What is in Kelvin's Head?

Congratulations to Isaac Poobalan and St John’s, Aberdeen

21/03/2013

Great blessings upon the Rev Isaac Poobalan and St John’s Church in Aberdeen for the story that has gone global from the Scottish Episcopal Church this week.

Noticing that the neighbouring mosque did not have enough room and that people were praying outside in the cold, Isaac invited them into the church and made space for them to pray. It is a great good news story and one that made me proud to be an Episcopalian.

A couple of years ago I was approached by some members of the committee of the local mosque here. Their building was being redone and was out of use for six weeks and they were looking for somewhere to worship for that time. We had quite a good conversation about whether or not they could worship in a church with so many images in it. However, they assured me that was not a problem with them and we discovered a shared story in that of Jibreel and Myriam (which is painted on the wall and known as Gabriel and Mary in St Mary’s). In the end, the mosque committee found somewhere else to use where they could all meet together – St Mary’s was difficult for them because the pews couldn’t be moved.

However, I willingly offered them space and would have been glad to welcome that community into church.

I was also pleased to invite a Muslim friend to read from the Qu’ran at our Carol service two years ago.

It was good to see St John’s Episcopal Church, Aberdeen offer the welcome to the Muslim community that they have done.

I see from newspaper reports that Isaac is now getting vile abuse written about this story via facebook.

Sometimes there doesn’t seem much to be proud of in the church. This story made me feel proud to be a Scottish Episcopalian. Isaac and that congregation deserve all our support and encouragement and love.

Peace and blessings be upon them.

And upon their new Muslim friends too.

Further Comment from Scottish Episcopal Bloggers:

From Kirstin Freeman – http://revk.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/generosity-in-action/

From John Penman – http://www.dougalthink.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/examples-of-grace.html

On Beauty from Chaos – http://beautyfromchaos.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/breaking-barriers/

From Rosemary Hannah – http://rosemaryhannah.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/isaac-poobalan-real-christianity-and-real-islam/

Isaac Poobalan, Islam, mosque, Scottish Episcopal Church

10 responses to “It was 30 years ago today…”

Meg Rosenfeld

11/11/2022

Alas, I can’t remember exactly when it became possible for women to be come priests in the
Episcopal Church of the United States of America, but I remember very well the first ones in our parish church in Los Gatos, California and, later, in Santa Rosa. It was a very triumphant time!

Reply
1. Sr Alison Joy Whybrow
  
  12/11/2022
  
  The Canon in the American Episcopal Church passed in 1976 and went into effect on January 1st 1977.
  Sr Alison Joy OSB
  
  Reply
  1. Mg Rosenfeld
    
    12/11/2022
    
    Thanks! I hope to remember those dates now.
    
    Reply
2. Tim Chesterton
  
  14/11/2022
  
  In Canada women began to be ordained as deacons in 1969 and as priests in 1976.
  
  Reply
Peggy Brewer

11/11/2022

Heartfelt testament concerning the importance/necessity of inclusion as our Lord Jesus Christ commanded!

Reply
Bob King

12/11/2022

I remember the day so
well !
I was at Salisbury and Wells Theological College, preparing to leave to be Ordained in Hereford Cathedral, preparing for the closure of the College and praying with passion and fear that the vote in Synod would be YES 🙏🙏
All three things happened as we know, joy and sadness mingled down.

Reply
Helen King

12/11/2022

Yes, all of this, especially “There were cruelties along the way. There was a great deal of abuse along the way”

Reply
1. Anne
  
  18/11/2022
  
  And, sadly, there still is.
  
  Reply
John N Wall

12/11/2022

The first women ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church were the “Philadelphia Eleven,” ordained on July 29, 1974, by three bishops who claimed that “obedience to the Spirit” justified their action. After a second ordination of women, all their ordinations were deemed by the national church to be “irregular but valid.” As a previous correspondent noted, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church officially authorized the ordination of women to the priesthood, a decision that went into effect on the first of January in 1977.

Back to Glossary

Reply
Keith Battarbee

13/11/2022

On the opposite side to the still continuing antipathies in some (diminishing) quarters to women priests : my wife, who is a priest, was driving today when we got stuck waiting our turn to join the main flow of cars. A driver in the main queue – eastern European, almost certainly – spotted my wife’s collar, crossed himself; and when we didn’t get the message, grinned broadly, crossed himself again, and waved us energetically into the traffic flow in front of him.

Reply