Now This is How You Settle a Church Dispute

With your dukes!

Read the story of what happened at the Greater New Zion Baptist Church in Fletcher when they ousted the pastor. Go to The Rock Hill Herald for the details.

43,000 Dollars Under the Water

That pretty much describes the current state of the church budget.

Did anybody catch the name of the creature that has us in its grip?

Upon Further Reflection

A recent fishing trip in the chilly winter waters of one of our nearby lakes seemed to be an exercise in futility, until I caught this:

                                                    Winter 2011 -U.P.


(No, it was not enhanced or otherwise photoshopped, but I did have to rotate it to get the proper orientation.)

I thought about giving this post the title "How was it made?" because my mind thought some might wonder how the image was created, while others might reflect on Genesis 1.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. - Genesis 1:1-10 KJV

Upon further reflection, the image is just that, a reflection of a day in which I thought that all God delivered was an empty net, but He actually gave me so much more.

Some days we are not meant to catch fish, but to catch a glimpse of Him.

Mere (Anglicanism) Reflections

"Mere Anglicanism" is more than a cute play on words with C.S. Lewis' classic work, "Mere Christianity."

Mere Anglicanism's goal of creating "educated, authentically discipled, and active Anglicans — both lay and clergy" must be considered a long term project. The prospect of a long term project such as this may not be the kind of thing that dissatisfied Episcopalians are likely to gravitate to, but this process, that of building a Biblically centered, authoritatively discipled base is absolutely essential if Anglicanism is to play any role in spreading the Good News of Christ crucified to an increasingly indifferent, if not hostile, world. Indeed, if Anglicanism proves incapable of this carrying out fundamental task, then it should be allowed to die.

The Mere Anglicanism Conference 2011 was held on January 20-22 at St. Phillips Church, Charleston, SC. This year's topic was "Biblical Anglicanism for a Global Future: Recovering the Power of the Word.”

A few reflections on the conference from my rough notes:

Thursday p.m. Dr. William Dickson presented: "Recovering the Power of the Word of God Written." Like many of the papers this year, this pewster had to ratchet up the little grey cells a notch to follow the speaker. I could not count how many times the word "perspicuity" came up, and I heard a few murmurs about the speaker being a few grade levels above some of the audience. Nonetheless, we were brought up to speed on William Whitaker's Disputations on Holy Scripture: Against the papists especially Bellarmine... (Google Books)and the question of scriptural clarity.

"Even if there were some obscurity in the words of scripture greater than in those of the fathers, it would not nevertheless be a just consequence, that the scriptures were so obscure that they should not be read by the people. This should rather rouse men to an attentive reading than deter them from reading altogether. Besides, the scriptures speak of necessary things no less plainly than any fathers, or even much more plainly, because the Holy Spirit excels in all powers of expression." William Whitaker, A Disputation on Holy Scripture Against the Papists, Especially Bellarmine and Stapleton, trans. and ed. William Fitzgerald (Cambridge: University Press, reprinted 1849), p. 390.

I took away from this paper that "we are not to be masters of the text, the text will show us who is the master."

Friday and Saturday's Morning Prayer services gave us early birds a chance to hear two of Dr. James Nestingen's (Lutheran) wonderful sermons. It was good to hear the Word communicated clearly.

Friday morning we heard from Archbishop Mouneer Anis of the Diocese of Egypt whose subject was, "Recovering the Power of the Word for the Anglican Communion." He correctly identified the problems of Biblical illiteracy and that "for some the scriptures have become like a hermenuetical supermarket...pick what you like." There seems to be more emphasis on worship than on study of the scriptures. The structure of conferences such as Lambeth 2008 does not lead to any resolution of issues and we have lost any idea of what a concilliar meeting should be. His solutions include: 1. We need to repent. 2. Do what Anglicans did first. He mentioned that we need to trust Article VI,

"Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church."

3. He also advised the training of lay Bible teachers, 4. establishing sound schools of theology, and 5. developing a concilliatory structure.

