davidould.net has obtained the order of service for the service of Morning Prayer on 14 September during which the marriage of John Davis and Robert Whalley was affirmed.
There is no mention in the order of service of a blessing for Davis and Whalley and yet it is clear from photographs and the comments of those who were there that there was a recognition and affirmation of the marriage. The hymns and readings chosen for the occasion are those which might be chosen for a wedding service. One of the pictures appears to show Bishop John Parkes addressing the entire congregation as Davis and Whalley are visibly standing apart from the congregation and in a position of prominence (click on pictures to see full size).
Photographs as publicly posted on social media.
feature image: Churches Australia
Shame
Well done to all involved.
It is my belief they should be excommunicated . They have chosen to embrace sin above God.
This saga has more twists & turns than a detective novel. The story so far. (Correct me if I’m wrong David). An about-to retire senior ACA cleric & his boy friend got married a week or so ago in a combined civil & religious solemnisation conducted by a Uniting church minister, the UCA having a liturgy for SSM. The rings were blessed by an ACA minister in full drag. A few days later the betrothed attended a morning service at an ACA church in their bishopric, in the company of & lead by the Bishop, which, from the form of service, appears to have been a de facto blessing of the marriage. The policy of the ACA around blessing same-sex marriages has yet to be determined. tbc
So what? This display of sheer bloody-mindedness & attention-grabbing dysphoria of the ACA cleric who could have waited until he retired & the similarly-afflicted Bishop who could have waited for ACA’s policy decision is a meaningless gesture. The public couldn’t care less. What is stopping the three ACA clerics from swapping their allegiance to United? UCA’s reluctance I would say.
this seems to be very sneaky by the Bishop and local congregation. If they are ever challenged they have left themselves some wriggle room to deny the same sex couple ever had their relationship formally blessed. But at the same time, if it ever suits them, they could claim that the precedent has already been established on the ground, and then they would argue that the whole church only needs to catch up and formally approve blessings for same sex “marriages”.
It looks like this “event” was conducted outside the church building–I’m wondering if that is significant in some way(s)?