Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley Hymns
David Ison ViaMedia.News Bishops and Transforming Love
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Uncertainty and un-knowing are at the heart of faith
1 CommentGeorge Clifford The Episcopal Café For such a time as this… an electronic prayer book?
[not currently available as site is being rebuilt]
Jake Owensby Looking for God in Messy Places People Like Us
Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley
First Find Your Church
Knowing When to Turn Up
Actually Turning up at Church
The Welcomers
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love It was 50 years ago today … buildings and spirituality for introverts
[Colin refers to this article by Joe Moran in The Guardian: From Sgt Pepper to the sublime: in praise of Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral at 50.]
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Scottish lessons for the English church (or at least the C of E)
Rowan Williams New Statesman The Benedict Option: a new monasticism for the 21st century
A new book by the conservative blogger Rob Dreher asks whether Christians should turn their back on society – is he right?
Revd Nathan Writes of the Church Letters to the Church Magazine – June 2017
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Making systemic homophobia in the Church of England more visible
Andrew Brown The Guardian Theresa May is like Jesus? Let’s examine this …
Eve Poole Church Times From Alpha to VUCA: the art of unknowing
18 CommentsRichard Beck Experimental Theology How to See an Old Church
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The insidious nature of systemic homophobic prejudice at the heart of the respectable church
Justin Gau a sermon preached at St John’s College Cambridge Kingdom Values…Mercy
There is an audio recording and a transcript.
Michael Curry Thy Kingdom Come (video)
[released to mark the start of the Thy Kingdom Come global wave of prayer]
Archdruid Eileen Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley Failed Church Advertising Slogans
Charles Clapham pneuma When leadership fails: Holman Hunt and ‘The Hireling Shepherd’
John Turner Patheos John Donne, Redone
Rhonda Waters Anglican Journal Let’s ask the hard questions
Charlotte Bannister-Parker ViaMedia.News Walking Beside Our Neighbour
2 CommentsUpdated 2 July to incorporate revised tiemtable
The Church of England’s General Synod will meet in York from Friday July 7 until Monday July 11. The outline timetable is available here, and is copied below. The full agenda will be published with the first release of papers on Friday June 16.
GENERAL SYNOD: JULY 2017
Timetable
Friday 7 July
2.30 pm – 7.00 pm
2.30 pm Opening worship
Introduction and welcomes
Response on behalf of ecumenical guests
3.15 pm Report by the Business Committee
3.45 pm Debate on a motion from the Archbishops “After the General Election, a still small voice of calm”
4.45 pm Legislative Business Amending Canon No. 36 – Final Drafting
5.05 pm Approval of appointment to the Archbishops’ Council
5.25 pm Church Commissioners Annual Report – Presentation under Standing Order 107 followed by Q&A
*6.00 pm Questions
7.00 pm Close of business
Worship
Saturday 8 July
7.30 am Holy Communion in the Berrick Saul Theatre
8.15 am House of Bishops meeting to approve the final form of Amending Canons Nos. 36 and 37
9.00 am – 12.30 pm
9.00 am Morning worship
9.15 am Presentation from the House of Bishops on the Proposals for the Pastoral Advisory Group on Human Sexuality and the development of the Teaching Document – Presentation under S.O. 107 followed by Q&A
10.15 am Report from the Mission and Public Affairs Council on the Presence and Engagement Interfaith programme
*11.00 Legislative Business Legislative Reform Measure – Final Drafting / Final Approval
11.45 Legislative Business Statute Law (Repeals) Measure – Final Drafting/Final Approval
12.00 Legislative Business Pensions (Pre-consolidation) Measure – Final Drafting / Final Approval
*12.10 Introductory Session: National Support for Local Churches – Presentation under Standing Order 107
12.30 pm – 2.30 pm
Lunch
Synod members meet in groups from 2.30 pm – 4.00 pm
2.30 pm Workshops on Forms of National Support for Local Churches
