The Work of the Spirit. Faith in the Spirit's power. Some of us are not leading holy lives for the simple reason that we have too high an opinion of ourselves. No man ever cries aloud for deliverance who has not seen his own wretchedness. In other words, the only way to arrive at faith in the power of the Holy Spirit is along the road of self-despair---From "Men Made New" by John R.W. Stott

The Work of the Spirit. Spiritual gifts. The list of seven spiritual gifts in Romans 12 is much less well known than either the two overlapping lists in 1 Corinthians 12 (nine in the first list and eight in the second) or the short list of five in Ephesians 4:11. It is important to note both the similarities and the dissimilarities between them. First, all the lists agree that the *source* of the gifts is God and his grace, although in Romans it is God the Father, in Ephesians God the Son and in 1 Corinthians God the Holy Spirit. Being gifts of trinitarian grace (*charismata*), both boasting and envying are excluded. Secondly, all agree that the *purpose* of the gifts is related to the building up of the body of Christ, although Ephesians 4:12 is the most explicit, and 1 Corinthians 14:12 says that we should evaluate the gifts according to the degree to which they edify the church. Thirdly, all the lists emphasize the *variety* of the gifts, each seeming to be a random selection of them. But, whereas students of the 1 Corinthians lists tend to focus on the supernatural (tongues, prophecy, healing and miracles), in Romans 12 all the gifts apart from prophecy are either general and practical (service, teaching, encouragement and leadership) or even prosaic (giving money and doing acts of mercy). It is evident that we need to broaden our understanding of spiritual gifts---From "The Message of Romans" (The Bible Speaks Today series) ---Excerpted from "Authentic Christianity"

The Spirit and the sinner. We need to recapture our belief that one of the God-appointed functions of the Holy Spirit is to make us know, feel, mourn, loathe, and forsake our sins; and if we are conscious of a superficial view of sin our proper course of action is to cry to the Holy Spirit, not to flee to the confessional---From "Confess Your Sins" by John R.W. Stott

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
Sept. 10, 2010

A new and disturbing trend is rearing itself among liberal and revisionist Episcopal bishops. In order to get rid of an Evangelical or Anglo-Catholic priest in their diocese, they manufacture charges against the aforesaid priest and, in the name of confidentiality, force the priest out of his job dumping him on the sidewalk.

Consider two recent cases.

Dean Philip Linder in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina was first inhibited by Bishop R. Andrew Waldo, who then uninhibited him so the parish could do whatever it is they want to do to Linder.

No one knows what charges were brought against Linder. It is all couched in secrecy and confidentiality to protect persons allegedly harmed by Linder. But is he being railroaded? No one will say. If he talks, he will "get it" from the bishop using some canon to inhibit him. If he doesn't talk, his guilt is assumed.

In the Diocese of San Diego it is much the same thing, though more so. A godly Anglo-Catholic priest, Fr. Neal Moquin was inhibited and then forced to resign (or face a five year inhibition) from his parish after 30 years of service in TEC for allegations of sexual impropriety even though the bishop won't say what or who brought those charges. The priest has never been allowed to face his accusers.

Now these bishops ALWAYS describe themselves as moderates especially in the walkabouts, always saying they want to "listen" and find ways around or through the besetting issues in the church. Of course, it never works out that way. When push comes to shove, the bishop does the pushing and the priest is out the door.

Bishop James Mathes says he knows the truth about Fr. Moquin, but he won't tell anyone exactly what Moquin is charged with or who brought the charges. Moquin says professional counselors cleared him of all charges, but still the priest must go.

VOL had reported on the "moderate" Mathes before this incident. The truth is there is nothing "moderate" about Mathes. Along with the 10 orthodox congregations that have left the diocese, he has driven out a conservative Vietnamese priest and his congregation, which have now gone to the Anglican Church in America (ACA). He has also fired a Sudanese priest and let two small congregations die. About 20 priests/deacons have been deposed by Mathes. He has managed to achieve all this is in just five short years.

Here, in part, is how it is done.

