大象传媒

This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission, as it was prepared before the service was broadcast. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors that were corrected before the radio broadcast.
It may contain gaps to be filled in at the time so that prayers may reflect the needs of the world, and changes may also be made at the last minute for timing reasons, or to reflect current events.

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Opening Announcement [from Continuity] (For programmes on Radio 3, 4 and 4 Extra)
大象传媒 Radio 4. It鈥檚 ten past eight and time now for Sunday Worship. We join the Bishop of Edmonton, the Right Reverend Rob Wickham, on the streets of inner city London.

+ROB
Good morning. I have been privileged, over the past twenty years, to serve in some gloriously exciting and vibrant parts of London. I have been immersed in the inner city, where I have been taught how to enjoy life in all of its fullness, and have journeyed with some delightful people who have sought to transform their communities with love and hope. And it鈥檚 the everyday members of these communities who have been my teachers, who have helped me openly grasp some of the places where God is at work in our Capital City.听

This morning, we鈥檒l be praying with some fabulous people, and hearing their stories.听 We will be joining with Christians from very different settings, in places very close to my heart, indeed places where I鈥檝e learnt how to be an active Christian.听 I hope that the Holy Spirit will lead us all this morning too.

MUSIC: Jesus Christ is waiting (recorded for the service by the Choir of St Mary, Primrose Hill)

+ROB
Holy Spirit, meet with us as we journey into the inner city.听 Come Holy Spirit, and reveal to us new insights as to the depths of your love, and surround us with unexpected teachers, who will show something of your truth.
Amen.

READING
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke, Chapter 4.

鈥楾he Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
听听 because he has anointed me
听听听听 to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
听听 and recovery of sight to the blind,
听听听听 to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord鈥檚 favour.鈥�

+ROB
For many, the inner city conjures up images of crime, graffiti, poor education or health and low levels of social mobility.听 There鈥檚 a huge degree of alarm and concern at so many senseless young deaths鈥�In communities across the UK there are areas where people听 fear to tread. These tragedies are a terrible part of the story but there鈥檚 also a bigger story to tell about people who want to find and become part of the solution. Alongside the political efforts that are being made, all kinds of contributions from different individuals, organisations and groups of citizens are happening across the city 鈥� and听 the church is also playing its part. This is such an important challenge but I do see the will to bring about change for the better every day Jesus makes it clear in the passage from Luke鈥檚 Gospel we鈥檝e just heard that He came to bring good news to the poor 鈥� whoever the poor are, yes the poor materially, but also the poor socially, educationally, spiritually, and emotionally. He speaks of liberation, transformation and flourishing, and perhaps it鈥檚 in our inner cities that we most easily notice some of the highs and lows of these. Perhaps, just perhaps, it is the inner city that holds the key to our flourishing.听 God鈥檚 love affair with his creation and those he creates, that鈥檚 you and me, begins in a garden, yet God鈥檚 love affair eventually will lead us to a new chapter which is in a city.

MUSIC: Chant: Beati von poveri - Taize (CD recording from Taize Community)

+ROB
I was appointed as the Rector of Hackney in 2006. This was going to be a brilliant adventure, I thought.听 St John鈥檚 Church is a cathedral like bastion of establishment, built, replacing an earlier church, in the late 18th century, to welcome 2,200 worshippers, yet the buckets came out every time it rained. There I was surrounded by saints from the past, who鈥檇 moved in the court of Henry Tudor and opened the first school in 1520, and the great founder of mass education, who in 40 years from 1811 opened 17,000 schools in England.听 Yet, I was also surrounded by the everyday saints of Hackney who, today, needed a place of belonging, a home or a place of identity, who spoke to me of poverty, debt, breakdown of relationships and heartache. We now hear words from the Gospel of John, read by Kamilah, a teenager in the St John鈥檚 community.

MUSIC: Chant: My peace, I give you (CD recording)

BIBLE READING: John 13: 4-5, 12-14
A reading from the Gospel of John, Chapter 13.

Jesus got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples鈥� feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, 鈥楧o you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord鈥攁nd you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another鈥檚 feet.

