From rural churches to hospital robots and creation to AI
The first ever celebration of a new festival, the age-old joy of harvest festival, confirmations and parish visits took the Bishop of Norwich to churches across his diocese in September.
The first Sunday in September is now officially the Festival of Creation in Christ after the Church of England joined Christian denominations around the world to celebrate the earth as a gift from God.
Bishop Graham, the Church of England’s lead bishop for the environment said: “It is a Festival that speaks into the heart of the major environmental concerns of our time – climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution – recalling us to creation being held together in Christ. We delight in God’s creation, but also know that we are complicit in its destruction.
“This Festival can and will help with the change of hearts and minds that is so urgently needed, leading us to action, so that all creation may continue to join in the song of praise to the Creator.”
On Sunday September 6 Bishop Graham joined the congregation at Fakenham parish church to celebrate the Festival of Creation in Christ. “It’s such a beautiful liturgy and there were great conversations afterwards,” he said.
Congregations including St Mary Magdalene’s Sandringham, and St Anne’s Earlham, Norwich, held joyful confirmation services. Bishop Graham gave each candidate a hazel sapling, and called the St Anne’s candidates: ‘An incredible group with very powerful testimonies about finding Jesus – or realising that Jesus had never let them go – and the movement of God’s love in their lives.”
At the church of St Mary and All Saints, Little Walsingham, he licensed Fr Andrew Bishop as priest in charge of Walsingham, Houghton and the Barshams, and Hempton with Pudding Norton.
Bishop Graham joined the congregation at St Peter’s, Neatishead for Harvest Festival and a special service of thanksgiving and celebration for the restoration of the church’s tower, bell and boundary wall. He also presided at the harvest festival service at St Helen’s Costessey where the congregation donated groceries for Norwich Food Bank.
At Norwich Cathedral Bishop Graham took part in an Evensong and retirement service for the Archdeacon of Norfolk, Steven Betts.
Nine new licensed lay ministers were welcomed at a celebration of licensed lay ministry in the Cathedral, with a sermon by Helen Grogutt, Bishop’s Adviser for Licensed Lay Ministry. Last year the diocese’s 140 licensed lay ministers took almost 2,000 services, preached 1,956 sermons, led more than 500 online services, took Holy Communion to people at home or in care homes 330 times and led 159 funerals. Bishop Graham thanked them all for their dedication.
Bishop Graham spent time with staff and volunteers at Norwich Youth for Christ, where he is patron, and said: “It is a privilege to be the charity’s patron and a joy to learn more about their current work.”
He also took part in an activity day for Parish Support Team staff at the Horstead Centre – the diocese’s outdoor and residential centre. “There were many people to thank for their commitment to supporting our parishes, chaplaincies and schools,” he said.
During September he also visited the parishes of Weasenham, Gateley and Guist, near Fakenham.
Even closer to home, he was shown around the new headquarters of Norfolk charity Menscraft, founded in 2007 and which this year became a new neighbour in Bishopsgate, Norwich. He learned about Menscraft’s vital work helping men and boys in Norfolk & Waveney lead happier, healthier lives and navigate adolescence, fatherhood, retirement and times of stress and crisis.
The bishop was a guest at the opening of the new Norfolk and Norwich Institute of Robotic Surgery at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital where he met robots Curiosity, named by the children of Horsford Church of England Primary School, and Renew, named by pupils of the Norwich School.
Artificial intelligence was on the agenda at a College of Bishops meeting in Oxford. The bishops explored AI with leading thinkers, legislators and theologians.
Straying into neighbouring dioceses the Bishop of Norwich, who is a member of the Board of Governors of the Church Commissioners, met some of its tenant farmers near Ely. And he spoke about his book The Way Under Our Feet at the Leiston Book Festival in Suffolk.
In the House of Lords the Bishop of Norwich took part in scrutiny of the Armed Forces Bill, speaking about staff accommodation, well-being and retention, and extending the status of emergency worker to military police.
During questions to ministers he wished new Prime Minister Andy Burnham well and assured him of the prayers of the Lords Spiritual before asking how the government can rebuild cross-party consensus about the urgent need to act on climate change.
He also asked whether there is enough protection for the environment and water resources when considering applications for new data centres.
