A public portrayal. The gospel is Christ crucified, his finished work on the cross. And to preach the gospel is publicly to portray Christ as crucified. The gospel is not good news primarily of a baby in a manger, a young man at a carpenter's bench, a preacher in the fields of Galilee, or even an empty tomb. The gospel concerns Christ upon his cross. Only when Christ is 'openly displayed upon his cross' (Gal. 3:1) is the gospel preached. --- From "The Message of Galatians" by John R.W. Stott

The mystery of the cross. I cannot begin to unfold the meaning of the death of Christ without first confessing that much remains a mystery. Christians believe that the cross is the pivotal event in history. Small wonder that our puny minds cannot fully take it in. One day the veil will be altogether removed, and all riddles will be solved. We shall see Christ as he is and worship him through eternity for what he has done. 'Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.' So said the great apostle Paul with his massive intellect and his many revelations; and if he said it, how much more should we? --- From "Basic Christianity" by John R.W. Stott

It is not possible to have a Christian gospel apart from Jesus and his predecessors, Jesus and his place, Jesus and his person. The gospel is not an idea or a plan or a vision: it works exclusively in creation and incarnation, in things and in place. And in Jesus, who makes sure that we understand everything that he brought together as local and now, personal and relational - always. Dis-incarnation (exchanging a lie for an idea, substitution an abstraction for a metaphor) is the work of the devil. --- The Jesus Way by Eugene H. Peterson

Dear Brothers and Sisters.
www.virtueonline.org
July 9, 2010

It was probably the fastest turnaround in modern ecclesiastical history.

One minute Dr. Jeffrey John, the homosexual but celibate Dean of St. Alban's, was on the short list to be the next Bishop of Southwark. In the next minute the announcement came that he was not on the short list.

A confidential meeting, chaired by Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, had apparently approved Jeffrey John. It was understood that he was the favored candidate.

John became a hugely divisive figure in the church after he was forced to stand down from becoming the Bishop of Reading in 2003 when it emerged that he was in a homosexual, but celibate, relationship.

Then he was back in the running, if only briefly. Promoting him to one of the most senior offices in the Church would have triggered a civil war between liberals and conservatives further exacerbating the existing divisions within the Anglican Communion.

Anglican Mainstream, the Church of England's stalwart evangelicals put out an "urgent" plea for prayer after reports emerged over the weekend that the nominations for the next Bishop of Southwark included an openly gay cleric. Those prayers were clearly answered.

In a joint statement, Anglican Mainstream's Convener Philip Giddings and Secretary Chris Sugden said that clergy whose doctrine was not "fully in accord with the Church of England's teaching and formularies" should not be appointed as bishops.

They also warned that if Dr John's candidacy were approved, it would split the Anglican Communion.

The Church of England moved back from the brink. You can read a number of stories about this close call in today's digest.

One thing seems to be certain, by putting up Jeffrey John, the Church of England would have moved closer to looking more like a clone of The Episcopal Church than the Anglican Church of Nigeria.

*****

By the time you receive this digest, the Church of England Synod will be meeting in York. High on the agenda will be the ordination of women bishops. The Episcopal Church has had women bishops for nigh on 20 years, but this is going to be very messy in England. Both the Anglo-Catholics and most Evangelicals oppose the idea. While they have not been hounded out of their parishes for disagreeing with the church for saying so, their future is very precarious should it be voted in.

Both the Archbishop of Canterbury and York believe in the ordination of women to the episcopacy, but they have put up amendments to allow for the consciences of those who disagree with the whole idea. Many, including both Anglo Catholics and evangelicals, believe it is not enough.

Dr. Chris Sugden, in a bi-lined piece http://tinyurl.com/2cf9ey7 says many orthodox evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics agree that there must be transferred jurisdiction to alternative bishops, which includes ordination, appointment and licensing. It is not clear, he says, whether these are included in the Archbishops' proposals. The difficulty in securing this arrangement without creating two classes of bishops is that people could appeal against the jurisdiction of a woman bishop, which is contrary to the tradition of mono-episcopacy.

Advocates of women in the episcopacy, on the other hand, have a "winner take all" approach reminiscent of the irregular ordinations in TEC and the subsequent call for DEPO in TEC for those orthodox priests who did not agree. This has worked only sparingly across the U.S.

