It's not often that you sit down to watch the One show (on BBC one by the way) and the opening story is about the Pope opening the way for Anglicans to 'come back' to Rome. Gyles Brandreth gave us a quick and brief history of the birth of the C of E and talked of Rome and it's desire to unite Christians. As a Baptist Minister married to an Anglican Priest I obviously have a distant and vetted interest in this, but my main interest in this story is first and foremost as a Christian. It pains me that the ecumenical work that is being done at the local church is being in some ways obliterated by what we read or see in the media, what must people think of Christians working together? Is it really that you are in your corner, I am in mine and if you want to join then ok! I am not too nieve to realise that ecumenical work has still along way to go, but this just seems to reek of power wielding. What does this mean when I next meet up with the ecumenical ministers of my area, how do we now relate knowing that there is a tension in the air between my catholic and anglican colleagues. The grass roots ecumenical movement once again has been set back by power struggles at the top (although I know we shall rise about it).
All of this, in my humble and uneducated opinion, is not about what people believe (theology) but about how things in the church are done (ecclesiology), does the kingdom of God really rest on it being a male minister not a female minister? are we really that narrow minded and box God that much? and the whole debate on sexuality is something that will not go away and will have to be addressed.
I may be bias as my wife is a ordained priest, the work I see her do is amazing and I would challenge anyone to challenge her calling and that God is not using her in an amazing way. Why is it so hard to stop fighting about all this and just get on with our calling, whether we are catholic, anglican, methodist or baptist we are all called to serve God, the same God, and this surely is our duty whether we belong to rome or not.
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