The first thing to note is that it is not only difficult, but impossible, to argue that what the bishops are proposing is not a departure from teaching contained in the bishops’ statements concerning Civil Partnerships and same-sex marriages in 2005, 2014 and 2019. In these statements the bishops said that public prayers should not be said for same-sex couples. What is now being proposed is that such prayers should be offered. If the Bishops previous teaching constitutes doctrine for the purposes of clause (g) of the February General Synod motion and for the purposes of the Canons, then what is proposed is contrary to the doctrine of the Church of England.

The bishops argument seems to be that this change from previous teaching is not indicative of a change in any ‘essential matter’ because they are not proposing any change to the Church’s doctrine of marriage or its doctrine of sexual ethics which says that sexual intercourse should only take place within marriage (meaning a marriage with two people of the  opposite sex). Where their argument falls down is that if the Church of England’s doctrines of marriage and sexual ethics are viwed alongside the Church’s doctrine concerning the need for repentance and forgiveness for sin, then what they are proposing is necessarily a change of doctrine in an ‘essential matter.’

To understand why this is the case, the point that has to be grasped is that it is an absolutely essential part of Church of England doctrine that in order for people to be rightly related to God in this life and eternally happy with him in the next, they have to acknowledge, repent of, and confess their sins, not only in private but in the context of public worship, so that their sins may be forgiven and no longer constitute a barrier between them and God.

This doctrine is made crystal clear, for example, in the opening paragraphs of the service of Morning Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer:

Read it all.

Martin Davie–Why the Church of England Bishops Cannot Do what they are doing with Prayers for Same Sex couples https://t.co/ZiZJOWkIHC #anglican #theology #analysis #marriage #anthropology #ethics #holyscripture #BCP #anglican #religion #parishministry #UK 'The bishops argument… pic.twitter.com/FUM7TZSatW

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) October 27, 2023

Some British intellectuals were attempting to restore shaken public faith that good could defeat evil. Sayers, Chesterton and other masters of detective fiction truly believed that the great mysteries of their troubled age “were solvable,” said [Lesley-Anne] Williams in one of her lectures.

“I don’t think that we’re in a golden age of mystery now. I think part of that is, you have to have a belief that there is a truth that can be known,” she said. Thus, a yearning for absolutes could be “one of the reasons why people like mystery novels. They are kind of self-contained. You can trust the author to do certain things. … There is justice here and you have to have a belief in justice, you have to have a belief in truth to do that kind of mystery.”

In a 1957 eulogy for Sayers, Lewis stressed that his friend didn’t want to preach. She was striving to communicate clearly to a broader audience.

“There is in reality no cleavage between the detective stories and her other works,” wrote Lewis. “In them, as in it, she is first and foremost the craftsman, the professional. She always saw herself as one who has learned a trade, and respects it, and demands respect for it from others. We who loved her may (among ourselves) largely admit that this attitude was sometimes almost comically emphatic. …

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(OPINION/@tweetmattingly) Dorothy Sayers’ Christian faith: Murder mysteries, theology and classical ed. As president of the Detection Club, Sayers led initiation rites featuring ceremonial garb, flickering candles and a human skull.https://t.co/noBpxX4yAP

— Religion Unplugged (@ReligionMag) October 26, 2023

America’s commercial property collapse is becoming a danger to the financial system.

Office blocks purchased with debt remain half empty, 18 months after the end of the pandemic. Thousands of buildings will have to be torn down. Hundreds of regional banks are sitting on crippling losses that they yet to acknowledge.

“It’s a trainwreck in slow motion,” said Professor Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, a property and finance expert at Columbia University.

“The return to the office isn’t happening. Data from turnstile swipes shows that occupancy levels are still just 49pc of where they used to be. It has been stable for a year and a half,” he said. Sensors tracking physical presence in offices tell the same story. Hybrid work is here to stay.

Read it all (subscription).

DT (£) A rising wave of property defaults threatens US banks. “We are starting to see distressed sales every day. Offices are selling for 50pc, 60pc or 70pc discounts. At these values the equity holders are wiped out, and lenders take a 30pc loss,” https://t.co/3JGKK29ku4

— Peter Bill (@peterproperty) October 27, 2023

Read it all.

