The Revd Writes… “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son but only the Father.” (Mark 13:31-32) January. A new year dawns and with it the certainty of uncertainty. The world continues its existence in a perpetual cycle of change and unknowing. And it is in this perpetual cycle of change and unknowing that we live out our lives in the day-to-day. And in this curious life we live, we experience a contrast between the generations. Young people, less set in their ways, still in the throes of developing their own identities, are naturally more flexible when it comes to managing change. One example by way of illustration, is the very sharp edge of tech and electronic devices, which seem to me to advance and develop with lightning speed. Young people find this exciting and invigorating and can’t wait for the next new invention. As someone in his middling years, I find myself wanting to stick a bit more with what I know and am quite happy to hold on to that for a bit longer, rather than being continually pushed out of my comfort zone. The advantage of youth, still being a bit less sure as to what an emerging personality might yet evolve into, more willing to experiment with alternatives and hence more open to dealing with change in ways which older folks struggle and are sometimes ticked off for being ‘set in their ways’ - resistant to keeping up with the times. The contrast, however, is that older people, who, by the grace of God, know themselves more fully, are more aware, more comfortable in their own skin, are less phased by the unknown of the younger generation. Tech-savvy kids laugh at parents and grandparents and tell them that they are dinosaurs who have yet to progress beyond the C19th. These same kids run to them when they want advice on negotiating an area of life they are still discovering for themselves - money, love, and where they think they want to go in life but are still not yet so sure. They worry more about what tomorrow will bring; their still developing sense of adulthood not yet quite so able to reassure them. The younger generation filled with anxious bravado, flexible and willing to experiment, laughing at the seeming intransigence of the older folks. The older folks being pushed into the constant change of the new world. Yet more assured, less phased by the unknown, more willing to tolerate the absence of security, find themselves being needed by the younger generation for comfort and stability. In this world, there is the constant of change and unknown. In Mark’s Gospel, the Son must give way to the Father whilst the Father rejoices in the work of the Son. “Heaven and earth will pass away”, the anxiety of the young. “But my words will not pass away”, the comfort of the old. In this constant world of change and the unknown rests the place of faith. The faith of the younger generation in the old. And the faith of the older generation in the young. The young need the old. And the old need the young. At the start of a new year, it is good to remind ourselves that different generations set out together. Better together at negotiating the certainty of uncertainty. God Bless Mark
The Revd Writes… The road from Nazareth to Bethlehem was never going to be easy for Mary and Joseph even with a reliable source of transport that the donkey proved to be – slow but sure. The journey was done under sufferance, a directive by government to partake in a national census. For a young Palestinian woman, heavily pregnant, the timing was hardly appropriate. Anxieties about where they would stay on arrival travelled with them. No Air B & B to book. The journey from Bethlehem was to prove not just hard but dangerous. The story of Herod’s persecution of baby boys, graphically illustrated by the 16th-century Dutch artist Pieter Bruegel in his famous Massacre of the Innocents, fills even the modern mind with terror. The flight into Egypt to seek sanctuary is a detail omitted from Christmas cards and Christmas tree decorations. Even in churches the 28th of December, which commemorates this bit of the story, is often quietly ignored. Yet the gospel text is clear, after the joyous arrival of a first born the happy couple did not return home. To go home simply was not safe. Like all good parents Mary and Joseph put their baby first; the price of becoming refugees was a secondary concern. The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and from Bethlehem, in the West Bank, through Gaza into Egypt is a story that has been replayed over the centuries and none more so than at the present time. For many living in the Holy Land, this will be a Christmas filled with the same anxieties experienced by Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, and even the donkey. Where is security and resulting peace to be found for both Israeli and Palestinian? For Ukrainian and Russian? In which inn will a human family seemingly unable to reconcile differences, unable to live in a constructive and creative harmony, find a room? The world remains unsafe for many children, women and men and for those living in such unsafe environments there will be little peace to celebrate this Christmastide. For those of us blessed to have warm beds and loving relationships to hold onto our Christmas gift of prayer must be one of empathy and charity. Peace and goodwill are blessings not to be taken for granted. Hold gently to the peace of the Christ Child this Christmas. And may that gentle holding fill you with hope and faith as you share of yourself with others. Happy Christmas. Mark
