The Eternal Pursuit

Proposal from Bishop Ackerman

2008-07-25T11:30:00.000-04:00

Bishop Ackerman, Diocese of Quincy, says cancel The Episcopal Church General Convention 2009

From Hans Zeiger in Canterbury for Virtue Online:

A leading orthodox bishop of The Episcopal Church has proposed canceling the 2009 Episcopal Church General Convention in order to fund the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Following the Thursday march on London by over 600 Anglican bishops and their spouses in support of the MDGs, the Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman, Bishop of Quincy, said that "there should be no General Convention this year, and all the money for the convention should be sent to fund the goals."

Ackerman furthermore called for The Episcopal Church to "cancel all meetings that require face to face and conduct nothing but video conferencing." He said that the American wing of the Anglican Communion should "donate its money to churches that would be positively affected."

Though leaders of The Episcopal Church have stated their commitment to the MDGs and made their biggest stand yet in London on Thursday, Ackerman has doubts that The Episcopal Church has yet made a true commitment.

"If the church is absolutely, totally committed to these goals, there are three things it needs to do," Ackerman said.

"First, place the goals in the context of the Gospel itself.

"Second, leaders must make the necessary changes in their own personal lifestyle so that they can make their own commitment to model what God wants done.

"Third, the church must corporately find a way to fund this."

In response to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori's invitation to African bishops to join her for drinks at a Canterbury reception (despite the Sudanese bishops' abstinence from alcohol), Ackerman offered a specific MDG funding proposal. "Do not invite the Sudanese to a reception. Cancel the reception and give the money to the Sudanese church."

Comment: An interesting idea. I am not perfectly clear about the motive behind the proposal. There are all sorts of reasons that GC is necessary, but I have often wondered about the real impact of GC. The administration of TEC is important and worthy of significant attention. It is work that must be done. This is true on all levels of the Church. However, I wonder about the stewardship of our time and resources.

Can the administration of TEC be carried out more effectively and efficiently. My question arises not out of a sense of scarcity, but from a desire to be an effective Kingdom partner for God. Is all that we do directed to further the Gospel?

As I work, I try my best to keep mission and ministry my ultimate priority. Consideration is given not only to what I do, but how. It is not always easy, but necessary.

BBC Picture of Anglicanism

2008-07-21T10:45:00.000-04:00

Anglicanism Around the World

The BBC has a nice colored map with arrows and such, giving us the demographic picture of much of the Anglican world. I love a map, almost as much as charts and graphs.

From Bishop Pierre Whalon

2008-07-17T21:47:00.000-04:00

Below is quote from Bishop Whalon’s Lambeth blog. He asserts that the PB was elected when a group of “conservative” bishops cast their lot with Bishop Jefferts-Schori. Now, this is a rumor that swirled around her election. I have not heard anyone seek to confirm it like Bishop Whalon has. He says their reason is a matter of speculation.

If it is true, I would think the motive is fairly obvious. Bishop Jefferts-Schori was the choice likely to create the most controversy. Her gender would create a challenge for many most upset with TEC, both for those within TEC and in other parts of the Anglican Communion. Those disenchanted with TEC could also point to her relatively short tenure as the Bishop of a small diocese.

The motive for such collusion would seem to be destabilization. It would seem to be a move made in hopes of undermining the House of Bishops and TEC. I am thankful that it hasn’t worked out that way, and that is a testimony to Bishop Jefferts-Schori.

This kind of collusion and sabotage, if true, is very disheartening. An action, designed in hope of harm, to further one’s agenda is truly sad.

“Hmm... first of all, some truth needs to be told, namely, that Bishop Jefferts-Schori was elected Presiding Bishop when a group of conservative bishops switched their votes in the last rounds of balloting. “They even brag about it,” said one highly-placed Anglican Communion officer to me. Why they did this is a matter of speculation. (If they thought they were electing someone they could push around, they were sorely mistaken.) But to tag the election of Bishop Katharine (as I call her) as the House of Bishops’ “stamp of approval” of radical theology is, on the face of it, completely wrong.”

Entire Entry-Is this Woman a Heretic

Lambeth

2008-07-17T09:06:00.001-04:00

For those interested, there are a number of vehicles to keep informed about the Lambeth Conference. Fr. Scott Gunn is in England and will be painting the picture. His blog is Seven Whole Days.

Fr. Gunn/Seven Whole Days

Also, There is a blog for bishops called the Lambeth Journal.

