Gene Robinson, Hermeneuticist Extraordinaire

Here is something Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire is reported by the Boston Globe as saying in a talk (hat-tip to Stand Firm):

"There are a couple of great stories about gay people in the Bible. Maybe you didn't know that. One of them is the Exodus story, which is the greatest coming out story in the history of the world. It is, don't laugh. Because we know what it's like to be in slavery. We know what it's like to be in bondage. We know what it's like not to be free. Because we've had the experience of someone coming and talking about a promised land, not just of milk and honey, but of freedom, and God's love and acceptance, and some of us actually believed it and left. We left Egypt to come out."

This is actually quite clever because it takes a familiar story and grafts an unfamiliar element onto it in a plausible manner! The Exodus story as told in the Bible is not about 'gay people' per se, but it is about people in a bad situation transitioning to a better one. The bad situation is 'slavery' and in large part it is about Israel not being allowed to be itself (the more it wants to be itself, the more bondage and pain it finds itself in). For Gene 'gay people' are people who begin life in a form of slavery, not allowed to be themselves, but through 'coming out', like Israel's Exodus (lit. 'being led out'), they reach the promised land of God's love and acceptance.

So here we have a bishop of our church, charged with the task of being a teacher of the faith. Like any good teacher of the faith, he grounds his teaching in the Bible. He is also a brave teacher because the Old Testament is a challenging part of Scripture in which to ground a significant theological claim. There are all sorts of theologians ready to pounce when we use the Old Testament; for example, some are viciously quick to dismiss any use of the Old Testament which wrests a text out of its context, or makes a text relevant to an ancient day also relevant to our modern and very different day.

In fact Gene Robinson is superlatively brave as a teacher of the faith grounded in the Old Testament because he stakes his theological claim on an understanding of the text which is by no means beyond question. His claim, for example, "talking about a promised land, not just of milk and honey, but of freedom, and God's love and acceptance" raises a question or two. In what way does this version of the promised land resemble the promised land into which God led Israel? In that land, freedom was a fruit of obedience to the law; and that law was a gift given by God to Israel because God loved and accepted her. From the statement above Gene Robinson's understanding of the role of God's law is not clear. But what seems reasonably clear is that in Gene Robinson's teaching the law of God is not inhibitory of the process of 'coming out'.

What is not quite so clear is how this premise in Gene's teaching is itself grounded in Scripture - the Scripture, that is, that tends to make more rather than less of the application of the law to the life of the people of God. Thus Gene Robinson exhibits a certain boldness in his teaching based on Scripture. One can admire his flair as a hermeneuticist while reserving judgement on his credentials as an exegete!

Rochester Rocks Off

News out and about today, e.g. Thinking Anglicans, that the Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir Ali, will leave his diocese for the vaguely worded task press-released as follows:

"Bishop Michael is hoping to work with a number of church leaders from areas where the church is under pressure, particularly in minority situations, who have asked him to assist them with education and training for their particular situation. Details of this arrangement are still being worked out."

Clearly a case of 'watch this space' ... cause the Bishop of Everywhere may appear there. The wickedly cynical in the blogosphere are already connecting him with GAFCON stuff, ordaining chaps as bishops etc. But that shows how unable people are these days to read a text in that old fashioned 'plain' way in which words mean what they say and say what they mean. 'Church under pressure, particularly in minority situations' speaks to me of the world of Islam (Nazir Ali's speciality) rather than, say, North America.

What do you think?

It's a good day to be an Anglican Down Under

Bishop Richard Ellena, Bishop of Nelson, near to Nelson city's water supply. Something theologically significant about this ...

What a lovely day, the last day of our Bishop's 40 day, 1000km walk around our Diocese (of Nelson). The weather was brilliantly sunny and warm - very warm for early autumn. The walk up to meet him at his camp-site just below the Maungatapu Saddle was challenging, but worth it. I arrived in time for Communion, celebrated in the presence of the Vicar of Havelock and the Sounds, just a couple of hundred metres from one of the furthest boundaries of his large parish. I wonder how many times Communion has been celebrated in that remote spot?

Then off we went, meeting new companions on the way as they gathered at different points to join their bishop. By the time - some four hours later - the walking party met with the welcoming party for a picnic lunch by the Maitai River on the outskirts of the city, there were thirty plus walkers. The final kilometres after lunch took us to the Cathedral Steps. Some prayers in the Cathedral and the walk was over.

But the journey continues!

