In our towns and cities, perhaps even on our doorstep, there’s going to be other wedding parties, other wedding invitations. This “other wedding” was visibly demonstrated in last Monday night’s BBC 2 viewing of the sit com Rev (31st March 2014). Two of Rev’s friends, Jez and Rob of 10 years standing, invite the Rev to do the honours and marry them in church, which, as you know, is against the Church of England position on gay marriage. Rev agrees only to give them a blessing following a Wednesday communion service. But when the church’s communion service turns out to be a service decorated with flowers and confetti with a convivial party atmosphere being celebrated in the pews this was not how the Church of England through the eyes of the Archdeacon saw the communion service. The episode took a timely - but good natured swipe - on the predicament the church and it ministers now find themselves in.
The
Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 came into force on the 29th
March 2014. Soon same-sex marriages won’t be a novelty; they’ll simply be facts
of public life. Same sex couples will be able to hold
civil marriages in the same way as opposite sex couples. A couple who are already in a civil
partnership will also be able to convert this to a marriage. The church,
however, is not officially part of the celebrations of the new Marriage Act.
The Act
itself prevents the celebration of same-sex marriages in the Church of England;
in the Methodist and United Reformed Churches consultations on the issue are
currently being discussed in appointed working groups; it is my understanding
that their findings will be reported to the 2014 Methodist Conference and URC General
Assembly.
Refusing
to allow same sex marriages on church premises is, however, neither contrary to
the Equality Act nor any other legislation. The law makes it clear that
individuals and religious organisations may not be compelled to consent to, to
participate in or to conduct religious marriage ceremonies of same sex couples.
For my
part I happen to take the discipline of the Church reasonably seriously. After
all, my self-supporting ministry isn’t mine alone. It belongs to Jesus Christ,
to the place where I work, the worldwide Church and to the United Reformed
Church. It also belongs to my synod moderator, with whom it is shared. So I will abide by the rules as they are at
present.
But still
the question remains. What should I do if and when I am invited to a same sex
marriage party or invited to conduct a same sex wedding, perhaps in my own family?
I have read many reports and other studies on homosexuality, which describe the
wide range of views there are in the churches. We won’t ever find a clever
theoretical settlement on this issue that finally resolves all debate.
But things changed on the 29th March 2014. The Church - in the form of the Church of England - held out for the conventional understanding of marriage. It put its case, and lost. There is absolutely no prospect of reversing the law. So the manner of our theology must change. Instead of analysis in the abstract, we are required to do theology in the moment, in the local context with all its complexity.
As a self supporting minister working “in the world” (on the shop floor – literally) the local context is always the best place for theology. It means that minister’s can’t pretend about the world as it is. We can’t lock the doors of our buildings and do our theology in laboratory conditions. We can’t be content to think in the abstract about idealized lives. Nor can we settle for recruiting a congregation with narrow interests or to build a community in our own image. God calls us out, into the world, to seek him and his Kingdom there. We must seek to understand scripture and to apply our faith among the lives that are lived in the streets outside the church. Our theology and our pastoral practice must always be adequate for our local church. Or else they're not adequate at all. My personal preference has always been to do theology from the ground up, working with both context and scripture, meeting real people who live real lives and making a space for hope, knowledge of God, mercy and peace, grace and truth. So I’m relieved that the phase of campaigning and theorising is over for Gay/Equal Marriage. Christianity is much better at dealing with facts, rather than hypotheses. And now the facts include equal marriage.
Throughout Jesus' itinerant ministry in the years that followed that rather awkward moment at the wedding in Cana, he was confronted with more real-life situations. Ministers of the Church find themselves regularly in unplanned moments where some kind of pastoral response is required of us and a blessing required. The reality is that our ministries will now take place in a society which includes the fact of same-sex marriage. We'll need to work out responses that are, at the very least, welcoming and accepting.
At the present time my church prevents me from marrying same sex couples, but I can show my support for their commitment and wish them well. I’m open to more learning in this and I've been glad to learn from people with whom I disagree (it is unfair to dub all who dissent as homophobic: there are many people of integrity for whom equal marriage is hard to accept); as well as those who share my thoughts. I agree with the Dean of Durham in his recent blog Equal Marriage – Crossing the Threshold that we need to be more intelligent about thinking biblically in relation to equal marriage. As the Dean states “equal marriage is another stage in the long evolution of an institution that has been reshaped at different times down the centuries. But its essence is what it always was: the covenanted union of two people for life. That has not changed.” And in all these complex issues we must acknowledge the pain and anger of gay people, people who are friends and family members who continue to feel excluded by the church’s stance on equal marriage, and from the church itself. I guess it will take time for change to be received and its theological significance understood.
But things changed on the 29th March 2014. The Church - in the form of the Church of England - held out for the conventional understanding of marriage. It put its case, and lost. There is absolutely no prospect of reversing the law. So the manner of our theology must change. Instead of analysis in the abstract, we are required to do theology in the moment, in the local context with all its complexity.
As a self supporting minister working “in the world” (on the shop floor – literally) the local context is always the best place for theology. It means that minister’s can’t pretend about the world as it is. We can’t lock the doors of our buildings and do our theology in laboratory conditions. We can’t be content to think in the abstract about idealized lives. Nor can we settle for recruiting a congregation with narrow interests or to build a community in our own image. God calls us out, into the world, to seek him and his Kingdom there. We must seek to understand scripture and to apply our faith among the lives that are lived in the streets outside the church. Our theology and our pastoral practice must always be adequate for our local church. Or else they're not adequate at all. My personal preference has always been to do theology from the ground up, working with both context and scripture, meeting real people who live real lives and making a space for hope, knowledge of God, mercy and peace, grace and truth. So I’m relieved that the phase of campaigning and theorising is over for Gay/Equal Marriage. Christianity is much better at dealing with facts, rather than hypotheses. And now the facts include equal marriage.
Throughout Jesus' itinerant ministry in the years that followed that rather awkward moment at the wedding in Cana, he was confronted with more real-life situations. Ministers of the Church find themselves regularly in unplanned moments where some kind of pastoral response is required of us and a blessing required. The reality is that our ministries will now take place in a society which includes the fact of same-sex marriage. We'll need to work out responses that are, at the very least, welcoming and accepting.
At the present time my church prevents me from marrying same sex couples, but I can show my support for their commitment and wish them well. I’m open to more learning in this and I've been glad to learn from people with whom I disagree (it is unfair to dub all who dissent as homophobic: there are many people of integrity for whom equal marriage is hard to accept); as well as those who share my thoughts. I agree with the Dean of Durham in his recent blog Equal Marriage – Crossing the Threshold that we need to be more intelligent about thinking biblically in relation to equal marriage. As the Dean states “equal marriage is another stage in the long evolution of an institution that has been reshaped at different times down the centuries. But its essence is what it always was: the covenanted union of two people for life. That has not changed.” And in all these complex issues we must acknowledge the pain and anger of gay people, people who are friends and family members who continue to feel excluded by the church’s stance on equal marriage, and from the church itself. I guess it will take time for change to be received and its theological significance understood.
In the
meantime I’m certain that our church here in Crook will remain open to all
people, regardless of their sexuality and lifestyle. I hope as Christians we
will do our best to be non-judgemental and to be generous in our invitations.
We will remain an “open church.” Open to God in his life-giving word and open
to the real lives of those around us.
