You can listen directly just above or you can download it also there.
One the little joys of the Epiphany happens at Compline:
Blessed art thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven;
to be praised and glorified above all for ever. pic.twitter.com/FlX1Dtx7Jw— laudablePractice (@cath_cov) January 5, 2021
Almighty God,
who wonderfully created us in your own image
and yet more wonderfully restored us
through your Son Jesus Christ:
grant that, as he came to share in our humanity,
so we may share the life of his divinity;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Wat zonne-vitaminen om de eerste (werk)week van het nieuwe jaar in te gaan. Fijne dinsdag😀 #natuur #landschap #winter #ElstUt #Elsterbuitenwaard #Nederrijn #hoogwater #binnenvaart #zonsopkomst #mooieluchten pic.twitter.com/8GBoT0kfl4
— Tjark Dieterman (@DietermanTjark) January 2, 2024
‘At a moment in history God broke through an adolescent girl’s womb in the Ancient Near East,
eternity intersected with time,
the supernatural became the natural,
the author of the story entered as a character in his own book,
and, in the memorable words of JB Phillips which I have always loved, we became the visited planet.’
–Yours truly from the morning sermon
Adoration of the Shepherds by Dutch painter Matthias Stomer, 1632. pic.twitter.com/KnJq38VjXy
— Archaeology & Art (@archaeologyart) December 24, 2021
O God, our strength and our salvation, who didst call thy servant Thomas Becket to be a shepherd of thy people and a defender of thy Church: Keep thy household from all evil and raise up among us faithful pastors and leaders who are wise in the ways of the Gospel; through Jesus Christ the shepherd of our souls, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
On this day in 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered at the Cathedral by four knights, sent by King Henry II.
Join us this evening at 5.30pm, for our Memorial Service for the Martyrdom of St Thomas.
Find out more: https://t.co/b15uXb0PaF pic.twitter.com/5PRsaIa5U7
— Canterbury Cathedral (@CburyCathedral) December 29, 2023
For all 4 Advent and Christmas Eve services throughout the diocese today.
Faith leaders in London and the south-east have joined forces with the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, in calling on the Government to address the leave-to-remain status situation for asylum-seekers, and the increasing risk of homelessness this winter…. They want practice to match policy, better communication, and for the timeframe to be extended.
Forty-five of them signed the letter, sent last week to Michael Tomlinson MP and Baroness Scott of Bybrook, ministers respectively in the Home Office and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Signatories included the Bishops of Chelmsford, Southwark, and Rochester, and their area and suffragan bishops.
Welcoming the Home Office’s efforts to tackle its backlog on asylum claims, the faith leaders say that they are “concerned at the number [of refugees] who, on receiving their leave to remain, are becoming street homeless”. They report growing demand in London’s churches, mosques, gurdwaras, synagogues, and temples, for support with accommodation from those with new refugee status.
Faith leaders in London and the south-east have joined forces with @bishopSarahM in calling on the Government to address the leave-to-remain status situation for asylum-seekers, and the increasing risk of homelessness this winterhttps://t.co/MW6noWWnJo
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) December 22, 2023
The next Area Bishop of Edmonton, in the diocese of London, will be Canon Anderson Jeremiah, Associate Dean (Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and People) in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Lancaster University, it was announced on Wednesday.
He will be the first presbyter ordained in the Church of South India (CSI), a United Church, to be appointed as a bishop in the Church of England, and will be the fourth bishop in the C of E to have been born in India….
Dr Jeremiah is associate priest of St Paul’s, Scotforth, in the diocese of Blackburn, where he serves as the Bishop’s Adviser for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Affairs and is an Honorary Canon. He served on the Anti-Racism Taskforce, which preceded the creation of the Racial Justice Unit…, and, as Bishop of Edmonton, will take responsibility for the racial-justice portfolio in the London College of Bishops.