Lambeth Journal

Trying to avoid pat phrases about our “small world” and “communicating at the speed of light”, it is an awesome thing to have access to information as an event of this magnitude unfolds. Speed, however, is dangerous. It is too easy to accept a sound bite and extrapolate meaning and intent, and find that you are quite wrong.

As people, we often fall prey to the temptation to process the information, we have received, as efficiently as the transmission of it. You get the email, read it, reach a conclusion and back with a response. This is great for many simple decisions: Where are we having lunch? But, our zip bang way of operating often compromises the more subtle dimensions of trying to understand, what someone is attempting to communicate.

I am going to practice caution as I seek Lambeth news. If I see the phrase, “bishops comment on life on Mars,” I am going to want to know much more, before I fling myself off the deep end. Speed is great, but not at the cost of understanding.

The Onion Finds a New Church

2008-07-16T17:01:00.000-04:00

It may be just the thing...

Non-Contoversial Church

Holiday

2008-07-02T17:06:00.000-04:00

I am enjoying a summer respite, but still following the aftermath of GAFCON. Father Jones, linked on this blog, is providing sound commentary. Also check out the Creedal Christian, linked on this blog as well. He has a post with links to several good sources of commentary from all over the spectrum.

I will be back in about 10 days.

Keep the Faith.
C+

GAFCON

2008-06-26T09:42:00.000-04:00

I don’t have anything particularly interesting to say, but here are a few links. Who knows?

Fr. Dan Martins

Positive Trajectory

Ruth Glendhill-The Times

Muslim/Priest?

2008-06-24T11:02:00.000-04:00

Many of you will remember the case of the Episcopal priest purporting to be simultaneously a Muslim and a Christian. The clergy of the Diocese of RI received an update about the situation this morning. Rather that write an entry, I am pointing you to my clergy colleague, Fr. Scott Gunn and his well-done piece. Seven Whole Days on Muslim/Priest

Oh No

2008-06-23T15:32:00.000-04:00

I received a disturbing report from our summer nanny. My 5 year-old, who wishes for Christmas all year long, has some interesting ideas about the birth of Jesus. According to him, Jesus is born on Christmas. No problem here. After Christmas, Jesus re-enters the womb of Mary, and waits to be born again at Christmas next year. I am afraid we have combined Groundhog Day and the Nativity.

It is clear that I have some work to do on my son’s Christian education.

However, for me, this is a really hopeful sign. It tells me that my son is soaking up what he hears. He might not fully understand, or be capable of integrating what he is being taught. The foundation is taking shape. The fact that he brought this up, as a topic of discussion, makes this father happy.

Hispanic Ministry

2008-06-19T15:37:00.000-04:00

Last night, the council of the diocese met at St. George’s, the site of a growing Hispanic congregation. In addition to our regular meeting, it was an opportunity to see and hear about that particular ministry. It was very impressive.

We were told about a program the Hispanic congregation has started. The congregation has embarked on a healing ministry. Members of the congregation go out in groups to the homes of those suffering from illness. They start with an opening prayer, sing a hymn, do a house blessing and read a Gospel passage. Those present are invited to comment on what they have heard.

This ministry started out of a desire to offer care for a few ailing members. After that, individuals in the parish and the larger community began to request these visits. At this point, teams are going out about twice a week to offer services of prayer and healing.

One of the team members spoke eloquently about the presence of God felt at the services. She said that it was palpable, and that people were hungry for the Word of God. It sounds like the hunger is being addressed in this ministry.

Good for the congregation seeing a need, and devising a way to meet it. Good for those in need accepting the offer of the support of the Church. Good to see the Gospel in action.

What Now?

2008-06-18T11:43:00.000-04:00

In the past, I have read a number of books and articles about the challenges that face the Church. A good bit of what I have seen focuses on the post-Christendom reality we face. The argument usually cites “blue laws”, the existence of rivals to worship on Sunday morning, and shifting expectations.

Clearly, Sunday morning is no longer sacrosanct and the sole province of the Church. It is easy to bemoan the changes, but it would miss the point. Obviously, we must understand where we are, but I don’t like using a changing world as justification for decline.

The larger issue, in my mind, is how we respond to the new situation.

Jesus appealed to his first hearers in ways that had resonance. His message and identity changed the world and history. Jesus methodology was related to his appearance in history, in a particular time and place. Jesus’ style of debate and use of parables are very connected to his context.

What Jesus taught was old and new in various ways. His teaching was very connected to Torah. In some ways, Jesus counseled to uphold traditional interpretation of Torah, and in other ways he was seen as the fulfillment of Torah. The point is all this happened within a framework of current understanding.