“Being a teacher means having hope in a new future,” he said. “We are teaching the children to be strong mentally and physically so that they can go back to Sudan and be the new generation that rebuilds Sudan.” https://t.co/JiFoFl3Ctg pic.twitter.com/n9rvJ7J42I

— Marc Porter Magee 🎓 (@marcportermagee) October 27, 2023

O Heavenly Father, who hast taught us to show forth thy praise in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs: So fill us, we pray thee, with thy Spirit that we may make melody to thee both in our hearts and with our lives, evermore giving thee thanks for all things, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Happy #FridayVibes! Your #PicOfTheDay is this view – looking towards Keld in Swaledale. You can just make out the River Swale snaking its way through the valley 🧡 Taken last weekend.

📸 Wendy McDonnell #Swaledale #Keld #YorkshireDales #Autumn #AutumnVibes #Fall pic.twitter.com/11JxoebFVC

— Yorkshire Dales National Park (@yorkshire_dales) October 27, 2023

Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

–1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Flânerie automnale, Anzère 🧡🍁🧡🍂🇨🇭#suisse #switzerland #schweiz #landscape #photography #paysage #nature #autumn #automne @MySwitzerland_e @valaiswallis @Anzere365 pic.twitter.com/mIN1B3vwIR

— Délèze Dominique (@DelezeD) October 27, 2023

Voting records seen by the Church Times show that a majority of 75 to 22 at the College of Bishops meeting in September supported a plan to approve the services under Canon B5A, which would have enabled their immediate use as an “experimental” service under the authority of the Archbishops.

At a meeting on 9 October, however, the House of Bishops opted to take a different route, and instead move straight to the full synodical process outlined in Canon B2. The College of Bishops had expressly voted against this, by a majority of 68 to 28.

The decision to reverse this in the House was by a small margin: 19 in favour of the plan to proceed straight to B2, and 16 against.

Although this will delay implementation, it means, none the less, that the votes are likely be taken by the present membership of the Synod. When the Synod voted to approve the Prayers of Love and Faith in February, the motion failed to gain a two-thirds majority in either of the Houses of Clergy and Laity

Read it all.

EXCLUSIVE: A large majority of C of E bishops support a move towards allowing priests to enter into same-sex marriage, and the immediate adoption of stand-alone services of blessing for same-sex couples, the Church Times can report. https://t.co/uo9UwWC0ZI

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 26, 2023

To paraphrase an observation attributed to Leon Trotsky, you may not be interested in the Middle East but the Middle East is interested in you. After a decade of tapering down its military presence in the region, America is back with a huge display of force. In the past few days two fighter squadrons have flown in. They follow the deployment of two aircraft-carrier strike groups, multiple air-defence systems and much aid to Israel. More units have been told to prepare to deploy.

America’s goal is to deter attacks on American interests, on Israel and to a degree on its Arab allies. But what if deterrence fails? The daunting possibilities range from attacks against American soldiers to strikes on shipping in the Persian Gulf and rocket attacks that overwhelm Israel’s air defences. Under what circumstances would America’s forces then be used? And could it be dragged into a deeper Middle East war of the kind its leaders hoped would never happen again after the hell of the forever wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Those questions are both uncomfortable and all too real. Attacks on American interests have been proliferating even as Israel’s invasion of Gaza has been delayed. Between October 17th and 24th there were 13 strikes on American and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria by drones and rockets, the Pentagon says. They came from “Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran”. Such activity has been fairly common in recent years. But these strikes are significant because they break an informal truce that had held in recent months.

Read it all (registration or subscription).

After a decade of tapering down its military presence in the Middle East, America is back with a huge display of force.

Could the superpower be dragged back into another war in the region? Read more https://t.co/n8PjAIo4As 👇

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) October 26, 2023

Read it all.

More than 44.2 million Americans lived in households that struggled with hunger in 2022, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released Wednesday — an increase of 10.3 million over the previous year. https://t.co/wkZNRuOkSM

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 26, 2023

Paying for health care is increasingly straining US adults as escalating medical costs converge with rising prices throughout the economy.