4.30 pm – 7.00 pm
4.30 pm Report from the Archbishops’ Council on National Support for Local Churches
5.45 pm Private Member’s Motion – Conversion Therapy
7.00 pm Close of business
Worship
8.30 pm Meeting of the House of Laity
Sunday 9 July
10.00 am Holy Communion in York Minster
2.30 pm – 7.00 pm
2.30 pm Diocesan Synod Motion – Welcoming Transgender People
3.45 pm Interim Report on the Review of the Crown Nominations Commission – Presentation under S.O. 107 followed by Q&A
4.30 pm Report from the House of Clergy on a Covenant for Clergy Wellbeing
5.45 pm
EITHER
Meetings of the House of Laity and Convocations from 5.45-7.00 pm [including evening worship]
OR
Private Member’s Motion – Schools Admissions Code
7.00 pm Close of business
Worship
Monday 10 July
9.00 am – 12.30 pm
9.00 am Morning worship
9.15 am Diocesan Synod Motion – Cost of Applying for Citizenship
10.30 am Report from the Elections Review Group
10.50 am Presentation from the Elections Review Group Presentation under S.O. 107 followed by Q&A
11.50 pm Legislative Business (ctd …) Amending Canon No. 36 – Final Approval
12.30 pm – 2.30 pm
Lunch
2.30 pm – 5.00 pm
2.30 pm Archbishops’ Council’s Annual Report 2016 – Presentation under S.O. 106 followed by Q&A
3.00 pm Archbishops’ Council’s Budget for 2018
4.00 pm Amending Canon No. 37 – Final Approval
*4.30 pm Farewells
*5.00 pm Prorogation
Contingency Business
Private Members’ Motion: Schools Admission Code
Diocesan Synod Motion: Food wastage
Deemed Items
The Archbishops’ Council Audit Committee Annual Report
Report from the Standing Orders Committee on the amendments to the Standing Orders required in connection with the Legislative Reform Measure and other matters
Miscellaneous Provisions Measure
Payments to the CCT Order
Fees Orders
* not later than
Please note that all timings are indicative unless marked with an asterisk
The English House of Bishops has issued this brief summary of their meeting held this week.
Report from May House of Bishops
24 May 2017
The House of Bishops met at Bishopthorpe Palace on 22-23 May; on the Tuesday morning prayers were said for all those affected by the Manchester bombing.
Bishops in the House of Lords (Lords Spiritual) met ahead of the full meeting to look at the parliamentary term ahead, particularly in light of the General Election.
A new approach to delegation, new outline proposals for selection for ministry and draft bishops’ guidelines on ordination training were all discussed and approved. The House also agreed that the Faith and Order Commission (FAOC) could publish a document from the Joint Working Group with the Methodist Church to allow both churches to discuss it further over the coming year.
The House discussed next steps on human sexuality. This included progress on work, announced by the Archbishops after February’s General Synod, to establish a group to produce a Teaching Document and to set up a Pastoral Advisory Group. The meeting also looked at safeguarding policy and a FAOC theology paper on this area, along with a discussion on the work of the National Safeguarding Steering Group.
6 CommentsThe Church Commissioners for England announced today publication of their 2016 financial results and annual report. Their press release is copied below the fold.
You can download the 2016 report here. There are also reports for earlier years and an annual review focussing on some of the projects they have funded and supported over the past 12 months.
Press reports
Simon Goodley The Guardian Church of England made stunning 17% return on investments in 2016
BBC News Church of England fund sees ‘stellar’ returns
John Plender Financial Times Church of England delivers divine returns
Peter Smith Financial Times Church of England fund becomes top world performer
16 CommentsMarie Griffith Religion & Politics Healing a House Divided: An Interview with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
The Episcopal Café has published some highlights from the interview.
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Shifting questions, changing virtues
Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley Fear of Hell Fire
The catholicity and covenant blog responds to the Credible Bishops paper [see here].
Credible bishops or catholic episcopate?
