What kind of wisdom?

In The Book of Common Prayer, the Collect, or special prayer, for the Third Sunday in Advent asks God to: ‘Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight.’

Like so much of Cranmer’s liturgy, a great deal of wisdom is packed into just a few words. We are reminded of John the Baptist preparing the way for the first coming of the Lord Jesus and of our responsibility to proclaim the second. We are reminded to pray for our ministers and to pray for ourselves. We are reminded that there is a judgment to come and that the verdict of that judgment is the only one that matters. It is good to ponder these things.

Inclusive or just?

In the past few weeks, some of the ministers of the Church of England have made their own proclamation about what is wise, what they believe to be acceptable in the sight of the Lord. The bishops of the Diocese of Oxford have followed the example of the bishops of Lichfield, by outlining what they think the archbishops’ call for ‘a radical new Christian inclusion in the Church’ might look like. Of course, they offer their views with ‘humility and hesitation’ and there is a certain amount of ambiguity in what they have said, but there is no doubt that they are looking forward to a day when the ‘current legal, doctrinal and liturgical frameworks’ of the Church of England are no longer current. Their prime concern, of course, is to include the LGBTI+ community more fully in the life of the Church.

One of the most concerning elements of their letter is that they say they are looking to the Church in Wales for assistance as they consider these matters. This is a Church which is moving rapidly away from the wisdom of the just.

• At the consecration of the bishop of Llandaff, June Osborne, 18 months ago, the former presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church (USA), Katherine Jeffries Schori, gave the Gospel reading. It was a sign of the close relationship between them.

• Six months ago, the Governing Body of the Church in Wales voted in favour of the view that: ‘It is pastorally unsustainable for the Church to make no formal provision for those in same-gender relationships.’

• At the same meeting the archbishop of the Scottish Episcopal Church, which now offers same-sex marriages, outlined the process by which this innovation had been made acceptable to most in the Church.

The bishops of Oxford have also announced a new ‘core principle’ that ‘all Christians, but especially those who hold the Bishops’ Licence, as clergy or lay ministers’ must keep in mind as they preach, teach and pastor their communities: that all Christians have a responsibility, ‘to ensure that all people know that there is a place at the table for them.’

Perhaps we should not be surprised that leaders committed to the pathway of plural truth will rely on principles that are both ambiguous and universal in scope. But I’m not sure that Cranmer would have approved. Using language to hide meaning is no way to prepare people for the return of Christ and neither is using language to inhibit clear teaching about what is and is not acceptable in his sight.

It seems once again that we need to pray for wisdom; and the Collect above seems a good place to start.