Diocesan News14 Oct 10

Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh's Presidential Address to the 2010 Diocesan Synod

Members of Synod, it is a pleasure to welcome you here this morning.

This is my 10th Synod as your Bishop and I count it an enormous, and God given privilege to be a Bishop in the Church of God and, in particular, to be your Bishop, in the Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh.

The Ireland of 2010 is very different to the Ireland of January 2001 when we arrived in Cavan. In the Ireland of our first few years in this Diocese the country was booming. The Celtic Tiger was roaring. The economy was growing.  The Irish horizon, in different places, included the sight of many cranes, as the construction industry exploded. In his book, Popes Children, published in 2005, David McWilliams wrote, correctly, that we are the most prosperous Irish generation ever. Emigration was declining. Immigration was rising. For the first time ever more Americans were coming to live and work in Ireland than Irish people were going to live and work in the USA.  His book began with the words...        

“Ireland has arrived.”
He continued,
 “We are richer than any of us imagined possible 10 years ago. No Irish person has to emigrate, none of us need pay for education, and even our universities are free. Unemployment is the lowest in our history. We have more choice than ever, the place is more tolerant, and no one can be legally discriminated against. We have more cash in our back pockets than almost anyone in Europe. We are better off than 99 percent of humanity. We are top of foreigners' lists of places to live. Unlike many of our rich neighbors, in survey after survey we claim to be very happy. We no longer need to beg from others in the EU; in fact, we are giving them cash. We are a success. We have money and time. We can now afford to kick back and take stock, reflect, and relax a bit......If economists ruled the world, they would say that Irish people would react to their newfound elevation by behaving rationally. We would take more days off, spend time with our families, and chill out.

"But instead of winding down and luxuriating in our newfound wealth, we are accelerating as never before. We have to be there first, have the best, the brightest, the newest, and the biggest. We must also be the ones who are most fun, loudest, best craic, and the most off our head. We are borrowing, spending, shopping, shagging, eating, drinking, and taking more drugs than any other nation. We are Europe's hedonists and the most decadent Irish generation ever....At one end of the scale, Irish teenagers are losing their virginity and taking drugs earlier, while at the other end of the scale, our forty- and -fiftysomethings are binge drinking, swinging, and hoovering cocaine to allow them to stick the pace and have one last drink. We are the full-on nation."

How different the state of our nation in 2010. How radically different the state of our finances in 2010. Unemployment is rising again. Repossessions are increasing. Debt is too common. Negative equity and financial pressures abound. The Celtic Tiger has died prematurely. The Tiger cubs are struggling. It is not an exaggeration to say that the foundations of our nation have been shaken. The clouds of recession and depression are in the Irish sky. The cold winds of pressure, stress, and uncertainty are blowing. Trust has been shaken. Integrity has been lacking where it should most clearly be seen. Abuse, deceit, selfishness and greed have destroyed lives. It is arguable that we as a nation we are suffering the consequences of self harm. We are in another new Ireland. 

W.B. Yeats is one of the most famous Irish poets and his grave is the most visited in our Diocese. He wrote a poem entitled “The Second Coming.”  It is arrestingly insightful and contemporary. As a commentary on a past Ireland it has something surprisingly accurate to say to all of us in Ireland today.

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.”

Yeats wrote this poem at a very difficult time in Ireland and in Europe just after the 1st World War. He speaks of looking for connection, a centre, some revelation. Where does revelation come from? Who is at the centre of our nation, the Church, our lives?  His reference to Bethlehem later in the poem gives us a clue and prompts Christians to ask these vital questions.

1. What is God’s call to the church at this time?
2. What is He saying to the church today?
3. Are we listening?

When the falcon cannot hear the falconer things fall apart. When people do not listen to God there is a falling apart. The centre cannot hold. Anarchy is loosed.  I wonder does this give us a clue to our present situation? 