More than half of working-age Americans said they had difficulty paying for health care in 2023, according to a Commonwealth Fund survey published Thursday. Among people without insurance, more than three-quarters reported trouble affording care. But 43% of people with employer health plans said they had difficulty paying, and the rate was even higher among people on public health plans like Medicare and Medicaid.

The results highlight a fundamental problem in the $4.3 trillion US health system: Despite spending more on medical care than any other wealthy country, the US fails to make it broadly accessible to much of the population. The rising financial burden squeezes families and leads people to delay care, which can hurt their health over the longer term, researchers said.

“As a primary care provider I’ve seen the impact of this grow over the past several years,” said Joseph Betancourt, president of the Commonwealth Fund, a health research nonprofit. “These affordability challenges are real, they’re getting worse and they’re a clear and present danger.

Read it all (subscription).

More than half of working-age Americans said they had difficulty paying for health care in 2023, according to a Commonwealth Fund survey https://t.co/AJeM5fubBQ

— Bloomberg (@business) October 26, 2023

O Sovereign Lord, who didst bring thy servant Alfred to a troubled throne that he might establish peace in a ravaged land and revive learning and the arts among the people: Awake in us also, we beseech thee, a keen desire to increase our understanding while we are in this world, and an eager longing to reach that endless life where all will be made clear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

26 October 899. Alfred the Great died (aged 50 or 51). He was known as “King of the Anglo-Saxons”. How he died is unknown, but he suffered throughout his life from a painful illness that modern doctors think was a severe form of Crohn’s disease. pic.twitter.com/qGVOLSS9WN

— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) October 26, 2023

O Blessed Jesus, who hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, and hast consecrated us in baptism to be temples of the Holy Ghost: Make us, we beseech thee, both in body and soul, meet for thy dwelling place; that our hearts may be houses of prayer and praise, of pure desires and holy thoughts of thee, whose we are and whom we serve, and to whom be glory, now and for evermore.

October skies … the view from my farm yard … 🙏🍂blessed by light #shepherdess #farm #yorkshiredales #landscapephotography pic.twitter.com/J5GqUrtZON

— Alison O’Neill ~ Shepherdess (@woolismybread) October 26, 2023

Now concerning the contribution for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that contributions need not be made when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

I will visit you after passing through Macedo′nia, for I intend to pass through Macedo′nia, and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may speed me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now just in passing; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

–1 Corinthians 16:1-9

A wonderful time of year in woodlands. pic.twitter.com/VEg6meZPje

— YorkshireLass (@MaureenPlatts) October 26, 2023

In his address to the conference, the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke about his own personal struggle with depression. He noted that the all-island Mind Matters research in Ireland had shown that 46 per cent of the 290 clergy surveyed felt not enough was being done to support their mental health.

He highlighted how the poverty, war and instability faced by people in the Global South contributes significantly to poor mental health while in the Global North “there is powerlessness, there is helplessness” in the face of the constant news about conflict in places like Ukraine and the Middle East and this contributed to poor mental health.

“We are better off than we have ever been in the past, yet there is a much higher level of mental illness in the economically prosperous world than elsewhere particularly among young people.”

Read it all.

Archbishop warns of mental health consequences of #conflict. @JustinWelby was speaking from #Jerusalem to the #MindMatters Conference on #mentalhealth and well-being in #Dublin @UnitedDioceses @churchofireland #alahlihospitalgaza https://t.co/BP5IjJWUX8

— Sarah R Mac Donald (@SarahRMacDonald) October 24, 2023

A Walworth bakery and cafe is baking its loaves from the bowels of a Georgian church after saying its rent became unaffordable.

Independent eatery Louie Louie has renamed itself Saint Louie after relocating to the crypt inside St Peter’s Church, on Sunday, October 15.

The cafe’s owners have said they are “delighted” by the move and that its products will be cheaper thanks to a more affordable rent.

Read it all.

