Intercessions for Epiphany 2013
First, a statement from Church House (verbatim, I am not making this up):
In 2013, the Feast of the Epiphany (6 January)...
Ewenny Priory Chapel, Vale of Glamorgan via Wikimedia under CCL
Three at Table
a reproduction of Rublev’s icon
Come in, they said. This
is the empty stone chapel
in a remote village, this
is the impenetrable Sinai cloud, this
is the tent of meeting in the desert: this,
here, now, is the drawing of water
into wine, the sharing in our divinity.
Here, wherever you are – soaring flailing
empty full, dancing hobbling
feasting fasting, wrestling fondling
together or alone – are the angels
of the temple all about you; this
is the invitation. To take your place
in this trinity, you need
no more than the newborn’s prayer,
the blind man shouting through the crowd
to see, the lama sabachthani; no
calm assurance, no knowing
what might happen, no
composure, just the dark, the need
Boss depicting Holy Trinity, Peterborough Cathedral (Wikimedia under CCL)
The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, you have given us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the divine majesty to worship the Unity: keep us steadfast in this faith, that we may evermore be defended from all adversities; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
¶ The Liturgy of the Word
First Reading: Isaiah 6.1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.’
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’ Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’
Psalm 29
Ascribe to the Lord, you powers of heaven, * ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name; * worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; * the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is mighty in operation; * the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; * the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf * and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord splits the flash of lightning; the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; * the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe and strips the forests bare; * in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’
The Lord sits enthroned above the water flood; * the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore.
The Lord shall give strength to his people; * the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
Second Reading: Romans 8.12-17
Brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ – if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Gospel Reading: John 3.1-17
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.’
The RSCM has: “So often we attempt to split God into his component parts on Trinity Sunday, but it’s like trying to split the atom, using huge amounts of energy to do something that is potentially very dangerous. Warmth and light – energy emanating from the sun – are integral to it being the sun…No wonder Jesus so often spoke in parables, and no wonder Nicodemus was confused. But at the heart it is a simple story…The Trinity is not, after all, a puzzle to be solved, it is the very life of God in which we are invited to share.”
You can read the whole of Jane Williams on this year’s Trinity readings here, by searching for ‘milk’ (p74), but she begins:
Prayers of Intercession
¶The Church of Christ
Lord, we hear the sound of the wind of your Holy Spirit as it blows through our world and our Church. We know this Spirit does not appear to our timetable, or blow in the direction we are expecting or at the exact strength we would like. Help us, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to listen for the wind, knowing that if our doubts are too deep we may drown but if our certainties are too strong we shall stumble and fall. Hold us, Lord, trembling on the tightrope of faith as we seek to do your will.
Lord our creator, powerfully sustaining: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority
Lord, your voice divides the lightning flash and your glory thunders over the oceans. Your voice resounds through the mountains, echoing your glory and splendour. Your voice whirls through the sands of the desert, the whistling sands of the desert storm. More powerful than tempest or flood, your love embraces all the powers of creation. Give strength, we pray, to your people and let all the powers of the universe praise you, O Creator, as we worship you in the beauty of holiness. *
Lord our creator, powerfully sustaining: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶The local community
Lord, help us to imitate in our own lives the unbroken harmony and mutual love of the Holy Trinity, moving seamlessly from one to another, drawing on the strengths of each. Lord, strengthen the bonds of our community and may this grace and balance be reflected in our families, our lives and all our relationships.
Lord our creator, powerfully sustaining: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶Those who suffer
Lord, have mercy on those whose lives are crippled by physical, mental or spiritual strain and anxiety. Release their tension, give them the blessing of inward peace, and restore them to the wholeness which is your will for all.
Lord our creator, powerfully sustaining: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶The communion of saints
Lord, our mystery, you bring us to life and move between us with love. May we so participate in the dance of your trinity that our lives may resonate with you, now and in the hereafter, in the company of those whom we have loved.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers….
*This prayer is based on Jim Cotter’s meditation on Psalm 29.
