Reflections on General Synod by Revd Shan Rush

General Synod met this week and a motion was tabled which encouraged the bishops to commend the long-debated Prayers of Love and Faith and to trial standalone services of blessing for same sex couples. In her closing speech before the vote, Bishop Sarah Mullally spoke movingly saying:

“For some, the simple fact that I have led this process has meant that they see me as no longer in communion with them. I want to assure them that I still believe that we are in communion with one another. And whilst I may no longer be invited to eat at their table, they will always be welcome at mine. And if that means that I need to sit outside with the powerless, the marginalized, the lost, then that’s where I will sit. And I am certain that I will also encounter Christ there. To see the other made in the image of God, allows us to see them not as the other, but with equity, as God sees them, with the love which Jesus Christ sees the other.

Cole Arthur Riley, in her book “This Here Flesh” writes:

“To be able to marvel at the face of our neighbour with the same awe we have for the mountaintop and the sunlight refracting – this manner of vision is what will keep us from destroying each other.”

Let us choose not to destroy one another, but truly to encounter one another, to dare to see God’s image in each other, to embrace each other without judgement, to rejoice in the gift of one another’s different understanding. To be one body, however messy, and by doing this, know that God is in this place. I ask Synod to vote for this amended motion.”
The vote was very close, reflecting the deeply held differences and the depth of feeling on both sides of the debate. It will now be down to the House of Bishops to implement the will of Synod. There is more work to do before this happens, but the process is moving along. As we at St Mark’s give thanks for this progress, let us also be mindful of the impact on friends, neighbours and colleagues who hold different views and who may well be struggling, angry and grieving the changes. Through the grace of God, may we support one another as we seek wholeness and healing.
Revd Shan Rush

We also recommend reading this suburb blog by Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, another member of General