A warm welcome… at last…

Scream Cropped (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hooray.  I have found myself accepted in a small group run by MIND.  There is something quite wonderful in finding the oppeness and truy non-judgemental attitude in other people.  I have experienced it online, with my dear friends and now I have a ‘congregation’ that does not villify or hold over me my past.

Now I have come to understand that the actons that we do have consequences and that we have to accept those consequences without complaint, indeed I apologise over and over again for my sin.

But in this small group of people, mostly social outcasts, I find acceptance.  They are the limbs of Christ, the lips of Christ and the voice of Christ to me.  Along with my dear online friends who have been generous in loving me, these vulnerable compatriots are my peers; we come together, we talk, we paint, we drink tea, and we depart.

Some come by occasionally, some are regulars and faithful weekly participants, and some are seen once and maybe never again.  The staff and volunteers are kind, too kind for me, but that will improve over time.  They surround me with acceptance and touch me at my pace, they expect nothing and they offer much.

It may not be a wealthy place, it may not have fine robes or the dignity of procession and hierarchy nor the certitude of holding God’s Grace to administer to whom they deem fit…yet they have warmth and goodness and care.

Mrc

Waiting to die or to be raised? From Good Friday to Easter to Good Friday.

Waiting to die or to be raised?

“The Good Samaritan” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Living in isolation, more or less, is particularly hard if memories of a previous time of abundant social contact, and happy contact often, become a constant reminder of the contrast in what was and what is.  The attempt to take an interest in other things, study, creative activity (painting, writing, reading) is difficult without any ‘end product’ being discernable.

I am made acutely aware of the situation that so many people endure in societies globally and in particular here in England, and I am especially mindful of the isolation that older people experience.    This ‘loneliness’ is perhaps harder to bear if one is living on a low income and more so if one is suffering from chronic depression.  I think it is reasonable to suggest that such isolation may contribute to increased depression if not become the actual cause of depression for many.

The desire for social interaction (and maybe the simple reason that I am writing this) is strong, but one can easily become ambivalent about the prospect of social contact.  Whether there is any real opportunity for being with others is another thing.  The needs of the socially isolated are complex and become more involved as time goes on.  The desire to be with others is opposed by the fear of being unable to successfully interact with others.  One feels out of practice, and even unworthy, though this may be more to do with my own particular case.

The failure to develop regular and meaningful relationships leaves the isolated person without the normal support that we might take for granted.  Simple activities, paying bills, dealing with authorities and even what to eat, are never shared; the only advice one has is ones own.  Easter is indeed a time for rejoicing and the resurrection from death of Jesus is a great fact that fills us with gladness and thanksgiving.   For the isolated person, though, it may also sharpen the contrast of how sparse ones existence truly is.

The Church is a vehicle for hope and it has been given a wonderful task, to declare The Resurrection of Jesus Christ anew to every generation.  One issue that today’s Church of England, and others in the Anglican Community share, is the proclamation of that Resurrection to today’s world and today’s people.

The Samaritan, the leper and the prostitute were welcomed and blessed by Jesus.  Today, we have the task of declaring welcome, on equal terms, to women, to all sexual orientations and to those whom society vilifies perpetually.

How will the Church declare the Gospel?  To whom will it speak?  Will it be able to do God’s work? Will it speak to everyone?  If it does then how will it enact that Gospel?  How will it welcome the isolated?  Will it be generous and give the isolated bread, or will it keep it tightly locked up in the tabernacle, in its exclusive rites and laws, in its fear of popular villification?  Do we hear the cock crow thrice still?

MrC

Hope for Unity from Rome to Lambeth

Português: Cerimônia de canonização do frade brasileiro Frei Galvão celebrada pelo papa Bento XVI no Campo de Marte em São Paulo, Brasil. (fragment) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It has been reported in the Tablet this week that new proposals are being put forward By the Roman Church to the Anglican Communion generally and the Church of England specifically which are a radical departure from earlier attempts to bring the two Christian communities into a positive and lasting dialogue.

