ALF&BETH

Alpha and Omega;

         Know what I am?

         No permutational stringing of characters

                may fully describe divine being -

A to Z:

          Know your way around?

          No list of streets or indexed maps

                 define the pilgrim path -

Aleph, Beth, Gimel:

          Know the mathematical infinities?

          No measure even they

                 of redeeming grace -

Alpha and Omega…

A to Z…

Alphabets proliferate -

          Yet impotent all to measure faith

          As at Babel, all unable to comprehend -

And yet…

Alf, and Beth, and so many more

          Know me quite well,

          Tread with familiarity the pilgrim path,

          and are, by unspeakable grace, redeemed.

Primates2016

Too early to have  reflected enough on the outcome of Primates 2016 and make any wise or astute observations - simply time to reflect on a feeling of intellectual and emotional numbness at the endless process of discernment that the Church subjects itself to: Progress towards inclusive ministry irrespective of gender has taken a generation and more, progress towards informed understanding and acceptance of the nature of gender and sexuality feels like it might take the church another generation - which may be too late.. the pews might be empty and gone by then.

And no-one knew what to hope for from Primates2016 - but if you had asked me a decade or so ago where I thought we might be by now, then my answer might have been as follows:
 
That we would see something like:

 Resolution 26x - Church and LGBT+ individuals
The Anglican Communion upholds monogamy as God's plan, and as the ideal relationship of love between husband and wife; nevertheless we recommend that LGBT+ individuals who respond to the Gospel and are within or wish to join the Anglican Church may be baptized and confirmed with their partner and children and enjoy full sacramental fellowship on the following conditions:
(1) that the LGBT+ individuals shall promise to be faithful to their partner so long as they both are alive;
(2) that the receiving of such LGBT+ individuals has the consent of the local Anglican community;
(3) that such LGBT+ individuals shall not be compelled to put away any existing partner at the time of conversion;
(4) and recommends that provinces are encouraged to share information of their pastoral approach to Christians who are LGBT+ individuals so that the most appropriate way of pastoring them can be found, and that the ACC be requested to facilitate the sharing of that information.

 - given that Lambeth Conference 1988 came out with the following:

 Resolution 26 - Church and Polygamy
This Conference upholds monogamy as God's plan, and as the ideal relationship of love between husband and wife; nevertheless recommends that a polygamist who responds to the Gospel and wishes to join the Anglican Church may be baptized and confirmed with his believing wives and children on the following conditions:
(1) that the polygamist shall promise not to marry again as long as any of his wives at the time of his conversion are alive;
(2) that the receiving of such a polygamist has the consent of the local Anglican community;
(3) that such a polygamist shall not be compelled to put away any of his wives, on account of the social deprivation they would suffer;
(4) and recommends that provinces where the Churches face problems of polygamy are encouraged to share information of their pastoral approach to Christians who become polygamists so that the most appropriate way of disciplining and pastoring them can be found, and that the ACC be requested to facilitate the sharing of that information.

Alphabet Cricket

I was recently given a copy of 'In Darkest England and The Way Out' by General Booth. Though I have skip read a few pages to sense the tone of Booth's concerns, my main interest has been in the missing title page and annotated fly leaf and front board. On these pages are inscribed a code and game scores as follows:

A = 2 E = 1 I = 0 O = 3 U = 2
B = Bowled C = Caught D = 4 F = 2 G = 3 H = L B W
J = 5 K = Caught L = 6 M = Stumped N = Run Out
O = 0 P = 4 Q = 6 R = 2 S = 1
T = 3 U = 6 V = Caught W = L B W X = 5
Y = 0 Z = 6

This game of cricket from text has repeated (different) entries for the vowels, O and U, and thus appears to have been improvised. Remnants of games are also evident:
*1 3 1 out 4
*2 out 0
*3 0 1 6 2 out 9
*4 1 3 2 3 out 9
*5 3 3 1 0 2 out 9
*6 3 0 out 3
*7 0 3 out 3
*8 1 0 out 1
*9 0 6 1 4 6 out 17
*10 0 0 1 out 1
11 0 2 4 not out 6


*1 0 1 out 1
*2 0 2 0 out 2
*3 1 out 1
*4 0 1 4 2 2 out 11
*5 1 0 1 0 2 out 4
*6 0 0 out 0
*7 1 0 out 1
*8 3 2 0 6 2 2 2 1 2 out 20
*9 2 0 1 1 1 3 6 1 0 3 2 0 1 0 out 21
*10 1 4 2 2 3 0 1 13
*11 0 out 0


*1 3 1 1 2 6 2 18
*2 0 0
*3 1 2 0 3
*4 2 4 0 6
*5 0 2 4 out 6
*6 3 1 2 3 3 out 12
*7 1 0 0 6 1 out 8
*8 2 3 2 3 out 10
*9 2 out 2
*10 3 3 2 out 8
*11 2 3 3 8


What these annotations represent is a form of alphabet cricket as popularised in the Eagle Annual number 5

With news that the new Bishop of Bath and Wells will live in the Palace, a comment from the episcopal doormat:


THE EPISCOPAL DOORMAT

I hear that they know my threshold - the one where in future I’ll serve:
The place of coming and going, of greetings and farewells.

‘Beautiful feet’ shall know my fibres taking the damp, the muck, the grit
From their soles as they enter in to meet my Bishop, and his Lord -

Who washed the feet of His friends: the one’s He called to serve.
To people, all coming and going, my greeting shall be in Wells.

My Bishop shall show his fibre: sharing the tears, the hopes, the fears
Of the souls who enter in to meet with him, and his Lord.

I’m only a humble doormat: offering a practical welcome,
A simple role of service that’s all that I can do.

I have no beauty or attraction, many will not notice me at all,
Taking the damp, the muck, the grit of greetings and farewells.

And caressing the daily rhythm as my Bishop walks to prayer:
Spending time with his Lord and with his servant friends.

“The Lord defend his going out and his coming in, now and always”

http://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2014/02/house-of-bishops-pastoral-guidance-on-same-sex-marriage.aspx

Pilling...

The publication of the Pilling Report signals the beginning of an important period of listening and conversation in and by the Church of England about relationships - a period during which there will need to be some seriously gracious listening and careful reflection. As with this comment, which is personal, we need to be careful in distinguishing between what we individually may feel or believe and what can in any sense be owned as common or shared belief. I was particularly drawn by the remarks of the Bishop of Buckingham, Alan Wilson, on his blog http://bishopalan.blogspot.com/ where he writes: "I have been asked by various people, however, for some resources to inform, enrich and enlarge intelligent conversations on this subject. Such conversations carry their own risks. It can exacerbate the problem when straight twosomes talk, even well-meaningly, about gay people rather than with them. I also realise how weird it seems to the majority of people younger than me who have sorted this subject and moved on that we are still talking about it at all. They feel as though they had strayed into a Saudi discussion of whether women should be allowed to drive."

Twitter conversation: Re #Synod

Twitter conversation: @O...D... How many #Synod members does it take to change a lightbulb? - CHANGE???! @A…….. What's a lightbulb? @C….A…... #synod might sit in dark & not change lightbulb - debating type and size of candle acceptable for non lightbulb users @O...D... That may not be too far from the truth!