#general synod

[sapphosremains]

a personal reflection on the cofe general synod's prayers of love and faith decision

to be followed by a theological one at some point

**this post is rife with grammatical erors! i wrote it at 1am! i'm trying to get through them as i notice them but i apologise in advance**

this blog is a theological blog. when it is personal, it is reposts, or occasionally personal theological reflections, but today, after weeks of thought on the decision made by the general synod back in early july on prayers of love and faith, i cannot yet be theological. right now, this is a personal thing, and i do not have the space to be theological. despite this inability to fulfil my usual aims with the blog, i will still be writing and posting this, because it deserves to be heard, and i deserve to be heard. the voices of lgbtq people deserve to be heard, especially when they have such love for their faith and such tolerance for others that they continue in a church which supports them so little, and abuses them so often.

i could not help but cry watching the proceedings of the general synod as they discussed whether ministers should be allowed to pray for people in homosexual relationships. it is important to understand that the prayers of love and faith (plf) 'suite of resources' does not allow prayers for the relationship, only the people in it. i have tried, and i have heard the arguments by members of the alliance group and others rejecting plf, but i cannot remotely understand how anyone could reject it. as fr stuart cradduck put so powerfully, ministers bless (that's right - bless, not just pray for) sewage plants, and statues of margaret thatcher. in fact, even we as the laity are allowed, and encouraged, to pray for sinners in compassion and love. so, even if one did view homosexual relationships as sinful, how do we reconcile praying for murderers and blessing sewage plants with the stark rejection of praying for the people in a God-centered, loving relationship? again, not the relationship. and, as we see in praying for sinners, prayer is not an endorsement. where can the logic in rejecting prayers for people be?

i am in the process of discernment. i feel called by God to be a priest, administering the sacraments and serving His people. i also feel called by God to marriage. in fact, i have believed since i met her (and this is a belief that has only grown more fervent as we have been together) that God calls me to her. i won't give you all the reasons, but our meeting was as a result of a number of extraordinary circumstances for me, our initial friendship pulled me out of a very difficult circumstance (one i asked God to alleviate), our relationship worked patiently and tirelessly through difficulties in dealing with my trauma, she has drawn me closer and closer to God and His holy, catholic (little c not Roman) Church, and He has answered my prayers in every aspect pertaining to our relationship. our relationship is God-centered, and the fruits of it are the fruits of the work of the Holy Spirit. we go to church together. what, in this, had it been a man, could possibly be so awful? yet, as it stands, i cannot have both of the things that i feel God is calling me towards. i feel i am meant to be an ambassador of the eternal love offered in His church signified by my same-sex marriage (ssm) in the priesthood. why should i have to choose? why should i be allowed to choose which of His callings is most important? that is not my decision. if i have both callings, like many priests have a calling to their heterosexual marriage, why am i put in a position where i should make a choice on His divine will?

it also felt like speakers who voted against seemed to focus on the idea of negotiable doctrine. the idea that plf means that doctrine is negotiable. firstly, there was ambiguity and vagueness that did not help this argument. it was unclear whether speakers were arguing against the potential 'support' of sex outside of marriage that plf could create, or just the 'support' of gay relationships. again, as addressed above, it does neither. however, it is still not changing doctrine. against speakers seemed to convey the feeling that plf brought vast doctrinal changes (such as allowing homosexual holy matrimony), or that this doctrine exists in the first place. firstly, plf does not bring doctrinal changes. it prays for people, as we pray for all people. secondly, this is not doctrine in the same way that belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and fully God is doctrine. this is not doctrine in the same way that believing in the existence of God is doctrine. this is a matter of a few passages that we know are rife with translation errors and cultural misunderstandings.

should it constitute a doctrinal change, the words of mtr brenda wallace, who discussed how we accepted doctrinal changes about divorce, despite scripture seeming to forbid it (more clearly than in passages about homosexuality, i would argue), were powerful. she, along with bishop sarah mullally, emphasised that at the heart of this problem are real people, who we put at risk the more we tie ourselves up in theology, law, and doctrine.

although i am grateful for the passing of the motion on plf, its existence as procrastination, again well put by cradduck, cannot be denied. furthermore, the statistics were disappointing. in a christian church which subscribes to the new testament assertion that love is the most important commandment, 12/39 bishops voted against plf, with five abstaining, 88/189 clergy voted against, with two abstaining, and 91/188 laity voted against, with two abstaining. to put this into more understandable numbers, 31% of bishops voted against, 47% of clergy voted against, and 48% of laity voted against. 46% of voters (supposedly representative of the church) oppose prayers for people in same sex relationships.

now, i am not someone without criticism of my own viewpoints, and i am aware of other reasons for voting against. some, like william harwood, argue, quite fairly, that they feel the motion was rushed, and lacks clarity on either side. i tend to agree. i would still argue that those in favour of inclusivity should vote favourably, but his point is understandable. i also understood the viewpoint of the bishop of bath and wells michael beasley, that through putting the plf prayers through b2, the process the synod uses for liturgy that expresses doctrine, plf implies doctrinal changes. this does seem an unwise, strong movement in an otherwise tentative course of action. of course, i would love to see the allowance of holy matrimony for homosexual couples, but i can understand the reluctance of those in support of plf for what they are - prayers - to put them through the doctrinal liturgy system. i also understand the frustration of many as expressed by fr aneal appadoo - there has evidently not been clarity and trust in this process. with all of these issues, it feels like the synod was so conflicted, and passed the motion so narrowly, because they were not voting on plf. they were voting on whether they believed this constituted doctrinal changes, they were voting on hopes and fears about future motions, and they were voting on the lack of trust they now held for the bishops.

