Its first two recommendations are about the listening process and the moratoria. The first recommendation invites the instruments of communion to commit themselves to a further stage of the listening process.
In this process we are at the stage to allow honest discussion and gain a picture of where the communion as a whole is in its response to Lambeth 1.10 which strongly discouraged ordination of persons in same-sex relations and blessing of same-sex unions but also encouraged listening to the experience of homosexual people. This process should continue, be reinforced and deepened.
I want to make it clear that without that kind of attention to the underlying issue, the appeal for restraint and moratoria is likely to sound rather hollow. You cannot say to large tracts of the communion you cannot pretend that this issue is not there or real. We need to exchange our convictions and thoughts hopes and fears more fully.
In that light, the second recommendation needs to be read about the moratoria. Windsor and Dromantine were consistent in urging that provinces hold back from deeper divisions that make common conversations harder. The moratoria called for restraint from electing a person in a same-sex union to the episcopate, from approving rites for blessing of same sex unions, and from intervention in other provinces to offer pastoral care. The Dar es Salaam communiqué made a heart felt plea about litigation.
“I tell you nought for your comfort here.” Rather like his doing as well.
Stealth perpetration of the ECUSA/TEC/GCC/EO-PAC and ACCanada gaygenda on the whole “communion” by the first among equals. Ah, well, the ABC is consistent……………………………………one could say the body’s grace is the result of the ABC’s nought-ness.
This long report on the ABoC’s presentation about the WCG report and resolution is like a scorpion’s tail, the sting is at the end. The last paragraph is fairly ominous, with a little more candor than ++Rowan Williams usually displays. He warns darkly that there may be “ruptures” ahead, and then states gloomily:
“I have no confidence that the Anglican Communion will survive this crisis in the form it had 20 years ago.”
And his final quoted words are, “I tell you nought for your comfort here.”
Nought for your comfort indeed. A bit of refreshing honesty comes through in those words.
But I think they also display ++Williams’ characteristic lack of vision, courage, and leadership. And those are qualities that we desperately need in our leaders in this critical moment in Anglican history, where we collectively stand at a fateful crossroads, hesitating and unsure which way to go. Fortunately, the FCA/GAFCON leaders have those qualities in abundance.
The fact of the matter is that the Anglican Communion SHOULDN’T survive this crisis “in the form it had 10 years ago.” Those institutional forms are expendable; Anglicanism as a distinctive form of “Doctrine, Discipline, and Worship” is not. Those old, inadequate wineskins NEED to be phased out, in order that new and better wineskins better suited to our new “global, post-colonial” era can take their place.
Wasn’t the old myth of the Phoenix that the great firebird would perish in the flames every 500 years, with the new bird arising from the ashes, only to be consumed in another fiery ordeal in another 500 years? If I’m right that this mythical cycle lasted about 500 years, there may be an apt analogy here with the sturctures of the AC. The old, venerable Elizabethan Settlement served the CoE pretty well for almost 500 years (the separation from Rome occurred under Henry VII in 1534). But it was Erastian and Constantinian through and through. The heyday of the British Empire has come and gone, never to be regained.
I am totally convinced that the visionary +Bob Duncan was absolutely right in his bold assertion a year ago on the eve of GAFCON that this historic “Reformation Settlement” is obsolete and WILL inevitably be replaced by a new “Global, Post-Colonial Settlement.” And personally, I think those days can’t come soon enough. In fact, my hopes even go beyond the adventurous vision of +Duncan, for I dream of an explicitly, openly Post-Christendom Settlement that will supplant the outdated Christendom-based Anglicanism that we’ve always known and cherished. Given our state church, socially privileged heritage, that will be an extremely difficult and traumatic transition to make, but make it we must. Our future depends on it.
And I for one do find sufficient comfort in that thought. Canterbry may not be able to offer nought for our comfort. But others can. And as far as I’m concerned, the only people offering REAL comfort and inspiration in this crisis are the bold leaders of the FCA/GAFCON movement.
David Handy+
With all due respect to the Archbishop, TEC has been in a listening process since Browning was PB. Look where it got us.
Oops, a clarification. Anglicanism CAN’T and WON’T and even SHOULDN’T survive this crisis “in the form it had 20 years ago.”
And the qualities I’m talking about that the ABoC lacks but the FCA leaders have in abundance? Vision, courage, and leadership, as I said above, plus more besides, including a rock solid commitment to biblical fidelity, theological orthodoxy and coherence, and a passion for evangelism and real discipleship.
