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September 25, 2007
What Episcopalians read today
Scripture is always relevant. Today, especially so.
Update: Now that the Episcopalian bishops have rejected Anglican leaders' call to repentance and orthodoxy, Wednesday's lectionary readings are fascinating too.
I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. ... You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain. (Ps. 119)
But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes. (Ps. 81)
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler - not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you." (1 Cor. 5)
There are some readings especially relevant for orthodox Anglicans meeting in Pittsburgh today, too. Among the issues on their mind is whether to fight for property as they leave the Episcopal Church.
When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? ... To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? (1 Cor. 6)
"You have heard that it was said, ?An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. ... If you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (Matt. 5)
(Yesterday's readings after the jump)
Considering the issues at stake in New Orleans today, it's hard to find a more appropriate commentary than today's lectionary readings in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer.
Among the Scriptures today:
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans. ... And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. ... Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Cor. 5)
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. ? Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil. (Matt. 5)
In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe. So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror. (Psalm 78)
(Thanks to TitusOneNine)
Comments
I wonder what CT would report on if we didn't have mainline churches anymore?
Posted By: Matt K | September 25, 2007 12:52 PM
Interesting that you skipped over part of the Gospel lesson dealing with divorce (since evangelical divorce rates are no different from non-evangelicals). Ignoring the mote in your own eye?
Posted By: DL | September 25, 2007 1:04 PM
DL: Divorce isn't an issue at stake in New Orleans. And you'll want to be sure to pick up the next issue of CT: the cover story is on divorce. Thanks for your interest.
Posted By: Ted Olsen | September 26, 2007 6:57 AM
AMEN to 1 Cor. 5! I can't wait until the Episcopal church kicks out all of the people who've put their business before their families and churches (greed), puts national or financial interest before their allegiance to Christ (is an idolater), is mean (reviler), ALL alcoholics (drunkard), or own businesses that don't pay fair wages (swindler).
Time to clean house!
Posted By: Rodler | September 27, 2007 1:23 PM
also, divorce isn't doctrinally supported by the evangelical church, whereas the episcopalian church wants to make blessing of homosexual unions doctrine - that's a massive difference.
Posted By: dana | September 28, 2007 7:41 AM
Actually if anyone will read the news that came out of the official news agencies of the Anglican Communion instead of CT or the New York Times you will see that the House of Bishops totally capitulated to the demands of the Windsor Report and since. Unlike those in the Global South who still and gloatingly cross diocesan boundaries against ancient ecumenical councils.
Posted By: Anglican | September 30, 2007 2:55 PM
This is another way that the Anglican Communion capitulated to the Global South way back in 1988.
http://www.lambethconference.org/resolutions/1988/index.cfm
Resolutions from 1988
Resolution 26
Church and Polygamy
This Conference upholds monogamy as God's plan, and as the ideal relationship of love between husband and wife; nevertheless recommends that a polygamist who responds to the Gospel and wishes to join the Anglican Church may be baptized and confirmed with his believing wives and children on the following conditions:
(1) that the polygamist shall promise not to marry again as long as any of his wives at the time of his conversion are alive;
(2) that the receiving of such a polygamist has the consent of the local Anglican community;
(3) that such a polygamist shall not be compelled to put away any of his wives, on account of the social deprivation they would suffer;
(4) and recommends that provinces where the Churches face problems of polygamy are encouraged to share information of their pastoral approach to Christians who become polygamists so that the most appropriate way of disciplining and pastoring them can be found, and that the ACC be requested to facilitate the sharing of that information.
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Published in association with the Lambeth Conference © 2007 Anglican Communion Office
Posted By: Anglican | September 30, 2007 3:00 PM
This is what the Roman Catholics in Africa are saying.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200709281021.html
allAfrica.com
U.S.A. - Anglican Bishops Block Homosexual Ordinations And 'Marriages'
Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
NEWS
28 September 2007
Posted to the web 28 September 2007
Louisiana
American Anglican bishops have moved to heal a bitter split in their church by suspending consecration of gay clergy to the episcopate.
At the same time, the bishops of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America (ECUSA) agreed not to authorize public rites for the blessing of same-sex unions.
The two issues have split not only American Anglicans but also the 77-million-strong worldwide Anglican Communion. Anglican tolerance of homosexuality has also strained ecumenical relations with the Catholic Church.
Resolution B033 of the 2006 Anglican General Convention called upon bishops "to exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion."
At a meeting in New Orleans this week, also attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan William, ECUSA bishops resolved that "non-celibate gay and lesbian persons are included among those to whom B033 pertains."
The bishops did not condemn active homosexuality, but pledged "not to authorize for use in our dioceses any public rites of blessing of same-sex unions until a broader consensus emerges in the Communion, or until General Convention takes further action."
ECUSA bishops expressed their "passionate desire" to remain in the larger Anglican Communion that is already divided by the homosexual issue.
Copyright © 2007 Catholic Information Service for Africa. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
Posted By: Anglican | September 30, 2007 4:40 PM
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You
www.episcopalchurch.org
AUSTRALIA: Primate responds positively to House of Bishops' statement
By Matthew Davies September 28, 2007 [Episcopal News Service] The Primate of Australia, Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, has responded positively to a statement issued by the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops after its September 20-25 meeting in New Orleans.
Aspinall attended part of the House of Bishops meeting as a member of the Anglican Consultative Council and Primates Joint Standing Committee "to take part in conversation and discernment," a news release from the Anglican Church of Australia said.
"I believe that the House of Bishops has responded positively to all the requests put to them by the Primates in our Dar es Salaam communiqué," he said. "Certainly they have responded to the substance of those requests."
The Primates' Communiqué called on the bishops to clarify Resolution 033 passed at the 2006 General Convention.
On September 25, the House agreed overwhelmingly to reiterate the language of B033 that said the bishops would "exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion."
They also pledged not to authorize public rites for same-gender blessings "until a broader consensus emerges in the Communion, or until General Convention takes further action," according to the response.
Aspinall said he would now take time to "undertake careful analysis of the House of Bishops response" but acknowledged that his "initial reaction based both on my preliminary reading of the document itself and on my first-hand conversations with many of the bishops involved is that the House has responded positively to the substance of all the requests made by the Primates."
The House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church has in turn called on the rest of the Communion to acknowledge the requests made of it by the 1998 Lambeth Conference and the Windsor report in regard to the Listening Process and incursions by uninvited bishops. Aspinall said these are important issues that need to be addressed.
In thanking his hosts, Aspinall said he had been received warmly and graciously and the experience had been "valuable and a further sign of the health of the Anglican Communion."
Posted By: Anglican | September 30, 2007 5:32 PM