Anger and Prayer

Tags

News, Religion

This afternoon anger has driven me to prayer and I am mainly praying for Revd Shona Boardman and Mr Donald Morrison.  This letter in the Hebrides News is why:

The pulpit is no place for a woman       17/5/13

Sirs,
One cannot help but sadly see that the Church of Scotland continuing her downward spiral when she gleefully and shamefully supports bizarre unions and appointments that the Bible clearly opposes. The continuing appointments of women at skyscraping levels in the church is not just wrong but very wrong, just as it is unbiblical for a woman to be a minister in any church denomination or congregation. There are around 196 women which are now ministers in the Church of Scotland. This is 196 too many. There may be only a few women ministers in our Highlands and Islands church congregations, but these few are still a few too many. The very fact that they are women debars them from the Christian ministry.
The pulpit is no place for a woman minister, however elegant she may be in public speaking or proficient in her knowledge of Biblical theology. She may rise up and hold high office in a nation, just like Queen Elizabeth and as the late Mrs Margaret Thatcher did, but not the steps that lead up to any Church pulpit, whether in Inverness Ness Bank Church or St Peter’s Episcopal’s Church in Stornoway.
Yes, women are to remain silent in every church assembly, and that includes pulpit, presbytery and the annual General Assembly. It is best to hear what absolute truth has to clearly say: “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church” (1 Corinthians 14v34-35).
The truth is that God has never ordained or anointed any woman to be a preacher or teacher. If it were God’s will that women should hold such a post in the Church, Jesus Christ would have shown an example by choosing one woman, at least, to be an apostle. But he did not, and even when he selected 70 disciples whom he sent out, two by two, no woman was included. Although Jesus had many women ‘disciples’ He certainly did not send any of them to go about preaching.
God has ordained that only men are to serve in positions of spiritual teaching authority in the church. This is not because men are necessarily better teachers, or because women are inferior or less intelligent (which is not the case). It is simply the way God designed the church to function. Men are to set the example in spiritual leadership—in their lives and through their words. Women are to take a less authoritative role. Certainly women are encouraged to teach other women (Titus 2:3-5). The Bible also does not restrict women from teaching children. The only activity women are restricted from is teaching or having spiritual authority over men.
Yes, a woman, by reason of her faith, knowledge and good understanding, can rise to a place of honour in the church but there are certain offices and privileges which God never assigned to women: no women apostles, no women bishops, no women elders, no women pastors, no women evangelists, no women deaconesses, no women priests, no women moderators. Clearly, the Bible has nothing to say in support of any of these appointments despite what many undiscerning women and unspiritual men may claim, whether in the church or out of her.

Mr Donald J Morrison
85 Old Edinburgh Road
Inverness

Now I could spend the rest of my life trying to make Mr Morrison see how he has misrepresented the Bible and Jesus’ teachings (I think it is a pretty safe bet to say that he was wearing mixed fibers with pen in hand) but I would be wasting my time, so I will not bother.

Shona is Rector of St Peter’s Stornaway, I know her only slightly having met her only once briefly on a train.  However as the SEC is so small I do know of her and respect her integrity and calling and know she has been doing wonderful things on our futhermost part of God’s vineyard.

Mr Donald Morrison I do not know, but I have come across people who hold his views.  He might be a very nice man, however I find it near impossible to respect his integrity but maybe that is a fault in me rather than him.  I struggle to understand why anyone would want to spew forth hate against anyone but I know it happens, worse still I know it happens in the name of religion and in name of the Church.  That does not make it right, that does not make it acceptable and it certainly does not mean we should be silent.  Over on here on her Blog Ruth has already written a post about what has been going on.  Unlike her I still experience what Shona is up against although thankfully in a less public way, indeed in recent years I would say such views are being expressed more often and even, it saddens me to say, by recognised authority figures in the Church.

This is a personal attack nothing more, nothing less, and should be named as such.  However unfortunately this is not an isolated instance.  No person should be allowed to hide their prejudices be they against women, or ethnicity, or gender, or culture, or sexual orientation, or race, or education, or age, or wealth, or any other difference that you care to name behind anything least of all religion.  The Christian faith is about love and acceptance, about acknowledging all are special and precious in God’s sight, that no one is unworthy and that God doesn’t do partiality in any way shape or form.

So today I pray that God will grant Shona and all those who find themselves in a similar situation to hers, strength and grace to stand firm in their calling.  That they will know God’s peace and feel the support of all those who are upholding them in prayer with love, and that the Holy Spirit will give them the words to speak whenever they are faced with such comments.

And I also pray for Mr Morrison and all those who would like to see a narrow minded church, where only those and such as those are welcome.  I pray that they will also know God’s peace, and that God will grant them the strength and grace to live what they say they believe that the will of God should reign.

My prayer is that it may reign in all its fullness.

