For centuries, the Church of Jesus Christ has offered prayer and loving support through both its ordained priests and devoted lay people to those who struggle with life's many storms and dilemmas. This is part of its mandate from its Lord who says, "Ask and it shall be given you" and through his apostle Peter "Cast all your care on him".

The quality of debate has fallen sharply in recent years. The vogue is to vocalise experience and 'tell stories'. In particular, the victimisation and injustice narrative holds sway. Any serious theological input is viewed with growing impatience and embarrassment. Theology is seen to get in the way of real life. The little theological context there is focuses on love, acceptance, equality and justice.

- On the Radio 4 Sunday morning programme on 2nd July there was a report about Billy Graham's son Franklin going to Blackpool and objections at his anti-gay and anti-Muslim views: 'we are open to free speech not hate speech'.
- Conservative evangelicals threatened to boycott the opening of General Synod two weeks ago because of the welcome given to the Bishop of Edinburgh, who had led the debate for legitimising gay marriage in the Scottish Episcopal Church.

On the face it, the Synod's changes were all fairly minor. For all the fuss, the proposal to write official liturgies affirming the new gender identity of transgender people may well be ignored even by Church's own bishops; and the changes on regulation of vestments merely rubber-stamps what already takes places across swathes of the Church.