Looking up, coming down
Last month's blog post had me thinking about books and the power that they can hold over us. In some senses, today's musings continue along a similar theme. Thursday of this week was the feast day of St Gregory the Great and I had the pleasure of celebrating alongside others as we gathered in Stratford-upon-Avon for the blessing of new icons that had been created for the Churches of St Gregory & Holy Trinity. The icons in question were not my own but I was invited as a member of the British Association of Iconographers. And well, the day was billed to include a talk from Dr Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, entitled 'Prayer, Love and Management - the spirituality of St Gregory the Great'. There are times when it is difficult to get me out from the relative quiet and comfort of my studio, but listening to Rowan Williams speak on just about any subject is usually enough to persuade me! Add in the prospect of a relatively short drive, an assortment of hitherto unexplored coffee shops and the potential for cake, and I was all set for a day out in the town of Shakespeare!
St Gregory the Great was a man of great accomplishment. Trained as a lawyer, he founded monasteries, was made Prefect of Rome in 572, where he gained administrative and political skills, was made Pope in 590, and wrote extensively. It was as Pope that Gregory sent missionaries to the Anglo Saxons, including Augustine, who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury; thus Gregory can be credited for influencing the development of Christianity across our lands. Yet, notwithstanding the trappings of power and authority that must have come his way, he remained a monastic at heart and is remembered as a man of humility and peace. In the Church of England's summary of his life in the book, Saints on Earth, it states:
He was unafraid to stand for Christian truth in a changing and challenging world and challenged those in his charge to do so also.
Against this background, therefore, Rowan Williams took as his text St Gregory's own writings, the rules On Pastoral Care, and specifically, how they might be used to shape a distinctively Christian approach to the exercise of power and authority. As was mentioned on more than one occasion, there are certain persons in our contemporary world who might benefit from St Gregory's instruction in such matters! One of St Gregory's themes is by no means unique - the idea that an individual should not seek power or authority over others for themselves for its own sake. Rather, St Gregory emphasises that it is beholden on each individual to recognise that the gifts they have been given are just that - gifts. We are not to wear our abilities as an impenetrable armour and go out into the world to do battle with those whom we consider lesser. Rather, St Gregory seems to recommend a patient approach, based in humility. Recognising that the gifts we have been given are not earned by our own merits, we should wait on the church (or wider community) to identify an opportunity for how those gifts might be used for the greater good. In this way, the individual remains mindful both of the God-given nature of their situation and of the centrality of vocation, or calling. Such an individual thus grows in humility and compassion for the community that they are called to serve.
As I was listening to this, I felt some sense of unease. I am often made aware that the priestly ministry that I now exercise as artist-theologian and iconographer is something I have largely shaped for myself. Was I wrong to step out of parish ministry in this way; am I neglecting a pastoral vocation for something that is more about personal comfort and individual achievement?Yet, the idea of waiting for the institutional church to identify my gifts and come up with an opportunity through which they might be exercised seems to me to have the potential for a very long wait indeed. Where is the possibility of a prophetic stepping beyond the bounds of established protocols, a challenge to how things have always been done, I wondered? It might seem too much to expect that an answer could be found in the writing of St Gregory, so clearly a person whose varied roles were bounded by institutional structures, whether monastic, Papal or political. And yet, as Rowan Williams pointed out, there is perhaps an opening even within St Gregory's thinking for a more creative exercise of one's gifts and assertion of an authority to do so.
At the heart of St Gregory's teaching on the exercise of authority is a concept that might be called 'self-transcendence', the acceptance that the greater good transcends our sense of self and how skilled or important we consider ourselves to be. Our focus is thus redirected through two principal means: contemplation and compassion. The one directs us to God, the other to our neighbour. From this principle, St Gregory offers a succinct summary of the task ahead of each of us:
Love rises to the height of God as it is drawn downwards to the heart of human need
Thus, the way is opened for anyone to offer their gifts back to God in loving contemplation, such that they can then be called by God to serve their fellow humans in whatever place of need might be revealed to them. This need may not be found within the constraints or narrowed vision of an institution, but as Christ so frequently demonstrated, it is found readily at the margins, with those who find themselves excluded or impoverished by societal structures. Provided that our primary focus is on the Divine, we are freed to trust that any steps we take in prophetic creativity are taken with a proper focus on God's heart for humanity, even beyond the boundaries of institutional structures. For me, my fellow iconographers, artists, musicians and all who step creatively beyond boundaries, therefore, there clearly is a path to sharing the love of God with those in need through our communication of Divine Beauty. And in the messiness and brokenness of toady's world, there is surely great need indeed.
I am sure that I haven't come close in that explanation of St Gregory's teaching to the eloquence of Rowan Williams; his talk was recorded so may well appear on YouTube at some point soon, though I haven't found it to share a link with you. Meanwhile, though, I trust that my musings provide at least some reminder to all those with any kind of authority or influence over others of the importance of nurturing our ongoing relationship with the Divine. We do not simply look upwards (metaphorically) to God so as to climb the ladder towards our own greatness. Rather, it is by looking up in contemplation that we can then return our gaze to the communities around us with compassion and discern the ways in which we are to use our gifts in service to them.
Jesus said: 'The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.'
Matthew 23.11-12
Merciful Father,
who chose your bishop Gregory
to be a servant of the servants of God:
grant that, like him, we may ever long to serve you
by proclaiming your gospel to the nations,
and may ever rejoice to sing your praises;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
News
The studio today is somewhat crowded as I gather together everything I shall need to take with me for the retreat at Launde Abbey on Monday morning. Please do pray for all who gather as we reflect over three days on the place of icons in centring our prayers.
Within the past few weeks, I submitted my final piece of work, together with the supporting materials and research for the past year of my Masters in Fine Art at Oxford Brookes. The academic machine will now grind into action as I await confirmation in December that I have indeed met the standards required. That means that my diary and studio time has opened up for the autumn and I am pleased to be accepting new commissions for icons and other work. I shall also be pleased to rejoin my calligraphy group, meeting fortnightly, to support my ongoing practice in that field.
If you enjoy reading my blog and wish to support my ministry in a practical way, I have set up a page with "Buy me a coffee". This website, designed with creatives in mind, recognises that a whole load of my time goes into maintaining a website, keeping up with social media and writing blog posts, time that is not then available for income-generating work. Given that my passion for good coffee comes not very far behind my love for God and art (!), if you feel so inclined, you can click here to make a donation towards my ongoing ministry (but without any obligation to do so). Huge thanks to those of you who have bought me a coffee before - please don't feel you have to every time or at all!
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