THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
28th June 2025
Greetings.
Tomorrow, the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul overrides the usual provision for The Second Sunday after Trinity. That these two giants of Christian beginnings are celebrated together is both an appeal for unity and an acknowledgement of diversity. They were very different men and their stories couldn't have been more contrasting. Peter had been with Jesus from the beginning and though confident and bombastic prior to Jesus' death and resurrection, afterwards, as leader of the Jerusalem church, he was relatively cautious and conservative. Paul, on the other hand, did not know Jesus in the flesh, but having been overpowered by him in the Spirit, never doubted his subsequent mission to the gentiles. With the benefit of his great learning, Greek cultural formation and Roman citizenship, he put Christianity onto the world stage and gave it a shape and breadth which Peter, and the Jerusalem church just had to accept. I don't for a moment imagine they were close, but I'm sure they recognised Christ's presence and purpose in each other for the church is much greater than any individual bar Christ himself.
Around the time of this feast of Peter and Paul it is customary for ordinations to the diaconate and priesthood to take place. As a process ordination is both institutional and charismatic (of the Spirit). The former is about authority, definition and culture. The latter is about life, energy and hope. They are both essential but they are also a cause of tension and sadly, sometimes outright division. We may know where we stand on a variety of issues and be able to argue our point, but perhaps more is to be gained by scrutinizing our own lives through the respective lenses of institution and charism. Ordained or lay we all have a calling and purpose in life and faith, and we are more likely to be fruitful in that calling if we pay attention to our shadow side. Charism without tradition can be insufferable, but tradition without charism is lifeless. We must strive to treasure both and balance the two.
Every blessing,
Charles Booth
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