Only a couple of hundred of the 880 Anglican bishops invited to next year’s Lambeth Conference, one of the most critical gatherings in the Church’s history, have replied by the deadline set by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Dr Rowan Williams hopes that the conference, which is held every 10 years at Canterbury, can be the starting point for rebuilding the Church, which has been torn apart over the issue of homosexuality.
The failure of so many to respond is fresh evidence of the disintegration of the 70 million-strong worldwide Communion, and will come as a further blow to the authority of Dr Williams.
There are a series of postal strikes on in the UK at the moment.
Do these consents have to be signed in fountain pen with blue ink and notarially attested to be canonically valid?
Perhaps that should be purple ink.
I think this is not so much a SNUB as it is a SIGNAL that most Anglicans prefer the path of Christianity to the path of TEC. Perhaps Cantaur will accept the vote for what it is.
I guess he is making himself irrelevant both to TEC and to many of the reasserters. That is the way I see it. The AC has become historical, just like that. He is a brilliant academic etc etc, but if the Archbishop does not set an example and does not stand for anything, then what is he for? Time marches on.
The Ugandan bishops have said that they are no longer in communion fellowship with the bishops who supported the consecration of Canon Robinson. I don’t know if they can be persuaded to come if the Episcopal House of Bishops agrees in six weeks not to approve of any more partnered gay bishops or blessing same-sex unions. I don’t see any indication that the majority of the House of Bishops will agree, and that will require Archbishop Williams to decide whether to withdraw his invitation to the members of that majority. The Episcopal Church has pushed the communion to the edge of division. I regret that.
Tom Rightmyer in Asheville, NC.
I encourage everyone, if they are not already doing so, to pray daily for Rowan. Sept. 30 will be a “hinge moment” for the Communion. His actions, or inactions, will open and close many paths forward. A prayer is posted at Lent & Beyond.
I don’t know if they can be persuaded to come if the Episcopal House of Bishops agrees in six weeks not to approve of any more partnered gay bishops or blessing same-sex unions.
I’m not sure that is the standard they are holding to. If I remember ‘The Road to Lambeth,’ the Bishops who voted for +Gene need to express regret. I doubt those that attend Lambeth will be willing to do that. Certainly ++Katharine will attend Lambeth and she will not express regret.
CanaAnglican –
Very good point. Is this the Anglican Social Club or the Anglican Communion? Are we disciples of the Lord, Jesus Christ, or just a group of people who like wearing Pietrobon Bruno vestments?
Pageantmaster said:
[blockquote] Do these consents have to be signed in fountain pen with blue ink and notarially attested to be canonically valid? … Perhaps that should be purple ink. [/blockquote]
If all of our very best hopes for +Cantuar should come to pass, perhaps we will find out that they were signed in disappearing ink.
Oops. Perhaps rather the invitations to Lambeth will have been sent in disappearing ink.
We all know that disappearing ink is the norm for certain (non)signatures of TEC bishops to Anglican communion documents.
++Rowan should know that true Anglicans don’t like going to tea parties where just anybody is invited. 😉
All is not lost! We can always fall back on our personal relationship with Jesus. As long as I’m in communion with Him, everything’s going to be all right.
RoyIII (#12) – that idea is probably responsible for more schism than any other. My major beef with American Evangelicalism is that it is reduced to “me and Jesus” while minimizing “me and the Body of Christ.” The idea that salvation is all about our personal relationship with Jesus is a heresy because it fails to see the Church as the outward Body of Christ. “Me and Jesus” is far too easily combined wiht American Consumerism where we church shop for a congregation that “meets our needs” (as we define them) rather than a place that challenges us to grow in our relationship with God and with each other.
To put it another way, it is very, very hard to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ if we do not have a deep relationship with His Body, the Church.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
#14: Just Bing Crosby and Bob, I think.
Bing was RC.
[blockquote] that idea is probably responsible for more schism than any other. [/blockquote]
My morning reading (I’m a bit out of sync with the BCP) has me wondering if schism is not a founding principle of Christianity. In Acts 18:5-9 Paul ends his association with the synagogue congregation in Corinth, and set up shop next door to the synagogue, taking a significant part of the congregation with him, including the Fedcom ruler of the synagogue.
It is interesting that the remnant left behind in the synagogue initiated a lawsuit to punish Paul, quite a poignant precursor to the actions of TEC today. When their lawsuit was thrown out of court, they beat up the Comcon ruler of the remnant synagogue. I hope the faithful remnant in TEC fares better than that.
Didn’t Jesus say (to paraphrase a bit), “Stick with me, and your friends will become your enemies.”?
Ed, so was Hope.
Br_er Rabbit,
Nothing like a little isogesis to get you going, eh?
Jesus also said “… that they may all be one as we (the Father and Jesus) are one. (John 17:21)”
Paul urged unity – yes, unity in Truth, but unity. While there is hope for unity in Truth in the Anglican Communion, I will stay a “fed con” and stay as a witness to the Truth of God’s Word and to the joy found only in Jesus Christ.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
Phil Snyder,
Your #13 was absolutely correct and needsed to be said. Thanks
Make that, “needed.” Sorry.
#13, Phil, would you agree that TEC is doing all it can to make it difficult for some of us to have a “relationship” with it? What’s left?
RoyIII (#22)
Even in the most liberal dioceses, there are probably one or two orthodox parishes left. I don’t say that relationship with the Body of Christ needs to be in TECUSA, but I would hope that you can find a relationship with Jesus and His Body in TECUSA. I have one and I cherish it. But, then, I am in the Diocese of Dallas and have a faithful Bishop, a faithful Rector, and a faithful parish family, so that makes it easier for me.
While I would not fault someone for leaving TECUSA over the schisms it is foisting on the Body of Christ, I would urge you to reevaluate the “Me and Jesus” mentality that your earlier post talked about. Find a good church where you are challenged and where scripture is preached, taught, and where the Sacraments (sure and certain means of grace) are celebrated and that has a connection to more than just the local congregation.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
Both Bing and Bob were Catholic. However, while we definatly have the Bing and the Bob, we are desperately short of the Hope.
To me, the news that 600 of the 800 Angllican bishops, including if I read it right half of the bishops from the CoE itself, have as yet not responded to ABC’s Lambeth invitation is *very* hope-ful news. Better even than Bob ^_^.
In faith, Dave
Viva Texas
Phil Snyder wrote: [i]RoyIII (#12) – that idea is probably responsible for more schism than any other. My major beef with American Evangelicalism is that it is reduced to “me and Jesus†while minimizing “me and the Body of Christ.†[/i]
No Phil, the “Just me and Jesus” attitude is no the cause of schism. It is the result of schism. Schism is the consequence of destructive bishops. Christ warned of ravening overseers who were more interested in themselves than their flock. He told us that a natural consequence of the destruction of the shepherd is the scattering of the flock.
“Me and Jesus,” if anything, is a defensive reaction to the predation of the flock. Blame falls first to the leadership — almost never discussed. Throughout history, if the vicars of Christ had acted more Christ-like, and laid down their lives for the flock, this wouldn’t be happening. Shame on the Anglican, Roman and Orthodx Churches. Sectarianism is the fruit of the planting.