David Handy+
Well, maybe Dr. Williams is finally seeing what has been obvious to many of us since 2003- TEC and the ACoC are NOT in communion with most of the Communion, and no Covenant can make it so. The Communion will not be what it was 20 years ago. Something has to give. Unless the Lord performs a literal miracle and changes the hearts of TEC leaders, the Communion IS going to come apart. The only likely question is: How will it come apart? Will the Global South churches leave? Will TEC and Canada and some others leave? Perhaps both? Of course, “leaving” may not mean breaking communion with the ABoC, perhaps “leaving” means not signing the Covenant, and being removed from some Communion structures. But it is obvious that things can not go on as they are, with the Communion literally coming apart because the leadership of TEC holds to a religion that is incompatible with that of the rest of the Communion. And the GS isn’t going to tolerate the BS and machinations any longer. So, something’s gotta give. I’m glad that Dr. Williams finally sees that.
Jill (#3),
As usual, you’re quite right, and you’ve gotten to the heart of the problem with the ABoC. He seems to be under the fond delusion that his role is to try (futilely) to keep everyone talking at the table as long as possible, “before we say good-bye.”
But the reality is that, as the Master warned us, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” And sometimes the end result of long and patient listening to one another is to discover that our differences are truly irreconciliable. For better understanding doesn’t always breed acceptance; it sometimes breeds the opposite, and intensifies repugnance instead.
That kind of polarization is precisely what has resulted from the vaunted “Listening Process” in North America. And now the whole AC is being subjected to that futile and useless project.
In the end, it’s not words, but actions that count. And by their unrepentant actions, the spiritually blind leaders of TEC and the ACoC have shown all too clearly that they aren’t willing to really listen to the majority of the AC at all. The Listening Process is a sham, a pitiful, pathetic sham.
David Handy+
“the spiritually blind leaders of TEC and the ACoC have shown all too clearly that they aren’t willing to really listen to the majority of the AC at all. The Listening Process is a sham, a pitiful, pathetic sham.
David Handy+”
Puts it all in a nutshell. So much for the Anglican Communion, and the Apostolic Succession for that matter. Time for TEC and ACoC, and several other of the provinces, to go off and do their New Thing.
I imagine I’ll get pretty roundly jumped on for this but . . .
There is no point in preserving particular forms, formularies, prayer books, etc., as such. Anglican=Communion w/Canterbury. No more, no less. That happens to be the way in which we have held particular forms, formularies, prayer books, etc. (all very dear to us, of course) in a Catholic context, i.e., in communion with an historic see.
When that goes, I have no interest at all in being an Anglican-style Protestant. I shall have to be a Catholic in the one and only way that remains.
Amen, Crypto.
Another episode of “As The Dysfunctional Family Turns”.
A pyromaniac teen sets fire to the family home. Other children in the house call the fire department. The parents place the blame on the fire department for trying to rescue the family. Then they call a family meeting to discuss how common ground can be found between a committed pyromaniac and those who don’t want to be lost in a conflagration.
Is there any wonder that Canterbury led Anglicanism is losing its attraction? Who would want to live in such a sick home?
Rowan just doesn’t get it. The only thing that would have saved the communion was discipline of those who began this mess. He had his opportunity in sending out the invitations to Lambeth, and he failed.
Now he can only wring his hands.
Williams repeats the misrepresentation of the moratorium on same-sex blessings. He says the North Americans were asked to refrain from approving rites, meaning, to refrain from approving specific authorized forms for the action. The North Americans were asked, rather (and Dar es Salaam emphasized this) not to perform same-sex blessings at all, and this they have instead done with gusto.
You can’t solve a serious problem by simply re-defining the words and pretending the problem has gone away.
[blockquote] I want to make it clear that without that kind of attention to the underlying issue, the appeal for restraint and moratoria is likely to sound rather hollow.[/blockquote]
The ABC seems to think that the “underlying issue” is a misunderstanding of homosexuals and that interminable listening is necessary but it seems to me that compulsive focus on listening to certain groups of people is distracting the Communion from facing the real “underlying issues” which are apostasy and disrespect for the Word of God as expressed in Scripture.
I think the problem for the ABC and the Communion as a whole is that we all did listen.
And that listening led to the understanding that the two sides don’t share the same gospel.
More listening is not the antidote to the consequences of the previous five years of listening.
Crypto,
There are two ways. Think West and East.
Breathing with both lungs!
I am sorry but I have difficulty understanding what the ABC means when he advocates the “Listening Process”.
When the ABC talks about the “Listening Processâ€, does he mean that the Anglican Communion will facilitate listening between different provinces of the Communion or does he refer to an on-going “Listening Process†that is confined to listening to the experiences of homosexuals?
#15, and breathing fresh air, not the smog belched out by ECUSA.
I’m so sick of this entire thing. Six years (almost) since Gene got his pointy hat and how many meetings, how many reports, how many millions of $$, how many “words of ‘listening'” by the ABC, AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED. Let’s stop the charades and get on with the real thing – bringing people to Christ.
What a completely uninspiring performance by Dr Williams.
“Sigh – what does it all mean, I ask myself daily”
Swoon – call for smelling salts.
The problem is that he has twisted, manipulated and spun himself to a standstill.