That sounds like Mere Anglicanism to me.

Later in the morning, Dr. Gillis Harp presented "Recovering the Power of the Word in Anglican History." I thought this talk was one of the more useful ones to the pewperson. He took us from Tyndale, through Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, Charles Simeon, and a couple more who I missed in my notes. The take home message was about the importance of effective preaching and how there must time spent in preparation, there has to be a connection to Christ crucified (Simeon), and there needs to be a renewal of Anglican preaching. Perhaps by studying the history of great preaching, we can reclaim some of its power today.

At noon Dr. John Senyonyi read a paper by Dr. Stephan Noll on "Recovering the Power of the Word Philosophically: From the Truth to the Whole Truth," but the take home line was from Dr. Senyoni describing "the Word as God's love letter to me." Like a love letter, you are drawn to pore over it time and time again.

Dr. Ashley Null's paper on "Recent Findings on Cranmer Research" was interesting and Dr. Null's enthusiasm for the subject kept me from sinking into my usual postprandial fog.

Friday p.m. we celebrated Holy Communion at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul, where they appear to have fixed the heating system (as compared to my last visit), and Bishop Lawrence preached the sermon. We enjoyed his Gospel centered approach, and the music of the Cathedral choir as they sang "Oh Thou the Central Orb," but I noted that the lay readers needed some amplification as the readings while familiar, were so quietly read (sorry Ann) that I was left thinking that this was not a good example of communicating the Word clearly.

After escorting Bishop Michael Nazir Ali through the Charleston streets to the reception in honor of Bishop Allison, we skipped the banquet and went in search of a hot chocholate before calling it a day.

Saturday a.m.'s speakers included Dr. Charles Raven whose subject "Gospel or not Gospel? Recovering the Power of the Word of Truth" should be translated into "The theology of Rowan Williams compared to that of Cranmer." To sum up, hermeneutical pessimism compensated by eccleisiastical optimism compared to hermeneutical optimism compensated by eccleisiatical pessimism. You get one guess as to which is R.W.

Finally, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali spoke on "Recovering the Power of the Word for Anglican Polity." He discussed how new knowledge and revelation are reconciled. He noted the clarity, sufficiency, and supremacy of scripture. He reminded us that engagement cannot obscure or negate the Gospel. Engagement does not equal capitulation. In engagement we should be able to recognize the Gospel in others (yes, if the other has a false gospel, there can be no engagement, only evangelism of the true Gospel. - my words).
Bishop Nazir Ali also pointed out the lack of decision making, the lack of discipline, and the fact that the concilliar process is avoided in Anglicanism to its demise.

This year, I was most deeply affected by the homiletics and "mere" Morning Prayer (Rite I). Talk about "recovering the power of the Word!"

As I whispered to Dean McKeachie, "This is my yearly vaccination."

I would like to thank the Diocese of SC for hosting this event, and Bishop Lawrence for his gracious presence.

This year, Upper SC was represented by a grand total of three persons. I hope that more will make the trip next time and that maybe Bishop Waldo will give it a taste. I'll be happy to escort him through the Charleston night if he feels lost.

Sitting, chatting, praying, and worshipping with those on the frontlines such a Bishops Anis, Lawrence, and Nazir Ali is a humbling experience for a lowly pewster. Their openness to me, a stranger, was greatly appreciated.

And thanks Fitz for autographing your latest book. I am working on it, I promise.

Anytime one gets to spend a few days in Charleston is a delight, but to get to spend time with the Lord and such a wonderful, friendly group of people made the trip special.

All in all, Mere Anglicanism 2011 might have been a little too cerebral for many pewsitters, but there were pearls to be found in these presentations. Gillis Harp's in particular was helpful to me. The presentations should be available as a CD set for $65 payable to:

Mere Anglicanism CDs
126 Coming St.
Charleston, SC 29403

Oh yeah, don't forget the Central Orb.