Canon Anderson Jeremiah @TheOutsider40 said on his nomination as the next Bishop of Edmonton: "My personal experiences of exclusion and discrimination have formed my life, research, and ministry, and inspire me to embody the expansive hospitality of God."https://t.co/CMsEmPPKT7
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) December 21, 2023
You can listen directly just above or you can download it also there.
David Cumbie of Church of the Apostles, Houston, called to be new rector of Holy Cross, Sullivan's Island #SouthCarolina https://t.co/0ylo4poNBE #parishministry #lowcountrylife #anglican #religion #faith #transition #leadership #marriage #family #children #texas #acna pic.twitter.com/oAsFYduwBZ
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) October 18, 2023
“The bishops have exported this division down to every single local parish”
Two ordained women – Rev Catherine Bond and her partner Rev Jane Pearse – became one of the first same-sex couples to be blessed at a Church of England service, at St John the Baptist Church in Felixstowe yesterday. The couple has reportedly acknowledged that there is still “a lot pain” over the existence of their relationship.
The move to bless same-sex relationships has caused widespread division within the denomination, throughout the seven year process of deliberation and discernment known as ‘Living in Love and Faith’. Conservatives, who believe marriage must be heterosexual, and liberals pressing for change have yet to reach agreement or even a happy compromise.
Dunnett says it remains a highly divisive situation: “You’re going to have fractious debate at parochial church council meetings. You’re going to have vicars having to explain to people why they’re not doing this…
“This is going to be a recipe for distrust. It’s going to bring fracture to relationships that have up to now been good in local parishes.
“Already we’re hearing from clergy person after clergy person and from PCC members in dioceses all over the country that they are fearing what is now going to happen.”
Groundbreaking for The Parish Church at Habersham
Read it all and enjoy the video.
The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) has not been able to agree on who should be the next Bishop of Carlisle, it was announced on Friday. A new nomination is unlikely to be made for more than a year.
In a statement, the Archbishop of York said that, “very sadly”, the CNC had “not been able to reach the level of consensus required to nominate a new Diocesan Bishop” for Carlisle.
“Over the course of the next months,” Archbishop Cottrell continued, “the Crown Nominations Commission will need to reflect, and make a decision about which stage it wishes to recommence the discernment process. This is not likely to be before the Spring of 2025,” Archbishop Cottrell said.
The Commission, which nominates diocesan bishops to the Crown, comprises both Archbishops, six representatives from the diocese, and six members of the General Synod.
“Over the course of the next months, the Crown Nominations Commission will need to reflect, and make a decision about which stage it wishes to recommence the discernment process. This is not likely to be before the Spring of 2025." https://t.co/801oV9RMhN
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) December 17, 2023
Professor Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt was awarded the 2023 Michael Ramsey Prize for Theological Writing on Thursday evening.
The award was given for his book The Love That Is God: An invitation to Christian faith (William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2020). Dr Bauerschmidt is Professor of Theology at Loyola University, Maryland, in the United States, and is a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Professor Bauerschmidt received £15,000, and was presented with a medal by the Archbishop of Canterbury during an awards ceremony in Lambeth Palace Library.
US theologian wins @MRamseyPrize for description of God’s love https://t.co/0xS6jOwiIy
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) December 15, 2023
“I’m really saddened by this,” he said. “There’s lots of clergy, evangelical clergy, middle of the road clergy and Catholic Church clergy, who are really disappointed that the House of bishops have taken this step against a lot of advice and knowing that it’s going to cause massive damage to the Church of England. So I’m disappointed that we, as a Church are putting forward prayers and we are doing it on such a narrow margin in terms of votes for and against.
“There are lots of clergy and churches who want to know how they’re going to be looked after if they dissent, if they continue to hold to the doctrine of the Church of England. None of that has been explained that this point.
“Some things in the pastoral guidance show that bishops are almost washing their hands of clergy and the doctrine. It feels like we’re almost being gaslit.”
[The] Rev [Mr] Ould said that just before the House of Bishops meeting, a broad alliance of Anglo Catholics and evangelicals had written to the bishops telling them not to go ahead with the guidance.
CofE bishops are ‘washing their hands of doctrine’ over same sex blessings says vicar – Premier Christian News | Headlines, Breaking News, Comment & Analysis https://t.co/UKYjUjgEV6
— GospelLover (@hateisfutile) December 14, 2023
The House of Bishops’ decision to commend the prayers of blessing for same-sex couples was made despite a last-minute plea from leaders in the HTB network. Inclusive groups are urging churches to use the prayers this Sunday.
A group calling itself “the Alliance”, which comprises the current and former vicars of Holy Trinity, Brompton (HTB), the Revd Archie Coates and the Revd Nicky Gumbel, along with 23 other figures in the C of E, wrote to the Bishops on Monday, the day before the meeting at which agreement was reached to commend the prayers…
The letter says: “It is not too late to delay the commending of the Prayers of Love and Faith until the complete package of the Prayers, the full Pastoral Guidance and the Pastoral Reassurance are all presented to Synod.”
The Bishops are also urged to provide “formal legal structural provision” for those who object to the introduction of the prayers. Such a settlement “will enable those who feel compelled to pursue changes to doctrine and practice to be able to minister freely without their actions causing growing schism in the Church of England”, the group writes.
Read it all (registration or subscription).
The House of Bishops’ decision to commend the prayers of blessing for same-sex couples was made despite a last-minute plea from leaders in the HTB network. Inclusive groups are urging churches to use the prayers this Sunday. https://t.co/MMwrokW6cW
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) December 14, 2023
Blessings for same-sex couples can take place within existing church services from this Sunday, after the House of Bishops formally commended the Prayers of Love and Faith at a meeting on Tuesday.
A statement on Tuesday afternoon revealed that the Bishops had voted 24-11, with three recorded abstentions, in favour of commending the collection of prayers, which were first published in draft form in January….
Two marathon debates in the General Synod, in February and November, ended with votes approving the Bishops’ plan to commend the blessings, despite threats of legal action if they were to go ahead….
The blessings have only being sanctioned for use within regular services, and not as a stand-alone service. In the Synod in November, an amendment calling on the Bishops to consider a trial period for stand-alone services was carried, albeit narrowly….
Blessings for same-sex couples can take place within existing church services from this Sunday, after the House of Bishops formally commended the Prayers of Love and Faith at a meeting on Tuesday. https://t.co/4MuuNMnPpc
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) December 12, 2023
The situation the Church of England is now in.
The situation in which the Church of England finds itself as a result of the vote on the amended House of Bishops motion on Living in Love and Faith is a peculiar one.
In its official sources of doctrine, the Church of England maintains unchanged the traditional beliefs of the Christian Church as a whole, based on the teaching of the Bible:
a) That marriage is between two people of the opposite sex, that the sole legitimate place for sexual intercourse to take place is within marriage thus defined, and that any form of marriage or sexual activity outside these parameters is sinful.
b) That sinful activity needs to be addressed through repentance, absolution and amendment of life.
c) That those who are ordained ought to be living lives of visible holiness.
However, the result of November’s Synod vote is going to be that the House of Bishops will commend prayers of blessing for use in normal church services for those in same-sex marriages and/or sexually active same-sex relationships and with also authorise experimental ‘standalone’ services to mark such marriages and relationships. This liturgical provision will not contain any call for those in such marriages and relationships to repent of them, to receive absolution and to amend their lives so that they are in conformity the Church’s teaching.
In addition, it seems almost certain that the House of Bishops will institute a change in the Church of England’s existing practice which will mean that those who are in same-sex marriages and/or same-sex sexual relationships will be permitted to be ordained. This will mean that lives of visible holiness in relation to marriage and sexual conduct will no longer be a pre-requisite for ordination.
The result of these changes will be that as a result of the action of the majority of the bishops the Church of England will be a Church that still upholds beliefs a, b and c above in terms of its official doctrine, but will have ceased to uphold them in its practice.