In a culture of conflicting voices have we neglected the voice of God? Are we willing to listen to the voice of God as a Church, and as a nation? The question of the Psalmist, asked 3000 years ago, is surely one of the most important questions for this nation and for our generation. 

“When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?”    Psalm 11:3

One obvious answer is that the righteous need to be righteous. Empty words are not enough. Pious postures are insufficient. Religious phrases and beautiful liturgies are meaningless if they are not flowing from righteous lives and expressed in radically compassionate righteous deeds. The salt is not to lose it’s savour nor stay hidden in the cupboard.  As we know only too well, when Christ followers deny Christ in their sinful actions and selfish attitudes, people are rightly dismissive of the Christian Faith. The creeds on our lips must be matched by deeds in our lives, righteous deeds.

As I look back on the past year in our Diocese one of the highlights for me was the visit of the Rev. Chuck Owens and his wife Becky.  He spoke at one of our Clergy Training days. As part of his presentation he told us some of his life story. By his mid 20’s he was a Headmaster in the USA. In his late 20’s in the 1970’s he took a group of students to Europe. On their way home they spent a couple of days in New York. He saw advertised a Billy Graham Crusade. He attended and his life was changed. He said that until that time his life could be summarized in the sentence, “It’s all about me.” After that time it changed to “It’s all about Him and me.” After over 20 more years as Headmaster he was ordained in 1993 and during his ordination service he couldn’t take his eyes off a beautiful stained glass window depicting the ascended Christ. In particular he was captivated by the nail prints in Christ’s hands. Something deep happened within Him. From that Ordination Service his life has not been about “Him and me” but about “Him and them.”

That is a very good summary of our calling as a Church...we are called to be about “Him and them.” We are called to be a part of God’s mission in the world. It was a former Archbishop of Canterbury who said that the church exists for non members.  He was right. Mission is to flow through the arteries of the church. Mission is not a side show. It is part of the main event. It is a way of life. In this Diocese we are committed to growing healthy parishes which are Christ centred, character building and community transforming.

How do we put clothes on this aspiration? What can we do? I propose two things.

1. PRAY!
We are in the middle of our Harvest season. Jesus spoke quite a lot about harvest. As He looks on the crowds with His heart full of compassion He says “Ask/Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest fields.” The Lord of the harvest asks us to pray.  How important is prayer in our lives and in the life of the Diocese? In every Diocese in the Anglican Communion we pray for our Bishop.  I am profoundly grateful that you often pray for me in our Sunday worship. I am also convinced that we are to pray more intentionally and specifically for each other. We need each other’s prayers. Every great work of God is birthed in prayer.

Leonard Ravenhill once wrote,
“The Church used to be a LIFEBOAT...now she is a CRUISE SHIP. We’re not marching to Zion, we’re sailing there with ease...In the Apostolic Church it says they were all amazed and now in all our churches everybody wants to be amused. The Church began in the upper room despised, in the upper room with a bunch of men agonizing, and it’s ended up in the supper room with a bunch of women organizing. We mistake rattle for revival, commotion for creation, and action for unction.”

It is interesting that in Psalm 11 the other thing the Psalmist did in a time of crisis was to look to God, the righteous Lord. The Psalmist continues...

Whatever happens, God reigns. He is on his heavenly throne.  Sometimes we forget that. We pray because He reigns. That’s why prayer makes sense. Upright people will seek His face. In his paraphrase of these words of the Psalmist Eugene Peterson writes, “The bottom’s dropped out of the country...BUT God hasn’t moved to the mountains; His holy address hasn’t changed. He’s in charge.”

I call us as a Diocese to a special season of prayer in the year 2011. May it be a year when we focus especially on the Lord of the Harvest...in other words we do what He says...we ask the Lord of the harvest to raise up and send out workers. We prioritize prayer in our parishes and personal lives.

The second call is a call to mission. The word is Go!

