Archbishop of Canterbury Christmas Day sermon

Archbishop of Canterbury Christmas Day sermon; Dr Rowan Williams sermon (continued) SOT - "Finding words to respond to the Word made flesh is and has always been one of the most demanding things human beings can do. Don't believe for a moment that religious language is easier or vaguer than the rest of our language. It's more like the exact opposite: think of St John writing his gospel, crafting those slow, sometimes repetitive narratives that allows Jesus to change the perspective inch by inch as a conversation unfolds. Or think of St Paul, losing his way in his sentences, floundering with his metaphors as he struggles to find the words for something so new that there are no precedents for talking about it. Think of all the great poets and contemplatives of the Christian centuries. It isn't surprising if we need other people's words a lot of the time; and it's of great importance that we have words to hand that have been used by others in lives that obviously have depth and integrity. That's where the language of our shared worship becomes so important.This coming year we are celebrating the 350th anniversary of the Book of Common Prayer. It's a book that has shaped the hearts and minds of millions; and it has done so partly because it has never been a book for individuals alone. It is a book of common prayer, prayer that is shared. In its origins, it was meant to be – and we may well be startled by the ambition of this – it was meant to be a book that defined what a whole society said to God together. If the question 'where are you?' or 'who are you?' were being asked, not only individual citizens of Britain but the whole social order could have replied, 'Here we are, speaking together – speaking to recognise our failures and our ideals, to recognize that the story of the Bible is our story, to ask together for strength to live and act together in faithfulness, fairness, pity and generosity.' If you thumb through the Prayer Book, you may be surprised at ...