The Reverend Canon Gill CalverIncumbent
Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen
The Parish Church of All Saints Staplehurst |
The Trinity Icon
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Clergy Magazine Letter - September 2010Dear friends,Recently I heard a story from another parish in our diocese which really made me think. A corner of a country churchyard had become a rubbish dump. For generations the flower ladies, as those tending graves had thrown dead flowers into this far corner and there were little poly bags of dog mess there and all kinds of paper and plastic rubbish. The growing heap had almost reached a number of children's graves. So the members of the church organised a working party to level and seed the site, plant some rose bushes and place a new bench to face the beautiful view. Shortly after this purge, one Friday morning, the handful of people attending morning prayer found a small tent pitched in precisely this corner. It belonged to a young man from the nearby town whose life had fallen apart. He had lost his job, his partner, and his young son, and needed some time to reflect before moving on to find a new life elsewhere. It was agreed with the community warden that he could stay over the weekend. We'll call him “James”. That Sunday happened to be the Annual Parish Church Meeting followed by a bring-and-share lunch. James was invited. He came and talked to lots of people. He returned for choral evensong, sharing in the singing and listening intently to the sermon. Afterward one member of the congregation invited him home for a shower. She and her husband had a friend coming to supper. James joined them and was given a warm, comfortable and dry bed for the night. He was profoundly grateful and on Monday morning packed his tent and left the village. What a wonderful story of Christian acceptance and hospitality. But sadly that wasn't the end of the story! At the next PCC meeting all hell broke loose. There was talk of children's graves being desecrated; local people being put at risk, and especial outrage that the rubbish heap that had just been banished from the spot was replaced that weekend by James and his tent. How often we churchgoers lose sight of what we are here for, and indeed, of the “good news” we can talk about so easily, but don't always exhibit by the way we live. No wonder Jesus told that story with the punch-line - “For when I was hungry you gave me food; when thirsty you gave me drink; when I was a stranger you took me into your home; when naked you clothed me; when I was ill you came to my help and when in prison, you visited me. Truly I tell you: anything you did for one of my brothers here, however insignificant, you did for me”. Do we practice what we preach? With much love Gill  Back to Top |
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The Trinity Icon by Andrei RublevPerhaps the most famous of all Russian Orthodox icons is by Andrei Rublev. In this icon, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit gather around a table, almost hand-in-hand, pointing to each other in an intimate circle of love that is never interrupted. Three of the four spots at the table are taken; the fourth spot, of course, is reserved for you and me. The concept of the Trinity is not one found directly in the Bible but is one which has evolved from the Christian understanding of the way God is.In a national survey, participants were asked to name the three things they most long to hear. What do you think they answered? “I love you,” “You are forgiven,” and “Supper is ready.” All three things involve intimacy with others and seem to flow from the God depicted in this icon. At God's very heart is a community of three and we are called to mirror his image. At All Saints Staplehurst, Rublev's icon has been used often as a vision for our community life, as well as an understanding of the divine life. God is community and so are we. Our understanding of collaborative ministry begins with the inclined ear and open heart, ready to receive, in love, the holy which is the other. We seek to unite with others on the same path in our common ministry, despite all our differences. We want to be a truly inclusive church, ready to welcome others. That is sometimes a painful and difficult journey when ideas clash and people disagree but this is Jesus's prayer for us. “The glory that you (Father) have given me, I have given them, that they may become completely one” John 17 verse 22 |
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