I cannot resist the opportunity of adding a few more comments to my earlier thoughts, mainly because these two remarkable events - the Pope's visit to England & Scotland and the publication of the new book by Stephen Hawking* - could easily lead us into polarising religion and science, and setting them in opposition to each other.
It would be a huge disaster if we approached the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI as an excuse to promote religion 'over and against' science; similarly, it would be a grave mistake to use the publication of 'The Grand Design' as an opportunity to denounce the reality of religious belief.
Over the weekend, two things struck me forcibly:
- Matthew Parris in Saturday's 'The Times' wrote an article entitled 'Wanting to believe doesn't prove God exists'. He mentioned that in the 18th century Bishop Joseph Butler complained that Faith had gone right out of fashion. It was smart to disbelieve. And then - look what happened! The Wesley brothers, and others, found themselves at the centre of an extraordinary renewal of faith across the country, and beyond. So now, in our day when we too are at another low point, we need to be 'on the look out'!
- At worship at our Shepherdswell LEP, where my wife and I have recently come to live, we heard a great sermon at Morning Prayer. The text was taken from the day's Gospel in Luke in which we heard that hard saying of Jesus 'Whoever does not hate his brother, sister...cannot be a follower of mine'. The preacher helpfully reminded us that following Jesus Christ involves the vital element of 'letting go' of those things we hold dear. It struck me that it is possible to 'let go' of our prevailing and pressing desires to know the details of the universe (science); it is also possible to 'let go' of our tendencies to want to prove the existence of God (religion).
As fellow travellers on the road, Churches Together, perhaps we can give it a try!
On another matter, but loosely linked with the Pope, and the beatification of Cardinal Newman, may I commend an article** written by Martin Friedrich of The Community of Protestant Churches in Europe - Philip Melanchthon - Bridge-Builder of the Reformation? It strikes me that this provides some useful insights to us all on the 450th anniversary of this great Reformer alongside the visit of another 'bridge-builder' to our shores.
Warmest greetings,
Harvey
* Stephen Hawking & Leonard Mlodinow - "The Grand Design: new answers to the ultimate questions of life."
** - Philip Melanchthon - Bridge-Builder of the Reformation
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