Paging the Trinity

I have just returned from my first clergy conference, where all the clergy from around the diocese get together. Let's just say it was 17 different kinds of interesting. There were some reasonably good talks on community (given by a guy who used to work for a Baptist church, no less). But the highlight for me was a minister being interviewed and asked what theological exploration he was doing at the moment. He responded that he was exploring Eastern Christian spirituality, and had come to the conclusion that the West had not placed enough emphasis on the Holy Spirit (fair cop, possibly). However, the greatest comment came a bit later when he said that the doctrine of the Trinity had not really been taught in Western theological colleges until the two Karls came along (Barth and Rahner).

Right. So Calvin the 'theologian of the Holy Spirit' didn't deal with the Trinity. And Owen's two volumes on the Spirit, and his work entitled 'Communion with the Triune God' didn't actually address the doctrine of the Trinity. C'MON people. READ!

But the terrible thing was that everyone sat there nodding in agreement.

Electoral Synod

This weekend the diocese of Christchurch elects a new bishop. There are six candidates - if they were pigeonholed there would be two who are liberal, two who are evangelical, and two who are somewhere in the middle. Of course being ordained only a few weeks ago I have come into the whole process fairly late on, but can I urge you, blogreaders, both of you, to pray for a number of things this weekend.

• That whoever is elected would be converted, godly, faithful and committed to the gospel of Christ.
• That the process itself would be characterised by speaking the truth in love. I'm sure that things will need to be said about candidates that not everyone will agree with - and while the content of these things can't be changed, we can watch how we say them.
• Pray that the synod will, if necessary, take time to elect the right bishop, and not, in the lateness of the hour, elect someone simply because they’re ‘electable’ and we can all go home.
• That people would recognise that God's will is as much about 'doing' as 'discerning' (see Eph 6:6, 1 Thess 5:16-18, Heb 10:36, 1 John 2:17, 1 Pet 2:15). God has set out clearly the marks he requires of a leader (1 Tim 3; Titus 1) - let us discern those characteristics and understand them as God's will.

Please do pray for us, that God might give us through the synod a bishop under whom the gospel will go forth in this place. I'll keep you posted.