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Image via WikipediaThis week key people in the UK will be thinking about their plans to help the people in the Diocese to understand the negative aspects of the proposed ‘Anglican Covenant’.They will have to face the might of the establishment, not least the force of the Archbishops of York and Canterbury, who are in favour of the Covenant and Mr. Sentimoo particularly is demanding support.
Let’s hope that this restrictive and damaging proposal can be successfully avoided and that moderation and reason prevail.
Statue of Richard Hooker: A founder of 'Anglicanism'. He helped to establish reason and tolerance, along with tradition, as being central to the church. The Archbishop's covenant is a clear attempt to undermine that foundation.
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Mr C is opposed to the Anglican Covenant because it is an attempt to add yet another layer of bureaucracy to the church. It is an attempt to centralise the world-wide Anglican Communion and to limit its ability to respond to local situations. The Archbishops support it because of the real power it gives to them and to the ‘establishment’ within the Church in their attempt to keep the church as they want it.
The church has already responded positively to the position of women in the church, and this has inevitably resulted in divisions and fractures in the Church of England and the leaders are very nervous as a result.
The path of change has already been chosen and the church leaders applauded it at the time. The proposed Anglican ‘Covenant’ is a clear attempt by some leaders to discourage any more change. The Archbishops are attempting to stifle the church rather than allow it to grow and develop, they wish to control any future development by having power to discourage that which they may disapprove of.
It is an unnecessary piece of legislation that destroys the gift of Anglicanism to the Christian world and includes force by discipline for those who wish to continue in the Anglican tradition of liberalism, risk and diversity.
It is wrong of them to suggest that they would not be given new powers to admonish and punish by introducing this illiberal document into the church and it reveals their desperation every time they deny this part of their document despite its clear inclusion.
It is dishonest and misappropriates the true nature of ‘Covenant’ which is God-given and final, and has been with us since Christ redeemed the world.
We have all that we require for salvation in the documents and covenants we already posses. The current church leaders cannot usurp the truth of salvation through Christ, and they cannot brow beat the church into ‘good behaviour’.
In opening the door of change, from its very inception, the Church of England has walked along its chosen path devoutly and with courage. It cannot now wish that it were elsewhere and pretend to be in Rome!
Mr. C.
Well said Mr. Catolick
ReplyDeleteExcellent, Mr C. Your final paragraph sums it up nicely.
ReplyDeleteIt cannot now wish that it were elsewhere and pretend to be in Rome!
Indeed!
Agree, Mr C.
ReplyDeleteI love the photograph of His Grace, the Right Reverend Richard Hooker, just off of the north lower transept of Exeter Cathedral. He looks right into the Well House Tavern Pub, so he can watch (hopefully with joy and satisfaction) the Lay Clerks and Lay Vicars after their evensongs.
ReplyDeleteI have been privileged to sing or 'dep' there two summers, in the back row for various visiting choirs and know most on the cathedral singing staff.
It is at these 'forays' that we discuss how much we loved singing the Howells and not the Finzi, and worry that the church we all love is doing silly things that will only stifle open conversation, fellowship and trust among ourselves in the Anglican Communion.
There was a very good sermon preached by minister (rector?) at an Episcopal church in the Hollywood (California) area yesterday, posted later on Face Book, describing the east window of Lincoln Cathedral. He went on to tell about the various stories in the stained-glass panes, drawing up imagery of pilgrims and converts of the middle ages learning the love of Christ. The preacher then immediately delved into the present age, and admonished his listeners that this drama is still very alive in our age of electronic communication. The pain of listening, disagreement, reconciliation, and conversion (what was yesterday about?-a leader giving an example of conversion to encourage others?) of Christ's still very relevant message to is still happening, (even in the Dec vs. Can texting that secretly goes on in the stalls!)and over the fabulous beers of that pub minutes after we've sung ourselves silly.
It's still working, let's not 'muck' it up!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1183440683591&set=a.1187311260353.22253.1755472019
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