NEWS from
Spring 2009
www.ridley.cam.ac.uk
From the new Principal: ‘Roots Down...’ I can still remember the college lecture when Ridley Hall’s catchphrase “roots down, walls down” was first coined by its then recently appointed Principal, Graham Cray. I was an ordinand here at the time. Sixteen years later, with “bridges out” in mission added by Graham’s successor, the expanded catchphrase memorably distils something of the genius of Ridley’s distinctive ethos and vocation. This heritage is one I am delighted to be affirming as I begin my time as Principal.
The Principal’s installation
In this edition of News from Ridley, in introducing myself, I would like to say a little about my own “roots down “experience as an evangelical within the Anglican Communion. In subsequent editions I intend to give similar treatment to “walls down” and “bridges out”.
My own evangelical roots were nurtured through continued involvement in Scripture Union youth camps from 1976-2005, first as a teenager and then as a volunteer leader. They were significantly strengthened during my formative years as an undergraduate, especially through involvement in the Oxford Intercollegiate Christian Union (OICCU) and St Aldate’s Church under Canon Michael Green. Appreciation of charismatic renewal within evangelicalism first came in my gap year in Paris, when the church where I was later to serve my curacy played host to the extraordinary missionary from Hong Kong, Jackie Pullinger. “Anglican evangelicals can expect demanding times ahead and the more rooted we are, the better able we will be to rise to them” By the time I came to Ridley as an ordinand, I was ready to sink in my evangelical roots more deeply through opportunities for scholarly engagement in a mission-focused context. It proved an excellent preparation for serving in two large and thriving churches in Paris and the Clifton area of Bristol. Alongside this, my Anglican roots can be traced back to childhood. My family belonged to a village church, where my father, a local farmer, was church warden. I also attended an Anglican independent school where I was confirmed, sang in the choir and became Chapel prefect. Since then I have belonged to a variety of Anglican churches, ranging from flagship city centre churches to an urban priority team ministry on the edge of Toxteth in Liverpool, where I
served as a lay assistant. I already had experience of global Anglicanism prior to ordination, notably through a research project in Nigeria. This however developed exponentially during my six years supporting the Archbishop of Canterbury in Anglican Communion affairs, where it was my privilege to encounter Anglican life in many parts of the world. It was also enhanced through an MPhil in the field of Anglican missiology. All this has left me in no doubt that Ridley Hall is absolutely right to commit itself rigorously and imaginatively to helping Anglican evangelicals sink down roots. Anglican evangelicals can expect demanding times ahead and the more rooted we are, the better able we will be to rise to them. The Revd Canon Andrew Norman, Principal
Also in this issue: PRAYER AND THE PRACTICE OF RESURRECTION Latest news on the September conference, including previews of Eugene Peterson’s address titles
MOULE DAY – JUNE 10TH Programme outline for this year’s Alumni/ae Afternoon and C.F.D. Moule Memorial Lecture
“ALL THAT I EXPERIENCE...” A tribute to the humility and bravery of Mark Autherson, who remains an inspiration to those who knew him
DESIGNING FOR COMMUNITY Looking beyond the ‘shop window’ model: seeing a distinctive role for the website in developing community
Moule Day 2009 Professor Jürgen Moltmann is the distinguished guest who will be delivering the second C. F. D. Moule Memorial Lecture. Moule Day, as it has Jürgen Moltmann quickly become known, will be Wednesday, June 10th, 2009. An afternoon gathering with tea for Ridley alumni/ae at which the Principal, Andrew Norman, will be able to introduce himself will be followed by Professor Moltmann’s lecture, “Do you understand what you are reading?” New Testament Scholarship and the Hermeneutical Question. Jürgen Moltmann is an emeritus professor of theology at the University of Tübingen, whose Christian faith was ignited while a prisoner of war in Britain during the 1940s.
