Diocesan News
Bishop Ken Clarke's Presidential Address to the Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh Diocesan Synod
KILMORE, ELPHIN AND ARDAGH DIOCESAN SYNOD
SATURDAY 25TH OCTOBER 2005
SHANNON KEY WEST HOTEL, ROOSKEY
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS BY THE BISHOP OF KILMORE, ELPHIN & ARDAGH
RT REVD KEN CLARKE
Members of Synod and distinguished guests, the Diocesan Synod is an opportunity for members of a Diocesan family to meet together for worship reflection debate and fellowship. At times decisions can be made which affect the life of the Diocese and beyond. It is a family time together which was never intended to be a time for suffocating introspection nor exclusively in-house matters. It is a time when we can reflect on our calling, our priorities, our giving and our administration. It is also a time for re-visiting our mission and ministry.
This year, during this address, I intend to focus on 6 themes which relate to the church and the wider community, our calling and our mission.
1. Our Diocesan initiative entitled Forward
2. Prayer
3. The challenge to all of us on this island to move forward
4. The opportunities for ministry by and among that section of our society which some refer to
as ?The Saga Generation?
5. Our companionship Diocese of Ohio
6. A Church of Ireland initiative entitled Parish Development
Forward:
The attendance, on the Sunday afternoon of the 12th June, at the liturgical launch of ?Forward? far exceeded the expectations of many. 200 children and over 1000 adults and young people crowded into the new Conference Centre at the Slieve Russell Hotel. Our Diocesan Music Group, and the Choir of Shankill Parish Lurgan led us in our praise and we were reminded of what we mean every time we pray those familiar words ?Thy Kingdom Come!?
So many positive comments have been made and received about our Forward Sunday and I wish to place on record my sincere thanks to our 2 excellent Archdeacons and Diocesan Secretaries, the organizing Committee, the clergy and Readers, those who manned the stalls, the children?s ministry leaders and all who helped in any way, not to mention everybody from every part of our Diocese who came along. It was a great day which we will remember for a long time.
It illustrates the importance and value of coming together. There is strength in numbers. In the history of God?s people, from the Exodus until now, there is a real value in a celebration event? People from different congregations coming together to worship with joy and enthusiasm. It increases the resources to draw from in planning the worship. It strengthens faith. It helps us realize we are part of a much bigger family. I have seen faith levels rising as a result of these joint celebration and worship events. It is encouraging to see more parishes in the Diocese joining together for worship. Just a month ago at the 150th Anniversary of Aghanagh Church, and in the context of a Flower Festival week-end in the church building, there was such a wonderful sense of God?s presence at the Sunday afternoon Harvest Songs of Praise service as people from different congregations came together. Last Holy Week the 2 parishes of Derrylin and Kinwaley joined together, as did the churches in the Sligo area for what turned out to be, in both situations, a most encouraging joint exercise.
Parishes are not independent kingdoms or isolated remote islands. We are members of a Body and we need each other. We miss out on so much blessing when we refuse to meet with others and only attend a time of worship if it is in, what we consider to be, our parish church. This is a time to catch the vision of God?s Kingdom which is so much bigger than our jealously guarded ghettos. A ghetto mentality is not a Gospel mentality and we need the courage to delete it! If we don?t, we will die in the past, miss out on the future, and spoil the present. Is this something we need to look at in our parish and address in our own thinking and practice? Should we take practical steps to meet more often with neighbouring congregations for worship and other activities?
Joint celebration events can be a part of God?s Kingdom coming!
The Forward Sunday in June was not just a day event but the beginning of a process. We have embarked on the exciting and exacting adventure of growing healthy parishes. For the next 4 years each parish is asked to look at its life, worship, ministry, and outreach, and discern ways of moving forward with prayerful purpose and loving action. The Church in Ireland is in transition. There are those who argue that we in the church have moved from being a group of people that moulded our Irish and British culture in the past, to being part of an irrelevant sub-culture in the present. The reality is that new things are happening in 21st Century Ireland. New developments in country church and culture are unprecedented. New churches are spreading. New communities are emerging, multi-cultural and international in their roots character and expression. Fresh thinking is needed. New ways of being church must be explored. Innovative and imaginative approaches to church life must be considered. These are exciting days. We all have a part to play.
