A Presidential address given by the Acting Bishop of Coventry, The Rt Revd Ruth Worsley, at the March 2024 session of Coventry Diocesan Synod.
This morning I’ve brought my pastoral staff with me. It’s a symbol of office, the tool of my trade if you like. This staff was given to me at my ordination as bishop over 8 years ago. It was made by a woman, appropriate on this day after International Women’s Day, and the day before Mothering Sunday, and in the year when we celebrate 30 years of women becoming priests. She usually makes walking sticks and shepherd’s crooks. Ordinary, humble, everyday things. Made to my husband’s design, who said it needed to be in three sections for easier carrying when I ride pillion on the back of his motor bike! So, it comes apart just like a snooker cue.
Each of the three sections has some words inscribed. Words from the Old Testament prophet Micah.
- Act justly
- Love mercy
- Walk humbly
They are inscribed on the inner part for me alone to read as I use it. And so it reminds me of how I need to live as a leader. As someone who is called to take what is in my hand, what is in my power, to do what is right and fair ie. to ‘act justly’; to show love, and grace and kindness; and to ensure that I hold lightly to my status and show the same humility as Christ Himself.
Today I want to encourage each of us to think about what we have in our hands and to use it in the best way possible. Sometimes we are so busy we don’t have time to notice the gifts God has given. Or perhaps we think we are just not good enough to have anything worthy of offering. Moses was just like that. God had to stop him in his tracks through the startling and unexpected phenomena of a burning bush. Even though he recognised God was in that place, Moses struggled to think of himself as having anything of significance to offer as a leader for an enslaved people. He was not a natural speaker; he had run from his heritage as both a Hebrew and a prince; and he saw himself as a mere itinerant shepherd.
But God had a role for him, to lead the people into new freedoms, and encouraged Moses to notice what he held in his hand, his shepherd’s crook, his staff and use it. Throughout the journey he then made, we see this staff and that of his brother Aaron, as having a significant part to play in the story… giving dramatic emphasis in conversations with Pharaoh, and providing water from the rock.
This morning in Synod we are all encouraged to offer the gift we have, ourselves. We shall be considering the work we need to do in terms of addressing racial justice. As a Church we are beginning to recognise the challenges before us but there is much still to do to put right the wrongs of the past. This won’t be easy. To act justly we shall have to put our money where our mouth is. Recently at General Synod we heard about the money the Church Commissioners are identifying for reparation in regard to the shameful history of slavery. But there will be much more needed in terms of how we begin to change the culture of our society. What are the resources we hold that we might commit? Not just financial but also in becoming the people of God in this place and ensuring that diversity is visible and valued.
We shall also be considering matters of safeguarding and wellbeing. Again, we will hear from our General Synod members that these were debated and concerns shared about how we often fail to treat one another well. How can we shape the community we want to be here in Coventry diocese? Love, grace, kindness and mercy are required and these will need to sit alongside the virtue of justice. Creating robust responses to matters which can harm others are necessary if love is going to characterise our walking together.
One of our deaneries is presenting a motion to us this morning which also asks us to consider asking for further financial resources from the Church Commissioners. As we do so we will need to remember the partnership we engage in with the wider Church. As we ask more from others so we need to be open to God asking more from us.
I’m not speaking specifically of money here but rather calling us to reflect on our discipleship and the way in which we are following in Jesus’ footsteps. Being reminded again of the words on my pastoral staff… ‘walk humbly’. Lent offers us the opportunity to take some space to notice the reality of who we are. Yes, ‘we are but dust, and to dust we shall return’, needing the grace of God shown in Jesus’ death on the cross. And we remember that we are made in God’s own image, complete with the gifts he has bestowed. However great we may believe the gift of others might be and ours look so poor in comparison, God has chosen you, chosen me, and as Colossians 3:12 reminds us, we are ‘chosen, holy and beloved’.
Tomorrow, on Mothering Sunday, many of us will be hearing again something of the story of Moses as a baby. How his mother had to give up her child in order to protect him. There will be other mothers out in our communities who are grieving the loss of their children for whatever reason. As we celebrate those women who have given us life and nurtured us, let us also remember the cost.
As I close, I just want to highlight the celebration service which will take place on April 21st at 4pm in our Cathedral. You are all welcome! It marks the 30th anniversary of women’s ordination as priests. Throughout the next few weeks you will be hearing the stories of 30 women across our diocese, both lay and ordained, whose lives have been shaped by their faith and who have responded to God’s call. May we join with them this morning in bringing what we have in our hand into our conversations and discussion, ‘to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God’.