Christmas message from the World Council of Churches

Drawing by Massa Zahdeh, Dar Al-Kalima School, Bethlehem.

Christmas is a celebration of Jesus, the Christ. In this celebration we can see the mystery of the good being present in the midst of the ordinary, even in the midst of evil. It is a moment to ignite a light in darkness. Christmas is an opportunity to celebrate the presence of the God of life in a world where death is all too present.

As Christians are celebrating Christmas, we renew our faith that the glory of God is shining in our midst. We celebrate that this happened through Jesus Christ, born by a woman as a human being, with all the potential of love and all the vulnerability that belongs to being a newborn child.

There is no other way of being a human than by first being a child. As children we are given life through others; we need to be fed and we need to be clothed, we need the care of those around us, we need to learn from others, we need to be protected from dangers, violence, and illness. We need to belong to somebody, somewhere.

Today many children are presented with enormous possibilities for their present and future lives. They are significant persons in their families, communities, homeland, and in the globalized world. In all countries of the world they also face challenges, risks, even threats. Some are exposed to this much more than others, and much more than children should ever experience. This happens through conflicts, violence, and other attacks on their vulnerable bodies and souls. Many children today, in greater numbers than we have seen since World War II, are refugees fleeing from their homes and protected living.

This is also the story of the Son of God. The biblical narratives of the birth of Jesus convey all these dimensions of human life: care and love, as well as the enormous risks and threats to life. King Herod committed the gravest sin by killing all children in the area where Jesus was born to eradicate the threats to his power. Jesus and his family became refugees in Egypt.

As the World Council of Churches, we affirm the role of churches in addressing the needs of children. We encourage one another to be at the forefront of offering care and protection for those who are most vulnerable among us, particularly those who are wounded and are refugees.  We want to make more contributions in this respect, embodying the qualities of child-friendly, caring and protecting churches.

This year our Christmas greeting is made by children in Bethlehem. Their drawings are marvellous expressions of the beauty of life in the birth place of Jesus, as well as the limitations and even threats to their lives through the ongoing occupation with its walls and wires. From the context of Bethlehem today their drawings give hope to all humanity. This corresponds to the hope we are given through the birth of Jesus long ago in Bethlehem. Seen through the eyes of children, this hope is even more costly and shining ever more clearly, to all children in danger, to all human beings of all ages and in all places, longing together for the kingdom of the Prince of Peace.

May the children of Bethlehem experience signs of the kingdom of the Prince of Peace, the child who was born in their beautiful city! Let us celebrate Christmas, wherever we are, and may the love and care of God for all God’s children fill our hearts and guide our steps forward on our common pilgrimage of justice and peace!

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit
General Secretary
World Council of Churches
Geneva

Seventh 'Braemor Studies' title focuses on Holy Communion

Director of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, Canon Dr Maurice Elliott; the Bishop of Limerick, the Rt Revd Kenneth Kearon; Librarian and Archivist at the RCB Library, Dr Susan Hood; author, the Revd Abigail Sines; and Lecturer in Missiology at CITI, the Revd Dr Patrick McGlinchey at the launch of the latest title in the Braemor Studies series, ‘Let Us Celebrate The Feast – Holy Communion and Building the Community’ by Abigail Sines.

The latest in the series of selected dissertations emerging from Masters students at the Church of Ireland Theological College (CITI) was officially launched on Tuesday 29th November. Let Us Celebrate The Feast – Holy Communion and Building the Community by Abigail Sines is the seventh in the Braemor Studies series to be published by Church of Ireland Publishing in conjunction with CITI. It was officially launched in the Representative Church Body Library by the Bishop of Limerick, the Rt Revd Kenneth Kearon. Abigail serves as Dean’s Vicar in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.

Her study considers the scriptural background and various historical factors involved in the development of our current practice of Holy Communion. Abigail examines the biblical and post–apostolic periods, the transition of Christianity to institutional, state religion, and the medieval Western Church. The book then deals with the major themes of the Reformation as they touch on Eucharistic theology and through to the present time.

Also contained in the book are the findings of the clergy and lay interviews conducted for the study. She looks at the differences in the perspectives of the clergy presiding at Holy Communion and those receiving it. Abigail concludes the book with some observations and recommendations in regards to the practice of Holy Communion in the Church of Ireland, in particular how it relates to the practice of mission.