as i have become more synodically and theologically-minded throughout this post, i do want to return to the human element. to return to the words of mtr brenda and bishop sarah about people. i love my girlfriend. i love God. and i love His Church. i cannot express how distressing it is that we need to argue so much about whether the love for all three is possible. i do not believe that God could ever condemn such love, and i cannot believe that a matter of gender supersedes any biblical and holy qualities of a love. above all, i feel naive. i feel silly, really, for having hope that i might be able to marry my wife someday in my church. i am grateful to other churches, such as the methodist and united reform churches (fun fact, i am actually christened united reform!) that allow ssm, but i just wish that i could offer my marriage up in the eyes of God in the church i know and love. i am sad, because i know that my vicar, and believe that the congregation, would be overjoyed to witness the marriage of me and my girlfriend, who they know very well and have watched our relationship flourish. i feel naive.

i pray for all involved, as it cannot have been an easy couple of hours. i would encourage others to watch this portion of the synod, if you're interested, but to prioritise your own wellbeing, as it could be difficult to listen to.

blessings and love and prayers to you all

may we continue to strive for love

[possil]

THE BISHOPS OR THE BIBLE

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[stairnaheireann]

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[sheltiechicago]

Vatican City

Priests, bishops and cardinals preside at Holy Mass with the College of Cardinals for the opening of the XVI ordinary general assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Vatican City. Women were allowed to vote for the first time at the meeting of bishops as the Vatican sought to address some of the church’s thorniest issues as part of an agenda that has rattled many conservatives.

Photograph: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

[irishgop]

The United Church of Christ elected Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson its first female & woman of African descent to lead the mainline denomination as general minister and president on Monday July 3 at its 34th General Synod in Indianapolis.

[cathnews]

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[sapphicmuppet]

unresolved things still in my brain post fhjy finale

okay hihi this is not me trying to nitpick I just have a lot of unresolved thoughts!! okay here we go

Buckys arc:

I don’t have a ton of stuff to say just generally his arc being unresolved, being counted as a follower of Cassandra but that never being formally gone over, him still living with Mac and Donna, him skipping class, the drama with his adventuring party etc.

Bobby Dawn:

another self explanatory one, Sandra Lynn never finding out he was teaching at school, him escaping scot free, the drama in the sol pantheon, him never finding buddy etc. Just a lot of unanswered questions

Mazey Graduating:

for having a finale that has a lot of emphasis on the Fabian/Mazey relationship I wish they went over that Mazey IS a senior and graduated at the end of the year and is presumably going to college in the fall, and just the logistics of her being a college student still dating someone in highschool, just interesting having them get together when they’re already going in separate paths. I wish they went over it!! because now in my brain I have to justify it as a summer thing because they’re actively going to be doing other stuff the next school year.

Kipperlilly (and Jace):

okay so. Kipperlily was never rage starred or she willing took on the ragestar whatever I NEED TO KNOW MORE. Ik the point is that the ratgrinders suck and are inexperienced heroes but the realization that she essentially took all of The Ratgrinders down with her and gave them up to Porter, wasn’t being controlled by him in the way the rest of them were, had an even more direct hand in Lucy’s death, but also was still being manipulated by Porter for years?? I need it to get gone over. Also Kipperlily staying dead? to be clear it shouldn’t be The Bad Kids’ jobs to have to deal with the moral question on if the ratgrinders deserve being revived but there’s so much unsaid about Kipperlily and so much she didn’t get to do ugh. And in her final moments her absolute hatred towards Riz just being justified? In her eyes. Idk. Lots of thoughts. AND JACE!! Porter ADMITS to killing Jace himself and shatterstarring him and says he will do it again, but also Jace is clearly under Porter’s control to a degree and wasn’t revived too. I wish we knew more about him because as of what we know right now it seems crazy to keep him dead without questioning him and with him being Porters partner in this whole thing he could fully reveal everything Porter and The Ratgrinders had been doing the past three years.

Bakur:

idk just minor stuff with Bakur. He never regained his elf status which was interesting? We never saw the resolution of his fight with Lydia etc

Kalina:

Okay the acknowledgment in the finale that Kalina seems to genuinely have her own free will and moral compass outside of Cassandra is making me crazy because I just assumed she was tied to Cassandra so when she was good Kalina was too by default but there’s so much not cleared up about her. She DID lure Cassandra to the synod where she was weak and fostered the rage in Cassandra about Kristen’s treatment of her. She killed herself and was trying to communicate to Riz about Porter. Ankarna has NEVER trusted her. She had the spies tongue with Porter. She’s escaping with Buddy at the end. WHATS HAPPENING WHAT IS SHE DOING AGGHHHHH

[lgbtpopcult]

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[everybodyknows-everybodydies]

“The problem now,” says Mirabelle, braced against the wall and on consecutive minute ten of standing practice, “is the Synod and their—what did you say they were calling it?”

“A continental scan via the oculory’s projection mechanisms to catalogue the locations of various magical artefacts which may be of interest to the Empire,” recites Kharish, and then, flipping a page in her notebook after a beat, “or—something like that. I didn’t write all of that part down. He claimed he didn’t want us to know anything but then he wouldn’t stop talking.”

“Naturally,” she says under her breath. Less than surprising, given the persistence the Synod has shown in being a nuisance in other areas. “They’re not known for their discretion.” The small of her back protests louder; she shifts her stance in what she hopes is not a noticeable movement.

