(ACNS) Some 650 Anglican bishops from all over the world are making their way to Canterbury for the Lambeth Conference 2008 focussing on the theme: Equipping Bishops for Mission.
The Conference will begin with a three-day retreat and, as in previous Conferences, every day will begin with Eucharist and Bible study in small groups.
More than 75% of Anglican bishops worldwide have now registered for the Conference, representing 36 of the 38 provinces of the world-wide Anglican Communion. There will be 10 husbands among the 550 spouses taking part in the parallel conference, God’s People for God’s Mission.
The Lambeth Conference this year has two key points of focus: strengthening the sense of a shared Anglican identity among the bishops from around the world, and helping to equip bishops for the role they increasingly have as leaders in mission, involved in a whole variety of ways in helping the Church grow.
How can we expect to trust an organization that seeks to consistently downplay the crisis? To announce that 36 of 38 provinces are represented flies in the fact of the fact that five primates and their synod had voted not to attend. If there are two bishops from Nigeria is that province represented? I guess when it suited the ABC he called upon whoever broke ranks to defy their primate and synod. We on the other hand are told that he cannot interfere in the life of our synod or take leadership from our primate. The announcement of75% attendees sound a lot like TEC’s “small group of dissenters” propaganda that has become commonplace.
http://www.commoncause.wordpress.com
Yep, 36 out of 38 provinces.
Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda all repeatedly announced that none of their bishops would be going – yet already 2 Kenyans have been spotted (+Okumu and +Angela) and 1 Nigerian (+Okorocha).
Plus over a dozen Nigerians have called Lambeth to say they’d like to be there but were afraid of going against +Akinola. (And at least one Sydney bishop was reportedly very unhappy that +Akinola jumped the gun in announcing Sydney’s boycott – forcing their hand).
Perhaps it should have been left to individual consciences, like other provinces did.
Um, since the reapraisers have completely ignored Lambeth Conference 1998: Resolution 1.10 Human Sexuality with impugnity, why does anyone think Lambeth 2008 will be anything other than a grand farce? V.G. Robinson has already set up the side shows.
This is so pathetic to watch.
#3
If you are sick and tired of nuance then I would suggest that Anglicanism, even conservative Anglicanism, might not be the best place for you and will always and forever make you “sick and tired” Do we have a tendency to nuance things to death? Yes! But doing so is really unavoidable when finite minds seek to understand Ultimate Reality and Infinite Truth, Goodness and Beauty. 3×5 answers make for a very small God.
I might point to #4 that the name of #3 has nothing to do with what #3 wrote. There is little nuance at Lambeth. What there is at Lambeth0, is a transparent, straightforward lack of integrity, and that isn’t going to come from San Francisco.
NB This message is free of Nuance, omega 3 fatty acids, and healthful fiber. LM
I might point to #5 that names, especially self chosen ones for use in a public forum, mean something. Ideas have consequences and language is the icon for ideas, hence the relevance.
You say that their is “little nuance at Lambeth…” followed by a verbal slew of accusations. Might I remind you, oh healthy one, that Lambeth has yet to occur and unless you have the gift of prophecy neither you nor I has any idea what the Holy Spirit will do there.
I’d say the propaganda churning in this report is writ so large that he who runs may read it. SOS = Same Old Story (you nay substitute a more colorful variant reading, if you desire), archangelica. Sick and tired of nuance as an expression means that one is tired of the prevarications broadcast as agreement and renigged upon post haste. I submit the names and actions of Frank Griswold and Katharine Schori for your contemplation along with those of Rowan Williams and the compliance team members evaluating the HOB response to the Windsor requests as a short list of what nuance is and does.
A quote regarding the ABC from an article in the Guardian…
” He’s lost the respect of liberal catholics over the gay issue and conservative evangelicals don’t like him because they are too stupid to understand his theological nuances and think he isn’t a proper Christian. History will judge Rowan to have been much more effective than people like to suggest.”
(quoted by an anonymous Evangelical bishop in the CofE)
“…names, especially self chosen ones for use in a public forum, mean something. Ideas have consequences and language is the icon for ideas, hence the relevance.”
Yes, it is true. I am rather fond of plain speaking and clarity. Hence I have chosen my nom de plume. It is no secret. But my dear, archangelica, what does your self-chosen name for a public forum mean? A “female” archangel is quite an icon for ideas. Is it relevant? Should we delve into that a bit? Should we analyze the personality that chooses such a name for herself? Where does such a one fit in the great tent of Christendom? But I digress.
