Service Times
- 8am Holy Communion
- 10.00am Sung Eucharist
- 6.00pm Evensong
- Plus daily services
St Peters is a church within
the Anglo-Catholic tradition
that believes in a daily
communion service
The Church is open daily
for private prayer
between 9am and 5pm
Click for service schedule
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Book Review "Virtue Reborn" (By Tom Wright)
You may recall in my letter of September2008 I drew your attention to the Bishop of Durham’s new book ‘Surprised by Hope’ which looked at the question, what do Christians hope for today? In it he argued that the final hope of Christians is not simply ‘going to heaven’, but resurrection into God’s new creation, the “new heavens and a new earth.” For If God intends to renew the whole of creation then the Church cannot stop at ’saving souls’, but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God’s kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present.
In this his latest book he continues to challenge Christianity with the on-going work of the kingdom. What am I here for? How should I behave? He writes: “Christian life in the present, with its responsibilities and particular callings, is to be understood and shaped in relation to the final goal for which we have been made and redeemed” (ix). In other words, our lives must reflect the faith we have in Christ.
The book is very much about the transformation and dedication of human character as the right response to resurrection. He asserts that Christian character is learned and built on a daily basis. My reason for being here is to be transformed into the likeness of Christ, and to be an agent of His redeeming love in the world.
In chapter 7 he goes on to assert that Christian character is not about rules. Rather, it is about freedom to become what we are intended to be, with the scriptures as our guide. We are to be transformed through our worship, our lifestyle and our working as people of the kingdom. Such transformation comes through the renewal of our minds, as our thoughts direct us to a new way of living.
We all know how challenging it is to live out our faith, and in the closing chapters the bishop acknowledges the difficulty of living in such a way, yet he asserts that this Spirit-enabled life is possible for us to experience now. “ Left to myself, doing what comes naturally, I would fail.’ But the point of love is that it doesn’t” (p183). Love, which Paul repeatedly asserts is the greatest virtue, is the ultimate goal of the believer. Not for self, nor for others, but for God alone. If all our character and virtue are directed to Him, then the work of the kingdom will follow. He makes a point of saying that, “worship must lead to mission” (p225).
I found the book both challenging and refreshing to read. It succeeds in establishing the importance of Christian virtue in today’s world. For those of you with web access, the book can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk for£7.74, a saving of £5.25.
Fr. Peter
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