The challenge of our time is the proclamation of the Gospel in ways that work, now. It is bigger than using streaming video and hip music in worship (not exactly my cup of tea). It is more philosophical than that. How do we communicate the essential message of the Gospel of Jesus to a world that no longer thinks the message matters?

We are in the process of losing a framework for understanding. Sin, salvation, justification, redemption are all words losing their meaning outside of “churchy” contexts. The concepts represent essentials, but the understanding of the essentials is shifting.

I don’t have any real answers. I am note sure I understand my own questions. I am clear that business as usual is not working.

Clinging to the past, out of fear, will not be an effective strategy. Nobody is buying buggy-whips.

Throwing out the old for the new always creates unintended loss, and good, meaningful things disappear.

What Now?

4th Sunday after Pentecost

2008-06-07T20:59:00.000-04:00

To really understand the Gospel, one must understand the history of Judaism. Occasionally, I will hear someone say something like, “I am a believer of the God of the New Testament. I don’t go in for all that Old Testament stuff.” The trouble with that perspective is Jesus makes absolutely no sense stripped of his Jewishness. Jesus is the continuation of the ancient story of Judaism.

Judaism gives us the story of creation and the first people. Judaism also introduces us to the primordial problem of human separation from God via free will run amuck. The Old Testament then tells the story of God’s efforts to restore creation to the original state. We are offered the stories of God working with people, like Abraham and Moses.

Abraham receives the promise to become a great nation. This nation will have a role not only in the calling of Jews to be the chosen people, but in the salvation of the world and all people. This relationship is sealed through a covenant.

Moses receives the law, Torah. Torah is one of the defining features of God’s chosen people. According to one scholar, “ Israel’s God gave his Torah to Moses, and one of the most characteristically Jewish Activities is to study it, both for its own sake and so that one may bring oneself, and those whom one can influence or teach, under the leading of that which has been identified not only with the divine wisdom but with the tabernacling presence of YHWH himself.-(Sanders 1990a) Torah contains instructions for circumcision, dietary codes, sacrifices and Temple worship. All designed to maintain Israel’s distinctive relationship with God and role in salvation history.

Covenant and Torah are vehicles of God’s action to restore the creation.

Jesus encounter with the Pharisees brings all this into play in that interaction. The Pharisees are a party within the Judaism of Jesus’ day. They understand the covenant of God with Abraham. They feel that the current situation in the Temple is not great. They view it as somewhat compromised. The Pharisees are totally invested in Torah. They understand that they are in the promised land, they have a Temple, yet they are still dominated by the Roman occupation. Torah is the only thing that can be trusted to bring about God’s redemption. The Pharisees occupy themselves with it, in hope of God’s restoration.

So when they question Jesus about his apparent violations of Torah, it is not with disinterest or pettiness. They want to know why he would stand in the way of God’s redeeming work, that they believe, can only happen through devotion to Torah.

What was incredibly difficult for them to grasp is that the ongoing story would unfold in an unexpected way. Torah will not, ultimately, bring about what they desire. It will be the actual presence of God, in the person of Jesus, that will make up the next chapter. It will be the Son of God, who will set creation back on course.

That is after all what we claim. God’s plan for the salvation of the world rests in the hands of the Son of God. But, you will doubtlessly admit, the world seems just as messed up as it was in Jesus day. Maybe the solution is in the story of the two healing stories that follow the controversy with the Pharisees. In both instances, faith is displayed. The hemorrhaging woman believes that she just needs to touch Jesus to be made whole. The synagogue leader knows Jesus touch will give his daughter life. Both individuals are open to the fact, God is free to write the ongoing story, and they were free to become part of it.

The Good News is that we are free to become part of this chapter, not only as St. Columba’s, but as individuals. We are free to make the choice. We can close the book before it is complete, or we turn the page to participate in the life that God offers the Church and us, next. We are free, through the grace of God, to turn the page. Through Christ, we are free.

Sermon on the Mount

2008-06-05T09:32:00.000-04:00

In the Sunday sermon, I talked about faith and motivation, identity and practice. The text was from Matthew 5-7. I am haunted by Jesus’ message in those few chapters. They represent Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom of God and our role as members of it.

Karl Marx is quoted as saying, “Religion is the opiate of the people.” The quote implies that religion is anesthesia for adherents living in a painful world. I would argue that while some use religion as such, it is not the intent of Christianity, and certainly misrepresents the intent of Jesus.

Jesus’ teaching, distilled in the Sermon on the Mount, is that a new world is coming. The new world has been inaugurated by the arrival of the Christ. Jesus fleshes out the shape and marks of this coming kingdom. Comfort and hope come from recognizing the deep love that God has for the world, as expressed by God’s will to continue the creative process for the perfection this world.

