Part 310. I've gone and done it.

Today I resolved to resign as an Adherent member of The Salvation Army.  This will not surprise readers of either this blog or my Facebook page. My decision has been conveyed to the Corps' officers.  

Part 309. Matins

Attended Matins at my local parish church today.  Just over an hour start to finish including the Anthem beautifully sung by the choir, non-rambling prayers and an interesting sermon on love.

The choir is singing at St. Paul's Cathedral on Saturday and Sunday this coming weekend.

Part 308. I'm away....

The following passage tells us what a homophobic organisation The Salvation Army is.  It is a disgrace, a policy based on dodgy fundamentalist interpretation of scripture.  I want no part in it.  I have been considering leaving for some time but hung on in the hope that there might be change, but I fear it may be a forlorn hope. 

'As a member of this group I have good news to share! My partner and myself, who have been together for 50 years are getting married in September. Whilst our C.O.'s and corps fellowship are totally accepting of our decision to finally become our authentic selves it has been necessary for us to relinquish our soldiership and are now adherent members. Whilst the pain this has caused has been unbearable I am determined to continue to challenge the Salvation Army stance on same sex relationships/marriage through the medium of this group. However, my partner and myself are determined not to allow this to detract from our happiness and are looking forward with great joy to the future.'

Part 307. Patience wearing thin

Below is the text of an email I sent to the United Kingdom & Ireland Territory HQ concerning progress towards publication of the Membership Working Group's report and the timetable to action recommendations.

I am an Adherent at Royal Tunbridge Wells Corps. I have been following with keen interest the progress of the Membership Working Group, having completed the survey online and read about the conference at Warwick University.

Do you have a timetable for presentation of your report to Cabinet? Will the report be a public document or have a limited circulation within TSA. The loss of officers, poor cadet numbers, closure of Corps and increasing numbers of unofficered Corps are major concerns and inaction or dawdling on publishing and actioning the report will only make matters worse.

Those of us who would like to see TSA become far more inclusive in its policies concerning criteria for officership also are looking for a timetable for resolution of the issues.

Yours sincerely 

John Hopkinson. 

Below is the prompt response I received.

Thank you John, for your email and ongoing interest, the work is significant to us all for many of the reasons you articulate. The report goes to cabinet for first reading at the end of August. I cannot at this stage give you an exact timeline for any publication of the findings as this is dependent on the cabinet discussion. Please note that this will have to go to IHQ as well after it has been at Cabinet.

We will be in touch and will keep the territory informed.

 

Part 306. Evensong (BCP)

Yesterday I attended Evensong (Book of Common Prayer) at my local parish church. It is over a decade since I attended Evensong.  The language is inspiring, the vicar gave a short and interesting sermon on Isaiah 25.1-9 and the choir sang to a high standard the Anthem: How lovely are the messengers by Mendelssohn.

All done in 45 minutes!  Many years ago I was the Secretary to the Rochester Diocese branch of The Prayer Book Society so I admit to bias.  Recently, I joined Progressive Christianity Network Britain and noted my local parish is listed on the Network's website.

Next week I may attend Matins.

Part 305. An interesting week.

0n Friday, 12th July The Alliance held a 'Commissioning' of 'Overseers' to provide 'Alternative Spiritual Oversight' for clergy and congregations opposed to stand-alone services of blessing for couples in same-sex civil marriages. Is this the precursor to schism or mere sabre-rattling to secure a separate province within the Church of England?  I believe the latter is not achievable whilst the desire to hold on to churches, vicarages and stipends will overrule the concerns over conscience.

Then we had a speech by Paul Main, The Salvation Army Territorial Leader for the United Kingdom & Ireland informing us that Salvationists must challenge injustice where they see it and act.  It is not enough to merely love the idea of justice.  Will this call to action include The Salvation Army abandoning discrimination in the selection of officers on the basis of sexual orientation?

On Wednesday 18th July the State Opening of Parliament was the occasion of the King's Speech setting out the new Labour government's legislative programme for the next session.

It is proposed to publish a draft bill to ban conversion therapy. The key  will be the clarity in the legislation between advice/concern and therapy/coercion.

