The Bishop

Index of Bishop's writings

Installation of Archdeacons
Newport Cathedral 6th July 2008

(More pictures)

Bishop's sermon

I try to begin sermons on occasions like this with a text and a funny story.  Well, my text is from the second lesson that we heard read – Eph 6:10 - Find your strength in the Lord, in his mighty power.  Put on all the armour that God provides.
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As for the funny story – well, there aren’t any about Archdeacons because we all know that Archdeacons are serious people, but a former Dean of Durham (Cyril Alington) wrote two detective novels entitled Archdeacons Afloat and Archdeacons Ashore that feature two Archdeacons – the Ven John Craggs, the Archdeacon of Thorp, and the Ven James Castleton, the Archdeacon of Garminster.

This is how he describes them.  He says that the Archdeacon of Thorp, ‘a man of some means’ was ‘young, passably good-looking and decided in his utterance’.  The author says, ‘though his dignity was but of two years standing he was already beginning to be a name that struck terror among negligent clergy under his supervision’.

The Archdeacon of Garminster on the other hand, was ‘elderly, plain and benevolent’ and his bishop lamented that ‘his velvet glove was more apparent than the iron hand’.  His nephew complains that he can never make up his mind because he’s always so dreadfully afraid of hurting people’s feelings.

The two novels are set in the 1930s when archdeacons wore gaiters and top hats, were educated at Eton and played cricket.  In the novels they never spoke about religion and never prayed.

Well, times have changed although archdeacons still come in a variety of shapes and sizes and bring their own gifts and personalities to the ministry. Today, we rejoice in one new archdeacon and one who is being re-cycled.  I shall of course, avoid the temptation to compare or contrast them with the archdeacons in the detective novels or even with one another, but I want to give them a word – or at least – let St Paul give them a word about how to engage in costly ministry.

St Paul wrote his letter to the Church in Ephesus whilst he was himself in prison in Rome. He says that he is in chains and he may literally have been shackled.  One suggestion (which I rather like) is that as he was guarded by a Roman soldier in armour as he wrote his letter, so he used that imagery to tell us that Christians must also put on their armour to prepare themselves for the task ahead. Let me take each of the pieces of armour in turn. 

Paul says there is the belt of truth. On a soldier’s uniform it held the sword and gave the soldier freedom of movement.  The motto of the Anglican Communion (helpfully printed in Greek) is ‘The truth shall make you free’.

Then there is integrity for the coat of mail.  Above all, we must be people who can be trusted to make decisions, not because we want to be popular or because we are swayed by pressure groups or we have a hidden agenda, but because we have learned how to listen to God and apply gospel values to all that we do.

Then there is the breastplate of righteousness, and righteousness or justice is linked to the kingdom of God. ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness’.  It is about right and just behaviour towards others, and archdeacons like bishops, are sometimes required to intervene in disputes and to listen to both sides and then to decide what will best further the kingdom of God.

And then there are the sandals.  Sandals showed a readiness to move and journey.  Christians are a pilgrim people and yet we can be so parochial and stuck in our ways that we have become a pilgrim people who don’t want to go anywhere!  Archdeacons need to encourage people to see their Christian lives as an exciting adventure and to be prepared to move on.

There is the shield of faith.  The word Paul uses in Greek describes the large shield that was used to protect soldiers from fiery darts.  It was made of two woods so that the dart (which was an arrow covered in burning tar) would penetrate the first soft layer and be extinguished.  Faith can deal with the darts of temptation and doubt.  For Paul, faith was about having complete trust in Christ but that trust can only come about by a close relationship that comes through finding time to be with God and to develop our own spiritual lives.

There is the helmet of salvation.  We can know within our hearts that we are saved through what Christ has done for us and not for any merits of our own and

there is the sword.  The sword is the word of God and it is two edged – it can be used as a defence when we ourselves are tempted and also as a weapon to attack the wrongs of the world.

And then Paul comes to the greatest weapon of all – prayer.  And Paul says three things about prayer – it must be constant, it must be intense and it must be unselfish.  The greatest service that an archdeacon can give to his archdeaconry is to pray for them – to uphold the clergy and lay people in their daily prayers and to pray for God’s Shalom that his will may be done in and through them.

Richard and Glyndwr, you take on responsibilities as archdeacons at an interesting time in the life of the Anglican Communion and in the life of our diocese.  I know that you have much to contribute towards our thinking and mission planning for the future.  I know that you have particular responsibilities concerning buildings and finance, but I want you to share in the episcope, the oversight of the diocese and to fulfil the traditional role of being the eyes and ears of the bishop.

The role of an archdeacon is not an easy one.  You have responsibility for the good ordering and right stewardship of our temporal assets, but you are first and foremost priests and pastors.  You will need to balance a prophetic ministry that warns of what will happen without change, with a ministry of encouragement.  You will need to challenge parishes to face uncomfortable truths and to balance that with the gospel message of faith and love. Like St Paul writing from his prison cell, you will need to be filled with hope and with vision and the peace that comes from knowing that you are doing God’s will.

Today, you are dressed in copes and you each wear a purple cincture as a sign of the ministry you share with me, but my prayer for you is that you will put on all the armour which God provides – truth, integrity, faith, salvation, scripture and prayer so that – to quote St Paul again, you may put on the garments that suit God’s chosen people: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness and above all love. (Col 2:12)And to God be the glory.  Amen.