As I write this letter, I cannot quite believe that it is 10 years since my consecration in Canterbury Cathedral. As I give thanks today I do so with a grateful heart, and I am looking forward to the special Evensong at the cathedral this evening at 5.30pm. I hope that as many of you as possible will be able to be present. For me, today is about all of us and who we are as the Church among the people and places of this diocese.
As I will say this evening, I could not have been more delighted that the day of my consecration as a bishop in the Church of God was on the feast of Mary Magdalene. She undoubtedly knew the transforming love, healing and forgiveness of God offered us in Jesus Christ, but has too often been portrayed as a woman with a history of immoral behaviour. There is no biblical evidence for that. The gospels are clear that she was one of the faithful early followers of Christ who was present at Christ’s crucifixion and was the first to bear witness to his resurrection. After her encounter with the risen Christ that first Easter morning (John 20:11-18), Mary Magdalene “went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’ “, and she told them what Jesus had said to her. It is not surprising that Mary Magdalene is often named as the first apostle.
In a service of consecration, much is said about the ministry of bishops, including the reminder that we are to be ‘… guardians of the faith of the apostles, proclaiming the gospel of God’s kingdom and leading his people in mission’. Prior to the declarations made by the people about to be consecrated as bishops, there are beautiful and challenging words which end with a reference to the apostles: ‘Following the example of the prophets and the teaching of the apostles, (bishops) are to proclaim the gospel boldly, confront injustice and work for righteousness and peace in all the world.’
As Mary Magdalene went to share the good news of the risen Christ with the other disciples there is no sense of arrogance or superiority, but rather a boldness and a humble confidence. It is good to be reminded of that humble boldness today. The past months in the Church of England have surely pointed us ever more deeply to our need for God’s love, forgiveness and mercy, and the fact that there is no place for arrogant superiority. Yet, there is a need for a renewed confidence in who we are as the Church and the Body of Christ. This is to be lived boldly but with humility.
In my ongoing desire to follow in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene in bearing witness to Jesus Christ, I am reminded of the many declarations I made 10 years ago, including my commitment ‘with God’s help’, to be ‘diligent in prayer, in reading Holy Scripture, and in all studies that will deepen (my) faith and fit (me) to bear witness to the truth of the gospel’.
These commitments are perhaps apt for all of us as we walk into August. Hopefully the weeks ahead will allow many of us to live life to a slightly different rhythm and perhaps there might be more time for reading and immersing ourselves in scripture and prayer, not least in praying confidently for the contexts of our daily lives – Praying for the transformation of people and places; and for children, young people and adults to have new or deeper encounters with the risen Christ who offers us life in all its fullness. This was Mary Magdalene’s experience. Of course, she encountered the embodied risen Christ, but encountering the one who speaks our name is still made possible in every place and every time through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Today, on the 10th anniversary of my consecration, I pray that together we may be refreshed and renewed in our commitment to go on discovering, and boldly living and sharing the transforming gospel of Jesus Christ, and to do so rooted in scripture and prayer. And if you’re not sure where to start, be bold in asking a friend or an ordained or lay leader in your worshipping community. Mary Magdalene and the disciples went on an adventure of discovery together. May it be so with us.
With my thanks and prayers,
News Hub
Dear Bishop Rachel,
Bless you for not what you have done..which has been amazing..but really for being who you are, under God.