Biblically Conservative and Culturally Sensitive

As a minister in this age of the so called ‘secular democracy’ and ‘aggressive atheism’ I am dismayed at the ways in which so many of my colleagues emasculate the gospel. I struggle to understand how they can justify their revision, nay reduction, of what the gospels communicate.

In the CoS debate that is ongoing with regard the ordination of practising homosexuals it would seem that there are two sides, one ‘traditionalist’ and the other ‘revisonist’, at least according to the guidance document issued by the CoS itself. It is a clever choice of words in this age because the very word ‘traditionalist’ is a bad word, whilst the word revisionist strongly suggests enlightened, inclusive, and open minded.
As I have pondered these positions over the last year or so I have found it helpful to recognise that I probably hold a position which is ‘biblically conservative and culturally sensitive’ whereas the revisonists hold a position which seems to be ‘culturally conservative and biblically sensitive’.
I am well aware of cultural practices and ideology and I am not too impressed. Indeed my journey to faith was born out of despondency for our culture! I find hope in the gospels for a transformation in human hearts which will automatically overflow to this culture. In that sense of course I need to be aware of, and sensitive to, the issues and influences controlling people’s lives. The revisionists on the other hand seem desperate to be accepted by the cultural norms and, whilst sensitive to the bibles teachings, proceed to reduce its content until what is left matches the whims of our age.
Simple though it sounds it seems to me we are meant to be Christians ie we look primarily to the gospels to understand the meta narrative therein and respond, rather than look to our culture? I welcome a broad church, in that it can reflect different Christian boundaries, but not one that exists without boundaries. Christian boundaries tend to lead to denominations and these tendencies are frowned upon even though they all reflect a pursuit after truth within biblical boundaries. To remove such boundaries altogether will surely cause the church ultimately to disperse and be lost amongst the myriad so called alternative realities? The sad truth is that I think the revisionists believe they will grow the church, even though the evidence is to the contrary. We need to remain biblically conservative and yet more culturally sensitive than we have been in recent decades.