tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295567482011-12-07T08:33:38.826ZExplorations of an Anglican priestDavid Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-85499871514710231232011-12-07T08:33:00.000Z2011-12-07T08:33:38.836Z

"For the church today the challenge is to find a way of focusing our attention outside the institution and to resist the temptation to become preoccupied with the insistent internal demands for more money, new roofs, more clergy, more children in the Sunday school and more young families in the pews." Ann Morisy (Journeying Out, 2006, p3) Discuss...

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-66203167943480576652011-09-21T11:25:00.003+01:002011-09-21T11:26:32.408+01:00

Sermon on St Matthew’s Day Reading: Matthew 9: 9 – 13 The day Matthew the tax-collector joined Jesus was a great day for the movement which became the church ; and today we celebrate Matthew’s witness. To Matthew is attributed one of the four gospels with so much of the sayings and teachings of Jesus about the kingdom of God . Though we don’t know much about Matthew, we can celebrate that here

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-21932210820786757802010-03-08T07:57:00.010Z2010-03-22T22:52:54.890Z

Believing in God is bonkers - that's pretty much the default attitude towards religion in popular metropolitan culture in the UK today. More people are out and proud to be self-declared atheists than ever before, and quite a lot of atheists make a point of ridiculing belief in God as often as they can. A range of belittling jibes are deployed by militant atheists: religionists are deluded,

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-12787426721272225172009-07-29T07:12:00.004+01:002009-07-31T06:55:58.186+01:00

To illustrate my view on the proposed Anglican Covenant I simply quote these words from Anglican blogger Jared Cramer in his analysis of the flaws in Archbishop Rowan's response to the recent General Convention of the US Episcopal Church:" I believe the fundamental problem with ++Rowan’s perspective is the idea that “the present structures” have “safeguarded our unity.” Rowan’s faith is in

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-79745698836962726272009-07-07T07:12:00.004+01:002009-07-07T07:49:17.249+01:00

There's been criticism by gay rights defenders of the Queen's message of good wishes to the newly-formed Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA) meeting in London this week. And some Anglicans too might feel dismayed that the Governor of the Church of England appears to be endorsing a breakaway group. But I think the Queen has pulled off a rather wonderful diplomatic coup. By sending this

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-70053785153770926972009-02-11T15:49:00.000Z2009-02-11T15:51:03.760Z

Holding Together: Gospel,Church and Spirit-the essentials of Christian indentity: Gospel, Church and Spirit - The Essentials of Christian Identity by Christopher J. Cocksworth My review rating: 2 of 5 starsThis book has an admirable intention. It tries to show that the Scripture, the Church and the Spirit are essential elements of being Christian which all churches must hold together if they

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-2883790027034179862009-02-01T18:03:00.000Z2009-02-01T18:03:37.307Z

Bus slogan generator

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-44673197153754815442009-01-18T17:28:00.000Z2009-01-18T17:29:20.644Z

Have you travelled on an “atheist bus” yet? This is thecampaign, initiated by journalist Ariane Sherine and backed by Richard Dawkins and the British Humanist Association, to place posters on buses which say “There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” I haven’t been on one yet and I’m not sure how I’d feel about it if I had to! The official responses of church leaders seem

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-53567076483906424602008-12-13T18:24:00.003Z2008-12-15T08:31:19.078Z

I was sad when I read yesterday in the Church Times that Jonathan Bailey has died. He was only 69 years old. Jonathan was latterly Bishop of Derby. I worked with him when he was Archdeacon of Southend in the Diocese of Chelmsford and I was Industrial Chaplain for Harlow from 1989 until 1997; though Jonathan was appointed to a suffragan bishopric in another diocese before I left Essex. One of his

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-43273919755153039062008-12-10T09:53:00.002Z2008-12-10T10:00:48.113Z

I am delighted to learn today that the Archbishop of Canterbury has joined with the heads of the Church of Sweden and the Protestant Church in Germany and written a letter to Sarkozy, as President of the Council of the European Union, ahead of the EU summit tomorrow urging him to ensure that climate action is not sidelined because of the current economic crisis. The full text of the letter can be

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-36676020459071733522008-12-08T08:19:00.004Z2008-12-08T08:57:42.024Z

