Coronavirus: Moses and the WildernessMoses leads the Israelites out of Egypt and out of slavery. And they move into the wilderness – the area we now know as the Sinai Peninsula. Moses is undoubtedly a very charismatic figure and for a while at least he garners the people together. Life in the wilderness is very different from what the people were used to, and it isn’t long before some begin to question Moses’ leadership. ‘Does he really know what he’s doing? Does he really know where he is leading us?’ And it’s all very well, Moses saying that this is what God wants of us – but can God himself be trusted?Leaving Egypt behind meant liberation from Egyptian oppression but it also meant leaving behind a settled way of life that the Israelites had become accustomed to. They had naturally adopted some of the culture and customs of Egyptian life. The journey into the wilderness is really the journey of a people who rediscover their own identity – and for some the transition, as the biblical story tells us, begins to prove too much. As any immigrant will tell you, to leave one country and to adopt another as home, requires a certain resilience, a certain willingness to embrace change, a certain willingness to be flexible is required if happiness in a new country is to be found. For some, the leap from the old Egyptian life to the life of exploring a new identity proves too much.A word about the wilderness. When we think of the Exodus the portrait is often one of the desert and barren landscape. But bear in mind that the Israelites were also a pastoral people. They would have taken with them their sheep and goats and camels and though the desert of the Sinai is a pretty punishing environment, and water was scarce at times – there was a semblance of life. It is more likely that the Israelites would have stuck to the coastal strip as they journeyed. Still, the people complain – some long for the more settled life that they have abandoned. As is often the way, past hardships under Egyptian rule are forgotten – Egypt now is viewed through rose-tinted spectacles – the grass has become greener as they reflect on the ‘old days’ – some long to return to the past. In the Book of Numbers 11:6, we read of God sending venomous snakes amongst the Israelites as a punishment for all their complaining – rather beautifully illustrated in the Victorian stained glass of All Saints Church in Barton Stacey.Yet the journey into the wilderness is formative and becomes a crucial step in the Israelites rediscovering who they are as a people. And a central plank in this rediscovery of identity is a new codification of the law. The law is what binds the people together and is interpreted as a means of God’s grace. In Exodus chapter 20, Moses ascends Mt Horeb (or Mt Sinai) and returns to the people with the Ten Commandments. (It’s worth pointing out that you don’t just find the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, you will also find them in Deuteronomy Chapter 5.) If you read the biblical narrative, you would be forgiven for thinking that the Israelites lived in Egypt without rules and laws and that the law as a moral code was newly discovered in the wilderness. That isn’t true and doesn’t make sense. As the Israelites journeyed into the wilderness of Sinai not only did they bring their goats and sheep, they also brought with them customs, including rules for living which were translated from their former life in Egypt. What becomes important in the biblical story is the understanding that the codification, the writing down, of the law is reinterpreted as a means by which God unites the Israelite people within one common identity, and it is only once this is in place that the Israelites are now ready for the next step in their history as a people – to enter into ‘the promised land’. So, the ‘wilderness’ becomes a critical place for the Israelites. It is in the wilderness that they truly manage to re-establish themselves as a people with a common identity, adopting a common code of law, which further unites them – and through which they recognise the grace of God at work amongst them.I want to suggest there are some strong and helpful biblical themes that we can take with us into the wilderness of the weeks that lie in front of us as we come to terms with life that has more restrictions placed upon it as we try to minimise the impact of the coronavirus. Firstly, the ‘wilderness’ itself – politicians describe this as ‘new territory’ – no one quite knows what this ‘new territory’ looks like or feels like and for many, it brings with it overwhelming anxiety. But let’s be clear, this is not the first time humanity has had to face ‘new territory’. Secondly, the ‘wilderness’ was what united the Israelite people together. At this point in time, we have a real opportunity to reach out to one another – both to give and to receive – to come together as a community. Thirdly, as we learn to live with new rules that impact upon our lives – to have the grace to recognise that such limitations are not just inconveniences that we have to bear – but are in truth a manifestation of God’s grace. Good law manifests God’s love for all people. And lastly, the example of the Israelite people shows us that endlessly moaning and complaining results only in one thing… and that is that you put yourself in peril of being poisoned by a snake!Revd Mark Bailey
A response to the Bishops’ Statement on Civil Partnerships & MarriageOne of the constant themes in life is the tension between continuity and change. My children have now grown up and I have to say that most of the stuff they had when they were children has long since been chucked out or handed on to someone else - to make good use of whatever it was we wanted to lose. But occasionally at the back of a cupboard, a long-forgotten toy tumbles out, or a box in the loft reveals an old school jumper or a book on the bookcase pops out and brings on a flood of memories. This usually results in a period of agony - your head tells you it’s time to let go – your heart says I can’t quite let go of this yet. There’s a real tension between holding on and letting go. And often the pressure to let go is simply because we need the space for more stuff that is being accumulated. Each new stage of life requires its share of space. My daughter comes home from London to visit her parents. She sleeps in what is still very much her bedroom. The bottom of her wardrobe is filled up with a very