“Don’t lock your knees like that,” Colette admonishes anyway, hands twisting nervously over each other. “That’s enough for now; we’ll try again after dinner.”

“I’m doing fine. Give me a bit longer—”

“After dinner!”

Ten minutes is better than yesterday, at least. Mirabelle allows herself to be steered to her chair and exhales as Colette checks her spine vertebra by aching vertebra. “Right. Well, whatever they think they might find, they cannot find it here. And if that—”

All three heads turn to the Staff leaning against the wall in the corner of the room. The constant pressure of energy radiating from it brightens briefly under the attention. It’s been bordering on headache-inducing for days now; this almost pushes it right over.

“—if that,” she continues, rubbing her palms across her knees, meditative, “has the same qualities that caused the… orb…”

“The Eye?” Kharish offers with a thumb to her chin in thought.

“The orb,” she repeats more firmly, because it’s still a silly name for the thing, even after it all, “to interfere with their mapping attempt in the oculory—and I think it’s fair to say it does, given its appearance on the map in equivalence to it, and, well.”

She waves a hand in the Staff’s direction. If it were not a somewhat concerning thought to have of an ostensibly inanimate object, she could almost think it preening.

“…general aura. I am not interested in being indicated on any further attempts to create a map of Synod targets; we have our hands full enough as it is. I don’t know what the Psijics have that would be capable of dampening the orb’s propensity for the kind of entropic flares we saw, but I would rather they had taken the one thing we are positive is capable of subduing it.”

“I could write a letter,” Kharish says doubtfully, “but I don’t know where we’d send it.”

“Well, if they all blow their secret Psijic island to bits, I hardly think it’s our fault,” scoffs Colette as she goes to sit again and scribbles something down in her notes. (Hopefully, Mirabelle thinks, rueful, that she will not be expected to sit on her hands for another interminable week.) “Transplanar nonsense. They can flash around pausing time, and being cryptic, and pretending not to be involved in anything, but they can’t be bothered with a mailing address!”

“It would require a very intrepid courier, certainly.” She pauses at a knock on the door, something easing in her shoulders at the sight of Faralda, familiar bruises under her eyes belying her usual indefatigable composure, and a tray of four steaming cups.

“What have I missed?”

“Ten minutes,” says Colette importantly.

Faralda sits, eyebrows lifting. A bright curl falls loose, brushes across her cheekbone; she must have been sat with a hand in her hair in concentration for a few hours, at least. Too much documentation in the wake of the incident, trying to walk the line of sufficiently detailed for the records without being overly revealing. Mirabelle makes a mental note to ask her to bring everything by, later, to let her take some of it herself. (Please.) “Yesterday was seven, wasn’t it?” She draws her chair up to the table and brings her own cup to her lips.

“And a month ago I could have stood unassisted for several hours,” Mirabelle says dryly, “but I think that would scarcely have been a riveting conversation topic. We were discussing what to do about—the Staff.”

It draws the eye again. The momentary silence is unsettling in its totality. The Staff does nothing, but she has the uncanny sense that it’s thinking, somehow.

“I don’t like it,” Colette says at last. “It feels like it’s looking at me.” She takes a sip from her cup and then coughs, sputtering. “How much sugar did you put in here?”

“Four,” Faralda looks at her, confused, and then blinks. “—no. You said two.”

“Four! Who is using four!”

“I don’t know. It’s—the morning was very long.” She drags a hand down her face. “Although I’d thought you a little more inclined to sweet things, lately,” she says, with a flicker of a grin cast sideways for Mirabelle, who puts a finger to her own mouth in warning.

Kharish slides her cup across the table, ears pricked with interest. “You can have mine if you like; I haven’t touched it yet. Is that true? Do you—”

Coloring, Colette insists, “It is not!” She takes the cup, though, eyeing it with some apprehension.

“…as we were saying, though,” Mirabelle rubs at the bridge of her nose, trying not to mirror Faralda’s smile, “the Staff.”

“We could try to find a way to… dim it, so to speak.” Faralda nods towards the Staff. “So it doesn’t light up the whole town, feeling like that. Synod, yes? If that thing doesn’t give off as strong a signature it would be easier disguised.”

“We’ll have to ask Drevis what he thinks,” she muses. “We’d need more than simple invisibility, for certain, but he had that thesis on localized perception-warping around an object. I believe he was still missing a book from the demonstration of it.”

Kharish is staring at the thing, brow knit, fingers turning idly in her lap. “Urag and I can go over anything that might be relevant from the Shalidor-Ulfsild notes, too. They both did enough hiding things, at least,” she says with a faint smile, “that there ought to be something useful in there. And—I can run through my notes from Mzulft again. I might have missed something yet.”

They’ve retrodden the events of Mzulft, now, a handful of times. Mirabelle is privately inclined to think it likely that the disastrous Synod expedition’s lone survivor may not have even made it back to Cyrodiil—which would, of course, be unfortunate (but would also solve the whole thing quite handily, wouldn’t it). Pragmatically, though, better to assume they’ll be dealt the worst hand, and so she’s had Kharish take her through her notes again and again, in the hopes some clue to diverting the attention drawn by the oculory map will become clear if only they review once more. One can always trust an archivist to keep notes, at least. “Have Arniel take a look,” she decides. “If nothing else, he may have an idea how to plausibly suggest their calibration was imprecise.”

“He won’t be too busy with the—?” Kharish cuts herself off at a quick pointed look from Faralda. “Er—yes. I’ll see what he can make of it. You can always blame me,” she offers, “if you need. Say I must have skewed their results.”

