My Dear Sisters and Brothers,

By now you all will have heard of the death of my father-in-law, John Strong. Although elderly he had, until recently, been in good health and his death was far quicker than expected. While he was still working, he stopped off at the Cathedral each morning to spend time either at the Eucharist or in silent prayer. Following his retirement, he still rose each morning before dawn to do the lectionary readings, and to spend time in quiet prayer. He was an Irishman with a deep, often unspoken Celtic faith that coloured and interpenetrated every aspect of his daily life - a man whose life was truly lived "in Christ." And it showed. In his funeral address, his parish priest commented that in the twelve years that he had known John, John had become his spiritual rock and his place of refuge in times of trouble.

I mention this, not so much as a tribute to him, but by way of reminding us of what I was saying last month - that the process of living "in Christ", is neither mechanical nor automatic, but demands a willingness and commitment to stand firm "in Christ." It requires of us the intentional making of sufficient space in our lives for prayer and reflection, to enable us to become aware of and sensitive to God at work in our lives. And as Francis Cull used to say, "Priests are all too often overworked and under-prayed." Prayer is at the heart of our life as priests - the tool through which we express our longing to enter into and become one with the very movement of the Holy Trinity within us, a participation in the very life of Christ himself. Our priestly ministry is simply a visible expression of this longing.

As I said last month, for Paul living "in Christ", is not about us at all; it’s about God and God’s grace. It is about being indwelt by Christ, so that he can live his life in us and through us to the glory of God. Living "in Christ" is at the heart of Pauline spirituality, and he uses the phrase over 140 times. But of especial significance, is the fact that, with few exceptions, whenever Paul uses that phrase (or any of its cognates - "into Christ," "with Christ", etc.) the Greek pronouns are in the plural. He is not talking about "me" at all, but about "us". Just as our individual life is surrounded, enfolded and interpenetrated by the Spirit, so equally our individual life is interpenetrated, enfolded and filled by the lives of all who are "in Christ." "You (pl) are the Body of Christ" (1 Cor 12:27) says St Paul; "in him we live and move and have our very being" (Acts 17:28).

In his letters to the Romans and Corinthians, Paul draws an analogy between the Body of Christ and our human body. In both, he emphasises the different functions assigned to each bodily part and the interdependence of each upon another. In fact, in Corinthians, he explicitly states that it is the lesser parts that must be treated with the most respect. And, while this is faithful to the teaching of Jesus and the theology contained in the Magnificat, it is in direct contrast with much, if not most of our church practice.

If Paul were writing today, he might well have developed the metaphor in terms of cells, instead of bodily parts. Each cell, the experts say, contains the complete DNA molecular make-up of the whole body and yet is clearly differentiated in terms of function and individual make up. Each is complete in itself, yet each is wholly dependent upon the functioning of the other cells for its continued existence. And when that dependence breaks down and cells begin multiplying at a rate inconsistent with that of the other cells, those cells are cancerous.

To live ‘in Christ", therefore, is to be caught up not only in the mystery of the indwelling Holy Trinity; but also in the mystery of the people of God, the Body, where everyone and everything is interpenetrated and bound together in the one Spirit. Our unity is not some idealised, mystical concept, it is an organic, physical reality. "We who are many are one Body, for we all partake of the one Bread."

This has enormous implications for us. It cuts right across the rugged individualism that is so much part of our American-influenced Western life style and calls us, instead, to live a lifestyle that is true to the gospel, but at variance with the ways of the world. Therefore, when our Diocesan Vision calls us to be "a vibrant Christian community," it is not promoting "feel good "activities [what Scott Peck calls ‘pseudo-community‘], but, is rather calling us to model that lifestyle in complete dependence upon one another. Like the air we breathe, our inter-dependence as a community of faith, must become a fact of life, in which the life of each person is continuously being enriched by the gift of the others.

Scott Peck, in his book "The Different Drum," says that community is always marked by inclusivity, commitment and consensus. In true community, no one is excluded; instead, there is a deep commitment to each other, an affirmation of the differences that exist, and a willingness to work towards discerning God’s purposes. It is the place where we learn to communicate honestly with each other, build deep and lasting relationships, and where we rejoice together, mourn together, and make each other’s condition our own.

Like to prayer, Christian community is but given. But it does not to just happen, it requires determination and commitment. And, like prayer, it is at the heart of our Christian life. My hope and my prayer is that, even as we persevere in prayer, so we will seek out those in our parishes who share our desire to pray and who would be willing to commit themselves to seek to build true community. And then, with them, to begin the process of becoming a community "in Christ," indwelt by the Holy Spirit and indwelt by each other - expecting nothing, demanding nothing, but receiving everything.

May God bless you all.

+ Brian

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