Prayer:
How can we be a part of grasping the opportunities and moving forward? How can we play our part? Well a good place to start is to pray! The Bible includes many prayers. Our Church of Ireland Prayer Book is full of beautiful searching prayers. Our Church of Ireland tradition is one where the call to daily prayer is in our veins. Jesus prayed! However, if we are honest, our greatest challenge is not in recognizing how important prayer is but in actually praying.
I was very moved recently when in conversation with someone from our Diocese the chat went something like this. ?Bishop, I want to pray but I don?t know how. Can you help me?? Such openness and honesty is refreshing and opens the door to moving forward. It is a healthy sign in a church when there is a renewed desire to pray because we really want to get to know God better and we really want our lives and the life of our church and country to be in line with His will. Our motivation to pray is not so that we are seen by others! It is not for what we can get! It is not for show or attention! We pray for God?s sake and for the honour of His name. Yes of course we bring before Him our anxieties needs and concerns but when we get stuck there, something is wrong.
How important is prayer in the life of each parish represented here and how high is it in our list of daily priorities?
Perhaps this is where many of us need to start in our thinking and talking as we seek to have a ?Forward? heart and mindset in our parish. We pray! All of us are learners in the school of prayer and all of us have so much more to learn and discover. Prayer from the heart is part of God?s Kingdom coming!
Ireland:
If ever we needed to pray for our country and those in authority it is now. It is all too easy to criticize and disapprove of public figures, not least politicians. Christians are called to pray for those in authority and live law-abiding lives. We are called to live peaceably with all. We are called to be peacemakers. We are called to welcome the stranger. All of these biblical principles apply to our current situation on the island of Ireland today.
? Whatever our view of the decommissioning of IRA arms a significant step forward has been taken and we recognize the new situation.
? However strong and deep our feelings are about historical and traditional customs, contexts do change and are we willing to approach new situations with realism generosity and courage?
? Do any circumstances exist in Ireland today which justify violence and which cannot be resolved by peaceable means?
? It is often claimed that in Ireland violence pays but does it? Ask the bereaved and the families of victims if violence pays! It is easy to claim that violence pays but does it? On the surface it may seem to pay but is this not a dangerously superficial judgement? If we dig deeper do we not discern that violence is like a dangerous poison which pollutes society, harms relationships, breaks hearts, destroys trust and halts progress. Violence has consequences. As we are presently witnessing it can take years to rebuild trust and heal hurts. I wonder if the increase in violent rapes and ongoing riots on our streets are not some of the fruits of a culture of violence. Violence breeds a lack of respect for the bodies, the lives, and the value of others. Abuse, civil disorder criminality and murder are not options in Ireland today. Violence does not pay. It destroys. It breaks hearts, wrecks lives and divides divided communities even further. Violence impedes progress.
? Pray for our politicians of all parties as they seek to deal with the demons of the past, the realities of the present and fears about the future. Fears must be addressed if a secure and lasting peace is to be achieved and enjoyed.
? Talking of the future?what do we really want in 21st Century Ireland? Do we have dreams of a different Ireland where people are valued, where different traditions are respected, where places of worship are not daubed with paint, slogans, or set on fire? Do we dream of an Ireland where Eastern Europeans, Africans Asians and people of all races are welcomed and appreciated? Do we dream of an Ireland where sectarianism and racism only feature as past memories? Do we dream of a new Ireland where our daily life is marked by peace justice prosperity and healthy networks of relationships? Are we genuinely open to welcoming the stranger? Are we willing to work towards a society where opportunities are grasped, where criminality is in decline and where suicides are rare? A society where the concerns of the world?s poor are actively and sacrificially addressed as we look beyond our own difficulties and preoccupations.
Are these dreams not signs of God?s Kingdom coming? Is this not what we have been praying for?
I wonder if all of us focussed more on the hopes and open doors of the emerging new Ireland both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland would the vision of a better future enable us all to sit more loosely to past battles and grievances.
