Imagine the spiritual power of bringing together nearly 500 of the top Christian lay and ordained leaders in the country. What a mission week they’d have! How the forces of darkness would tremble before their gathering. How many people would turn back to God inspired by their service and example?!
Twice a year the Church of England hosts such a gathering of top leaders nominated from the length and breadth of the land. It hosts it at vast expense. And that’s before you include the opportunity cost of alternative mission that could be going on. But, having been a member, I don’t think many would argue it gives the forces of darkness much to tremble about.
On Wednesday morning I woke to a very graphic dream about self harming.
It was mid-week at General Synod. 4:45am and time to pray. In the dream it was Synod who was the victim. It was Synod that was inflicting the cuts.
In the end the debate was quite impressive to many outside observers.
But on the whole as Giles Fraser once wrote it’s a little easier to be Christ like (or ‘nice’) to each others faces, rather than in the bars and social media chat rooms members retreat to afterwards.
And so a habit of self harming emerges. But it would be good to remember whose body we’re having a cut at before having a go.
Our last curate often reminded me how we journey through the Christian life, is often as important as the destination.
It’s hard to imagine who really thought a public synod would help out church’s mission to the world but given that we are here let’s make the most of it. Failing that a Private Members Motion entitled ‘Turkeys 4 Christmas’ wouldn’t go a miss… perhaps it’s time we put a stop to the farce. It doesn’t seem to bring out the public best in us very much at all.
Your name is like honey 