Order of St Ethelbert awards

13 Oct 2022 • From Bishop Richard Jackson

On 9 October, Bishop Richard presented the Order of St Ethelbert award to some 20 recipients to honour long and distinguished service in their parishes.  He suggested that these recipients exemplified powerfully the 'fruit of the Spirit' that St Paul refers to his letter to the Galatians, chapter 5 -- 'the visual and behavioural evidence of what a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ looks like.'

St Paul lists: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 'These are not particularly spiritual-sounding words', says Bishop Richard, 'they’re the manifestation of a character slowly but surely being changed into the likeness of Jesus.'  Are the fruit of the Spirit plain for people to see in our lives?

Bishop Richard concludes by calling us to model the values contained in the refreshed diocesan strategy: to be more Christlike, prayerful, and engaged.

For transcripts, visit the Bishop of Hereford's Message section of the diocesan website.