Press Releases21 Mar 05

Address by Bishop Harper at the late Bishop Moore's funeral

Address at the Funeral Service of the Right Reverend James Edward Moore, (Bishop of Connor 1995 ? 2001) in St Anne?s Cathedral, Belfast on Monday 21 March 2005 at 11.30 a.m. by the Right Reverend Alan Harper, Bishop of Connor

Bishop James Moore died on Wednesday last, 16th March in Bangor Hospital in the 72nd year of his age. Nothing that I shall say from this pulpit will be able adequately to reflect the deep love, admiration and respect with which he was held in this place, in this diocese, in our sister diocese of Down and Dromore, and across the Church of Ireland. Those of us who were his friends and colleagues are beyond measure saddened by his passing; yet our sadness and loss is as nothing compared with that of his close knit, loving and much loved family, and especially Mary, Peter and Gillian. I hope that they will feel enfolded and uplifted by the great gathering of people in this cathedral today who have been drawn here today by affection for Jimmy and love, respect and care for them.

On behalf of Mary, Peter and Gillian I should like to express profound thanks to the many people who supported them and supported Bishop James in private and public prayer during these past months. I should like also publicly to express thanks to Canon Alan Abernethy for his sustained, devoted and sensitive ministry throughout the period of Bishop James?s retirement in the Parish of Ballyholme, especially during his illness.

James Edward Moore was born on 8th May 1933, the elder son of the Revd (subsequently Rt Revd) Edward Francis Butler Moore and Mrs Frances Olivia Moore, in Bray, Co Wicklow where his father was Rector. Not only was Bishop James a son of the rectory, he was also a grandson of the rectory on both his father?s and his mother?s side.

He began his education at Aravon School in Bray, later he entered Portora Royal School at Enniskillen. In fact Bishop James Moore and his immediate predecessor as Bishop of Connor, Bishop Sam Poyntz, were inexact contemporaries at Portora. Bishop James went on from Portora to Trinity College, Dublin where he read Mental and Moral Sciences, graduating in 1954. He was awarded his Testimonium in Divinity in 1956.

It might have been supposed that with a father and grandfathers in Holy Orders acceptance for training for ordination would be a formality. Such a perception was not immediately shared by our larger sister Church across the Irish Sea, and as a result, to our great good fortune, James Edward Moore was admitted to orders in the Church Of Ireland, being made Deacon on 24th June 1956 to serve his title in the Parish of Knock in the Diocese of Down. He was ordained a priest in the Church of God on 16th June 1957.

In those days, half a century ago, curates assistant commonly served at least two curacies. Jimmy?s first curacy in the Parish of Knock was served during the incumbency of the Revd William Joseph Whittaker. The senior curate at that time, by a single year, was J.O. (Jack) Rolston. Jack and Jimmy worked together for the best part of four years, until 1960. They were to share in ministry again 35 years later when James Moore came to Connor as bishop to find Jack Rolston in post as Archdeacon.

But I jump ahead of myself: the future bishop left Knock to serve a second curacy in the Parish of Bangor under another future bishop, George Alderson Quinn, after which, in 1962, he was appointed Curate in Charge of the new parochial area of Belvoir, formed on the 1st September 1962 out of parts of the parishes of Knockbreda and Drumbo. The dual purpose hall in Belvoir was dedicated on 1st December 1962, and the church proper was completed and consecrated on 11th April 1964. Jimmy served in Belvoir for six years, building a flourishing church community upon a foundation of thoughtful, well ordered worship and the hard graft of visitation and care filled pastoral ministry. These were to remain the hallmarks of the whole of James Moore?s ordained ministerial career.

1962, the year Jimmy took up his appointment to Belvoir, was a momentous year for another and more important reason. On 14th June 1962, in Bangor Parish Church, James Moore married Mary Fetherston. Undoubtedly the shrewdest and happiest move he ever made! Jimmy and Mary?s two children, Peter and Gillian were born during the Belvoir years, but the arrival of Gillian more or less coincided with Jimmy?s appointment to his first full incumbency, the Parish of Groomsport, where he served very happily for seven years until his appointment to St Mark?s, Dundela in 1975.