A revisionist bishop like Mathes wants Moquin gone so he can put a "moderate" priest in his parish. Certain unnamed persons, usually women, come forward and tell the bishop they were "harassed" by the priest - the implication is sexual, but no proof is offered. No intercourse has taken place. Maybe the priest hugged the parishioner too long in the Narthex. Whatever. The bishop, anxious to get rid of his remaining orthodox priests, (in keeping with Jefferts Schori's scorched earthy policies towards the orthodox) promptly tells the Vestry of the parish that he has received complaints from certain unnamed parishioners. They are bewildered, but roll over to the bishop because they are too dumb to ask any real questions or to stand up to him. The priest is inhibited and, to all intents and purposes, his career is over.

I believe that when the history books are opened, we will find that this was much more common than first thought and was a major contributor to the death of TEC.

You can read the story about Fr. Moquin's resignation from his parish in today's digest.

*****

Both the Diocese of Pennsylvania and the national church want Bishop Charles Bennison gone. He has returned as bishop because of a narrow interpretation of the "Statute of Limitations". Never before have we seen an alliance of liberals and revisionists with a small handful of orthodox priests standing together in order to get rid of The Useless One. They are united in one common cause - Bennison must go.

In fact, the Standing Committee, who is usually united behind any liberal idiotic idea that Bennison has done over the years, now wants him gone so badly they are appealing directly to the TEC House of Bishops later this month to see what Canon they can find to get rid of him. It is ironic that Jefferts Schori had no difficulty getting rid of Bishop Bob Duncan without a trial, but can't seem to unload Bennison for his responsibility in failing to protect a 14-year old girl from his brother's predatory sexual behavior. The National Church canons will have to be adjusted to avoid a repeat of this kind of situation.

The Diocesan Standing Committee is not made up of the brightest light bulbs in the cathedral. In fact, some of the clergy are as a liberal theologically as Bennison and, should they have failed to become priests, would have been hard pressed to find jobs as shoeshine boys at Philadelphia Airport or bag carriers at local hotels. Because seminaries turn out priests who don't believe much of anything, they were dead ringers for jobs in small (now dying) parishes in dioceses like Pennsylvania, where, within a generation, they will cease to exist. Their parishes will become geriatric palaces of the dead and dying, where presumably unemployed priests can now offer the Last Rites to old ladies whispering in their ear, "It doesn't matter what you believe Maud, so long as you're sincere." Oh death, where is thy sting?

Bennison was supposed to have been history. Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori said so and so did Bishop Clayton Matthews, the national church's watchdog for bad boy bishops. Former PB Frank Griswold also wanted him gone. Like phoenix rising, Bennison has risen from the dead to persecute the diocese once again. We wait with baited breath to see what the TEC House of Bishops does with Bennison in their deliberations. Bennison has said he will never retire or resign. Perhaps Jefferts Schori can inhibit him, again. This time because when Bennison was saying mass at St. Clements, in theory, the moment Bennison celebrated using a non-1979 book service, he violated the canons. The Standing Committee has grounds to bring up new charges against Bennison. St. Clement's uses everything BUT the '79 book. Will the Standing Committee bring a new set of charges?

You can read the story about Bishop Bennison pinch-hitting at St. Clement's while the rector was out having hip surgery. St. Clement's is a queer driven Affirming-Catholic congregation masquerading as Anglo-Catholic.

*****

To no one's surprise, the rump Diocese of Eau Claire elected the Rt. Rev. Edwin Leidel, Jr., as provisional bishop on August 28, at Christ Church Cathedral, Eau Claire, according to a release from the diocese that has also been posted on its website.

The diocese, located in northwestern Wisconsin, had been without episcopal leadership since April 2008, when the Rt. Rev. Keith B. Whitmore resigned to serve as assisting bishop in the Diocese of Atlanta. Eau Claire's Standing Committee has been the ecclesiastical authority during the vacancy.