Perhaps it would be better for all concerned to restrict themselves to responding to the ideas contained in the comments made rather than resorting to ad hominem and blogosphere character analysis? There is an old chestnut about not throwing stones if one lives in a glass house, if you recall.
The reappraisers have already [b]acted[/b] contrary to the Lambeth Conference 1998: Resolution 1.10 Human Sexuality with impunity and are now wanting to maintain the new status quo. [May I remind you that Lambeth 1.10 was the consensus of the Communion.] They have also set up a media sideshow complete with clowns hawking the “newest revelation from God Himself” because they alone have the real truth about God’s will for man, and it can’t be found in some stuffy old book. Meanwhile, GAFCON and boycotts are the real world response to the one sided assault by the reappraisers on 2000 years of Christian praxis and doctrine.
If this isn’t the stuff of farce, what is? As for being pathetic to watch…it is precisely that.
[blockquote] Pathos (Greek: πάθος) is one of the three modes of persuasion in rhetoric (along with ethos and logos). Pathos appeals to the audience’s emotions. It is a part of Aristotle’s philosophies in rhetoric.[/blockquote]
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathos
The reappraisers have and are making an appeal to the emotions rather than to theology, tradition, or reason. Their 130 page twaddle, [i]To Set Our Hope on Christ[/i], is a collection of anecdotes. There were no theological defenses laid out for their violation of Resolution 1.10. There are no reasons to be found in Christian tradition. They failed to lay out a rational appeal to reason as well. It was a raw emotional appeal, hence pathos, hence pathetic.
This embrace of same-sex marriage and actively homosexual clergy has no support in Scripture, no support in tradition, and the reappraisers chose pathos over reason when given the opportunity to explain.
All I have left to say to you, #6 archangelica, is…Get on with ye!
(Side Note: I do so love using the word “hence”. Though I am a bear of very little brain and long words bother me, using the word “hence” makes one feel rather important and sophisticated. After all, language is the icon for ideas. I think I managed to use it three times to archangelica’s once. I feel positively giddy with self importance when I get to use the word “hence” that many times in so short a space. Just look, in this little side note alone I have managed to use it 3 more times!)
Micky, in a way I’m glad a few bishops from otherwise orthodox provinces are going to Lambeth anyway. They will either have their eyes peeled wide open by the manipulation and pre-determined outcome apparently planned by the Lambeth leadership or they will willingly have their eyes closed still more tightly shut from buying into the “all is well” mantra while the AC house burns and collapses around them.
Archangelica, I pray the actual Holy Spirit does show up at Lambeth and the hardened hearts and closed minds (but not the way you seem to think) of men do not choose to quench Him, as we are given the awesome and terrifying choice to do by the yet-soveriegn God. But John reminds us to test the spirits, to see if they confess that Jesus has come in the flesh. If neither TEC nor CoE can reaffirm that Jesus is Lord, but can fall all over themselves affirming abortion rights or making tourism in churches a far more higher priority, then I suggest they are following a different spirit.
“Yes, it is true. I am rather fond of plain speaking and clarity. Hence I have chosen my nom de plume. It is no secret. But my dear, archangelica, what does your self-chosen name for a public forum mean? A “female†archangel is quite an icon for ideas. Is it relevant? Should we delve into that a bit? Should we analyze the personality that chooses such a name for herself? Where does such a one fit in the great tent of Christendom? But I digress.”
Archangelica comes from the Greek word “arkhangelos” (=arch-angel). Delve into that all you like. I chose it because I have a devotion to the Holy Angels and once, as a child serving mass, saw an angel come from nowhere and swoop through the church celing at the moment the priest elevated the consecrated elements, touch one hand to the Host and the other to the Precious Blood and then swoop back up through the roof. I was shocked and awed by the occurence (which no one else seemed to have witnessed) and shared what I had seen with my mom on the way home. I don’t know what it meant or why I was permitted to see such glory but it has seared itself in my mind forever and spurred a deep and continuing interest in and devotion to the Holy Angels and the Blessed Sacrament.
As for Lambeth, my hope and prayer is that the Holy Spirit (understood in the traditional and orthodox way) may save our beloved Church from destruction and move in a mighty way to heal our divisions, restore Truth, correct error, enliven faith, hope and love and bring good from evil. Of course I know it is a tall order but nothing is impossible with God and I refuse to give in to despair. No matter what happens God is still sovereign and “all shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.”
Jesus mercy. Mary pray.