Bishop Tutu’s 80th Birthday

As the “former” communications person for Anglicans globally I say without any hesitation that the face, voice and heart of our tradition is seen most fully in our beloved Archbishop Desmond Tutu. I understand it is his 80th birthday. Can I urge, beg, admonish everyone everywhere to send him a greeting of thanks and praise for all he is, in Christ, for us. May he live forever.

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD EVERYWHERE. He deserves all the attention and thanks we can muster.
Fr Jim Rosenthal

Birthday greetings to Archbishop Desmond may be sent to: tamu@tutu.org.za

Inspiring Teachers

Education is a political issue.  Governments spend a great deal of time debating issues of funding, class sizes, private v public education, league tables, etc, etc.  No doubt these are important issues.  But nothing, absolutely nothing, can ever take the place of a dedicated and inspirational teacher.  They, more than any political policy, have it in their power to influence for good the children they educate.

Why is that I remember one particular teacher, of all the teachers I had over the years?  Quite simply because he was an inspiration.  He noticed that I read over my age and quietly provided me with books which stretched me.  He noticed that I could write, and was convinced that I would become a journalist, or wordsmith of some kind – I suppose he was right!  He noticed that I had an interest in history, and encouraged me in that too.  In a class of around 30 pupils, he had the unerring knack of spotting the potential of each one, and quietly and persistently nurturing the talents he saw.  I owe him a huge debt as, I am sure, do many others.

Questions

• Is there a particular teacher in your life that you fondly remember?

• Why was Jesus such an effective teacher?

• What do you consider to be the qualities needed to be an inspirational teacher today?

JOHN STOTT’S LEGACY

I was interested to learn that when John Stott died on 27^th July, he was surrounded by friends and the Music of Handel’s Messiah. Many people – including myself – regard him as the most important evangelical leader of his generation.
Fifty years ago some evangelicals tended to treat the social gospel with caution and a distraction from the task of evangelism.

It was John Stott who more than anyone else helped reverse this.  As a London pastor, Stott increasingly recognised the need for evangelicalism to reclaim its heritage of engagement with the social issues of the day.  As he told an interviewer years later, “In the early 1960s, I began to travel in the Third World, and I saw poverty as I had not seen it before.  It became clear to me that it was utterly impossible to take that old view.  As I read and studied and meditated, my vision of God grew and I came to see the obvious things:  that God is not just interested in religion but in the whole of life – in justice as well as justification.”
Stott was deeply influential in the Lausanne Covenant which set the agenda for the international evangelical movement and gave the opening address on the nature of biblical evangelism.

‘Here then are two instructions, ‘love your neighbour’ and ‘go and make disciples.’  What is the relation between the two?  Some of us behave as if we thought them identical, so that if we have shared the gospel with somebody, we consider we have completed out responsibility to love him.  But no.  The Great Commission neither explains, nor exhausts, nor supersedes the Great Commandment….If we truly love our neighbour, we shall without doubt tell him the Good News of Jesus.  But equally, if we truly love our neighbour,  we shall not stop there.’

Questions:

• Has a John Stott book or sermon impacted your life?
• What is the best way for Christians to tackle social issues today?

Reflections on The Hermitage, St Petersburg

Welcome to Roger’s LIC Blog
I hope to write regularly on here about things that grab me and possess a spiritual dynamic.
Do send me your feedback and comments.  Just email me at rogerhoath@londoninternetchurch.org.uk and I’ll add comments on the bottom of each piece.

Rembrandt’s “The Prodigal Son”

I have just returned from a fantastic 12-day Baltic Cruise.  The highlight was to visit the colossal Hermitage in St Petersburg.  Our guide bombarded us with amazing statistics about The Hermitage – 1500 rooms, 1786 doors, 1945 windows, 117 staircases, etc.  Its sheer immensity comes as a shock.  Around me and above me, in room after room, were unfolded a panoply of art and vast crowds of visitors in each gallery.  Raphael, Leonardo, Rubens – their masterworks swam by me in a pageant of indigestible glory.

My outstanding memory is standing before Rembrant’s painting of the “The Return of the Prodigal Son.”  I’ve always longed to see this painting since reading Henri Nouwen’s splendid book “The Return of the Prodigal Son”.  In this book, he shares the inspiration that came to him through meditating on this marvellous painting.  To see this painting and read Nouwen’s book is a real spiritual tonic.

Agree?  Disagree?  I’d welcome your comments…………….