Leidel's ministry will be divided into several continuous blocks of time for the next 15 months, the initial segment running from the election through Nov. 13, the release said, adding that Leidel will work on a one-third time basis. With this diocese now split in twain, it is hard to imagine how much longer it can continue without juncturing with another diocese.

*****

There is a new diocese that will no longer be a communion partner diocese. It is Western Kansas. The Rev. Michael Milliken, 63, was recently elected its fifth bishop following the departure of Bishop James Adams. He is a self-described moderate who has yet to make up his mind about gay priests or same sex rites. If he hasn't figured it out after more than 35 years in the ministry, he never will. The diocese is so small he will have to be a rector-bishop in order to draw a salary. The Bishop of Kansas, Dean Wolfe wanted to swallow up the smaller diocese, but that was a no go for the diocese.

*****

God is no longer male, the Scottish Episcopal Church has ruled. A new order of service produced by the Scottish Episcopal Church has caused controversy by removing masculine references to God. The new form of worship, which removes words such as "Lord, he, his, him" and "mankind" from services, has been written by the church in an attempt to acknowledge that God is "beyond human gender".

Episcopalian bishops have approved the introduction of more "inclusive" language, which deliberately removes references suggesting that God is of male gender.

Traditionalists have criticized the changes on the grounds that they smack of political correctness and because they believe they are not consistent with the teachings of the Bible. The alterations have been made to provide an alternative to the established 1982 Liturgy, which, like the Bible, refers to God as a man.

However, Rt. Rev. John H. Rodgers Th.D. AMIA, retired, weighed in on this saying, "God is who He says He is. He has not asked the Scottish Episcopal Church to rename Him. Our knowledge of God is based on His revelation, not on ecclesiastical speculation. God's Name as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is His revelation of Himself, given us in Jesus, the Word of God incarnate and declared in Holy Scripture, the Word of God written. The Church trusts that God knows what He is doing when He names Himself. To declare otherwise is to place oneself outside the Church Catholic and historic Anglicanism. It is time to bid the Episcopal Church of Scotland, and no doubt some other Provinces, a fond farewell."

*****

In Nairobi, Kenya, the wife of Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Dr Eliud Wabukala has died.

Caren Nakhumicha Wabukala passed on suddenly after falling down the staircase at their Nairobi home on Sunday night. Close relatives said she lost consciousness immediately after the fall. Efforts to revive her were futile. "This was happening as the Archbishop checked in at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on his way to London for a Global South meeting scheduled to begin today (Monday). However, we managed to communicate to him before he boarded and was able to view her body at the Nairobi Hospital before movement to the Lee Funeral Home," said Canon Mbogo.

In his condolence message, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka described Mrs. Wabukhala as a supportive wife to her husband and a dear mother not only to her immediate family but the entire ACK fraternity.

"Mrs. Wabukala will be remembered as a strong pillar in the Anglican Church. She had stood firmly in her Christian faith and contributed immensely to the spread of the work of God," said the VP.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga also conveyed condolences to members of the Anglican Church where Caren served with dedication and to the community of Christians at large."

"The body will be laid to rest on Saturday September 11 at Kibeu Village, Butonge Location in Bungoma District/Diocese."

*****

David Robinson, assistant pastor, Saint Alban's Anglican Church in Ottawa was planning to show a film debating the existence of God at the Heart & Crown Pub. But the pub cancelled the film fearing it may offend some religious patrons.

The Heart & Crown Pub says it decided to pull the plug on St. Alban's Anglican Church's showing this week of the movie "Collision" - a documentary featuring well-known atheist Christopher Hitchens and evangelical theologian Douglas Wilson - after seeing a pamphlet advertising the film.

"We made the decision to cancel the reservation because, bottom line is, we just think that our business isn't the forum or the environment for that type of movie," said Heart & Crown Pubs spokesman Alex Munroe, who admitted he hadn't actually watched the film.

"We certainly don't want to get into the debate of religion. It's not good for our kind of business environment."