The question I want to address in the remainder of this paper is how conservative Christians in the Church of England who continue to uphold the traditional Christian beliefs listed above should relate to their bishops in this new situation.
Martin Davie–A response to Meg Warner ‘Does the Bible really say … that sex outside marriage is wrong? https://t.co/tYzlpsnfpt #christianity #sexualethics #marriage #bible #anglican #anthropology pic.twitter.com/qdQI0oGk5j
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) May 30, 2019
Cathedral Hymns, a collection of musicians and artists connected to the Cathedral of St. Luke & St. Paul has released a single Come Thou Long Expected Jesus. We hope this enhances your Advent worship and waiting.
Today, the Very Rev. Chip Edgar was elected Bishop Coadjutor of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina. Edgar will be in line to succeed Bishop Mark Lawrence who has served as the Diocesan Bishop since January of 2008. https://t.co/sWtfMa8Okl pic.twitter.com/dsz2zpSXht
— Anglican Diocese of SC (@anglican_sc) October 16, 2021
The Rt Revd Colin Buchanan, an Honorary Bishop in the Diocese of Leeds and eminent theologian, has passed away peacefully with his beloved family around him.
In tribute, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds has written to clergy following the sudden death of Bishop Colin in the Leeds General Infirmary on November 29.
Bishop Nick writes: “Colin is loved and respected around the world, but especially here in the Diocese of Leeds.
“Many parishes and individuals owe him a huge debt for his pastoral care, teaching and faithfulness. He will be greatly missed.
Lovely to have Bishop Colin Buchanan formerly of @SouthwarkCofE and @StJohnsNottm with us today here at #StStephensWithEastburn giving fantastic encouragement to me as new vicar and rekindling old friendships with the parish from his lent preaching and teaching @LeedsCofE pic.twitter.com/JjtSc43I6B
— David Coleman aka Sportswear Dave (@revdavidcoleman) December 8, 2019
The problem is that, as with the former Prime Minister’s claim, nobody really believes this is the case. How many people really believe that:
Charlie Bell, a supporter of getting PLF done but also a severe critic of the latest proposals, recently wrote “what the bishops have done may be legal, but it is not honest”. This echoes the language of Canon C1 and the oath of canonical obedience. The way in which the bishops are proceeding—the “nothing has changed” argument and the refusal to publish the written legal advice they have received—is very difficult to view as honest and to trust. Given the law has not formally been changed, for many the introduction of PLF means that the doctrine to which the law refers has changed in practice. If, as it is being claimed, doctrine has not changed, then what is being proposed seems to many to be not only “not honest” but also, as shown by past legal advice, probably “not legal”.
In short, unless we sincerely believe and are convinced that “nothing has changed”, then we have to say that it appears the bishops are acting in their commendation, and thereby encouraging clergy to act in their services, in ways which are unlawful. In addition, those liturgical actions are now—because of the bishops’ decisions, which do not alter the legality of what they commend and so in one sense could be described as simply symbolic or “virtue signalling”—going to attract much more attention when they take place then they have done in the past. This means clergy who accept at face value and act on the basis of the bishops’ commendation are probably more likely to face legal challenge than they were in the past.
In the light of this, it even more unacceptable that the bishops are now so reticent to set out clearly for parish clergy, and those who advise them such as archdeacons, both
It has repeatedly been stated that the CofE's doctrine of marriage has not changed. Can the bishops commend the Prayers of Love and Faith with any credibility without sharing the legal and theological basis on which they are doing so? @theologyethics1 https://t.co/3c7RlIvjb9
— Dr Ian Paul (@Psephizo) November 28, 2023
Nor do the young readers realise how much they are being taught about Christianity, for God and Jesus are never mentioned, yet the books are suffused with Lewis’s theology; and Aslan, the Lion, is an alternative incarnation which teaches more about the incarnation than a lifetime of Sunday-school lessons.