Praising the book, Bishop Kearon described it as insightful, well–written and accessible. He said it was important as it addressed the central act of the Church and looked at the question of how Holy Communion shapes the Church’s missional activity. He said: ‘It looks at the scriptural origins of the Eucharist and pulls all the references together, weaving them into a narrative that carries through from the Apostles, into the early and medieval Church, right into the 20th century.’

Dr Susan Hood, Librarian and Archivist at the RCB Library, praised Abigail’s enthusiasm during the process of turning her dissertation into a book. She added that while the best of the MTh dissertations were selected by the external examiner for publication, all the dissertations could be accessed in the library.

The Director of CITI, Canon Dr Maurice Elliott, thanked the Church of Ireland Literature Committee for enabling the Braemor series to continue. He said it was important that the research carried out by the students be available to the Church so that others could benefit and that Abigail’s publication gave breadth to the series by giving a focus on liturgy.

Let Us Celebrate The Feast – Holy Communion and Building the Community is on sale through the Church of Ireland’s online bookstore at https://store.ireland.anglican.org/store/product/119/let-us-celebrate-the-feast-holy and through the Book Well in Belfast for €6/£5.

Westminster Abbey commissions The Queen’s Window

Queen Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey for her coronation in 1953. Her long reign is to be marked by the installation of The Queen’s Window, a new stained glass window designed by artist David Hockney. (Photo: Library and Archives of Canada)

By Gavin Drake

Westminster Abbey is to mark the near-65-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II with a new stained glass window, which will be designed by acclaimed British contemporary artist David Hockney.

The window, which will be made at Barley Studios in York, will occupy a place in the north transept – one of the few remaining clear windows in the Abbey – and will be known as The Queen’s Window.

The Queen celebrated her 90th birthday this year. Next February marks the 65th anniversary of her succeeding her father, King George VI.

The Queen’s relationship with Westminster Abbey goes back decades. It is here, in 1947, that she married Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. She was crowned here at her coronation in 1953 – making her the longest reigning monarch in British history.

A Westminster Abbey spokesperson said that the Queen’s “profound sense of duty and her devotion to a life of service have been the hallmark of a reign spanning enormous social change.”

Queen Elizabeth attends numerous services at the Abbey each year, ranging from the annual service for the Commonwealth of Nations, to family occasions, such as the 2011 marriage of Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, to Catherine Middleton. [ACNS]

US Election: Statement from Archbishop Justin Welby

Archbishop Welby

Following the result of the US Presidential election, the Archbishop of Canterbury has commented:

"As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, my continuing prayers are that the United States of America may find reconciliation after a bitter campaign, and that Mr Trump may be given wisdom, insight and grace as he faces the tasks before him. Together we pray for all the people of the United States."

Second Church–wide Census of Church of Ireland in November

The Church of Ireland will be undertaking its second census of the worshipping Church of Ireland population in November.

On each Sunday in November, clergy and parish officials will provide worshippers with a card on which they will be asked to indicate, anonymously, their gender and age. This information will allow the Church to ascertain the age profile and gender profile of those attending services in Church of Ireland churches throughout Ireland.

The objective of the census is to enable parishes, dioceses, and the Church to make decisions for the future based on an up–to–date analysis of the Church of Ireland’s population. The census allows parishes and dioceses to collect their own more detailed figures if they wish.

The first census, carried out in 2013, provided useful insights into trends in worship attendance and ministry, revealing that the average attendance figure over three Sundays was 58,000 people, or 15.5% of the Church of Ireland population, as defined by the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland census results of 2011.

It is anticipated that another census will be held in 2021, to coincide with national censuses taking place in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. [Church of Ireland Press Office]

Royal Mint turns to bishop for Christmas coin design

Photo: The Royal Mint

[ACNS, by Gavin Drake] The Royal Mint has produced the UK’s first-ever Christmas coin – and has turned to the Church in Wales’ Bishop of St Asaph, Gregory Cameron, for its design. Bishop Gregory, a former deputy secretary general of the Anglican Communion, designed the UK’s last round-pound, which was released in May.

