Category Archives: post holder

Confused?

The word ‘confession’ shares several letters with the word ‘confusion’, so as one confused I’ll start there. I decided I was confused when during worship this morning we were urged to consider confession and forgiveness. Well, it was a church, so maybe that’s not too surprising.
The gospel story was about a woman ‘take in adultery’, a somewhat old fashioned phrase for an activity that takes two at least. You might wonder if this story is ever heard at the chapel door, but it is. A few years ago, a young woman who had survived a sexual assault told me that ‘If I was going to give a sermon it would be about that one where he says ‘anyone who has not sinned can throw the first stone’: that one’. It was an interesting comment from someone who had been under the age of 16 at the time of the assault, not a woman but a child, a victim a survivor. Of course there are many silences in the story recorded in the gospel as well.
And in most situations where the call is for forgiveness and confession there are also a lot of silences, which bring me back to confusion. Who should I forgive? What should I confess? I have a lot of things going round in my heard but mostly I’m confused. I’m told God will forgive me, but my experience is that like Zaccheus, I have been forgiven before I even thought of asking (note that Zach entertains Jesus to tea before he, Zach, makes any public statement of putting right past wrongs, and it’s Jesus who invites himself to tea, not Zach who initiates the tea thing).
I’ve heard folks say it can help a person feel better to forgive others, but as far as my own situation is concerned, God does not seem to require this of me, at least not yet. Understanding the depth of my hurt, God just stays with me. With so much silence surrounding the events themselves and no one much taking any responsibility for them, I still feel in limbo. The situation is unresolved. Should I forgive someone for sending me a poorly worded email for example and if so how?Am I forgiving an individual or a post holder who was doing a job on behalf of others that none of those involved had fully thought about? Where does the forgiveness start and what is my part in it? How will I record my forgiveness? I’m pretty sure the email is long gone in the memory of most, along with the reports, the inconsistencies, the insensitivity, the lack or truth or transparency, the poor leadership, and the silence of the bystanders who still don’t know what to say. I wonder if this will not change until the silence is broken somehow but I’m confused about how and where that happens.
Forgiveness is complicated so its no wonder confession and confusion seem to be linked. I don’t want to be dragging stuff along with me for ever but neither do I feel that brushing it all away or ignoring the hurting is a good idea. Whilst there is silence there is still something unresolved. Forgiveness implies an ongoing relationship. At the moment I don’t think I have one with those who caused the hurt. So I’ll remain confused at least for now.
There’s confusion in the gospel too. Zach stands at the bottom of the tree and the neighbours must be confused. Jesus writes on the ground with the stick when the woman is accused. We don’t know what he wrote, which is a bit confusing.
After the service we were offered bubbles to blow. At least that’s not confusing. I blew my bubbles and felt, as they floated away, that I’d aired the subject.

In our life and our believing
The love of God.

New appointment

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An announcement this weekend by The Unchurch Times confirms the appointment of a Bishop to the newly created Diocese of Boncaster. Reverend Dr Janet Lees, currently Chaplain at Silcoates School will take up her new post on 1st January 2017, when her current post with the URC Yorkshire Synod ends.
Looking forward to the future Dr Lees said today ‘I am thrilled to be appointed to this new post beyond the church as it currently defines itself’.
The aim of the post is to allow the post holder to focus all her time on people who are not presently attracted to the church and those who have already left. In spite of the large numbers of people who have left the mainstream British churches over the last century the churches themselves have only really produced half hearted attempts at walking in faith with those beyond the churches. Fewer and fewer ministries in the declining denominations are set aside for work of this kind with financial restrictions given as the main reason for such limitations and comments like ‘no one else does it like this anymore’ indicating a fundamental lack of vision.
With the decision not to renew her post in the church, Dr Lees said she welcomes the opportunity this presents to join the unchurched. She looks forward to discovering more about the spirituality of her fellow travellers and what sustains others on their journeys outside ecclesiastical structures.
The Diocese of Boncaster has no geographical boundaries which might seem daunting, but Dr Lees, already known as the Roving Rev after her recent walk along the Cleveland Way, is excited by the invitation. ‘Jesus said Come with me. He didn’t say: Stop right there, don’t go any further’.
Mindful of the vibrant early Christian missionary history in the north of England she is intending to concentrate her travels there initially and will serve as Bishop of Boncaster for the Unchurched alongside the Chaplaincy at Silcoates thanks to the generosity of the school.
‘You’d be amazed what you can see from the Chapel door’ she confirmed. Having entertained the BFG earlier this week she feels this is confirmation of God’s call to this post. ‘I am looking forward to many further similar encounters’ Dr Lees stated enthusiastically.

In our life and our believing
The love of God