together THE VOICE OF CATHOLIC ANGLICANS WINTER 2016 2017 NATIONAL FESTIVAL Saturday 17th June St John the Baptist, Coventry Fleet Street, Coventry CV1 3AY First things first 12 noon When we think about ‘mission’ – that is, if we think about mission (and I really hope that SOLEMN CONCELEBRATED MASS mission is quickly coming up the PCC agenda of every parish affiliated to The Society) – we’re Principal Celebrant: probably thinking about some kind of plan – even a local ‘mission action plan’. Bishop Roger Jupp, Superior-General Where to start? What to say? What to do? 2.00 pm : Annual Meeting of Associates Who to? Why do it? ‘Have we all got the plan? Synchronize watches …’ 3.00 pm : Exposition, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction Priests Associate: those wishing to concelebrate must inform the And then—stupid creatures that Secretary-General via Mary Bashford at: [email protected] we are, only then—we ask God or telephone 0121 382 5533 to bless it, to swing in behind us, to endorse what we’ve put together, to fill our plans with his life and love, and give success to the work of our hands. Put it like that, there’s something clearly not quite right about that approach. It’s dangerously close to thinking that it’s our job to work out how we can take God, even smuggle God, into places and into lives where he’s never been before, when—of course!— God is always, always already in people’s lives, long before we turn up. When we stop and re-think (or when we’ve learnt the hard way because our precious plans have collapsed) we realize that the real mission God gives to us is where he is already opening the door. continued on next page... The Christmas Crib Christmas Bishop Robert Ladds Services see pages page 6 page 8 9-12 2 Together WINTER 2016 visit our website: www.richborough.org.uk ...continued from front page Falling in love with God, and then letting it Let’s take our encouragement from the early show. missionaries of our land. The outreach and service of every parish of The Society will exist, Which gifts has God given in the congregation I’m writing these words in Rome airport, not first because of our plans, but only if we fall that need to be given room to grow? which new returning from Archbishop Justin’s visit to Pope in love with God and share it with our brothers ministries can be offered? what opportunities Francis and to the Anglican Centre in Rome to and sisters. or people, in our local neighbourhood is God celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic bringing to our attention? which needs we can and beautiful meeting in 1966 of Pope Paul VI Now that we’re passing into 2017, the first full meet in the name of Jesus? which places or and Archbishop Michael Ramsey that opened year of the life of The Society, let’s help the needs further afield capture the compassion the way to renewed relations between whole Church to learn to put first things first: and imagination of our fellowship? Anglicans and Roman Catholics, and bore fruit ‘the love of Christ before all things!’ Now of course, at some point, in any of these in the founding of the Centre. Whatever new possibilities, parishes must be prepared and difficulties and obstacles appear to be in our + Jonathan equipped for whatever possibilities for mission path, it is 50 years to be abidingly grateful for. or service they channel energies into. But our The main act of worship wit the Pope was Rome airport plan is not the first thing. Vespers in the monastery from which St Augustine was sent by Pope Gregory the Great. The first thing, the really key thing in mission, is It’s always immensely moving to remember that CONTACT DETAILS something quite different, as every bishop, Augustine left that same monastery and arrived Together is published and edited by the Church priest and deacon in the CofE knows. At every as a missionary bishop on Ebbsfleet beach. Union in co-operation with the Additional ordination, after a lot of questions by the Curates Society, the Confraternity of the bishop and promises from the candidates, the It’s obvious from the stories we have of Blessed Sacrament and Forward in Faith. bishop abruptly changes tack and says, ‘I Augustine, and from his correspondence with assume you do know (don’t you?) that you can’t Pope Gregory, that he was really scared that he The opinions and views expressed in this do all this on your own? You can only do it with couldn’t lead a mission in England in his own newspaper by contributors and advertisers are the grace and power of God. So then, we’d strength: only with the grace and power of God. their own, and not those of the Church Union, better start praying!’ Additional Curates Society, the Confraternity of But the key to the success of the mission the Blessed Sacrament or Forward in Faith. I wish that were something we said to people appears to have been falling in love with God who come to be baptized and confirmed as before sharing love with the wider world. When If you have ideas for content, please email well, because the point is the same: ‘You do the Venerable Bede described the early days of [email protected]. Augustine’s mission, he stressed that the know, don’t you, that you can’t be a Christian in If you would like free copies for your parish, or missionaries ‘began by imitating the way of life your own strength? The first thing in Christian to discuss other matters of distribution, please life, the most important thing, is the grace and of the apostles and of the earliest Church’. contact the ACS on 0121 382 5533, email power of God. And that means, quite obviously, What drew and attracted people to the faith [email protected] falling in love with God, allowing ourselves to then – and what draws and attracts them now or write to: become dependent on his mercy, and kindness, – is Christian poverty and prayer, the humble The Additional Curates Society, and gentleness. And only then, when we love and joyful shared life of the apostles in the Acts Gordon Browning House, Unit 7, God and one another, have we got anything to of the Apostles. Spitfire Road, Birmingham B24 9PB share in mission, whatever kind of mission it is. What makes any parish effective in terms of CURAT AL ES N S If we think about it, we already know all this, mission and witness is this apostolic way of life IO O T C I I E –being in love with God in prayer and the D because these two things—falling in love, and T D Y letting it show—happen every time we celebrate Eucharist, and extending that love to others. A p a d the Mass. There are two very ancient moments The community at Whitby under The Society’s s s o i heroine, St Hilda, is described in the same way, o o in the Mass when, instead of being encouraged n h a st to do something (‘Let us do such and such …’), and there are many other instances. The main te ie about pr we’re ordered, pretty abruptly, to do something. point is clear: the mission of the Church is First, the bishop or priest says – ‘Up with your bound up with people who are in love with God If you would like to advertise in Together, hearts!’ Give God your love and gratitude. Hold the Father of Jesus Christ, who are not please contact Mike Silver on ashamed of depending on him, and with our nothing back. And the congregation thunders [email protected] or 01634 401611. back, ‘We already have – they’re with the Lord!’ willingness to share with everyone what we And the second order is when the deacon says, have received. ‘Go! The mass has ended; the mission has College of Readers begun!’ Patron. The Rt. Revd Norman Banks Bishop of Richborough Co-patron. The Rt. Revd Martyn Jarret FREE CHRISTMAS CARDS Membership of the BUY 2 GET 1 FREE - 3 packs for £10 College of Readers is for you Call ACS on 0121 382 5533 or order online at If you are a Licensed Reader looking for study www.acsreligiousgoods.co.uk opportunities, support and spiritual development. If you accept the traditional understanding of the apostolic ministry of bishops, priests and deacons. If the answer to the questions is Yes then your next step is to: Visit our website www.college-of-readers.org.uk Or contact Mrs M E Snape Registrar/Treasurer of the College of Readers, [email protected] Annual membership fee £15.00 THE VOICE OF CATHOLIC ANGLICANS Together WINTER 2016 3 The sun didn’t exactly shine, but at least the rain stayed away Gfor the 2016 Glalstonbuary Pilgrimages entitled “tMary Moother of nbury Mercy”. The preacher at the Mass was Bishop Philip North, who invited us to do something “heretical” and imagine ourselves in the person of Christ. What would our first miracle be? We of course all know what the Lord decided to do, change water into wine, 818 litres or 97 cases, and although communion didn’t require those quantities the truly miraculous thing that we are discovering in Glastonbury and certainly counter culturally in the church at large our numbers are showing a steady increase year on year.