“Of course it wasn’t you,” huffs Colette, just as Faralda says, “We might consider it.” The cup rattles as Colette jolts, nearly losing a splash of tea. “What? Why? It was their godsforsaken idea—”

“It doesn’t have to be true. Or intentional.” Faralda catches the tray where it’s started to make for the edge of the uneven table. “But they might think twice about delegating to uninvolved parties in the future if it’s pointed out that perhaps the quality of their work suffers as a result.”

“Which would be their own fault, not—”

“I did drop their focusing crystal more than once—”

Mirabelle presses a hand to her temple. “Stop,” she says aloud, and the Staff in the corner spits a single white spark with an audible crack that silences the room. She can hear her own pulse in her ears as she says, “We’ll cross that particular bridge when or if we should come to it. With any luck we won’t need to deal with them face to face, and no fingers will be pointed in either direction.”

“Better to stave off the attention in the first place,” Kharish nods, which might be taken for a joke under normal circumstances—only, her face stays worryingly grim.

The Staff crackles again. Mirabelle wishes it sounded less like laughter.

---

It seems, somehow, louder in the quiet, once the door has closed back: Kharish having left with the promise of scouring the transcriptions they’ve taken from the scholars of ages past and talking Arniel through what she can of the Mzulft oculory, and Colette with the promise of returning with her dinner and another practice session involving five bold minutes of being on her feet, presumably if she hasn’t simply expired before then, leaving the archmage and the master wizard alone. She’s still not used to the change in title. It will, she imagines, take some getting used to. Archmage Ervine. Master Wizard Faralda—who is bent over the second of the ledgers in the stack she’s lined up on the table.

“So,” Mirabelle studies her keen profile. “What is Arniel working on that I’m not meant to know about?”

A twitch of her ear. “Certain practical applications of his mechanical knowledge,” she says, evasive.

“Should I be concerned?”

“No.” Faralda turns her head, something nervous and soft flickering across the line of her mouth. “It isn’t anything more than a thought, at the moment. If it enters the realm of feasibility, you’ll be the first to know.”

She feels herself tilting, slightly, and sits straighter to correct for it, a funny little smile threatening her own expression. Odd, not to know every wheel turning beyond the door. Another thing that will take some getting used to. “Very well. I trust your judgment.”

Her master wizard rearranges the list she’s brought: things already accomplished and things yet to be done, which students have elected to withdraw and which are staying, potential places they can scrape a bit more out of the next semester’s budget for the structural repairs to the Hall of Elements (and more than likely the semester after that, and after that one too). She wonders, with a spike of something morbid, whether there’s still a smear of her blood on the cracked tile—whether once she gets her hands on a cane she’ll find a blackened stain of her own handprint smudging the splintered door. It’ll need replacing, either way.

The Staff blinks. It does—just a bit—feel as though it’s looking at her. She looks back at it, brow furrowed, and tamps down the sudden compulsion to ask what it wants.

“If I start talking to it,” Mirabelle says gravely, “hit me.”

Affronted, Faralda starts. “I’m not going to hit you.”

“The responsibility of the master wizard—”

“—can be done without smacking about the archmage,” she cuts her off, scowling, “as you of all people should be well aware.” Then, apparently catching the twinkle in her eye, she huffs out a breath. “Be serious.”

“I am quite serious. We’ve seen what the orb was capable of, and I don’t intend to let such a thing happen with its counterpart. I expect you to step in should it ever be necessary.”

“You won’t let it come to that.”

“I’d like to think not,” she says, “but I won’t pretend to assume I’m infallible.” Mirabelle shifts slightly in her chair as her back twinges. She should be lying down again soon, but, she thinks with a brush of irritation, there’s too much to be done, still; and hardly any of it can one do while confined by rest.

(The Staff humming incessantly in the corner, too, doesn’t help things. The thing has the sort of presence that is not easily ignored. Which, of course, is why they need to find how to keep it from drawing unwanted attention.)

“You’re in pain.” It’s not a question. Faralda is half to her feet already, sharp eyes studying her with concern. “Do you need—”

“I am fine. What I need is to finish this discussion. Let me do something.”

Her narrow mouth twitches to one side. “You,” she starts, and then stops. More cautious, plucking her words slowly: “You… made a face. We can discuss anything you like if you will tell me what I can do.”

“If I were experiencing—discomfort,” she says, leaning forward very subtly with her elbows on the table to alleviate some pressure, “I would be careful not to ‘make a face’ about it.”

“Evidently not careful enough.” For a moment she’s suspended, hovering; Mirabelle thinks at first that she’s waiting for an answer before her hand, warm—ever-burning furnace that she is—hesitantly drops between her shoulder blades. “Where is it?”

Wide awake and abruptly far too aware of the latent rattle in her lungs, she says, “Oh, don’t; I’ll fall asleep on you, and I am sick to death of sleeping.”

“I should hope not. I’ll call Marence back if I have to.”

“If it will satisfy you, Master Wizard,” Mirabelle irons out a thin smile, “to make a fuss over nothing—”

“You should not play cards, Archmage.” Faralda touches a careful thumb to the ridge of her spine. “You don’t bluff well. Where is it?”

She sucks an inhale through her teeth. “Lower,” she says, eventually. The heat and pressure shift to oblige. There is, still, the perfect echo of the long-fingered hand across her upper back. “You mean that I—” She clears her throat, startled by the strain in her own voice. “You mean that I don’t bluff well against you, I think. But really: I’ll be upright sooner rather than later.” With a wry twist to her mouth, she says, “Imagine the office hours, elsewise.”

