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The Parish of St. Mary's, Alverstoke, Gosport 'Sharing God's love in the Community' |
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From The Rector's Desk
Most of us will be aware that this month the Lambeth Conference of the bishops of the Anglican communion gathers for consultation. The bishops come together every ten years. The last one was particularly significant for us in that Bishop Lamido came to our parish and so began our association with the Diocese of Wusasa, which has been so beneficial for us. I can’t remember much more about the deliberations, where all the attention focussed on matters of sexual orientation, and important recommendations on the environment and our use of its resources received little or no attention more generally. The question of sexual orientation has dogged the communion for the past decade and has threatened to divide the church. It may actually have done so because another conference of bishops is taking place in Jerusalem of what the press terms “more conservative” bishops from, among others, Africa, Australia, South America and South East Asia. Bishop Lamido will be joining all the Nigerian bishops in Jerusalem. One of the good things about the Anglican communion is its diversity. Each bishop, with his advisers, will respond to Scripture, the church’s tradition and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to make decisions to guide his own diocese. The Lambeth conference is not a super parliament of the church to legislate for all. It makes recommendations and takes note of what is normative in church life, but each Diocese will respond as seems right. As a bishop from Madagascar has said: “Christianity comes in many different cultural guises. Christianity in Nigeria, for example, can look very different to Christianity in California. How we reconcile these differences is the challenge we face, but a challenge that is worth undertaking.” Far too much attention is given today to sexual matters. I am sure that we would want guidance on so powerful an influence. But sexual orientation is a very complex matter. There are those who think that what was written in the book of Leviticus or the first chapter of the letter to the Romans governs homosexual relations for all time. Others, remembering how long it took the church to come to a common understanding on slavery, for example, believe that the Spirit is at work and that there is much that more to be said. For myself I can’t believe that sexual orientation is a matter of choice. Heterosexual relationships are what the Bible regards as normative and I would want to encourage a healthy and faithful relationship between a man and a woman in marriage. But I am also aware that this is not possible for some, and the question then arises as to how they express themselves in their relationships. The Church of England has taken the view that while it may be right for same sex relationships for the laity to express themselves in sexual acts, this would be wrong for the clergy. I am not happy with this. Since this matter was discussed society has moved on and civil partnerships are now legally recognised. In these circumstances one accepts the reality, encourages loving, faithful and lifelong commitment, and opposes discrimination or condemnation. The problem of our time is not who sleeps with whom. There are far more serious issues which confront us – poverty and disease, global warming and environmental disintegration among them. I wonder though, whether we realise that mortal sin is involved in the carelessness and greed which perpetuates these terrible threats to our survival. Ted Goodyer July 2008
We have had the hottest first week in May since records have been kept. The spring garden is bursting with vitality and colour. If only the growth of the lawn and the weeds were slower all would be perfect. Our thoughts are already moving towards the summer holidays, enjoyment and lazy sitting in the sun. In fact Liz and I don’t have to wait. We are about to set off for Bermuda for a break and we wonder whether the weather will be any better there than here, but they do have pink sand on the beaches and warmer water to swim in. It may be a good time to remember a valuable Christian discipline. Mostly we associate discipline with something negative, like thinking of all the things we have not done well or which we have not done at all. This exercise is different. We are asked to spend a little time thinking of all the things that bring us to life, that make us more positive about the goodness of life. These can be quite simple things. I must say to myself more times that I care to recall how beautiful Stokes Bay is and what a good thing it is that I live so close to the sea. “I must go down to the bay more often,” I say. But in reality months go by and I never even glimpse the sea. We may enjoy reading, or listening to music or playing tennis or a host of other activities. It is not enough to think of the things that revive us. We need also to ask ourselves how much time we spend doing these things, how we demonstrate they are important to us and then resolve to give adequate attention to the good things of life. We all get caught up on the treadmill of our business. There is so much to do just earning a living or to keeping our home in good condition or ferrying our children to all their many activities that we can lose our enjoyment of its goodness. Life can become a grind and we get up and plough through another day and then another. Little changes and the pressure continues. I am conscious that I am writing this when many young people are writing various exams. There will be little time to think of anything else and life will not seem to be much fun. I wish them all well and hope that there will be joy when they receive their results. With the present financial turmoil many adults will be facing other pressures and insecurity, and spending more time on planning how to make the most of what they have without getting further into debt. Treats will be fewer and, perhaps, plans will be revised and holidays even be abandoned. My heart goes out to all who are faced with these and many other kinds of problems. But that’s life, I’m afraid, a mixture of the pleasant and the difficult. My plea is that in hard times we need to make even more effort to determine what is really valuable in our lives and, when possible, to find the time to revive our enjoyment of its goodness. I recall a story of a businessman who was incensed that a fisherman made just enough to provide for his family and then enjoyed his leisure. He suggested that he might double up the time he went fishing and increase his earning. Then he could buy a boat, and catch even more. Then he could work harder, employ others and grow a little industry and earn even more. “And why should I do all that?” asked the contented fisherman. “So that you can retire and be at leisure,” replied the businessman. “Why should I wait until then?” He asked. “I already have the leisure I want.” Ted Goodyer June 2008
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This is the
Rector's monthly column, which also appears in the Parish Magazine.