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To the east rise the ridges and peaks of Cumbria’s Mountains, the finest in the whole District.Much closer, the Haig Colliery, Kells, was still active at that time. To the west is the Irish Sea, with the Isle of Man less than 30 miles away, and the Scottish Lowlands just across the Solway Firth. On a clear day you could look south towards the glorious sandstone cliffs of St.Bees Head. I was there for just one year and found it an area of severe contrasts. My first parish as a newly ordained priest was. I know West Cumbria a little, and love it a lot. It’s a ‘no-brainer ’ it shouldn’t go ahead. It contradicts a policy of ‘going green’. Even if it were possible to offset emissions through adopting cleaner energy sources and uses, it is a move in the wrong direction. For a society and a government set on achieving zero net emissions by 2050 the opening of this new mine makes the goal harder to reach. The proposal flies in the face of the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I keep you in my prayers.The proposal to open a new coal mine in Whitehaven, Cumbria, has understandably sparked a massive national out-cry and met with serious opposition.

Ministers, please know my deep gratitude to God for you and your service. Might you not use this “Clergy Appreciation Month” as an opportunity to recognize the grace brought to you by “those who labor in preaching and teaching.” And please be generous with your minister, if her or his beautiful feet show some fatigue. October is “Clergy Appreciation Month” (and October 11 is “Clergy Appreciation Sunday”). What I am leading up to is a modest nudge. Ministers also experience joy, support, hope, and a sense of purpose in their call from God to serve in the church. Our ministers have responded to the need to innovate and adapt pastoral ministry with extraordinary investments of time, energy, and caring. I am not trying to paint a “woe is me” picture of being a minister. (And I would add that no one is more stressed than the minister when there are technical glitches.) Also, no one would expect the average member of a congregation to be aware of the time and effort involved in providing good quality online worship. It is likely, though, that you don’t notice the added tension, stress, and struggle on those ministering to you, because pastors, deacons, and contracted synodically authorized ministers work hard to remain non-anxious around you, to keep your spirits up, to remain calm in an atmosphere of heightened divisiveness, and to stay fully available to you, even when they are not able to visit you personally in your home or in the hospital. But the COVID-19 pandemic that has put added tension, stress, and struggle on all us, has taken its toll on our ministers as well. Serving in ministry is a challenge in and of itself, at any time, in every setting. “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. It does not diminish in any way the importance of other work in the church and in the world to lift up that it is a profound calling to preach the gospel. The feet are beautiful because they were the means by which a person would get to where she or he will bring the good news, will bring the gospel. But I will echo Paul in asserting that the feet of all of them are beautiful. I have seen the feet of only a few of our pastors, deacons, and persons engaged in synodically authorized ministry, those who have worn sandals to a conference or to some other event. Then how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” …So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. In Romans chapter 10, the apostle Paul speaks of preaching the gospel:


Preventing Sexual Misconduct in Congregations.
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2019 Model Constitution Congregations / MS Word Download.
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