Perhaps Lewis’s single greatest legacy is to be found at the very end of the seventh of the Narnia books, The Last Battle. Like no one else, he was able to write about heaven in a way that fills the reader with longing and a conviction that, yes, the unimaginable splendour must be something like this:
“And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and so beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after.
“But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now, at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”
'My Dear Lucy, I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start… pic.twitter.com/TouRLEwJ8i
— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) November 29, 2023
I am sad to say I had another brain freeze during this one and said Lamech was in the wrong chapter in genesis he is in chapter 4.
Leandro Bassano
c 1595-1596
The Last Judgement
The National Museum
Of Western Art
Tokyo
Japan@LuciaTassan @___Diamonddust_ @redne2013 @LuisaM56_ @angelicadisogno @GiuseppeTurrisi @alecoscino @mariaireneali @Hakflak @overlooki pic.twitter.com/5s5iXFZKfd— Dil (@Asamsakti) June 27, 2020
Eternal Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven
that he might rule over all things as Lord and King:
keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit
and in the bond of peace,
and bring the whole created order to worship at his feet;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Today's the feast of Christ the King, the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Here he is with attendant seraphim by James Hogan and Harry Stammers for Powell & Sons, 1932 in the beautiful little round-towered church at Bessingham, Norfolk.
Bessingham: https://t.co/YQjdjnherm pic.twitter.com/hrGvlmsdbl
— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) November 26, 2023
The amended motion that was eventually passed on Wednesday after a long and often painful debate as different conscientiously held views were explained and exchanged noted the progress made since the February Synod which asked the House of Bishops to find ways of commending the Prayers of Love and Faith alongside a number of other commitments, not least a heartfelt declaration of repentance for the prejudice and exclusion many LGBTQIA+ people had experienced and sadly sometimes continue to experience in the church. Nothing has yet changed or been introduced, but ways forward and a path to follow is being mapped out. That’s really what this Synod was about.
In particular, what will happen next is that the prayers themselves will be commended for use, either privately and pastorally with same-sex couples, or as part of an existing or regular service in church, but standalone services, i.e. that bit of LLF which has received the most publicity, and probably where the greatest disagreement lies, will be subject to a process of authorisation under Canon B2, which would mean that in order to receive final authorisation, there would need to be a two thirds majority in favour in each of the three synodical houses – bishops, clergy, laity.
Leading up to that vote, there will probably be a period of experimentation under Canon B5A. This is the canon allows individual parishes that want to, that opt in, to apply to be able to use material on an experimental basis for a fixed period, at the end of which, Synod considers whether to extend the authorization under B2. That’s’ the vote requiring the two thirds majorities. Doing it this way will be useful way both gauging the feeling of the Church, but also give time to properly consider exactly what sort of pastoral reassurance and provision will be necessary to honour those who in good conscience won’t be able to support these developments. Again, I want you to know that I am very committed to ensuring this happens well in the Diocese of York, but also for the whole Church of England, as are my colleagues.
The pastoral guidance concerning what this means for ordinands and clergy, particularly over whether they could be permitted to enter into same-sex marriages themselves is still a work in progress and wasn’t really discussed at this synod. But it will be forthcoming in the early part of 2024.
Jesus calls peacemakers ‘children of God’, a vital message for our church as well as for our world.
Read my @DioceseofYork synod address ⬇️ https://t.co/xs4hygpAn8
— Archbishop of York (@CottrellStephen) November 18, 2023
Heavenly Father,
whose blessed Son was revealed
to destroy the works of the devil
and to make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life:
grant that we, having this hope,
may purify ourselves even as he is pure;
that when he shall appear in power and great glory
we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom;
where he is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Standard shot of the #HiddenFalls 😂 on #Dartmoor – #VenfordFalls – #VenfordBrook –#moss #dartmoorwoodland #fisheyelens pic.twitter.com/w4iv9RdPpq
— Glavind Strachan (@GlavindStrachan) November 20, 2023