Thought for the Week beginning 6^th February 2023

This week, from Monday to Thursday, the General Synod of the Church of England will be meeting in Westminster. The General Synod is often referred to as the Parliament of the Church of England and this is partly accurate. Its functions are to consider matters concerning the Church of England and to make provision in respect of them by various legal means and also to consider and express opinions on any other matters of religious or public interest. One of the things which General Synod can do is to pass laws called Measures which, once they have been scrutinised by Parliament and given the Royal Assent, are of equal status with Acts of Parliament.

I have been a member of General Synod since 2020, but during lockdown, sittings were disrupted or held on line, so this will only be my fourth in person session. Most members of Synod are elected, though not me, as I am a member as a result of some of the legal work which I do. There are three ‘houses’ - Bishops, Clergy and Laity, though we all debate together. Every diocese in England is represented, including, of course, our Diocese of Chelmsford.

We begin each day with worship, which takes different forms on each day, and there is a daily Eucharist.

You may be wondering what the point of all this is for a Thought for the Week. Firstly, it is to ask you to pray for us as we work together on behalf of the whole Church of England this week. Although all Synod members are baptised and communicant members of the Church of England, they represent every strand of tradition and churchmanship and geographical and social context. Sometimes, people have deeply held but opposing views and it is necessary for us to remember to listen attentively to others’ opinions, willing to give them fair and respectful consideration – only in this way can we work properly for the rest of the Church and grow as individuals. This is a lesson which we all need to learn and practice whether or not we are Synod members. Secondly, because, as you may have heard or read, this week’s Synod will be discussing the Bishops’ recommended Prayers of Love and Faith, for the blessing of same sex unions. These have emerged from a lengthy process of shared conversations within the Church on the theme of ‘Living in Love and Faith’ – thinking about identity, sexuality and relationships. Some of us at St Albright’s are exploring these issues together in small discussion groups, in which, like Synod at its best, we listen attentively to our brothers and sisters in Christ who may live differently from us, and experience the world differently from us. We are held together by the belief that we are all created in the image of God, as Genesis 1, 27 says.

As Synod members commence sitting this week and as we all go about whatever we have to do, let us remember what St Paul says about love in I Corinthians, 13, a passage which is read at many wedding and marriage blessing services :

‘Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.’            

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Morag Bushell