On the other hand, the Guardian newspaper posted an article saying that female clergy would abandon the Church of England if too many concessions were offered to people wanting to opt out of their authority. A campaign group called WATCH (Women and the Church) has warned of this and wants a law without "caveats or conditions" that could limit the role of female bishops and allow opponents to refuse their leadership.

The suggestion is sheer nonsense, said a VOL source in the UK. "They will not go away, unfortunately, but keep trying until they get what they want." They have taken a lead out of the Gay Handbook for Pushing, Shoving and Desensitization.

The General Synod will meet this weekend to decide what safeguards there should be for those who do not accept the leadership of female bishops. Also under discussion will be the Anglican Covenant designed to keep the Anglican Communion together. VOL will keep you posted as the news emerges. VOL's website www.virtueonline.org will post stories hourly as the news breaks.

*****

Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori made her final fling in the southern hemisphere this past week with a stopover in Brisbane, Australia, to see the Anglican Archbishop of Australia, Phillip Aspinall, and to preach. It is ironic really. She made five stops in New Zealand but only one in Australia. She hardly had time to hear the classic Australian greeting "G'day, mate."before she was on the next plane home. The evangelical Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen had already written telling her she and her views were not welcome in his diocese. As a result, she made a token stop in Brisbane where the spiritual and ecclesiastical climate was clearly warmer.

Here is one choice paragraph from her one and only sermon. "There is at least one sort of division that your context and mine share - between the inside and the outside of the church. There are growing numbers of people who think that Christians are bigots, hypocrites, and uninterested in those who differ from them. The only real way to cross over that boundary is to leave these communities of safety and go on out there to find those who think we're unclean. We're going to have to wade into the river, even if, like the Brisbane, it does have a few bull sharks in it. There are far more dangerous creatures walking around on both banks. It's past time to go swimming."

So, depending on how you read this, orthodox Anglicans are "bigots" for not agreeing with her about pansexuality or that secularists in general think Christians are bigots for not agreeing with their atheism and agnosticism. Or it could be that sodomists think the orthodox are "bigots" because we won't roll over and agree with them. Either way, we don't come out looking so good. (Orthodox Anglicans may now beat their breasts for five minutes).We are grateful she preached only one sermon in Australia. God knows what she would have said had she preached any more of this nonsense.

An orthodox Anglican priest visiting New Zealand said Jefferts Schori never once made news in the secular press while in that country. Most of the news came from local blogs which was fed through to VOL in the US.

*****

On April 10, at its 13th Annual Honors Gala, the Metro DC chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Family, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) awarded Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) its Faith in Action Award for its twenty-year commitment to the inclusion of homosexual students, faculty, and staff. The award is given to those members of a particular faith or place of worship that have shown commitment and affirmation to the LGBT community as well as to their parishioners. ... "I almost didn't apply to VTS," noted VTS Middler Mike Angell, "because I had heard terrible stories about the way LGBT people were treated here. I was told, 'you won't be comfortable there, it's not an inclusive space.' That reputation was outdated and inaccurate... it is a story of resurrection to which I can only say: alleluia." (Source Episcopal Café)

Speaking of Episcopal/Anglican seminaries, Trinity School for Ministry's Seed & Harvest summer issue is out and it is filled with joyful accounts of evangelism, stories of new converts to Christ with Dean Justyn Terry positively bubbling over with gospel hope for the church and his seminary. I don't think I have seen TSM look so grand. The seminary is financially viable and there are stories of graduates in new start-up church plants and much more. Now if all of TEC's seminaries were like this, I predict TEC would turn around in five years.

*****

Ireland's Dáil passed a controversial civil partnership bill which will leave registrars open to a fine and prison sentence for refusing to carry out same-sex civil partnerships. Dermot Ahern, the Irish Justice Minister, criticized calls for a conscience clause. The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill, as it is now called, was passed by TDs in the Dáil, the lower house of representatives, without a vote. The Senate, Ireland's upper house, must pass the legislation before it can become law.

In the US, by contrast, the states of Hawaii and Wisconsin vetoed legislation that would have permitted same-sex civil unions. Compound this with the news from across the pond that "openly gay" cleric Jeffrey John will not be the next Bishop of Southwark and this turns out to be a really bad day for "gay rights." One can only sigh with relief.

Late yesterday Massachusetts federal judge Joseph Tauro ruled against a section of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which defines marriage for federal purposes as a union between one man and one woman.

In Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, Judge Tauro ruled that Section 3 of DOMA violates the Equal Protection Clause under the Fifth Amendment. In Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Health and Human Services, Judge Tauro ruled that DOMA's definition of marriage violates the Tenth Amendment rights of states to be sovereign, and the U.S. Constitution's Spending Clause. However, DOMA does not prohibit states from defining marriage. DOMA states that for federal purposes, marriage is between one man and one woman. Thus, federal benefits provided to spouses in marriage apply only to opposite sex, not same-sex, unions. Judge Tauro found the law "irrational." Judge Tauro did not rule on a separate section of DOMA, which provides that one state is not required to adopt a sister state's same-sex marriage. The Gill case was brought by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders and the other case by the Massachusetts Attorney General. The case was defended by the U.S. Department of Justice, which will likely appeal the case but has not stated its position on a possible appeal.

Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented: "Every court until now that has considered the federal Defense of Marriage Act has found it to be constitutional. The federal government can rationally conclude that marriage between one man and one woman is superior to same-sex unions. Indeed, history and common sense show that marriage between a man and a woman has a procreative component absent from same-sex unions. Moreover, children do best when raised by a mom and a dad. Same-sex unions permanently deprive children from experiencing male and female parenthood. This activist decision must be appealed, and when appealed, I am confident it will be reversed." Liberty Counsel has defended the definition of marriage in more than 45 cases and has never lost a challenge involving the federal DOMA..

*****

Lord Carey celebrated his 50th anniversary ordination (Golden Jubilee) last week at a celebration in the House of Lords. Present for this occasion was his son Andrew as well as the former Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir Ali, Dallas Bishop James Stanton, The Rev. Canon Dr. James M. Rosenthal, former Communications point man at the Anglican Consultative Council as well as two unlikely characters - Peter James Lee, retired Bishop of Virginia and, surprise of surprises, John and Kirsten Peterson, the former Secretary General of the ACC. Peterson did more than any ACC secretary general before or after him to manipulate the Global South at primatial gatherings for his liberal paymaster, the Episcopal Church USA. Among his more egregious actions was his attempt to defang Global South bishops in 2003, but he got caught red handed by the Rev. Dr. Paul Zahl who found his tactics spelled out on paper at a copier machine. Zahl read and memorized them and then told the world. Peterson was recently let go at Washington's National Cathedral, the job he got following his departure from the ACC, and has made his way back to the Middle East where he will raise funds for the Diocese of Jerusalem - a real snake pit of dueling bishops.

*****

One quarter of CofE dioceses are "in the red", new study shows. A quarter of the Church of England's 42 dioceses are running deficits and spending the "family silver" to stay afloat, Ruth Gledhill begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting reports in "The Times". While there was a deficit in Bath and Wells in 2008 of £2.5 million deficit ($3.8 million) there was the astonishing £25 million ($38 million) of "unrestricted funds" in Southwark.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Southwark told the London Times: "The unrestricted funds mentioned in Mazar's Diocesan Benchmarking Study comprise some £21 million functional fixed assets. This represents the estimated value of properties owned by the Diocese which are not glebe or parsonage properties. They are houses and offices which could, of course, in theory, be sold and the funds used for whatever the Diocese chose. However, if they were sold other properties would need to be purchased for people to live and work in. Other Dioceses will have similar assets, but these may be shown in different ways in their accounts. A further £4 million is classed as Free Reserves and therefore available to the Diocese."

As one blogger wrote; "Perhaps if the CofE sold its palaces and its treasure of gold, silver and paintings etc. and shared the proceeds with the poor, the above problems would disappear. My experience of Southwark Diocese is that they have provided us with absolutely no support in advancing the mission and ministry of the church, yet our quote rises inexorably every year (around 50% over the past five years). To hear that they're sat on massive reserves is maddening."

What this may mean is that if the Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals decide not to continue funding the diocese for whatever reason, the diocesan pot can easily pick up the slack.

*****

The Anglican Church in Canada has put out a new discussion guide on human sexuality which it says may help dioceses and parishes continue the robust, intentional dialogue modeled at General Synod 2010. At General Synod in Halifax, June 3 to 11, members met in small groups to discuss sexuality in their home contexts. Then they affirmed a statement, which acknowledged that despite differing viewpoints, they desired to stay in conversation.

