The Ministry of the Big Toe

I first wrote this last year before I was ordained Priest as part of my 'Deacon's Essay' that was sent to my Bishop, +Paul Hertford. It's probably a good place to start with this blog.

And the ram of ordination was slaughtered.
Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and
on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.
Leviticus 8:23

 With this ‘big toe’, Father James cracked and hiccupped a laugh; Fathers Simon and Joseph were not far behind as the solemn team Evening Prayer broke to let the Holy Spirit in.

Church is so ridiculous most of the time that it is a                                  Church is so full of life, in all its glories,

wonder that anyone would want to be part of it.                                 so full of welcome and friendship that I don’t

I increasingly wonder, as I talk to people in the pub or                               know how people can not be part of it.

when I’m out walking the dog, what stops people                              When I talk to people whilst out walking the

from getting to know the loving God who reached out to me                               dog or drinking a pint in the pub,

and called me to this life. Our scripture – that which                                     it is obvious that they are searching

some inaccurately call the Word of God – contains verses                             for something greater and need the

and chapters that are completely                             guidance the people of the church – God’s priestly people –

out of tune with ‘modern’ society: the lighter ones, like                                   can offer in the way they try to live.

the bloody big toe, make us laugh; but                              Take the laughter that broke into Evening Song: many

others make us cringe when we read or hear them                              think that church is purely a solemn affair,

(i.e. ‘Happy shall they be who take your little ones and                         yet there have been numerous occasions

dash them against the rock!’ Psalm 137:9).                           In my first year of ministry as a deacon, and before,

This year we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the                              when God has given us joy over sorrow or

King James (Authorised) translation, but I                                 frustration; and this extends to how we approach

ponder whether the ‘accessibility’ of the written word                               scripture, reading it with the rose-tinted

has decreased the accessibility of the Word. Don’t                            spectacles that is the love of God, enjoying

get me wrong, now: I’m not harkening back to having church in                            the anachronisms for what they

Latin or Greek; but there is something about                                are, and letting the Word of God speak through

communicating the gospel                                them. And if the ‘unchurched’ and ‘dechurched’ of our generation

that we miss when we have scripture more at                                know little or nothing of scripture – and maybe

hand than the Word. ‘A little knowledge is                                  confused about the little they do know, then this

a dangerous thing’, and a lot of people, a lot of                              is a great opportunity for us to lead them to an

the ‘unchurched’ know a little about the                            understanding that is in tune with both their experience

gospel – but the little they know is either confusing or                             of God and their modern or post-modern

childish or contradictory. Likewise the most publicised                              mind-sets. Even our public arguments

‘teachings’ of the church that they know                           about women bishops and gay clergy are opportunities

so often seem out of touch and at                              for they raise debate in the public space; they demonstrate

odds with both the sensibilities                               that the church is not a monolith; they illuminate areas of our

of the public and the love that they                          society where difference still causes tension and oppression,

encounter from God – a love they so often fail                                  where women are still paid as second-class 

to recognise. And then there’s what                                          citizens and gay men and women are denied the

we get up to in church: from the mysterious                                opportunities that others take for granted. And if

actions of the high church with bells                                 we seem like squabbling teenagers while having these

and smells, to the happy clappy,                         debates, then this is because we are reflecting our society that

wave-your-arms-in-the-air-like-you-just-don’t-care bunch,                                is still very childish when set before

to the BCP mumblers, etc, etc.;                         Jesus. Perhaps the church in all its diversity and community, all

each in their own way inaccessible unless you’re                          its arguments and welcomes can offer society

already in the know, like                            the better Way afterall; perhaps in our childishness, we are still being

it’s some secret society.                                     formed into Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, that society

                                                                    where the love of God is continuously breaking forth like the dawn.