“Archmage,” Faralda says again—she says it as easily as if it’s what she’s always called her, somehow—“if anyone thinks less of you, they’re none of ours. Hold your office hours however you like; it can’t be any worse than Neloren disappearing mid-advisory meeting, or Gestor misplacing his entire desk to some far corner of Oblivion—”

Despite herself, she does laugh, rubbing at the inner corners of her eyes. “Don’t remind me. He still complains the replacement is rubbish.” But of course Faralda will take her seriously. She’ll wear the same bright eyes and mindful prick to her ears, the same flash of humor and crook of her mouth whether Mirabelle is on her feet or seated or lying down or standing on her head—the thought of which makes her huff a closed-lipped laugh again. “Alright,” she says at last. “But don’t go anywhere yet. I’d still like to run through the budget issue at least; leave it here for me when you do go. Have you already reached out to the masons—”

Faralda presses the heel of her hand into the small of her back; the heat of her unwinds something taut sitting in her aching spine and hitches her voice in her throat mid-thought. “I’m not going anywhere. What do you need?”

A breath. A beat. She looks askance at the Staff, buzzing alight, and puts out a hand—goes, at first, for Faralda’s elbow, then takes hold of her sleeve instead. “Just stand there being tall a moment,” she says lightly, “and don’t tell.”

“Tell—” She startles, grabbing for her hand, when Mirabelle pulls herself to her feet. “I’m better leverage informed first—”

“Hm. I imagine a cane will complain less, too.” It’s only four or five normal steps to sit on the edge of the bed, which translates now to an awkward shuffle that her hips prick and creak in resistance throughout.

Faralda stays standing over her a moment, looking suddenly and strangely at a loss for what to do with her hands. “Is it—better?”

“It will be.” She exhales as she lowers herself back against the lumpy stack of pillows. The relief is not total by any means, but it is a marked improvement. “Faralda,” she says, and sees the resulting unfurrowing of her brow, the slant to her shoulders. “Thank you.”

Her expression warms, embers kindling, as she pulls her chair over, offers the ledger. “I’ll hope I make a better conversationalist than a cane. Synod, Staff, stonemasons. Start us where you like.”

It is, she realizes abruptly, the first time in days the Staff has gone quiet. It feels like a fresh breath of outdoor morning chill. “Would you believe,” she says, reaching for the quill on the end table, “that I really do miss paperwork?”

Faralda’s laugh, quick and glowing, could light the hearth.

[sapphosremains]

the promised theological reflection on the general synod on prayers of love and faith - part 1

gonna be a big girl and use capitals sorry if its scary

as promised, this one will be less teary and personal, and more theological, but don't worry, you'll still get a big opinion of me and my personality! part 1 will address doctrine: why do we think it's changing, is it changing, should it be doctrine at all?

Firstly, let's get one thing straight. PLF is NOT allowing homosexual holy matrimony. If you want to understand what PLF is and isn't, you can read my previous post on this, or read the guidance (prepare to be wholly whish-washed by the whishy washy nature of it though), but essentially PLF is a set of prayers that can (come February 2025 if the General Synod does not block the motion then) be used by a minister to PRAY FOR people in a homosexual relationship (NOT a prayer for the relationship itself, nor is it a blessing). However, where doctrine is concerned, it is the idea that this is the definition of holy matrimony:

"marriage is in its nature a union permanent and lifelong, for better for worse, till death them do part, of one man with one woman, to the exclusion of all others on either side, for the procreation and nurture of children, for the hallowing and right direction of the natural instincts and affections, and for the mutual society, help and comfort which the one ought to have of the other, both in prosperity and adversity." - Church of England Canon B30

A) Why do we think it's changing?

So, if PLF is just prayers for people in a homosexual relationship, what are the issues? What doctrine do we think is changing? Surely we can pray for anyone?

Firstly, some think that the PLF motion would change doctrine because it will be agreed by B2, not B5. B2 is the process by which the General Synod can approve doctrinal liturgy.

Secondly, as in B30, the Church of England believes that marriage is between a man and a woman. Therefore, some argue that praying for people in a same-sex marriage is praying for people engaging in extramarital sex as they will not recognise ssm as valid marriage. However, then, there should be no issue then with praying for celibate couples.

This doctrine also defines marriage as being for procreation and nurture of children, which a same-sex couple cannot naturally achieve. However, the Church permits marriage between couples who may struggle to conceive, and those too old to conceive, as well as allowing contraceptive methods.

B) Is it changing?

We have two examples of similar changes in the church before:

remarriage after divorce (passed in certain circumstances since 2002)

ordination of women (passed in 1992)

Unfortunately, we do not have examples of these liturgically as significant changes were not made (as far as I can find) to liturgy and passed through the B2 system, so I cannot judge whether this is a doctrinal change here. I would argue that both of these were doctrinal changes, though I know there are others that would disagree. Some would argue that the reasons for divorce that are accepted are enfolded in the doctrine of marriage in the first place - couples who do not exclude all others for each other, do not help and comfort each other, etc could be considered 'invalid' marriages, therefore making divorce acceptable without doctrinal changes.

And again, PLF is not same sex holy matrimony! I think some think that this is a 'gateway drug' of slippery slopes to a crazy gay church (read: tolerant, loving, inclusive church that demonstrates Christ's unwavering and unconditional love). So, no, I don't think doctrine is changing. Even if praying for gay couples is praying for those engaging in extramarital sex, do we not pray for all 'sinners'?

