GENEralities

Just this: Why I return with hope from the Church of England General Synod.

Thank you, VirtueOnline.

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If you haven’t seen it yet, here is the text of the resolution:

That this Synod, aware of the distress caused by recent divisions within the Anglican churches of the United States of America and Canada

a) recognise and affirm the desire of those who have formed the Anglican Church in North America to remain within the Anglican family

b) acknowledge that this aspiration, in respect both of relations with the Church of England and membership of the Anglican Communion, raises issues which the relevant authorities of each need to explore further; and

c) invite the Archbishops to report further to the Synod in 2011

Votes for 309, against 69, abstentions 17

Motions to pass to next business and to adjourn the debate were lost.

Notice that Canada is included. There’s a ton of comment all over the blogosphere, but I like David Virtue’s take:

First of all, the resolution said orthodox Episcopalians are indeed being persecuted by revisionists; however much TEC leaders whine that the brokenness is caused by those leaving, the resolution says otherwise.

Secondly, the resolution said that these faithful orthodox Anglicans want to remain in the Anglican family and not become outsiders. In fact, it did more than that. It was a wedge that will, in time, lead to a full chair at the Anglican Communion table.

…the rest of David’s piece here.

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My Sabbath is on a Wednesday this week. Some interesting bits from my blog reading this morning:

More Anglican good news

…this time from The Rev’d Dr. John W. Yates II who lists the good things about Anglicanism. At its best, Anglicanism:

1. is Biblical
2. is Sacramental
3. is Evangelical
4. is Liturgical
5. is Worldwide
6. is Charismatic
7. is about Accountability (we have bishops)
8. is Musical
9. Engages society and the world us
10. is Prayerful
11. is a Community of Grace
12. loves Children
13. loves Beauty

All here (H/T VirtueOnline).

What Marriage and Leadership Have in Common

In our Sabbath devotional this morning, Jude and I read this:

Contrary to hundreds of Hollywood romance movies, marriage is not primarily designed to make us happy. God is not primarily interested in our happiness, but in something deeper and more lasting: our holiness. Or we might say that God is so interested in our long-term happiness — our eternal joy, which only holiness leads to — that he reserves the right to sacrifice our short-term happiness to ensure we receive it.

Ditto for leadership. Kevin Miller, here.

The Anglican Covenant

The excellent ANGLICAN DOWN UNDER has a good point about the living with an Anglican Covenant and whether or not it can work:

Is homosexual practice compatible with Scripture? Some say No, some say Yes. But together we have not yet agreed to one of two things which would accord with a common approach to truth: either that it does not matter if an open contradiction on this matter is a feature of Anglican life, or that it matters that there is an open contradiction but nevertheless we can live with the contradiction.

That’s the question. Wise Kiwi. All DOWN UNDER here.

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This post didn’t happen yesterday because we were driving through the blizzard between here and Swift Current (twice!) to give the granddaughters back.

Come and See Evangelism

I can’t think of anything deeply theological to write, but my Morning Prayer reading this morning was from John 1 where Nathanael says, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Many are asking the same question about the Anglican Church.

Philip’s answer to Nathanael was a simple one and a good one: “Come and see,” he said. It’s a response many Anglican parishes and individuals can, and should, still say often, and with confidence.

A Bit of Fluff

Jude got a new NZ lambskin steering wheel cover for her beloved red Neon, Cloe, for Christmas.

It’s a bit like driving a bedroom slipper. Cosy, though.

A New Bishop

Fraser Lawton is being consecrated Bishop of Athabasca this evening. A good one. God bless him and his family.

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A good discussion and summary with links over at the excellent and thoughtful Anglican Down Under here.

The thing that lit up for me in it all was this from the “Covenant Working Party Commentary on Revisions to Section 4:”

If, however, the canons and constitutions of a Province permit, there is no reason why a diocesan synod should not commit itself to the covenant, thus strengthening its commitment to the interdependent life of the Communion.”

Let’s get at it!

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I’m on retreat at Mount St Francis in Cochrane, Alberta; my eighteenth Diocese of Calgary clergy retreat here. Other than in our worship and our retreat leader’s words (National Indigenous Bishop Mark MacDonald) we are silent from just after lunch on Monday to after the Eucharist just before lunch on Thursday.