*****

Gay divorce is up in Britain. Dissolution of civil partnerships in England, Scotland, and Wales almost doubled in 2009 compared with 2008, The Independent reported on Aug. 20. The figure jumped from 180 to 351. At the same time, the number of people entering same-sex civil partnerships dropped from 7,169 to 6,281.

Female couplings were less successful in 2009 than male unions. Sixty-three percent of English and Welsh dissolutions and 71 percent of Scottish dissolutions were between women.

More than 40,000 couples have entered civil partnerships since they became legal at the end of 2005. The partnerships include all the rights and obligations of marriage, except use of the word "marriage."

*****

Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops in South Africa have urged the government to withdraw and redraft a proposed media law that critics say would allow authorities to classify virtually any official information as secret.

"We believe that the bill violates the spirit of openness and accountability that is so necessary to underpin the constitution's provisions on good governance, essential for a healthy democracy," said South African Cardinal Wilfrid Napier in an Aug. 31 statement.

Napier was active in the struggle against apartheid and said that there would be practically no right of appeal against rulings under the law, as the same people who made the original decision would process any appeal.

"We certainly do not want government to take us back to the oppressive practices of yesteryear, against which our common struggle was launched," stated the cardinal.

Separately, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa warned that the draft law on protection of information threatens to undermine rights including freedom of expression and freedom of religion, "to which we as South Africans subscribed when our elected representatives adopted our constitution in 1996."

In an article published in the Cape Times newspaper, Makgoba said, "What is notable about the Protection of Information Bill as it currently stands is that it seeks to punish not lies or incorrect information ... but rather truthful information based on official documents."

"Tamper with press freedom, and you tamper with the freedom of every citizen to receive and impart information and ideas," said Makgoba, who is archbishop of Cape Town. "We cannot draw a line around press freedom, restricting the rights of journalists, without limiting the rights of all of us."

*****

The Church of Finland has defrocked the leader of the church's traditionalist movement, the Luther Foundation, saying that by accepting consecration at the hands of foreign Swedish and African Lutheran bishops, Bishop Matti Väisänen violated his ordination vows to the state church.

On Aug 11, the Diocese of Tampere removed Bishop Väisänen from the ranks of its ministers. Spokesman Leevi Häikiö told STT television the diocese had no choice in the matter.

"Defrocking Väisänen will influence how his actions and the religious ceremonies he administers will be evaluated. In our eyes Väisänen is now a layman," Mr. Häikiö said.

Formed in 1999, the Luther Foundation began as a confessional movement within the state church for those opposed to the ordination of women. In 2006 the Finnish Bishops' Conference ruled that male priests may not refuse to work with women priests, and stated that those who rejected the validity of women's orders would not be appointed as parish vicars. The church has also refused to ordain clergy opposed to women priests.

In 2007, a state court fined the Rev. Ari Norro 20-days pay for refusing to con-celebrate the Eucharist with a woman priest. The Hyvinkää District Court held that religious convictions cannot trump the state's sexual discrimination laws, and that by agreeing to serve in the ministry of the state church, a clergyman forfeited his rights of conscience.

The church's purge of traditionalists has led to the formation of 17 congregations that operate within the tradition of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland, but are self-governing and financially independent. In March, the leaders of the Church of Sweden's traditionalist movement, the Mission Province, consecrated Bishop Väisänen to provide episcopal oversight to the "free diocese" in Finland and to ordain new clergy for the movement.

While the Luther Foundation has not yet broken with the Church of Finland, the issue may be put to the test in October, when Bishop Väisänen is scheduled to ordain four graduates of the Theological Faculty of the University of Helsinki. Bishop Matti Repo of Tampere told the Finnish press that if Bishop Väisänen starts ordaining ministers, it would be an indication that the Luther Foundation considers itself a church unto itself. "Real bishops guide the Church to unity, not disunity," he said. Shades of TEC.

*****

If you have any doubts about the direction and beliefs of the Episcopal Church's House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson, doubt no more. She will be the featured speaker at an October conference about the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Christians in the life and ministry of the Episcopal Church. The "Moving Forward: Exploring a New Path to Full Inclusion" conference will be held at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Houston Oct. 1-2.

