T'is Shrove Tuesday! Having little inclination towards pancakes (being a clootie dumpling man myself), I prefer to recall the saintly Ritualist Bishop of Lincoln Edward King who is commemorated today. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_King_%28English_bishop%29
His saintly response to persecution by Kensitite Protestants was much admired, but my favourite story was from his later life. He had lain down on the beach for a wee nap in the sun and found his stiff old bones made rising up tricky. he called on a passing small girl to get help and she helped him back on to his feet. "Thank you for helping me up, my dear" he said "You are very strong for a little girl". Her reply: "That's OK mister. I've helped my Daddy up when he was much drunker than you!" I also love his advice to preachers:
"Christ lives in his saints. We know his life in them. St Paul prayed to know the Power of the Resurrection, though he knew the fact. If you are to preach, you must make up your minds that you are sent, and sent by God. Without the gift of love, you will never be a preacher. Nothing anonymous will ever persuade--the faith and conduct of the preacher give life and power to his message. Thus preaching is different from mere feeling. You may teach mathematics or geography without being fully convinced. But in delivering the Gospel message, if it is to be a living life-giving message, there must be in the preacher a sense of message and the desire to deliver it."
A godly man and bishop. May he pray for us and with us today.
King was clearly a man of great faith, wit & holiness.
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ReplyDeleteThere is a centre named after him in Lincoln. The link is at
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bishopedwardking.org/The_Edward_King_Centre/The_Edward_King_Centre.html
Lincoln diocese operates it as a retreat house and sometimes B&B. It's the old Bishop's Palace there, lovely setting.