‘Judgment day’ coming for TEC Rectors

In his weekly column, Bishop David Anderson, President of the American Anglican Council, outlines likely consequences of a far-reaching change to the Episcopal Church’s disciplinary canon.

“In July of this year, less than six weeks from now, the changes to the disciplinary canon (Title IV) go into full force and effect, and revisionist bishops will be able to remove parish leaders on the flimsiest of charges. Likewise, if a bishop doesn’t fully go along with Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori’s agenda, she will be able to remove the bishop on the flimsiest of charges. It no longer is required that someone has done something to damage “the church,” only that they intend to do so, or that they might do so, as determined by the Presiding Bishop.”

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United Church of Canada: ‘celebrating post-theism’

“The United Church of Canada, which was formed 86 years ago with the grand vision to bring Protestants together “in one glorious national church,” is undergoing one of the most precipitous slides in modern religious history.

In the midst of a breathtaking erosion in its membership, the church is undertaking what some call a great experiment to redefine itself through an intense engagement with the surrounding secular world; whether it be through advocating for the environment, fighting for the rights of homosexuals to marry or taking on the cause of the Palestinians, the church has attempted to blur the boundaries between religion and the broader society.…”

– Opinion-piece by Charles Lewis in the National Post of Canada.

(As the Anglican Essentials Canada blog points out, it makes the Anglican Church of Canada “look like a bastion of orthodoxy”. Example. Photo: UCC Moderator Mardi Tindal from her Easter message.)

Naviget: GAFCON Unfurls its Sails

“I sense that the GAFCON Primates’ Nairobi Communiqué issued this week has about it this quality of divine summons; it is an expression of obedience to the call of the gospel. The GAFCON Primates who met in Nairobi last month have plenty to occupy them in their own backyards. They have growing vibrant churches which need vigilant oversight, many have to grapple with pressing issues of poverty, some of their Provinces are on the frontline of militant Islam and in an African context they are also often called to act as statesmen too.

The temptation to focus on their own immediate challenges and disengage from a Communion which is in a crisis not of their making must be very powerful. But it has been determined that GAFCON must unfurl its sails for the sake of the gospel and I see the Nairobi Communiqué unfolding the vision established at Jerusalem in 2008 in two areas which are vital to the re-evangelisation of the West.…”

– Charles Raven comments on the latest developments from GAFCON.

Lessons from History

“Today there are groups like the Pentecostals who have grown remarkably. Sydney Anglicans have not witnessed comparable growth but we have an important role to play in Australian Christianity. In particular, we can provide a theological and ecclesiastical stability that will buttress and support Christianity in our nation…”

– Wise words from Bishop Paul Barnett – over at SydneyAnglicans.net
(Photo courtesy Paul Barnett’s blog)

Politically Incorrect Motherhood

“We live in a free society, where people are not constrained but free to make their own choices about their life.

This freedom means it is improper to criticise others for the choices they make. Such impropriety constrains our freedom of speech and nourishes the concept of ‘political correctness’. It’s not politically correct to criticise the free choice of others about their living arrangements – de facto marriage, single parenthood, having lots of children or choosing to have none.…”

– Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen writes on ‘Politically Incorrect Motherhood’ – at phillipjensen.com.

Bin Laden and the measure of ‘justice’

The Social Issues Executive of the Diocese of Sydney has released this paper, ‘Bin Laden and the measure of ‘justice’, ‘intended to assist discussion’.

It’s available here (PDF file) and should appear on their website (as Briefing 094) soon.

The Trial that still must come

“Such celebration points to the danger of revenge as a powerful human emotion. Revenge has no place among those who honor justice. Retributive justice is sober justice. …

The second troubling aspect is just part of what it means to live in a world in which true justice is always elusive. …”

– Albert Mohler adds perspective to the news everyone is talking about today.

Easter Eggs in the Year of Our Lord

“I love chocolate. I don’t think I’m unique in this respect. Most people I have met share this love. So the popular celebration of Easter with chocolate suits me. It combines so many loves at the same time – holidays, chocolate and Christ.

