A unique work of art installed next to the west window in Emmanuel church, Didsbury. It was commissioned to mark St James and Emmanuel’s journey to becoming a fully inclusive church following the death of Lizzie Lowe.
Lizzie died on 10 September 2014, and one of the reasons Lizzie took her own life was because she felt her faith and emerging sexuality were irreconcilable.
Since that tragedy, St James and Emmanuel has been learning, sometimes painfully, how to become a radically inclusive church community. Not just in the area of human sexuality, but in a whole range of areas from neurodiversity through to physical disability, race, gender, age and mental capacity.
Each of the nine panels of the installation has been sponsored and we will share the stories behind those who have donated to fund the artwork. The first to be published honour Catriona Yuill, Ian Massingham, Doreen Vitty and Rosalind Moore.
Below is a special blessing by John Bell which was shared at the unveiling of the artwork on 14 September 2024. It marked the beginning of ‘Radical Love: being an inclusive evangelical’, a national conference exploring the biblical meaning of relationship and acceptance in a church truly for everyone.
From chaos you create order,
from dark you create light,
from dust you create life:
we praise you, God.
Brokenness you turn into beauty,
despair you turn into hope,
weeping you turn into joy:
we thank you, God.
Because peace can follow pain,
and calm follow confusion,
and finding follow losing,
we love you, God.
For the mystery of our bodies,
for the wonder of our minds,
for your touch on our lives,
we bless you, God.
For all that is unresolved from our past
and for all that is unknown in our future
and for the promise of your constant presence
we trust you, God.
So, God bless this installation
with all its resonances;
and God bless this church
with all its potential;
and God bless Lizzie whose life is safe with You in heaven,
and whose legacy is treasured by us here on earth.
Tell her that we miss her and that we love her,
and that we will hold her in our hearts
until, in your new creation, we meet again.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.