An excellent article. Peter, from Wesley Hill, whose vocation is quite obviously that of a "Eunuch for the sake of the Kingdom", mentioned by Jesus as one of the eunuchs that exist as a result of God's creation and calling. Such people are mostly Religious or Clergy - not many, I suspect, are called to this life outside of those particular callings. I tried it for myself and it obviously was not my calling because it did not work.
Dear Peter; today's lovely reflection in the 3-minute Retreat (Jesuit app.) reminds us of the source of our wisdom for participating on blog-sites:
"As cell phones and wireless devices grow in popularity, we talk about being connected. The same concept is found in the Gospel of John. Jesus, however, makes it clear that the only true life-giving connection is our relationship with God. The sacraments help us to live as Jesus did. Beginning with our Baptism, we are continually being renewed through our participation in the sacraments. The grace we receive through the sacraments keeps us connected to God so that our lives will bear fruit."
{Philosophy and even theology - without our full participation in the sacramental life God has provided for our nourishment - cannot hope to bear the fruit that God requires of all of us who affect to follow Jesus.)
Hi Ron The sacramental life which God has provided for us through our Lord, baptism and Eucharist, indeed nourishes us. Of course my blogging is trying to tease out just what sacramental life God has provided and what sacramental life God has not provided!
Dear Peter, in my emails today came this very moving account (via 'Thinking Anglicans') of a bishop in the Church of England - Bishop John Rawes - who, in his dying days has issued a pastoral letter to his diocese, recommending the Church to consider the 'Goods' that can be celebrated within the context of the Blessing of the Marriages of monogamously faithful same-sex couples. This comes from a Church Leader imminently facing his Creator, God, with a moving testimony to his support for the Church's encouragement of what he deems to be a blessing to the Church and the world - in the field of human relationships. Here is the link:
Hi Ron Thanks for the link. I note the following paragraph: "More time does need to be given to a well-founded theology of relationship, friendship and marriage which I hope will lead in time to a full acceptance of same sex marriages in the Church of England. That will take time. However, that should not hold us back in the immediate from proper recognition through prayers, blessing, celebration and affirmation of all that is good and wholesome in a wide variety of relationships including stable, faithful, committed and God given same sex relationships." I agree that we should spend more time on a theology of relationship, friendship and marriage but might that not lead to a new appreciation of friendship between people of the same gender rather than inexorably to a "full acceptance of same sex marriages." There is great precedent in Scripture and in tradition for developing theology of friendship but no precedent for acceptance of same sex marriage.
The question becomes, in response to that possibility, How do we the church know that God has done (or is doing) a new thing?
Supplementary question: if the church is divided on what it thinks God is up to, could we say we "know" that God's will is nevertheless what one side of the divide is saying?
8 comments:
An excellent article. Peter, from Wesley Hill, whose vocation is quite obviously that of a "Eunuch for the sake of the Kingdom", mentioned by Jesus as one of the eunuchs that exist as a result of God's creation and calling. Such people are mostly Religious or Clergy - not many, I suspect, are called to this life outside of those particular callings. I tried it for myself and it obviously was not my calling because it did not work.
Dear Peter; today's lovely reflection in the 3-minute Retreat (Jesuit app.) reminds us of the source of our wisdom for participating on blog-sites:
"As cell phones and wireless devices grow in popularity, we talk about being connected. The same concept is found in the Gospel of John. Jesus, however, makes it clear that the only true life-giving connection is our relationship with God. The sacraments help us to live as Jesus did. Beginning with our Baptism, we are continually being renewed through our participation in the sacraments. The grace we receive through the sacraments keeps us connected to God so that our lives will bear fruit."
{Philosophy and even theology - without our full participation in the sacramental life God has provided for our nourishment - cannot hope to bear the fruit that God requires of all of us who affect to follow Jesus.)
Hi Ron
The sacramental life which God has provided for us through our Lord, baptism and Eucharist, indeed nourishes us.
Of course my blogging is trying to tease out just what sacramental life God has provided and what sacramental life God has not provided!
Dear Peter, in my emails today came this very moving account (via 'Thinking Anglicans') of a bishop in the Church of England - Bishop John Rawes - who, in his dying days has issued a pastoral letter to his diocese, recommending the Church to consider the 'Goods' that can be celebrated within the context of the Blessing of the Marriages of monogamously faithful same-sex couples. This comes from a Church Leader imminently facing his Creator, God, with a moving testimony to his support for the Church's encouragement of what he deems to be a blessing to the Church and the world - in the field of human relationships. Here is the link:
http://www.chelmsford.anglican.org/news/article/bishop-john-writes-moving-letter-to-clergy
Hi Ron
Thanks for the link.
I note the following paragraph:
"More time does need to be given to a well-founded theology of relationship, friendship and marriage which I hope will lead in time to a full acceptance of same sex marriages in the Church of England. That will take time. However, that should not hold us back in the immediate from proper recognition through prayers, blessing, celebration and affirmation of all that is good and wholesome in a wide variety of relationships including stable, faithful, committed and God given same sex relationships."
I agree that we should spend more time on a theology of relationship, friendship and marriage but might that not lead to a new appreciation of friendship between people of the same gender rather than inexorably to a "full acceptance of same sex marriages." There is great precedent in Scripture and in tradition for developing theology of friendship but no precedent for acceptance of same sex marriage.
"Behold! I am doing a new thing" - c'est possible?
The question becomes, in response to that possibility, How do we the church know that God has done (or is doing) a new thing?
Supplementary question: if the church is divided on what it thinks God is up to, could we say we "know" that God's will is nevertheless what one side of the divide is saying?
Fr Ron, je crois qu'il ne soit pas possible. God, I am reliably informed got it right first time.
Nick
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