2. Go!   
The vision of Jesus is that His disciples are in the middle of the harvest, not just looking at it, analyzing it, or discussing it. We are to be in it reaping. To help us in this, the Forward Planning Group has the vision of a time of special mission activity in 2012. Obviously plans will unfold over the next year.

So from this Synod goes out a call to prayer and action. In The Message version of Christ’s life Matthew 9:37,38...

Prayer precedes mission. Prayer results in mission. Prayer is the foundation of a mission minded and mission hearted church.  Hands folded in prayer and hands dirty in service bring great joy to Christ. Both flow from hearts filled with compassion. As we seek to become more missional minded in a missionary situation we are to pray and share together in mission living and mission initiatives.

Workers need training and I am thrilled at the Skills To Lead Course in our Diocese. Thank you to Brigid Barrett, Maud Cunningham and the Rev. Hazel Hicks who organize the lead the Course. I hear very positive and encouraging comments from participants. Mike Edwards is to be congratulated on running training events for young leaders and Safeguarding Trust Training. Training in the Church is vital. We are to be disciples training disciples. Some years ago much focus was given to the disease BSE. A healthy church will prioritize TSE. Train Someone Else. Whatever responsibilities we carry in a parish, are we training someone else? Thank you to all in the Diocese who have caught TSE. Keep at it!

I do say a particular thank you to Mike Edwards as our Youth Officer. Mike is making an enormous contribution to youth work in Kilmore Elphin and Ardagh. He has caught TSE. It was very encouraging to see a new wave of leadership in charge of our young people at Summer Madness this year. Thank you Mike and Liz for all you are, all you do and all you give. This summer we hosted a group of young people from the Diocese of South Carolina. The trip went very well and next year a team of young people will go to South Carolina.  It is heartening to see the deepening links with South Carolina. The Bishop of South Carolina, Mark Lawrence is a gifted leader, a godly man and has a passion for the Gospel mission.   This is a difficult time for him and his Diocese.  We assure him and the people of the Diocese of our prayers and continued full support. We thank God for you and we look forward to a growing partnership in mission and ministry.

On behalf of all of us, I say a very sincere thank you to our clergy, retired clergy, Diocesan and Parish Readers, Secretaries and Treasurers, Youth Leaders and all who help and serve in any way in our church services and parish activities. We congratulate Archdeacon Craig on his appointment as Archdeacon of Kilmore and Steve Clark as a Canon of Kilmore Cathedral. This Diocese is blessed and well served by our Archdeacons, Deans, Diocesan Secretaries and Treasurers. Thank you for all you do so willingly and so well. We warmly welcome the Rev Andrew Quill, his wife Joanne and their family into the Diocese and the Rev. Dr Brendan McCarthy who is helping us in the Swanlinbar Kildallon Group. Another retired clergyperson has joined the group of excellent retired clergy who help us, the Rev. Billy Johnston. We thank him for his willingness to serve. We were all profoundly shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden death of the Rev. Alan Matchett, a former Rector of the Baillieborough Group. We assure his wife Lisa, his mother, his brother and the family circle of our continued prayers.

I trust we have heard what I am trying to say today in this address...we may be in a very stretching time in our country but these are days of opportunity for the Church...

• An opportunity to pray
• An opportunity to help
• An opportunity to think of others
• An opportunity to serve in our communities
• An opportunity to love our neighbour, show kindness to others, respect authority, express generosity, demonstrate consistency, bring hope and healing.
• An opportunity to be Kingdom people living out Kingdom values in the harvest fields of Kilmore Elphin and Ardagh and far beyond.

One of the most memorable sayings from General Synod this year was “Don’t waste a good recession!” I don’t remember who said those words, but the aspiration is absolutely right. Don’t waste the opportunities of this particular time in our country. When foundations are being shaken I hope we have a clearer vision of a way forward. There is much the righteous can do in both prayer and action. I thank God that I am called, with you, to serve the purposes of God in this, our generation.

 +Ken