Prayer after Communion
Almighty and eternal God,
you have revealed yourself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
and live and reign in the perfect unity of love:
hold us firm in this faith,
that we may know you in all your ways
and evermore rejoice in your eternal glory,
who are three Persons yet one God,
now and for ever.
Pentecost Mosaic in Hosios Loukas via Wikimedia under CCL
The Collect
God, who as at this time taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgement in all things and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
¶ The Liturgy of the Word
First Reading: Acts 2.1-21
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs – in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’ But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Psalm 104.26-36,37b
O Lord, how manifold are your works! * In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
There is the sea, spread far and wide, * and there move creatures beyond number, both small and great.
There go the ships, and there is that Leviathan * which you have made to play in the deep.
All of these look to you * to give them their food in due season.
When you give it them, they gather it; * you open your hand and they are filled with good.
When you hide your face they are troubled; * when you take away their breath, they die and return again to the dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created, * and you renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; * may the Lord rejoice in his works;
He looks on the earth and it trembles; * he touches the mountains and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; * I will make music to my God while I have my being.
So shall my song please him* while I rejoice in the Lord.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Alleluia.
Second Reading: Romans 8.22-27
We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Gospel Reading: John 15.26-27; 16.4b-15
Jesus spoke to his disciples: ‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning. I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them. ‘I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.’
Jane Williams has a good account of some of the complexities of the Pentecost, which you can read here on page 70 by searching ‘soppy’. The RSCM has: “There’s a sound like wind, but no movement of the air. There is something that looks like flames, but no one is burned. Nothing is what it seems. The disciples appear drunk, but are stone cold sober. The crowd look like a disparate gathering of ‘every nation under heaven’, but they have the potential under the creative work of the Holy Spirit to become united in the body of Christ. They only have to hear and see (understand) Peter’s message for themselves.”
Prayers of Intercession
In the power of the Holy Spirit, which we have received through grace, let us pray; and may our prayers be worthy of that grace:
¶The Church of Christ
Lord of light, enlighten us. Lord of warmth and love, evermore enkindle us. Lord and giver of life, evermore live in us. Lord who bestows grace on us sevenfold, evermore replenish us. As the wind is your symbol, so breathe your inspiration on our endeavours. As the dove, launch us heavenwards. As you are water, so purify our souls. As a cloud, veil our temptations and lessen them. As you are dew, revive us when we tire. And as you are fire, purge from us our dross. *
Lord, pour out your Spirit upon us: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority
Lord, you know better than do we the challenges that face us in caring for your creation. Sometimes these problems seem overwhelmingly complex, and solutions hard to find. Come, Holy Spirit. Sometimes we can almost hear the earth groaning under the onslaught. Come, Holy Spirit, come to lead us, come to guide us, so that we may work through your power and rest in your presence.
Lord, pour out your Spirit upon us: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶The local community
Lord, fill our homes and our hearts with the warmth of your love. Breathe on us and inspire us with new ideas and new possibilities, as well as enabling us to see the comfortable and familiar in a new light. Guide us in our relationships with each other, and draw us together to serve you in love and joy.
Lord, pour out your Spirit upon us: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶Those who suffer
Lord, we pray for those who suffer in mind, body or spirit. For those who can see only the dark corners, even on the brightest day. For those who fear lurking dangers on every side. For those who have lost confidence in their ability to deal with what the day may bring. For those whose pain is unremitting. For those whose inner light seems about to be extinguished. Comfort them all, we pray, with the promise of your healing presence.
Lord, pour out your Spirit upon us: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶The communion of saints
Lord, we pray for those who now rejoice in the perfect knowledge and unclouded vision of your nearer presence. May we who now know and worship you imperfectly in this world come at last into that same eternal light..
Merciful Father, accept these prayers….
Prayer after Communion
Faithful God,
who fulfilled the promises of Easter
by sending us your Holy Spirit
and opening to every race and nation
the way of life eternal:
open our lips by your Spirit,
that every tongue may tell of your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
O God the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: we beseech you, leave us not comfortless, but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
¶ The Liturgy of the Word
First Reading: Acts 1.15-17,21-26
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred and twenty people). He said, ‘Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus – for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry. So one of the men who have accompanied us throughout the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us – one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.’ So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.
