成人快手

From the Reverend Richard Coles:聽
We鈥檝e been reviewing our income and expenditure at church lately, and as a highly effective manager renowned for my administrative gifts, I thought it worth checking our contracts with the utility companies. Josh from Business Accounts needed some particulars. 鈥淗ow long has the business been at the present address?鈥� 鈥淪ince 1217鈥�. He tapped that in. 鈥淎nd are you a branch of another organisation?鈥� 鈥淵es鈥� 鈥淲here is that headquartered?鈥� 鈥淒ifficult to say. Canterbury, Rome, Constantinople?鈥� Tap tap tap. 鈥淎nd how long has that been trading.鈥� 鈥淪ince 0.鈥� 鈥�0?鈥� 鈥淭he year nought, Josh鈥�. Tap. 鈥淎nd the purpose of the business?鈥� 鈥淧reaching the Word and celebrating the sacraments鈥�. Pause. 鈥淐ould we say Hospitality Sector?鈥�
There are moments when the difference between our world and the rest of the world is quite jarring. It happens more and more as we pull ever further away from the days when the church was just part of people鈥檚 existence, Nativity Plays, Harvest Festivals, First Communions. And even if people do notice us they may not see what we think they鈥檒l see.聽
I was walking down the hill to church the other day in my cassock and cloak when a white van went past. A bloke leaned out and shouted 鈥淥I, DUMBLEDORE!鈥� But rather than look back in anger, I think of the times when everyone gets it. I was called out to see a lady in a nursing home yesterday, approaching the end of her life. There was nothing more they could do for her, apart from make her comfortable; so I sat with her, and held her hand, and anointed her, and prayed for her immortal soul, until she asked me to shut up because the D Day commemoration was on the telly. So we sat and watched, and the band struck up I Vow To Thee My Country and gruff voiced soldiers sang, 鈥渁nd there鈥檚 another country I鈥檝e heard of long ago...鈥澛�
That other country, where we鈥檙e all headed, not matter the route we take. Some like that lady, at the end of long life well lived, others like the teenagers who never got past the beaches of Normandy, in the service of king and country, whom we remembered yesterday. 鈥淲hy did you get ordained?鈥� people sometimes ask... like my bishop. To stand there, at the edge of another country, as this world slips into darkness, and another into light.