I have been continuing reading Ray Simpson's "The Cowshed Revolution". I love the story he retells about the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, dating from when he was Archbishop.
"The story run the rounds that the wife of Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, admits that housework has 'never been high' on her list of priorities. It seems the Archbishop sometimes steps into the breach. Once, the Williams' son Pip was watching TV with a friend when Archbishop Rowan appeared on the screen. 'Look,' said the friend, 'there's the man that does the hoovering in your house'!"
Simpson goes on to cite a whole bunch of examples of Christians who have very deliberately chosen the path of service. We know that we are called to do that but, a lot of the time, that is not how we see life lived out in the church. Questions of respectability, status and role are too often prioritised over our engaging with the messy things that make a difference.
It is right that we value and use those resources that are available to us in the service of the Kingdom - but it is not always easy to achieve the balance between proper stewardship that appropriately protects the facility and proper stewardship that appropriately offers the facility for use as it is needed.
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