Tuesday 5 May 2009

Another great disruption?

It seems to be everywhere, so I suppose I'll add my tuppence worth. I'm talking about the gay minister issue. Another news story has appeared on the BBC.

Here's what I think, as someone without proper theological training.
  1. There are many areas in the life of the kirk where the scriptures are interpreted to a certain degree; put into context of the time and/or reflected for our own time. The two things that especially spring to mind for me is divorce and the ordination of women. Jesus taught about divorce and His disciples were all men. Those were the arguments for not allowing divorcees to be re-married in the kirk for a long time and to prevent the ordination of women. Both of those things are fairly common throughout most of the kirk.
  2. As the editorial in Life and Work states, does those against Rev. Scott Rennie call to Queen's Cross Church in Aberdeen implement all of Leviticus? I think not.
  3. The greatest commandment is to "Love one another". I see little love in the current petition from those against Rev. Rennie.
A positive I think may be taken from this terrible situation is the Church of Scotland's General Assembly will have to tackle this issue once and for all. I hope and pray the General Assembly commissioners reach the right decision. A decision which shows God's love. Unfortunately, that decision may be the worst thing that's happened to the Kirk since the great disruption of 1843.

I hope and pray it won't be. That the quiet majority will be heard. That God's grace will be found.
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4 comments:

  1. Iain5 May 2009 at 22:17

    Thanks for your thoughts. It's no bad thing to add your own thoughts, especially when they are helping the debate become more reasoned. Even if you don't have formal theological training (I don't either) I don't think that matters. In fact it can often be a problem, where academic arguments are played out without thought of how they relate to real people. Of course Theological study is also a wonderful thing too but never feel scared of expressing your opinion just because others have some letters after their name.

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  2. Nik8 May 2009 at 11:35

    And the irony in the whole situation is that the Dispruption was about a congregation's right to call its minister...

    But don't folks realise that the thing works both ways:
    if we lose the right to call our ministers, sure a church might not be allowed to call someone who is gay... but, on the other hand, a church who thus far may have managed to duck the womens ordination debate [40 years and and yet I know there are still places I won't be able to go to as a woman...] may have a woman 'imposed' on them.
    And, interestingly, it appears that Skye and Lochcarron don't seem to have one female minister at all.

    Irony is the only way I'm coping with this whole matter....

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  3. Mrs Gerbil8 May 2009 at 13:54

    Yeah, I do love the irony of the whole situation too. It's just a pity a fairly diverse church like the kirk can't see past this.

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  4. Nik8 May 2009 at 14:27

    Well Mrs G, I think it's more some of the folks in the church can't see past this, not the whole shebang. This is, in itself, at least somewhat heartening.
    I really sooooo have to do some work now - I've procrastinated waaay too long today!! :)

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