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The end of a looong week
Feb. 9th, 2024 10:16 pmNot sure why this week has been so long, but three evenings with church-related stuff may be one reason.
OK, here follows some Information on How the CoE Works. Feel free to skip...
The UK is split into 2 Sees (Canterbury and York, each headed by an Archbishop), which are split into Dioceses (headed by Bishops), which are split into Deaneries (headed by Area Deans and Lay Chairs), which are split into Parishes (headed by Vicars and Rectors). I am in the See of York, the Diocese of Liverpool, the Deanery of Toxteth & Wavertree, and the Team Parish of St Luke-in-the-City (made up of 3 congregations based at St Bride's, St Dunstan's and St Michael's - I usually attend St B's). Our Diocese has a plan called Fit For Mission that asks individual Parishes to team up with others in their Deanery to form a sort of super-Parish. This cuts down on administrative overhead because, for example, you have one building committee looking after a number of buildings rather than lots of building committees looking after one each (or, in our case, three). Also, with a larger pool of people, there's a better chance you'll have at least some people with some expertise rather than a few hopefuls who are all probably on at least one other committee and feeling worn out. Because if there's one thing the CoE loves, it's bureaucracy.
Recently, the CoE licensed some new prayers to be used to bless close friendships and same-sex marriages called Prayers of Love and Faith. For some, they don't go far enough. Just let us MARRY people FFS!!! For others, they are the straw that's broken the camel's back.
Our Deanery contains us - openly LGBT+ affirming - some congregations that lean our way, some sort of middle of the road, and... some that lean in completely the opposite direction. One of THEM has written an open letter to the BISHOP calling on him to repent. Trigger warning!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XVhJEEjAX1wHedL-YZYn7hc1wwoLy-dF/view
Now, I agree the Bishop is just as human as the rest of us - but for a congregation to show such disrespect to his God-given authority! They also talk a lot about not judging and forgiveness - then go on to be VERY judgey and completely unforgiving. And, what hits me hardest, they've appropriated the word 'inclusion' - the tagline for our congregation for the past 17 years has been 'creative, progressive, inclusive'.
Anyway, these are the people we're expected to work with in FFM. Or we're the sort of people they're expected to work with, depending on your POV. But is it any wonder that people look at the Church and just sort of shrug their shoulders and turn away? How can we claim to be the body of Christ when there's all this in-fighting about stuff the rest of the world has moved on from? And how do we tackle true 'sin' like war, or real injustices like poverty, when we can't demonstrate true love for one another let alone the rest of the world?
...deep breath...
We live in a world that is broken, but whole, beautiful and fragile, held in the gentle hands of the Divine. And I still trust that, one day, we'll all be able to recognise that.
OK, here follows some Information on How the CoE Works. Feel free to skip...
The UK is split into 2 Sees (Canterbury and York, each headed by an Archbishop), which are split into Dioceses (headed by Bishops), which are split into Deaneries (headed by Area Deans and Lay Chairs), which are split into Parishes (headed by Vicars and Rectors). I am in the See of York, the Diocese of Liverpool, the Deanery of Toxteth & Wavertree, and the Team Parish of St Luke-in-the-City (made up of 3 congregations based at St Bride's, St Dunstan's and St Michael's - I usually attend St B's). Our Diocese has a plan called Fit For Mission that asks individual Parishes to team up with others in their Deanery to form a sort of super-Parish. This cuts down on administrative overhead because, for example, you have one building committee looking after a number of buildings rather than lots of building committees looking after one each (or, in our case, three). Also, with a larger pool of people, there's a better chance you'll have at least some people with some expertise rather than a few hopefuls who are all probably on at least one other committee and feeling worn out. Because if there's one thing the CoE loves, it's bureaucracy.
Recently, the CoE licensed some new prayers to be used to bless close friendships and same-sex marriages called Prayers of Love and Faith. For some, they don't go far enough. Just let us MARRY people FFS!!! For others, they are the straw that's broken the camel's back.
Our Deanery contains us - openly LGBT+ affirming - some congregations that lean our way, some sort of middle of the road, and... some that lean in completely the opposite direction. One of THEM has written an open letter to the BISHOP calling on him to repent. Trigger warning!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XVhJEEjAX1wHedL-YZYn7hc1wwoLy-dF/view
Now, I agree the Bishop is just as human as the rest of us - but for a congregation to show such disrespect to his God-given authority! They also talk a lot about not judging and forgiveness - then go on to be VERY judgey and completely unforgiving. And, what hits me hardest, they've appropriated the word 'inclusion' - the tagline for our congregation for the past 17 years has been 'creative, progressive, inclusive'.
Anyway, these are the people we're expected to work with in FFM. Or we're the sort of people they're expected to work with, depending on your POV. But is it any wonder that people look at the Church and just sort of shrug their shoulders and turn away? How can we claim to be the body of Christ when there's all this in-fighting about stuff the rest of the world has moved on from? And how do we tackle true 'sin' like war, or real injustices like poverty, when we can't demonstrate true love for one another let alone the rest of the world?
...deep breath...
We live in a world that is broken, but whole, beautiful and fragile, held in the gentle hands of the Divine. And I still trust that, one day, we'll all be able to recognise that.
