This morning, as part of an orientation session for the meeting of the UCA's Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, I presented a theological overview of the nature and purpose of meeting together as a Council of the church, specifically in the UCA with its commitment to interconciliar government. It's pretty much the same presentation as I gave at the beginning of the 2014 Synod. But there is one thing that has changed in my own thinking since 2014. The framers of the Uniting Church long argued that their work was not simply an exercise in ecclesiastical carpentry. I've never been fully persuaded that that was actually the case with respect to church government. But in thinking a bit more about comments made by Davis McCaughey and D'Arcy Wood (both of whom were involved in writing the Basis, and both of whom subsequently served as President of the national Assembly), I 've become less sceptical. It may not be quite evident in the surface of the Basis (specifically Paragraph 15), but both these framers of the church suggest that that Paragraph needs to be read as pointing us to something subtly different from what had been the practices of any of the uniting Churches or from any combination of those practices. It's worth trying to read that paragraph through the filter of that subtle nuance.The text of the presentation is available here.
4 comments:
It takes humility and trust to contribute to the governance of any church. I hope your time at Synod is fruitful.
Wow - I have just read this right through - and encourage fellow pilgrims to click the link and follow the clear but nuanced thread. Geoff speaks gracefully and clearly, but allows his ideas to explore the complex -like the complexity of human relations which he talks about. He holds Church structures and human relationships together like twin threads. We are lucky to have a teacher like him speaking to the structures and processes of the Church.
Thanks for your posts (and encouragement) Pamela and Janet.
I think all of our church councils from all the denominations need to get back to Ecumenism.
We need to be one as the apostles were.
Everyone loves to high light the differences in our theology and yet no one takes the gospels or the new testament as instruction in this matter. The apostles and writings of the new testament stress different things, they highlight different perspectives. All of this gives a breadth and depth to the experience of encountering the Living God in Jesus Christ.
The people want unity in Christianity :)
- The Smiling Pilgrim
https://thesmilingpilgrim.wordpress.com/
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