Let's examine PLF more in its wording for the couple.

Prayer of dedication:

"enfold your servants N and N with your encouragement, hope, and love. Fill them with the grace to rejoice always in their love for one another,"

Prayer for companionship

"give grace to your servants N and N, that they may be companions in joy"

Prayer for grace to live well:

"give N and N wisdom and devotion in the ordering of their life together. May they dwell together in love and peace all the days of their life, seeking one another’s welfare, bearing one another’s burdens and sharing one another’s joys;"

Prayer for God's blessing:

"we give you thanks for N and N, for the love and friendship they share, and for their commitment to one another. As they come before you this day, trusting you as the giver of all good gifts, strengthen their love by your love, and gladden their hearts with your joy, that their journey through life may become a pilgrimage of grace. By your blessing, and with you as their companion and guide, may they rejoice in hope and be sustained in love all the days of their life and in the age to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

or

"Pour out, we pray, the abundance of your grace upon N and N in their life together. By your blessing, may they share in the joy of your kingdom where goodness and mercy abound; and bring them to feast with your saints for ever"

For lifelong peace:

"look with favour on N and N as they journey together through life. Deepen their love and strengthen their wills to honour the commitment they have made, that they may continue in lifelong faithfulness and friendship to each other;"

Everything else follows similarly, with no differences in what love is referred to etc. Main issues raised with the phrasing is that it is too similar to that of Holy Matrimony. I would argue that the main focus of all of the phrasing is the relationship between the individuals and God, with very little focused on their relationship. When the word 'love' is used, it is non-specific - Jesus had 'love' for his disciples. The prayers of covenanted friendship also use the word love, and also describe the pair's 'life together', so the issues with the phrasing come from the type of relationship, not the phrasing itself. When we acknowledge that this is the issue, that we are praying for and using these words in reference to a homosexual relationship, we return to the original issue of it being against doctrine, which we determined it is not.

C) Should it be doctrine at all?

I won't say much on this, because there are several articles I know of (and I'm sure many, many more of which I don't) that explain why doctrines against homosexuality are not Biblically supported, explaining the complex nuance of the time in which the Bible was written, extraneous influences such as Roman culture, and surrounding issues in the anti-gay 'clobber' passages, but essentially, the support for doctrinal anti-gay is weak. I would argue that we should be critically considering and praying on all aspects of doctrine to ensure that it is in line with His Word and pleasing to Him, as far as it can be. As Martyn Snow acknowledged at the Synod, 'this side of Heaven, the Church will never be perfect'. If, after the resurrection, sat at His table, we discover that homosexuality is indeed repugnant to His law, I concede. However, I think accepting doctrine as doctrine, and using this as a key argument is problematic. Recall all the past doctrines we would consider to be heretical today! Without critical thinking, prayer, and discernment, we cannot become more amenable to God. We should strive for perfection, and that includes critically analysing things we take as 'gospel'!

God bless you all, and may you all feel His extraordinary love. Let us hope and pray that this disagreement does not cause such schism in His Church, and that we can all consider each other and each other's viewpoints with love, understanding, and compassion. Let us pray for our LGBTQ+ siblings in this continued time of difficulty as our rights and God's love for us continue to be debated.

Useful resources:

Unfortunately, I can't find the best resource I read about the context of the 'clobber verses' and the idea that they were written in a culture of rejecting most Roman practices as heretical, but if I do find it I'll update this.

Prayers of Love and Faith:

Canons:

Watch the General Synod: (see Monday 8 Afternoon for the PLF debate)

https://collected.jcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1019&context=mastersessays

[possil]

We all have opinions regarding leadership styles, from Sir Alex Ferguson to the Dalai Lama. My preferred leaders are boringly competent rather than charismatically exciting. Our society faces increasing internal division and economic hardship. More importantly, we see the benefits of Christian-based Western civilisation being trampled underfoot. Unfortunately when we look to today’s leaders in…

[apenitentialprayer]

Also, I can't believe I have to come to the defense of the fricking Church of England, but people are really whining over the fact that the Archbishop of York said that addressing God as "Father" might be hard for those who have been abused by fathers? People are making it sound like he suggested we edit the prayer or something, but the fullest quotation I can find from his General Synod address was:

I know the word 'father' can be problematic for those whose experience of earthly fathers has been destructive and abusive, and for all of us who have labored rather too much from an oppressively patriarchal grip on life

Like, oh no....... he has a measure of sympathy for those whose only tangible experience of fatherhood was bad? Am I missing something?

[whencyclopedia]

Louis XIV and the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes

Beginning in the 16th century, Protestants in France struggled in their rapport with royal power. Protestants owed the recognition of their rights more to sovereign decrees than to genuine tolerance or religious pluralism. The realization that the monarch held the authority to revoke what had been granted led to suspicion and mistrust toward rulers. Under Louis XIV of France (r. 1643–1715), they lost the rights gained under Henry IV of France (r. 1589–1610).

Edict of Nantes Undermined

Louis XIV, known also as the Sun King (le Roi Soleil), was one of the most illustrious French kings. His reign was marked by cultural and military achievements as well as endless wars and religious intolerance. During the reign of his grandfather Henry IV, the effects of the Edict of Nantes in 1598 allowed French Catholics and Protestants to cohabitate in an uneasy peace. After the death of Henry IV in 1610, the Catholic Church and monarchy began plotting the removal of protections provided under the Edict of Nantes leading to its Revocation in 1685.

