First, said Bishop Duncan, "They told us to go back home and say to everyone that 'what we have been teaching here ...is the teaching of the communion." The Primates' statement, explained Bishop Duncan, made it unequivocally clear that the church has not changed its position on the supremacy of Holy Scripture, or its bar on blessing homosexual relationships. Post-Primates links
Read moreWith the recent actions of the Primates of the Anglican Church meeting in Northern Ireland, I now believe that my analogy and predictions were right on the mark!
I can now extend this analogy to the situation before us. This immune system has now isolated two North American branches of the body to either bring them back to health and balance with the body or let them die off while protecting the rest of the system from the toxic nature of this death.
Read moreThen you pushed through women's ordination (which I enthusiastically supported). You thought you had the routine down pat--it was just a matter of using Psychology: workshops with relating games and small group sessions, politicking to get the vote through--then a little sympathy and pastoral smarm for the disgruntled, putting out small fires here and there and waiting it out until we got used to the latest innovation so that you could move on to the next project.
Read moreWhile the Elizabethan Settlement in the sixteenth century managed a compromise which enabled a 'broad' approach across the divide between Catholic and Protestant sympathizers within the C of E, it was done so in fidelity to the Apostolic inheritance of Bishop/Priest/Deacon (the 'three-fold order').
Read moreFor example, in terms of actions; for me the most significant sign I witnessed at the Meeting in Porto in Portugal several years ago was Presiding Bishop Griswold arm in arm with Mrs. Carey, and Archbishop Carey arm in arm with Mrs. Griswold, on the main street, walking along, for all to see - including the African Archbishops who were amazed!
Read moreBACKGROUND: The Anglican Communion is a worldwide network of approximately 70-80 million (depending on who's counting) people. It is broken into thirty-eight autonomous "provinces," of which the Episcopal Church, USA is one. These provinces tend to be national churches scattered around the world, which see the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury as their anchors. Each province has an Archbishop as chief shepherd.
Read moreI must explain that newness presently; let me first point out potential confusion among the layers of documentation. This motion welcomes the report from the House of Bishops (GS 1570); that report, not to be confused with the Windsor Report itself, is to be read in the light of the appended 'Response' signed by the chairs of the House of Bishops Theological Group and the Faith and Order Advisory Group.
Read moreNot that the Council of Nicaea was as decisive as it is usually billed, either. It took almost 60 years for Nicaea's influence to solidify. In the meantime, the main heresy condemned at the council, Arianism, became ascendant and almost triumphed over orthodoxy. Even the Nicene Creed recited today wasn't really adopted until 381, 56 years after the council ended.
Read moreWorship must be based on the truth of scripture, not our opinions about God. I submit these verses with love not wanting to sound homophobic
The question that begs to be asked is: Do we place our identity as the Episcopal Church above that of belonging to the same church that can be traced historically to Jesus Christ?
Q - Why do we call the Holy Scriptures the Word of God?
Read more