Conversation with Bishop Michael Marshall

‘THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF PRAYER‘ – a special book for Lent 2011

Bishop Michael Marshall gives an exclusive interview to Roger Hoath of the London Internet Church about his new book “The Transforming Power of Prayer: From Illusion to Reality”. This book has been described as “new wine from a seasoned cask” and deserves to be taken seriously by any Lenten reader.  It makes good use of scripture and is a treasure chest of quotations and insights gathered over the years.  Many will find the appendix on the art and practice of centering prayer particularly helpful.

Bishop Michael’s book is aimed at those who can take the trouble to turn Lent into a choppy crossing, spiritually challenge this state of affairs, reminding us that Christian discipleship is a way of living that orientates itself to a goal, and all things are as yet unfinished.  It will instil hope by teaching us the transforming truth of Christian faith.

To watch this 14 min interview click HERE

Michael Marshall was formerly Bishop of Woolwich.  After a spell in the USA he returned to the UK to be the Archbishop of Canterbury and Archbishop of York’s Adviser on Evangelism.  He is the author of numerous books on Christian life and prayer.

Missing Moses … Let My People Go

The EXODUS Story

The Exodus Story in twenty minutes retold by John Simpson CBE, Rabbi Mark Winer, Rabbi Mark Solomon, the Bishop of London, the Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the Dean of St Paul’s and Dr Jonathan Gorsky of Heythrop College.

* See the story of the Exodus told in a contemporary way as news
* What makes a great leader today? Was Moses one?
* How is the Exodus seen as part of today’s world news stories; can it throw light on how we now behave?
* Who is still enslaved and who needs to be set free?
* What limits our own freedom, how can we be set free from the yoke of our own limitations?
* Is God active today, and how?

To watch this brilliant and thought-provoking video go to http://tinyurl.com/6gljajp

A Christian Minister Assassinated

Breaking News from the Communication Desk, Diocese of Peshawar.

Shahbaz Bhatti, Minister for Minorities Affairs was brutally killed by the religious extremists elements within the Pakistani Society.

Accordingly to the report, the minister was attacked after driving away from the residence of his mother in I-8/3 sector, Islamabad at around 10:50 am, on March 2, 2011. The Minister’s car was blocked by another car, and the attackers armed with automatic weapons sprayed his car with bullets, and was pronounced dead upon his arrival at the nearby hospital.
Shahbaz Bhatti was very vocal about amendments in the controversial blasphemy law, and this difference of opinion took his life, and was silenced forever.
In a gesture of solidarity with minorities the government and the opposition staged a token walkout from the National Assembly on Thursday to register their protest on the assassination of minister for minorities’ affairs Shahbaz Bhatti. The Prime Minister has also announced 3 day mourning.
His funeral ceremony will be held today (Friday) at his native town Khushpur, Faisalabad. The dead body of Shahbaz Bhatti was kept in PIMS mortuary and will be flown to the burial sight through helicopter.
The Peshawar Diocese highly condemns his brutal murder, and has demanded of government to punish the culprits, “It’s a great loss for the Christian Community”. Bishop Humphrey Peters said.
All the missionary schools in Pakistan will remain closed for 3 days in protest.

Cardinal Newman motto for Papal Visit

Heart speaks to Heart’ – who is speaking to who?

The phrase has different levels, which together tell us a lot about Newman, his understanding of what it is to be human, and his vision of a humanity redeemed by Christ. Newman thought that true communication between us speaks from our heart to the heart of others around us – much more than just clever talking. He wrote in an Anglican sermon: ‘Eloquence and wit, shrewdness and dexterity, these plead a cause well and propagate it quickly, but it dies with them. It has no root in the hearts of men, and lives not out a generation.’ Truth speaks from the centre of the person, from their heart: ‘By a heart awake from the dead, and by affections set on heaven, we can… truly and without figure witness that Christ liveth.’ In the age of the Internet, Newman tells us that however we communicate, what we say should come from the heart, the fruits of a moral life lived in communion with Christ.

In fact, Christ speaks to us from his own Heart. ‘Thou art the living Flame, and ever burnest with love of man’ – he is ‘the Word, the Light, the Life, the Truth, Wisdom, the Divine Glory.’ So, in the end, it’s the Heart of God himself which speaks to us – in prayer, in the Mass, through the Scriptures. But also through other faithful Christians, and in the teachings of the Church. As Newman says, ‘when the Church speaks Thou dost speak.’ The Church has no other heart than the Heart of Christ himself.

9/11 comes again

The following statement was issued today from a Syrian born Anglican priest. Its content adds to the steady conversation on 911 and its implications for the future.    Fr Jim, Editor
“Where is the conscience of the world?”
 