Orkney Elementals – Aether – Part the 2nd

Tags

Italian Chapel, Orkney, St Magnus Cathedral

St Magnus Cathedral captivated me.

with its checkerboard stonework

fun choir stall carvings – some more of which will appear as a Sunday angel.

its soaring ceiling, somehow it was cosy and cavernous at the same time.

it’s old memorial stones

and its magnificent West window to mark the 850th anniversary of the Cathedral which gave me the idea for these elemental posts and shows the history of the islands – the flame is inspired by Flotta oil terminal.

the Viking longship on the high altar made me wonder if it had ever been used as a paten.

The Cathedral; known as the ‘Light in the North’ and founded in 1137; is actually cared for by the council on behalf of the people of Orkney with the worshiping community being Church of Scotland so the answer to that thought is probably no.

The building is peaceful and warm and friendly and embraces you, the stewards were knowledgeable and unobtrusive and if you turn up on a Tuesday or Thursday, unlike us, you can climb up its tower and out onto the roof.

We actually went twice and I didn’t want to leave either time.  After our second visit we went to the St Magnus Center which has an excellent presentation about the Cathedral, only problem was I then wanted to go back again – Hubby said no!  In the center there is a Norwegian library which had this striking window.

Despite all these wonderful places under the element of Aether it is this the next and final one which we both found the most moving, atmospheric and spiritual, the Italian Chapel.

During WWII Camp 60 on Lambholm Island was the home to several hundred Italian prisoners of war who had been captured during the North African campaign.  The islands housed this large group of prisoners to work on the Churchill barriers blocking the eastern approaches to Scapa Flow.

The camp consisted of 13 cheerless huts, but soon the Italians transformed the place into an Italian square with pathways and flowers.  While new amenities were created, a theatre, a recreation hut which included a concrete billiard table and a statue of St George made of barbed wire and covered with cement.  While St George might seem a strange site on a Scottish Island for the Italians it didn’t speak of England but rather of their symbolic triumph over defeat and loneliness in captivity so far from home.

The War Office Inspector of PoW Camps urged that provision should be made for a chapel and in 1943 two Nissen huts were made available to the prisoners.  The original plan was to use one as a school and the other as a church the huts where joined together and Domenico Chiocchetti (the creator of the statue) set about making a sanctuary at one end of the furthest hut.  Using second-hand scrap and with the help of Buttapasta, a cement worker, and Palumbi, a smithy, they set about making a masterpiece of Christian art, faith and hope.  Lining the corrugated iron with pasterboard, creating the altar, altar rail and water stoop out of concrete …

and of course Chiocchetti’s paintings are wonderful, the four evangelists:

while underneath each evangelist stands an angel – note no wings:

(Another of these will appear as a Sunday angel at a later date.)

Behind the altar is a representation of Madonna of the Olives by Nicolo Barabino, a copy of which Chiocchetti had carried with him all through the war. The bottom cherub on the left is holding a shield which is the heraldic badge of Moena the Italian town which Chiocchetti came from.  The centerpiece is flanked by pretend windows of St Cathrine of Siena and St Francis of Assisi with a Dove on the ceiling above (you will see that on Sunday).

The wood for the tabernacle was obtained from a wrecked ship.  The iron candlesticks, along with the canelabra …

and Rood Screen …

where made by Palumbi who took four months to make the screen.

The Chancel look so wonderful it made the rest of the building seem drab and stark so permission was granted to line and decorate the rest of the building the walls and ceiling is covered with magnificent trompe l’oeil.

However, while the inside of the building looked stunning …

the outside was still just a Nissan hut, so using chicken wire and concrete Buttapasta created an impresive facade complete with belfry and Gothic pinnacles.

The Chapel wasn’t in use for long by the prisoners and over the post year wars it was a tourist curiosity and slowly started to show its age until in 1960 Chiocchetti was brought back to Orkney for three weeks to oversee the restoring of the paintwork and outstanding repairs.  On 10th April 1960 a service of rededication was held and Roman Catholic services have regularly been held int he chapel ever since, including on 9th June 1999 a Memorial Requiem Mass in Thanksgiving for the life of Domenico Chiocchetti who died on 7th May 1999.

The place is a space of calm and peace and reverence, it oozes the prayers and hopes that have been expressed within its sanctuary.  It has that quality that you can’t quite put your finger on or name, you can’t bottle or manufacture, something not quite of this world – aether.

Take thou thy shoes from off thy feet – nay more,
Bend a low knee if thou would’st enter here;
For a Real Presence lingers brooding near
This Holy of Holies on a storm lashed shore.
What prayer, what longings did these captives pour
Out to their God, when swift to calm each fear
Christ day by day stooped to His altar bier,
What time the priest the Sacred Host upbore.

Long years ago in Patmos’ lonely isle
Tarried St John expecting a far call:
Did he not pray for these in their exile?
And that dear Virgin Mother of us all -
She whose own heart had known the sword’s sharp fall -
Give them the tribute of her tears, her smile?