Early in Louis XIV’s reign, there was a season of religious tranquility for Protestants. With Cardinal Mazarin (l. 1601–1661) at his side, Louis XIV initially thought that strict respect for previous edicts and the refusal to grant additional rights was the most effective way to reduce the number of Protestants in his kingdom. Mazarin himself exercised tolerance in granting employment and government positions to Protestants, and he did not give satisfaction to the complaints of Catholic clergy who protested the construction of Protestant temples. A royal declaration in 1652 recognized Protestant fidelity to the Crown and promised the maintenance of the Edict of Nantes with the enjoyment of all its benefits. In 1656 this declaration was revoked and the exercise of Reformed religion was forbidden in places where it had recently been established. Provincial synods sent a delegation to present their grievances to the king who authorized them to hold a general synod in November 1659 at Loudun. The king’s representative reproached the Protestants in attendance for their insolence and announced that this would be their last general synod.

After the death of Mazarin, Louis XIV was determined to become the absolute master of his kingdom. With hostile measures, he sought to paralyze Protestant vitality and bring about conversions to Catholicism. The king reinstated the Commissions as the principal means of repression through which he sent commissioners into the provinces to investigate reported or supposed violations of the Edict of Nantes. Reformed churches were placed in an accusatory posture and had to justify their existence while Catholic Church representatives argued systematically for the closure of Reformed churches. Dozens of churches were forcibly closed in the provinces of Bas-Languedoc and the Cévennes where there were about 140,000 Protestants, or religionnaires as they were called.

Continue reading...

[deimos-awaits]

DEIMOSIAN REVIEW OF THE FIRST EXPLORATOR FLEET

<<<TRANSMISSION FROM DEIMOS HISTORICAL ARCHIVES…RECORDS WRITTEN BY MAGOS-HISTORIA ESTHER-MENDEELVEE ∆12.56π…UNSEALED BY ORDER OF THE HOLY INQUISITION, ORDRO MACHIUM, INQUISITOR SERAPH SERAPHDOTTIOR…105M42>>>

What can be said of the First Explorator Fleet of Deimos? To say anything of what has been called “Boats Full of Xenarites” and “The Best Damned Explorators This Side Of The Eye of Terror” Our beloved Deimos itself must be discussed even in brief. REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED. 

Deimos has long been a smaller Forgeworld by the standards of the Adeptus Mechanicus, which gained most of its raw material from what remains of the Solar System's asteroid belt and Kuiper Belt. However despite being smaller in sheer size and output that has made Deimos no less hungry than other Forge Worlds. As the munition makers of the Grey Knights the forges of Deimos have never been allowed to fall silent lest the Great Enemy find any weakness in the defenses of Holy Terra. It was established by taking one of Mars moons from its orbit and moving it forward Titan, before establishing a Forgeworld upon this small rock that grew equally outwards and in. One method of growing the surface area of the moon has been to bring other asteroids close enough that they might be added to its mass, leading the once small moon to be a network of hallowed out asteroids stitched together by human artifice and holy machinery. This has lead Deimos to be approximately REDACTED across and REDACTED percent the size of Holy Mars. 

Like every other Forgeworld the rediscovery of blessed STCs is paramount in the minds of masters of Deimos and thus the creation of their exploratory fleets. These fleets, each led by an Ark Mechancius, lead the way in search for archeotechnology.  Established as an semi-independent force by the Fabricator General REDACTED REDACTED of Deimos very soon after the establishment of Deimos as a Forgeworld.

In more recent history the First Exploratory Fleet has had two Magi Domini. The first was Magos Domina Omega Bellerov-1.0 and Technoarcheologist Magos Domina Aleph-Gimmel Bellerov-2.0.

Fabricator Minoris Magos Domina Omega Bellerov-1.0 was originally the techpriest in charge of the Purgation Maniple which undoubtedly tinted her perspective about leadership. Bellerov-1.0 was a plastisteel fisted ruler. Under her command skitarii, servitor, and techpriest alike were seen as utterly disposable to further the will and reach of the Omnissiah. They led the fleet for around two hundred standard years bringing back approximately three STC fragments to Deimos for study. However after an encounter with the Word Eaters Legion Warband known as REACTED, Bellerov began to grow eccentric but still functioned well within parameters. However, for nine standard decades after this, Bellerov-1.0 began to abandon the pursuit of STC fragments instead chasing down Slaaneshi dedicated cults including THE BLESSED GUARDIANS on Erophant III. 

Erophant III would be Magos Domina Omega Bellerov-1.0’s last stand after nearly 56.43% Skitarii, 80.31% servitor, and 23.48% Techpriest casualty rates, the fleets ruling Synod launched an investigation. Due to knowledge gained from serving the Grey Knights, Bellerov was deemed corrupted by KHORNE and promptly REDACTED.

Following this the oldest priest serving became the ruling Fabricator-Minoris Explorator of the Fleet as decreed by the fleets Synod, and Technoarcheologist Magos Aleph-Gimmel became Fabricator-Minoris Technoarcheologist Magos Domina Explorator Aleph-Gimmel Bellerov-2.0. 

Under Fabricator-Minoris Aleph-Gimmel Bellerov-2.0’s leadership 7 distinct STC fragments have been found. Further three Necron tomb worlds have been discovered and reported to the wider Imperium and novel weapons added to the arsenal of both Adeptus Mechanicus and Grey Knight forces. However her propensity towards the usage of Eldar and Necron technology has began to stir up declarations of REDACTED.

