Sunday 8 July 2012

Synod - What is there to enjoy?

This morning I managed to turn off R4's Sunday programme before the dross and drivel, vacillation and lack of charity and love from that august (I know it's July) pile of something or other got to infiltrate my brain and thus damage the celebrations remembering that He is Risen and our being a Eucharist reality!

I don't approve of the NF, BNP, the Socialist Worker's Party, Manchester United, Tottenham and a great many other bodies besides but I do think that when we live in a democracy the right to choose, even when it is (in my opinion) a wrong choice, is the right of each and every person. But apparently the Church of England (via the synod) doesn't seem to think like me (at which some may celebrate). Rather than legislate surely we, above all others, should be in the business of dialogue, renewing of the mind and a light touch. But no - we merely legislate it seems ;-(

But then again we come to the issue of women bishops and those who have theological difficulties with this (and as priests too!). What do I hear but certain types wittering on about mysogynists and the  'church having no place for them'. Those who shout loudest about having been acted against for so long and who often support what many consider unsupportable for that very reason can forget their higher ideals when it comes to this. Sad and shameful is what I see this as being. We are a via media and it's odd (and sad) that some can suddenly make it a very narrow lane.

So 'Synod'? Just off the blocks and it is depressing and divisive. The tail wags the dog and (if the smug 'look at me I'm on synod' types I've met are anything to go by) it is populated by a bunch of well-meaning sorts and even more wallies of the most extreme kind (plus some extremely sound and intellegent sort who appear to be the minority grouping).

Talk of twittering to influence voting and the mutterings and pseudo-political horse trading that I have been hearing and reading of leave me extremely cold indeed. I thought we were supposed to be something a little better than this and yet when the covers are removed what we find underneath shows that we are a pretty sad bunch indeed and rather less of a spiritual (and sound) body than we might have hoped for.

Going off to celebrate the resurrection and engage in our being a Eucharistic body and not (thank God) a political one.

I'll leave that to General Synod!

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