Today is one of the festivals of Mary in the churches of both the East and the West - in honour of her conception. Christians remember the starting point of Mary's earthly existence; those first cells that became the human person of the mother of Jesus; and so today the Church is celebrating the very stirrings of God's plan to restore the world.Without Mary there is no Jesus. This is true not

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-39385239168026237882008-10-02T07:24:00.002+01:002008-10-02T07:27:21.511+01:00

I was struck by this prayer offered by the Presiding Bishop of the (US)Episcopal Church at the recent service in New York on the occasion of the UN Extraordinary meeting to review urgently progress on the millennium Development Goals:May God bless you with discomfort,At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,So that you may live deep within your heart.May God bless you with

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-12351224445885403862008-07-21T17:33:00.002+01:002008-07-21T17:36:56.848+01:00

The recent mailing to parishes from the Diocese of Oxford contained information about the Evolution Sunday movement. I'd not heard of this before. It originated in the USA and is one way of demonstrating that Christianity and science can co-exist peacefully. There is an informative website here.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-27117479064635055712008-07-09T17:13:00.004+01:002008-07-09T17:25:52.626+01:00

The vote in General Synod to allow women to be ordained bishops is a triumph of common sense and the true spirit of Anglicanism. The Guardian editorial piece makes the point well, that eventually the will of the majority to do what is right cannot always be thwarted by the minority, however sincere its beliefs.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-53425282026321755172008-07-06T17:09:00.003+01:002008-07-06T17:12:09.871+01:00

Will Hutton offers an eloquent defence of the liberal Anglican tradition and why it's important to sustain it. He must be one of the few journalists who are defending and appreciating Rowan Williams at the moment.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-71107751624951886852008-06-27T16:49:00.003+01:002008-06-30T08:39:00.304+01:00

They do things differently in Scotland. Here is the Bishop of Edinburgh's address to his Diocesan Synod on the conflict engrossing the Anglican Communion. It goes deeper. Who in England has ever heard a bishop inviting his Synod to consider the difference between God's ontological transcendence and God's epistemological transcendence? The Church of England paddles in the shallows too often.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-6203877563154875742008-06-27T16:20:00.001+01:002008-06-27T16:21:50.650+01:00

May the Church gives its blessing to homosexual partnerships and remain true to the will of God? Still be faithful in its witness to the love of God as shown in Jesus and revealed in the Bible?As a minimum it seems to me this is an open question. That is, even if you are reluctant to give a definitive “yes” in answer, then neither can you give a definitive “no”. The reasons for this I explain

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-17880792281396642122008-06-08T17:27:00.003+01:002008-06-08T18:02:20.561+01:00

This item in the Daily Telegraph decribes the content of a report from the Church of England House of Bishops expressing concern over the quality of the Church of England clergy. On the one hand, there is concern over the abilities of new entrants to work in a professional and competent way with teams of skilled lay volunteers and colleagues; and on the other, that too many experienced older

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-6658578312458937862008-02-23T13:15:00.004Z2008-02-23T13:21:57.976Z

Here's a fun video to explain why Scripture alone is not enough, even if necessary, for us to hear what God is saying to us now. Thanks to Father Sam Rose for this Read his blog here

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-87023455883769712402008-02-18T17:26:00.001Z2008-02-18T17:28:15.434Z

Poking fun at vicars has a long history in English culture,even before Jane Austen introduced us to Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice! And the figure of the turbulent priest is even older, since Henry II called to be rid of this “turbulent priest”, Thomas a Becket, with deadly results. So there is plenty of material for media editors to mine if they want to target a hapless senior cleric.Clearly

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-6094562459779992522008-01-11T21:32:00.000Z2008-01-11T21:41:53.854Z

This week's edition of the left-leaning current affairs magazine New Statesman has an article about homosexuality and the Church of England; marking the departure of Richard Kirker from the leadership of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM). There is criticism of liberals in the Church for not standing alongside homosexuals and leaving the field open for conservatives to set the agenda

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-58880444515444713122007-12-23T16:37:00.000Z2007-12-23T16:39:44.818Z

Thinking Anglicans has a round-up of items in the press this week-end about Christmas.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-27224695459551586092007-12-10T16:49:00.000Z2007-12-10T16:53:33.284Z

Follow the title link here to see the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, cut up his clerical collar on BBC television during a live interview in protest at Zimbabwe's President Mugabe's continuing stranglehold on his country's people. What we want to know is: does he carry a pair of scissors with him at all times?Seriously though, all power to Sentamu for bringing this outrageous situation into