Fabricator-Minoris Aleph-Gimmel Bellerov-2.0 has utilized these two combinations of technologies after a meeting with Belisarius Cawl in order to form practical antipysker personal shielding that was spread within the First Explorator Fleet, however it's construction of necrodermis and wraithbone has lead most non Deimosian Techpriests that learn of it too decry it as hersey.

Fabricator-Minoris Aleph-Gimmel Bellerov-2.0 displays a knack for finding STC fragments to support her with that has lead to many supporters previously here on Deimos to claim that she was blessed truly by the Omnissiah. Further information can be found in LINK_MISSING. The First Explorator Fleet has also come to the aid of the Grey Knights with the resurgence of the Demon Prince ANGRON as the fleet Synod now holds a grudge against the chaos power known as KHORNE. 

However, it was the trade with the LEAGUE OF VOTANN KNOWN AS THE TRANSANDROMEDIAM COOPERATIVE for resources in addition to rumors of PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS that has lead to Fabricator-Minoris Aleph-Gimmel Bellerov-2.0 and the majority of her supporters to be declared by the Fabricator General Xenarite and Cawlian. In addition her supporters would be on a two hundred year penance crusade to recover lost technology before they could return to Deimos with the First Fleet. This was declared in 846M41. 

Organizationally, this Fleet, at last broadcast, was know to follow common organization of a Deimos force: a Skitarii-Infantry Maniple with three Cohorts, a Scout Maniple with three Cohorts, a Cybernetica Vanguard Maniple with three Cohorts, a Purgation Maniple with two cohorts and a independent Command Cohort run by the most senior tech priest present. The Command Cohort is usually comprised of choice selected unit by the leading priest. The Skitarii-Infantry Maniple are lead by two Skitarii Marshals and one Skitarius Preator. The Cyberntica Vanguard is typically run by any datasmith present and is composed typically of kastalean units and kataphron servitors. The Purgation Maniple, after Omega Bellerov-1.0’s REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED 

The Purgation Maniple, is led by a Manipulus not a Magos Dominus under any circumstances.  The Scout Maniple is led by autonomous Serybus and Sicariian Units. 

Further the First Explorator Fleet itself contains is known to contain two Ark Mechanicii, the Sigilite’s Anger and Deimos’s Cog, and at least three Metallica class Factory Ships which allow it to maintain base levels of self sufficiency in prolonged void operations. In addition the First Explorator Fleet was accompanied by the battle barge of the Ironsong Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, a flotilla of the Imperial Navy lead by Admiral Ezekiel Bendavid from Terra’s Pride, and a collection of Deimosian Knight houses. 

This lecture on the First Deimos Explorator Fleet REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED and REDACTED REDACTED 

REDACTED REDACTED. Omnissiah bless and preserve you. 

<<<TRANSMISSION ENDS>>>

Well. That was most informative. Further search will be needed to determine how much of Magos-Historia Esther-Mendeelvee ∆12.56π's work is correct. Tracking the history and trail of the First Exploratory Fleet before it went to REDACTED will hopefully be less laborious if records are similarly kept. Unclear as of yet what audience Magos-Historia Esther was writing for, next avenue of investigation will be interrogating them tomorrow. Will be sending word to investigate Erophant III, which is located within the Imperium Nihilius. Reports of the fleet's activity have kept circling in from the Imperium Nihilius which does at least suggest they are still active. 

Praise the God-Emperor-Omnissiah

Inquisitor Seraph Seraphdottior signing off. 

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Wasn’t Archbishop of Canterbury elsewhere when he was supposed to be doing the baptism in July 2019?

Yes, he was at the General Synod sessions at the University of York, which took place July 5 - 9, 2019; however, I cannot actually place Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, there on July 6th.

The Synod published its proceedings from the July sessions in February 2020, which are essentially transcripts of everything that was said in these meetings. The proceedings have Welby making comments on July 5, July 7, July 8, and July 9.

July 5th comments are on page 9

July 7th comments on pages 193 and and 221. And also on July 7th (Sunday), Welby gave the sermon during the service.

July 8th comments on page 277

July 9th comments on pages 386 and 403

Additionally, the Synod recorded its sessions. Below is the video from the Saturday/July 6th session. It's 5 hours long, if anyone wants to take one for the team and watch it to see if Welby makes an appearance.

As a reminder from the Court Circular:

So because I can't place Welby in York on July 6th, I'm inclined to believe that he was instead at Windsor for the christening, at least for the morning. He could have flown back to York for the afternoon session.

Agenda for the Synod | Timetables

[seriouslysam8]

Wait, are people really upset about Ginny swearing? Uhm, Ginny, the girl with six brothers, with two of them being Fred and George and another one being Ron "Can I have a look at Uranus, too, Lavender?" Weasley? Ginny who pretty much told Ron to go fuck himself in HBP? Quidditch player Ginny, I'm sorry, do people not know the definition of "locker room" talk?..

I can somewhat see why people would expect Sirius to be a bit more proper, but I can also see how he would purposefully start swearing like a sailor as another way to rebel against his family, and then it stuck, and then there was war, and then Azkaban, and now the man is constantly an inch away from a panic attack and propriety of his speech must not even be a thing on his mind, eh?

Long story short, you do you boo 💁🏼‍♀️

It was one person and they said there was too much swearing in general. So, yeah. I don’t know. Who doesn’t love some sweary words???

I hear ya about Sirius but… I love him using sweary words. Like I enjoy old school fanon Sirius with his leather jacket and tattoos and smoking. You’ll notice, Sirius swears a lot less in the Synodic Series versus the Petrichor Series. In Petrichor, he is just DONE with zero fucks to give and two seconds away from a complete mental breakdown.