Credible Bishops – a liberal Protestant understanding of episcopacy
To mark Christian Aid Week, the leaders of the three main political parties write exclusively for the Church Times on the importance of international development: A joint commitment to our neighbours overseas
David Pocklington and Frank Cranmer Law & Religion UK Bishops sans frontières
Frank Cranmer Law & Religion UK More on the objection to an episcopal election in the Anglican Church of Canada
Robert Atwell Church of England God in fragments: how worship can unlock memory
Stephen Bullivant of St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London has published this report: The “No Religion” Population of Britain.
Harriet Sherwood of The Guardian and Olivia Rudgard of The Telegraph have both written about the report.
[direct link to the full report (20 page pdf)]
Andrew Brown The Guardian This latest Church of England schism has an unexpected source
“The latest challenge to Anglicanism’s stance on homosexuality comes not from a black African ‘missionary bishops’, but from a very different conservative group”
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Small is beautiful; in praise of the ‘ordinary’ parish
Kirstin Freeman Still Striving For That Elusive Halo A Sorrowful Tale and a Lesson for Today’s Church
Giles Fraser The Guardian The rise of so-called happy funerals is no laughing matter
“There is something deeply emotionally brittle and infantile about the refusal to allow ourselves to be overcome with grief”
Giles Goddard ViaMedia.News ReNew and Reject….
Linda Woodhead Modern Church How to split up the Church of England
11 CommentsDavid Emmott Campaign for Fair Rants Writing in the Sand
[For details of the Ken Leech Conference see here.]
David Hoyle Address from Bishop Michael [Perham]’s funeral
Kelvin Holdsworth Thurible The Tim Farron Question and the Archbishop of Canterbury
9 CommentsThe Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued a pastoral letter to the parishes and chaplaincies of the Church of England as a contribution to next month’s general election in the UK. The full pastoral letter can be read here (pdf) and here (webpage), and there is a press release (copied below the fold).
Press reports
BBC News Archbishops of Canterbury and York voice election concerns
ITV News Archbishops of Canterbury and York raise election concerns in letter
Harry Farley Christian Today Archbishops: Religion must be central in general election to avoid extremism
Harriet Sherwood The Guardian Church of England urges voters to ‘set aside apathy’ in general election
Olivia Rudgard The Telegraph Don’t ‘exploit’ the faith of political opponents, say Archbishops
Jonathan Mitchican The Living Church Evangelism of the Weird
Richard Peers Quodcumque Welsh Sodality Talk; Mary, Messy Church and Mission
Justin Thacker Church Times Yes, the poor will be with us — so fight on
Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley That Was the Church that Wasn’t
4 CommentsUpdated Thursday afternoon
Bishop of Sodor and Man: Peter Eagles
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published: 4 May 2017The Queen has approved the nomination of the Venerable Peter Eagles for election as Bishop of Sodor and Man.
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Venerable Peter Andrew Eagles QHC, BA, MTh, AKC, Deputy Chaplain-General HM Land Forces; Archdeacon for the Army, and Honorary Canon of Salisbury Cathedral, for election as Bishop of Sodor and Man in succession to the Right Reverend Robert Mar Erskine Paterson, MA, on his resignation on 11 November 2016.
Background
The Venerable Peter Eagles, aged 57, studied at the School of Slavonic; East European Studies and at King’s College, London, and at the Universities of Heidelberg and Oxford. He trained for the ordained ministry at St Stephen’s House, Oxford.
He served his title at St Martin’s, Ruislip in the Diocese of London from 1989 to 1992. Since1992 he has served as a Chaplain in the British Army, ministering to soldiers and families and the wider community in many locations in the United Kingdom and overseas, including military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been Archdeacon for the Army since 2011, Honorary Chaplain to the Queen since 2013, and Honorary Canon of Salisbury Cathedral since 2015. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies.
Peter is married to Gail, whom he met in the parish in Ruislip and with whom he has since lived in 14 different places in 25 years, and they have a son who graduated in 2016 from Balliol College and now works for a publishing firm in Oxford.