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-84606015865959070842007-12-10T16:35:00.000Z2007-12-10T16:44:21.262Z

The US Diocese of San Joaquin, California has decided to split from the Episcopal Church over the issue of homosexuality.It will become a diocese in the Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur de America.This has been reported across the globe. Yet it is worth keeping this in perspective. This diocese has a mere 8,800 members. That's not quite three times bigger than my deanery, which is just one of 29

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-84613638435065436152007-11-23T21:14:00.000Z2007-11-23T21:18:41.385Z

Archbishop's Diwali greetings to the Hindu community exemplify the true Anglican spirit of positive respect and a desire to seek common purpose with other religious communities.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-20375993965072388622007-10-30T14:40:00.000Z2007-10-30T14:54:27.145Z

I have learned belatedly today of the death of The Reverend Canon Chris Bard last month. The Church Times website has an obituary here.. I came into contact with Chris several times as a clergy colleague in the Diocese of Chelmsford. He was combining being priest-in-charge of Epping Upland and Diocesan Communications Officer when I started work combining priest-in-charge of Hatfield Broad Oak

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-84316120847992644682007-10-08T14:33:00.000+01:002007-10-08T14:46:26.785+01:00

I am reading the October Mission Update from the Church Mission Society (CMS). These are very useful short bulletins giving stories of the way God is transforming lives in the poorest parts of the world through projects assisted by the churches working in partnership. October's edition contains a story about how a group of blind and visually impaired students at a Rwanda secondary school have

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-83745191369926466742007-09-02T06:45:00.000+01:002007-09-02T18:41:04.353+01:00

Writing in yesterday's Guardian David Self (Face to Faith column)argues that the increased irrelevancy of the Church of England in modern British society has been greatly assisted by the Church's preference for commitment over numbers. He cites the rise of the parish communion service at the expense of matins as the main evidence of this preference. It has made the Church of England into a club

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-16085317976165885332007-08-25T22:10:00.000+01:002007-08-25T22:20:29.518+01:00

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has issued an emotional call for the Anglican Primates to agree to disagree on the subject of homosexuality and accept one another in love.“Our Lord is weeping to see our Communion tearing itself apart on the issue of human sexuality, when the world for which he died is ravaged by poverty, disease, war and corruption. We are one of God’s agents to deal with these scourges.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-78403664703289985752007-08-20T14:44:00.000+01:002007-08-20T14:45:52.484+01:00

The Archbishop of Canterbury has produced two prayers for use in churches on the tenth anniversary of the death of Princess Diana.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-32866700137662279922007-07-09T20:10:00.000+01:002007-07-09T20:44:50.874+01:00

General Synod's vote to give the green light to the Anglican Communion Covenant is a double if predictable blow against both compassion and freedom. Key gospel values are being sacrificed for the sake of ecclesiastical politics. The conservative bishops are not content simply to disagree with their more liberal colleagues over human sexuality: they want to make it a test of anglican orthodoxy.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-41504075174474482762007-07-02T22:55:00.000+01:002007-07-02T22:57:42.356+01:00

Kathy Galloway from Iona Community writes sensibly and compassionately on the Christians and homosexuality issue in The Times.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-82824928177781033132007-06-07T09:39:00.000+01:002007-06-07T09:48:24.593+01:00

The link in the title is to a piece by Elaine Storkey, (posted on the blog fatherjones.com) about her evangelical faith. Storkey is a leading evangelical Anglican scholar and was on the staff of Wycliffe Hall theological college, now in the grip of conservatives. If this understanding of Christian discipleship were what the term "evangelical" referred to then I'd be happy to call myself an

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-79203905218752886512007-06-07T07:57:00.000+01:002007-06-07T08:49:48.419+01:00

A formerly respected Anglican evangelical theological college has been captured by conservative extremists. Wycliffe Hall in Oxford now has a principal, Richard Turnbull, who believes that 95% of the British popoulation is going to hell and a vice-principal who won't allow women to teach men in church. As Giles Fraser wrote in the Guardian:"Of course, what should really happen is that the bishops

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-20715173738866779592007-06-01T20:38:00.000+01:002007-06-01T20:37:02.594+01:00

