What is in Kelvin's Head?

1066 And All What?

15/10/2016

This is an exciting moment for liturgists everywhere. It would appear that the Church of England has published a new prayer, this time commemorating the Battle of Hastings.

Following some discussion last night on social media, I’m pleased to be able to provide this study guide to the prayer for those thinking of using it, in the form of 12 questions. (The questions may be useful for discussion groups).

But first, the prayer itself.

God of justice and mercy,
whose Son came among us as the Prince of Peace:
look with grace on all who look back on the Battle of Hastings
as a defining moment in our history.
Guide our island nation, poised between Europe and Scandinavia,
and from the remembrance of defeat bring solidarity
with oppressed, subjugated and humiliated peoples today.
By your Spirit lead us to make the past our friend,
and to find our future in you,
that we may become a people of memory and hope;
through our crucified and risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

1 – The prayer begins conventionally as an address to the God of justice and mercy. Looking back at the Battle of Hastings, which side represented the forces of justice? Which side was God on?

2 – In telling God to look with grace on all who look back on the Battle of Hastings does the Church of England suggest that those who do not look back on the Battle of Hastings will not experience that favour?

3 – What will be the measurable consequences of the favour of God being bestowed upon Battle of Hastings gazers?

4 – What nation is being invoked in the term “island nation”? (Groups may wish to make reference to #indyref, #brexit and #conquest in answering this question).

5 – Using a map and the description “poised between Europe and Scandinavia”, can you pinpoint

a) Europe?
b) Scandinavia?
c) This Island Nation?

6 – Given the phrase the “remembrance of defeat”, in whose voice is this prayer offered?

7 – Similarly, who is the “we” in the phrase “that we may become a people of memory and hope”?

8 – In what ways are the Saxon people of England today not a people of memory and hope? Give examples to demonstrate your understanding of this question.

9 – How would you lead a youth group towards understanding the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ through the death of King Harold? (Consider drama, storytelling and needlecraft based approaches)

10 – How can the oppressed, subjugated and humiliated members of the Church of England, acting in solidarity with all people of struggle, reach out to build a better world?

11 – Would the addition of Saint Harold the Good to the Calendar of the Church of England be a step forward for justice?

12 – In what circumstances will you use this prayer?

Battle of Hastings, Church of England

10 responses to “Blogging”

Lisa

18/01/2007

First, let me argue that Bishop Paul Marshall — who wrote that letter you cite — is not one of the great liberals of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. He is widely respected and regarded as a moderate. What he wrote in that letter is a frustration that many of us share: Why can the Archbishop meet privately with the most extreme conservatives of the Episcopal Church in the U.S., but consistently refuses to meet with our bishops assembled? I think that is a fair and valid question. I would urge folks to read Bishop Marshall’s whole letter and not just Ruth Gledhill’s biased “gloss” on it.

I agree the overall tenor of dialogue on U.S. Episcopalians’ blogs is worrisome. But I do not believe it’s the “liberals” that have gone out of bounds. If you want to read true venom, go to Virtue Online or StandFirm.

Reply
David

18/01/2007

It would be great to have a meet up and blether!

Reply
kelvin

18/01/2007

Thanks for the comments

Lisa – it was precisely standfirm and virtueonline that I had in mind.

You’re presuming that I don’t have sympathy for Paul Marshall. I have a great deal of sympathy for his position. I think he is angry. And I think he is right to be angry. I deliberately linked directly to his piece rather than Ruth Gledhill’s stuff about it, which people can find for themselves.

Perhaps if I had written “Those of us with strong liberal convictions…” my own position would have been clearer.

Reply
Tim

18/01/2007

Sociability good. (And arguably good for online interactions too – there are several notable folks whose adventures I read, whom I could happily put in a room together with a football and lock the door 😉

Reply
Frank

18/01/2007

There comes a time to toss convention and start communicating. I have a tea party in mind.

cheers

Reply
Raspberry Rabbit

18/01/2007

Kelvin, I think the whole blogging machine on the right in the U.S. has been set up for a good long while now. They’ve become proficient at it – the ‘blog storm’ if you like which sees itself quite self consciously as ‘generating’ public opinion for particular ends. The amount of support which ‘social conservatives’ will lend to religious conservatives as ‘deserving cousins’ allows those involved in the present TEC dispute access to an immense network.

I agree with the first comment about Bishop Marshall being middle of the road and not particularly liberal.

Reply
Raspberry Rabbit

18/01/2007

Oh and with respect to SEC bloggers. A meeting might be a good idea

Reply
Dennis

18/01/2007

Kevin: Just discovered your blog through MadPriest’s blog. I’ll add you to my regular visits.

It is exciting for me, an American far away from the Episcopal Church of Scotland, since I was confirmed at St Mary’s Glasgow back on Pentecost Sunday in 1988 – your church is where I became an Episcopalian – Fr John Turner was the chaplain at GU. Fr Malcolm was provost.

How exciting. Glad to find your blog.

Dennis

The world of political blogs in the US isn’t really that bad. The most important blog in the US for political progressives is DailyKos (www.dailykos.com) – I’m over there quite a lot – worth watching – it has a lot of voice and influence in the US Democratic party for supporting and raising money for underdog candidates last year who happened to win.

Reply
Dennis

18/01/2007

make that Kelvin, not Kevin. sorry about that!

Reply
Lisa

20/01/2007

I’ve corresponded privately with Kelvin about this, but let me make a few comments here in public.

I usually have to do my reading and writing on “things Anglican” after a full day at work. I regret to say that means I am sometimes too tired, and I miss the nuances. Which clearly happened in my public reply here. I apologize for that, and I apologize for making unwarranted assumptions about Kelvin’s stance.

One of the things I am realizing is that we in the Anglican Communion really do not understand enough about each other’s cultures and ethos. Over here in the U.S., we are very much hoping that the churches in the U.K. (and a few other provinces) will allow us to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling,” as St. Paul urged. I fear that our colonial past [of which most U.S. Episcopalians repent most sincerely] is working against us. We do not want to “export” our positions to others in the Communion; we don’t want to tell others they must do as we have done. We simply want the space in which to walk the path that seems right to us — and that path already has a 30-year history of prayerful discernment, both about the place of women in ordained ministry and about the place of gay men and lesbians in the Church and ordination.

Unfortunately, in the larger U.S. culture now, both “liberal” and “moderate” are anathema. A very scary conservativism (verging on — dare I use the term? — fascism) is taking hold.

When folks say the Episcopal Church is “bowing to popular culture,” they could not possibly be more wrong. “Popular culture” now in the U.S. is strongly capitalist, imperialist, nationalist, sexist, and anti-gay. Our church is “bucking” that tide, and we are paying a great price for what we truly believe to be a Spirit-led, prophetic witness.

It remains to be seen whether others in the Anglican Communion will trust us to continue in this time of discernment.

These are very, very hard times for all of us. And I hate how the positions are being polarized.

At our church’s General Convention [Do you call it a synod?], several people spoke about how the “diverse center” had spoken. I hope and pray that the “diverse center” will find their voices in Tanzania.

Reply