Schism? No, we're just a bit married!

The position we appear to be occupying is very similar to a colleague of mine who used to describe himself as being 'a bit married'. What he meant was that he 'was' married but that he also felt himself free to have other relationships outside of the marriage. He would tell (anyone who'd listen) of a relationship that meant when he was home and with his wife he was totally committed to her and when out with us lads, he was effectively free to act, as long as it didn't get serious and as long as he ended up going home afterwards. His wife understood that he needed his freedom to roam and was secure that he'd always end up coming back to her.

Of course, we never got to meet the wife and therefore the explanation was extremely one-sided and as we all know (Prov 18:17) one person always appears to be in the right until we hear the other person's side of the situation (i.e we begin to ask questions).

It seems to me that we are living in a church that is just a bit married and this, to be honest is the way that the via media that is the Church ofEngland has functioned for an extremely long time (like, err, for ever?). The willingness and ability for the central position to straddle the extremes occupied by the evangelicals (who refused to wear dog-collars and eschewed any of the trapping of Romish heresy) and the Anglo-Catholics (who naughtily use the Roman Missal and pray for Benedict 'Our Pope').

We have lived within and celebrated the 'broad church' that is Anglicanism and rightly so, but we are in danger of losing the breadth and exchanging it for a narrowness that excludes moral, Biblical and theological rectitude for a mess of socially acceptable potage.

Where God has called us to live lives of holiness some are calling on people to live lives of happiness.

Where God has called us to be disciplined and discipled others are calling us to live lives which accept and accommodate just about anything in a manner that renders the Gospel outdated and Christian living as outmoded.

Whilst some sad and puerile types might see the fact that I choose to follow Christ. To attempt to ridicule the reality that I choose to put off any selfish desire to engage in whatever I wish, ignoring the fact that it appears to be proscribed (in my Bible), because I want to exercise my right to be happy, have my bell rung or whatever because it's not what God calls me to. This mocking is no different to the way that they mock Christ and so I should be grateful that I have no opportunity to catch flees by sleeping with them.

We really do need to see the Church of England and Episcopalian move to a position where each can exist independently (here and in the US). The former can be the broad church that always has been the Church of England and |Anglicanism whilst the latter can be the province of revisionist and promoter of liberal lifestyles. Once we are here we might be able to exist outside of each other and still find places to dialogue and celebrate those areas of mutual belief.

Like my colleague, we're merely 'a bit married' and that just won't do! We're either committed to being Biblical Christians or we're not, and if we're not, then we need those who wish to bring about a new dynamic must accept that they also need to invent a new religion too!

It isn't Anglican and it shouldn't be allowed to be either.

The time has come when we can take the easy option or the right option - make your choices now (and defend them and the right to have them, the right way!).