The conference comes in response to what a press release called "longstanding calls from church leadership for deep theological conversation" about inclusion. One hopes that such "deep theological conversation" will engage with Dr. Robert Gagnon's benchmark book "The Bible and Homosexuality", the best book on the subject. If they get through that unscathed, it will be a miracle.

*****

The Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori along with House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson and Executive Council member Rosalie Simmonds Ballentine have issued a letter to the church calling for study on the Anglican Covenant. "We strongly urge every congregation in this Church to engage in discussion of the proposed Covenant at some time in the coming two years," the letter states.

The final draft of the proposed Anglican Covenant was released in mid-December, 2009 for formal consideration for adoption by constituent Provinces of the Anglican Communion through appropriate processes.

The 76th General Convention further committed the Episcopal Church's engagement with the covenant process (Resolution 2009-D020). As the highest legislative authority of The Episcopal Church, the General Convention is the body that will ultimately decide The Episcopal Church's position with respect to participation in an Anglican Communion Covenant.

Here is how this will go. They will read it until they get to Section IV, which talks about disciplining those who break with the Covenant by ordaining non-celibate pansexualists to the priesthood. Then they will shriek to high heaven about the document's lack of inclusion and toss it in the garbage. To date, only the Mexicans have signed on to the Covenant. It has been said that they did so because everybody was on Tequila, Mexico's National Drink, that day and no one was minding the store.

*****

In Glenn v. Holder, (ED MI, Sept. 7, 2010), a Michigan federal district court dismissed on standing and ripeness grounds a challenge to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act that had been brought by several Christian pastors. Plaintiffs claim that the law interferes with their right to express opposition to homosexuals and homosexual behavior. They allege that the Act is vague and overbroad, and will chill individuals from expressing their views that "homosexual orientation is morally wrong." The court however did not reach the merits of those claims, finding instead that plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate that they faced a credible threat of prosecution under the Act. No case or controversy exists because plaintiffs failed to allege that they intend to willfully cause bodily injury to anyone. The court also concluded that plaintiffs' claims are not ripe. They merely present hypothetical situations that plaintiffs believe will be investigated or prosecuted. Bay City (MI) Times reports on the decision.

*****

QURAN BURNING is rocketing around the globe and VOL has received and posted a number of reflections that we believe you will not find elsewhere. (We don't like to reinvent the wheel by competing with mainstream media).

While I am against burning the Quran, I wonder what it would be like burning a Bible in Hollywood or taking the Lord's name in vain by Jewish TV filmmakers who have no such qualms in blaspheming Jesus and Christian standards. It is hard to feel much sympathy for people who feel the Quran is not America's book. Another question is why is burning the American flag considered free speech, but burning the Quran off limits? At the very least, there is a double standard being applied here. If Islam is truly a religion of peace, why don't Islamists turn the other cheek in the face of this Pastor's demonstration?

Among the stories condemning this burning is one from the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Episcopal Church and one from the Institute on Religion and Democracy with the perspective that the burning will endanger Christians overseas...

BREAKING NEWS... The minister of the Florida church said he has canceled plans to burn copies of the Quran because the leader of a much-opposed plan to build an Islamic Center near ground zero has agreed to move its location. The agreement couldn't be immediately confirmed.

The Rev. Terry Jones said Thursday that Americans oppose the mosque being built at the location and that Muslims do not want the Quran burned. He said instead of his plan to burn the books on Saturday to mark the ninth anniversary of 9/11, he will be flying to New York to speak to Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf about moving the mosque.

*****

In today's digest we ask the ultimate question. In light of what took place at Entebbe, Uganda, is it over for the Anglican Communion? Read the full report and decide for yourself.

*****

As we come to the end of summer and move into the fall we urgently need your support to counter the liberals and revisionists who daily ply their spin and degradation to persuade you that you are on the wrong path. Please consider a tax-deductible donation. You can send a check to:

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In Christ,

David