"Created in the Image and Likeness of God" is a 10-page guide created in response to a request from General Synod 2007. Members asked the national office to develop a process to engage dioceses and parishes as they discuss the broader subject of human sexuality-specifically through the lenses of scripture, reason, tradition, and current scientific understanding.

The sessions cover these topics:
1. Images of human sexuality in scripture
2. Human sexuality in creation stories
3. Human sexuality and current science
4. The church's teaching and practice

We believe these can be answered very simply:

1. Marriage between a man and a woman. No adultery, no fornication, no sodomy. Men like Kings David and Solomon who had multiple wives and concubines did not please the Lord. Yea verily He was angry. (God's wrath in the King James Version).
2. Same as No. 1. Adam and Eve. Not Adam and Steve otherwise Cain, Abel and Seth would never have been born. Walter and Charlie incapable of reproducing.
3. Science has given us birth control (with mixed results over condoms.) Abstinence still the best form of birth control but this is not sanctioned in TEC or ACiC. Abortion is a no-no from God and yes-yes according the new President of Episcopal Divinity School, a large lesbian who wears men's suits.
4. Church has ALWAYS said marriage is between a man and a woman for life, no adultery, no fornication and no sodomy. (See No.1)

According to the Rev. Canon Dr. Kawuki (Isaac) Mukasa, General Synod's coordinator for dialogue, who staffed the project, "The resource is important because it takes a broader look at human sexuality in general rather than focusing on just the problem of homosexuality." Right, so does he have transgendered and bisexuality options in mind?

*****

Anglican Brits are increasingly angry about the costs for the Pope's UK visit. The Government's contribution to the Pope's visit to Britain is set to rise by £4 million ($6.36 million) to between £10 and £12 million.

Costs are spiraling and doubts increase over the schedule. With some larger venues being replaced for smaller ones - only a tiny percentage of Catholics will actually get to attend the events.

The trip, scheduled for September, will be the first papal visit to Britain since 1982, when Pope John Paul's six-day tour drew huge crowds. The Pope is travelling to the UK at the invitation of the Queen. She will meet him at Holyrood house in Edinburgh on 16th September.

"It is scandalous", cried one London Anglican cleric to VOL. "How many hospitals could be built...schools built...this is shocking news."

*****

THE Queen renewed a 300-year bond of friendship with a group of North American indigenous people as she joined worshippers at a Cathedral service in Toronto last Sunday. The monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh, who are touring Canada, were guests of honour at the Cathedral Church of St James.

Whenever a Sunday falls within the dates of a royal visit the Queen and other members of the monarchy traditionally attend an Anglican service wherever they might be. The Very Reverend Douglas Stoute, Dean of Toronto and Rector of the Cathedral, gave the sermon themed around the significant date July 4 - American Independence Day.

*****

The Headline screamed: UGANDA: Christian gay advocacy worker found decapitated Well, like a lot of lies British homosexual Anglicans tell about Nigerians and Ugandans, the news turned out not to be true and even Changing Attitude's (CA) Colin Coward had to publicly fess up. VOL even ran the story in the name of inclusion though there was nothing in the man's death that implicated either the Anglican Province or its leader, Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi.

"I apologize for all those who have been misled because I posted the report before further investigative work had been undertaken to check its veracity and to those who have been waiting all day for a response," wrote Colin Coward of Changing Attitude.

A search team had been looking for a missing pro-gay priest, the Rev. Henry Kayizzi Nsubuga, when they discovered the decapitated head of Pasikali Kashusbe in a pit latrine on a farm in Makindye Sabagabo, Wakiso District, where he worked.

Still, Changing Attitude tried to implicate Archbishop Orombi in the misinformation. Now they say he was not a gay Anglican and The Rev. Erich Kasirye was not the General Secretary of Integrity Uganda.

Even pro-gay Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, the retired bishop of West Buganda who was recently in the US at Integrity's behest to push why sodomy is good for Uganda, said he was not aware of any disappearances or murder of any Integrity Uganda members.

All this is to say that pansexualists will continue to lie and do anything to smear godly archbishops like Orombi and they will not cease to discredit anyone who opposes them. The tragedy is that they have, on occasion, gotten the Archbishop of Canterbury to rant and rave against alleged homophobia in the Global South. The BIG LIE continues.

