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.”
I wonder what proportion of your congregation are both male and heterosexual. Not many I suspect!
Thanks for your questions Julio. One of the nice things about St Mary’s is that the congregation is quite a mixed demographic. We are about 50% men and 50 % female on a Sunday. Most, but obviously not all of the congregation, are straight.
People seem to be quite comfortable worshipping in a church where it is no big deal whether you are straight or gay. Occasionally, I’ve known straight couples with children choose to worship in St Mary’s (and also in my previous congregation) specifically because they did not want to take them to a congregation where it was not OK to be gay.
I’m glad to hear that St Mary’s attracts a wide mix of people! If I’m ever in Glasgow on a Sunday, I’ ll be there!
Does anyone have a convincing answer to carlos iradier, by the way?
One of the big events in St Mary’s, but I won’t be there – I’ll be in sunny Strathallan with Layclerk, the Frikkster, et al.
I’ve seen that pupit occupied by Runcie, Spong, Jenkins, Rawcliffe…., and heard the mindless drumming of Jack Glass overwhelmed by Full Organ.
And they call us the Frozen Chosen!
Who was Jack Glass protesting against? Here’s a (twenty-page!) interview with +Gene I found:
http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6948&pageNum=1
I think Glass was protesting about Runcie, but I was not here. Others may be able to give more details or even photographs.
The answer to Carlos, Julio is that not knowing everything that God knows is a consequence of possessing genuine free will.
We have the chance in every moment to choose the good and every such choice we make prefigures the ecstacy of heaven.
I note your answer to Carlos Iradier.
It must presumably follow that, being conscious of our own ignorance, we should all tread carefully, alive to the possibilty of our own error and to the possiblity that the views of others, with whom we disagree, may ultimately be a truer reflection of God’s knowledge!
Yes, Glass did protest against Runcible, but the occasion I was recalling was in the late 60s, when even one verse of “Ye who own the faith of Jesus” (sung of course to Daily Daily) would bring him out from under his stone. This, remember, was the man who stood in St Peter’s Square in Rome carrying a banner reading “No Pope Here”!
I had my own experience of Glass style extremists when living in University Halls. One of the Wardens told me that you can’t be a Buddhist and a Christian (probably true), you can’t be a Muslim and a Christian (ditto) and then followed it up with :
“You can’t be a Catholic and a Christian”
Don’t know if it’s changed, but the internet server used to block Stonewall’s site as unsuitable too.