In that interview I reviewed with him the multitude of task forces, hearings, Bishop’s statements, regional and parish meetings and the long list of Diocesan and General Synods that have discussed and wrestled with this issue since 1976. I gave him a full account of our dealings with dissenting parishes and the court proceedings we have been involved in. I shared with Archbishop Rowan our experience of the incredible contribution that gay and lesbian people have made and continue to make in every aspect of our Church’s life and witness, and expressed the overwhelming desire on the part of two Synod’s to move forward with the blessing of committed same-sex relationships for couples who have been civilly married. I also indicated to him my intentions with regard to my giving permission for these blessings to begin to take place.
One of the most powerful moments in the course of my fifty minute meeting with the Archbishop was the opportunity to describe the process of how our new Vision has emerged and how we believe that God is calling us as a Diocesan family to enhance and develop our work together under the five key areas of focus that are outlined in the Vision. In fact I indicated that it was my sense that the challenge the Vision offers us around the work of prophetic justice-making has made us even more determined to become a more open and inclusive Church.
Archbishop Williams listened carefully to my presentation and there was no doubt that I had his full attention. He thanked me for such a full and detailed report and he indicated how important this opportunity was for him to hear from me personally. We went on to have a very helpful and frank conversation about the implications involved and I expressed my own personal commitment and the strong desire of the Diocese of Niagara to remain in communication and dialogue with our sister and brother Anglicans around the world. I made it clear that we very much value and hold dear our membership in the Anglican Communion and we are grateful for his leadership and ministry.
“Archbishop Williams listened carefully to my presentation and there was no doubt that I had his full attention.”
Eve listened to the Serpent and it did her no good.
Many years later Mary, the mother of Christ, listened to the angel and it did do her much good.
One has to be discerning as to whom they are listening to.
Don
Slowly I turned…step by step…inch by inch (at a time)…
Powerful moment. Geez.
Who’s in charge? Obviously, not Rowan Williams.
The take home message here is:
“. . .and expressed the overwhelming desire on the part of two Synod’s to move forward with the blessing of committed same-sex relationships for couples who have been civilly married. I also indicated to him my intentions with regard to my giving permission for these blessings to begin to take place.”
Clearly the “Vision” is more important than the Communion to this North American bishop, like so many of his colleagues.
Any bishop who utters the term “prophetic justice-making” in support of changing the moral teaching of the Church shows that he is unsuitable to be a bishop.
First is the word “prophetic.” A prophet is not one who changes God’s teaching. A prophet is one who passes on God’s teaching. If you read the prophets, you will find that the “new thing” is actually the “old thing” – just written on our hearts. The “new thing” is a call to return to the Covenant the people made with God. In our case, that Covenant is to continue (not abandon or change) in the Apostles’ teaching.
Next is the word “justice.” Sinful acts simply cannot be just acts. I would like to know just when the Church catholic determined that homoerotic sexual acts are no longer sinful. I seem to have missed that memo.
So, in reality it is the reasserting bishops that are “prophetic justice making” because they are calling us back to our Covenant with God and urging us to leave our lives of sin.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
The Communion gets the Bird, more or less. Sorry, I couldn’t pass that up.
[i] One of the most powerful moments in the course of my fifty minute meeting with the Archbishop was the opportunity to describe the process of how our new Vision has emerged [/i]
Bp. Bird gets transported talking about his own . . . process.
“The most dangerous man in the world is the contemplative who is guided by nobody. He trusts his own visions. He obeys the attractions of an interior voice but will not listen to other men. He identifies the will of God with anything that makes him feel, within his own heart, a big, warm, sweet interior glow. The sweeter and the warmer the feeling is, the more he is convinced of his own infallibility.”
Thomas Merton, [i]New Seeds of Contemplation[/i] ch. 26 (1961)
“Prophetic justice-making” carries an extraordinary potential for hubris and self-deception. That doesn’t necessarily mean that those who use it are wrong. But they might do well to give their own ends and means some searching scrutiny.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Think of how “prophetic justice-making” would delight the likes of Robespierre, Lenin, a notable German dictator, Mao, Kim Il Sung, Pol Pot, Mengistu, the Shining Path, and the Taliban.
“Sinful acts simply cannot be just acts,” Deacon Snyder, wrote.
Sin cannot be justified; it must be crucified.
We cannot reconciled to God except when sin is crucified by repentance, confession (coming into agreement with God’s Word about the evil, harm and consequences of sin).
Sin is stronger than we are. We cannot be set free on our own.
It takes the power of the Cross and the Blood of Jesus Christ to overcome the power of sin.
The bishop is doing a lot of talking and not much listening, it would appear.
Thise prophet justice-making bishop has deposed several of my friends and deprived them of their worship spaces for attempting to be true to the gospel.
[blockquote]I made it clear that we very much value and hold dear our membership in the Anglican Communion…[/blockquote]
Brand name recognition and loyalty are very important in marketing strategy.
[i]Brand name recognition and loyalty are very important in marketing strategy[/i]
True. Moreover, lip-service and dissimulation facilitate subversion.
Irenaeus,
Thank you so much for the Merton quote in #7. A certain bishop-elect has been so fond of referencing Merton in defense of his own errrr…. eastern philosophic theological meditative practice. That quote would seem to indicate that Merton might take some exception to a bishop leading a diocese based on the “prophetic revelations” of his own “soul work.”
How very inclusive of Lambeth 1998 and the Global South and the conservative element in his own diocese! Does this bishop actually think the way this letter depicts? One wonders why his first grade teacher didn’t address the ego behind this, much less his parents.
Or is this normal hubris of Canadian prophetic-justice culturally compromised types?
[i]Merton might take some exception to a bishop leading a diocese based on the “prophetic revelations†of his own “soul work.†[/i] —TJMcMahon [#14]
Yes, indeed. Merton went on to declare that “such a man can wreck a whole city or a religious order or even a nation.”