#Walworth cafe and bakery moves into church crypt@LouieLouie_Ldn @StPeterWalworthhttps://t.co/IA0r9isuFS pic.twitter.com/0mJIZ0BMti

— Southwark News (@Southwark_News) October 19, 2023

More than 10,000 people received modern-slavery victim support from the Salvation Army under its government contract last year — the highest in the 12 years since it began. This included more than 3000 new referrals, up by five per cent on the previous year.

The figures are set out in the charity’s annual report Behind the Shield: Protecting and supporting survivors of modern slavery, published on Anti-Slavery Day on Wednesday of last week. It is the 12th year that the Government has contracted the Salvation Army to provide specialist support for adult victims of modern slavery referred from England and Wales.

In that year — between July 2022 and June 2023 — 3533 potential victims contacted the Salvation Army for support: a five-per-cent increase (465 more people) over the previous year. Of the potential victims, one third were women, two-thirds were men, and 1.5 per cent identified as transgender.

The use of the term “potential” means that there is reasonable evidence that the person is a victim, but that this has yet to be confirmed by decision-making bodies in the Home Office, the report explains.

Read it all.

Modern slavery on the increase, Salvation Army reports https://t.co/xtSnB0LFTl

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 26, 2023

Nearly one in four people worldwide — which translates into more than a billion people — feel very or fairly lonely, according to a recent Meta-Gallup survey of more than 140 countries.

Notably, these numbers could be even higher. The survey represents approximately 77% of the world’s adults because it was not asked in the second-most populous country in the world, China.

With the World Health Organization and many others — including the U.S. surgeon general — calling attention to the dangers of loneliness, these data, collected in partnership between Gallup and Meta, provide a much-needed global perspective of social wellbeing.

Read it all.

Large Gallup Survey: Almost a Quarter of the World Feels Lonely. Nearly one in four people worldwide — which translates into more than a billion people — feel very or fairly lonely, according to a recent Meta-Gallup survey of more than 140 countries. https://t.co/UDl43iqdN1

— Carl Hindy, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist (@DrCarlHindy) October 24, 2023

Most Holy God, whose servant Tabitha thou didst raise from the dead to display thy power and confirm thy message that thy Son is Lord; grant unto us thy grace, that aided by her prayers and example, we may be given a new life in thy Spirit to do works pleasing in thy sight; Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord; who livest and reignest with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Episcopal Church today also commemorates Tabitha (Dorcas) of Joppa

Image: Stained glass window in Ely Cathedral (Tabitha, arise). Photo by Lawrence OP, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, via flickr pic.twitter.com/r7OSJiLvdL

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) October 25, 2023

Jesus, our Master, do thou meet us while we walk in the way and long to reach the heavenly country; so that, following thy light, we may keep the way of righteousness, and never wander away into the darkness of this world’s night, while thou, who art the Way, the Truth, and the Light art shining within us; for thy mercy’s sake.

–Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)

New England, USA. pic.twitter.com/YOi40UyNhu

— Murat (@lovesgeography) October 25, 2023

The Lord determined to lay in ruins
the wall of the daughter of Zion;
he marked it off by the line;
he restrained not his hand from destroying;
he caused rampart and wall to lament,
they languish together.

Her gates have sunk into the ground;
he has ruined and broken her bars;
her king and princes are among the nations;
the law is no more,
and her prophets obtain
no vision from the Lord.

The elders of the daughter of Zion
sit on the ground in silence;
they have cast dust on their heads
and put on sackcloth;
the maidens of Jerusalem
have bowed their heads to the ground.

My eyes are spent with weeping;
my soul is in tumult;
my heart is poured out in grief[a]
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,
because infants and babes faint
in the streets of the city.

They cry to their mothers,
“Where is bread and wine?”
as they faint like wounded men
in the streets of the city,
as their life is poured out
on their mothers’ bosom.

What can I say for you, to what compare you,
O daughter of Jerusalem?
What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you,
O virgin daughter of Zion?
For vast as the sea is your ruin;
who can restore you?

Your prophets have seen for you
false and deceptive visions;
they have not exposed your iniquity
to restore your fortunes,
but have seen for you oracles
false and misleading.