His interests include European languages and literature (in which he maintains active academic study and research), cross-cultural learning and discussion, restoring a small ancient house, and playing baroque arias on the oboe.
The diocesan website has Bishop of Sodor and Man Announced.
Update
The diocesan website article includes A Personal Statement on Vocation, Episcopacy, and Mutual Flourishing by the bishop designate. It includes these two paragraphs:
My understanding and interpretation of matters of faith and order must now be set within the context of God’s call to lead this Diocese in mission at this time. I understand and believe that God has called me specifically to be the Bishop of Sodor & Man. Among other things, this clearly requires me to ensure the concept of Mutual Flourishing as outlined in the House of Bishops’ Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests (GS Misc 1076) of 2014 and the accompanying Five Guiding Principles, and to do so in a diocese in which there is no other resident bishop.
Therefore, as the sole bishop in this diocese (and consistent with Paragraph 11 of the Declaration), and trusting in the grace of God to sustain the increasing number of vocations, I will ordain all who are called to be deacons and priests. The Church of England is committed to all orders of ministry being open equally to all while ensuring that those who cannot receive the ministry of women priests or bishops are able to flourish, and petitioning parishes within the Diocese of Sodor & Man will of course be able to request the ministry of the Bishop of Beverley or the Bishop of Maidstone. I am entirely supportive of this Declaration, which enables women to exercise a full ministry as priests and bishops. The Declaration also allows for a traditionalist who does not ordain women to the priesthood to be a diocesan bishop in any diocese where there is a suffragan to ordain women as priests, and where the will of the diocese for such an appointment is reflected through the Crown Nominations Commission and the consultation process. We are therefore able to look forward to the continuing flourishing of understandings of faith and order which differ but which respect each other. Most of all, I look forward to leading the Church’s mission on the Isle of Man, and to building on the work of my predecessor Bishop Robert, of our Archdeacon and Dean, and of all who worship and minister on the Island.
Readers may want to particularly note the sentence: “I will ordain all who are called to be deacons and priests.”
5 CommentsKieran Bohan A brave faith An outpouring of the spirit – Searching for a more inclusive church
Jayne Ozanne ViaMedia.News A Question of Christian Identity?
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 GAFCON & the paradox of ‘cultural captivity.’
Michael Sadgrove Woolgathering in North East England Discerning Vocation in the Third Age: more from the retirement front line
10 CommentsChad Bird Christianity is not about a personal relationship with Jesus
Simon Butler ViaMedia.News Adjectival Insufficiency
12 CommentsAn interview by Pray Tell Blog with Fr Michael White and Evan Ponton, both of the Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Md, USA Liturgy as Evangelization
Richard Peers Quodcumque Messy is the Mass: my experience of Messy Church
Richard Peers Quodcumque Meeting the risen Jesus at the National Gallery: Michelangelo and Sebastiano
Bosco Peters Liturgy Even Pagans are Losing Their Religion
3 CommentsDavid Walker ViaMedia.News Why Should the Devil Have All the Best Tunes (and Words)?
Adrian Harris, the Church of England’s head of digital communications, has been talking to Helen Dunne of CorpComms Magazine: How the Church of England is extending its congregation
Madeleine Davies Church Times Exporting the Brompton Way
“An HTB church-plant is now widely expected when a well-situated urban church’s numbers are low.”
Joanna Ruck The Guardian Easter Sunday around the world – in pictures
Nick Spencer The Telegraph Our politicians are more devout than ever – so it’s time we started taking their faith seriously
Melanie McDonagh The Spectator If you want to save the CofE, then get stuck in (and go to church)
a few Easter sermons
Archbishop of Dublin [There is a link to the full text at the end.]
Archbishop of Canterbury
Bishop of Chichester
Bishop of Durham
Bishop of Jarrow
Bishop of Leeds
Bishop of Lincoln
Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham