Seeing the Forest… from the trees

Here is a great article from the Telegraph in the U.K. by Michael Nazir-Ali. It is a great reflection on the loss of a common story and the benefits of finding values in old places.

Read it here.

Here is a great article by Peter Adam on why he is a Melbourne Anglican.

Peter Adam’s Strategy

Bishop Tom Frame has some interesting reflections on the state of the Australian church and how it has got this way.

Read them here.

I don’t particularly agree with some of the things done by the Episcopal Church in North America, and I am no great fan Brian McLaren, but here is something worth pondering. Here is Brian McLaren’s sermon at the recent Episcopal convention, what is worth considering is how he is using the both current problems and issues to point the convention to the Bible and Jesus Christ and in that to call them to evangelise.

If you consider both the audience and the heart of his message it is a great example of contextualisation. He is really cutting through (or ignoring) alot of the issues and showing a way forward.

There are alot of rumblings around the Anglican communion at the moment due to the Episcopal Church of North America decision to push ahead with ordaining gay bishops. Some of the more encouraging noises have come from N.T. Wright, the Bishop of Durham. Check out his statement here.

BBC news is also reporting on this one here.

In the next step in the saga of the Episcopal church in the US, it appears that they are pushing ahead with the consecration of openly gay bishops. Read about it here. What seems particularly interesting in all of this, is that the Episcopal church is claiming that the innovators, those guilty of schism are those who are separating from them. The people who are separating are those who want to hold to the more traditional Anglican beliefs.

What seems to be at work here is the belief that the core of Anglicanism is finding the via media, the ‘middle way’. We see two different versions of Anglicanism, one which seeks to find the middle way and one which seeks to hold to traditional teaching. In my diocese, the diocese of Melbourne, I am aware that both views of Anglicanism are present. One of the mantras of the diocese is that we are a diverse diocese.

The struggle I have with the mantra of diversity is, how far does it go? There is a need for a diversity of opinions, and freedom of conviction on a range of issues. However if we refuse to articulate some core values (other than diversity itself) it becomes incredibly hard to work out what the Anglican church is, apart from an historic alliance of disparate groups.

Surely the doctinal traditions found in the 39 articles and foundations of the prayer book would be the most useful place to begin.

As far as the Episcopal church goes, their vote seems to be a profound failure to listen to the groups within the Anglican communion, and even many churches within their own organisation. To ignore the calls for restraint and press ahead, touting Anglicanism as ‘the middle way’ is deeply saddening. The Anglican tradition has far richer views of the authority of scripture that are not simply compromise with every innovation.

Similarly we may well talk about multiculturalism being a value in our culture, but at some point we need to articulate things that we do value. We see the Australian government attempting to wrestle with this in the paper ‘Freedom of Religious Belief in the 21st Century’. Andrew Cameron provides some great reflections on this here.

Ultimately the tough question really is, how can you both stand for that which you believe to be true (and hence against false teaching) and continue to be a gracious peacemaker?

I suspect the heart of this remains following the risen Lord Jesus and prayerfully considering each step. I pray that we all receive great wisdom in the times ahead.

I have been reflecting for a while on the importance of accountability in the Church. Andrew Katay has some interesting reflections here.

The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans is a new group attemping to bring some unity to Anglicans around the world.

Read some good reasons to consider joining here.

What I particularly like is the stated goal of mission that comes first.

Having recently joined the Anglican diocese of Melbourne, which has diversity of belief as one of its stated attributes, I have cause to wonder, how much diversity is enough?

It seems to me this is one of the questions that are presently plaguing the Anglican Communion at present. 

Matt Stone noted this article on an Agnostic Anglican Bishop. 

At least here the Bishop is not practicing, he has an honourary position rather than one with direct oversight. 

For most people they see it as reasonable that if you do not subscribe to fundamental truths that you ought not hold positions in the Church, yet the debate is always what these truths are. 

With the onset of postmodernism many now reject foundationalism of any kind, which then assumes that pluralism is the fundamental truth. To speak of all paths being equally valid is nonsense in practice, some are always inherently better than others. But what this does do is acknowledge that the concrete reality in front of us is diversity and we must somehow come to grips with that. 

My take on this is, I am skeptical of foundationalism, where humans set the ground rules and then construct the ‘right’ interpretation of reality. Rather, I think it is God alone who may set the ground rules of reality, he is the creator after all.  While it is a Christian duty to attempt to express the truth of what God has done (and is still doing), we ought always do it humbly acknowledging our place before God. We find God’s revelation of himself in the entirety of the Bible, and in that most clearly in the man Jesus Christ. In my work of preaching I certainly aim to speak for God and do speak with the confidence of ‘thus saith the Lord’, yet I am always aim to be open for critique and feedback, and if necessary to acknowledge my mistakes. 

This framework is by no means a final answer, but for me it is a work in progress. I realise that there are many, even in the Anglican church, who do not see the Bible as the answer. But what would be more helpful is if people would take the time to articulate what they think the answer is, at least then we can begin to work out where we stand. My fear is that many are no longer interested in God’s truth and are happy with their own agenda, it is certainly cause for prayer. 

When we can understand the diversity better and appreciate it we can even begin to look for a way forward.

Peter Jensen has some interesting reflections on where he thinks the future of Anglicanism is going.

Read this article about his comments on the situation in Scotland.