Love Life Live Lent – interactive launch in Parliament for new Lent resource; Evangelicals digest Chalkes homosexuality comments; RC Bishops to send out a million postcards on marriage
Love Life Live Lent – interactive launch in Parliament for new Lent resource
The impressive role played by volunteers throughout 2012 including during the Olympics and Paralympics inspired the launch of the Love Life Live Lent – Be the Change! booklets, which took place at a special reception at the Houses of Parliament yesterday.
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, and the Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society, gave speeches encouraging people to harness the spirit of the 2012 Games and “be the change they want to see” in their communities this Lent.
Love Life Live Lent – Be the Change!, written by theologian Dr Paula Gooder and her husband the Revd Peter Babington, leads people through simple daily activities to make small but revolutionary changes to the world around them during Lent 2013.
Two brand new booklets, an Adults’ Version and a Kids’ Version, are now available, containing fun activities, such as:
Adults’ Version: • Keep in touch more: Phone someone you love but haven’t seen for a while • Slow down: Take longer over breakfast and really taste your cornflakes (or whatever else you have!) • Do something different: Outside of work, have a screen-free day and do something different
Kids’ Version: • Be aware of others: Make a list of up to five people you have met today, and then pray for them. • Be more giving: Get a jar and put your small change into it each day. At the end of Lent give it to a charity. • Say sorry: Think about something you have done wrong and say sorry for it
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said: “In 2012 the nation really came together during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics. We saw people putting love and care for their neighbours into action, and there was a real mood of celebration. When we all pull together, and do our bit, anything is possible. The Love Life Live Lent books are a great source of encouragement for us to be the change we want to see in our communities. We may feel our own contribution is small, but even a small drop of water can turn a waterwheel – in 2013 let’s aim for better.”
The Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP said: “As chair, I am delighted that the All Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society can host this launch for Love Life Live Lent within Parliament. It is a particular joy to be able to welcome the Archbishop of York to commend this resource. This is a visible sign of active links between the Church and Parliament. In 2012, the meetings of the All Party Group explored the impressive contribution of faith-based organisations to their local communities. Faith in its social action has much to contribute to wider society. I look forward to hearing this Lent of acts of kindness on the part of adults and children which can encourage us all.”
Canon Duncan Green, the LOCOG Multi Faith Chaplaincy Coordinator, is also attending the launch, and said: “During the Olympic and Paralympic Games people from over 200 nations lived and worked together. Chaplains from different faiths worked alongside each other caring for everyone involved in the Games. Seventy thousand volunteer Gamesmakers gave their time to make the Games a success. The church throughout the UK put on community events, with over 500,000 people attending, putting the games in a local context and establishing and building new relationships with local people. What happened during 2012 shows what can be achieved when we work and serve together.”
Evangelicals digest Chalkes homosexuality comments
Christianity Tody – Responses to Steve Chalke’s comments in support of homosexuality have ranged from disappointment and sadness, to strong criticism.
Chalke shocked the evangelical community on Tuesday with an article in Christianity magazine explaining his decision to support same-sex relationships.
The leading evangelical figure explained that he now believes permanent, faithful, stable homosexual relationships are not sinful.
In his article, he also criticised the attitude of the church towards gay people and called for greater inclusion.
“Rather than condemn and exclude, can we dare to create an environment for homosexual people where issues of self-esteem and wellbeing can be talked about; where the virtues of loyalty, respect, interdependence and faithfulness can be nurtured, and where exclusive and permanent same-sex relationships can be supported?” he wrote.
Tony Campolo wrote a sympathetic response to Chalke in which he agreed that churches need to improve their treatment of gay people, but remained ultimately unconvinced by his arguments supporting gay relationships.
“The church cannot afford to go on alienating the youth of the nation by the way it treats gay people,” he wrote.
“For my own part, I remain conservative on the issue, but I agree with Steve that the attitudes of many churches are homophobic and cruel.
More at –
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/evangelicals.digest.steve.chalkes.homosexuality.comments/31466.htm
RC Bishops to send out a million postcards on marriage
Catholic Herald – The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales is sending out a million postcards calling on MPs to oppose the Government’s redefinition of marriage.
The postcards will be sent to parishes next week. Each card will have a space for people to sign their name so they can post it to their MP.
The text says that marriage is the “foundation of the family” and upholds the common good. It does not say anything about same-sex relationships.
Accompanying the cards will be a letter to all parish priests signed by Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark, chairman of the bishops’ Department of Christian Responsibility and Citizenship.
In it, the archbishop says: “My purpose in writing is to ask you to urge the members of your congregation to make their own views known to their MP.
“To assist them in doing that we have printed postcards ‘speak out for marriage’ and a bundle of these are with this letter.
“Parishioners simply need to add the name of their own local MP to the address on the front of the card, and their own name and address below the text on the back. Please can you put up the enclosed posters, let your parishioners know the name(s) of your local MP, and strongly encourage your parishioners to send the cards and to give them to their friends to send in as well.”