On the matter of Women Priests, the Roman Church are willing to review the Socio-theological basis for removing a male only priesthood.  On the matter of the marriage of clergy, Rome is making fairly explicit statements  via various informal, but authoritative spokespersons that it has no objection to this, in fact it believes that the Anglican position might act as a useful stalking horse to allow Roman Clergy to marry if they so desire.

The proposals are , as yet, unofficial

but insiders are saying that the leaking of the proposals are being deliberately engineered from the highest authorities in order to prepare the way for radical change.  “Many of our differences have been worked through by the ARCIC process” Msgr Coverner has been quoted as saying.

However it is early days, and the most difficult sticking point between the two Communities has yet to be resolved.  This may make real progress very difficult in the last analysis.  Msg Coverner  made things quite clear.  Speaking on behalf of the new Pope, he said, “We are prepared to move on issues regarding marriage and possibly gender, even on the thorny matter of Gay clergy, however, we will not be moved on the Malvinas”  It is reported that Lambeth are likely to be equally intransigent.  It is yet to be seen if these proposals see any real progress in uniting the two communities.

 

 

MrC

Hypocrisy in the House of Bishops

Firstly there is the ‘supposedly’ single bishop, who speaks out against ordaining gay people. Yet he himself is gay and is active on the gay internet scene, meeting men online to have affairs and ‘liaisons’ with.  He has hardly ever had a long term relationship, but has had numerous one night stands. As a parish priest he would not have countenanced marrying a couple who lived together before getting married and as a bishop speaks about the ideal of being celibate if not married.  Apparently he does not see his own behaviour as promiscuity because it is with men and not women.  He is known to sometimes resort to a little persuasion (some might say blackmail) if someone threatens to expose him and his behaviour. He is powerful and influential…

Then, there is the retired married bisexual bishop.  During his time as a suffragan and a diocesan bishop (and no doubt throughout his ministry) he had affairs with men… some of whom, his wife knew about.  Other senior clergy rallied round to protect him and colluded with his behaviour, including the ‘paying off’ of difficult ex boyfriends – no doubt from diocesan funds!   This bishop however, told his clergy they were not to ask him about blessing civil partnerships or gay relationships… and he let it be known through his chaplain that he would be most unhappy if any clergy raised the matter with him.  Come the clergy conference and other semi public events though he had no such hesitation about being ‘drapped’ across male clergy…

Finally, there is the bishop who promises the earth to PCCs, clergy and laity in his diocese alike. When it appears that he can’t deliver on these promises he blames others – the archdeacons, the diocesan staff, even his own family.  He claims expenses in a way that some may find suspicious and uses his bishop’s discretion fund with no sense of a transparent criteria.  He likes the finer things in life and is known to make extravagant demands as he travels the diocese. He preaches about honesty and holiness, being humble and self sacrificing…

Are these characters real you ask. Surely not, or there would be some evidence. People would speak out against this sort of behaviour.  Well, consider the bullying that goes on, the confidentiality clauses (gagging clauses) that are written into compromise agreements with staff, the old boys network of the House of Bishops, the threats, the intimidation, the manipulation… Are you so sure now, that these characters don’t really exist?

Challenge to you. Explain Christianity.

Christmas ball – Christianity (Photo credit: nabeel_yoosuf)

Why should anyone be a Christian?

What is the basic message that you would put to someone enquiring about the Christian Faith?

What are the essential pieces of information that one needs to convey the Christian faith?

Or is it something that is often socially and habitually acquired, perhaps from an early age.

Answers in comments please.a

 

The Church needs to Change

god (Photo credit: the|G|™)

If the church is to survive as a purposeful and positive factor in people’s lives then it is going to have to change radically.  The superstition and sectarianism that it has depended upon for generations must come to an end if it is to offer modern society a Gospel that is relevant and believable in a new age.  Essential truths about the nature of God must be decided upon with a new approach and old interpretations that are harmful, and in many scholarly places discredited, must be rooted out.