Jimmy had been in Holy Orders for a total of 19 years before being appointed to St Mark?s, arguably one of the most prestigious and influential parishes in the Diocese of Down and Dromore. He succeeded a certain Robert Henry Alexander Eames whose predecessors had included Parke, Peacocke and Hayes. My fellow clergy will understand when I say that it is far harder to follow in the footsteps of one whose ministry is perceived to have been successful than to one judged less than successful ? as if indeed success or failure in the ordained ministry of the church is ever a suitable subject for scrutiny, assessment or comment. Be that as it may, Jimmy was succeeding a veritable procession of ?stars?. Furthermore, St Mark?s was, and remains, a parish with a certain style and sense of itself, numbering among its most famous sons Clive Staples Lewis.

Jimmy was Rector of St Mark?s Dundela for some 20 years, rapidly establishing himself as just as much a ?star? as any of his distinguished predecessors and deftly managing a parish with more than its fair share of influential and opinionated parishioners through a combination of hard work and good humour, immensely assisted by an ability to achieve what Gillian describes as well crafted liturgy.

Along with his pastoral gifts, Jimmy possessed one other which despite its name is remarkably uncommon, namely ?common sense? ? wisdom! Many are intelligent; fewer are learned; few, indeed, are wise. Jimmy had wisdom. I suspect that it was essentially for his wisdom, quite apart from his knowledge of the Diocese of Down and the respect he enjoyed among his fellow clergy, that Bishop Gordon McMullan appointed him Archdeacon of Down in 1989.

In the wider church Jimmy served on a variety of influential bodies including the Standing Committee and the Ministry Commission. It was, I suspect, in these circles that he came to know and be known by a distinguished layman from Connor Diocese, Jim Getgood. It was Jim Getgood, among others, who recognised in James Edward Moore the qualities required in Connor of a new bishop following the retirement of Bishop Sam Poyntz in 1995. The Electoral College for Connor endorsed that insight and Jimmy was elected Bishop of Connor on 31st March 1995. His consecration took place in this cathedral church on 25th May of that year.

What did Jimmy bring to his six and a half short years as our bishop? He brought wisdom gleaned of 39 years experience in ministry; he brought those qualities of hard work and pastoral sensitivity I remarked upon earlier; he brought an attentive, listening ear; and so he became ? sometimes to his own self deprecating puzzlement - a wonderful pastoral bishop. Jimmy was not at ease in front of the microphone or in the issuing of public statements. He was at his best in his one to one dealings with people, be they clergy or parishioners. Jimmy was not comfortable with strategies or programmes. His were solid, unspectacular qualities that sifted from the things that he heard and learned from his clergy and people the appropriate action to take in order to advance the Kingdom of God. He neither ventured nor expected any Great Leap Forward, rather he put his trust in incremental change, quiet progress, always underpinned by something which I have so far mentioned not at all: a deep and profound, but essentially very simple, life of prayer and devotion. Every fibre of James Edward Moore resonated with the rhythms and energy of prayer and that is what made him special. He walked consciously and constantly with God.

I could make mention of the immense contribution he made to the renewal of the Church Missionary Society (Ireland), or of his devotion to the work of the Church?s Ministry of Healing, or again to his pioneering work in establishing the Building for Generations programme in Connor Diocese ? all important stuff! But I think what will matter most at the end of it all may be our experience of his experience and example of a life soaked in prayer, as, day by day, Jimmy walked consciously and constantly with Almighty God.

You should understand that every detail of this Funeral Service was scripted in Jimmy?s own, less than elegant, hand and then placed in the custody of Canon Alan Abernethy until the day when it should be required. The only thing Jimmy did not attempt to script is the content of this address and I am profoundly aware that up until this point there is precious little of it which he would have approved. I must now attempt to supply, therefore, that which, so far, has been lacking.

Jimmy would be very clear that my role here is first and foremost to proclaim the glorious gospel of Christ. Jimmy chose for this service the Emmaus Road passage from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke tells of two men, friends, companions, Cleopas and an unnamed other, journeying the seven short miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus: even at the slowest pace a walk of no more than three hours duration. They had been disciples of the Lord but this is now the third day since his death by crucifixion. One topic and one alone occupies them as they walk together: the things that had taken place in Jerusalem, the promise that they had seen and the hopes that they had nurtured for Jesus of Nazareth a prophet powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.

