Having read and not really enjoyed The Art of Tent Making, I
did however decide to get hold of this book which many of the contributors
mentioned.
There was a particular idea that Giles understands the
“priesthood of all believers” as a collective identity not a stand alone
quality of each individual that I really wanted to follow up.
This idea is mentioned in Here I Am, but if is not the
dominant theme and at one level I was a little disappointed by that. It is a personal and idiosyncratic account of
priesthood and at that level it was really refreshing, having read a lot of the
standard books on priesthood and vocation that a mostly bland, glib, soulless,
monochrome…
The chapters are short and punchy and this is the ideal
companion to the Christian Priest Today. A different but compatible vision.
What is clear is that Giles has a pretty robust
understanding of the role of the priest (or presbyter as he demands they are
called). The guiding hand of the priest
is, for him, a strong one and the metaphor of the tough love of parenthood
seems to be the one that spring quickest to his mind.
This is ok in the right hands, and I think it is clear that
Giles balances this assertive nature with a servant heart – but in other hands
it could well be disastrous. This worry,
I think unfortunately, comes from my increasingly low view of the clergy, en
masse. Before anyone gets the hump - I
continue meet and know some exceptionally gifted clergy and I am privileged to
count many of these as friends – however I sadly feel they are exactly that
“exceptional”. When I go to various
levels of Synods the vast majority of clergy I encounter are anything but an
inspiration – and one of the (many) reasons why I currently have no interest in
following a path to ordination is because I have no desire to become one of
“them”.
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