We have come to the end of another year so it is timely to offer thanks. Thank you to Sally and Chris who faithfully and generously keep the NCP Office alive and able to breathe life into priests and people across Australia, New Zealand and Oceania! Thank you to our elected executive members and particularly to Ian McGinnity who has served six years in the chair and spoken courageously, consistently and publicly on behalf of all of us! Thank you to Peter Maher my editorial colleague, to John Swann for his expert proofing of the magazine and to all who have contributed to The Swag throughout 2011.
More than anything else The Swag is a vehicle for the exchange of experiences, struggles, insights, challenges and discoveries among the ordained bishops, priests and deacons of Australia, New Zealand and Oceania. Above all we encourage and challenge each other by honestly sharing experiences.
We will be reading this 2011 Summer Swag during Advent - a ‘Season’ in the language of the Church that is perhaps undervalued.
I want to share a few thoughts about waiting, listening, pausing and being open - all of which are central to Advent.
Twenty-first century life is increasingly busy - even in the bush! We are able, thanks to cars and planes, mobile phones and computers, ipads and multi-channel digital television etc to be much busier today than was the case even twenty years ago. And because we can be much busier we usually are… and we are expected to be, too!
Increasingly, I find myself saying, sometimes just to myself, sometimes out loud: STOP! What’s happening? What’s being said in this discussion? Why the rush? What is really important in all this? Last May, as you well know, our Bishop of Toowoomba was forced to resign. For many of us in Toowoomba Diocese and beyond, that produced disappointment, some anger, frustration, disillusionment, criticism. Seven months later some of that is still in me — together with energy and determination to keep alive, day by day, in whatever way possible, the dream we share for Church ministry and mission. But something else is happening as well:
An increasing number of matters - decisions, directions and appointments - are ‘on hold’ because we have no Bishop appointed yet. That can be frustrating – it is frustrating – but, as is so often the case, there’s another consequence that is positive - we have to wait, give time to really listen for the voice of God – take time to discern the way forward. For all of us that’s the gift and message of Advent.
Where is Jesus in all this frantic activity? What is His gentle voice saying in the midst of all the noise? Where is HIS voice in the midst of our uncertainty? As it was 2,000 years ago, Jesus will surprise us. He probably won’t be where we think He should be! Not in Jerusalem but in Nazareth, in a feed-box/manger rather than in the Temple.
I’m going to take quality time out to listen, contemplate and wait during this Advent. I invite you to do the same.
Hal Ranger, Co-Editor
