This photo is to show my support for LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans) Christians.
which will be one of 100 clergy photos with the same message that will be included in a short film that some young adult LGBT Christians are making, called 'It Gets Better'. It will be stories about coming out and finding a place within the church, in a bid to give hope to younger
people that it can be possible to be LGBT and accepted in a Church.
Recently the Church of England House of Bishops released a 'Pastoral Letter' to clergy, alongside an Appendix to the letter called 'Pastoral Guidance on Same Sex Marriage'...I won't comment on the use/misuse of the word 'pastoral'.
This letter and its appendix, basically, told Church of England Priests that we are not allowed to Bless same sex couples or have same sex marriages within our Churches :(
The letter says that the Church is in '
agreement that the Christian understanding
and doctrine of marriage as a lifelong union between one man and
one woman remains unchanged'.....However, the C of E has been allowing divorce and re-marriage for years...yes, you heard me, divorce and re-marriage....hang on, what about a lifelong union?!?!?!....(Note: I am not, obviously, against divorce and re-marriage, I am just pointing out what I see as the hypocracy of this part of the letter).
Later the appendix to the letter, reminds us that marriage is for procreation...But, what about those couples who can't have children, or just don't want any?? The C of E does not seem to say that these couples are not, and can not be, married. If gay people (I use the word gay in this post to refer to all those who
have relationships with someone of the same sex) are not allowed to
marry as they cannot have children together, then how can we let
opposite sex couples marry who intend to not, or can't, have
children?...
Therefore surely, by allowing divorce and the marriage of infertile heterosexuals, they've null and voided these two statements, or worse, are sadly having a case of saying one thing and doing the opposite, or having one rule for one group of people and another rule for another group of people.
What
does this document say that the Church is committed to then? -'
to a process of facilitated
conversations', which, sadly again, sounds almost to me like too little, too late. I am not saying that such conversation is useless, no, on the contrary, I think some people need it to understand what is going on, I am just saying
it does not seem enough, at all, in 2014, for humankind. Furthermore, I'm worried after reading this letter, that some might talk with gay couples about their committed long-term relationships and then just ignore everything they've said anyway, telling them God doesn't love them and their relationships. I hope this process goes well, but in my eyes it is not as important anyway as taking action, as just getting out there and Blessing as many people as possible with God's love.
The letter also notes that, '
The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news for all people in all
times and situations.'......surely this is the point, The Gospel (i.e. God loves us) is for ALL people.....not for us humans to limit and to put boundaries around. How can we say, God loves you but not fully because I don't understand your relationships. By saying that, you are basically just saying, I'm sorry God does not love you and never will, or God only loves part of you and not all of you.
In the following sentence we hear that it is important to '
continue to seek God's grace and the
prayers of the whole Church as we seek to proclaim that faith
afresh in this generation.'....but this fails to see that the whole of the document will have the opposite effect. People in this current generation, in my generation, in 2014, in England, will simply
not want to hear anything that a homophobic Church is proclaiming (and no I don't think the Church as a whole is homophobic, but sadly this letter and appendix seemed to be). In effect, we're closing the door to mission and evangelism in this current age. We're closing our Church doors from this generation. We're saying that our faith, our God, has nothing to do with their everyday daily life.
The appendix notes that abstinence is for those who are not called to marriage, but many gay people
are called to marriage and we are not letting them fulfil that call.
The document repeats a couple of times how we should support gay people and that we should love them, but in keeping to what else it says, it sadly seems an impossibility to carry out that support.
The document did, at least, remind us that '
lay people who had registered civil partnerships
ought not to be asked to give assurances about the nature of their
relationship before being admitted to baptism, confirmation and
holy communion, or being welcomed into the life of the local
worshipping community more generally.' This is good. I think it's awful, quite frankly, when gay people are quizzed about their personal and sexual life. I know a lot of Church attending heterosexuals who would be uncomfortable with this, so it is positive that this document, at least, is encouraging us not to do this to gay people...not that I would of course, but I mean some others folks might.
The C of E, as those in our fold know, only accepts as Sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion. So it is very positive indeed that we're not going to hold these back from gay people. However, the lesser 'sacraments' (with a small 's'), include ordination and marriage, among others (confirmation, confession, anointing the sick). We do not hold any of these away from gay people, so why hold marriage, and in some cases ordination, away from them?!...
Very very sadly, the document says that C of E clergy can only, when '
appropriate', offer a '
more informal kind of prayer'..not a more formal kind of Blessing and service. And that 'a
ny prayer will be accompanied by pastoral
discussion of the church's teaching and their reasons for departing
from it.' How can you pastorally say to someone though, 'you are a heretic', because that is what the Church is wanting us to do. Can you imagine it, a lovely happy committed couple come to a vicar asking for their relationship to be blessed and celebrated by God, and you have to reply, 'well I am only saying this pastorally and sensitively, that I will say a prayer, but we need to discuss how you are going against the churches teachings and that you've chose to go against the churches teachings'. No. In a word, no; I am not going to say that. And neither are thousands of other free thinking, clerics, under the guidance of God. Not only is it wrong, but it just doesn't work, you can't pastorally do that, and I am called to be a pastor, among other things.
The document goes on to talk about ordination and reminds us that '
at all times he shall be
diligent to frame and fashion his life and that of his family
according to the doctrine of Christ, and to make himself and them,
as much as in him lies, wholesome examples and patterns to the
flock of Christ.' The very fact this says 'he' and 'his' shows how out of date this is and that we've veered off this slightly anyway. It also shows that the whole document is missing the point, the point being that gay relationships
are within the doctrine of Christ and
are wholesome examples...and to be honest, in many cases, more than some heterosexual clergy you know and hear about!
