Come Holy Spirit: Bishops’ News

Spirit of the living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God,
Fall afresh on me.

Dear Family of God

We remain so thankful for people’s creativity and commitment during this season in which we have not been able to gather in our usual ways. Yesterday the Prime Minister announced that gatherings can now increase to 100. It was interesting that she also specifically mentioned churches, and this may be a missional opportunity – now that the public are aware that churches may be re-opening, there is the opportunity to engage with those who in this time may have been seeking deeper meaning.

At the same time, we are aware of all of deep work that has taken place around small group discipleship and house churches, and acknowledge that the restrictions around social distancing are still in place.  We continue to work with and support parish and ministry leaders to wisely discern how and when to re-gather in shared forms of public worship alongside deeply journeying in small-group discipleship.

This season of Thy Kingdom Come, between the celebrations of Ascension and Pentecost, is a season which concentrates on our own lives of prayer and our own relational mission. We join with Christians all around the world to commit to pray for five people each, that they would come to know the saving friendship of Jesus. We pray for God’s church to be the agent of transformation and unity that Jesus himself longed for and prayed for. We pray alone. We pray together. Throughout this time our Diocese has committed to a 24/7 prayer movement and we thank everyone who has responded to this call to be a people of committed prayer.

When we pray, we choose to open ourselves to, and align ourselves with, the heart of Jesus. In prayer we humbly affirm and choose to trust the power of God and not to rely on our own understanding or ability. This time of global pandemic has illustrated our human vulnerability and limitations. Not simply in our physical vulnerability, but in the global illustration of inequality that the pandemic has highlighted and in which the global community continues to struggle. It has also highlighted the transforming power of our people when they work together as agents of God’s transforming love and grace. Take a look at this fabulous example of such transformation, from the team at St David’s Naenae.

As we pivot in this time of transition to a ‘return to normal’, please hear both of us deeply encourage you to wait upon God as a first step. I (Justin) shared last week about the day to day reality of choosing a life guided and equipped by the Holy Spirit and I (Eleanor) shared on Sunday about living life in deep friendship with Jesus. We all muddle along in our humble humanity, but we also receive the grace of God’s generous initiative to speak and act with us and through us.

Now, more than ever, is a time for the church throughout the world to be in a posture of prayer and waiting upon God. We look expectantly and prayerfully towards Pentecost, towards our times of celebration for the birthday of the Church, when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the first disciples.

The theme for this year’s intended Lambeth Conference (when the Bishop’s of the Anglican Communion were to gather) was, ‘God’s Church for God’s World’. We must indeed pray that God’s Spirit will fall afresh upon us and equip us afresh, and form us afresh, to be the church that this current world needs us to be.  

Spirit of the living God,
Fall afresh on us.
Melt us, mold us, fill us, use us.
Spirit of the living God,
Fall afresh on us.

Yours in Christ,

+Justin and +Eleanor

PS. In last Sunday’s sermon, I (+Ellie) preached about the season of vulnerability and suffering that I have been experiencing. Further to that sermon, I have just had news that I will be undergoing surgery next Tuesday (also my ordination anniversary as Bishop!), and am told to expect a recovery period of at least six weeks. Thank you for all of your prayers for me over this season, know that God answers them, as I shared on Sunday, in many ways. I grieve the prolonged absence from each other’s company and I humbly ask for your continued prayer cover over this forthcoming period.