The government is committed to improving living standards but charities have criticised the proposals as lacking focus on tackling poverty. A task force will work towards ending child poverty but no proposal on scrapping the two child benefit limitation.

A Renters Rights Bill will be introduced to abolish no-fault tenancy terminations. The government seeks to see1.5million new homes in the next 10 years but the question is how many will be truly affordable social rent homes? There was nothing in the speech to tackle rough sleepers issues.

There is a lot more information and comment on the above on my Facebook group 'Progressive Theology UK ' and 'John Hopkinson Theology Page".

Part 304. Concerted campaigning for social justice.

The poor, the deprived, the marginalised, the discriminated against are the victims of dominant powers in a society.  Campaigners for social justice demand changes to rid society of structural/systemic injustice.  For followers of Jesus the call is to love our neighbours as ourselves.  To achieve social justice it is essential to work in concert with other faiths and secular organisations.  The silo mentality does not work. There is the need for collaborative and partnership working.  It is necessary to engage vigorously with those with power and authority in political, economic, religious and media spheres.

It is important to understand that to obviate the causes of social injustice requires action on more than one front.  For instance, the causes of poverty include poor education, poor health, lack of skills, family issues, poor public transport, poor housing, addiction etc.  It is no use tackling one or two of these areas in isolation. There has to be an integrated approach.  

My Facebook theology pages include posts by secular organisations campaigning for social justice.  We have to work together, not compete with each other or be precious or aloof.  

Part 303. A stirring speech

Last weekend Paul Main, Territorial Leader United Kingdom & Ireland Territory of The Salvation Army, made a speech that was, for me, the most stirring and inspiring one I have ever heard from a senior Army officer.

He spoke of the need for those who follow Christ to seek to act justly  love mercy and walk humbly with God. All are called to defend justice.  Salvationists, he declared are called with hearts of love to challenge injustice where they see it.  It is not enough to love the idea of justice. It needs to be evident and it will be costly if it is to mean anything.

Stirring stuff!  But....talk is cheap. Will action follow, not least in abolishing discrimination in the Army on the basis of sexual orientation.  Change is needed urgently.  Will it happen soon?

Part 302. A decade on.

I became Adherent member of The Salvation Army a decade ago. My reasons for joining were primarily that the people at the local Corps were friendly and I admired the work of the Army in supporting people at their point of need.  

Since joining I have noted improvement in the Army's campaigning activity: seeking to impress upon government the need for social justice initiatives to tackle the causes of poverty, deprivation, discrimination and marginalisation.

I have been concerned about the Army's failure to tackle exclusion within its organisation of LBGTQ+ individuals.  Hopefully change is afoot and I am full of admiration for officers and others in the Army pressing for change.  I was prepared to remain an Adherent and support those seeking change.

I was brought up short by a recent speech by the General.  It reminded me of how my views are  so different from the Army's doctrines. I cannot help but feel that I should not remain as an Adherent, but leaving would be a huge wrench.  What to do, where to go should i leave?   

Part 301. Goodbye to institutional religion.

I have mentioned before my dislike of labels and refusal to describe definitively my views on faith as progressive, liberal, deconstructive  or a mish-mash of these with other elements thrown in to the mix.  We should not seek to corale our faith into doctrines, creeds, dogmas and theologies.  Such is the road to  conflict within and between denominations and between faiths.  All a far cry from the commandment to love our neighbour. 

Our faith and its application should not be constrained by institutional rules and regulations. Sadly churches seek to impose limitations and boundaries on our beliefs and actions, to act as gatekeepers, guardians or sentries. The institution assumes primary importance, to be defended against  challenge to its doctrines and practices.

The conflict within denominations distracts from the battle for social justice and is not for me.

Part 300. A good read.

Readers of this blog will not be surprised that I commend the following article by Jim Palmer.

"In Matthew 10:34 Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

This is one of those perplexing saying of Jesus that often gets swept under the rug because it doesn’t fit with the kind, loving, gentle and meek persona of Jesus that many people associate with the Jesus of Christianity. 

Jesus was no saint. The story we have about him is largely him questioning and challenging the legitimacy and authority of the dominant religious system and its ecclesiastical hierarchy. The real Jesus was a scrappy, subversive, radical and dangerous person, and was public enemy #1 to religion and the state. Jesus infuriated the religious establishment, turned over tables in the temple, and would not bow down to the worldly powers and authorities of his day.