Psalm 1
Refrain: The Lord knows the way of the righteous.
Blessed are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, * nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the assembly of the scornful.
Their delight is in the law of the Lord * and they meditate on his law day and night.
Like a tree planted by streams of water bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither, * whatever they do, it shall prosper. R
As for the wicked, it is not so with them; * they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked shall not be able to stand in the judgement, * nor the sinner in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, * but the way of the wicked shall perish.
Refrain: The Lord knows the way of the righteous.
Second Reading: 1 John 5.9-13
If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Gospel Reading: John 17.6-19
Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed: ‘Father, I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.’
The RSCM (2009) says: “St John’s Gospel gives us Jesus’ long prayer to the Father for his followers, present and yet to come. It is beautiful in its intimacy, both in the way Jesus speaks to his Father and the things he asks for his friends. To know oneself to be the subject of such a prayer is astonishing. It must have sustained the disciples in that ‘in-between time’ after the Ascension and before Pentecost, a time almost as dark as his absence on Easter Eve. It can sustain us too.”
Prayers of Intercession
¶The Church of Christ
Lord, giver of life, you bless us when we delight in your truth and ponder your law. We struggle with evil in our hearts, tossed to and fro like chaff in the wind. Save us, we pray, from the desert of faithlessness, and nourish us with your living water so that in due season we may bring forth fruit whose leaves shall not wither away. *
Lord, keep us true to your way: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority
Lord, help us to build on the values of your eternity. We pray for all those who must make decisions that will affect the lives of others. Impress on them the great privilege they have been afforded, and its accompanying responsibilities. Fill them with your wisdom and compassion so that they may never abuse their authority, but instead be steadfast in seeking the common good and your greater glory.
Lord, keep us true to your way: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶The local community
Lord, you have set us in the world, while holding before us the beacon of the celestial city. Help us to base our own communities on that city. When we have short-term setbacks, or when we find each other difficult to work with, let us remember that vision of a shining city on a hill and give us renewed strength, we pray, to do what we can, with what we have, where we are, to build it here on earth.
Lord, keep us true to your way: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶Those who suffer
Lord, shine your light into our darkness and despair. We pray for all who are struggling with their faith. For those who are in mental anguish, either because of their own pain, or because they watch the sufferings of those whom they love. For families, where relationships have broken down. For all who are ill or in chronic pain. May all know the reality of your presence, and thus be strengthened and comforted.
Lord, keep us true to your way: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶The communion of saints
Lord, we pray for loved ones departed, that in you they may know newness of life. Bring us, also, at the last to rejoice with you
Merciful Father, accept these prayers…
Prayer after Communion
Eternal God, giver of love and power,
your Son Jesus Christ has sent us into all the world
to preach the gospel of his kingdom:
confirm us in this mission,
and help us to live the good news we proclaim;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Christ our wisdom,
give us delight in your law,
that we may bear fruits of patience and peace
in the kingdom of the righteous;
for your mercy ’s sake.
I am writing in the week of a general election. Without wishing to predict the future, it is likely that the following week will be taken up with conversations between possible coalition partners. It is helpful to think of evangelical Anglicanism as a coalition. Bishop Graham Kings has identified three ‘parties’: conservative, open, and charismatic. While there is some overlap between them, as in a coalition government, relationships between the three are not always easy, and this is one of the reasons for the appointment of RodThomas as Bishop of Maidstone. Our prayer is that a conservative evangelical voice on the bench will enable the evangelical coalition to flourish.
