My position in the community is the best position a priest could have, to represent a community one needs to be apart of the community and with the people, the one thing i did notice at this years pride is the lack of attendance from the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church there was not a single tent/stall from either main stream church spreading the love of Christ to the people of Swindon, however i did witness and was confronted by anti-protesters using parts from the bible to attack the LGBTQIA+ community during this time of celebration.
This years pride was held at the Great Western Park in Swindon and in my opinion because of this it has been the best pride gathering/event to date.
They say there’s just something different about a small town. That’s true isn’t it? People nod their heads and say hello as you pass on the street. The drivers of oncoming cars can even give a little wave if you know them. Everybody seems to know everybody else. For so many people today, the word “community” immediately brings to mind images of friendliness and familiarity. I think it even creates a longing for something that seems to be missing from the world today. Priests/Vicars speak of community as if it were the “Holy Grail” of church life. But as the world around you today is all to quick to point out, often our experience in the church reflects a different reality, this i believe i have pointed out above.So, what is true community? And how do we achieve it? We get an idea from the Psalmist’s description of his experience in Psalm 133.
How good and pleasant it iswhen God’s people live together in unity!It is like precious oil poured on the head,running down on the beard,running down on Aaron’s beard,down on the collar of his robe.It is as if the dew of Hermonwere falling on Mount Zion.For there the Lord bestows his blessing,even life forevermore.
There is something remarkable about the community of God’s people. As messy as the experience of community can be, there is something holy about it. The Psalmist underscores this in verse 2 when he says: “It is like precious oil poured on the head running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.”
The thing that makes a group of Christians a community is the mutual bond we share in Jesus Christ. That is really the only explanation for our life together as the people of God. We are a community not because we share the same tastes and interests outside the church. We are a community because we have had a common experience of an uncommon grace. It is the blood of Christ shed on the cross that binds us together.
Yours In Christ
Fr Mark
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