Be dressed for action

Roy Hackett died this week. He was 93 years old. Sixty years ago he was one of the four men who organised the Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963. He came to Bristol from Trench Town, Jamaica, in 1952 and found a city - and a nation - where the colour bar was, not only legal, but also widespread.

Not long only ago in a TV interview, he commented on the difficulty he had finding a job and a place to live. He said "I walked down Ashley Road looking for housing and found one that didn't have a sign in the window saying 'no gypsies, no Irish, no dogs, no coloureds'. The lady opened the door, saw me, and without saying a word, just slammed the door. It was a struggle: people were blatantly racist."

It wasn't just the householders. The then Bishop of Bristol is on record as describing the action of Hackett's West Indian Development Council as "being too militant"!

Some people choose to put themselves in the place of the struggle for justice. Others (like this church in our relationship to Edward Colston) find themselves in the eye of the storm whether they like it or not. Their choice (our choice) is not so much whether to stand up for justice, but more about what to stand up for, who to stand alongside, how to be seen and known for being on the side of truth and justice.

Sunday's gospel urges us to be dressed ready for action, to have our lamps lit and to open the door as soon as the master knocks. In other words, to be ready: ready to stand up in the face of intolerance and to stand for justice, truth and righteousness.

Roy Hackett provides us with a role model of someone who shows us what it means to get ready and to be ready; and shows us what a huge difference it can make when we are ready.

Dan Tyndall

August 2022

< Older Post

Newer Post >

More blog posts

Sermon on Sunday,10th August 2025

By matthew.buckmaster • August 10, 2025

Preached by the Revd Laura Verrall-Kelly, Associate Vicar

Interregnum Information

By Laura.Verrall-Kelly • August 7, 2025

Keeping You Updated During the Interregnum As I prepare to go on maternity leave at the end of August, I want to share some important updates regarding our Sunday Services and communication during the Interregnum period. We’ve taken time to consider what is sustainable and meaningful in this season of transition, and while some of the changes have been difficult, they are intended to ensure we can continue to worship together well. Service Changes 8am BCP Eucharist We’ve made the difficult decision to pause this service during the vacancy, following a PCC vote (with 3 votes against). This is due to the limited availability of clergy to cover two Eucharist services on a Sunday. We’re grateful that this decision has allowed us to secure strong cover for the other services. If you’re looking for an early service, the Cathedral offers Morning Prayer at 7.40am and BCP Eucharist at 8am. This change to the 8am will happen from the beginning of October. Mattins & Evensong These will continue with support from a growing team of Lay Leaders. If you're interested in helping lead, please speak to Simon Goodman. Please note: bespoke online orders of service will no longer be produced weekly. Instead, we will use a standard booklet and hymn book in church. Online viewers will receive a standard order of service plus a document with Bible readings and hymns. 10.30am Sung Eucharist Some small changes are being made to simplify things for visiting clergy: Notices will be read by a Church Warden, Duty Warden or Church Representative Communion distribution will return to queue formation A Gradual Hymn will replace the Responsorial Psalm - there is simply not the resource to produce a weekly or termly Psalm hand out in church. We’ll use a standard “Eucharist during the Vacancy” order of service (in booklet form), with hymn books provided in church. As with other services, online resources will mirror this setup. These changes to the 10.30am will happen from the 17th August. Christingle Service Due to the scale of this service and the planning it requires, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause it this year. Without full-time clergy to oversee preparations and lead the service, we don’t believe we can deliver it safely or well. We know this will be disappointing, but this service will be back. Ongoing Communication Thanks to Chris Duncan and Sam Love, we will continue to send out a weekly email during the Interregnum. I’m very grateful to both of them for stepping up to support in this way. We know some of these decisions may not affect everyone, while others may feel them more deeply. We don’t expect universal agreement, and that’s okay — your questions and thoughts are welcome and valued. All we ask is that feedback is offered with kindness and respect for those who have worked hard to make these plans in a short space of time. Thank you for being part of this community and for your ongoing support as we navigate this together.