Jesus clearly recognized that the world and its people were enslaved and held hostage to a power that needed to be struck down. That power existed in the form of a false belief, mindset, and narrative that separated people from God and one another. Driven by ego and self-interest, some had learned to manipulate people with these false mindsets and ideologies to oppress the masses and benefit the few, namely the institutions of religion and the state who often worked in tandem to keep the racket going.

Jesus came onto the scene and proclaimed that another world and society was possible, and that it already existed in the heart of humankind. He referred to it as “the kingdom of heaven” – the reality of peace, freedom, harmony and well-being. Jesus taught that this kingdom within could be lifted up out ourselves and made real in the world. It first requires one to dethrone those ruling beliefs, mindsets, narratives and ideologies within themselves and connect with that deeper source within them, and then give expression to that inner reality through are words, actions and relationships in the world.

Which brings me to Matthew 10:34 and Jesus saying, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” We know Jesus words here do not mean that he was advocating violence and bloodshed. There are several occasions when Jesus makes this explicitly clear, and times when he backs down his followers who are on the brink of taking up arms against the establishment. 

However, it was clear that Jesus understood that there would be distress and conflict in the birthing of the “kingdom of heaven on earth.” Why? Because there would be a clash of two kingdoms – the kingdoms of the world based on false ideologies and the kingdom of heaven within the hearts of humankind.

The old order – those false beliefs, mindsets, narratives and ideologies and the systems and structures of our world based on them – are not going to go quietly into the night. What Jesus meant by his words in Matthew 10:34 is, “Don’t think I’ve come to make life cozy.” There will be conflict, there will be division, there will be confrontation, there will be distress, there will be instability, and it’s not always going to be pretty. When tectonic plates start shifting, there is turbulence. That is what the “sword” represents. We can see the reality of this in the life that Jesus lived and it will also be true in our lives."

- Jim Palmer, Inner Anarchy 

Part 299. Sea of Faith

The Sea of Faith movement has been a major influence on my thinking.  The following summarises its development based on the television series of that name presented by Don Cupitt.

SEA OF FAITH AT 40: Forty years after The Sea of Faith was first broadcast, Elaine Graham examines its impact. 

"In 1984, BBC Television began screening a six-part series, The Sea of Faith. Written and presented by the Cambridge philosopher and theologian the Revd Don Cupitt, the programmes examined the impact on traditional Christian belief of a selection of modern critics of religion. They included Galileo, Blaise Pascal, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Friedrich Nietzsche, all of whom, Cupitt believed, had contributed to a significant intellectual crisis of faith in the churches. Cupitt invited his audience to embrace a “non-realist” theology which challenged the notion that language about God refers directly to an objective, transcendent, supernatural Being. Instead, we should regard God as a spiritual ideal, the ultimate reality towards which we orientate ourselves. It follows then, that contemporary religious belief must be focused not on a preoccupation with the existence of God, but instead on the meaning and practical efficacy of the idea of God. Cupitt was not simply presenting the religious alternatives as a straightforward dichotomy between fundamentalism and atheism. Rather, the series amounts to an apologia for the view that critical thinking and intelligent questioning might still be compatible with a credible and positive religious commitment. It stands as an important attempt to present contemporary theological and philosophical thinking which responds sympathetically and constructively to modern and postmodern intellectual trends".

Part 298. Let's be pragmatic. (4)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan tells of the triumph of the principle of love over the limitations of the application of rules. Adherence to rules guided the behaviour of the priest and the Levite.  The Samaritan behaved in a pragmatic fashion, giving practical immediste assistance and ongoing support.  He was not constrained by  rules.

It is in this context I commend the following from Jim Rigby:  

THE SIN OF FUNDAMENTALISM

Fundamentalism imagines itself to be the essence of religion, but, by reducing religion to its unchanging “roots” fundamentalism robs religion of its living “fruits." 

The only true “fundamental” of Christianity was and is love. Love cannot be organized into a clear dogma nor established as a stable hierarchy. This is why Jesus sought to awaken people using outlandish parables but fundamentalism teaches in dogmas, rituals and rules. 