They begin to relate their tale, their hopes and their expectations to an unrecognised stranger who falls in with them on the way. Gently, patiently the stranger teases out with them the familiar but curiously unexamined record of the Old Testament scriptures ? scriptures that they knew but had not applied with any discernment or understanding to the events and contexts through which even now they were living: the expectation of the coming of the hidden Messiah; the persecution and humiliation of the Servant born to suffer for Israel and the nations before the foundation of the world; the record of rejection and persecution visited upon the prophets over the centuries in Holy Jerusalem; all of such things as must take place before the Christ could enter his glory!

Here is the process, the patient, inch by inch incremental process, of moving from despair to hope, from incomprehension to understanding, from false ending to true beginning. Here is the re-construction of a renewed and securely grounded faith; here, indeed is the manner in which real evangelisation is achieved, understanding and insight is engendered, and faithful but often bewildered people are re-acquainted with the pillars of their belief.
Cleopas and his friend have found themselves on a journey, a walk with the risen but as yet unrecognised Christ.

Nightfall approaches, the stranger (still he is the unrecognized stranger) makes as if to go on, but the two detain him. Enthralled ? notice that word, it means captivated, that is held captive now through fascination by this stranger ? enthralled, they urge him strongly Stay with us! So he enters and stays with them. Still they fail to recognise the stranger but it has become vital now that they do not lose him. An encounter that began with exploration has turned into relationship, and the unrecognised Christ consents to abide with his friends.

They come to table together, and this is the moment of disclosure. It appears there are three at the table: sharing in the fellowship of the table represents the highest level of mutual acceptance. Although the invitation to remain had belonged to Cleopas, the roles at the table are reversed: the guest at the meal becomes the host and the mutual acceptance of one another by the three climaxes in the Thanksgiving with the Breaking and the Sharing of the bread performed by the guest now become the host. The eyes of the friends are opened to the identity of their companion as, at the moment of disclosure, he disappears from their physical sight.

I suppose part of the profound mystery of this particular event, and indeed of all the resurrection appearances is this: that opened eyes permit the Companions of the Way now to know him by faith, in the fellowship, in the prayers and in the breaking of the bread. No longer are they tied in their relationship with Him to a physical presence. The walk with Christ, whether he is immediately recognised, or merely longed for and sought after, will always culminate most filled-fullingly in the breaking of the bread with the giving of thanks: that is, in the Eucharist. The culmination of our temporal walk with Christ is most perfectly achieved at the Eucharistic banquet in which our guest has become our host. Jimmy wanted, I suspect, to recall us to that truth and that experience, for he experienced it joyfully and frequently in his own conscious and constant walk with the Lord.

But I have wondered if there is not something else he also wanted to remind us of at this particular time in the history of the Church of Ireland and the Anglican Communion.

The Emmaus Road event is about seeking and finding new insight by a patient and respectful engagement with Holy Scripture through the intervention of a stranger.

In the walk of the three from Jerusalem to Emmaus we observe a patient peeling off, layer by layer, of the meaning and content and context of scripture, to get nearer and nearer to the heart of things. It is an exercise in humility, in mutual exploration and listening, in being reminded of things we already knew but must re-evoke in fresh circumstances. It is about attentive conversation ? that is it is more about prayer and openness to God the Spirit than it is about dogmatic assertion. It is to do with being enthralled by Christ and by listening to Christ and meeting with Christ to share bread in his presence. It is about insisting that he stay with us to create our fellowship and bless our bread and make us whole. It is about moving, inch by inch, from bewilderment and disappointment to deeper levels of understanding, and doing so at the pace which the others on the journey and in the fellowship can bear.

It is not about the rush to judgment or to precipitate action, but nor is it about quietism. It is about humility and openness, with the prospect always before us - in the context of the walk of faith - that we shall be found by, accompanied by and surprised by the living Christ who in himself is the fulfilment of our deepest need and desire. Emmaus reminds us to be open to the insight of the stranger, for he may, in the course of our journey, both reconnect us with our common inheritance and also open for us a new and unexpected vision and experience of his presence and our fellowship.

I wonder, did Jimmy want to remind us of some or all of these things? I wouldn?t put it past him!

James Edward Moore walked humbly, attentively and faithfully with His Lord all his days. That example is part of his generous legacy to us whether we called him husband, parent, friend or Father in God. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. Amen