We believe in that sure and certain hope that God will create us anew. Newness implies change. “We shall be changed.” We have no right to ask God to reserve certain sections of our existence and keep them the way we like them. Daring to die is the greatest “risk” in living. Daring to die to our greatest and most informed beliefs and aspirations, not because they are necessarily wrong, but because they must be transformed by and in grace is that necessary action some have institutionalized into what is called “conversion.” For us it means Baptism but a baptism done once but lived into daily.
+Rowan is asking our bishops on our behalf to risk such a death. Ironically it is the province which makes the most of Baptism which seems less able to penetrate the radical nature of the sacrament. The very systems we have adopted in the church by which to make decisions imply that some will win, will hold on to what they want, and others will lose and even lose the things they most cherish. +Rowan has challenged all sides in the present war to dare surrender at the Cross as the way to renewal and revival. Perhaps he could have said more. Perhaps he said enough!
The Province with the most lip-serviced statements about baptism is certainly hoping for the death of all who oppose its New Thang Gozpel(c) and eagerly awaiting those who oppose its formulations and innovations to die. Naturally of old age or by lopping them off the Anglican Communion if they dare not to die fast enough. The ECUSA/TEC/GCC/EO-PAC has already let adherence to truth and one’s word -even signature- die. So dying is not a problem for them … unless you count membership numbers, of course. But quality is better than quantity every day, as they say. And the quantity is dying, we’re seeing to that.