Jesus should be associated with chocolate, for he made every good thing for our enjoyment. He created the world, including chocolate, to be received with thanksgiving. If you like chocolate then eat it with gratitude to the creator of all good things – Jesus Christ our Lord…”

– Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral Phillip Jensen writes on Easter and “the lowest common denominator of public agreement” – on the Cathedral website.

The Unseen God

“[W]ithin weeks of the crucifixion, Christ was being proclaimed to the world as Saviour and the cross as the very proof of the immensity of God’s love. And to this day, it is the form of the cross which visually declares the presence and influence of Christianity.

But despite this, even Christians find it hard to keep the cross in focus, often treating it as a mere passing phase: tragedy giving way to triumph, shame giving way to glory, darkness giving way to dawn. This is understandable. We serve a living Lord, a risen Saviour, a reigning King. But when we relegate the cross to the margins, the result is as undesirable as it is unexpected. For the more we seek to find God truly in triumphs, glories and light, the less we find of the true God. And the demonstration of this is always found in our encounter with suffering…”

– John Richardson writes in his book “The Eternal Cross: Reflections on the Sufferings of Christ” — posted at The Ugley Vicar.

‘Dirty, rotten lies’

“The Clubs industry in Australia has just launched a $20 million lie – if we believe them, we will miss a once in a generation opportunity to radically transform the way we care for those who are addicted to gambling…”

– Over at SydneyAnglicans.net, Anglicare Sydney CEO Peter Kell doesn’t mince his words on poker machine reform.

ANZAC Day more important than Easter?

“This year Anzac day and the Easter Monday public holiday coincide. For the first time since 1859 (and for the last time until 2038), Easter Monday falls on April 25th – the ANZAC Day public holiday.

For almost 2000 years the Easter ‘Holy Days’ have been the central religious event in the calendars of the Western world, but the clash this year is timely for it signals a deeper reality. ANZAC Day is increasingly staking a claim to replace Easter as the major religious holiday in 21st Century Australia.”

– At Defence Anglicans, Chaplain Andrew Grills asks how Christians should view ANZAC Day.

Congregationalism – real, radical, or imaginary?

“The attacks on the Anglican Diocese of Sydney will probably never go away. It is  almost certainly right that they don’t. We are far from perfect and our mistakes will always leave us open to criticism. Yet I’m convinced there’s much more to rejoice in than to criticise.

What is more, often the most virulent attacks come from the most predictable places…

Nevertheless, it is worth engaging with the criticism rather than dismissing it out of hand…”

– Mark Thompson asks if the picture that’s painted of Sydney Diocese is a fair one – at Theological Theology.

New Moore College Faculty blog

It’s called Thinktank, and is on the Moore College website.

A Theological Conversation worth having: Al Mohler’s response to Brian McLaren

“…a recent essay by Brian McLaren helps us all to understand what is at stake in the controversy over Rob Bell’s new book, Love Wins.

Beyond this, his argument reveals a great deal about the actual beliefs and trajectories of what has become known as the emerging church. As such, his essay is a welcome addition to this important conversation.”

– Albert Mohler responds to Brian McLaren’s critique of Mohler’s review of Rob Bell’s new book. (Photo: brianmclaren.net)

Anglican Entropy

“The second law of thermodynamics tells us that as energy is expended over time, order in the universe inexorably gives way to disorder. The fundamental physical truth behind the cycles of birth and death is that things fall apart, leading ultimately to a static and random state known as entropy.

In the spiritual realm, there is no such necessity. St Paul affirms that ‘Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.’ (2 Corinthians 4:16), yet entropy irresistibly comes to mind as a metaphor following Dr William’s Lent Letter to the Primates and Moderators of the Anglican Communion.

Here we have carefully crafted verbal camouflage for what is actually one more step in Lambeth Anglicanism’s descent into spiritual and institutional entropy…”

– Charles Raven writes at SPREAD.

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