From the Vicar's Desk - 16 April
"Have you anything to eat?"
Welcome to "From the Vicar's Desk" for Friday 16 April
Have you anything to eat?
This is such a fundamental question: asked by children of their parents and by those on the street of those who pass by. It is about one of our most basic human needs and demonstrates one of the fundamental aspects of our humanity. Kathy Galloway (Scottish theologian, poet and hymn writer) says: When my children are hungry, I don't ask them if they love me, I don't ask them to tell me what they have done wrong, I don't ask them to tell me how wonderful I am: when my children are hungry I feed them because I love them.
Interestingly, in this form, it is unclear who is hungry. Is it the person asking the question: as in, 'Have you anything to eat, please?' Or is it the person being asked the question: as in, 'Have you had anything to eat?' Out of context this simple question could be taken either way. But, whichever way you read it, we are invited to contemplate the importance of food, or the lack of it, which is at the heart of the gospel. And more than that, its importance at the heart of the resurrection narratives.
"Have you anything to eat?" asks Jesus of his disciples who had just been hearing about the appearance of this same Jesus on the road to Emmaus and how he was made known in the breaking of bread. There is something deeply spiritual, scared, faith-ful about the taking, blessing, breaking and sharing food. In the most ordinary of activities, designed simply to keep the body functioning, we are invited to embrace, and be embraced by, a truth that raises earth to heaven and brings heaven to earth. The resurrected Jesus is not a ghostly figure that startles and terrifies; he is a mysterious figure that gets hungry and eats.
"Have you anything here to eat?" asks Jesus and they gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.
HRH Duke of Edinburgh
The Church of England has established an online Book of Condolence: you can leave your message here and other contributions can be read here.
Thank you to those who took the time to write your thanks to the team who compiled last Sunday morning's service at such short notice. This was typical: I want to offer my congratulations to everyone who was involved in any way with yesterday's streamed service of Commemoration of the life of the Duke of Edinburgh. I thought it was extremely fitting and I particularly liked the emphasis on the leader who had to become a follower. The photos shown at the end brought back many memories because I'm old enough to remember his marriage and the Coronation and in more recent times I've visited Mon Repos in Corfu where he was born! Considering that the news didn't reach the public until midday on Friday such a superb tribute was a tremendous achievement. Well done!
A lovely article
Thank you for sending me the Bristol Post article about our very own Mildred Ford. You can read it here.
SMR's Annual Meeting is coming
It feels as if we've only just had an annual meeting, but the next one is just around the corner on Monday 24 May. Information will start to come out in the next few weeks, but for the moment please note the date and time (7.30pm) and that it will be on Zoom here.
The first thing we do is revise our Electoral Roll. You can see the official notice of the revision here. You can check if your name is on the roll here. If your name is not on the list and you consider yourself to be a member of SMR church you can download an application form here which can be sent in by email here. If you have moved recently or need to check the address we have on file for you click here to send me an email.
Celebrate your vaccine - let's get to £2000!
To donate to the World Health Organisation's Arm in Arm vaccination programme click here. We've raised just under £2000: let's nudge it over that this weekend. Thank you.
Send on / Contact me
Please forward this email on those who might be interested in SMR and contact me here (rather than using reply please)
With my best wishes
Dan
Canon D F Tyndall
Vicar, St Mary Redcliffe