It is true that the church has moved away from much that it once taught and it no longer gives credibility to blatant discrimination of Government and economic policies; slavery, serfdom, fear and arrogance have been rejected at last.  Though not in every case, not for everyone.  We still promote traditions that are anti-gay and the church remains an establishment that holds secrets and shuns openness and truthfulness in its dealings with finance and morality.  It is flawed and often behaves in a way that Christ would condemn.

More fundamentally the attempt to include within itself a range of extreme values that are mutually opposed has resulted in a deeply divided house,  It needs to define what it holds as true and make those values known.  The church needs to be freed from the ill-conceived idea of unity and position itself clearly with the values that Christ taught.  It is time to reject the individualistic theories and interpretations that  those who are at its extreme ends hold as ‘essential to salvation’.

The church needs to be honest and admit when it is unsure, be humble and admit that it has, and continues to get things wrong.  The Church needs to confess its sinfulness and seek forgiveness, for example; when it is harsh and when it obscures the nature of God   from the eyes and ears of the people it is called to serve, when it presents instead a vision of God that lacks compassion and accessibility.

To hold on to a God, indeed a Gospel that is excluding of many and irrelevant to most is foolish and cannot be sustained, nor should it be.  To believe that access to God is reserved to itself alone is against the word of God and extremists who promote such a view are heretical and wrong.

Holding on to privilege and establishment is contrary to the way that Christ taught us and rejecting that which it believes is embarrassing or it believes is damaging to its own survival is to also reject the God who scandalised His own people by hanging on a cross, rejected and despised.

Maybe it is time for all Christians to review what the Gospel tells us about the nature of God in our world.  Perhaps it is a time for all denominations to be humbled by the story of Christ and revisit their thinking and divest themselves of fondly held beliefs that are unhelpful and contradictory.

Re thinking the Gospel is not a novel idea, it has always been part of what we are as Church and history testifies to this, as do the writings of the New Testament themselves.  Change can be threatening but seeking a true understanding of the nature of God may demand change from each and every one of us.

I am tired of hearing the pomposity of fundamentalists in the church and the certitude of so many clerics, especially the most senior of our church.  There are those who twitter without thinking and I guess they live their lives in much the same way, but feel themselves right and justified by habitually adopting narrow thinking and by holding onto personal creeds that are far from what Christ taught us.

Somewhere in the Church of England there has to be a renaissance.  It is time for change and an abandonment of the shackles of tradition.  It is time for good people to  speak out and be heard, it is time to be open to new thinking and looking at Christ with new eyes.  It is time to cast off the bonds of slavery to the past and look seriously at what is relevant to God’s relationship with His people.

TODD AKIN : Conservative Evangelicalism

, member of the United States House of Representatives. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Politicians, in the USA, following the lead of Todd Akin, are now able to quote research that has found that the body of those who suffer from an attack of Conservative Evangelicalism has a natural ability to defend itself by closing down parts of the brains function, such as compassion, reason and common sense, enabling the victim to resist the inevitable madness that follows.  Unfortunately the Brain will remain in this state unless treated.

MrC

Decimation of church Budget: Your church under Mr Sentamu

Under Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and William Fittall, Secretary General of the General Synod, of the Church of England the reneged promised support for children and youth of the nation earlier this year by slashing staffing at church house has been a severe retreat from mission and support for the church of tomorrow.  This type of policy will result in more cuts for you to look forward to.

Under Mr Sentamu’s predicted ascendency to the Archbishopric of Canterbury the picture here warns of further cuts, as a result of the inevitable conservative reactionary stance alienating the denomination from the people.  The inevitable continued collapse of the church’s relevance to the people they purport to serve  will result in the support of the fabric of churches throughout England failing further.  Maybe then the people will sit up and take notice.

 

Archbishop Sentamu Addresses Christian Liberal Group ‘Changing Attitudes’

Archbishop Sentamu Addresses Christian Liberal Group ‘Changing Attitudes’

 

Move over effeminate wine, here comes macho beer

Mr Sentamu leads a move in the Church of England to abandon  the use in the communion service of ‘effeminate’ wine for macho beer.  ‘this will emphasise the essential male character of God’ he said and’ make a clear statement of the maleness of Bishops at the same time’.