All who pass along the way
clap their hands at you;
they hiss and wag their heads
at the daughter of Jerusalem;
“Is this the city which was called
the perfection of beauty,
the joy of all the earth?”

–Lamentations 2:8-15

Bore atmosfferig bendigedig bore ‘ma…fi’n caru boreue fel hyn👌🏼 Bore da x

Fabulous atmospheric morning with us this morning…I just love mornings like this👌🏼Bore da x@StormHour @ThePhotoHour @Ruth_ITV @S4Ctywydd pic.twitter.com/6Rjhs2UlN3

— Aled Hall 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@AledHall) October 25, 2023

One in three church leaders say they want to step down from their roles within the next two years due to job-related stress, according to a new survey by Unite.

The trade union’s study revealed that 75 per cent of those surveyed regularly work beyond their contracted hours, often facing challenging situations such as providing support to individuals suffering from acute mental illness.

Rev Nicky Skipworth from Unite shared with Premier the challenging nature of the clergy’s role, emphasising the desire to be there for people in times of need but feeling they often have to rely on family and friends to feel listened to.

Read it all.

Parish vacancies are on the rise and the cause is multi-tiered, might this be a factor?
Church leaders considering quitting job due to stress – Premier Christian News | Headlines, Breaking News, Comment & Analysis https://t.co/BkesdYa4la

— Simon Moore (@simonqmoore) October 24, 2023

It has been some time since an Englishman on the other side of the world could meet strangers and break the ice, find empathy, mutual understanding and common humanity, with the utterance of two words: Bobby Charlton.

Yet, with his passing, a little piece of England dies, too. He was more than a great footballer and a good man. He was our connection to what we believe was a gentler, nobler time. He was our bridge to loyalty and duty, to modesty and diligence. Sir Bobby Charlton came to represent much of what we thought was the best of us. His excellence on the football field set him apart, but Charlton the man mattered as much. His self-effacing nature, his ordinariness, his bald pate, his unassuming demeanour.

One can only imagine what he would have made of the many thousands of words spilt on his behalf today. At the height of his playing career, a respected writer described him as England’s greatest-ever footballer. Far from revelling in the praise, Charlton had the good grace to appear embarrassed. “Well,” he shrugged, finally, “he’s entitled to his opinion.”

Read it all (subscription).

pic.twitter.com/iyRjQgaTdk

— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) October 24, 2023

We threw a few questions Chris’s way:

Chris, a 2030 Hymnal?  Six years seems like such a long time. Why will it take that long?

Six years is a long time, yes, absolutely! I think several things are important to keep in mind about the process of creating a hymnal, which is not unlike the process undertaken to compile the 2019 Book of Common Prayer, which took a similar amount of time. Projects like this one are the production of a committee of people, representing different areas of focus in the worship life of the Church. Gathering people together, most of whom are musicians and clergy already engaged in full-time ministry in a parish setting, takes plenty of time!

There are 12 people on the Commission. How will the work be organized?

Our work will be divided among four sub-committees:

• Hymns of the Anglican patrimony (think hymns distinctive of the English Cathedral tradition, that which composes the repertoire of our latest hymnals of 1940, 1982, and the REC’s Book of Common Praise, 2017)
• Hymns of ecumenical/global significance
• Hymns, choruses, & spiritual songs of the last half-century
• Service music for BCP 2019, both ordinary and traditional language texts

Read it all.

Bishop Edgar And Chris Walchesky Named To ACNA Hymnal Commission https://t.co/SQXLAIlisJ [Saint Philip's, Charleston, SC; Molly Hare] #anglican #music #hymnal #parishministry #southcarolina pic.twitter.com/beO1XELXDt

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) October 24, 2023

Europe’s deadliest war in generations remains exceedingly violent, precariously balanced and increasingly complicated by factors far from the battlefield.

Ukrainian and Russian soldiers are squared off across trench lines that have barely shifted for nearly a year. Meanwhile, tens of millions of Ukrainians are bracing for another winter of terror and suffering as Moscow stockpiles missiles that could be used to target their nation’s infrastructure in an attempt to demoralize civilians and make cities uninhabitable.

