When I think about that happened at the recent GAFCIB meeting in Jerusalem, a scene from the Bible comes to mind, it is were God shows Moses the Promised Land. In a small way, this is what it felt like to be at GAFCON, and I was so grateful to be a part of it. GAFCON was a gathering of people (1200 people representing 37 countries) whose only common denominators were a passionate commitment to Jesus and their identity as evangelical Anglicans. These common denominators overrode everthing else, including our cultural distinctives (which were significant), our preferences regarding music or liturgy, and our differences over the ordination of women. We all agreed on the authority of the Bible, the theology of the creeds and the 39 Articles. We all shared a personal relationship with Jesus as Lord and we had all answered the call to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
I must say that in over 30 years of ordained ministry, I have never been in any other Episcopal or Anglican gathering quite like it. Given all that we held in common we were free to be bold in our preaching, clear in our theology, heartfelt in our prayers, passionate in our missionary expansion and jubilant in our worship. While the work we did together was extremely heard, our times together were marked by the deep satisfaction of knowing that God was in our midst protecting and blessings us. There was among us great joy.
There was also a completeness about the breadth of our concerns: care for the poor, planting new churches, working with those with AIDS, marriage and family, theological education, evangelism, leadership development and cultural apologetics: all of which were discussed in a very international context. There was no room for provincialism, cultural snobbery, sectarianism, racial or ethnic stereotyping. The very breadth of our fellowship and the high caliber of the presentations continued to press us further into thinking globally and locally simultaneously.
Contrary to several media reports, the issues of gay marriage or gay ordinations were almost never mentioned. Some in the press painted this conference as a protest movement against Gene Robinson, and that assertion completely misses the point of what actually happened. The real substance of this conference was about mission: doing the work of the Gospel. The felling at GAFCON was this: regardless of what other parts of the Anglican Communion want to do about this seemingly endless conversation about human sexuality, we will talk about finding ways to work together to fulfill the Great Commission. I would encourage you to read for yourself "The Jerusalem Declaration" found on the GAFCON website (www.gafcon.org). It is hardly a perfect document, but it lays out a way forward in the midst of the controversies of our Communion.
How does one think about this conference in comparison to the present state of the Episcopal Church, and especially the Diocese of Pennsylvania? By comparison huge sections of my Diocese (PA) are theologically warped, morally sick, and organizationally deteriorating. As a whole, there is little evidence of a joyful affirmation of creedal orthodoxy. There is little support for a commonly held endorsement of Biblical morality. There is almost no passionate missionary evangelism, even among many who call themselves evangelicals! The best that can be said about many in the Diocese of PA is that we are engaged in various forms of ministry to the poor, and there is a passion for social justice. While some individual congregations are doing good work, the marks of our overall diocesan leadership is lethargic and preservationist. There is no vision to reach the greater Philadelphia area for the Gospel. Instead and tragically, most are only desperately trying to maintain what they have, even as it slips through their fingers.
Our relationship with the Diocese of Pennsylvania continues to offer significant challenges. The spiritual covering and the sense of camaraderie in Gospel mission that should be a part of diocesan life are rarely present for us. More often than not, we go to diocesan meetings and wince at what we see and hear. There are precious few who share any evangelical vision for ministry and the few of us who do bear the weight of feeling quite alone. We have friends and acquaintances with whom we have things in common, but that is different from sharing a common vision for ministry. While there are several places in the diocese where Good Samaritan can serve with them as partners, they are very few in number in comparison with the 150+ parishes in the diocese. So, to be a part of this wider Anglican fellowship is a tremendous blessing.
What am I taking him from GAFCON? Three things stand out:
1. A renewed call to the Great Commission. If one phrase captures the essence of GAFCON it is: "moving forward in mission." Internal preoccupations with the state of the diocese or the Communion cannot rob us of God's vision of sowing the seeds of the Kingdom and reaping the harvest. We are a part of a Body that has a calling that is larger than serving ourselves. That calling is bringing Christ's redemption of the world- lives being changed, one by one, by the power of Christ. I believe God is calling us to ask Him how to evangelistically reach out to our immediate neighbors.
2. A renewed appreciation for our Anglican roots. One of the highlights of this conference fro me was a series of worships on "Our Anglican Identity." