Revd Richards Letter ( August 2024)
A Thought from Rev’d Richard
“Welcome, Prince,” said Aslan. “Do you feel yourself sufficient to take up the
Kingship of Narnia?”
“I – I don’t think I do, Sir,” said Caspian.
“Good,” said Aslan. “If you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been a proof that
you were not.”
These are words from children’s fiction. They are from C. S. Lewis’ ‘Prince Caspian’
and they have stayed with me for years. Even now when I read these words, I can
still hear the voice of the late Ronald Pickup apparently emanating from the mouth of
an animatronic lion, the lips not quite synchronized with the sounds, on the BBC TV
adaptation of the novel. As I have gone through life, these words have had deeper
meaning for me.
When I was ordained, the bishop reminded me and my fellow priests-to-be that ‘You
cannot bear the weight of this calling in your own strength, but only by the grace and
power of God.’ I try to keep this in mind as much as possible, and I sometimes
wonder what things would be like if more people did so.
These days, we often feel we have to be good enough. We have to live up to
expectations; we have to achieve certain things, or become certain things.
Sometimes we feel we have to manage everything ourselves, and not rely on
anyone else. Perhaps we feel we can’t rely on anyone else, or perhaps we think
there isn’t anyone else to rely on.
But maybe we should be more like Prince Caspian and recognise that we cannot go
things alone. Maybe we should listen to the words the bishop says at ordination
services and try to truly accept in our hearts that we can’t manage everything
ourselves, and accept the grace of God into our lives. And if we do that, we might
just discover a little of what Paul meant when he wrote about ‘him who by the power
at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or
imagine.’
Kingship of Narnia?”
“I – I don’t think I do, Sir,” said Caspian.
“Good,” said Aslan. “If you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been a proof that
you were not.”
These are words from children’s fiction. They are from C. S. Lewis’ ‘Prince Caspian’
and they have stayed with me for years. Even now when I read these words, I can
still hear the voice of the late Ronald Pickup apparently emanating from the mouth of
an animatronic lion, the lips not quite synchronized with the sounds, on the BBC TV
adaptation of the novel. As I have gone through life, these words have had deeper
meaning for me.
When I was ordained, the bishop reminded me and my fellow priests-to-be that ‘You
cannot bear the weight of this calling in your own strength, but only by the grace and
power of God.’ I try to keep this in mind as much as possible, and I sometimes
wonder what things would be like if more people did so.
These days, we often feel we have to be good enough. We have to live up to
expectations; we have to achieve certain things, or become certain things.
Sometimes we feel we have to manage everything ourselves, and not rely on
anyone else. Perhaps we feel we can’t rely on anyone else, or perhaps we think
there isn’t anyone else to rely on.
But maybe we should be more like Prince Caspian and recognise that we cannot go
things alone. Maybe we should listen to the words the bishop says at ordination
services and try to truly accept in our hearts that we can’t manage everything
ourselves, and accept the grace of God into our lives. And if we do that, we might
just discover a little of what Paul meant when he wrote about ‘him who by the power
at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or
imagine.’