Ukrainian forces are still fighting to break through heavily fortified Russian lines in the south, but the pace of their advance has been slow, averaging only 90 yards per day during the peak of the summer offensive, according to a new analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

That is the same pace as the Allied forces during the bloody five-month Battle of the Somme in 1916, the analysis said.

Read it all.

The fighting in Ukraine remains exceedingly violent as both sides try to muster the weapons and personnel to endure.https://t.co/Z0XCWT5TvC

— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 23, 2023

In a year when the US economy exceeded almost everybody’s expectations, the underlying federal deficit roughly doubled, spotlighting a dire fiscal trajectory likely to only worsen the partisan budget battles in Washington.

The government ran a $2.02 trillion deficit for the fiscal year through September, after adjustments to remove the impact of President Joe Biden’s student-loan forgiveness program, which was scotched by the Supreme Court. The gap is $1.02 trillion more than the prior year.

The surge is a powerful illustration of a fiscal path that’s triggered warnings from economists, politicians and credit rating agencies. It also helps explain why yields on longer-term US Treasuries are reaching highs unseen since before the global financial crisis, with the government needing to issue ever more debt to cover the shortfall of revenues relative to spending. Ten-year yields surpassed 5% on Monday.

Read it all.

The US government had a $2 trillion budget deficit for the fiscal year through September, a gap that's $1 trillion more than the prior year. https://t.co/M69cTCs6Yl pic.twitter.com/LMOoK3Nxen

— Lisa Abramowicz (@lisaabramowicz1) October 24, 2023

Set us free, loving Father, from the bondage of our sins, and in your goodness and mercy give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Magnifique décor au cœur des alpes, Barrage d’Emosson 💙⛰️🤩🇨🇭#suisse #switzerland #schweiz #landscape #photography #paysage #nature #lake #mountains #automne @MySwitzerland_e @valaiswallis pic.twitter.com/f66O8qqbLj

— Délèze Dominique (@DelezeD) October 24, 2023

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

–Matthew 11:25-30

Morning everyone hope you are well. I have to admit that when I see beauty, it gives me inspiration, and you don't get more beautiful than this. Looking out of the Jaws of Borrowdale across Castle Crag, Derwentwater and beyond. Have a great day. #LakeDistrict @keswickbootco pic.twitter.com/glt7H86uHg

— Rod Hutchinson (@lakesrhino) October 24, 2023

The Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, who has co-chaired the Living in Love and Faith steering group, said: “This twin-track approach means that prayers asking for God’s blessing for same-sex couples will be available for use in church very soon, as Synod has asked. A means of offering special, standalone services for same-sex couples will go forward to be considered for formal authorisation at a later stage.

“While we do not all agree about questions of marriage and sexual intimacy, a long period of discernment has shown that a majority of people would like to see a change in the Church of England’s approach to same-sex relationships. Based on what the Church has told us, no change is not an option.

“There are those who would like to see us go much further, and those who believe we are going too far. Yet we have expressed our heartfelt wish to remain together as one Church. The pastoral provision must protect and value both those who struggle so much with this that they need reassurance, and those who wish to place same-sex relationships before God in prayer.

“In other words, it will be ‘both and’, not ‘either or’. We are implementing what Synod asked us to, prayerfully and with the hope of God’s Grace.”

Read it all.

Reading synod papers on a train journey (old journalistic habits die hard?!).

I'm intrigued that the press release states that in February, the Synod "voted for no change to the doctrine of the Church of England around marriage and sexual intimacy."https://t.co/ybKBQUNLTk

— Christopher Landau (@talkChristianly) October 20, 2023

Read it all.

Check out the images: How plants communicate with each other when in danger – The Washington Post https://t.co/ihADJgFckc

— Michael Pollan (@michaelpollan) October 21, 2023

Read it all.

Quantum technology could shatter the world of privacy and security as we know it. The U.S. is racing to develop a new generation of encryption systems in response. The pace of the migration, some experts fear, may not be fast enough to avert catastrophe. https://t.co/kuiVSwuUeO

— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 22, 2023