成人快手

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ann Memmott, national and international adviser on inclusion for churches, with a focus on disability, autism and other neurodiversities

Good morning.

On 9th July in 1877, the first Wimbledon Tennis Tournament began. After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, and considerable rain, Mr Gore emerged as the victor of this men-only event out of a field of 22, clutching just over 拢12 and a silver trophy. Quite different from the riches on offer today, and some years before Maud Watson was permitted to play, winning the first women鈥檚 tournament at Wimbledon in a full length dress.

Mr Gore was from a notable family, his brother, Charles was Bishop of Oxford from 1911. Charles was believed to be the first Bishop to do the apparently radical thing of appointing female Readers for churches, licensing 22 of them in 1917 as the Diocesan Band of Women Messengers. Their role was lead churches as part of the war effort. One of these, Miss Bessie Bangay, was so successful that she was still running a church in Buckinghamshire many decades later, and, at her retirement, she had clocked up 68 years of faithful ministry and community service, a true pioneer.

Ours is a history peppered with such pioneering events, and pioneering people. As we live through extraordinary times, it鈥檚 been helpful to me to reflect on the courage and cheer of such individuals, and hope for a world where all of us are able to watch the tennis, return to church, and consider the war against this virus to be over.

God of the Universe, who called women to work alongside Jesus in the early church, who were there at the birth, the Temple, the Cross and the tomb, guide the paths of all who follow in their footsteps, that they may show wisdom, love, and leadership now and forever.

Amen.