The multi-pronged assault on both the Episcopal church in the United States and the latest incursion into jolly old England is part of an unfolding plan by the Global South and the Conelonialists to literally reshape the face of the Anglican Communion. The British, from the Archbishop of Canterbury down to the nice little publications on the web seem to want to alternating discount what Robert Duncan and Peter Jensen and Peter Akinola et al are doing and help them. The help is not unlike climbing on the boxcars back in 1939 Since the AMiE is now in their backyard. The help them also is sitting on the fence and not resoundingly denying any and all priestly/episcopal actions of those that have been deposed a way back when. Help them is sending "observers" to a convention of a province that does not exist the view something that has no real bearing on the Anglican Communion and will not play nice even if the silly British think that is the civilized thing to do.
This would be laughable except many of the Episcopal writers, blog and otherwise, have a longstanding history of wanting to appease -- can't we all just get along. Those of us in places like San Joaquin and Pittsburgh and Fort Worth and Qunicy have seen first hand the utter devastation of people places and things that these folks have brought down all the while they lust after more and more power. The comments like we need to move slowly, they mean us no harm, the Covenant needs to be thoroughly reviewed are all delaying tactics designed by the Conelonialists to confuse, distract and diffuse any opposition while their plan is put in place. Well Jim and Mark and Lionel and Tobias the time is now upon us and we as well as the Anglican Communion as we know it is about to cease to exist. Please do not "pat me on the head and send me on my way" once again -- the writing is on the walls.
We need to come to grips with the facts of Anglican life. We need a course of action that will steer us through these waters with or without the Archbishop, Rowan Williams. We need to stop playing with the godforsaken Anglican Covenant and unbury ourselves long enough to face facts. We are being attacked from all sides and must do something soon else we shall cease to exist -- at least as we know us now.
First, and foremost, we need to grab ++Williams by the lapels and tell him life is not "a bowl of cherries" and you are not Neville Chamberlain so stop acting the part. If everyone is so desperate to keep the Anglican Communion, and it seems the majority of the Episcopalians here seem inclined to do so, then lets officially be rid of those in ACNA and tell GAFCON/FCA/CANA/AMiE/AMiA and all the other alphabet soup folks to get with the program or get off the damn bus, now!
(I have no idea why we are so struck with the Anglican Communion. We went from 1786 to about 1868 or so without them and I think we can probably do it all over again. When they come to their senses about women and LGBT participating fully in the life of the church then we can talk but not till then).
We, the Episcopal Church, needs a reformation of our own and it needs to start now. Everyone needs to know what we stand for, why we stand for it and we need to get about our Father's business, like right now. Leave these other poor fools to play with each other. Let's get on with a new course of action!
Opinion – 23 November 2024
2 days ago
9 comments:
It's not all about you.
Sorry, MP, but on this one it is.
I think you are taking a pre-social media view. Things are no longer restricted to the local especially loyalties. Of course, the institutional church is still behaving as if they were but that is because its leaders want to hold on to power, which is an easier thing to do at the local level.
What I am suggesting is the Episcopalianism is now an international way of being church, as is Williams style Anglicanism. If you turn your back on the international episcopalian contingent you will be sacrificing a heck of a lot of people, including entire provinces such as Scotland and Brazil, just so you can pretend there is nothing outside of the USA except those funny sandy places you get oil from.
It would be a cowardly and dishonourable path to take and the fact that you are under attack would not excuse this.
MP,
Your points are well taken. For clarity though it may be "splitting hairs" I am suggesting we just move forward doing our own thing. Better, following our own dest discerned path. If others wish to stay with us, that is fine. If others do not, that is fine also. We are Americans and we are known for "doin' our own thang". We started that way and I suppose we can do it if it means compromising any of those things we hold as tenets including full inclusion of LGBT and women.
It is neither cowardly nor dishonourable and I find that part of your comment mean-spirited. We as Epsicopalians, carry the weight for most of the world and while we are far from perfect we constantly are striving to do the Christian thing without regard for the more mundane things like an Anglican Covenant.
Isolationism is cowardly and dishonourable and, for that matter, mean spirited. And Americans doing their own thang is pretty much responsible for most of the bad stuff in the world. I'm thinking unfair trade barriers and environment agreements here and that is just a start. If Episcopalians really want to do the Christian thing then they should stop regarding themselves as uniquely persecuted, which they are not, and lead the way into an inclusive internationalism.
Mp,
Okay, I agree with you I just do not wnat to be tied down by "crap from the old world".
And you are quite right not to want to be. It is my contention that the New World is no longer geographically located in the same way that the Kingdom of God is not geographically located. But, in respect of New Anglicanism the main locus is in the Americas and is strongest in the USA. In fact, I do not think it is strong enough anywhere else to survive, let alone thrive. Outside of the Americas the "New World" is dependent on its success in the USA and this is why we absolutely need TEC to include the rest of us within its God-given destiny. Of course, this will be painful for the Church in the US, and like Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane you can choose to accept or reject this role. But the goal, if eventually achieved, will bring TEC far more joy than breaking away and going it alone ever would.
MP,
Need to think about this some more but I will post something in the next few days on this.
Thanks.
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