How do you change people's minds, in an area so fraught with emotion and strongly-held views on either side, as the present furore in the Church of England about homosexuality?
With distress growing in congregations, over the substantive issue, the hardening of attitudes, the threats to divide the Church, it became increasingly impossible to keep silent, or to sit on the fence. As the Vicar, I came to believe I had a responsibility to say where I stood on the issue, even if it would upset some members of the congregation. Not only this, but if I have any conviction about my present views, I must fulfil my teaching ministry by explaining those views, justifying them from Scripture, Church tradition and reason (sometimes called, experience), and attempting to persuade people to believe the same.
But what was the best way to do all this, with maximum conviction but also maximum diplomacy?
Eventually I hit on the idea of weaving together some stories about the changing of minds, and doing this on St Peter's Day, the anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood.
Stories of how that ordination was the focus of my changed views about priesthood and ministry; of Peter suddenly changing his mind and putting into words what would previously have been unthinkable: `You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God'; of the Church's change of mind about the ordination of women; of my own change of mind about homosexuality.
It also took a lot of prayer and thought and agonising and writing beforehand to clarify my thinking, and talking with others whom I trusted.
It was the best I could do; I can't think how I could have done any better. And mostly, it was very well received. A lot of people said they found it really helpful or comforting, or reassuring to hear an accepting attitude towards gay and lesbian people being justified in scriptural terms. (We set store by such things ...) A number of people who I would have expected to take a different point of view were, strangely, not there to hear it -- I don't know whether I was more relieved or disappointed. A number of people were fairly quiet as they left church, and I assume they were not so happy. And there were others who didn't agree with everything I said but appreciated the attempt to deal with the subject sensitively and thoughtfully.
The only people who really went for me weren't even 'family', as it were, but visitors. One of them saw fit to tell me he thought I had, by what I had said, put myself out of communion with the universal church; and that in his sixteen years as a Christian, it was the most heretical sermon he had heard. I tried to hear him, but I have to say, he tended to confirm my view that I really was right. If the idea of the most heretical sermon you've ever heard tempts you, judge for yourself. You can read it in PDF or HTML. My view is that you'd have to have led a pretty sheltered life ...