Distinctly Welcoming

Pioneer Ordination: not nearly so radical or institutional enough

I've had a short article posted on the Fresh Expressions "Share the Guide" blog where I share some thoughts on Pioneer ordination. It comes at a time when various folk are reviewing and assessing the direction of Pioneer and, for my money, falling into the trap of defaulting to "more of the same" or "institutions always suck". Let me know what you think, anyway.

Yesterday, I had a letter published in the Guardian after they'd done a bit of a hatchet job on the Church of England over the weekend in the midst of controversies to do with sexuality and women bishops. There's a lot to be embarrassed about in this church many of us are part of, but i do wish there were more insightful analyses of our predicament.

As a bit of a final flourish, let me add my voice congratulating the Church on opening the door, and not leaving it slightly ajar, to women bishops.

Pioneer Ordination: more tea, vicar?

I'm about to go on ordination retreat. So, yes, this Sunday I will be ordained into the Church of England as a Pioneer curate. According to your point of view, I will be either:

1. showing my age and finally succumbing to the genteel temptations of establishment, compromising my principles along the way

2. courageously serving this wonderful institution as it fulfils its vocation to the entire nation

...I'd like to think there are alternative conclusions but the impression is sometimes that these are the two responses one gets. I've been intrigued by the discussion on the institution between Jonny Baker and Kester Brewin and I may chip in at some point. However, in the meantime, here's a little piece that I'll be taking with me this weekend, given me by Ray Gaston:

"We are not ordaining you to ministry; that happened at your baptism. We are not ordaining you to serve the Church in committees, activities, organisation; that is already implied in your membership. We are not ordaining you to become involved in social issues, in ecology, race, politics, and the search for justice and peace; for that is laid on every Christian.

We are ordaining you to something smaller and less spectacular; to read and interpret those sacred stories of our community, so that they speak a word to people today; to remember and practice those rituals of meaning that address people at the level where change takes place; to foster in community, through word and sacrament, that encounter with truth which will set people free to minister as the Body of Christ.

We are ordaining you to the ministry of the word and sacraments and pastoral care.

God grant you grace not to betray but uphold it, not to deny but to affirm it, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Amen....

A Christian Engagement with Other Faiths: Two Resources

Rev Ray Gaston has just published his book, A Heart Broken Open. I can highly recommend it as a story of one person's journey into deep and powerfully transformative relations with Muslims. Ray documents the changes he experienced opening himself up to the hospitality of Muslims from a radicalised commitment to the ant-war movement around the Iraq invasion. It's edgy, political, deeply spiritual and infused with repeated grapplings with scripture and Christian prayer as he recounts his journey. You can access a flyer for the book here.

Share the Guide is a site from Fresh Expressions resourcing new models of church in contemporary culture and I've written a short piece helping to provide some tools for thinking about church and other faiths here.