The Royal Mint is issuing just 30,000 of the new £20 silver coins They have been produced for the collectors’ market and, while legal tender, are not designed to enter general circulation. People who purchase the coin will also receive a specially designed booklet “with space to note down your favourite moments of 2016 and wishes for the coming year,” the Royal Mint said in a statement.

“Commemorative coins are generally treasured for their aesthetic and collectable value, or for their rarity,” the statement added. “Collectors appreciate the detailed hand-finished processes and expert skills used to make them.”

The design features the Magi’s visit to the holy family, bringing gifts in homage to Jesus.

'Peace Bells for Aleppo' ring throughout Finland, spread worldwide

At five o'clock in the evening every day in Finland, church bells are ringing across the country, symbolizing people’s sadness and solidarity with the people of Aleppo, Syria.

The war-torn city of Aleppo has been embroiled in violence as air attacks have continued. Scores of civilians have perished while marketplaces and medical facilities have been reduced to rubble.

Reacting to this situation, a member of the Kallio Parish in Helsinki had the idea of ringing the church bells to commemorate the victims in Aleppo, explained Lari Lohikoski, director of digital communication in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

That parish asked others to join, setting a time of 5 pm every day through to 24th October, United Nations Day.

Now more than 120 parishes across Finland are ringing their bells, said Lohikoski, and more are joining every day. “This has grown into a national phenomenon,” he added.

Newspapers are publishing stories, and the hashtag #alepponkellot (#BellsForAleppo) has been one of the most trending ones in Finnish twitter.

“Now the parishes want to make this an international phenomenon, and would like to see churches in other countries join them in this campaign,” said Lohikoski.

Ringing bells together is a moving way to be present in spirit and prayer for the people of Aleppo, who are facing a humanitarian crisis as war continues around them, said the Revd Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches.

The WCC underscored its long-held belief that all governments have an obligation to protect the lives and dignity of their citizens, and to protect their human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Tveit said: “This escalation of extreme violence against the population of Aleppo is ethically unconscionable and condemnable especially when so many innocent and vulnerable people are targeted in this way.”

In April, 2013, Syrian Archbishops (Metropolitans) His Eminence Boulos (Yazigi), from the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, and His Eminence Mor Youhanna Gregorios (Ibrahim), from the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, were abducted in Aleppo.

“We keep Metropolitans of Aleppo, His Eminence Boulos (Yazigi), from the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, and His Eminence Mor Youhanna Gregorios (Ibrahim) from the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, in our thoughts and prayers,” Tveit said.

He concluded: "As the Bells for Aleppo campaign grows, may our collective calls for peace grow in volume as well."

#BellsForAleppo

The ACT Alliance in collaboration with the Lutheran World Federation and the World Council of Churches have produced a short video with the church bells calling for peace and prayers. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvpZhjCcdr0&sns=fb) [WCC News]

Re-hospitalised Archbishop Desmond Tutu thanks well-wishers

Archbishop Desmond and Mrs Leah Tutu

[ACNS, by Gavin Drake] The Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, has turned to social media to thank well-wishers after he was once-again hospitalised. Archbishop Tutu was discharged from hospital earlier this month after a three-week stay, which included surgery to treat a series of recurring infections. He was re-admitted as a precaution after signs of infection around the surgical wound.

Dr Tutu tweeted: “Thank you all you tweeters and facebookers for the love and prayers for my good health. Love is the best medicine. God bless you all!”

The 84-year-old was a key figure in the fight against Apartheid – a role he continued in post-Apartheid South Africa as chair of the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In 1984 his work was recognised by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Hong Kong Anglicans share evangelism tips

Archbishop Paul Kwong

[ACNS, by Gavin Drake] Anglicans in Hong Kong will share successful evangelism and mission strategies with each other when they gather this weekend for a provincial Mission Conference. Organised by the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui – the Anglican Church in Hong Kong – the conference will bring together church members from across the province to learn how to do evangelism better.

“The purpose of this conference is to provide a forum for the parishes [and] mission churches to share with each other their successful efforts in mission and evangelistic work during the past few years,” the province’s Standing Commission for Mission said. “Through such sharing, it is hoped that our vision on evangelism can be strengthened, and that better collaboration on mission work in the province can be fostered.”

Participants at Saturday’s conference at the Diocesan Girls' School in Kowloon will hear a keynote speech from the Primate of Hong Kong and chairman of the Anglican Consultative Council, Archbishop Paul Kwong; before attending workshops on themes ranging from overseas short-term missionary experience to the use of children’s choirs to “provide opportunities for children to develop themselves and build connection with the church.”

