What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Michael Perham and Gracious Restraint

    I see that at his diocesan synod, the Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt Rev Michael Perham has made a very passionate plea for even more “gracious restraint”.

    “My own view is that what is needed in the Church at present is gracious restraint. We need a cool and calm period in which to explore the issues. To those among clergy and ordinands contemplating entering a same-sex marriage I would say, “Might you hold back while the Church reflects?” Gracious restraint. To those who might make a complaint against a priest who, despite that, does enter such a marriage I would say, “Might you hold back while the Church reflects?” Gracious restraint. To those who contemplate leaving the Church of England because of its perceived position I would say, “Might you hold back while the Church reflects?” Gracious restraint. To those who condemn the Church of England from other parts of the Anglican Communion I would say, “Might you hold back while the Church of England reflects?” Gracious restraint to give us space.

    Well, I’d say, fair enough. Fair enough, that is, if Michael Perham and other bishops are prepared to divorce their wives for a couple of years and promise not to have any sex with anyone until we all agree about sexuality. If that level playing field can be achieved then I’d support his call for gracious restraint.

    Or is it that only gay people are expected to make such sacrifices?

    , ,

32 responses to “Sign seen”

  1. Robin Avatar
    Robin

    What was the character of the debate? If one believes that the admission of women to the threefold ministry of the Church was an extension of an existing doctrine, not a doctrinal change, and that the dropping of the ‘filioque’ clause from the Creed wasn’t a doctrinal change either (nobody is compelled to deny that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Son), the change to the doctrine of initiation was the most important doctrinal change made by the Scottish Episcopal Church not just in my lifetime but perhaps even in the SEC’s history. It amazes me that it seems to have been so uncontroversial.

    Reply
  2. Robin Avatar
    Robin

    (I don’t say I necessarily disapprove of the change. I’m quite happy not only for the unconfirmed but also for the unbaptised to be admitted to Holy Communion and would turn away no-one – except perhaps ++Judas Williams, and even then probably not – from the altar. But I can’t understand how a Church can teach two contradictory things at once.)

    Reply
    1. kelvin Avatar
      kelvin

      To a certain extent, saying two contradictory things at once is part of the consequence of having old liturgical formularies alongside modern ones, I think.

      (If you are not going to say something new, what’s the point in producing something new after all).

      The modern descriptions of marriage in the 2007 marriage rite don’t seem to me to be entirely consistent with the marriage rite of 1929, for example.

      It is the way we live now.

      Reply
  3. kelvin Avatar
    kelvin

    Well, as I said, there were several of us who spoke against the change, for one reason or another but it was passed by a fairly high majority, I think.

    It seems to me that there is just about every view about initiation into the Christian church that has ever been held is currently also held and practised in the Scottish Episcopal Church. Indeed, there are varieties of practice and procedure within congregations and even within families.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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

Previous Posts

  • Gene Robinson Interview

    Here is the full interview that I did with +Gene. Covers lots of things including his reflections on arriving in Scotland post-Lambeth, what he thought of the protesters, a conversation about the beginning of the end of patriarchy and a roundup of what he was intending to say in the sermon. And you can read…

  • Closing Sequence

    Here is the closing sequence of last Sunday's service with +Gene. I'm almost finished uploading video. I'll post the full interview tomorrow. This clip contains the blessing, the closing hymn, the notices and ovation and Bishop Gene's closing remarks, including what he thinks about St Mary's. For those wanting more discussion on the hymn, take…

  • Round up of blog reactions

    Here is a round up of blog reactions to last Sunday morning. We’ll start with those who were there: Firstly, Christine Blethers has Gene Robinson in Glasgow. Then later reports on her Anger Recollected in Tranquillity. (She’s obviously been reading her Wordsworth again). Also coming across the water from our companion diocese of Argyll and…

  • Gene Robinson Interview – 1

    I've not many words today so all you are getting is a bit more of the interview I did with +Gene. This is the first bit, all about what it felt like to come to Scotland straight from the Lambeth Conference.