The Rector Writes – October 2008
Dear Friends
You may have already seen the Bishop’s letter on page 2 of the diocesan magazine which has been distributed with this month’s Parish magazine. He refers to the recent Lambeth Conference attended by some 600 of the 800 Anglican diocesan bishops worldwide. The chief reason why the remaining 200 did not attend was the support which several provinces gave since the previous conference in 1998 to the consecration as bishop of a man in an active same-sex union and to the blessing of same-sex couples.
Whilst reminding us that the Church, here in Wales as elsewhere, should welcome all and demonstrate God’s unconditional love, the Bishop asserts that this is not unconditional approval and that behaviour does matter. You may recall that the last words of Jesus to the woman brought to him after she had been caught in the act of adultery were, “Go and sin no more.” In his first letter to the Corinthians (6vv9-11) St Paul includes a list of those who will be excluded from God’s kingdom because of their immoral practices. Then he writes, “and such were some of you.”
A number of church members have told me that they feel deeply disturbed by certain church leaders abandoning the teaching of Scripture, as they understand it, particularly referring to the prohibition on physical relationships between people of the same sex as in Leviticus 19 or the first chapter of St Paul’s letter to the Romans. Some commentators claim that Paul is writing about people for whom same-sex unions are a perversion and that he did not intend to include those for whom such relationships are natural. However, in response a friend said to me that it is in his nature to be a promiscuous heterosexual, but that, as a Christian, he knows not to yield to this temptation, any more than it is permitted for someone with an inclination to steal to be a thief.
The Bishop notes that various provinces of the church have decided to adopt different attitudes to sexual morals. The Church has been likened to a thermometer which goes up and down with the prevailing temperature in the surrounding society, whereas it should be like a thermostat which sets the moral temperature for its members and for those it seeks to serve. Just as the laws of physics apply throughout the universe so there should be the same moral guidelines for all humans.
Relationships between people of the same sex can be close. The future king David said in a lament over his recently fallen friend Jonathan (2 Samuel 1v26), “You were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.” That doesn’t mean that such relationships are to be expressed physically. When I am reading out the introduction at a wedding service: “Holy Scripture compares it (marriage) to the union of Christ with his Church”, I am not prepared to apply this to same-sex unions. The intention of matrimony is for the partners to complement each other rather than to achieve the identity of the other.
This subject is not easy to write about, although I think that it is important for such questions to be addressed. It may not be easy to read about either. I remember feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed as a young teenager hearing discussions on the radio about the legislation to decriminalise homosexuality in the 1960s.
Concerning the Lambeth Conference, my view is that all diocesan bishops should have attended because only then could they represent their own views, enter into debate and consider the many other issues which were on the agenda. Communication is surely essential to reconciliation.
The Church is distracted from its primary purpose of proclaiming the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ as Lord, while it is taken up by matters of discipline. Whereas I would not like to see a return to the days when people were so ashamed of their orientation that they would live a double life, the pendulum can easily swing to the other extreme so that toleration is followed by active promotion of a lifestyle and then yesterday’s orthodoxy becomes tomorrow’s heresy. I am aware of an increasing tendency for some who promote a liberal view on sexual ethics to be most illiberal in their attitudes to those who maintain more conservative opinions.
North East Wales Regional Cytun is holding an open meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday 15th October at our Lady of the Rosary Roman Catholic Church, Jubilee Road, Buckley at which the Rev’d Nan Wyn Powell Davies, Chaplain at Altcourse Prison, Liverpool, will speak on her work and how churches can get involved. Ask me if you need help with transport to get there.
Yours sincerely
Martin Snellgrove