Should the Church of England be Disestablished?

Sunday, December 21st, 2008

Many of today’s Sunday papers carried the story that there is a move afoot amongst some members of parliament to disestablish the Church of England. This follows a comment by the Archbishop of Canterbury last week when he said the separation of church and state would not be “the end of the world”. He has since clarified his statement by saying that he is not in favour of disestablishment.

The Church of England is unique in its links between Church and State, and whilst some of the practical implications of this relationship are now in question, such as the religious allegiance of the reigning monarch or of his/her spouse, the question of whether it is right to continue this relationship is an important one.

For my own part, I am and Anglican by choice, and a member of the Church of England because I believe that this relationship best expresses the call for Christians to be engaged with the world in which we live in a profound way. At my Ordination I took, as is required, and oath of obedience to Her Majesty, her heirs and successors, and in doing so pledged to live a Christian life which is intrinsically linked with the society in which I live and minister. I agree that I didn’t have to make a formal oath to pledge engagement with the wider world, but in doing so, the country in which I live pledges to share in my Ministry, rather than be separate from it. In forming my understanding of the Christian faith and settling into a denomination that best expresses how I see the Christian faith lived out , it was this link that prevented me from turning to Rome many years ago, or indeed any of the other denominations that I looked at.

It is true that we live in what some describe as a secular age, where many feel uncomfortable with this relationship between Church and State. It is true also that in a multi-faith society we need to learn to tolerate and respect those whose faith journey’s are different from our own, but this does not mean that we should dispense with our own identity. The greatest strength that this country has is its unique relationship with the Church of England, and the way in which this relationship holds together a diverse Church which might otherwise be fragmented and do nothing to further the Christian Gospel.

This relationship also means that the voice of faith is heard in our national life in an important way. Many have also questioned the relevance of having Bishop’s voices heard in the House of Lords. One of the main criticisms of this practice is that it allows one religious group only to have a voice. In our Archbishop , and in many of our Bishops, we have a concern not only for the Christian faith as understood by the Church of England, but a sensitivity to faith communities in general, and it is important that we allow this voice to continue to be heard and to be an influence in our nation’s life.

Jesus lived as a full member of the society in which he was a part, not separate from it, and the Church of England stands as a living example of his example and our calling. Long may it continue to do so.

Tags: Being Church, Church and state, Church of England, disestablishment, Mission, The Christian Faith
Posted in Discussing Christianity, Food for Thought | No Comments »

Roger’s Christmas Crafts

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

Hey Kids…..its nearly Christmas !!!! What a fantastic time of the year ….. I just love every minute of it. Now, last month, I told you how to make those scrumptiously wonderful lollies, and this month I am going to tell you what to do with all the left over yogurt pots…and how to make a fab Christmas scene !

What you need are at least five yogurt pots, some paint, some tissue paper, a lolly stick and an empty cereal box.

Firstly cut off the front of the cereal box, (don’t forget to put this piece of cardboard in the recycling bin), and then paint the inside of the box that’s left so it looks like a stable.

Peel off the labels from the yogurt pots, and turn four of them upside down. Then paint them so they look like people, one for Mary, one for Joseph, and two to look like shepherds.

Whilst they are drying paint the last pot brown, and this time putting it the right way up, stuff it with torn up tissue paper. Then break off a bit of the lolly stick, and paint a tiny face on it so it looks like the baby Jesus, and pop it on top of the manger you have made out of the last pot. Once everything is dry, you can arrange the figures, and decorate the crib scene with any other bits and pieces that are lying around (but ask Mum and Dad first) Then enjoy it….

Mine is fabtabulastic !!

Have a great Christmas, its Jesus’ special birthday, and he wants us to enjoy it.

Love

Roger

Posted in Kids stuff, Roger's bits | No Comments »