The story of `God with us´ is better understood when we go through the pages of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. The story of the Lectio Divina (the Bible) is not just another reading, desensitized to the sacred, but the savouring of the text lingering leisurely in the divine revelation. (Thomas Keating: Intimacy with God). The liberal theology tends to forget this. The Bible is not just a primary source of Christian theology; it is the Word of God – Lectio Divina, as we have said. The remarkable thing, as Keating puts it, reading about Jesus´ story develops into friendship with him. Like the people of God in ages past, we walk with God in a personal relationship as he challenges our moral life and takes it to an upper level of godly character and integrity.
As this literal historical message of Scripture challenges us to a level of good morality, then we are taken to new levels of our faith beyond the moral sense, into the allegorical sense of the Holy Writ. As we grow in the grace of God in our spiritual life, a character of godly life is built in us `to make us a kingdom of priests´ who stand and serve before our God. (APB: canticle 15/ Rev.5). It is at this higher spiritual inter action with God that we begin not only `to hear, read, mark, learn but inwardly digest them´, but to allow ourselves to be wholly immersed in Scripture. They are no longer historical documents anymore, but stories of closer walk with God in obedience and trust in our spiritual journey since the day we first believed and were baptised. Once this takes place, the unitive level of our experience of Scripture takes place. This is called anagogical. The Word wells up from us as a continuing revelation to influence others and our life situation.
This is how we look at Scripture. What ever kind of behaviour or thinking we encounter, we test it against the moral demands of the Holy Writ (Article XX). In our diocese therefore, we align ourselves with all Bible believing Christians in informing our theological thinking. Reason cannot just be for its sake since we are all fallen human beings, and have come short of the glory of God (Rom.3:23). Together with the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FOCA) we up hold the authority of Scripture as an integral part of our fellowship with all the children of God. We affirm the reality of Incarnation and the mighty glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ as true essential occurrences forming integral part of our faith, and never just a “myth”. The historical Jesus remains “unique” from the ages past into the unknown future. He is with us `always, even to the end of the age.´
I thought these snippets were interesting as reminders of the diversity that exists within the “orthodox” Communion.
[i]We continue to enjoy closer bond of fellowship and unity of purpose with the Ethiopian Episcopal Church (EEC) in terms of doctrinal understanding and episcopacy. May the Lord continue to bring us closer together. We share same baptism and ministry with the Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalist. We have three ecumenical congregations in the diocese, two of which are stable, in Somerset East and Thornhill. Blue Water Bay has been hijacked by a cleric for his own ministries. This matter is still under discussion.[/i]
A reminder that ecumenism in African circles tends to reflect solidarity across Protestant lines, but “same ministry?”
[i]Thus far God continues to journey with us in the diocese. We are showing very little growth numerically, especially in acts of communion over Easter and Christmas services since last Synod. In both English and Afrikaans speaking churches, noticeable is the exchange of new members from other churches. The same may be the case in the Isixhosa speaking churches. [/i]
Interesting, apparently it isn’t just an issue for the First World (even if more acute for us).
[i]We are also committed to Environmental Issues, Ecology and Nature Conservation Efforts for the beauty of our planet Earth. Canon Viv Malloy looks diligently after this ministry.[/i]
Dear me, green theology in a diocese upholding FCA!
[i]We are committed to the on going fight against poverty and unemployment, and join hands with the communities and sister churches to uplift the standard of living for our people. We join hands in support the government in the ventures of poverty alleviation and wellness programmes in eradicating HIV and Aids. [b]This is by no means compromising our mandate of Christ to prophesy and call to order, in the name of God, all that is amiss in our society.[/b][/i]
Note the last sentence.
[i]We call upon those in the governing positions to put right, with immediate effect the dispute over fair salaries with the medical fraternity in our land. The state of our government hospitals in the Province of the Eastern Cape is causing a great concern. This needs to be rectified with immediate effect. Clinics are poorly managed. Schools are in the state of disrepair and gross mismanagement and poor learning facilities.[/i]
[i]Theft, dishonesty and laxity are very worrying in our government circles. Little effort done to eradicate this, much as it is in calling to order those youth who show disrespect to the elderly and the rule of law. We appreciate with admiration the measures that the office of the President of the land puts in place to report the above directly to his office. We note with great concern the bloated cabinet which is to cost the tax payer over a Billion Rand. We would have thought more people are needed on the ground for more efficient delivery of services.[/i]
Calling government to account – if the Church won’t do it, who will?
[i]We thank God for the vital contribution women make to our society, at home and in Church for a better community and good citizenship. We are set to affirm the ministry of women, as already done, in all spheres of our leadership portfolios, and to bring in inclusive language. We regret the all male cabinet of the Western Cape Province from a lady of Mrs Helen Zille´s stature. The sooner she puts this right, the better for all especially Democratic Alliance (D.A.) women. We regret that in our own Church in the ACSA we still have no lady Bishop. While we do not seek to be politically correct and allow discernment process to take place, we note with great concern that some women are in the fore front to shoot down female candidates at Elective Assemblies.[/i]
This one is so fascinating – on a number of levels – that I leave it to other readers to draw their conclusions. Inevitably, one thinks of Mrs. Proudie.
[url=http://catholicandreformed.blogspot.com]Catholic and Reformed[/url]