It felt rather fitting that it was St David’s Day as Buckinghamshire people gathered to welcome their new bishop, the Rt Revd Dave Bull at All Saints, High Wycombe.
Hundreds of people attended the special service including the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire Lady Howe, the Mayors of High Wycombe, Marlow and Amersham as well as Cllr Mimi Harker, chairman of Buckinghamshire Council. Children also played a central role with nine-year-old Joshua from Bishop Dave’s former church All Saints, Marlow, standing before the congregation to receive Bishop Dave.
Bishop Dave made an oath of canonical obedience and was then anointed with oil by Bishop Steven, who led the service, and presented with the Buckingham Crozier. A resounding round of applause from those presented filled the church.
Delivering his first sermon as Bishop of Buckingham, Bishop Dave said he had been inspired by the film The Shawshank Redemption. He spoke of hope and redemption, needed more than ever with the challenges the world faces today.
He called on the congregation to humble themselves, saying: “Make it a humble lifestyle to recognise how small you are. As you humble yourself you think naturally of others.”
He spoke of the communities, volunteers, charities, faith communities to refuse to let go of the hope and humble love that we see embodied in Jesus Christ.
He concluded: “It is my honour, my privilege to take my part today as bishop in that grand scheme. No more of less important than any one of you is playing. I pray that you might feel that hope sparked afresh fanned into flame in your own heart that there is redemption that God takes what is bad and turns it to good in Jesus name."
Representatives from many different community organisations spoke to welcome Bishop Dave to his new ministry, including Jo Turner from Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity, the Revd John King representing the farming community, the Revd Sue Smith for the prison chaplains and Sue Taylor from Slough Foodbank.
Bishop Dave will be installed as Bishop of Buckingham at choral evensong at Christ Church Cathedral next Saturday, along with Bishop Mary, who was ordained bishop with Bishop Dave and is Bishop of Reading.
Find out more about Bishop Dave and see a gallery of photos from the service.