Message from Canon Kristian

Dear Parishioners

After perhaps the strangest year of life as a parish community most of us have ever known, we have arrived at the final Sunday of the Church’s Year.  We conclude the last twelve months of our Christian discipleship and of liturgical and personal prayer by celebrating the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.  The Kingdom of God is like no other any human power has created or will create.  As Brian McLaren summaries the Lord’s teaching about the Kingdom in his book entitled “Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope” (Thomas Nelson, 2007):

“In God’s kingdom order becomes opportunity, stability melts into movement and change, status-quo government gives way to a revolution of community and neighbourliness, policy bows down to love, domination descends to service and sacrifice, control morphs into influence and inspiration, and vengeance and threats are transformed into forgiveness and blessing.”

On this Sunday, we look back over the last year to see where we have perceived something of that Kingdom already present around us and in our world and where we have been authentic messengers and “doers” of the Kingdom in our own lives.  We also look forward towards the future in unshakeable hope, recalling that God:

“…has let us know the mystery of his purpose, the hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning, to act upon when the times had run their course to the end: that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the heavens and everything on earth” (Ephesians 1:9-10).

In the Letter to the Colossians, probably quoting of early Christian hymn about Christ as the head of all creation, St Paul fleshes this out a bit more:

Christ: “…is the image of the unseen God, the first-born of all creation, for in Him were created all things, in heaven and on earth: everything visible and everything invisible, thrones, sovereignties, rulers, authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him.  He exists before all things, and in Him all things hold together, and He is the head of the body, the Church.  He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that He should be supreme in every way; because God wanted all fullness to be found in Him and through Him to reconcile all things to Him, everything in heaven and everything on earth, by making peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:15-20).

God’s Kingdom will not reach its completion until all things are united in Christ and Christ has reconciled all things to him.  This is the glorious vision underlying the easily misunderstood word “Kingdom” that we celebrate on this day of Christ, “King of the Universe” – in the words of the Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer for the solemnity: “…an eternal and universal kingdom:
a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace”.

Although we are holding the rescheduled annual collection for the Day of Life this Sunday, we should not forget that traditionally the Solemnity of Christ the King is observed as Youth Sunday.  Although we cannot gather at Mass as we normally would, it is vitally important that we have a special intention to thank God for all our marvellous young members of our parish community.  They are a real gift to us and their presence at church is greatly missed.  These Covid-times have been a particular challenge for them, having disrupted their educational timetables and isolated them physically from the friends. On behalf of the community, I want them to know that they are regarded as a central part of our life as a parish and to thank their families for the support and care they give to them in so many different ways.  Our young people are not only our future, but also an important part of our present!

In a change from the recent format, in order to cut down on the amount of attachments which caused some issues electronically last week, most of the documents and other information contained in the various sections of the Newsletter can now be found on the various websites by clicking on the blue underlined “hyperlinks” in the text.  Hopefully this will solve the issues that were experienced with last weekend’s Newsletter post.  So please do follow those links to access the particular document or information being highlighted.

Amongst the documents mentioned today, the most important are (a) the Statement from the Bishops of England and Wales following from their meeting last week concerning their commitment to listen to the voice of the victim-survivors of sexual abuse as they implement all the changes recommended by the two Reports they have recently received and (b) the reflection document “A Precious Place of God’s Grace” issued by Bishop Mark and the Bishop’s Council concerning the need to reform our parish structures in the light of the teaching of recent Popes on the need to become communities of “disciple-making disciples” and in the light of the particular challenges facing us in our country, many of them having been brought into stark relief by the impact of the coronavirus.  In the New Year, circumstances permitting, it is planned to start a process of reflection at parish level on the implications of this document, as we look forward to what things might look like for us over the next five years.  I hope to be able to engage as many of you as possible in this reflection, which will become a part of the process of consultation and decision-making by the Bishop and his Council.

I once again urge anyone who has used Gift Aid Envelopes to transfer to a Standing Order if at all possible, so as to reduce the possibilities of spreading infection by the counting and banking of money.  Margaret Found is always on hand to give advice about this, if you have any questions.  Just send her an email via the parish email and she will get back to you.  Guidance and Banks Order details can be sent on request for those who might need it.

The weekly aid to contemplative imaginative prayer on the Sunday Gospel produced by Monika Manser is also available to download, as usual, from the Resources section of the parish website.

As I mentioned last week, due to the lockdown, we are holding a weekly “Coffee Morning” on Zoom on Thursdays at 11.00am to provide an opportunity to link up with and chat to other members of the parish community.  There is an open invitation to all parishioners to drop in for a while and have a chat.  Please contact the parish for access details.

Next weekend will be the First Sunday of Advent (Year B).  Before then, we are planning to deliver or send copies of the “Day by Day” and “Walk with me” booklets to as many households of the parish as possible as a way of connecting with each other and undertaking a joint spiritual journey of preparation for the celebration of Christmas.  Many thanks to those who have offered to help with delivery.  We will be in contact soon.

I send you my very best wishes and assure you of my prayer for you all.  Keep well and keep safe.

With every blessing

Canon Kristian