****

The Diocese of Pennsylvania is awaiting word from the Court of Review for the Trial of a Bishop, (Charles Bennison) which will be announced this Sunday. The Standing Committee would like you not to lose self-control while waiting on tenterhooks for the judgment. In order to make you feel a lot better about the waiting, you are invited to gather at the Cathedral on Sunday afternoon following the announcement of the Court of Review.

"Our intention is to provide an opportunity for those who wish to gather together, to share concerns or hopes, to ask questions and to answer them to the best of our ability, and to offer our prayers for Bishop Bennison, for all who have participated in or been affected by this trial, and for the people of this Diocese. We will begin our gathering with Evening Prayer and conclude with refreshments," said an announcement to the party faithful. (There will be lots of champagne if Charles is ecclesiastically beheaded).

If the Court rules against Charles, he is (finally) history. If not, God help the diocese. There are rumors he may sue the Diocesan Standing Committee because they, along with the National Church, also brought presentment charges against Charles for blowing millions of dollars on a retreat property in Maryland. Sociopaths like Bennison live in fairylands about so many things, especially, it seems, money.

"As soon as the trial has concluded, we will be inviting all who wish from through-out the diocese to help shape and plan our mission and ministry together. Our hope and intention is that working together to shape our future will be an opportunity to address some of our differences and seek reconciliation; to share grievances and forgiveness, to share vision, to build hope, and to discern together the leadership needs we face as a Diocese in these times."

As the vast majority of clergy in the diocese has the same theology as Charles Bennison expect no change in the diocese's direction. Its trajectory is downwards. Bishop Rodney Michel (formerly of Long Island) is temporarily in charge and has a three-year contract. Any way you cut it, the next bishop will be a liberal/revisionist like Bennison, but hopefully the Standing Committee will get a psyche test done just in case he turns out to be another loser.

*****

On a better note, the Anglican Church in Kenya has announced plans to establish its own University college. The Bishop of Nairobi ACK Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Peter Njoka says the plan was mooted by the Kenya Anglican Men's Association (KAMA) and a fund to facilitate the process has been started.

Bishop Njoka was speaking at St. Monica Church in Nairobi's Dandora estate where he presided over the registration of new KAMA members. The bishop who is retiring next month said he was proud to leave behind a united diocese that had accomplished numerous projects. Elections for a new Nairobi diocesan bishop will be held on July 17.

As Western Anglicanism retreats the Global South forges ahead.

*****

The Anglican Church in Queensland steadily goes from bad to worse, a reader has told VOL. Synod 2010 has just finished in Brisbane, under the auspices of the Archbishop of Brisbane, Primate of the Anglican Church in Australia, Dr Phillip Aspinall. "Focus", the diocesan newspaper, announced in its July issue that Green issues were highlighted. There were four motions dealing with environmental issues ...The fourth motion ... called attention to the 10th anniversary of the Earth Charter in September and the Day of Inspiration in St. John's Cathedral (in Brisbane) to mark this, and recommended the Earth Charter as a resource for study.

The charter is a landmark agreed global statement of values and principles for a sustainable future, arrived at after eight years of consultation, and endorsed by UNESCO and the World Conservation Union IUCN. The motion passed after discussion; some questioners were previously unaware of the charter and uneasy about its lack of any mention of God, and the motion was amended to read "study and consideration of" rather than "use of".

The last hurdle to the consecration of a woman as an assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane has been cleared. "Our Archbishop who has the gift of saying very little at great length, appears as far as I can judge from the text in 'Focus' to be sliding about on the same fence as the ABC. I suppose he thinks he is in good company."

*****

VOL is periodically attacked by a number of people and blogs with an axe to grind. Sometimes it is noisy Episcopal blogs out to discredit VOL, but this week we caught it in the ear from a group of very nasty orthodox Jewish blogs who resented the fact that ACNA Archbishop Bob Duncan was making nice with Messianic Jewish groups in an effort to evangelize the US. Bad news can translate into good news as links are posted back to VOL and readership rises. Jewish groups like this do not endear themselves to people like me who try very hard to love Israel but find themselves being accused of hatred and more for telling them Good News we think they should hear. Moishe Rosen spent his life telling Jews the Good News about Jesus. He was hated and vilified for it but he remained steadfast and faithful to the the end.

*****

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In Christ,

David