“The night has passed, and the day lies open before us” They’re powerful words at the beginning of the Morning Prayer service; and as I prayed them each morning – often joining in with the excellent podcast worship on the Daily Prayer App – so I realised that that was perhaps the greatest blessing of my twelve weeks of study leave. In my normal working life, the day doesn’t seem to lie open before me. It is filled from morning to evening with the necessary (and sometimes joyous) services, meetings, preparations, emails and pastoral encounters that are part and parcel of life and ministry. But to have the opportunity of genuinely ‘open’ days – days in which I would wake, pray, and then walk or cycle or write or compose or birdwatch or take my first infant steps as a newbie grandfather – was a mighty privilege. And productive too, with half a book written, a choral Mass composed and some deep times of reflection, especially in a wonderful week’s retreat on Lindisfarne. Returning to Guildford has proved relatively easy so far, not least because Ordination Week is always a highlight in the episcopal calendar and Bishop Jo has done an excellent job in my absence. But while Study Leaves may be few and far between, these weeks have made me conscious of the need for all of us to have times when the day fully ‘lies open before us’. Do please make sure that you take time out over these summer weeks, to be refreshed and renewed; and do pray too for the Covid night to pass, and for the One who will ‘build his Church’ to lead us into a humbler, simpler, bolder ‘new day’ as we commit ourselves afresh to follow Him. Every BlessingBishop Andrew
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, together with the Bishop of Carlisle, James Newcome, the Church of England’s lead bishop for health and social care, and the Bishop of Newcastle, Christine Hardman, said people with disability should be “valued, respected and cherished”.The “#downrightdiscrimination” campaign led by Heidi Carter (née Crowter, above) and Máire Lea-Wilson argues that the law discriminates in its treatment of people with Down’s Syndrome.The bishops said: “The Church of England has consistently argued that the law on abortion is discriminatory on two counts. “In the first instance, it permits abortions to be carried out solely on the basis of disability; secondly, it removes the twenty-four week time limit for abortions in cases of disability."We do not believe that such discrimination, founded on the probability of disability, is justifiable. “There is something profoundly disturbing in our current contradictory stance which says that people living with disability are valued, respected and cherished, but that disability in and of itself represents a valid ground for abortion.“It is right that this should be scrutinised by the Courts and we commend Heidi Crowter and Máire Lea-Wilson for bringing their challenge to the High Court while continuing to recognise that Parliament has within its powers the ability to end this discriminatory practice.”In February 2018 the Church of England’s General Synod unanimously backed a motion call for people with Down's Syndrome to be welcomed, celebrated and treated with dignity and respect.
The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, who chairs the Church of England’s Covid Recovery Group, has paid tribute to the sacrifices of many amid the pandemic as the Prime Minister outlined plans to lift most restrictions from July 19.She said: “I welcome the Prime Minister’s presentation of the latest scientific data which underpins their decision in principle to lift most restrictions from July 19. “The vaccination programme has been an answer to prayer but, while it has transformed the outlook of the pandemic, it has not eliminated all risk. “So it is right, as the Prime Minister has said, that we all must exercise personal responsibility and carefully manage the risks from Covid-19.“As Christians, called to love our neighbour as ourselves, we must also exercise collective responsibility and continue to take appropriate precautions to protect others.“Over the past 18 months we have mourned the tens of thousands who have died from Covid-19.“We have also all made sacrifices and seen previously unimaginable changes to our way of life as we sought to protect one another and especially those who are most vulnerable.“In churches that has meant unprecedented restrictions on the way we practise our faith itself, affecting our ability to meet together, to sing together and to celebrate the sacraments together, all of which are at the heart of our worship. “We have also seen particular restrictions on the way we marked major events in our lives through baptisms, weddings and funerals; sadly many were denied the basic comforts of sharing moments of joy and pain with others.“I’ve been inspired by the way churches have risen to the challenge, finding new ways of gathering to worship God, reach out and serve their neighbours in these difficult times. “I have been deeply moved by the extraordinary efforts of those working on the front line in our NHS and social care. “And I would also like to highlight the sacrifices, often overlooked, made by children and young people to protect us all for so long during such a formative time in their lives.“I am also mindful of those who lives have been radically changed by the effects of long covid. “We will await the new Government advice for places of worship and adapt our guidance to churches accordingly.”
Richard Sandland was ordained Deacon in Worcester Cathedral on 4 July and will serve in the parish of Bromsgrove, ten years after watching an extraordinary play – that would change his life.Before training for ordination, Richard worked as Music Operations Manager with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he watched a play in 2011 that completely changed the course of his life.Richard explained: “In my previous job at the RSC, we did a play called Written on the Heart. "It was about the writing of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. In one scene, two men – Lancelot Andrewes and William Tyndale – debated translations of The Beatitudes. “As I sat, and watched, and listened, these words came alive for me. “Gradually, I realised that I had been wrong all my life about God.”As a direct result, Richard bought a copy of the Bible and began to attend a church in Kidderminster. Richard was confirmed in 2015 and will be ordained Deacon this year, after training for ordination at the Queen’s Foundation in Birmingham from 2018. Richard describes his training experience as teaching him that “questions and debates are often more important than answers – and that doubts don’t deny one’s faith.”Reflecting on his journey to ordination, Richard says: “God has drawn me on, step by step until I reached a place where I knew the call was right.”“The cohort I trained alongside affirmed my Anglican faith within our differences and discussions. “I feel equipped to be sent out into the diversity of people that I will meet in my curacy.”