My Palm Treo 600 is the gadget of my life. It is my combined diary, notebook, addressbook, bible, phone, emailer, mp3 and video player, pocket camera and instant messenger. And because it can access the internet it is an encyclopedia, dictionary. newspaper, and train timetable. Google is always to hand. Using instant messaging, I can communicate with my son whilst he sits at his desk at work, or

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-29016131239140210292007-05-22T13:56:00.000+01:002007-05-22T14:04:12.327+01:00

Richard Burridge, Dean of King's College London has delivered the Eric Symes Abbott Memorial Lecture 2007 on the biblical roots of the church as an inclusive community. This demonstrates further that there are senior evangelicals who want to dialogue on the subject of homosexuality in the church and want to engage in that dialogue with lesbian and gay members of the Church.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-29362970712314339442007-04-20T11:04:00.000+01:002007-04-20T11:06:04.371+01:00

Rowan Williams gave a press conference on his arrival in Canada at the beginning of this week about issues facing the Anglican Communion and his own role within it. Here are some extracts from it.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-17970585553189976622007-04-20T10:57:00.000+01:002007-04-20T11:01:25.646+01:00

Rowan Williams has given a speech in Canada describing the need for the Church to listen properly to the Bible. In his characteristically dialectical way he criticises both ultra-conservative and liberal readings of the Bible as being inadequate. Link here to the summary page where there is also a link to the full text.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-61954137757941376172007-04-02T16:09:00.000+01:002007-04-02T16:14:22.207+01:00

Found this quote on a blog I chanced across via Twitter.com - its just about the cheesiest thing I've seen for ages:"If God had a wallet, your picture would be in it."Maybe we could start a - "cheesiest spiritual quote of Holy Week" contest!

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-83442243496006599132007-03-25T12:09:00.000+01:002007-03-25T12:15:00.986+01:00

Today churches across Britain are remembering the anniversary of the passing of the act of Parliament which abolished the slave trade.The Archbishops of Canterbury and York reflected on this when they visited the slave pits of Zanzibar recently. See their reflections on YouTube here.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-30937038219900259422007-03-23T11:57:00.000Z2007-03-23T12:01:06.061Z

Born in Enugu, Nigeria, Ben’s music and early life were shaped by his experiences as a boy soldier in the Biafran army during the country’s civil war, The pain and destruction he witnessed during that period soon began to influence the lyrics he wrote, his songs reflecting a heart felt plea for justice, truth and love.An ongoing involvement in peace and justice initiatives followed with Ben

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-67872752084666498222007-03-22T21:30:00.000Z2007-03-22T21:34:29.822Z

New campaign on the issue of sex trafficking is launched to co-incide with the 200th anniversary of the British abolition of slavery.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-85540616950987646672007-03-20T21:05:00.000Z2007-03-20T21:07:15.269Z

I have been quoting from Charles Taylor in sermons since the early nineties. I was delighted to hear he has received this award.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-90185573915433096402007-03-13T08:59:00.000Z2007-03-13T09:00:07.930Z

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-33743693717756480572007-01-23T16:47:00.000Z2007-01-23T17:07:58.539Z

It interests me to hear that the Roman Catholic hierarchy in England wants its adoption agency to be exempted, on the grounds of conscience, from the provisions of the Equality Act which would disallow discrimination against homosexuals in the provision of goods and services. They are protesting against the application of the Act to the adoption agency run by their church. They say today that the

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-41647286578505747292007-01-23T06:37:00.000Z2007-01-23T06:55:56.052Z

"The Blood Never Dried" is a book by John Newsinger, subtitled, "A People's History of the British Empire" (Bookmarks Publications 2006). The title comes from a quote of Ernest Jones, Chartist and socialist, about the British Empire in 1851: "On its colonies the sun never sets, but the blood never dries". It describes the violence of the British Empire and how that was met by freedom struggles,

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-4617293198350885912007-01-21T15:15:00.000Z2007-01-21T15:18:11.055Z

Church of England news reports that:The season of Lent – a period of penitence in preparation for Easter - has been given an extra twist this year with a multi-media campaign backed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu.Love Life Live Lent gives inspiration for simple things that people can do to spread a little generosity and happiness in their

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-67332745275786120862007-01-20T08:07:00.000Z2007-01-20T08:36:02.784Z