The Revd Nadim Nassar said today:
As we approach the anniversary of 9/11, we find that religion is still centre-stage. A single announcement by one pastor in the US threatening to burn the Quran has caused such a huge uproar all around the world. All denominations of all religions have rushed to condemn this act and express their protest against what the pastor in Florida was intending to do. This world solidarity is quite impressive but it is as if everybody was waiting for an opportunity to score a point defending religious tolerance – which they did. The media found a golden chance to turn this incident into a sensational story which took the front page in the vast majority of media. We need to stop and think and ask ourselves this simple question: why did this incident attract such enormous attention?
 
When I look at what is happening in the name of religion in many parts of the world, I cannot stop thinking that there is something seriously wrong in the way we present issues and deal with important problems in our time. The massacres of Muslims and Christians in the name of religion that have taken place in Nigeria, Sudan, Pakistan and Iraq have not inspired the world in a similar way, acting together in condemnation, with religious and political leaders around the world taking active steps to stop this. Every single exploitation of religion should be rejected by all religions, and this should show in our reactions and actions.
 
Condemning the book-burning pastor is safe; no-one who speaks against this man’s actions need fear anything – in fact it’s 100% politically correct, with politicians and religious leaders scoring points with everyone from Hollywood to Islamic fundamentalism. Even if you disagree with Islam, you can still jump on this bandwagon, condemn the book-burning itself and look good in the process.
 
Where is the conscience of the world? It is sad to see that we have become so imprisoned by our fears of standing out from the crowd that the leaders of the world leap to their feet to unite only in defence of the safest of causes, while colossal issues are allowed to pass by unremarked upon.
 
Nadim is an Anglican priest and the Director of the Awareness Foundation, an international ecumenical charity situated in London. He was born in Syria and is a life-long Christian.

108 days to Christmas

This week we remember with sober thoughts and lasting memories of pure hell, the day we all call 911.  Our own Archbishop of Canterbury was caught up in the tragedy of that day of disaster, death and fear, and the fear remains. Let’s remember the dead and those left behind and mourn with them.

It saddens me (in my St Nicholas Society role especially) that there has been a delay in re-building the church crushed by the falling towers, St Nicholas Orthodox Church on Cedar Street, a symbol of humility and love in the presence of wealth and “power”.  (I prefer the Bible’s explanation that “power is shown in weakness”.) – what is the Port Authority waiting for, maybe another tragedy. Islamic Center, ok, but Christian center, too, and fast.

We all see and experience sadness all around, just today I saw 2 younger woman, much disabled, being pushed and guided in wheelchairs. A man in his 40′s joined our no 8 bus and had all the marks of a stroke.  Sometimes when poeple in such circumstances see my clerical collar, they look away immediately, and I dare not speak, as their anger is truly at the “God” they blame for their tragedies and illnesses.  There is much on TV these days asking us to drop the whole God idea and move, I sense it is a middle-class dilemma, with high flyers presenting their theories and high flyers making academic responses. (I wonder if the woman in the taxi being let out by 3 people helping is pondering the God of science and academia, I wonder. sometimes I weep when I wonder..).

Our news speaks of conflict, death, corruption and the media makes every attempt possible to ruin one person’s or organisation’s life per day. Editor’s must stay up nights scanning the web for gossip and more, and the web can be a source of evil and dismay, alot.

Sadly our entertainment (cinema and TV) is as bad news orientated and becomes meshed with the real world, so death and destruction entertain rather than shock. Hello world….where are we going…the answer is hell and fast.

108 days to Christmas, well what does my doom and gloom have to do with Christmas. Just last week I was in a major London high-class emporium called Fortnum and Mason, what a place, not for the faint-hearted. Lo and behold, the Christmas shop was open, and I dashed to take it all in and stunning it was indeed.  To my utter horror I found only one box of ChristMass cards that were religious and after asking a store clerk, we found one ornament of the 3 Kings and one story book on the Nativity, on a bottom shelf of a bookcase…hhhmmmm….and these are the elite…..I just phoned Harrods and their Christmas World is open..here I come…you will know soon what I find.

I wonder if we as church are considering how we present Christmas 2010 in the midst of our bizarre world.  By the way, I am not opposed to Christmas items on sale “early” – I would prefer all the time – if it helps remind us and tell others that there is a way forward from the 911′s of our world.  It comes in the form of a child born of a young Jewish girl, and whose name is Jesus, a name to which all knees should bow (sadly they do not).  We actually have an answer, and people on the margins want to hear about it..are we aware or conifdent enough to share our story, HIS story, or are you going to dust off those KJV Carol services and Nine lessons leaflet and present as your present as if on automatic pilot.

Next time: Guess who I sat next to at Kings Cambridge Nine Lessons and Carols.  Report on Harrods Christmas World.

Think Christmas and NOW.  Remember 911.

Father Jim

www.awareness-foundation.com

www.stnicholassociety.com

www.londoninternetchurch.org.uk