Show us your scars
A farewell from the Bishop of Oxford
Thank you for your fellowship and friendship and support and challenge over these last ten years. To be bishop in this place has been an extraordinary privilege and joy. I’ve greatly appreciated your kindness and affirmation over this final part of the journey.
There are just a few things left to be said, of course.
The first is thank you to God and to all of you for the privilege of travelling this journey together.
Some years ago, I offered three Bible readings on Colossians as part of a diocesan clergy conference. The theme of thanksgiving runs through the epistle from beginning to end. The Church is to be an appreciative community.
“In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”.
There was no space in the conference for a Bible Study on Colossians 4: but today it seems like the most important chapter.
Most of Colossians 4 is a list of people’s names, as we heard. Each person has a story. Aristarchus has been in prison. Mark has been restored to ministry. Nympha has a church in her house. Luke is a beloved physician. The church in every age is made up of real people, with personalities and gifts and stories bound together in love.
Thank yous
So there are particular people I want to thank: most of all Ann and our wonderful family for all of their support. It means so much that so many of our family are here today with others watching online. I want to thank my amazing team, past and present: Graham Sykes, Paul Cowan, Marian Green, Sharon Appleton, Simon Cross, Philippa White. It’s been a privilege to work with seven Area Bishops; around 14 Archdeacons and associates every one of them a rare and rattling example of the species; two outstanding diocesan secretaries in Rosemary and Mark; two DBF Chairs and our wonderful team in Church House and at the Registry.
I’ve loved sharing in the life of our parishes and chaplaincies. I’ve appreciated watching the magnificent work of our schools team and diocesan MATS between them educating 60,000 children every day. Particular thanks to three directors of communication: Sarah, Steven and Jane, and also to Louise Whitehead who leads our safeguarding and the survivor group who work with her. And I give thanks for this unique Cathedral church and its foundation, which I have grown to love and for Sarah and her exemplary leadership.
Gladiator, ready
Like Paul in Colossians, I could go on and on. But there is a second thing to be said about the challenge and cost of ministry and there is an image in Colossians and in Genesis to offer you: the image of wrestling.
Epaphras in Colossians is always wrestling in his prayers on behalf of the Church. Paul uses the special word for doing battle in the arena. He’s referencing also the mysterious story in Genesis 32 of Jacob wrestling with God in the place he calls Peniel.
Once upon a time our children’s favourite television programme was Gladiators, set in an arena. Gladiators has recently been revived – the modern equivalent of wrestling. It’s now one of our grandchildren’s favourite programmes. I have some pugil sticks to help symbolise this aspect of ministry as wrestling. I also have foam fingers for the four grandchildren who are here. They might come in useful later if there is any cheering to be done. We also have enough foam fingers left over for the Bishop Gavin, Bishop Mary and Bishop Dave and for the Dean. There are many times in ministry when you feel you are wrestling. That is the way it is meant to be.
Jacob was left alone in Jabbok; a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob he struck him on the hip socket and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.
There has been much wrestling with God in this ministry as in every ministry: witnessing grief and suffering and conflict locally and more widely not least the pandemic. There has been much inner wrestling with my limitations and mistakes. There has been a need to wrestle with issues of theology, of inclusion, of racism, of safeguarding, of climate change, of technology, of Christian mission, of broken relationships even in the midst of all the joys of ministry.
Jacob’s wrestling leaves its mark even as Jacob himself is given a new name Israel (which means the one who wrestles with God) and leaves its mark even as he is blessed: The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.
Show us your scars
The actor Martin Sheen plays Josiah Bartlett in the West Wing (my favourite television programme). Martin Sheen tells a story of a man who arrives at the gates of heaven and asks to be let in and St Peter says: “Of course: show us your scars.” The man said: “I have no scars”. St Peter says: “What a pity. Was there nothing worth fighting for”.
It was a joy this morning to conduct my final baptism and confirmation in the University Church. I signed the candidates for baptism with the sign of the cross and as at every baptism, the whole congregation joined in this call to wrestle: Fight valiantly as a disciple of Christ against sin, the world and the devil and remain faithful to Christ to the end of your life.
There are many things worth fighting for in the world and in the Church and in the life of this diocese. My encouragement to all of you is to take up the call of your baptism: to wrestle and to contend for a more Christ like Church in a more just and peaceful world. I have found the calling to be costly, as you will know and find, but a source of blessing. Through his wrestling Jacob sees the very face of God. Jacob’s scars become part of his legacy and his character. The sun rose upon Jacob as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.
Every single beatitude in Matthew 5 is about wrestling. Each one is a promise, full of hope not yet realised. Together they paint a picture of a tension at the heart of our own character, our church and our world. We are not yet poor in Spirit, or meek or hungry or thirsty for justice enough. But the beatitudes invite us to wrestle. They set the horizon for the Church we are called to be: contemplative, compassionate and courageous for the sake of God’s world.
Thanks be to God for all we are and all we have become as God’s people in this place. Thanks be to God for all that is yet to be as our journey and our wrestlings continue.
The sun rose upon Jacob as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.
Amen.
You can view more photos from the Bishop’s final service on the Diocese of Oxford Facebook page.