We had a fabulous service this morning in St Mary’s. The place was full of people, good preaching, gorgeous music (Haydn’s Little Organ Mass with organ, full choir and strings) and a glorious time was had by all. We ran out of service books and consecrated hosts (again).
At the end of the service, I made the following announcement:
“I have been giving much thought as to how we should mark the Lambeth Conference this summer. All the duly consecrated bishops of the Anglican Communion have been invited to Canterbury for a conference with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. Well, all bar one – the Rt Rev Gene Robinson, the first bishop to acknowledge that he is living in a gay relationship will not be there as he has not been invited.
I have been invited several time to go to Lambeth, to campaign and wave banners and speak and generally campaign. I have decided not to do this. We must simply be who we are.
However, that has left me wondering how we can mark this Conference at St Mary’s. My response to this consists of 4 events:
Firstly, Bishop Idris has kindly agreed to meet with members of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans) group which meet here at this Cathedral.
Secondly, The Most Rev Fred Hiltz, the Primate of All Canada has agreed to come and to preach here at St Mary’s on the Sunday before the Lambeth Conference (13 July 2008).
Thirdly, on the same day, those bishops who will be enjoying the hospitality of the Diocese will be invited here for Evensong. This will be an opportunity to greet them, pray with them and send them on their way to Lambeth with all our best wishes and goodwill.
Finally, it seems to me to be desirable to have someone at the end of the conference to come and preach to us. But who would the best person to have be? After all, all the bishops of Communion will be busy with Rowan Williams in Canterbury at the Conference. Well, all bar one. I’m delighted to announce that the Rt Rev Gene Robinson, the Bishop of New Hampshire has agreed to come and celebrate the Eucharist and to preach the gospel on 3 August 2008 at 1030 here in St Mary’s.
I have met Bishop Gene, prayed with him and heard him preach. He is well worth hearing and I invite you all to bring your friends along on that Sunday to hear him.
Further details will be announced in due course.”
Kelvin, you know me and know (I think) that as a rule I never listen to sermons, even ones preached by illustrious preachers such as yourself (apparently, since I don’t listen!) but I would have actually turned up for this one, except it’s the inaugural rehearsal weekend for the Royal School of Church Music Scottish Singers choir. So I’ll be in Perthshire singing.
Good effort to get the man into the cathedral though. Perhaps the highest profile preacher since the Grand Tufti’s predecessor, Robert Runcie, was here in about 1982. One of the first services in the cathedral in which I sang in the choir. I don’t remember his sermon, I didn’t listen, but I seem to remember lining up outside the west door just before the service and being heckled loudly from Great Western Road by Pastor Jack Glass, the famous bigot, who was shouting about popery. I forget whether he thought it was a good thing or not 🙂
Hopefully Gene will not be subject to such levels of bigotry and vitriol. Oh, wait, perhaps he already has!
God bless you and your church!
Perhaps there is nothing more bigoted than a liberal who disdains any Scriptural integrity. Gene Robinson’s stance not only defies the whole tradition of the Church but shows a ready contempt for the Word, incarnated in our Lord. Does he really believe that his claim to pastoral insight is blessed by the Holy Spirit? Fluent preacher he may well be but he and those who sympathise with him are now persecuting good and holy men and women for daring to disagree with them. How can a cathedral dedicated to our Lady herself rejoice in such a travesty of the truth of the Gospel?
I often fancy that I can hear Our Lady joining in with the Magnificat on a Sunday evening.
Last night, she seemed to be singing along with Brewer in D with not inconsiderable gusto.
Now that sounds worthy of a trip up from the Borders. You shall see us there.
James Murray wrote:
> Fluent preacher he may well be but he and those who sympathise with him are now persecuting good and holy men and women for daring to disagree with them. <
Persecuting them? How, exactly?
This is maybe why your church is full on Sundays and mine is comparatively few in numbers? Not that +Gene would come to sunny Dumbarton anyway! Maybe not all of us, though, in the Diocese, are happy bunnies today. Why now, Kelvin? It is not going to go un-noticed at Lambeth that +Gene has been invited by a Cathedral in our Province. But, I suppose that’s your point?
+Gene is invited to preach the gospel, celebrate the sacrament, encourage the faithful and reach out to the world at large. (Keeping faith with the various ordination and consecration vows that has has made, in other words).
He will be with us on that particular date because he happens to be in the country at the time.
> It is not going to go un-noticed at Lambeth that +Gene has been invited by a Cathedral in our Province. <
Good!!!!
¡Felicidades a todos! That is a very thrilling report. I have never experienced a service with +Gene in person, but have been more than edified by video. The Lord will bless you all greatly in that service.
Perhaps more than just an Evensong, Our Lady shall join your choir with a great host of the cloud of witnesses that day.
Does +Gene actually get to be a bishop in your province? It is said that the Archbishop of Canterbury has deined to grant that +Mary Gray-Reeves, Bishop Ordinary of the Diocese of El Camino Real (California, USA) may preach and celebrate while she is in England for the Lambeth Conference with the proviso that she not vest as a bishop with her miter.