(ENS) Addressing the development of a proposed Anglican covenant that would outline basic beliefs, [Presiding Bishop Katharine] Jefferts Schori said, “there was great willingness to think about a a covenant that spoke positively about what we do share as members of the communion. There was really no interest in producing a covenant that defined who could be excluded.”
A committee called the covenant design group will meet this fall to consider the comments from the bishops and possibly produce another draft that will then be made public and presented to the international Anglican Consultative Council in May. “The ACC will make a decision about what to do next, whether to send it back for further revision, reject it or send on to the provinces for consideration,” said Jefferts Schori.
[Bishop Mark] Sisk said one bishop in his group talked about how important it is for families to have standards, “but I said that you stick together, even if you disagree.”
When asked how Lambeth affects the status of gay and lesbian church members, Jefferts Schori said, “we were very clear for an overwhelming majority of the bishops of this church that the well being and adequate and appropriate pastoral care of gay and lesbian members of the church is a significant mission issue for us. We have been having conversations and debate for more than 40 years. Even though other parts of the communion may not understand that, we have been working at this for a long time. Our conversations are not going to end.”
“The conference ended with a shortfall of one million British pounds, or about US$2 million, said Jefferts Schori, who added that Episcopal Church bishops provided bursaries for bishops in other provinces to come to Lambeth and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has expressed a desire to come to the U.S. for fundraising work.”
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Aahhh, there it is, out in the open. The ‘dirty dark secret.’
It isn’t the theological position of ECUSA that ‘gives pause,’ it is the accumulated money of ‘dead people’ in ECUSA’s hands that gives ECUSA authority in the Anglican Communion that is way way out of proportion to ECUSA’s numbers in the Communion.
It makes one reflect on the adage, “Money is the root of all evil.”
[b][i]…”Our conversations are not going to end.”[/b][/i]
Conversations?
Hmmmm….
Which might those be? In 2003 a VOTE was taken. Conversation ended. Just actions now. Clergy have left. Laity have left. Lawsuits. “Border crossings”. Assertions of ‘truth’ which look nothing like Christ or the cross. Scripture and Tradition must bend now to personal and private experience instead of personal and private experience bending in obedience to Scripture and Tradition.
So, again, what conversation is happening and where? She makes it sound like a gracious afternoon over a cup of tea. Clearly TEC bishops went to Lambeth to do their best to represent their cause and constituency. They didn’t go to have conversation. Conversation means you might listen and change your view. They went to [b]tell[/b] the rest of the Anglican world that “the conversations are not going to end”. This translates into: ssb’s won’t end, ordination of GLBTs won’t end, election of GLBTs as bishops won’t end, etc etc…
Her hollow apology…’we’re sorry the rest of the world doesn’t understand us…’ is lame.
Let’s be clear. This isn’t conversation. This is TEC exerting its power because it can. There’s nothing supernatural or blessed about it.
I repet Patti Hale that Lambeth was not a religious convention, it was a political caucus. At stake was enormous money and power, and TEC has come out a winner so far. This is politics, and the liberal pols are in the driver’s seat. Larry
The spin out of her mouth is absolutely satanic.
It’s tripe.
[blockquote] Sisk said he realized how difficult a conversation about homosexuality is in some cultures and contexts. Simply to be talking about homosexuality was “offensive and shocking, even,” he related. Continuing this conversation is going to be a serious challenge. “There are places where churches are in the minority and where to be associated with homosexuality is to be associated with evil. Lives are quite literally in danger. I was reminded of just exactly how straight the line is between our actions and the kind of oppressive circumstances in which some of our brothers and sisters live in parts of the world where we are a tiny minority,” he said. [/blockquote]
This is the sort of thing I had hoped might result from the indaba process; who knows whether or not it might have any further result. Mustard seeds, anyone?
Perhaps conversation is difficult in some churches because the members take seriously Eph. 5:3 & 12
“But fornication and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you…..For it is a shame even to speak of the things they do in secret…”
Take a look at OCA.org…..you’ll find a church concerned with souls….not PC and secular winds of change. I truly feel sorry for orthodox anglicans in the Epis-apostate church today. May God lead you out of the wilderness KJS has led you into.
Peace,
Barry
Actually, AnglicanFirst, it’s the love of money that
is the root of all evil.
Reply to #9.
Robert, that’s the adage that I heard while growing up and since adages generally have colloquial origins/usages that can assumed to vary from location to location, I will stand by my form of the adage.
“Money” is an inert item subject to human will in its expenditure. Implicit in the word “money” is what money can buy.
“Money is the root of all evil” since without money much evil, but not all evil, associated with the existance of money would not occur.
Of course our ability to accumulate money and use it can be a good thing, a neutral thing, an evil thing and sometimes a challenging or ‘testing mixture’ of all three options.
The choices that we each make regarding money are all part of our ‘radical freedom’ given to us by The Creator.
My reference in this instance was being made to the choices being made/to be made with ECUSA’s “money.” Will they attempt to do the good things or will they attempt to use that money to manipulate the future of the Anglican Communion.
I believe that ECUSA’s leadership will continue with its shameless agenda and attempt to do the wrong things with its money while claiming to be avant garde and “prophetic.”
Re #1, #8, & #9, about the adage “money is the root of all evil”:
“The love of money is the root of all evil” is a little closer to the original which is 1 Tim 6:10, “[b] For the love of money is the root of all evil [/b]: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (Bold added by me.) For a fuller translation of into English here is 1 Tim 6:10 in The NKJ ‘For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” The NIV reads nearly the same “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
For a little context below is 1 Tim 6:9-11 from the NASB
9But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.
10For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.
Whoops – I forgot to mention that the 1st quote was from the King James Version.