Giles Frazer, Vicar of Putney and columnist for the Church Times, wrote for The Guardian last Monday an article entitled "Atheists: the bigots' friends: most Christians back gay rights, to claim otherwise only boosts the fundamentalists". His argument, as I read it, is that many vocal anti-religion pundits are actually boosting extreme conservative versions of Christianity by representing it as

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-7027049840594967312006-12-20T22:09:00.000Z2006-12-20T22:19:33.303Z

Rick Lord, an American priest of the US Episcopal Church writes movingly of his reflections on the 25th anniversary of his ordination. On the current crisis in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion he writes: "I have served almost half of those years in the Diocese of Virginia under Bishop Peter Lee who has been an extraordinary mentor and friend. Yes, there are evangelical priests who

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-46973810031470294872006-12-19T22:23:00.000Z2006-12-19T22:28:36.066Z

Dave Walker's Cartoon Blog brings his refreshing take on church matters to bear on the Church of England group of conservative evangelicals and others similar who recently issued a "covenant". There are some great links to other blogs with excellent comments also on this.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-75857378374213989862006-12-17T22:22:00.000Z2006-12-17T22:26:33.429Z

Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham, probably the most intelligent and learned person in the genuinely evangelical wing of the Church of England, tears to shreds the recently issued statement from disaffected conservatives - the so-called Covenant for the Church of England. Read it through the link in the title above.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-83015842414457446272006-12-17T13:28:00.000Z2006-12-17T13:38:09.261Z

Anglicans from the conservative wing of the church issued this statement last week. They are claiming the identity of orthodoxy for themselves, indeed the identity of true Anglican Christianity. But they seem to me to be the inheritors of the Puritan beliefs which whilst have always been held in tension with the Anglican settlement which emerged from the seventeenth century, could never have been

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-29442918893410424652006-12-13T08:31:00.000Z2006-12-13T08:43:26.305Z

The Anglican Church of Tanzania has declared that its communion with the Episcopal Church in the USA is severely impaired. It will not accept any financial and material aid from dioceses or parishes in the US which condone homosexual practice or bless same-sex partnerships. It will however maintain communion (and accept material and financial aid is implied) from those those who are faithful to

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-66483182221474239502006-12-12T08:23:00.000Z2006-12-12T08:30:04.187Z

At last we know who the next Bishop of Oxford is to be - John Pritchard, currently Suffragan Bishop of Jarrow. It has been a long wait for the announcement and the diocese I think was getting rather restive. I have not met John before. His giftings and passions seem to be, from what I gather by "Googling " him and the list of his publications, in the area of pastoral and practical theology. A

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-3971145344994522082006-12-10T14:03:00.000Z2006-12-10T14:04:36.107Z

Ekklesia the Christian news services reports:Bishop Marc Handley Andrus of the Episcopal Diocese of California in the USA has been arrested for blocking the front door of the San Francisco federal building to protest against the deaths caused by the Iraq war - writes Mary Frances Schjonberg for the Episcopal News Service (ENS).His participation in the 7 December 2006 protest and his arrest are "

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-53751718311219007362006-12-07T17:34:00.000Z2006-12-07T17:36:09.829Z

Reflecting on the future of the parish system7 December 2006The parish system of the Church of England is examined in a new book published today featuring 12 leading thinkers. Including contributions from the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishops of Peterborough and Maidstone, The Future of the Parish System discusses the challenges facing the parish system, and suggests principles for future

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-77334800150074153632006-12-03T16:43:00.000Z2006-12-03T16:46:17.945Z

The Church of England has an official online calendar here with stories about Advent from a different person each day - beginning with Archbishop of York, John Sentamu. http://www.adventstories.org/

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-18556713788817501652006-12-01T14:53:00.000Z2006-12-01T14:56:41.518Z

From Ekklesia news briefings: In an event sponsored by the thinktank Ekklesia, the Archbishop of York last night launched an outspoken assault on US and UK policy in Iraq, warning of the dangers of "militarism out of control", reports the Guardian newspaper.Dr John Sentamu called for the UN to be given a central role in mediating global conflicts.He said in the speech to CHIPS (Christian

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-73666300402173685252006-11-21T08:54:00.000Z2006-11-21T08:57:15.546Z