But what is a conservative evangelical anyway? Any outline is bound to be personal and impressionistic, but to get our bearings there are a number of historical influences, contemporary concerns, and external markers. It is these which distinguish conservative evangelicalism from the evangelicalism of Holy Trinity Brompton and the Alpha course which nurtured the Archbishop of Canterbury and from the evangelicalism of senior figures such as Bishop Graham Kings, associated with the Fulcrum movement. An obvious historical influence is John Calvin, the misrepresented second-generation reformer. Calvin’s sharp legal mind and knowledge of the Scriptures and the Fathers make him a sublime theologian, whose Institutes of the Christian Religion is one of the great books of the world. While many of Calvin’s followers have been regarded as dour, his theology emphasises joyful confidence in the sovereignty of God, giving rise to a deep assurance of salvation in those who read the Scriptures through the lenses he provides.
Another obvious historical influence, this time from within the Church of England, is J. C. Ryle, the first Bishop of Liverpool. Ryle’s writing is pithy and accessible, while giving a beautifully clear defence of the Reformed nature of true Anglicanism. A primary contemporary concern of conservative evangelicals is expository preaching. The ministry of Dick Lucas at St Helen’s Bishopsgate and the establishment of the Proclamation Trust have done much to make conservative evangelical Anglican preaching one of the secret glories of the Church of England. The conservative evangelical conviction is that the preached word is the voice of God. There is an excitement about conservative evangelical gatherings not because of high-octane music or perpetual innovation, but because of the expectation that God will address his people through his word.
As far as external markers are concerned, historically the position of the officiant at the Lord’s Supper at the north-side of the holy table was the obvious one, and grants to parishes from evangelical trusts were often contingent on it. It can still be found, but a more reliable external mark is that while open and charismatic evangelicals are happy to adapt Common Worship Order One, conservative evangelicals prefer to use Order Two, most often in contemporary language. In a conservative evangelical parish church you are unlikely to find candles, but you will always find Bibles in the pews – very often the English Standard Version. It is a very distinct group of Anglicans.I am enormously grateful to them: I came to a living faith through their ministry, and they taught me to preach.
I am not convinced by the current conservative evangelical opposition to the consecration of women bishops, but I do claim to understand it, and hope to represent it fairly. It should be obvious that for conservative evangelicals the supreme authority is not the wisdom of the world or even the tradition of the Church, but the Bible. They have Article XX on their side: ‘…it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God’s Word written, neither may it so expound one place of Scripture, that it be repugnant to another.’ Conservative evangelicals believe that for women to exercise a ministry of headship in the church (that is, as an incumbent or bishop) would be contrary to Scripture. The classic texts have been discussed elsewhere, but for reference I Timothy ii.11 ff. is read alongside I Corinthians xiv.34 and an appeal to the order of creation and the nature of the marital relationship, giving especial weight to Ephesians v.22-24 and 32. Conservative evangelicals are adamant that women are equal to men and that this understanding of Scripture honours women, enabling them to play a vital part in the life of the local Church.
It is the local Church which is primary for conservative evangelicals. Again, they will appeal to the Articles, specifically to Article XIX: ‘The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure Word of God is preached, and the sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ’s ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.’ But if this is the case, why do bishops matter at all?First, and most importantly, conservative evangelical Anglicans believe that the seeds of episcopal ministry are to be found in Scripture. The New Testament refers both to elders and overseers, that is, to presbyters and bishops. While in the first century it seems these rôles were combined, in time they were separated. The Book of Common Prayer refers to ‘the Ordering of Priests’ but to ‘the Consecration of Bishops’: that is, presbyters are consecrated (or ‘set apart’) for ministry as a Bishop. Bishops thus have a distinctive purpose within (not apart from) the presbyterate.
Secondly, conservative evangelical Anglicans believe that episcopal ministry benefits the Church. To them, the accusation of congregationalism is not particularly offensive, but nor is it entirely accurate. While to be apostolic is to submit to the apostles’ teaching in Scripture, there is an ‘apostolicity’ about episcopal ministry. St Paul did not set apart committees for ministry and mission. He set apart men. That is why it is important for conservative evangelicals to have bishops to whom they can relate with confidence. While personally wary of an ecclesiology in which congregations may choose their bishop for a particular doctrinal stance, clearly conservative evangelicals have specific needs which arise from a specific hermeneutical understanding of gender and ministry.