Elderly:
At last year?s Diocesan Synod the main theme of my address was children. This year I remind Synod members that many of those who were children 70 years ago are still alive. People are living longer. A growing percentage of our population is over 60. 100 years ago only 4 in 100 Europeans reached the age of 65. Today half a million people in Ireland are over 65?.which is 10% of the population. By the year 2050 25% of the population will be over 65. Today people not only live longer but we enjoy healthier and more active lives for longer. A recent headline in one of our best-selling daily newspapers read ?60 is the new 40?
Do we in the church value our elderly people? Do we visit the elderly, listen to the elderly, and involve the elderly? Do we in society value our elderly people in the quality of our care and in high standards of care in Nursing homes and Retirement homes? Do elderly people in the church sometimes feel that the only people who matter are young ones? Is ageism another of the ?isms? which needs to be addressed? Think of the immense contribution older people have made to church and society. Michelangelo renewed his interest in architecture at the age of 71 when he became chief architect of St. Peters. Winston Churchill, considered to be one of the great leaders of the 20th Century was 65 when he became PM and was PM again at 76, staying in office until he was 80.
Some of the most gifted and wisest people in our church can be sidelined simply because of age. Of course some people can hog responsibility for the wrong reasons, and for too long, but equally there are times when the church and society are impoverished because the wisdom and experience of older people are scorned rather than prized. The elderly are as much a part of the church as the children or any other age group.
Older people can and do serve in a variety of ways in the church not least in prayer, practical service, the use of their gifts and the gift of their giving. I know of many instances where exciting and life-changing ministry has been made possible through the generosity of older people giving substantial gifts of money for ministry and service. I wonder if God is calling some older people in this Diocese to discover the joy of giving a generous gift to release ministry? Such a gift can be a strategic investment both for the present and for the future?an investment which will honour God, facilitate development, change lives and give great joy. I know of one old man who prayed ?Lord help me to know what to do with my life and your money!?
A spirit of generosity in our attitudes and generosity in giving can be a part of what it means to pray ?Thy Kingdom come!?
Ohio:
The Church of God is bigger than any parish or diocese. One of the benefits of a Diocesan Companionship link is that it remind us of this fundamental truth. For 9 years we have been linked with Ohio. This year that link comes to an end. Friendships have been forged, faith stories have been shared, lives have been enriched, differences have been expressed and we have learned from each other. This summer, at the invitation of Ohio, Helen and I participated in a service in that Diocese bringing to an end our formal link and thanking God for all that has been shared. In 2 weeks time Bishop Arthur Williams, his wife Lynette and Nancy Baxter will visit our Diocese for a few days. They will visit different parts of our Diocese and on Sunday morning 30th October at 11.30 in Kilmore Cathedral Bishop Arthur will preach and we will formally bring to a conclusion our Companionship link. All are invited to that service.
New Clergy:
It is a great joy to welcome new clergy to our Diocese including 2 new Deans. We warmly welcome the Revs Craig MacCauley and Alan Matchett., and Deans Arfon Williams and Raymond Ferguson. We also congratulate Canon Janet Catterall as our new Canon of St. Patrick?s Cathedral Dublin.
It is with sadness that we say farewell to Canon John Merrick and the Rev. Glen West. John has served faithfully for many years in this Diocese and we sincerely thank him and Roberta for their enormous contribution to both the Sligo Grammar School in particular and the Diocese in general.
Glen will leave us early in the New Year and we thank him for all he has done and is doing in both parish and Diocese. We will miss you.
Bereavements: several faithful servants of this Diocese have died since we last met as a Synod. We thank God for them and continue to pray for their families.
Parish Development:
Recently in the Church of Ireland Gazette a series of articles has been published relating to the important subject of Parish Development. These articles have been written by members of the Parish Development Working Group. The Chairperson of that group is Canon Paul Hoey and we are delighted that he is with us today. It is important that we understand what Parish Development is all about and so, like many other Dioceses, we are having a special focus on the work of this particular group which was established by Standing Committee. I ask the leave of Synod members that Standing Orders be suspended and that Canon Paul be given leave to address us.