beautiful, very large, dolls house. I know that the dolls house is going to sit in that wardrobe for years to come. That dolls house represents a sacred link with childhood which no one of us can quite face breaking just yet. In the meantime, it takes up a lot of space… I find myself having to live with the strain between holding on and letting go…Matthew’s gospel, with its focus on the Jewish community and it’s cherishing of the tradition of the law, puts into the mouth of Jesus the following words, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil.” (Matt 5:17) Matthew goes out of his way to articulate the tension between continuity and change. What Jesus is saying is that the moral code given by God to his people as a means of grace has become corrupted. Laws that were intended to be followed as an expression of love have collapsed into being interpreted in a very black and white kind of way. Laws which were there to help life to flourish have become life itself. Jesus reinterprets the law by not abandoning, for example, the ten commandments etc, they still have their place, but love needs to be brought back into the picture. The law is still present and offers continuity but the reinterpretation of the law – in the form of the Beatitudes, for example, brings about the necessary change. Judgements must still be made, as taught in the Old Testament, but must now be guided by compassion and mercy as made clear in the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. Old and New are bound together in continuity and change. Matthew is very clear however that continuity needs change, things cannot simply continue as they are – this would be to fall short of the purposes of God. Similarly, change cannot just be for change’s sake, change must connect with what has been if a change is to be meaningful. All of this, of course, is embodied in the salvation work of Christ himself.A few weeks ago, the Church of England House of Bishops issued a statement in response to the change in the law allowing for opposite-sex couples to form a Civil Partnership. The change in the law was brought about in response to the need for equality from a human rights perspective for those couples who felt uncomfortable, for whatever reason, with the idea of getting married. The change has brought into practice the opportunity for opposite-sex couples who want to commit themselves, in law, to each other in the same way that the law has, for several years now, allowed for same-sex couples, to do so. Opposite sex couples and same-sex couples can now both choose what feels right for them, marriage or civil partnership. It is now possible for both models of a committed relationship to be given status and protection under the law.To cut to the chase, the House of Bishops Statement can be summed up in a line from the document that reads, “Sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are regarded as falling short of God’s purposes for human beings…” In other words, those opposite-sex couples transacting a civil partnership are expected, in accordance with this statement to remain celibate, as are all other relationships outside of the opposite sex married state.Well, the document has created a furore, both within the church and the country at large, not least because the Church of England is currently engaged in a significant study of sexuality and what our understanding of sexuality and faithful relationships mean for the life of individuals and human flourishing in the modern age. This study has yet to report its findings, resulting in many criticising the Bishops’ Statement for being poorly timed. Surely it would have been better to allow the study on sexuality to be completed and thought about before releasing the current statement. Secondly, though styled as a ‘pastoral statement’, many have concluded that there is very little that is pastoral about this document. It feels much more like a doctrinal paper than anything else. Several Bishops have now broken ranks with the House of Bishops and asked why on earth this paper was published when it was. Further, both the Archbishop of Canterbury and of York have both apologised in the media for its lack of pastoral content. Over 800 clergy in the Church, myself included, have now signed a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury expressing deep reservations about the wording of this document.The tensions between continuity and change are made no more manifest than in the ongoing debate on human sexuality, with which some in the Church seem obsessed. The Bishops’ Statement is legalistic, affirming a black and white world when we all know that that bears little resemblance to the very complex and often quite painful world that many of our young people must negotiate as they explore and affirm their own identity. The current stance of the Church can only lead to more mental anguish and psychological suffering for those struggling with their own sense of self. This document does nothing pastoral for those who are homosexual or heterosexual who want to live in a loving faithful monogamous relationship outside of the traditional definition of marriage. The message is simply ‘Continuity. No change.’What does this all mean for us? Clearly it means that this debate shows no sign of ending. So, the tensions within the Church between ‘continuity and change’ continue; I have to say in a pastorally unhelpful kind of way. The Archbishop’s apology was about recognising the lack of love within this document.And parish priests, but not just parish priests, for all of us within the Church are caught up in this debate, whether we like it or not, will be left to muddle through the pastoral implications as best they can.What do you say to someone who asks the question, “Can I have sex with my partner, whom I love deeply, romantically, and to whom I am committed in our civil partnership? Is there a place for this area of my life in your Church?” Are we left only with the answer, in all honesty, that, ‘That is a very good question’ – followed by silence?At some point, the question of the dolls’ house in my daughter’s wardrobe will have to be faced. ‘Continuity and change’ will need to engage with each other. The reality of life will simply dictate this fact. The dolls’ house cannot stay in the wardrobe forever.The Bishops’ loveless Statement offers a very simple response to a very complex situation. And it is why most people will quietly ignore it.Revd Mark BaileyYou can read the full text of the Bishops’ Statement at the following link:https://anglican.ink/2020/01/22/coe-house-of-bishops-pastoral-statement-on-civil-partnerships/