+ROB
I knew that Hackney was a place particularly where a significant number of children and young people lived in poverty.听 I knew that there were some people who had died in gun and knife incidents, and I knew that some lived with extreme levels of debt, mental health problems and addictions of different kinds. These problems are still very real today, . Back then, as the new vicar, I needed to listen.听 And as a Christian community听 we indeed tried to listen, listen to each other and listen to God.听 When we are listened to, we feel good.听 When we are listened to, and a response is made, there is the potential for relationships to change.听

When we are listened to, and we also discern something of God鈥檚 voice then there is the opportunity to respond in service. Lives are transformed, liberated into flourishing.听 Depending on who you listen to, the poor, the disadvantaged in life can be our teachers. I learned so much during these times - There is so much to learn.

It was this listening by the Christian community that led to some valuable and worthwhile projects like the HIV testing in church, a night shelter, regular children鈥檚 theatre, concerts job fairs, and the most used knife bin in London. And this work continues today. Tosin Oladipo is a member of the community here at St John鈥檚.

TESTIMONY: Tosin Oladipo

SONG: Blinded by your Grace, sung by Claudia Costa (recorded for this service in St John鈥檚 Hackney)

+ROB
鈥楤linded by your Grace鈥�, sung by Claudia Costa, a singer-songwriter, who鈥檚 part of a new creative arts generation living in East London around St John鈥檚.

I鈥檝e now moved to Camden, and to a decidedly leafy part of the borough, Primrose Hill. Perhaps you鈥檝e strolled across here on a blowy day on your way to or from the zoo, or visited Camden market down by the locks. But like every part of London, poverty and wealth sit cheek by jowel in this area too.
听
+ROB
Right In the middle of Primrose Hill is a bastion of Anglo Catholic tradition, the brick built but ornate St Mary鈥檚 Church. St Mary鈥檚 has its origins in Christian social action. In 1865 two Hampstead businessmen, moved by the sight of starving children on street corners, opened a home for destitute boys in Regent鈥檚 Park Road. The Rev鈥檇 Percy Dearmer, best known for compiling The English Hymnal worked closely with Ralph Vaughan Williams.听 It was at St Mary鈥檚 where congregations first sang 鈥楬e who would valiant be鈥� and 鈥楥ome down, O love divine鈥�

MUSIC: Come down, O love divine (sung by the Choir of St Mary鈥檚)

Today, St Mary鈥檚 is a vision of inclusion; and its mission particularly to the young people of the area is funded by a social enterprise the church has developed involving a micro brewery. The St Mary鈥檚 Centre team here daily mentors and listens to many young people from the local community.. The stories of the young people have led to a Camden wide commission on community safety.听 The Rev Nick Walters the, curate here, is going to introduce us to Kai, a young person who is part of the St Mary鈥檚 Centre community.

INSERT: Rev Nick Walters and Kai

MUSIC: The Call of Wisdom 鈥� Will Todd (CD recording by Tenebrae)

+ROB
Whenever I鈥檝e visited this Christian community in St Mary鈥檚 Primrose Hill I鈥檝e witnessed the reality of resurrection, and new life as people have sought to serve the kingdom of God, and God鈥檚 people. Partnerships, social enterprise and action to bring about essential societal change are all at work, fuelled by the centrality of the Eucharist 鈥� the breaking of bread in community - and a daily encounter with Jesus Christ. There is a palpable sense of the permanence of God, the God of generosity who says that nothing can separate us from his love.听 The God who, in Jesus remains with me, before me, behind me, within me, beneath me and above me.

MUSIC: The Deer鈥檚 Cry 鈥� Shaun Davey (CD recording)

+ROB
There are many wonderful things about being a Bishop in London.听 I get the most glorious overview of how churches listen and act, and I see across the Area where Jesus is at work, both in the Church of England and beyond.听 The biggest impact for many people is housing.听 Right across the area, flats under the banner of regeneration, are being erected.听 London, the great profitable building site, the land of possibility but for many the land of impossible dreams. The plans we turn into reality for the future have to be places of welcome and opportunity for everyone.