The workshops will also cover evangelism resources such as Emmaus and Alpha as well as larger evangelistic events. There will also be a workshop on the Life Pottery Program – a life development program for youths involved in the Church.

Mothers’ Union “simply the best” says Archbishop Welby

[ACNS, by Adrian Butcher] “The world’s greatest women’s group” – that’s how the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, described the Mothers’ Union at a celebration in the UK to mark its 140th anniversary on Thursday.

More than 2,700 people – some from as far as Australia, Canada and the United States – gathered for two services of commemoration at the cathedral in the southern English city of Winchester, where the MU was founded by Mary Sumner in 1876. Among them were the 42 members of the Mary Sumner Choir from Lusaka in Zambia, who led some of the worship.

Archbishop Justin paid tribute to the work of the MU around the world, likening members to a great army. He urged them not to focus on what remained to be accomplished or on challenges that seemed insuperable, but to look at what had been done through the MU and to see God’s hand in it.

“It is an army that is facing struggles in most countries of the planet,” he said. “It is four million strong. It faced the plague of HIV/Aids in much of Africa and produced grass roots solutions. It is a powerful voice in education, both formally and informally – both in scholastic education and the education of Christian values and family life.”

And he added, “The Mothers’ Union campaigns excellently, it nurtures wonderfully, but above all and beneath all, it prays – thank God.”

Archbishop Justin said the MU more often met in places of suffering, poverty and struggle than in great cathedrals. And he likened their campaigning zeal to the persistent widow in one of Jesus’ parables who presses a judge for justice.

“They can relate to the tough widow, faced with injustice, indifference and corruption,” he said. “And for these reasons – for their weakness, their poverty, their marginalisation, their suffering – they are loved . . . the Mothers’ Union are loved by God.”

The Archbishop described the MU’s founder, Mary Sumner, as a prophetic voice. He said the idea of a golden age of Victorian family life was a myth. Family life in that era had been under real pressure, especially among the poor. Mary Sumner had acted out of concern not just for her family but also for a country in a terrible situation where children were not nurtured, where women were repressed and households were not stable.

He said that in almost all circumstances, the greatest source of hope was the family, in its many forms. Good families were a foundation of society. But families were complicated and always had been. It was as challenging for the MU now as it had been in Mary Sumner’s times to have strong families fit for the future.

The service also heard a moving tribute to the Mothers’ Union from Neil Obbard, a former British Army sniper, whose life was transformed at a holiday organised by the MU. Neil left the forces with post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing horrific scenes. He explained how he’d been invited to take his family on an Away From It All holiday and while there, he’d had a “massive experience” of God and had become a Christian. He’s now an evangelist, a lay Reader and works as a volunteer on the holidays, seeing other lives miraculously changed.

MU Worldwide President, Lynne Tembey, said the commemoration had been wonderful.

“It is an amazing occasion. I loved the sense of celebration and excitement. Being here means coming home to thank God for his servant Mary Sumner and for instilling in her this amazing vision about transforming lives, celebrating families and nurturing children. We want to say ‘thank you’ for what has been achieved and to look to the future.”

MU Chief Executive, Beverley Jullien, was equally effusive. “It has been a totally fantastic celebration,” she said. “The number of people here shows that the organisation is alive. It is very different compared to Mary Sumner’s time, but it is thriving and it’s as meaningful as it was when it was founded.”

Worldwide trustee, Libbie Crossman, flew over from the Brisbane diocese in Australia to join the celebrations. “It is amazing experience to be here,” she said. “It is good to look back and to see how far we have come. But also we must proclaim that the Mothers’ Union is not a past organisation but it is a present one. We are a mission agency for now.”

The Mary Sumner Choir said they were thrilled to be taking part in the services.

“It is a great privilege and joy for us,” said Lusaka Diocesan MU president, Catherine Chanakila Mwanza. “To be here is a sign of the love and unity in the Mothers’ Union around the world.”

“It is just amazing for me,” added Joyce Msoni. “It means so much to all of us. The Mothers’ Union is a great organisation – it does so much for the poor and the orphans. It is good to celebrating today.”