In the beginning was the word…There is a time for all of us before words… The beginnings of our common journey start’s in the womb, a warm, dark place, and though we may hear voices, the most frequent of course, being the voice of our mother, yet in this beginning, there are no words of our own. Words then are not primary in our development – they only come later. In the dark of the womb, we have no words of our own. It is only once we have emerged into the light of day that sounds, and words are formed. The first screams mean that we discover the power of the voice and to give voice means that we have begun the journey of discovery of the world of words. Once discovered it is difficult to imagine what it might be like not to be able to use words. It is very difficult to have a voice if you do not use words.A child who discovers words discovers language and language of words gives a quite sophisticated way with which to articulate feelings and, hence meaning. Meaning is dependent upon feelings and feelings are dependent upon words. Feelings need words, for without words feelings are unable to inform the deepest part of ourselves. I cannot fully know who I am if I cannot put words to my feelings. If I cannot put words to my feelings, then my feelings must remain locked up – as if a part of me has been put back into darkness – without words my feelings are diminished, and I can only exist in a frustrated state. Reduced once again to primitive infantile screams. Trauma comes in all shapes and sizes. Trauma can affect anyone and everyone – no one is immune from the possibility of suffering the effects of trauma. I have spent much of my ministry working with people who have suffered trauma of one kind or another. I will give but one example. Some of the most psychologically damaging trauma can occur during a complicated birth. The effects of a traumatised birth impact upon both mother and baby – leaving both damaged - unable to find the words with which to articulate the pain there is often a collapse into a numbed-out state, which can remain compartmentalised deep within the human psyche for years – even a lifetime. Part of a life with no words. Part of a life with no feelings. Half a life with no meaning. Words mean life. Words bring to life what is hidden and give value to that life, which, without words, would be lost and abandoned. Words mean life and bring life that is hidden in darkness into the light of day. “Now you and I both know how I feel, for I have spoken. Now we can engage with relationship and contemplate together the next step.” Without words, our capacity for relationship can only stumble – at best a guessing game. With words, we can know ourselves and we can know each other. To misquote the famous words of the C17th French philosopher Rene Descartes, “I speak therefore I am.”In the dark of midnight, we contemplate the beginning of life given to us by God himself. “In the beginning was the word.” We re-evaluate the meaning of life. We recognise in the Christ Child the frailty of life and so the need for care – care that those words first given by God, in the beginning, are treated with the sacredness that they deserve. For all words express life – and should be respected and heard – however spoken. God speaks – and His words give life – “and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.”As you spend time with your family this Christmastide – listen carefully. Hear what is being said. Take no words for granted. Think and feel carefully and then articulate in words the meaning that this God-given life means to you.In doing so, you will bring life to others.“The word was God and the word was with God.” May it be your gift this Christmastide.Amen.Revd Mark Bailey
The Revd Writes…One Christmas my father bought me a train set. It was all very splendid, a Hornby – and my father was very excited about it. He could hardly wait to help me unwrap it! I must have been no more than four years old and didn’t really appreciate the beauty of such intricate miniature engineering. Whilst my father ventured off to the other side of the room to carefully lay out the track, I vroom, vroomed the bright new engine across the carpet. Fibres from the carpet clogged the engine mechanism causing irreparable damage. The engine never even made it onto the track. My father was bitterly disappointed. I think it spoilt his Christmas. But it didn’t spoil mine. I was completely enthralled by my new matchbox series Batmobile with lifelike Batman and Robin figures. I never did really get into trains.Many hours will be spent in the run-up to Christmas by thoughtful parents agonising over what presents to buy for children. Christmas is an opportunity to broaden the horizon, help a child begin to learn to tell the time by buying them their first watch or maybe it’s time to learn to ride a bike – difficult to wrap! A jigsaw puzzle of a world map engaged me in a whole new subject, geography – but trains were never going to be my thing. Years later my father would still lament, “I tried!” Christmas presents are often a risk. Even if someone has told you what they want, is it really what they wanted? The whole exercise is fraught with the potential for disappointment.Yet a child’s rejection of a particular gift might just be an important step towards autonomy and increasing maturity. “I don’t really like this. I don’t want to play with it.”, is an affirmation that I have an opinion and am learning to choose. Expressing the right to choose, and learning to live with the consequences, is an important step for a child to make even though it may leave the parent wondering why they went to all the trouble in the first place. Rejecting some toys might just be as important as accepting others. “I like this. It’s me! I don’t like that. It is not me!” Across the Churches of the Dever Valley this Christmastide there is a range of opportunities to come together to worship. Some will be drawn to the informal Christingle Service others will enjoy coming together to sing at Carol Services and yet others will prefer the quiet of a Midnight Service of Holy Communion. The Churches extend an open invitation to all to choose what feels right for them.So, thank you for the book but I’m probably never going to read it, but I do like chocolate…God Bless Mark
