Dear friends
Today is a significant day in the Church of England. General Synod (the 'parliament' of the church) have been meeting this week to discuss various matters, and today they will vote on the Bishops' recent proposal with regards the blessing of LGBQT+ relationships.
Speaking personally, it saddens me that today we even need to have this discussion. I think we should be able to celebrate and support loving relationships that enable the mutual flourishing of those engaged with them regardless of the biology under the clothing. For me, that unconditional love, where we don't insert our own judgement into the narrative, is the love that God gives us, and shows us. I feel deeply uncomfortable about welcoming all people but not being able to offer the fulness of that participation. But I am also not so naive to realise that the Church of England is the lead denomination of the global Anglican Communion, where, in a number of places, being LGBQT+ (let alone being open about relationships) is a criminal act - sometimes with capital punishment. Just writing this email in some parts of the communion would get me in a lot of trouble... It was only 54 years ago (1967) that homosexuality was decriminalised in this country. And we must also not forget there are also many members of the Church, and Churches themselves, that hold dear to conservative theologies and cannot with all good conscience move away from those positions. The challenge of unconditional love, which I think all Christians would profess to be the example of love that Jesus gives us, is that we are called to love not only those we agree with, but also those we don't.
Whatever happens today there will be people who will rejoice, and there will be people who cry. There will be people and churches who feel affirmed, those who feel we haven't gone far enough, and those who feel that they have reached the end of the road with the denomination. There is no win-win. I do not envy the members of General Synod today, but I pray for them, and ask that you do too.
A friend recently flagged up this poem from John Betjeman, which I think speaks wonderfully into today. Incidentally, the title 'Septuagesima' is the traditional name for last Sunday - the Sunday 70 days before Easter, and so this poem really is about this week!
Septuagesima
Septuagesima – seventy days
To Easter’s primrose tide of praise;
The Gesimas – Septua, Sexa, Quinc
Mean Lent is near, which makes you think.
Septuagesima – when we’re told
To “run the race”, to “keep our hold”,
Ignore injustice, not give in,
and practise stern self-discipline;
A somewhat unattractive time
Which hardly lends itself to rhyme.
But still it gives the chance to me
To praise our dear old C. of E.
So other Churches please forgive
Lines on the Church in which I live,
The Church of England of my birth,
The kindest Church to me on earth.
There may be those who like things fully
Argued out, and call you “woolly”;
Ignoring Creeds and Catechism
They say the C. of E.’s “in schism”.
There may be those who much resent
Priest, Liturgy, and Sacrament,
Whose worship is what they call “free”,
Well, let them be so, but for me
There’s refuge in the C. of E.
And when it comes that I must die
I hope the Vicar’s standing by,
I won’t care if he’s “Low” or “High”
For he’ll be there to aid my soul
On that dread journey to its goal,
With Sacrament and prayer and Blessing
After I’ve done my last confessing.
And at that time may I receive
The Grace most firmly to believe,
For if the Christian’s Faith’s untrue
What is the point of me and you?
But this is all anticipating
Septuagesima – time of waiting,
Running the race or holding fast.
Let’s praise the man who goes to light
The church stove on an icy night.
Let’s praise that hard-worked he or she
The Treasurer of the P.C.C.
Let’s praise the cleaner of the aisles,
The nave and candlesticks and tiles.
Let’s praise the organist who tries
To make the choir increase in size,
Or if that simply cannot be,
Just to improve its quality.
Let’s praise the ringers in the tower
Who come to ring in cold and shower.
But most of all let’s praise the few
Who are seen in their accustomed pew
Throughout the year, whate’er the weather,
That they may worship God together.
These, like a fire of glowing coals,
Strike warmth into each other’s souls,
And though they be but two or three
They keep the Church for you and me.
SERVICES
Sunday 12th February
8am - Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion; St Stephen's, Winsham - Rev'd Philip
10am - Morning Worship; St Mary's, Thorncombe - Lay Team
10:30am - Holy Communion; St Michael & All Angels, Chaffcombe - Rev'd Philip
Wednesday 15th February - 9:30am Holy Communion (said service); St Mary's Thorncombe, followed by Coffee Morning in church.
WILD CHURCH:
We had a wonderful Wild Church last Saturday! 22 children and adults met at Chard Reservoir and went for a walk, followed by hot chocolate! The children (and adults!) really enjoyed looking out for signs of wildlife, discovering lots of different feathers, shells at the water's edge, and very exciting spiders in piles of wood! We also spotted snowdrops and even a tree that looked like Winnie the Pooh maybe at home...
Our next Wild Church is on 25 March at St John's, Tatworth, when we will be doing some seed sowing (hopefully to create a bit of a crop for harvest later in the year!).
LENT:
The walking theme continues this spring for Lent. Rather than doing an evening Lent Course this year, we will be doing Lent Walks in each parish. At the end of each walk we will have some lent refreshment (think soup and roll) and share a short time of daily prayer. If walking is not your thing then please just come to the gathering at the end! Details are being fleshed out, but dates and times are below. Unless otherwise notified, the walks will all start from the parish church in the relevant village for the week on the following Thursdays:
2nd March 2:30pm - Winsham
9th March 11am - Thorncombe
16th March 11am - Cricket Malherbie
23rd March 11am - Chaffcombe
30th March 11am - Tatworth
The walks will be aimed at about an hour with a short reflection from the journey, and prayer time, at 4pm in Winsham and 12:30pm elsewhere whilst we warm up again!
ALL are welcome to any or all the walks! Maybe come and explore a parish you don't already know very well!
PRAYERS:
Please hold in your prayers all you know who are struggling in any way, in body, mind or spirit. We are asked to pray by name for:
Dave Boyland; Terri Boyland; Sheila Clement; Wendy Cotton; Hannah Knott; Jan Knott; Mary Marsh; Tony Taylor; Margaret Bandy; Dorothy White, Tony Meech, Di Nicholls, Hester Down, Stella Hutchison; Oskar Lee; Margaret Shields; Andrew de Pury; Frank Long; Jean Dodd.
We remember all those whom we love but see no longer, especially at this time Nick Frankau and Margaret Jeanes. We hold all those who are bereaved in our prayers.
Please also pray for the General Synod today. Here is a prayer you may wish to use:
Loving God,
whoever loves has been born of You and knows You.
We thank You for the times we have experienced or glimpsed Your infinite, unconditional, intimate love.
We trust that You love us for all that we are,
and all that we can be,
through the grace of the Spirit and the example of Jesus.
May we listen with love to those You entrust to our care,
and those whom we struggle to love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus,
who teaches us to love You with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength,
and to love our neighbours as ourselves.
Amen.
Blessings all
Philip
The Reverend Philip Butcher
Rector - Two Shires Benefice (Tatworth, Thorncombe, Winsham, Chaffcombe & Cricket Malherbie)
The Vicarage
3 Home Farm
Tatworth
Chard
TA20 2SH
01460 221286
PASTORAL EMAILS - please to: [email protected]
HOME PRAYER & WORSHIP: https://twoshires.wordpress.com
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