Mary and Martha argued, as sisters are wont to do. They argued about seemingly prosaic things like cooking and doing the washing up. Martha, busy, energetic, a doer, moans that Mary simply leaves her to do all the work whilst she, Mary, lounges around, listening to Jesus. Mary, of course, is more introspective, more meditative, a feeler, a thinker.

 

Martha, irate, whose voice one imagines strident and loud, demands that Jesus arbitrates between the sisters. Jesus seems, at first, to be taking the part of the more contemplative, more obviously spiritual, Mary, by saying that ‘it is she who has chosen the better way.’ But, later, it is Martha who is granted the extraordinary insight that enables her to proclaim Jesus, Messiah.

 

Neither way, it seems, has the edge. Both are necessary to the balance of health and life, for individuals, certainly, but also for the health and vitality of any community.

 

As a Church, of course, We engage with the activity of faith; things that must be done, looking after our buildings, cleaning, repairing, planning; we must make ready for the liturgical life of the church, preparing rotas, orders of service, notices,

ordering candles, washing linen, arranging flowers, training servers, the choir, choosing hymns, planning Junior Church. There is a whole organizational side to Church, meetings, Councils, sub committees, synods… We must deal with the world, commercial, financial, legal, political, educational. We have economic responsibilities, bills to pay, moneys to collect, accounts to be presented professionally. We are employers, we have an architect, we employ the Diocesan Solicitor and Surveyor.

 

There are responsibilities and duties within the wider community, representation on educational and youth consultative councils, local government, the NHS. As a church there are laws governing our common life and we have policies to keep order; Health and Safety, Child Protection, Equal Opportunities… We are also active in fund raising for charities that are close to our heart. We organize social events for these but also for the nurturing and sustaining of our fellowship.

 

All these many activities are central to the well being of this parish and have a pivotal role in the declaration and joyful celebration of our common life. But they are nothing without a spiritual context and content. Action for its own sake is not its own reward.

 

We are a church, a community of faithful people who believe in Jesus Christ

and who seek to be rooted and grounded in his saving love. Without the energy and guidance distilled from the Gospel or the strength received from the Sacrament. Without prayer or without knowledge of the Word of God

and without love, we are nothing in Christ.

 

This is the Mission Statement of the Parish of Friern Barnet:

 

“As a church family we share our experience of God’s love and in response we try to serve faithfully in the world around us. We meet together to pray and to worship God, to encourage each other in our Christian faith, to enjoy our fellowship and to find new ways of bringing Christ’s life to others. Engaged with the complex moral pressures of the modern world we seek to build our lives led by God’s will for the human race. Aware of our own brokenness and need of healing, we value God’s Word and the call to become more like our Lord Jesus Christ, forgiving, non-judgemental and active in bringing down the barriers that divide humanity. We want to be a sign of God’s presence, proclaiming Christ’s love, sharing Christ’s guidance, his life-giving spirit, healing touch and unfailing compassion. We welcome all who come among us.”

 

These are lofty words, well intentioned, but sometimes they feel more like a dream

than reality. Busyness is good, worthy and necessary, but without a spiritual heart, we have no life to proclaim.

 

Jesus gave his disciples four commandments:

 

1.    Proclaim the Gospel and make disciples.

2.    Baptize and draw into the church.

3.    ‘Do this in memory of me.’

4.    ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’

 

These four commandments give a shape to church and ministry.

 

Beloved, we are to be proclaimers of the good news of Jesus Christ and actively to seek new disciples and to nurture them into and within the life of the church. We are to be eucharistically centred, proclaiming the death of the Lord Jesus until he comes, and all that we do is to be done by the same love that characterized Jesus’ love for his disciples.

 

These commandments are reflected in the Five Marks of Mission of the Worldwide Anglican Communion:

 

1.    To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.

2.    To teach, baptize and nurture new believers.

3.    To respond to human need by loving service.

4.    To seek to transform unjust structures of society.

5.    To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the earth.

 

I was charged at my Ordination to care for ‘Christ’s own flock’ and was admonished to ‘serve them with joy, build them up in faith, and do all in my power to bring them to loving obedience to Christ.’ This is what I seek to do, this is what priesthood means to me and what my work among you aims to inspire, ‘loving obedience to Christ.’

 

I have some concerns… I am concerned that we have very few baptisms, that the number of people involved at the centre of the church community is very small. I am concerned that it gets harder to fill the positions of responsibility, and, in consequence, some uncomfortable compromises have had to be made, especially by people who already give and have given so much. I am very sad that the next issue of Fulcrum will be the last. Tom Huish, who has been its creator and inspiration, is retiring as Editor and there is no one obvious or willing to take over.

