The ‘work’ of General Convention -resolution crafting (AKA sausage making) – began this morning in earnest with our opening session of the House of Deputies and more legislative committee hearings. Remember, proposed resolutions are assigned to one of several legislative committees for ‘perfecting’ and perhaps recommendation to either the House of Deputies (Hod) or House of Bishops (HoB).
Yesterday afternoon featured opening remarks by the Presiding Bishop and President of the HoD, an opening session on Public Narrative, and an orientation to the workings of the HoD. In her opening remarks, the Presiding Bishop emphasized the importance of Ubuntu -I am because we are – for the Church.
Unfortunately, I believe this emphasis on our corporate life together came at the expense of our personal relationship with the Lord. She described “the great Western heresy-that we can be saved as individuals, that any of us alone can be in right relationship with God.” This heresy is often expressed by “insisting that salvation depends on reciting a specific formula about Jesus.”
As an Evangelical, I am troubled when professions of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, either through the Creeds or a prayer of commitment – are discounted or even considered heretical. The Evangelical expression in the Episcopal/ Anglican tradition emphasizes a ‘both/and’ approach in regard to salvation.
There is BOTH an emphasis on the personal or individual commitment to Jesus AND the importance of the Body of Christ – the Ubuntu dimension – to nurture that relationship in a community of Christian faith. John Stott’s book, Basic Christianity, for example, combines those two dimensions well.
I know my updates are not following a neat and tidy schedule. One reason for that is simply because General Convention has developed a predictable schedule or ‘battle rhythm’ yet. I expect that will develop over the next several days.
–The Very Rev. Tony Clark
Agreed!! There’s a reason why use both the Apostles’ and the Nicene Creed in our liturgies.
As I said somewhere else, if you take away individual commitment, then individual accountability goes out the door with it. That makes it much easier relax our moral codes.
[blockquote]There is BOTH an emphasis on the personal or individual commitment to Jesus AND the importance of the Body of Christ – the Ubuntu dimension – to nurture that relationship in a community of Christian faith.[/blockquote]
An interesting comment, given the Presiding Bishop’s opening address.
I thought this was rather understating things: “As an Evangelical, I am troubled when professions of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, either through the Creeds or a prayer of commitment – are discounted or even considered heretical.”
He says he’s troubled “when” that happens, as though it’s a frequent occurrence. Honestly, I’ve never heard anybody say something like Jefferts Schori said in her address. It was a shocking, deliberate slur on the faith around which her organization is nominally constructed, simply for the purpose of scoring cheap points at the expense of her opponents.
Like the equally cheap shot at folks from Mississippi.
[blockquote]Like the equally cheap shot at folks from Mississippi.[/blockquote]
I think that the Deputies from the Diocese of Mississippi should rise to a point of personal priviledge to lodge a compaint about the cheap shot.
And it wouldn’t hurt if others rose to introduce a Sense of the House Resolution censoring the PB for her remarks about Mississippi and evangelicals.
Are there no catholics left to do this?
As a mild aside, “catholics” also believe and say the Creeds, so this incredible remark of Jefferts Schori’s is aimed at all who believe the traditional faith, it seems to me. #6, most of the “catholics” have been run out already, soon to be followed by the evangelicals, perhaps.
what did she say about Mississippians?
Is KJS showing her collectivist, commune mindset in her address? No single person is accountable for anything, ergo a personal relationship is not necessary?
Hmm! I wounder if her Most Reverendship has had a look at her own prayer book lately? Say page 302, Holy Baptism? Looks like “special words repeated” to me. Moreover, their plain meaning is clear and straightforward. No mention of “just a waypoint to God’s ultimate purpose”. But, then again, perhaps NW Bob is a bumpkin lacking in sophistication and savoir faire. If so, I apologize for my many shortcomings and stand corrected.
In the Faith,
Northwest Bob
[blockquote]*The the Celebrant asks the following questions of the candidates who can speak for themselves, and of the parents and godparents who speak on behalf of the infants and younger children*
*Question* Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces
of wickedness that rebel against God?
*Answer* I renounce them.
*Question* Do you renounce the evil powers of this world
which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?
*Answer* I renounce them.
*Question* Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you
from the love of God?
*Answer* I renounce them.
*Question* Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior?
*Answer* I do.
*Question* Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love?
*Answer* I do.
*Question* Do you promise to follow and obey him as your
Lord?
*Answer* I do. [/blockquote]
Oops! Forgot to mention the above is followed by a prompted recitation of the Apostle’s creed.
Northwest Bob