The document ends by reminding clergy that '
at ordination clergy undertake to
'accept and minister the discipline of this Church, and
respect authority duly exercised within it.'' and previously it has reminded us that '
clergy are able to argue
for a change in its teaching on marriage and human sexuality, while
at the same time being required to fashion their lives consistently
with that teaching.' And this
is a wonderful thing about the C or E, that our voices can be heard and that we can speak out. It is possible to toe the party line while campaigning against it. For some reason, rightly or wrongly, those ordained are listened to more than the laity at times, and that is why I feel it is so important for people like me, people who are ordained and are aiming towards hetero marriage personally or already in one, to speak out on behalf of all those who are actually called to (the vocation, and sacrament (with a little 's'!) of) same sex marriage (and in several instances, called to ordination as well). It's important for us to speak out for all the powerless, voiceless, weak and oppressed in society. After all, this is exactly who Jesus spoke out for. (Please note: obviously such individuals are not weak or voiceless etc, but just that the system seems to be shutting them out and therefore not listening to what they have to bring to the table. Indeed, many such people are far stranger than I, or you, and sadly often because they have to be, because they've had to fight (not physically!) for their basic human rights, as human beings and as children of God, to be given to them, and though it's 2014, we are still denying them these and denying them to fulfil their lives spiritually, emotionally and physically..in a way that would shatter most heterosexual people if this was denied of them).
So where does this all leave us???....Able, I hope, to have a service of 'Prayer and Dedication after Civil Marriage' for same sex couples, while not Blessing the relationship, the marriage...Able to Bless houses and boats and so on, that a same sex married couple happen to be on/in?!?!...Yes, as you can see, it leaves us clutching at straws in an attempt to show that God loves and values their relationship and their marriage. Thankfully, this is the C of E, and we all know that we can go directly to God, so that same sex couples, or anyone to that matter, do not need a minister as such, for God to be in their lives, but sadly this means for the Church, such people, and those who support them, will be moving further and further from the Church as it currently stands here on earth.
Which brings me on to an important question, are such people closer to God than we as a Church are, if they are accepting God fully into their lives, whereas we are doing away with the things that God demands we should do to further His Kingdom??...A sad and sobering thought.
...And this brings me nicely to make a short sales pitch that one of my very good friends is involved with, '
I'm Sorry. A Different Kind of Christian Presence' (
www.im-sorry.org.uk and they also have a facebook group). 'I'm Sorry' seeks to apologise for where gay people have not been accepted fully into Churches, for Christians mistreating them and so on, and aims to show that most of us do welcome gay people fully, and more importantly, that God welcomes them and wants them as His children, etc. Here's some photo's I borrowed from their website of them at Sheffield Pride ( as you can see their stall was crowded with young lgbt people interested in the positive message these Christians had to share):
As I draw this post to an end, I feel it is vital for those reading it to note firmly, that the above document I'm referring to is something the House of Bishops released, is it NOT necessarily what
the Church wants, it is not even what its clergy wants, not what many of its lay members
want, certainly not what those outside of the Church want, and all in all, I believe, not
what God wants :(
A real sad fact of the matter as well,
is that this 'pastoral letter' and 'guidance' is all the media
portray....They often don't write up about the millions of Christians who are
FOR same sex
relationship Blessings WITHIN our Churches and who are for same sex marriage. So the mass non-Church attending public,
think all Christians are homophobic, when in fact, I can only think of a
handful I know personally who are and hundreds of others who are not
(many of whom are in Church ministry), and, who, like me, would love to
Bless same sex partnerships...no, actually, we want to Bless same sex
Marriage.
[And just to highlight that last fact: Many clergy are wearing their, normally white, clerical collars in rainbow colours in response to this House of Bishops statement on same sex marriage. '
Inclusive Church', who have long been campaigning for a Church
where all are welcomed irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, race, etc, are supporting this campaign (
www.inclusive-church.org.uk and they have a facebook group).
Other Christians, myself included, are wearing rainbow coloured wristband in support of LGBT Christians and equal marriage.
There's a petition to ask the House of Bishops to take back their opposition to same sex marriage (
www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/bishops-of-the-church-of-england-to-rescind-their-opposition-to-equal-marriage-to-take-back-their-recent-pastoral-guidance-to-create-a-church-where-all-are-welcomed?share_id=EIFzgZJvta&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition).
Nearly forty C of E clergy under the age of forty have signed a letter in response to this document, suggesting that people in our age group and younger see the C of E as discriminating against women and lgbt people and that this document therefore makes the process of mission in our current generation very tricky indeed (though of course many above this statement age bracket agree).
Etc, ect, etc.......
I know some will think this all comes across as a rant, but that is only because I am so passionate that the love of God is for
all people; God is love, that God is inclusive and therefore that love is inclusive ('
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.' -Galatians 3), and therefore the Church should be inclusive too. I am sorry if this post has upset or offended anyone, but I am committed to God, I am committed to my vocation as a Priest, I am committed to the Church of England (and our Bishops), and I am committed to sharing the love of God with others...because, at the end of the day, Jesus said the most important commandments were to love God and to love one another (Matthew 22)....That's right, He did
not say, well only love gay people a little bit until they want their relationship recognised, Blessed, and quite frankly, celebrated.
I am not going to list reasons why the Church should be for gay marriage..but I am going to end with three statements that stand alone but also connect with one another, like the Trinity itself:
God the Father creates all humankind and some He creates straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans (He also creates sexual pleasure).
God, through the Holy Spirit, still speaks today and everyday (He did not, and does not, remain silent for the last 2000 years).
God in human form as Christ, the cornerstone of our Church and beliefs, said nothing about homosexuality or same sex relationships.
So anyone against equality and same sex marriage, please
please PLEASE do not use my religion as an excuse for your homophobia and discrimination. Thank you. The Christian Gospel is about love, not hatred.
