...the Church has been born for mission. Two thousand years of church history tell us that the mission of God brings with it adventure and risks and takes us to new places that we never dreamed of. Right from the outset when the Jewish disciples of Jesus engaged with a Gentile world they found themselves challenged, conflicted and more importantly changed by those encounters. The Church must be free to go into all the world and to engage with new cultures enabling us all to learn Christ. As we do we will find that we too are changed by this engagement with the world. Such change lies at the heart of repentance as we continually re-think, re-assess what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ in a new context. The problem with the Covenant is that it introduces a dynamic which makes the Communion essentially introspective and resistant to change. Instead of setting us free to engage with a changing world it freezes us at a given point in our formation, holding us back and making us nervous about going beyond the boundaries and reaching out to God’s world. Indeed, just at the point that the church needs to be innovative and courageous against the forces ranged against us we will find ourselves constrained by fears as to whether our bold actions might mire us in procedures of dispute resolution. There are bound to be times in mission when it is right to go out on a limb. If we hold back all bold initiatives until every Province agrees then we shackle the church in chains. The beauty of the Anglican Communion is that each Province can respond uniquely to its own cultural context within the triangle of Scripture, Reason and Tradition.And the final paragraph:
The Church of England and the Anglican Communion have over the centuries developed a generous embrace allowing seekers to taste and see the goodness of God. Within our borders, within the borders of what Cranmer described as that “blessed company of faithful people”, there is a generous orthodoxy. There is space for the seeker to breathe, to enquire, to ask questions, to doubt and to grope towards faith and to find God. That I believe is a space within the Body of Christ worth preserving. The Covenant will change the character of the Communion and, I fear, the Church of England.What a splendid and eloquent address! I urge you to read the speech in its entirety at the PDF link. All three houses of the Diocese of Liverpool voted against adoption of the covenant.
H/T to Nicholas Knisely at The Lead.
I don't think Lincoln votes until at least next week, Mimi. . .
ReplyDeletesusan s., thanks. I made the correction on Facebook, but I forgot to correct my blog post. So many sites...
ReplyDeleteLovely speech, in the true Anglican spirit it seems to me. I think the choice is between continuing in that tradition, or becoming a twin of the Roman church, with its ossified dogmas and rigid hierarchy. There are always some, of course, who love that sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteWhy the love affair with Rome, especially now? This is not the RCC's finest hour.
ReplyDeleteI think that Bishop Jones has just thrown his hat into the ring. A strong-minded, "broad" evangelical, may give the Gafconites and Sugdenites a far more effective run for their money than R Williams has been able to do.
ReplyDeleteI hope the bishop has, but his age, 64 in August, may count against him, since I believe bishops in the CofE must retire at the age of 70. The next Lambeth Conference is in 2018.
ReplyDeleteSeems the bishop is not without ambition, Mimi.
ReplyDeleteWhy the love affair with Rome, especially now?
ReplyDeleteThe love of certainty. And if you can't have certainty, you can have certitude. Vatican: "Rule 1: We are Infallible. Rule 2: In Case of Doubt, Refer to Rule 1" Rowan: "Want!"
JCF, it seems to me that Rowan is embarrassed by the Anglican Communion's loose structure vis-a-vis Benny's rigid institution. Too bad. If we wanted to have that sort of structure, we'd all convert to Roman Catholicism.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I'm hearing, the candidates for ABC would have to be born later than 1948.
ReplyDeletethe candidates for ABC would have to be born later than 1948.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess I can be in the running then, eh? :)
I really liked what Bishop Jones said, and I'm sorry he likely won't be considered. We need someone like that to take over from ++Rowan.
SCG, what can I say? It's very much our loss.
ReplyDeleteDon't write him off on account of age. And don't expect him to be a knight on a white horse where the "revisionist" provinces are concerned. Though the Nigerian primate's vitriolic press statement on the resignation of Dr Williams makes it clear that any attempt to appease these people will be pointless. I'm guessing that they're clearing the decks to announce the creation of an "Orthodox" Anglican Communion when the name of Williams' successor is announced.
ReplyDeleteLapin, I have no doubt that if James Jones is the choice, we will be in for some surprises. Who could satisfy the GAFCON folks? No one who is likely to be chosen.
ReplyDeleteDear Grandmere Mimi--I believe the mandatory retirement age for our clergy is also 70. But, I think many are granted license to remain active beyond that point. So, depending on how rigid the rules are across the pond, he might be a viable candidate. It is indeed a "splendid and eloquent address"
ReplyDeleteI followed Lapin's link to the Nigerian primate's vitriolic press statement and agree with Lapin's comment. But, uncertain as to the "Anglican." I thought you had to be in communion w/ABC to have that.
Bonnie, Thinking Anglicans posted on the age requirements for the retirement of bishops and archbishops.
ReplyDelete2 Archbishop may continue in office for certain period after attaining retiring age at discretion of Her Majesty.
Where Her Majesty considers that there are special circumstances which make it desirable that a person holding the office of archbishop should continue in that office after the date on which he would otherwise retire in accordance with the foregoing section, She may authorise the continuance in office of that person after that date for such period, not exceeding one year, as She may in her discretion determine.
Grandmere Mimi--Thank you for the link. I am always interested in what their protocol is. Lot of catching up to do after years of not paying attention to any of this.
ReplyDeleteNow I am on a quest to indentify the "unknown plant" in your beautifut post on what is in bloom in your yard.
Bonnie, I would very much like to know the name of the flower. Could it be a variety of lily?
ReplyDelete