FROM THE PULPIT, or the Highland Cottage!
Good Disagreement.
I thought it might be time to write to you about the first reading of a change to
the SEC canon on marriage (canon 31) which happened at General Synod
and has been widely reported in the press. The change would remove from
the canon the doctrinal statement regarding marriage, that marriage is to be
understood as a union ‘of one man and one woman’.
The change would enable priests in the SEC to conduct same sex marriage
ceremonies, with a conscience clause which will require a priest to ‘opt in’
rather than ‘opt out’ of an agreement to do so; however there needs to be a
final vote at next year’s General Synod; before that it passes to the seven
diocese for discussion and comment at the diocesan level.
Opinions will be relayed back at that stage for the second reading in 2017.
For the change to happen it must achieve a majority of two thirds in the
houses of bishops, clergy and laity within the general synod.
I am glad of the conscience clause that will allow me to ‘opt out’, and I see it
as a graceful way for our wider church to be diverse but not divided and in a
good disagreement with one another.
One of Christ’s commands is for His church to be united, as He and the
Father are one. My own life desire is to see every Christian pursuing real
unity as a part of our collective identity in Christ in the world. BUT! I feel the
growing challenge is whether we as individuals and church want to find that
unity at any and all costs, even if it means letting go of truth. Is it possible I
wonder to have a good disagreement in all matters? Or does it depend on
what truth we are speaking about.
Most of us accept that there are some points that we can call secondary
matters, these may include, worship styles, emphasis on baptism or
particular gifts of the Holy Spirit. These differences are not stumbling blocks
to growing God’s Kingdom, they are in fact choices that enable us to find a
church home that we can grow as serving Christians within. I believe that
what are not secondary are our core beliefs.
A fundamental core belief is:
A belief in the historic Jesus Christ as the one true Son of God, the Messiah,
who died for sin and rose again.
For me/us to make such a statement requires a belief and trust in the biblical
texts which tell me/us about Christ. We can only say that Jesus is Lord and
King because of our trust in the word of God. For me personally the bible has
the ultimate authority to inform my ministry and daily personal life. If I am in
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