We continue to pray for the nation - in many ways it’s just the start. Although we’ve become aware of so many concerning issues over recent years, it does feel that things have been held back in the UK compared with Canada, Australia, New Zealand or in Europe. Maybe this is through prayer and the actions of those like Miriam Cates as a Christian MP.
So we need to pray for more protection and the restraining of the evil one as the spiritual battle for Britain becomes more intense over the next few years, especially in issues to do with God-given life: abortion, euthanasia, trans, the status of men & women, marriage (and constrained speech about these) (ref).
As unpleasant as these are, I can't help feeling we have to grapple with them more consciously as a church. It will be beyond disappointing if these practices become much worse and we've not done all we can to fight the spiritual battles connected with them.
A key part of this battle is us working out more clearly what God is saying and taking the issues as seriously as I think He does, teaching on them in church, despite the awkwardness and name-calling this may involve from 'the world', in us and outside us.
The good life
You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant.
There are obviously many other areas that people are only now realising are the results of God's grace in the past. The good practices and laws Britain attained through the reformers were no doubt wrought with prayer over many years. It would be good to study some of these processes to see how we might be part of a new reform movement. We should also give thanks for a good economic foundation and pray for the recovery of the innovation and work-ethic that needs to happen in this and many other practical areas.
On prayer, the Christian Concern prayers are a good place to start, not least as they include thanksgiving for past blessing, and are relevant post-election. Also the knowingthetimes set.
CoE split?
I'm heartened that The Alliance (Church of England Evangelical Council, HTB etc) is finally drawing a line as far as same-sex blessings are concerned. They say that a de-facto new 'Province' will be formed in the Church of England. The recent narrowly won General Synod vote to allow standalone services (ie like weddings) has crossed that line. Dr Ian Paul discusses that vote. There is a long way to go on this Province proposal but there is a need to clear the air and release directed energy in a more positive evangelistic way.
Well known author Prof JI Packer was in Canada when the Episcopal church took decisions in this area. His explanation (pdf) of the biblical approach is very helpful. The US Episcopal Church faced it in 2009, leading to a formal split. Their experiences are documented here. Over this issue, 75% of the rest of the worldwide group of Anglicans have already formally rejected the Archbishop of Canterbury as their leader!
We can't both be right?
Watching the July General Synod sessions online, the proceedings are calm and respectful. But the questions asked and answered reveal something else. A huge amount of trust has been lost through misleading statements or lack of transparency by the Bishops. Some of these are now opposing their colleagues. How do people come to different opinions and both feel they are right? JI Packer says the point is whether you allow the Bible to judge you or you to judge the Bible. But how do the latter group feel their approach is OK?
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
There is a reason God gave us a written witness – the oldest document of its sort in the world. It gives us something solid to base things on, irrespective of what seems right to us. All the great revivals have come with an awareness of our brokenness before a holy, loving God – we so need his presence to make us aware. Where we excuse anti-biblical behaviour we are actually working against Him. Let that not be us!