We face a decision. Do we want to be citizens of the Kingdom of God, or do we prefer to prop up the existing order? The existing order offers certain comforts; the coming kingdom promises much more. God’s purpose contains a certain amount of risk because it will be different. It will mean transformation of the old, but it is born out of God’s perfect love for us and the desire for the reconciliation of all.

Do we want to be numb, or alive?

Memorial Day at St. Columba's

2008-05-27T17:41:00.002-04:00

2008-05-23T13:53:00.000-04:00

Fr. Scott Gunn has an excellent post over at his place. It is making the rounds on the blogs today.

He strikes at the core of the Church. We do good works by virtue of the faith that lives in us. Good works are no substitute for for genuine faith.

Ultimately, faith is trust in God, and the Church is the community united in that trust. We act out of our trust that God cares for us and this world.

Fr. Gunn puts it well.

Should I Stay or Should I Go-with Apologies to the Clash

2008-05-18T19:05:00.000-04:00

Martin Marty wrote this sharp article about the decision to remain within your parish or leave. Very timely.

Pewless

Skeleton of Trinity Sunday Sermon 2008

2008-05-18T17:52:00.000-04:00

The German theologian Karl Barth said that theological work begins with the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other. Barth was sending a not so subtle message to the Church. The Church is not a refuge from the world. The role of the Church is to engage the world through the lens of faith.

As the Church, there are countless ways we seek to disengage from the world. This is especially true in the United States. We have internalized the separation of Church and state to mean that faith is purely a private matter.

As individuals, some view the Church as a filling station. We gather once a week to fill up on feeling good, so we can make it through another week.

I am not suggesting that there are not limits to the proper exercize of faith. I am not suggesting that the Church is a place of individual sustanance. What I am saying is that there is more, and that a well-rounded has more. I am saying is more.

This is Trinity Sunday. It is the Sunday when we give thanks the various persons through which God has revealed God’s essence, and our recognition that each of the persons is bound together in unity. On this same Sunday, we accept the essence of God’s will for us. We are to go into the world and make disciples of all nations baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

To accept the nature of God and answer God’s call, we must get over our obsession with private. We have to decide that we are citizens, first, of God’s kingdom, but also reside within the present order. The question is how do we do both.

Jesus commandment is not to go into the world and make the nations Christian. His command is to make disciples. If the world were full of nations of disciples. The present order might be very different.

Last week, the paper ran a story about the charitable contributions of Americans to the natural disasters of the last several years.

1. Asian Tsunami (Dec. 2004)
220,000 deaths
$1.92 billion

2. Hurricane Katrina (Aug. 2005)
1,577 deaths
$5.3 billion

3. Pakistan Earthquake (Oct. 2005)
73,000 deaths
$0.15 billion ($150 million)

The article postulated that altruism always reflects some personal concern. The author suggested that in the case of relief efforts, the personal concern is Americans are more generous with other other Americans. There is a greater sense of identification with people like us.

I understand this dynamic, but don’t find it to be congruent with the Gospel.

This Trinity Sunday we mark that God is revealed to us as three persons united in a relationship. The implication is we are called to partake of God in relationships as well. We are called to recognize that we are interconnected. In the Great Commission, barriers between public and private break down, as well as the national boundaries and distinctions that separate us.

The message of Jesus is God could not be contained by Israel. The chosen people have a role in the salvation of the world. We were grafted onto the same vine, but the extension of God’s grace does not stop with us.

The Good News is that the Church is a kind of school, where we learn to practice the love of God that exists between three persons in unity of being. This love is offered to us, but it is too abundant to stop with us. The heart of the Gospel is the grace and love of God are for all.

Reconciliation

2008-05-15T13:32:00.000-04:00

The link is to a very moving news story about post-genocide work in Rwanda. It reminded me of the Truth and Reconciliation work in South Africa. It is impossible to know how one would respond in this kind of a situation.

The world is broken, and God knows it. It is not surprising the Christ spent so much time speaking about forgiveness. Where there is reconciliation with God and one another, there is hope.

The quote:

Mukantabana admits it was difficult to forgive. She said she did not speak to Bizimana or his wife for four years after the killings. What put her on the road to healing, she said, was the gacaca process.

"It has not just helped me, it has helped all Rwandans because someone comes and accepts what he did and he asks for forgiveness from the whole community, from all Rwandans," she said.

Bizimana said he did just that.

"You go in front of the people like we are standing here and ask for forgiveness," he said.

