Latest 9Marks eJournal
The latest issue of the 9Marks eJournal is now online. As always, stimulating reading.
At 9Marks – and as a PDF file (direct link).
Primates Meeting questions language of sanctions
“The media spokesman for the primates meeting, Australia’s Primate, Archbishop Dr Phillip Aspinall, said day two of the meeting included a presentation by five Primates about the impact of the current situation on province mission priorities.
Archbishops Fred Hiltz from Canada, Thabo Makgoba from Southern Africa, Henry Orombi from Uganda, Stephen Oo from Myanmar and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori from the United States made presentations. …”
– the official word from Alexandria from the Anglican Communion News Service. Includes a link to the daily podcast.
Bus slogan generator
For a bit of light relief, try the Bus slogan generator.
(h/t John Richardson.)
Mark Baddeley has some more serious thoughts at the Sola Panel.
Unenforceable Covenant grabs centre stage
There will be no more “stick over the head sanctions” in dealing with Anglican provinces that do not toe the line over homosexual practice, said Australian Archbishop Philip Aspinall, spokesman for the 34 assembled Primates of the Anglican Communion. …
Questioned if all the Primates were taking Holy Communion together, Aspinall replied that communion was celebrated by all the primates and no one has absented themselves. “No one has made any statement that they are not participating in Holy Communion.”
However, VOL was told by a source that now that Katharine Jefferts Schori has shown up, things will be different tomorrow (Tuesday). A number of primates have said they will not take communion if she does. …
– David Virtue reports from Alexandria on the Primates’ meeting.
(Photo of Archbishop Rowan Williams in Alexandria: ACNS.)
Primates’ Meeting opens in ‘fog of confusion’
In their fourth meeting since the 2003 emergency session called by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams to respond to the consecration of V Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire, the primates appear exhausted and frustrated, unsure of their authority within the Anglican Communion and the purpose of the meeting. …
– George Conger reports at Religious Inelligence.
(Photo: George Conger.)
Anglican primates to discuss “two-tier” communion
Archbishops of the Anglican Communion worldwide will tomorrow discuss a proposal that will allow the church to remain united as one body in spite of schismatic differences over the ordination of homosexuals and the blessing of gay marriages.
Archbishops of the 38 provinces worldwide are beginning a week-long meeting in Alexandria, Egypt where they will discuss a proposal to allow Anglican churches to remain “in communion” with other provinces that refuse to sign up to a new “covenant” or unity document. …
– Ruth Gledhill at Times Online. (Photo of the Helnan Palestine Hotel, Alexandria, where the meeting is being held: George Conger.)
Preach to yourself the gospel
From Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ classic work, Spiritual Depression:
“Have you realised that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they start talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc.
Somebody is talking. Who is talking? Your self is talking to you. …”
– read the rest of the excerpt on Psalm 42, at Gospel-driven Church.
‘Really weird’ letter from Presiding Bishop
The Rt Revd Henry Scriven, former Assistant Bishop in the diocese of Pittsburgh, says he bears no ill-will towards the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, Dr Katharine Jefferts Schori, after she appeared to interpret his resignation from the US House of Bishops as a voluntary renunciation of his orders.
Bishop Scriven, who is British, has returned to the UK this month, where he is to be director of the South American Mission Society …
– Full story by Pat Ashworth in Church Times.
See also ‘Is The Renunciation of Orders Routine?’ from The Anglican Communion Institute. (h/t Anglican Mainstream.) Photo: Diocese of Pittsburgh.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…