H Carlton S Morris

Prodigal Prayer

Tags

Luke 15:11-24

Loving God, as we journey through Lent help us to recognise when we are tempted to act like the Prodigal and leave the safety of your presence, help us to humbly acknowledge when we have done so and give us the courage of the Prodigal to return to you with a contrite heart.  Help us also to reflect the actions of the parent, to be more forgiving, to show more love, to be more generous with our understanding.  We ask this through your precious Son who showed humility and love even unto death, Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

A Meeting On A Dusty Road

Tags

dust, Lent, Love, Luke 15:11-24, Prodigal Son

The pain wracked through his empty belly but he felt it most in his soul.

The stones clawed at his feet and the dust ground itself into the cuts the miles of walking had caused.  Each grain felt as if a sword had wounded him, as if a nail had pierced him, a thorn dug deep or strip of leather cut his skin.

He stopped and sat on a boulder at the side of the road, maybe this was all a mistake, this final lonely journey down this dusty road.

Maybe he should just turn right back around and head back to that foreign land, back to those pigs, back to what he had become.  His head fell into his hands, there were no more tears of either pain or self-pity, the only thing left was the dryness of despair and death.

He thought he could hear the tear of the clothes and the weeping that would have once greeted the news of his own death.  His thirst and hunger was playing tricks on him, for he was sure he could hear his name also, in an oh so familiar voice.

He looked up and fell upon his knees, suddenly the tears did flow, as rushing towards him came not anger, not judgement, nor even disappointment, but un-bounding love.

There in that pool of tears and love each and every pain left him.  Each grain of dust which had bitten deeply into his torn feet now reminded him not of the misery of the life he had left behind, but of the joy of the new one that was freely being offered.

You will also find this post over on Beauty from Chaos – where you will find daily reflections for Lent along with pictures, poems, stories, and some stunning Lenten graphics.

The Sum Of It

Tags

Lent, Religious Thoughts, Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

Nothing, nada, zilch.
Not one jot, one iota, one tiniest thing.
Not yesterday, not today, not tomorrow.
Absolutely, totally, completely not a single thing.

No, not even that
or that
or indeed that.

Mind blowing isn’t it?

All Gods’

Tags

Lent, Luke 13:1-9

Last Sunday’s Gospel reading told us clearly and loudly.  Do not judge.

Do not judge those who are different from you.

Do not judge those who are amongst you.

Galilean or Judean, God sees no difference none at all.

We are all the same, we have all been born, we will all die.  God sees no difference, God loves all without partiality it is only we who do that, foolish as we are.

Beguiling Dust

Tags

dust, Lent, Religious Thoughts

Usually, not always but usually, I find myself drawn towards Moses taking off his shoes to walk on holy ground in Lent, this year it has been different.  This year it has been dust.  Why has dust so beguiled me this year?

For over 20 years I have begun Lent by marking the faithful with the sign of the cross in ash on their foreheads, for longer than that I have felt the sign traced on my own forehead as I knelt before the altar.  This year the dust remains like never before unseen but etched into my eyelids dust everywhere.

As I am sure I don’t need to say, we all lead busy lives and this Lent is as hectic as most so in-between the mid-week service and a meeting with a CoS colleague last Wednesday I sighed and thought should really do a quick bit of dusting, only I didn’t.  I ended up drawing crosses in it instead (I tried to take a photograph but there wasn’t enough dust for it to be clear, slightly better in black and white.)

The dust being cleared away for the Cross.

Is it too late to give up dusting for Lent and take up drawing crosses in all the dust I see?

This post is also over on the Beauty from Chaos reflections for Lent, blog, if you haven’t already gone and checked it out why not?  You are missing some wonderful writing and pictures to journey with, not to mention the angels.

Dust of the Earth

Tags

dust, Lent, Psalm 119:25, Religious Thoughts

My soul clings to the dust;
revive me according to your word.

Psalm 119:25

Do we cling to the dust of the earth?  Yes we must see the dust, yes we must acknowledge the dust, yes we must tackle the dust, yes we must value you those trampled down in it.  But surely we shouldn’t cling to it, making it an idol.  The dust of earthly desires and possessions, the dust of earthly vanities and hopes, the dust of death to which our mortal bodies will return.  If we cling to the dust of the earth, where then is our hope?

The Tears of Lent

Tags

John11:35, Lent

Jesus wept.

John 11:35

Don’t Forget To Count The Trees

Tags

Anna Karenina, Counting, Genesis 15:5, Lent, Religion, Trees, Vaulue

In Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina; Stepan visits Levin while in the process of selling a forest to a third party. Levin thinking that he has undervalued the sale price asks Stepan if he has ‘counted the trees’; Stepan being a townie laughs at such an idea and replies; ‘Count the sands of the sea, number the stars.  Some higher power might do it.’

For Stepan the idea of counting trees was so alien that he didn’t know where to even begin and saw it as something only God could do.  Nothing Levin said could convince him that if he counted the trees he would see that he had undervalued the land and it was worth far more.

What have we undervalued recently?

Where are the trees we need to count this Lent?