Fundamentalism is all stump and no blossom. Fundamentalism produces beliefs detached from thinking, rituals detached from creativity, and ethics detached from compassion.

Fundamentalism has to take love out of the equation to do the dirty work such reductionism requires.

Part 297. The battle continues at York

The next few days will witness the continuation of the battle for inclusion in the Church of England.  Yes, it's the General Synod seeking to make some progress.  The arguments have been rehearsed to the point of exhaustion.  The opposing sides have formed umbrella bodies to organise their respective strategies to promote their ideas and snipe at the opposition.  The two bodies are:

The Alliance.

About us  

The Alliance is an informal partnership of leaders from networks within the Church of England including the Church of England Evangelical Council, Church Society, the HTB Network, Living Out, Myriad, New Wine, ReNew and The Society; who are represented on the Church of England's General Synod by groups including the Evangelical Group on General Synod, Global Majority members, the Catholic Group on General Synod, and by members of the House of Bishops.

Together we exist to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ afresh in each generation to the people of England. We want to play our part in achieving this vision of revitalising the Church of England. We long to see a church that is younger and more diverse; one which is growing as missionary disciples live out their calling as followers of Jesus in all of life. And this is why together, we have written a number of letters to Archbishops, Bishops and office holders of the Church of England concerning the direction of travel that the Church of England has been taken on, and the poor governance that has resulted in us finding ourselves where we now are - with a Church of England that is divided right down the middle over Prayers of Love and Faith.

Letters

We have written several letters, setting out the unintended consequences of the proposed changes and the issues they raise in terms of Western elitism (ignoring the views of the Global South) and unlawfulness (failing to follow the canons of the Church of England which are designed to preserve

Join with us

The Alliance includes the leaders of a number networks within the Church of England:

Catholic Group on General Synod, Forward in Faith, the Society, the Global Majority reps on General Synod, HTB Network, New Wine, Church of England Evangelical Council, Evangelical Group on General Synod, ReNew, Church Society, Living Out and MYRIAD.

We are inviting clergy and lay leaders to join with the Alliance.

Support us in prayer, keep up to date with our news, be a voice for our cause in your church and give financially if you are able.

We will listen to you, keep you updated on our activity and seek to represent your needs as we work to secure the best way forward.

Together for the Church of England 

About us

Together is a new organisation, bringing together members of General Synod, a wider network of Church of England members, and working with other partner organisations to form a single campaign around two fundamental objectives:

*To unite those seeking to remove all discrimination in the Church of England, especially where it is embodied in the formal and legal structures of the Church.

*To work for a Church of England in which people of differing convictions live together in unity.

We formed in early 2024 with support from a wide range of partners and are setting up diocesan networks to create a space for those who support our aims to work together and encourage each other. We seek to work with the governance processes of the Church of England, enabling people to have a voice on issues of inclusion and belonging.

As a national Church for the whole of England, we believe that there should be no discrimination on grounds of ethnicity, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexuality, mental health, neurodiversity, marital status, socio-economic background or economic power. Christ is for all and we are called to dismantle the barriers we construct that exclude people unnecessarily. The focus for Together is particularly on the formal and legal structures within the Church, and we support our many partners in challenging the cultural, sometimes subconscious discrimination that prevent people participating fully in the life of the Church.

Part 296. The power of prayer

Readers of my blog are aware I do not like the use of labels, so I refrain from defining my theology by the use of a label.  If pushed I say that my current views are strongly influenced by progressive, liberal and deconstructivist ideas. A mish-mash it may be,  but it is a work in progress and I think it is unlikely I will reach the end of my faith journey.  

God is not an anthropomorphised being  listening to and answering prayers. God is in us and in all around us.  It is this context that I commend for your consideration the following:

Meditation and prayer are not rituals or duties to be performed.  They are the gifts that help us to organise our conscious state to the spiritual reality of the presence of God.

Paul Bane

I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, or do this or that, but now I pray that he will guide me to do whatever I'm supposed to do, what I can do.  I used to pray for answers, but now I'm praying for strength.  I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us and we change things.

Mother Teresa