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Daily Archives: July 9, 2022

(BBC) Sri Lanka: President Rajapaksa to resign after palace stormed

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Kendall Harmon

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has announced he will step down after protesters stormed his official residence and set the prime minister’s house on fire.

Neither the PM nor the president were in the buildings.

Hundreds of thousands descended on the capital Colombo, calling for Mr Rajapaksa to resign after months of protests over economic mismanagement.

Mr Rajapaksa will step down on 13 July. PM Wickremesinghe has agreed to resign.

Parliamentary speaker Mahinda Abeywardana said the president decided to step down “to ensure a peaceful handover of power”.

Read it all.

Posted in Asia, Politics in General, Sri Lanka, Violence

C of E General Synod Presidential Address by the Archbishop of York

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Kendall Harmon

In the public square our words will often be misunderstood, misinterpreted and misquoted. People will think we’re woke, naïve, misguided, too left wing, too right wing, too liberal or too conservative. We will be applauded for taking a moral stand, and pilloried for getting involved in politics. At the same time. On the same issue. But, knowing very well that we will sometimes get it wrong, what we are trying to be, is faithful to Jesus.

In personal witness we will sometimes meet scorn, apathy, even hostility. That which means most to us, will be considered trivial, laughable and neanderthal by some. But when we do share the gospel, we will find ourselves standing on the holy ground of other people’s stories – and their pain – and often we won’t have the words to say, such as when we’re ministering to those whose lives are cut short, or taking the funeral of a child. Our hearts will be pierced, and like Mary standing at the foot of the cross, our witness will be a silent vigil and a determination to abide.

We will carry a towel, not a flag.

We will issue an invitation, not a summons.

We will, wherever possible, roll away stones.

In overseeing and resourcing the church for ministry, a responsibility that we all share, we will have to make painful and difficult decisions. In facing up to mistakes, we will be humbled, especially by our failings to safeguard the Church or to root out racism or even just to communicate well, and show kindness to each other, in these things, we will be pierced and broken.

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Posted in Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, Church of England (CoE)

The Dean of Southwark, Andrew Nunn, announces his retirement

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Kendall Harmon

The Dean of Southwark, The Very Revd Andrew Nunn, has announced his intention to retire on 4 July 2023 following the 40th anniversary of his ordination as Deacon.

In his letter to the Bishop of Southwark, The Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, the Dean said, “I wanted to give you a year’s notice of this in order to allow you to begin the process of identifying and appointing my successor and for the new Cathedral Chapter to do the work it will need to do in order to be in a position to welcome a new Dean. It has been the most enormous privilege to serve the people of God and lead the worship of Almighty God for all these years but especially from this position.”

He continued, “There is a great deal I can do in a year. Be assured, I won’t coast towards retirement. It will be heart-breaking leaving but the time is right and I am sure you will find somebody wonderful to serve this wonderful community.”

Read it all.

Posted in Church of England (CoE), Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry

A prayer for the Day from Daily Prayer

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Kendall Harmon

LORD Jesus, Child of Bethlehem, for love of men made man: Create in us love so pure and perfect that whatsoever our heart loveth may be after thy will, in thy Name and for thy sake.

—Daily Prayer, Eric Milner-White and G. W. Briggs, eds. (London: Penguin Books 1959 edition of the 1941 original)

Posted in Spirituality/Prayer

From the Morning Scripture Readings

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Kendall Harmon

Now I know that the LORD will help his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand. Some boast of chariots, and some of horses; but we boast of the name of the LORD our God. They will collapse and fall; but we shall rise and stand upright. Give victory to the king, O LORD; answer us when we call.

–Psalm 20:6-9

Posted in Theology: Scripture