What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Scotland Says No!

    The Scottish Episcopal Church has resoundingly rejected the Anglican Covenant as a way forward for the Anglican Communion. At the same time, the Synod passed a motion rejoicing in our commitment to the Communion itself. What we have said is No to the Covenant, but Yes to the Communion.

    The vote was decisive – 6 in favour of the motion adopting the Covenant, 112 against and 13 abstaining.

    Interestingly, I didn’t speak in the debate. I didn’t need to.

    Once upon a time, I would have been on my feet encouraging, threatening, cajoling. I’d have been sowing fear, uncertainty and doubt. I would have been at work behind the scenes, bending people’s ears, twisting people’s arms – all to get them to reject the Covenant.

    In the end, I didn’t need to. It just turned out to be something that the church overwhelmingly felt was not the way forward.

    We should not underestimate the significance of the decision though. It will resound around the communion. In the Church of England, there was not enough support in the dioceses to bring the thing to Synod. In Scotland, we took a different strategy – ensuring that it did come to Synod. We took a clear vote and said a clear no. We are the first province to reject the Covenant in a synodical vote, I think.

    No to the Covenant. Yes to the Communion.

    You heard that on this blog first.

    It is now the policy of this Province.

    Thanks be to God.

    , ,

3 responses to “Power needs to be baptised by love”

  1. Robin Avatar
    Robin

    A very good and thought-provoking sermon. I’ve always thought of the Ethiopian eunuch as a man of great power and authority, and of great learning and devotion too, which points me to your third interpretation. But what startles me about the story – partly because of my thinking of the eunuch as someone of great power and authority compared to Philip, and partly because of a tendency on my part to be dogma-bound – is the sheer simplicity of how Philip welcomes him into the Church.

    There is no complicated initiation process. There are no doctrinal tests. The eunuch sees water, and asks Philip in a businesslike way if there’s any reason why he shouldn’t be baptised. Philip’s answer couldn’t be more direct and straightforward: “If you believe with all your heart, you may be baptised.” And the eunuch’s response couldn’t be more direct and straightforward either: no lengthy creed, no question and answer interrogation, but simply, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

    No doubt the eunuch continued his studies after his baptism, being that sort of man. But in a complicated world and (sometimes) a complicated Church I often turn to this passage for reassurance that it needn’t always be so.

    Reply
    1. Father Ron Smith Avatar
      Father Ron Smith

      Thank you, Father Kelvin. What a lovely and refreshing new insight into the identity and provenance of the ethiopian Eunuch! Philip’s acceptance and Baptism of the Eunuch reflects the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 19:122, where he speaks of 3 types of eunuch; made so by others (the Ethiopian, castrati); those who become so for the sake of the Kingdom (monks, nuns, celibate clergy);
      and then, of course; those so ‘from their mother’s womb’ (intrinsic Gays).

      Reply
  2. Aleks Avatar
    Aleks

    Really profound. You’ve given me a lot to think about.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous Posts

  • The Tory Party at Prayer

    Whilst flicking channels on the television yesterday I happened upon the beginning of the Tory party conference in Blackpool. They began with something which I found rather disturbing – a religious (nay, Christian) service led by a vested Anglican priest. Now, I know that there are Anglican priests who are Tories, as we even have…

  • America

    When I get too depressed about America – which happens more these days than it ever used to do – I just have a moment of thankfulness for the internet. It has its roots in a US military network that was designed to function even if nuclear war had been inflicted o­n us. What started…

  • Harvest Supper last night

    It was good to hear someone say last night at the harvest supper saying how much they are enjoying being part of a church which is growing. It is – church is much more fun when new people are being incorporated into the congregation all the time. I also heard someone say that the Sunday morning…

  • Cat vs Presiding Officer

    This morning, the cat decided to take o­n the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. It was a surprisingly well balanced fight – she usually manages to scare people, but he was having none of it at all. Indeed, she was batted off just like a junior, naughty MSP might be batted off. She is…