If you would like a copy of this or any other document on the FLAME site in RTF or WORD format please email me with your request
Marriage in
church after divorce
A study guide
for use with the discussion
document
commissioned by the House of Bishops of the Church of England
produced by the Family Life and Marriage Education (FLAME)
network
Those taking part should read the accompanying summary
document.
It will be helpful if at least some of the group have read the
full report.
Suggested time - not less than one hour.
Leaders will need to plan the timing of each section carefully
suggested timings are offered for guidance.
OPENING
(8 minutes)
Prayer: The leader opens with prayer for honesty and
discernment.
Icebreaker (in groups of three):
'What experience of divorce and further marriage do you have
among your wider family or friends? Did their second or
subsequent marriage take place in church? If not, why not?
Reading: Matthew 19.3 -9.
GROUP
QUESTIONS (20
minutes)
Divide into groups of 4-6 people.
Each group should take at least one question from each section,
ensuring that between them all the questions are considered (the
leader will need to check that groups have a look at all of their
allotted questions)
Section 1 - Principles
What makes a relationship a marriage?
What are the Christian understandings of marriage?
How does a church wedding differ from a civil wedding?
When can it be said that a marriage is over?
Section 2 - Practice
How does your church prepare couples for their first marriage?
Can your church support and care for those who are married?
How can the church help those whose marriages are in difficulty?
In what circumstances, if any, in your view, may a divorced
person be married in church? (You may like to consider Matthew
5.31-32)
How would you decide who qualifies for marriage in church?
Section 3- Process
Given the pressures already on clergy, how are they to deal with
the delicate pastoral work which these recommendations entail?
How can clergy discover the objective truth about a person's
former marriage, to apply the criteria given in the document?
The final decision rests with the clergy. How do people handle
differences over this issue between clergy and PCCs?
Is there a case for all marriages to be legalised by a civil
registrar at a separate ceremony first, and an optional church
service to take place afterwards?
To what extent should the Bishop be involved in the consultation
and decision-making process?
PLENARY FEEDBACK
(15 minutes)
Collate the replies from the groups.
It is helpful if the main points are written up on a flip chart.
SUBMISSION
(15 minutes)
You will need to formulate a submission to your diocese in a
format that will assist the production of a diocesan response to
the House of Bishops. Responses to the following three
propositions are specifically requested:
1. Do you accept the principle that there are circumstances in
which a divorced person may be married in church during the
lifetime of a former spouse?
2a. Do you support the recommendations of the Working Party (listed
in the FLAME summary) as being the right way to proceed?
b. If not, what do you consider to be the
shortcomings of the recommendations?
END
Close the meeting with two minutes' reflection and prayer.
Produced by FLAME (Family Life and
Marriage Education Network)
60 Marsham Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1EW (Reg. Charity No
1001753)
Tel. 01622 7555014 Fax: 01622 693531
e-mail: flame@csr.org.uk website: http://welcome.to/familylife
These pages have
been prepared by The Revd Jim Butterworth
If you would like a copy of this or any other document on the
FLAME site in RTF or WORD format please email me with your
request
Or contact:
The Revd Jim
Butterworth
St. John's Vicarage, 48 Greenside
Mapplewell, Barnsley
S. Yorks. S75 6AY
England
Tel: + 44 (0) 1226 382261
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