It is to be hoped that an honoured place for conservative evangelicals in the Church’s ministry will enable all evangelicals to unite in mission, that the people of England may hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and come to a living faith in him.
Liam Beadle is the Vicar of Honley in the Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales. He grew up in Newcastle and read Theology at Oxford before training for ordained ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham.
He likes second-hand bookshops and gin.
His chief desire is to preach God’s word to the end that God’s chosen people will worship God in the name of Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
I am extremely grateful to the Revd Liam Beadle for agreeing without knowing much about me or the website to write this piece for us in an attempt to explain the viewpoint of Conservative Evangelicals. Until now, I have had some difficulty in grasping why, for example, they insist on male headship but I now understand much better how and why it is so central in their ecclesiology.
Marcus Larson: Dramatiskt forslandskap med figurer och kvarnbyggnader 1854
The Collect
God our redeemer, you have delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of your Son: grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his continual presence in us he may raise us to eternal joy; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
¶ The Liturgy of the Word
First Reading: Acts 10.44-48
While Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.
Psalm 98
Refrain: The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the Lord a new song, *for he has done marvellous things.
His own right hand and his holy arm *have won for him the victory.
The Lord has made known his salvation; * his deliverance has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness towards the house of Israel, * and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. R
Sound praises to the Lord, all the earth; * break into singing and make music.
Make music to the Lord with the lyre, * with the lyre and the voice of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn * sound praises before the Lord, the King. R
Let the sea thunder and all that fills it, * the world and all that dwell upon it. Let the rivers clap their hands * and let the hills ring out together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
In righteousness shall he judge the world * and the peoples with equity.
Refrain: The Lord has made known his salvation.
Second Reading: 1 John 5.1-6
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.
Gospel Reading: John 15.9-17
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.’
The RSCM (2009) has: “Fruit frames this passage of St John’s Gospel: last week’s reading spoke of the Vine, and here is the ‘juice’, or the heart of the matter. Bearing fruit in Christ means loving people. Sometimes this is accompanied by warmth of feeling, sometimes (perhaps often?) it is a sheer act of will in obedience to the commandment Jesus lays on us, to love one another. Always this fruit is produced not in our own strength, but because he first chose us to go and bear it.”
Prayers of Intercession
¶The Church of Christ
Lord we pray for your Church. You speak to us, urging us to follow the example of your Son, and to fulfil your word. Now that we see only through a glass darkly, may we know ourselves unsatisfied with all that distorts your truth. Help us to understand your purpose through the words of scripture, finding your Word beyond, and listening to your liberating voice. Give us hearts to long for you, grace to discern you, and courage to proclaim you.
Lord, who makes all things new: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority
Lord, with the strength of endurance and the folly of weakness, with the wisdom of justice and the power of gentleness, you have brought triumph from the midst of defeat. Work still in these our days, we pray, bringing new and unexpected life out of despair and death, that we may sing a new song to your glory. *
Lord, who makes all things new: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶The local community
Lord, may the power of your love overcome the pettiness and squabbling that divides people. Make us loving and filled with your grace in our human relationships, that we may show ourselves to be amongst those whom Christ called his friends.
Lord, who makes all things new: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶Those who suffer
Lord, we ask for your mercy on those who find it difficult to love because they have rarely been loved in their turn. Look with compassion and understanding on those in whom the will to love has grown cold. Visit with new life the neglected and lonely of our society. Shine light and warmth into the hearts of those who long for human companionship, and may they thus be led to you.
Lord, who makes all things new: in your mercy, hear our prayer
¶The communion of saints
Lord, we give thanks for those who were called to be followers of Christ in this world, and all those whose beliefs were known only to unto you. May they be received into eternal life with that divine love which they first glimpsed through the gift of love between one human and another.
Lord, who makes all things new: in your mercy, hear our prayer
.
*Based on Jim Cotter’s interpretation of Psalm 98.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ gives the water of eternal life:
may we thirst for you,
the spring of life and source of goodness,
through him who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
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