women bishops, homosexuals and harems

I am deeply concerned by the recent bad press the Church of England has been receiving with respect to women bishops and homosexuals (see Mark Russell's blog). Personally speaking, I am unsure of my position on women in leadership roles within the church. There are explicit verses in 1 Cor 14:33-36 and 1 Tim 2:11-12 that forbid women from teaching men in church, however it is sanctioned for women to pray and prophesy with their head covered in 1 Cor 11:5. In today's society, feminism has made the Gospel seem sexist. I think rather that the roles described for men and women in the New Testament suit the natural order of creation and that it should not be considered that hospitality, mercy, teaching and helps are lesser positions that pastorship and preaching. Click here to read more.

The other issue in the CoE is ordination and the sanctioning of marriage of homosexuals. I am often wary of positioning myself on either side of sensitive issues such as this one, so what I do say, I say with love, an open mind and I hope without discrimination. I find it hard to accept how the act of homosexuality can ever be described as not sinful. The bible makes this clear in both the old and new testament e.g. Lev 18:22, 1 Cor 6:9. However in a world that is obsessed with sex, Christians often fall into the trap of making this sin bigger than the rest. God will punish liars for their sins in the same way he will punish sexual sin. There will not be one Bishop in this world who can say he (or she lol!) has never lied. Everybody has a sin that is a "thorn in their side"; for some that will be lies, others lust, and some homosexual temptation. I say temptation because one has not sinned by being tempted by homosexual tendancies in the same way another has not sinned by being tempted to lie. The sin only occurs when the temptation has been been acted upon. Therefore i think that people who struggle with homosexuality can of course be in ministry as long as they do not act upon their temptations (which is the same for everybody!)

The problem with all of this is not everyone in the Church of England agrees on what is right on these matters, and it has caused threats of a split in the Anglican church, which is utterly ridiculous! This should never be a reason for splitting a church, I would like to think I wouldn't leave a church if it contradicted what I have stated above. It's not like these issues are fundamental to our salvation, and all this in-fighting and bitterness makes Christians seem old-fashioned and irrelavant to the rest of the world. Not only is it a terrible witness, but the church is already multi-denominational and it flies in the face of one of Jesus last requests to His Father - that His church would be united!

We need to show the world that Christ can unite us no matter what. I mean if Ian Paisley and Martin Maguiness can do it, why can't Christian men! Shane Claiborne wrote a funny and very appropriate line in his book Irresistable Revolution, "Jesus is returning, and we need to unite as one body because Jesus is coming back for a bride - not a harem!" Boy have we made a mess of God's amazing story! Praise God for his promise that I will build my church and gates of hades will not prevail against it.