QUIET MORNING

Setting
On Monday, 30th January, over 100 people – clergy, delegates and observers – set off for the village of Troullie, not far from the Lordos Beach Hotel, and onwards to the monastery of St. George Mavrovouniou, isolated nearby on a fertile hillside.

Idyllic one may think. Except for one stark reminder of the state of the world today: the monastery compound, its farmland, garden nursery, small church built in the rock face, even the smart Massey Ferguson tractor parked in the shade of olive trees, are watched 24 hours a day by soldiers. The UN look-out post in the buffer zone, at the top of the hill, seemed to spoil it all.

“Not so”, said the Bishop of Exeter, when I mused on this later: “That is just another image we have of God which makes our lives interesting and challenging.” That really did make me stop to think.

Substance
Earlier, the Rt. Rev. Michael Langrish, Bishop of Exeter, guest of Bishop Clive, had addressed the Quiet Morning. The monastery meeting room, a former animal shelter converted to a visitors’ meeting room, its walls adorned with icons, was a motivating setting.

O magnify the Lord God with me, And let us exalt his name together. (Ps 34/3)

Relating to the first line of the text, Bishop Michael asked:

What are my dominant images of God?
Do I have images of God that I no longer fully trust but am willing to leave behind?
What prevents me from moving on?

And relating to the second line:

What does it mean to meet ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’?
What would it mean for God’s name to be exalted in situations or issues familiar to you?
How might you expect to see answers to the prayer ‘Hallowed be thy name’ in your own life or that of this Diocese?

Bishop Michael chose two quotations to support his thesis.
From R.S. Thomas: “I have seen the sun break through …”
and from Gerard Manley Hopkins’: O Deus, ego amo to - “O god, I love thee, …”

Footnote: Angela has a fuller version as a Word document.
E-mail: grange@batelco.com.bh 

MISSION

The Dioceses of Cyprus and the Gulf, Exeter and Thika (in Kenya)

During Synod’s opening session, Bishop Clive re-affirmed this new 3-way link. The Covenant between the three participating dioceses was inaugurated and signed in Exeter Cathedral last year, on 24th July 2005, by Bishop Gideon, Bishop Clive and Bishop Michael.

The Bishops’ Mission, as stated in the Covenant
“As Anglicans we recognise five core marks of mission:

To proclaim the Gospel
To baptise, nurture and teach new believers
To respond to human need through loving service
To seek to transform the unjust structures of society
To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation

As leaders in the Dioceses of Thika, Cyprus and the Gulf and Exeter, we believe God is calling us to walk together to encourage and strengthen each other in these Gospel imperatives.”

Plans are being made to put all these words into action, including visits to Kenya by clergy and their wives, from Nicosia and Dubai. So, watch this space!


THE MISSION TO SEAFARERS
Celebrating its 150th Anniversary – 1856-2006

As always, the Rev. Stephen Miller’s report of the activities of the Mission to Seafarers in Dubai and elsewhere in the UAE focused the mind.

Highlights from the summary of onboard activity during 2005 show how busy the Mission is in that part of the world. The biggest eye-openers: 889 ships visited,
4,000 Christmas presents distributed.

No wonder, then, that the Mission – as a celebration of its 150th anniversary – has decided to build a Mission Support boat, the aim being that it will visit the ships in the anchorage, and the 150,000 seafarers who pass through those waters every year. An appeal to raise $1million for its construction is to be launched in March
2006.

Fujairah Angel

The 27 metre boat, so named, will operate on the east coast of the UAE, home to the second largest bunkering anchorage in the world. At any one time there are between 100-150 ships waiting orders, refuelling, provisioning, changing crew. Some ships
stay for a couple of days, others for many weeks and months.

On board facilities will include: an internet café, satcom telecommunications system to allow seafarers to contact their families, a library of books and DVDs, a doctor
from the port clinic and, of course, a chaplain.

Stephen asks everyone to pray for this venture’s success and think of the appeal in their missionary giving. If you would like to help, his email is  flyangel@emirates.net.ae