Colourful Dreamer writes: I went to see "As it is in Heaven" on Monday afternoon. It is a wonderful "foreign film" made in Sweden. It has some really interesting themes around the power of love.It is about a famous conductor who for health reasons retires and returns to the village he grew up in till be was 9. No-one knows he was from there.He wanted to remain a recluse, but is persuaded to help

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-26710244530286086442006-11-18T19:27:00.000Z2006-11-18T19:59:24.192Z

In this Church Times interview the Archbishop explains why he is an Anglican and not a Roman Catholic. And in defending the Anglican model of church he uses refers to Vincent Donovan's Christianity Rediscovered - the account now at least 30 years old - of the way Christianity was introduced to a Maasai community East Africa in a way which was expressed in terms of their own culture. This he

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1162749684950806062006-11-05T17:57:00.000Z2006-11-12T13:03:34.524Z

The Archbishop of Australia, The Most Revd George Browning, has called upon both the Australian Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to make Australia a leader in tackling climate change rather than shamefully failing to meets it responsibilites as at present.He writes:"May I be bold enough to suggest a simple test? Sit face to face with a child - any child, anywhere - and looking them

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1162161201389085902006-10-29T22:27:00.000Z2006-11-12T13:03:34.426Z

I found out today that Michael Mayne, former Dean of Westminister, died last Sunday. He was one of those people with the rare gift of making you feel special when he talked to you. Lorraine and I met him once only when he was vicar of Great St Mary's in Cambridge but we never forgot his gracious greeting to us as we left the church at the end of the service. Later we read his book about his

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1162057703639473932006-10-28T18:28:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:34.335Z

In this article published in yesterday's Times the Archbishop of Canterbury reflects on his recent experience in China to throw light on the questions of the right place of religion and religious practices in British society today; as debates continue about the wearing of Muslim veils and Christian crosses in the workplace, and about the place of church or faith schools. He cautions, rightly in

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1160847447681620802006-10-14T17:55:00.001+01:002006-11-12T13:03:34.140Z

The current Government speaks with forked tongue on matters of faith. On the one hand some of its Departments have encouraged greater involvement of faith communities in public life, such as Local Strategic Partenerships (I am a faith representative on one of these myself), but on the other hand it has promoted a bland secularist agenda which basically regards all faiths as the same and wants to

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1160844193332072872006-10-14T17:27:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:33.850Z

Writing today in The Guardian Trevor Dennis, Vice Dean of Chester Cathedral argues here that the Bible is not as lacking in a positive assessment of homosexuality as anti-gay conservative Christians might think. (Click on title for link.) In fact he sets out to show that the Bible celebrates same-sex relationships. Not only that, but there are more examples of good role-models for same-sex love

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1160842837458518192006-10-14T17:20:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:33.753Z

Perhaps the Church of England has something to learn from the students of Exeter University!Evangelical students fail in bid to be called 'Christian Union':"Evangelical students fail in bid to be called 'Christian Union' -14/10/06Evangelical students at Exeter university have failed in their bid to call themselves the 'Christian Union' and have had their accounts frozen pending a full review into

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1160763192001093192006-10-13T19:13:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:33.661Z

Desmond Tutu expresses sadness at Anglican anti-gay stance:"Desmond Tutu expresses sadness at Anglican anti-gay stance -11/10/06Archbishop Desmond Tutu says he has been saddened by his Anglican church's position about the ordination of gay priests, in his biography released in the United States and Europe on 7 October 2006, his 75th birthday – writes David Wanless for Ecumenical News

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1160259048348008272006-10-07T22:30:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:33.555Z

Two former classmates of mine from theological college days are in very different places on the homosexuality issue and both in the news in recent days. Henry Orombi now the Archbishop of Uganda is one of the leaders of the Global South group of Anglican archbishops who are pressing the American church to renounce its acceptance of homosexual bishops and clergy, and same-sex partnerships; and

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1159258019186766952006-09-26T09:03:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:33.479Z

This article about the crisis in the American church contains interviews with some of the key players in the Texan diocese of Dallas/Fort Worth, whose bishop is one of the leaders of the conservative Anglican network threatening to split from the parent Episcopal Church.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1158594437922782972006-09-18T16:45:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:33.268Z

The letter of last week from the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Anglican Communion leaders provides an update on where things have reached in the process of discussion following the General Convention of the US Episcopal Church in June. Click title for link.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1157962652441179352006-09-11T09:15:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:33.185Z