Off to see the Bishop

It's 5.40 am. If I quickly leave the house and drive to the Maitai Dam I will be able to walk up the hill to meet Bishop Richard who is due to come down it on the last leg of his marathon journey. He and others have been camping at the top - I have been enjoying my own bed, so an early start is not a big deal!! Hopefully I will get a photo to add to this post.

Yesterday in conversation with one of our clergy who has been accompanying +Richard during the last few days my post below was confirmed: this walk has been more than a walk. TTUL (Talk To You Later)!

Luvly yumour

Thinking Anglicans (Thursday 26th March) has posted notice of a conference in the UK, the theme of which is “Word on the Street - reading the Bible inclusively”. Also included is a list of proposed speakers, including this:

"Speaker to be confirmed INCLUSION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT"

I love it! 'Inclusion in the Old Testament' is something of a contradiction so it probably is a little bit difficult to find someone to speak on the topic!

OK. The speaker could speak about Naomi and Ruth, the Gibeonites (but even they deceived in order to be included in Israel), and Isaiah's visions for a new inclusive world. But election and exclusion are great big walloping themes in the Old Testament: Jacob not Esau, obedient not disobedient Israel, David not Saul, the Temple not the shrines.

I look forward to the announcement of the brave speaker who tackles the topic!!

This is the news: there have been developments!

Anglican Communion watchers look for signs of things happening, hoping to interpret the signs, and from the interpretation to make announcements about the health or disease of the Communion. I am not quite sure how to interpret the following things which are happening. It could turn out that they are not signs; just things which are happening!

One, Thinking Anglicans reports, 24th March 2009, that the long-running saga of Grace and St Stephens property in the Diocese of Colorado has come to an end. Many members, including the rector, Donald Armstrong, have formed a CANA affiliated parish. They wanted to keep the property. The Diocese said it was not theirs to keep. After court deliberation the Diocese is the legal property owner. In one sense the news here is not that the owner is the owner but that a congregation thought it could be what it is not!

Two, Preludium reports the full decision of the Standing Committee of the Anglican Church of Nigeria to recognise and to be in 'full and abiding communion' with the Anglican Church in North America (of which CANA is a part). Mark Harris in this report senses that this declaration is likely to mean that ACN is no longer in communion with TEC (and, presumably, also ACCanada), though the statement does not unequivocally say that. In turn that would raise questions about the state of the Anglican Communion: can it be a Communion in which one church is not in communion with another while being in communion with an Anglican church in the same geographical region as the one in which lies the church it is not in communion with. (Feel free to have a brief rest to recover from reading that last sentence).

I think all I would say at this point is this: it would be premature to rush to judgement about the state of the Communion in general or of Nigeria's place in it. Nigeria is a stalking horse in some ways. There are other Anglican churches that, push coming to shove, would go with Nigeria's decision; some which would be equivocal about being in communion with TEC and ACCan; some which would be in communion with all. Let's not expel anyone without having a cup of tea to think and to talk about it!

Walking in the footsteps of Jesus

During Lent we think of Jesus setting his face towards Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) and walking with a determination some of his "wannabe" disciples lacked (Luke 9:57-62). On his journeys Jesus attracted attention. People came to listen, to challenge, to question, to be healed, and even to follow him. What would the gospels be but a shadow of themselves if Jesus had been a stay at home rabbi!

My bishop, Richard Ellena, Bishop of Nelson, N.Z. is on a journey. 1000 km in 40 days around our diocese. He has walked over the mighty Takaka Hill, tramped through the Heaphy Track, ambled down the extraordinarily beautiful West Coast, journeyed into the Southern Alps, followed the Inland Kaikouras to the Pacific Ocean, and now is on the homeward leg through the vineyards of Marlborough. Along the way he is attracting attention. People are walking and talking with him. Memories are being created, especially in the outposts of our Diocese. In the photo above Bishop Richard is speaking to a congregation of followers at Ward. God is working in him (see his blog for his reflections) and through him.

Last night, walking to the supermarket, I met someone I rarely talk to, and who has no connection with the church known to me. The first thing he said to me was to compare my paltry journey with the bishop's mighty walk! (With the help of a recent newspaper item on Bishop Richard's progress) this mighty walk is making an impact beyond the confines of our regular church fellowships. Often we talk about our 'journey' or 'being a disciple' or 'being like Jesus' but the way we live is more or less the same as everyone else lives. Bishop Richard is offering a vision of the possibilities of a journey in which literally we do as Jesus did: we walk; people watch; new possibilities emerge for talking about Jesus and his kingdom.