I love it.

Mind you, it isn’t really silent. It’s amazing how much noise we make even when we’re not speaking; footsteps seem heavy, whispers seem very loud, water runs, toilets flush, the retreat centre phone rings and is answered. But I don’t have to talk to anyone, even at meal time. I love it.

The only words I say are words of worship in the daily prayer and Eucharist.

I read and think and pray and write and listen. The silence makes room for the Lord to download some stuff if he wants. I don’t necessarily know what yet, but I know from experience that there’s new material aboard and it will pop up when I least expect it and at exactly the right time.

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Anglican Down Under quoting The Ugly Vicar quoting Bishop Stephen Neill in a post on being Christian, Anglican and Evangelical; in that order:

Show us anything clearly set forth in Holy Scripture that we do not teach and we will teach it. Show us anything in our teaching or practice is clearly contrary to Holy Scripture, and we will abandon it. (Anglicanism, Pelican Books, 1965, p 417)

Good stuff. All here and here.

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The Ottawa Citizen’s David Warren has weighed in on all the commentary and opinion arising out of the Roman Catholic invitation to traditional Anglicans. He makes a point which I have not yet seen in all the debate—the possible benefits for the Catholics:

the reception of these traditional Anglicans will create very exciting possibilities for all English-speaking Catholics on the “liturgical” front: for the traditional Anglicans retain, in intensely beautiful English, a liturgy that is actually more “catholic” in spirit and form than the rather crass and now dated “contemporary translations” Rome mistakenly approved at the end of the 1960s, in the depths of the post-Vatican II meltdown. Those old Anglicans can help us recover our own more reverent liturgical traditions.

…one answer, and a good one, to the question: Can anything good come out of Anglicanism?

I’m happy to say we get to enjoy that intensely beautiful, ‘catholic’ liturgy every Sunday morning at 830.

All here.

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Some BCP with Attitude!

H/T: Derek Hyland on FaceBook.

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On the one hand, something that makes my heart sing from Matt Kennedy over at Stand Firm (in a post on the use of incense in worship):

we embrace the essential biblical truths recovered during the Reformation…

1. Sola Scriptura–the bible is the sole infallible source of revelation, the primary authority in the church by which all doctrine and discipline must be tested and measured.

2. Sola Fide–sinners are justified through the instrument of faith alone

3. Sola Christi–Christ’s righteousness, sacrifice, and mediation is the sole basis or grounding for the justification that is communicated to sinner by faith alone.

4. Sola Gratia–the whole arch of salvation, from beginning to end, is due to and grounded in the free gracious gift of God and for no merit or deserving on our part.

5. Soli Deo Gloria–God’s purpose in Creation, Judgment and Redemption is ultimately his own glory.

Therein lies our hope, our future and our salvation. 

A pleasing Aroma

And speaking of “smells,” I’ve always enjoyed it although I’ve discovered you need a high ceiling in your sanctuary. We tried it one Christmas Eve in the low-ceilinged St Francis in Airdrie, Alberta. One of the acolytes fainted dead away in the blue, sweet smelling haze. Flat on her face. Talk about being slain in the Spirit. 

More from Matt on the sweet “smells” issue here. 

A Less Pleasant Odour and Yet Another Warning Bell

(H/T The Essentials Blog)

The Globe and Mail is reporting that the Bishop of Montreal intends to proceed with same sex blessing despite the recent House of Bishops decision. 

Why is it that we only seem to hear from the liberal revisionist bishops in the media? I wonder why our conservative bishops are so quiet? Faithful Anglicans who are trying to stand for Biblical orthodoxy within the ACoC need to hear some encouragement from their episcopal leaders. We need to hear something Biblical and clear and firm to counter the bland, nuanced, official Anglicanese which always tries to say yes and no at the same time and which, therefore, ends up saying nothing definite at all. And we need to hear it from the bishops within the institution otherwise it seems as if it’s only the Southern Cone or the Global South bishops who are concerned about what is happening to our church.

When those who are silent seem to consent, it’s hard for us in the trenches not to be discouraged as the mud gets deeper and the stench increases.

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