The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the USA calls on the United States to become a "superservant" in the world rather than a superpower. Click on title for text of message and links to video stream.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1157208309067111022006-09-02T15:42:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:33.091Z

Distinguished Anglican theologian Keith Ward writes in this week's The Tablet, Catholic weekly, about the proper relationship between Christian faith in the Creator God and evolution.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1157143399803130692006-09-01T21:39:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:32.967Z

The Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera, Anglican Bishop of Colombo, has spoken out against the violence in Sri Lanka following the killing of 17 aid workers and the disappearance of a priest and a lay worker. See link in title above.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1156410854758874952006-08-24T10:14:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:32.895Z

Online Guide to Mediation

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1156405319342742762006-08-24T08:33:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:32.789Z

I have returned from holiday in Yorkshire inspired by the example of the Archbishop of York. His week long vigil of prayer and fasting in York Minister for peace in the Middle East and around the world is a brilliant and powerful spiritual witness for the modern media-age. In Sentamu we have an Anglican church leader with imagination and spiritual authority who is prepared to speak the gospel

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1153674583652976322006-07-23T18:05:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:32.689Z

The Episcopal (Anglican) Bishop of Washington writes about the current Middle East crisis very much in terms of it as a failure of religious and moral vision. What stands out for me in his text (click on title above) is his en passant assumption that the US is the leader of the free world. If that's the case , why are so few of us following it?

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1153639382227488022006-07-23T08:23:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:32.575Z

The British Province of the Moravian Church has elected a woman as a bishop. The Rev'd Beth Talkington becomes the first woman to hold the office in the province although there are women bishops in other Moravian Church provinces. The bishops of the Moravian Church are known as 'bishops of the Unity', and each serves in the whole province. Unlike Church of England bishops they do not act in an

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1153639163300056132006-07-23T08:15:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:32.476Z

Ekklesia the Chrisitan think-tank and news syndication service carries a statement from the Middle East Council of Churches detailing the destruction and loss of life now being inflicted by Israel on Lebanese civilians. MECC includes the Anglican churches in the region. Here is an extract from the statement.“During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military operations have grown in intensity, with

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1153310226935806632006-07-19T12:34:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:32.381Z

Archbishop Rowan Williams has condemned unequivocally the resort to violence in the current crisis in the Middle East. This is in the context of a pastoral letter of sympathy and support for Christian communities in the Lebanon. He is careful to condemn the use of violence on all sides; which is welcome . The Pope also condemns the violence on all sides because of the way it targets innocent

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1152944607249836252006-07-15T07:19:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:32.271Z

The General Synod looks now serious about women bishops as it passed a resolution last Monday to begin exploring the practical and legislative steps towards ordaining women as bishops. This is good news. It doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon though so I hope I live to see it! Click title above for a very good detailed account with pictures from the American Episcopal Church news

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1152720555314462092006-07-12T17:03:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:32.179Z

Eight diocesan bishops of the Church of England and 12 suffragan bishops have written to urge MPs to consider their arguments against the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons programme which they oppose on practical, moral and economic grounds. They make a link to the global poverty issue.I was pleased to see our own area bishop, The Bishop of Reading, amongst the list; but nonetheless

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1152716419768130132006-07-12T15:58:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:32.070Z

The Daily Episcopalian website has a good article about the attraction of St Benedict's spirituality in western society today. (Click on title)

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1152715627319031162006-07-12T15:43:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:31.973Z

Read here (click on title above) the reflections of Rt Revd Frank Griswold the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church (American) on the 75th General Convention and his responses to the Archbishop of Canterbury's ideas about a possible "Two-tier" Anglican Communion. Basically he doesn't like the idea. As he writes: "Such a two-tiered view of our common life suggests to me amputated limbs and

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1152655173640973142006-07-11T22:57:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:31.871Z

It is fascinating that whilst out of Africa comes the cold blasts of narrow conservatism from Nigeria, so also out of Africa comes the warm affirmation of the true Anglican spirit from South Africa. Click title to see full account.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1152566899934691332006-07-10T22:25:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:31.785Z

Here is the sermon preached by one American Episcopal Church priest on the gospel for last Sunday 9th July on the question of sacrificing gospel truth for the sake of corporate unity relating to the divisions in the Anglican Communion. Basically I agree.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1152480835292821892006-07-09T22:32:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:31.676Z

Link to this via the Episcopal News Service

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1152291158211470202006-07-07T17:51:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:31.570Z

Columnist Giles Fraser in the Church Times today says it for me on this one!