Tutor in Christian Doctrine appointment We had hoped that in this issue of News from Ridley we would be able to announce the appointment of a new Tutor in Christian Doctrine at Ridley, but working out the nuts and bolts of these things sometimes tends to take a little longer than we bargain for. As soon as we are able to make the appointment public we will post the news on our website, and in the next edition of this newsletter.
Restoring Prayer Sept 3–6 2009
Remember Ridley’s Future
Simeon Centre conference update
Wander around Ridley Hall and you will see all sorts of inscriptions honouring those who invested in Ridley’s future in earlier days.
As preparations for the September conference on Restoring Prayer move into high gear, we are delighted that bookings can now be made online, and a steady stream of bookings is coming in.
We are the beneficiaries of this generosity. However modest our resources, one of the most effective ways of expanding Ridley’s ministry and heritage is by remembering Ridley Hall in your will. Gifts of this kind not only make a significant difference, but there could also be benefits to your family.
The best news of all, however, is that Eugene Peterson has now given us the titles for his addresses. He is basing them all on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, under the general heading of Prayer and the Practice of Resurrection. The three talks are:
There are many reasons why you might want to make a thank offering of this kind, so may we encourage you to consider remembering Ridley’s future with a legacy gift. We would be happy to talk on the phone, visit you at home, or correspond with you if you are thinking about such a possibility – and, of course, all this is strictly confidential. The Revd Richard Kew, Development Director, email: rk383@cam.ac.uk, phone: 01223 741069
• Prayer and All the Saints • Prayer and All the Fullness • Prayer and the Wiles of the Devil In addition, he has now agreed to be the preacher at the concluding Eucharist on the Sunday morning. The programme itself can be downloaded at www.ridley.cam.ac.uk/scprogramme.html In preparation for the Conference (apart from booking to come!) there are three things that we encourage you to do. The first is to pray for the practical preparations and for God’s blessing on its outcomes. Then we would like you to tell others about it, and invite them to come. Finally, we are building a significant team of volunteers to help with preparations and during the conference itself. It may be that your finances are tight, and this is a way of helping yourself even as you help us. For more information on the conference, visit the Ridley website www.cam.ac.uk/scprogramme.html or contact: Rosemary Kew E: rak44@cam.ac.uk T: 01223 742964
If you would like to support the work of The Simeon Centre, you can now donate online with your credit card at
www.ridley.cam.ac.uk/scgiving.html
“All that I experience...” Clive Hogger, now a curate in the Diocese of Coventry, shared a study with Mark Autherson during Mark’s year at Ridley. Mark was remarkable in that he didn’t think that his humility and bravery were unusual. When Mark found out that the leukaemia he had been treated for 9 years ago had recurred, the one thing he didn’t want from people was sympathy. He wanted people to treat him
Mark with two of his children, Madeleine and Samuel.
desire to know more of God and to spend more time immersed in his written Word was kindled. He found great comfort in the psalms, writing his own lament in response, part of which is quoted here. “As I pray I discover Jesus you are with me Love swells in my heart, and tears flow from me. During the visit to Ridley by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
normally, because although he knew that his life was becoming increasingly difficult, he saw that others had their own difficulties, too. He had an innate ability to perceive what was important, and to focus wholeheartedly on that, and he focussed on spending time with God, spending time with his family, and spending time in laughter. Mark’s love for Sally and his children was tangible, and even when weak and unwell he was a great role model for any future minister who might be tempted to think that their job is more important than that unique role given to us by God, of ministering to and loving our families. And Mark’s optimism was infectious. He knew that God loved him, and during his time of treatment a renewed
And I do not know why I ever did doubt Because material pleasure is not what you’re about All that I experience, emotions and pain You have been there before, for my sake you were slain Feeling your presence in my suffering is so sweet I remember the fun days when it wasn’t a need. And blessed I feel that I’m in this state For the Lord disciplines the ones that he loves, it’s not hate So I pray with conviction for your kingdom to come And if this is part of your will to be done Then I pray for the strength to be able to cope And receive your Spirit throughout me I hope.” Mark Autherson (1971–2008) came to Ridley from the Diocese of Oxford to train for ordained ministry. Our hearts go out to his wife Sally, their three children Samuel, Madeleine and Eloise and their wider family, whom we continue to support in prayer. n
Designing for Community I am fortunate in having a variety of work through several part-time employments, both within and outside the gates of Ridley. They lead me into an array of subjects, skills and opportunities I couldn’t hope to encounter in a single line of work.
