Well, the digestion is back to normal, but Max's paw is still looking poorly, so he'll have to go off to the vet again today. He's not in pain, just limping, so more antibiotics seem to be called for, to clear things up.
Last night's pre-Synod meeting revealed that there is quite a lot of significant stuff at the 2008 Synod. The obvious one being our Provincial response to the 2nd draft of the proposed Anglican Covenant. This draft is certainly an improvemment on the Nassau version (well done for listening CDG) and puts more influence in the hands of the ACC where there are clergy and laity as well as Bishop's and Primates. I just don't think a Covenant is very Anglican. Period. Keep talking though and see if we can produce a solution rather than a split. More prosaically, the amended Canon 36 on Congregational Staus has taken on board much of what was said by our local Area Council on equal emphasis on both the Joint Incumbency and Linked Charge options and seems to be woth voting for.
My old pet hate, Canon 41 on membership has resurfaced. When will "they" (the Synod Office) realise that when we (Synod) chucked this out 5 or 6 years ago we meant: "Consign this bunk to the outer darkness where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth (if you have them)", not "Hide this in a cupboard and bring it back when you think we've forgotten about it, so you can get your own way eventually"? This is not the sort of Church we want to be - stop it!
ROLL ON GENERAL SYNOD! BRING IT ON!
(Apologies to Bendy Wendy!)
Despite appearances the draft Covenant gives no power to the ACC.
ReplyDeleteIt excludes the ACC from anything to do with disputes on the grounds of natural justice (though that doesn't seem to apply to the Archbishop of Canterbury who is even more compromised by conflicts of interest).
It gives the ACC the final say on whether an offending Church has breached the terms of the Covenant. In fact, earlier in the process, it will have been decided that the offending Church has threatened the unity and mission of the Church - which is a breach of the terms of the Covenant. The ACC will have little choice but to rubber stamp the decision to expel the offender.
Power is also taken from the laity as it drains from Provinces to the central, global Instruments of Unity.
Paul Bagshaw