General synod - day five

Synod's snazzy new backdrop

I knew something was afoot when I saw the Archbishop of York get out of the car clutching his drums.

Sure enough morning worship in the Central Hall took a radically new turn today, led by a worship band composed of members of the house of clergy, accompanied by the Archbishop on his bongos.

A further highlight was the joyful sight of the synod members of Deaf Anglicans Together signing the words of 'Lord I lift your name on high.'

It was a wonderful start to the day.

The rest of the morning was taken up with legislative business of a fairly detailled and technical nature. It made me think this would be better done in a committee rather than the full synod.

Later came farewells to the bishops of Burnley and Oxford who were retiring. Then the Archbishop of York prorogued us. It sounds painful but it just meant we could go home.

If this morning was synod at its worst, then yesterday was the synod at its best - not because the decision pleased everyone (which clearly it did not), but because of the gracious, respectful way the debate was conducted. Excellent speeches were made on all sides of the argument.

The debate closed with a moving speech from John Spence, chair of the Finance Committee of Archbishops’ Council. He told us of going blind at the age of 40 and the prospect of losing his employment. He had had to trust people and that trust had been repaid, and now we Christians in the Synod had to trust one another.

He concluded “Your faith is my faith, is all of our faith, and every one of us has a vital role to ensure that the searing vision of the risen Christ is taken out into this country, trust not misplaced. You, like me, will come to see … I am confident that we can walk hand in hand, and return the risen Christ to his rightful place at the centre of this country, its conscience and its culture.”

He was given a prolonged standing  ovation and he brought us back to what is really important: proclaiming Christ to the nation.