A prayer of St Augustine:
Eternal God, the light of the minds that know you,
the joy of the hearts that love you,
and the strength of the wills that serve you.
Grant us, in this time,
so to know you, that we may truly love you,
and so to love you that we may fully serve you,
whom to serve is perfect freedom,
in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
We have just celebrated Safeguarding Sunday, when our focus turned to the role of the Church as sanctuary and place of safety for any and all who walk through the doors. This has become centre stage recently following the publication of the Makin Report (Independent review into Church’s handling of Smyth case published | The Church of England) and the subsequent resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby (Resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury – Statements | The Church of England). But primarily at this time our priority, thoughts and prayers are with and for those victims and survivors who have suffered at the hands of abusers and who face daily struggles because of institutional failings in dealing with their situations and the failure to get justice. Please hold all who have been abused in your prayers at this time.
However, the recent events highlight the importance of Safeguarding Protocols and we in this Chaplaincy are very grateful for the care and work done by our Safeguarding Officers: Felicity and Carolyn. They work tirelessly to make sure we are all kept safe and protected in our work, worship and fellowship.
Safeguarding is more than these recent events. Safeguarding begins by creating a welcoming and caring environment, and St Andrew’s and our daughter communities work hard to extend a warm welcome to all who come to us, and to create a safe space for all. Our work and worship continue to offer a safe place for all, amongst people who care and who demonstrate God’s call to love our neighbour as ourself and to protect God’s children, especially those who are vulnerable for whatever reason. It is important today, in the light of events, that we commit to continuing to strive, with God’s help, to be a safe and welcoming community that bears witness to God’s abundant grace and transforming love for all, through Jesus Christ.
We are also called to remain alert to the needs of those we meet and welcome, and to dangers or concerns that we have or that others raise. Please remember that, should you have any concerns, we have our Safeguarding Team who can be contacted:
Felicity Lunn: safeguardingofficer@standrewszurich.church
Or you can contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Team:
Who to contact to raise a safeguarding concern | Diocese in Europe
I finish with a prayer of reflection:
Heavenly Father,
We pray for all victims of abuse for whom these events will bring back painful memories and emotions. Thank you for their courage and determination to speak truth to power. We pray that you would be close to them, comfort them, and bring healing and peace.
We pray for Archbishop Justin and his family in these difficult days and thank you for his willingness to take responsibility for these failures. Thank you for the changes in the priority given to safeguarding that have taken place in his time. May we recommit ourselves to the absolute priorities of protecting the most vulnerable and of making our communities safe for all of us.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
Best wishes,
The Revd Jackie Sellin, Chaplain