Proclaiming past, present and future

 

‘He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever’ (Revelation 21:4) 

My favourite musicians ‘The Proclaimers’ are about to release a new album titled ‘The world that was’. The lyrics of the opening track have just been revealed and one line has really caught my attention: ‘worship of a past that never was is totally demented’. Craig and Charlie have never minced their words, and here I think they have again got it spot on! (watch video above)

A special moment of my sabbatical was spending time at Ampleforth Abbey in North Yorkshire. This community of prayerful Benedictine monks has provided me with sanctuary and inspiration many times. The theme for the formal part of my retreat this time was ‘The Transformative Journey’.  Based on the writings of Franciscan, Richard Rohr, a small group of us were led through a series of reflections on the ups and downs of life. Our retreat leader Fr. Christopher began by saying:

‘It seems quite clear that we grow by passing beyond some perfect Order, through an often painful and seemingly unnecessary Disorder, to an enlightened Reorder or resurrection. This is the universal pattern that connects and solidifies our relationships with everything around us.’

As the small group of retreat participants talked together, we understood how so much of our life experience runs in cycles. This is true in world politics, the economy of countries and cities, family life, and very importantly, as we seek to live a life of faith and discipleship. In all these there will be periods of stability, but we know only too well there will also be periods of turmoil and doubt. During those times we may struggle, we will have to reassess aspects of our lives and above all we need to have the courage to discern new ways.

Moving on can be scary, it means we have to let go of things which have become precious, even those bits of life which are obviously difficult. We feel comfortable in what we know and are fearful of anything which replaces it. At the extreme, it is why some people will stay far too long with an abusive partner, but it is also why we might stick in the same job which drives us mad but is what we know, and it is why any change in church life, buildings or worship or structure, causes so much angst and argument.

Part way through my sabbatical I read an article written by a political journalist on a national newspaper who had just taken a sabbatical. In the article she described starting her time of doing different things hoping that the whirling political crisis she had been commenting on for months would have abated and she would come back to new subjects about which to write in her regular column. She described her return as finding that everything seemed to be pretty much the same ‘but with an added touch of jeopardy’ – by which she meant that the passage of time had just made things more complicated and considerably more dangerous for the country. As I read, I had a sinking feeling that my return to church life was likely to feel the same. I am sad to say, it did!

After the disorder there must come reorder, we cannot live in a perpetual state of wishing for something that is past. If we are to take Revelation 21 seriously, we must note that God’s purposes can only be fulfilled when we accept that the past is just that, gone and if we try to remain there, we prolong the agony of disorder.

Looking at my current situation I have become very aware that the last few years have been a period of serious ‘disorder’. The retreat helped me to understand that I should not resent that, but also that I must seek God’s guidance in reordering, in finding the new path which lies ahead for the next cycle in life’s journey. Over the coming months I will need to face up to the consequences of my own words.

Meanwhile I get to see The Proclaimers play live again, at London Palladium this time :)