Sermons are more and more criticised as an outmoded medium of
communication. After all where else are people required to sit and listen to
someone talking to them without fear of interruption for at least ten minutes and
sometimes considerably longer? The university lecture or the party conference
speech are the only parallels that come readily to mind and most congregations
bear little relation to the audiences of either of those, except perhaps here in
Hampstead. Here sermons seem still to be listened to intently and I continue to
be moved by the response we receive as clergy from a congregation, which clearly
thinks carefully about what it hears.
Perhaps ironically it was a sermon about doubt rather than faith (printed
elsewhere in this magazine) which for me has received the most comments that
I can remember. And I began to ask myself what was it about this sermon one
about which I felt rather unconfident which attracted such comment. There was
not much reflection on Scripture in it, not much explanation of belief. What it did
attempt to do was to analyse the different kinds of doubt we can experience and
in doing so that seems to have identified for some of you, your own experience and
situation. And by naming something we are I suppose given permission to feel less
guilty about it and to give ourselves more freedom to think about it. In this way
faith can perhaps begin to feel synonymous with courage, which was the main
point of the sermon.
However, such a response to a sermon which was more about us or what we might
be like as Christians, made me think about the importance of creating more
opportunities for us to talk together about our experience of Christianity and the
things we feel we still need to know. The Bible study groups attract a small but
faithful following, but these are rooted in reflection on a Biblical text. The
experimental pastoral groups which are being set up at the moment are more
about getting to know one another better and keeping an eye out for each other.
The Lent groups offer a greater opportunity for sharing and I hope some new
faces as well as the old faithfuls will join these groups. The course will be about
prayer; looking at the way in which we should be getting to know ourselves better
through prayer, the way in which we might use the Bible prayerfully, intercessory
prayer and the meaning of the Lord’s prayer, the use of silence and the meaning
of contemplation, and the way in which prayer should connect with our daily
activities and work.
I know, however, that many people find a weekly commitment even over a period
of five weeks can be difficult to make. There need to be other opportunities for
sharing and learning which fit more readily into your timetables rather than those
of the clergy. We have spoken for some time about our need for an equivalent to
an alpha course. I hope 2008 will see the completion of such a course which can
be done in weekly, fortnightly or monthly groups. I hope it could also be possible
that people could feel more free simply to invite the clergy for coffee or a meal not
just as a social occasion but to talk about anything to do with faith or doubt,
prayer or principles. I know people in this parish are aware of the clergy being
busy and that’s true. I am stuck at my lap top for far longer than I would like to
be. It may be that we need to improve our organization and communication and
we are about to consider ways of doing that to free up our time a little more.
Above all we need to ensure that we can keep a paid staff of three clergy and an
administrator otherwise our ambitions become impossible. And if we are to
convince the diocese that we are worth such staffing levels we need to go on being
able to contribute out of our resources to those parishes that find life much harder
than we do. Following on from this letter is a more detailed explanation of our
financial situation. My purpose is to provide an introduction showing something
of what we might do to grow and develop as a community and above all to deepen
our faith through making stronger connections. Only connect’ could be a good
motto for 2008, connecting with one another, connecting with the clergy, making
connections between the money you give and the work you see going on through
the church, and above all connecting through faith with the spirit of God in Jesus
Christ who alone makes all this possible.
With my love and prayers for the new year,
Father Stephen
The Vicar Writes
Stephen Tucker