Dear friends
Our grandson is old enough now to really enjoy story books and, like most children, he enjoys hearing the same stories over and over again. I’m looking forward to sharing stories with him that his dad enjoyed, and to reading new ones with him, in the coming years.
Storytelling seems to be a fundamental part of being human. We tell stories and share things in a way that creates an emotional connection and makes what we’ve said memorable. This appears to be the case for people of all ages.
It’s my great privilege to read the ‘second lesson’ at services most days in the Cathedral and I really love the experience of sharing, out loud, the stories Jesus told. ‘There was a man who had two sons…’ or ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho…’ these stories are brilliantly told and hold infinite possibilities of moral and emotional connection with our lives today, so that we can understand more about ourselves and more about God’s love.
Later this month, 25 – 27 October the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will be visiting the Diocese of Winchester. His intention is to share his own story and encourage us to tell our stories of faith. He wants to hear about the difference that God’s love has made in our lives and about how God’s faith in us has made a difference.
The Archbishop is going to be meeting people across the diocese in different contexts: Street Pastors and prisoners in Winchester; a Community Café and asylum seekers in Bournemouth, young people in Andover and Seafarers and older people in Southampton. These are just a few examples of the people Archbishop Justin will be meeting from across the urban and rural areas of the diocese.
During the weekend, on Saturday 26 October Archbishop Justin will come to lead Cathedral worship at 8.00am Morning Prayer and the 8.30am Eucharist. Do please come and join him in person, or with the Cathedral live-stream, if you can.
The stories that we tell about ourselves help other people to know and to connect with us too. I’ve loved opportunities this year to talk about how God first called me to ordination and have also valued being able to speak with others about how bereavement has deepened my experience of faith, hope and love. What are the faith stories that you tell about yourself, or would like to share about yourself with friends, colleagues and family? Can you share them?
I always remember the magnificent thing that Archbishop Justin said about himself when he learnt that his biological father was not Gavin Welby, but the late Sir Antony Montague Browne. In fact, this change in his own story did not affect him as might have been assumed:
‘I know that I find who I am in Jesus Christ, not in genetics, and my identity in him never changes.’
The Archbishop invites us to reflect on how Christ’s love has shaped and changed our lives and how our story fits with Gods great story. I hope that his visit encourages us all to do this, and to pray that his visit will be an encouragement and inspiration to us all.
I will close with a prayer by St Anselm (1033 – 1109)
Grant, Lord God, that we may cleave to you without parting,
Worship you without wearying,
Serve you without failing,
Faithfully find you and for ever possess you, the one only God,
Blessed for all eternity.
Amen
With blessings and best wishes
The Very Revd Catherine Ogle
Dean of Winchester