St Francis Church in Tottenham is the first new Anglican church to be built in London in forty years. But whilst the building may be new, the ministry here has been 20 years in the making.听 It has taken this long to build up the community relationships to make this new church and parish work.听 This work was intentionally called The Engine Room. Their vision is to become a catalyst for building community at the heart of Hale Village. Their aim is for Everything they do through their workers, volunteers and partnerships with other community groups to be about investing in local lives. Their website says it all: 鈥淲e want to give every resident of the Hale Village daily opportunities to make new friends, to learn from each other, to grow spiritually and to share their lives.鈥� Revd Andrew Williams is the priest here, and Obi is the youth worker.

INSERT: Andrew Williams and Obi

MUSIC: Agnus Dei, recorded for this service by the St Francis Music Group

READING John 21: 15-19

A reading from the Gospel according to John, Chapter 21

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 鈥楽imon son of John, do you love me more than these?鈥� He said to him, 鈥榊es, Lord; you know that I love you.鈥� Jesus said to him, 鈥楩eed my lambs.鈥� second time he said to him, 鈥楽imon son of John, do you love me?鈥� He said to him, 鈥榊es, Lord; you know that I love you.鈥� Jesus said to him, 鈥楾end my sheep.鈥� He said to him the third time, 鈥楽imon son of John, do you love me?鈥� Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, 鈥楧o you love me?鈥� And he said to him, 鈥楲ord, you know everything; you know that I love you.鈥� Jesus said to him, 鈥楩eed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.鈥� (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, 鈥楩ollow me.鈥�

+ROB
In the resurrection stories, though Peter has denied Jesus, we now see him being restored. Jesus makes it clear to Peter that this restoration is based upon love, loving God, and loving his people, loving all people as God loves them. Three times he insists that this is what Peter must do.

At St Francis, ten years of listening has led them to a vision of how to love a new community as it is being developed and created, for God so loves the world that he is generous and gives us Jesus Christ.听 When churches work as they should they are good for communities, as a symbol of hope and love. But God works beyond the church too; The diocese of London hopes to plant other new churches in other communities to serve each place, rooted in imaginative and creative partnerships.听 This means collaborating with both wealth and poverty, understanding our past, and using it to bring hope for the future.

Ultimately, of course, we are reminded again of the need for partnership in God, in the power of the Spirit, and with resurrection hope and, a call to holiness where we join with the angels, as the spirit enables us to cry Abba, father, and helps us to become our true selves.

PRAYER 1
Loving Jesus, we see in the Good Friday story our everyday lives.听 It is as if we are looking in the mirror.听 Help us to recognise our brokenness, help us to recognise our need to listen, especially to the pains and hurts of others, and help us to take responsibility for each other in love.

PRAYER 2
Heavenly Father, in your love for your world and your people we see an Easter generosity, help us to meet with others and listen to others in that same sense of generosity.听 Helps us to collaborate with those of good will as we work for a more just world,.

PRAYER 3
Holy Spirit, be poured out upon the inner cities and upon all communities.听 There are many who are fearful in the midst of insecurity.听 Help us not to domesticate your imagination and your will to bring about human flourishing, but help us be alive to your perfect love casting out all fear, making us one with each other, knowing, we truly need each other to truly live.

+ROB
As we gather our prayers together in the Lord鈥檚 Prayer, we bring to mind especially the life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence, whose was murdered 25 years ago today. And we pray for his family and friends and all those who suffer the consequences of knife crime.

LORD鈥橲 PRAYER

+ROB
So, three places close to my heart- Hackney, Camden and Tottenham.听 three places of contrast between rich and poor, but also interaction and collaboration, and three places where we clearly see communities being transformed by a deep listening to the needs of the everyday. and listening to God in the power of the Spirit, but then daring to take action.听 Jesus does not ask us to become talking shops, centres of cynicism or exchange. Jesus, who takes on the pain, inequality and sheer inhumanity of the whole world on the cross tells us to get on, listen and act together.

MUSIC: Agnus Dei 鈥� Karl Jenkins (CD recording)

+ROB
Go forth into the world in peace;
be of good courage;
hold fast that which is good;
render to no one evil for evil;
strengthen the fainthearted;
support the weak;
help the afflicted;
honour everyone;
love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit;
And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit remain with you all this Eastertide and forevermore. Amen.