But despite his confession and apology, Iphigenia said reconciliation would not have happened unless she had decided to open her heart and accept his pleas.

"I am a Christian and I pray a lot," she said, the pain etched in the lines on her face and around her sad eyes.

Woman opens her heart to the man who slaughtered her family

St. Basil the Great-On the Holy Spirit

2008-05-14T12:07:00.000-04:00

Even as bright and shining bodies, once touched by a ray of light falling upon them, become even more glorious and themselves cast another light, so too souls that carry the Spirit, and are enlightened by the Spirit, become spiritual themselves and send forth grace upon others.
This grace enables them to see the future, to understand mysteries, to grasp hidden things, to receive spiritual blessings, to have thoughts fixed on heavenly things, and to dance with the angels. So is their joy unending, so is their perseverance in God unfailing, so do they acquire likeness to God-most of all-do they themselves become divine.

Caring for the Fallen

2008-05-13T16:35:00.000-04:00

A holy task indeed. I am sure it does take a toll.

Science, Symbolism Mix in Army Mortuary Training

Science and Theology

2008-05-13T11:12:00.001-04:00

A fascinating look at neuroscience and religion awaits you in this op-ed piece The Neural Buddhists by David Brooks.

Hat tip to the Creedal Christian

Who are we?

2008-05-13T10:42:00.000-04:00

The Freakonomics blog at the NYT is so rich. If you do not subscribe, drop everything and do it.

This piece is about the economics of specialization related to human labor. The are some marvelous quotes, even one from the Babylonian Talmud.

We see each other in various ways. We wear many hats. How does God see us, and should that cause us to see each other differently?

Specialization

For those willing to work a little...

Talmud

Evangelical Manifesto

2008-05-13T09:48:00.000-04:00

Executive Summary of Evangelical Manifesto

An interesting group of academics and professionals comprise the Evangelical Manifesto. The goal seems to be a return to the heart of the evangelical movement. It sounds pretty good. No matter where you are on the theological spectrum, the document raises thoughtful questions.

The Spirit

2008-05-12T15:34:00.000-04:00

The Holy Spirit is the most difficult member of the Trinity, for me, to conceptualize. In many ways, it is part of the territory. A spirit is devoid of form and identifying characteristics. A spirit is more of a presence than a form. I suppose it is no mistake that the Spirit is the final member of the Trinity to be dealt with in the Nicene Creed.

In the Church, we often speak of the Spirit as the ongoing presence of God. In chapter 14-16 of the Gospel according to John, Jesus repeatedly promises that the Holy Spirit will come to the disciples. The Holy Spirit seems to be about guardianship. Jesus says, “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” (Jn 14:18)

This guardianship seems to be at work in the context of love. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will send you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” (Jn 14:15-17)
Jesus indicates that the presence of the Spirit is bound up in reciprocity. In the community of love, distinct from the world, the Spirit is present to those who keep Jesus’ commandments.

The promise of the Spirit is articulated a few more times through Jn 16. Then in Jn 20: 19-23 the Spirit comes. The Spirit comes just after Jesus offers the disciples peace. “Peace be with you” is Jesus’ greeting, as he appears to his disciples. It is as if, freedom from anxiety is the harbinger of the Spirit.

Now, the Holy Spirt is cited some 97 times in the Scriptures. The citations seem to indicate the presence of God, the presence of otherworldly wisdom, and discerned action. These are all clues as to how our forbearers understood the work of the Holy Spirit. The understanding of those before us is useful. But, I also think looking at the connection of the Spirit and the recollections of the Christian community to Jesus are good guides.

I also find the advice of 1 John 4:1 to be useful. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Testing comes into play, when we think about the prophetic realm, which is also a work of the Spirit. As we think about testing, the entire witness of the Scriptures and the experience of the Church comes into operation.

I think the quest for “peace at any price” is not indicative of the presence of the Holy Spirit. But real peace forged by seeking understanding, free from anxiety, in love, is a mark of the Spirit’s presence. The seeking of truth can only happen in the context of love, which is essentially the fulfillment of Jesus’ commandments.

I see lots of parties claiming the presence of the Holy Spirit to justify particular actions, but I also see lots of anxiety, so much so, I wonder if the Spirit would deign to appear. If I saw a little more freedom, fewer threats and more wisdom sought, I might be a little more optimistic about our ability to recognize the Holy Spirit in our midst. Nonetheless, that is the Church’s task, to discern the will of the Spirit, and accept the strength offered.

Confirmation

2008-05-10T10:54:00.000-04:00

Check out my post over at the Anglican Centrist.

Confirmation