Like all communities, the community of website designers who converse in online forums has its mix of characters, but I often feel humbled by the sense of a higher code (yes, higher even than html, php or other programmers’ spaghetti...) that pervades the best of these arenas of communication.
But among the various roles, website design outstrips the rest in its demands and challenges. I come away from my hours on the Ridley website desk with an ever greater respect for those who wear this particular hat throughout their working day. The determination of those who pursue the highest standards of online accessibility and usability – combined with aesthetic considerations – is at times astounding.
I occasionally sift through online threads of conversations looking for traces of those who have passed through the current technological path I’m attempting to negotiate. Invariably I find shining examples of people who have gone the extra mile and passed on their own knowledge to a stranger like me. The fruit of their long evenings grappling with cutting edge technology when it was in its infancy are Cont’d... freely shared.
Find out more.... For further details on items covered in this newsletter, return the form below to: The Development Office, Ridley Hall, Cambridge CB3 9HG (or use the enclosed envelope)
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I/We wish to send a gift for the support of Ridley’s ministry
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Please find enclosed a cheque (payable to ‘Ridley Hall’) for
} It seems that as a Christian who, by trial and error, designs websites, my faith can inform my occupation, and equally what I learn as I walk the virtual highway can give new insights into the themes of my faith. The idea of community of course is key to both. Just as I have been the undeserving recipient of online guidance from strangers who have no expectation or demand for reciprocation, so in the Christian community of Ridley Hall have I been given chances to grow and to learn by people who had no guarantees of return. Truly a community of grace. Our vision is that the College website in turn will enable further extension of the blessings that so many of us have experienced in our encounters here, whether as students, staff, conference delegates or Lent Book readers. Features for features’ sake are not our aim, but rather we hope that with time and dedicated patience as a College we will develop the website to both reflect and extend the existing – and future – community of Ridley. The recent website redesign took a few steps along the road:
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• A mobile/pda version of the website – serving the growing trend towards accessing information on handheld devices
I/We qualify for Gift Aid – please Gift Aid this donation
Signed: _______________________
• Faster-loading pages – especially valuable to those of us on slow internet connections
Date:
• An online shop – friends of the College in the UK and abroad can now order from us direct
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B. Please send me further
information on the following:
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Restoring Prayer conference – booking and information
Dona McCullagh designed and maintains the Ridley Hall website. She is also a research assistant and works on Ridley’s reception.
Joining the team of volunteers at Restoring Prayer Remembering Ridley’s Future – how to leave a legacy
Name: _____________________
___________________________ Address: ___________________
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ Telephone: _________________
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In addition, all our conferences and workshops can now be booked online. They are small but significant steps. Our belief is that the internet – used well – can go beyond offering a window onto the College to playing its own distinctive role in our wider community.
Please send me regular emailings with news updates from Ridley.
Email address: _______________
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Building at Ridley Whenever new buildings are planned it is a stop-go process, and Ridley’s project to increase accommodation, teaching and administration space, together with a new auditorium, is no exception to this rule! The good news is that we have something in excess of a million pounds in hand or pledged, we have a wonderful team working on this enterprise, and part of the positive progress being made is a richer and longer-term vision for Ridley’s future is emerging. All of this points toward a robust future for the college. The challenges have to do with planning and conservation requirements so that what eventually build will not only meet our needs but fits best on our site, and adds to rather than detracts from what is here already. There is a lot of work ahead of us, including raising the funds necessary to break ground on the first stage of construction, but the pace is beginning to accelerate.