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1151765622715415732006-07-01T15:50:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:31.464Z

InclusiveChurch network 's response to the Archbishop's message following the General Convention of The Episcopal Church is not enthusiastic. They have profound concerns about agreeing an Anglican Covenant. Click title for link.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1151449485802500982006-06-28T00:02:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:31.362Z

My thoughts on the Archbishop of Canterbury's approach to the homosexuality argument are echoed by this piece in The Guardian by Michael Hampson which I have just found (click on title above)

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1151448212322722532006-06-27T23:25:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:31.259Z

It started with Tony Blair. Less than a year after Labour's election victory in 1997 I started to realise he was not the principled leader I hoped for. He caved in to business pressure over cigarette advertising. I should have listened to the misgiving I felt intuitively when I first met him on his campaign trail in Harlow Essex during the 1992 election. He was strangely quiet whenever anyone in

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1151446270460608212006-06-27T23:09:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:30.994Z

Click the link above for a summary from the Daily Telegraph of Rowan Williams' reflections on the current crisis in the Anglican Communion.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1151257824556182302006-06-25T18:40:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:30.920Z

Geoffrey Rowell Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe writes in The Times yesterday (see link from title above) "...the stances adopted this week by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church reveal more about cultural captivity than faithful Christian witness". The idea seems to be that if a church decides something you don't like its conforming to culture; but if it does something you do like it's

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1151217692756001742006-06-25T07:37:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:30.849Z

There is a piece by Charlie Lee-Potter about women as priests in the Church of England in the New Statesman magazine this week (Click heading above for link). It is a surprisingly sympathetic piece for this publication which generally treats religion at best ironically and quite often scathingly.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1150878722207853152006-06-21T09:23:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:30.760Z

Thank God that Episcopalian deputies have acted according to their consciences and rejected a ban which would prevent them from doing what they know to be right. After all, isn't that what being reformed Christians is all about? How would there be the Anglican church today if our forebears had failed to do what was right? And as Dave Walker points out on his cartoonblog - isn't there something in

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1150877186353914992006-06-21T09:04:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:30.656Z

Cartoon by Dave Walker.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1150831663344580132006-06-20T20:23:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:30.573Z

Caroline Lucas MEP for this part of the world speaks up on behalf of Palestinians who are suffering and dying because of a withdrawal of European aid following the election of the Hamas Pary to government in free and fair elections:"Palestinian civilians are dying daily due to a lack of medicines - and doctors to administer them. The EU must urgently resume full assistance payments - with no

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1150783735394176112006-06-20T07:08:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:30.494Z

American Episcopalians have elected a woman as the Presiding Bishop for thefirst time in their history. My response: rejoice and again I say rejoice.The Americans are leading the way in what it means to be a trulylife-affirming church. Read about The Rt Revd Kathrine Jefferts Schori here

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1150492098351908272006-06-16T22:01:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:30.399Z

The videos - General Convention Nightly - from the US Episcopal Church are very informative but also quite difficult to watch with a straight face!. Imagine the Ten O'Clock news read by vicars! Or remember those episodes of Father Ted featuring talent competitions where every contestant on the show is a priest in a clerical collar? There is something faintly hysterical about these news bulletins.

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1150358722104244082006-06-15T09:05:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:30.328Z

Archbishop Rowan's message to this week's General Convention of the USEpiscopal Church reads between the lines to me as saying that its OK toreject the Windsor Report as it stands because its not the end of the storyand the picture it presents is only a picture of what a functioningCommunion might look like. Rowan's appeal is to hope that the theologicalvision of the Report is before them and

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29556748.post-1150357640471012542006-06-15T08:47:00.000+01:002006-11-12T13:03:30.250Z

BBC lunchtime news 14 June 2006 carried a piece about increasing segregation of schools on ethnic lines even in towns where ethnic minority communities are significant in numbers. The example given was Blackburn Lancashire. Two primary schools were shown only a mile or so apart - one has no white children and one has no black children. What caught my notice was that the all-white school shown is

David Hodgsonnoreply@blogger.com0