The Revd Writes… A question that I am often asked is, ‘Why is the Church always asking for money?’ It is a question that is far from straightforward to answer. Structurally the Church of England is a complex organisation that requires a mathematician with a doctorate in history to understand how we arrived at where we are today to be able to work out who pays for what. If you want the short answer, here it is. Money does not come down in the Church of England. It goes up. Here's the long answer. When it comes to finances there is no such thing as a Church of England. There are however 42 dioceses governed by their own bishops and synods and diocesan boards of finance. Each diocese is completely independent with its own historic resources. Some dioceses are less well-off than others with Lincoln Diocese being the wealthiest and Liverpool the poorest. This has consequences for clergy pay for example, clergy in Southwark are paid more than those working in London. The basic stipend (salary) for clergy in St Albans Diocese in 2022/23 was £28 267, above the national average of £27 770. The funding of clergy is the direct responsibility of the diocesan board of finance. In 2024 the cost for funding the clergy across the Diocese of St Albans is budgeted at £9 296 000 out of a total budget for running the Diocese of £17 703 000. Investment income from historic resources contributes towards the running costs of each diocese. Still, the bulk of the funding is dependent upon the voluntary contributions made by each local parish church. In church-speak, this is what is known as ‘Parish Share’. A diocese organises a group of churches into what is called a ‘benefice’ to come together to raise the monies needed to fund the cost of a vicar + the add-on costs of helping to run the diocese. The cost of paying for a vicar is ultimately dependent upon voluntary donations at the local level. So, what about the Church Commissioners? This organisation works independently of dioceses whose historic resources are used to generate income to fund the work and houses of bishops and cathedral deans and much of the clergy pension liability. They also support the church's work by funding social projects, particularly in deprived communities. They do not fund the day-to-day cost of ministry or the upkeep of parish church buildings. Church buildings, the majority of which are listed as of great architectural merit, are not maintained by dioceses, this responsibility lies solely with the local church council. Beyond allowing VAT to be reclaimed on some repairs, central government does not assist with the maintenance or repair costs either. The cost of maintaining church buildings is dependent upon voluntary donations at the local level. And then there are candles, electricity bulbs, christening certificates, and communion wine. The Church Commissioners do not fund these items. Neither does the Diocese. Central government gives no grants for such things… So, back to voluntary donations at the local level… This is why the Church is always asking for money… God Bless Mark
The Revd Writes… Back in August my wife and I had the privilege of visiting Norway on holiday. One of the highlights was visiting a medieval Church made completely of wood. These beautiful ‘stave’ churches with their roof-top dragon motifs, a symbol of earlier Viking heritage, adorn many a tourist brochure. You could be forgiven for thinking that such churches stand at the heart of every Norwegian village, but the truth is that Norway only has 28 such churches left. Hundreds have simply rotted away over the centuries and few are now used for regular worship. Our Holiday Guide was quick to point out that Norway is a secular country. Less than 2% of the population are regular worshippers, nevertheless, 70% see Evangelical Lutheranism as part of their national identity. In the words of our Guide, “Norway is a secular country. But we are all Lutherans… Maybe we go to Church once at Christmas… Just in case!” August also saw the publication of an important survey commissioned by The Times Newspaper, the first since 2014 of the views of Church of England Parish Priests. 64.2 % Of the 1100 parish priests who responded stated, ' We are a Christian country but only historically. We are not a Christian country today in practice.’ My initial reaction to this was that this is not news. Those of us who work in ministry on the ground know all too well that the Church and all that it offers now exists in a complex marketplace in which the right of the consumer to choose predominates. This is not necessarily a bad thing, indeed in multicultural Britain, in many respects, it is a good thing. What The Times fails to mention is that what is happening to the Church of England and other mainstream churches is being replicated all over the Western world. The challenge to the local Church to flourish in the Diocese of St Albans is no different than the challenge that the local Church is facing in the Diocese of Oslo. Regular church attendance in our own village churches is often very low not least because for most people now Christian worship is alien and some would argue counter-cultural in the secular age. How many now understand what ‘Holy Communion’ means? Answer - Increasingly few in England, and in Norway, and in the rest of Europe. It isn’t just the institution of the Church that is under threat, Christianity itself seems to be in decline. And yet… No longer identifiable as a Christian country does not mean that we are not a Christian state. Herein lies a paradox. ‘Norway is a secular country. We are Lutheran.’ Britain, along with the rest of much of Europe, continues to look to Christianity for a religious framework, and still calls upon the Church both nationally, and locally, to be there when needed E.g., Carol Services, Christenings, Coronation. In the same way that secular Norway cannot quite conceive of itself not being Lutheran, here at home, relatively few can think of an England without the C of E. Christianity and the Church might be struggling but it does seem as if secular culture hasn’t quite done with it just yet. God Bless Mark
