Postscript for 19 Feb

Today is effectively my last Sunday as the Dean of Christchurch. You will find that the readings for the Choral Eucharist are rather odd for the Sunday before the beginning of Lent! They include the narrative of the resurrection of Jesus as told by Mark. I'm taking the liberty of choosing the readings that I had at my installation as Dean on 8 December 2002. For me this powerful resurrection story has been a stimulus for my ordained ministry over nearly 40 years [I was ordained Deacon at Michaelmas 1972]. The young man says to the women 'Do not be alarmed. He has been raised; he is not here ... he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you'. Galilee stands for the market place, the Galilee of the Gentiles, the bustling world of pleasure and delight, of danger and despair in which we live our lives. Our incarnate God is 'God with us' in the earthy gutsiness of our daily lives. God is up to God's neck in life, and so are we, seeking to point to what God is up to, rolling up our sleeves and joining in 'to proclaim the good news' by who we are and what we do. That's why for me our Cathedral ministry has been so stimulating - we have sought to be not separate from
the city and wider community, but be immersed in the city's life. And in so many ways this Cathedral, and we its living stones, have been and will be again. It is a privilege and an opportunity. To be the Dean has indeed been a huge privilege for me. For the times when I have fallen short, I apologise. For the love and support you have given Gay and me over the years, thank you. May the God who inspires every good and generous act in us, continue to bless this Cathedral community now and in the days ahead.
Dean Peter Beck