The synod decides (by an extremely close vote in the house of clergy) to allow a religious community to elect a voting member of Diocesan Synod.
I speak against on the grounds that religious communities can be a haven from the politics of the church.
I also ask whether religious communities will now be expected to pay quota. (Apparently that will be up to each diocese).
As one who grew up(?) in churches leaning toward the view “it’s a tough story for a tough world, how else would God be just?” in varying degrees, I agree the face-value-narrative understanding of the story is repellant.
One thing stood out for the first time during Sunday’s reading: the plurality in Abraham’s line – “…and we will return to you”. I’ve been idly wondering about that since.
It doesn’t make the story wholly acceptable as Abraham still ploughs on ever closer.
But if one’s goal is to find a “by faith, Abraham” in there, better to say it’s the prior confidence that things will somehow work out well (which I thought was how Hebrews was trying to define it), than to locate the commendable quality in violence (which, by rabbiting on about resurrection, Hebrews does).
In the absence of other clear & wholly mitigating contexts in which to place the story, certainly it’s simplest, easiest and probably best to file it under “that’s how they saw God back then” and move swiftly on.
Oofft.
Today I am a pilgrim. We are having a St Saviour's pilgrimage from Elie to Pittenweem along the Fife Coastal Path. Not a long way, but a journey nonetheless. The last time I went on anything described as a pilgrimage, it was the one at Haddington which happens in May. This was so very strange…
I'm meeting Jim Wallace tonight, to take him up to the University for a public meeting. Jim will be speaking in the University room A4 at 1945 on the theme “Partnership for Scotland”. Everyone is welcome and there will be the chance for questions afterwards.
Back to Perth Royal Infirmary yesterday to have my mouth poked around with by my oral surgeon again. I seem to be there all the time. This time, the cause of my visit was that my mouth has healed far too quickly. However improbable this seems, it is true.So, another hole in my gums and…
Yesterday, we had a wedding in church. I always enjoy getting to know people who want to get married. They have a lot of things to decide. What kind of music? What kind of service? What bible readings? I have never had anyone choose the first reading this morning (the wife of good character from…
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