 

But, I am troubled, particularly, that less than 10% of our community joined the Lent Course, that we have no study groups or book clubs and only one prayer group. And I am concerned, there is no point in disguising it, that Church attendance

is often erratic, spasmodic. Naturally I ask myself if I do enough or whether I should do things differently. Am I aware enough or engaged enough? I also realize that our congregation has responsibilities outside the Church and demands that often conflict and pull in all manner of opposing directions.

 

But my concerns, real as they are, are tempered by other realities that speak of commitment and faithfulness, of service, of compassion, of extreme generosity

and spiritual vigour. The Winter Shelter, the Lunch Club, The Banquet last year raising over £10,000 for St George’s Beira, the generosity of the Friern Barnet Educational Trust and the Parish in funding my two journeys to Mozambique. There are so many instances of faithful service that I cannot begin to mention every act of love that speaks powerfully and sincerely, of our loving obedience to Christ.

 

But I am greedy, I do hope for more…

 

It is very likely that in September we will start an English Conversation Group

in association with Barnet Voluntary Services who will be responsible for the teaching whilst we will provide fellowship, befriending and conversation. I am very excited by this project and we will be looking for more volunteers to join us.

 

I am in conversation with neighbouring parishes, thinking through the potential for collaborative youth work. Another area of service in obedience to Christ and I am hoping for more of you to show an interest in this work.

 

I am also hoping that all members of the Electoral Roll will think seriously about their commitment to the Church, there is so much scope, at so many different levels of activity, that no one need be left out who wants to be included as we labour in the vineyard. I propose this coming year to visit every member of the Electoral Roll.

 

The Church of England prides itself to be at the centre of Community. By virtue of its Establishment every person in the community belongs, unless he chooses not to,

therefore, members of the parish have rights, to get married, to the Electoral Roll...

This connectedness with the Church has certainly been watered down if not completely lost in many parts of England, not least in London itself. However, the principle still remains and the relationship of privilege and responsibility is ours in the context of Friern Barnet. I will be inviting the new PCC to think, imagine and put into effect ways in which we might be of practical service to the local community, addressing the effects of economic uncertainty.

 

I look forward also this year to the final resolution of our discussions with the Greek Orthodox Community of St Catherine for the leasing of St James’ Church. You will, of course, God willing, hear much more about this in the coming months. The income from St James’ will do much to further our mission in obedience to Christ.

 

My first journey to Africa was life changing. I was touched deeply by the experience and by the friendships I made in Beira and Zove. It was a privilege to return in November and to share with Elizabeth Tucker the events celebrating the tragedy of Berta Singulane’s death and the blessing of Zove, providing life were certain death is the only alternative. I am very grateful to Fr Isaias for his hospitality and friendship and for the extraordinary care with which he and so many others embraced me. I am particularly thankful for Chris Henborough’s friendship and support. Despite the economic difficulties confronting us, I hope we may continue to support St George’s Beira with love and commitment.

 

I also look forward to our Festival with its African theme and to returning Fr Isaias’ hospitality during his visit to us this June. During the Festival we shall be showing

a film of some of my experiences in Mozambique.

 

Some of you came on pilgrimage to Santiago in 2008. We are planning another pilgrimage for 2010, this time to Rome and we will be publishing details after Easter.

 

What I long for the most, is that you will commit yourselves, more deeply, to rejoice in and study God’s Word, with me and with one another and involve yourselves more in the prayer life of our Community. The PCC will be considering how to encourage Mary’s better way of word, prayer and spirituality more imaginatively and effectively, so that we may continue our loving work of obedience to Christ, but rooted and grounded, confident, in his will.

 

It is time to express my thanks to this community for your service and love…

 

…Our community changes constantly and some of those changes are painful. We remember Eileen Phillips with thanksgiving for all the years of service to Christ and this church community. We also pray for the soul of Frank Langton. We embrace all of you who mourn; we pray for healing for all who have had operations recently. We pray for the many who are finding life difficult in these uncertain economic times.

 

My last vote of thanks is reserved for Margot Huish, who in better circumstances,

would have been retiring as Church Warden at this APCM. It is a measure of the wonderful person that she is that she has offered to stay on, another year, and to stay on fully committed, though I did offer some relaxation in her duties. I will reserve the full weight of my admiration for next year, but, Margot, I do want to honour your commitment, wisdom and energy, all of which have enriched the life of our church family.

 

Beloved, finally, I ask your prayers for me as I serve God among you, that I may continue to bring you to loving obedience to Christ. Pray also that God will ‘each day enlarge and enlighten my understanding of the Scriptures, so that I may grow stronger and more mature in my ministry, as I fashion my life and the lives of my people on the word of God.’

 

I know I serve you imperfectly, thank God, and though you could have a more efficient, better qualified and more effective Rector I doubt that you could have one who loved you more. I thank you for your care and I praise God for your love.