What to make of a tense week ?
The temsion between the various factions of the church was easily seen in the debates this week. There was a good deal of thoughtful and considerate debate on all issues. And yes, the Kirk has kicked things into the long grass yet again !
Not talking about issues is a dangerous thing for the Kirk to do, although we’re allowed to mutter among ourselves. That’s not true, it’ll be meanigful dialogue.
The worry for me in all this is the way in which broad general principles, which need not be found in Scripture (they could apply to most faiths) have been dominant over Scripture. For me that’s a very uncomforable place to be. For me there has to be standards that allow the church to offer a prophetic voice to secular society. If we say that anything goes (and I exaggerate with that statement) then we lose that authority. We lose the distinctive nature of the Christian faith if we adopt what is acceptable in society. We become indistinguishable from any other philosophy, and I don’t think that’s what Jesus meant by being the salt of the earth, being in it but not of it.
I’m busy putting together thoughts for my next sermon trying to reflect on what has been a turbulent week as a church and as an individual. More thinking and prayer required !