Calling All Fishermen

One thing about fishing, most fishermen would never want to leave half of their gear at home when going out in search of that lunker.

In today's worship service, Psalm 27 was shortened not only by being cut in half, but by two verses at the very beginning. We chanted verses 1 and 4-9. I am not sure why the Revised Common Lectionary makes these cuts as I can see more opportunities for the homilist with the full Psalm rather than with a shortened version. Here is the entire Psalm, using the translation we read, with the omitted verses highlighted.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me
to devour my flesh—
my adversaries and foes—
they shall stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.

4 One thing I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.

6 Now my head is lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 ‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’
Your face, Lord, do I seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!

10 If my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they are breathing out violence.

13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!


Since we left the dock without a full tackle box, lets carry the analogy a little further...

Today's sermon started from the story of the call of Peter, Andrew, James, and John found in Matthew 4:12-23 and also drew from the story of the disciples casting their nets in John 21:1-6.

While I might have focused on the promise to make the disciples fishers of people, and the need follow Jesus' instructions in order to do so (which works also with John 21), instead we heard about the abundance of the catch without really driving home the point that without Jesus, we will remain lousy fisherfolk. Our homily probably worked for those in need of a "feel good" sermon, but I didn't leave church with any clue as to how to put more fish in the boat.

Undeterred, I spent the last several minutes thinking about it, and here are some suggestions:

1. For directions, first look for Jesus.

Where are his directions to be found? Where is He to be found? First and foremost, in scripture and prayer. One thing that sticks out in the disciples' futile attempts to catch fish in John 21 is the fact that they were relying on their own ideas as to how to fish, until Jesus shows up. You don't see them setting out on their fishing trip after first praying for Jesus' help. Oops. They figured that they knew all there was to know about catching fish. We are guilty of this all the time. Left to our own devices, the catch will be poor.

Given the current trends in attendance at Sunday worship services, I suspect we are making the same mistake the disciples made.

2. Use the proper bait.

The other day, while receiving the host and wine through intinction, the celebrant struggled to find my mouth and nearly missed. I, of course, was chasing the body and blood as the celebrant waved it in front of my gaping mouth. While I think that such a lure should attract even the most finicky fish, the fact of the matter is that fish are quite turned off when human scent has rubbed off onto the bait. They might nibble but a nibble is about all you will get. People will not swallow the Gospel when it has been tainted, twisted, and tied into knots by the hand of man. Give it too them straight, and freely, and they will feed well and often.

3. Spend as much time on the water as possible.

You can't catch fish if you don't wet your hook.

4. Know what is in the tackle box.

The scriptures contain all that you need. Open your tackle box up and look inside regularly. There is something in there for any and all kinds of fish.

5. "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27: the unread verses)

When the fish aren't biting, wait, not for a bite, but for the Lord who will be your guide.

6. Teach others to fish.

And the Church will be fed.

They Promise Them Freedom, but They Themselves Are Slaves... (2 Peter 2:19)

"Now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian." - a certain mover and shaker of TEc

That pretty much sums it up folks. This is where TEc, much like the Israelites in the final verse in the book of Judges, is following whatever wind of change spins their weather vanes.

"In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what he thought best." Judges 21:25 (NAB)

Sigh...

Sinking lower in despair...

Is there Anybody out there...

Why should I care...

For some strange reason I hear a Pink Floyd tune coming through the wall.

Hey you, out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old

Can you feel me?

Hey you, standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles

Can you feel me?

Hey you, don't help them to bury the light
Don't give in without a fight.

Hey you, out there on your own
Sitting naked by the phone

Would you touch me?

Hey you, with you ear against the wall
Waiting for someone to call out

Would you touch me?

Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, I'm coming home.

But it was only fantasy.
The wall was too high,
As you can see.
No matter how he tried,
He could not break free.

And the worms ate into his brain.

Hey you, out there on the road
always doing what you're told,

Can you help me?

Hey you, out there beyond the wall,
Breaking bottles in the hall,

Can you help me?

Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all

Together we stand, divided we fall.

Pink Floyd: The Wall (Available at Amazon.com)

Poor Pink, trapped in madness, haunted by delusions of his disciplinarians, protected by his wall.

Our Episcopalian quoted above has made the classic mistake of walling away the disciplinarian to gain liberty, when the real problem is the multilayered walls that he himself has created.

Another of the warnings from the disciple Peter might help break down that wall.

2 Peter 2:17-22

These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm; for them the deepest darkness has been reserved. For they speak bombastic nonsense, and with licentious desires of the flesh they entice people who have just escaped from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was passed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb,

‘The dog turns back to its own vomit’,

and,

‘The sow is washed only to wallow in the mud.’

What is man that he dares to deny the power and justice of God?

A slave to his own desires.

My loving God,
take and receive
all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, my entire will
and all that I have and possess.
You gave it all to me.
To you, my God, I return it!
All is yours, dispose of it according to your desires.
Give me your love and grace.
This is enough for me.

---- The offering of Ignatius of Loyola

The disciple accepts the discipline with thanks, for the rewards are more than enough. - U.P.

The Road to Sainthood

Today's services at ECOOS included a departure from the assigned texts as we were instead treated to readings in honor of MLK Jr. day (which is tomorrow, and is not exactly on the church calendar). It is not uncommon for us to shift the celebration of the feast day of one particular Saint or another to the nearest Sunday, but I was unaware that MLK Jr. had been promoted (I am not sure of the Episcopal term) to sainthood.

Until today.

After hearing several references to his sainthood in the course of today's service, I was left wondering who authorized this election and whether or not to dare to raise the question for fear of sounding totally PIC (politically incorrect).

I am aware that the Catholic Church has a mechanism through which the Church examines the life of and miracles attributed to a deceased person when considering whether or not we should consider that person a Saint.
Here is a brief summary from the CatholicPages.

In official Church procedures there are three steps to sainthood: one becomes Venerable, Blessed and then a Saint. Venerable is the title given to a deceased person recognized as having lived heroic virtues. To be recognized as a blessed, and therefore beatified, in addition to personal attributes of charity and heroic virtue, one miracle, acquired through the individual's intercession, is required. Canonization requires two, though a Pope may waive these requirements. Martyrdom does not usually require a miracle.

When beatification and canonization procedures were not yet consigned to the authority of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (instituted in 1588 by Pope Sixtus V) and to the Holy Father himself, it was the "vox populi" or "spontaneous local attribution" which led to the proclaiming of saints. This was the case, for example, of St. Anthony of Padua.

In the Episcopal church, the road to sainthood goes "vox populi" and political, meaning it goes through the General Convention, that motley assemblage of scripturally conflicted and ungrounded clergy and laity that meets every three years to waste millions of dollars digging the church's grave.

In any case, the nearest Episcopal saint day to today should be Antony (or Anthony in the Catholic calendar). Antony was famous for preaching against Arianism (a heresy which arose in the fourth century, and denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ).

We could use a little dose of Antony today.

The Episcopal list of saints, commemorations, and proposed saints and or "commendees" includes some interesting characters to include:

AMELIA JENKS BLOOMER (remember Barbara Eden's harem pants?)
SØREN KIERKEGAARD, one of the fathers of existentialism.
HARRIET BEECHER STOWE, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.
GEOFFREY ANKETELL STUDDERT KENNEDY who wrote Democracy and the Dog-Collar (1921) (featuring such chapters as "The Church Is Not a Movement but a Mob," "Capitalism is Nothing But Greed, Grab, and Profit-Mongering".)
VIDA DUTTON SCUDDER, (Oh dear).

It seems that there is no real process of beatification, canonization, etc to the Episcopal path to sainthood. You just have to have been a social activist for causes that are considered by today's liberal elite to have been "good."

Today's canonization at ECOOS must have been an act of "spontaneous local attribution."

I hope they save some open dates for the next wave of Episcopal saints.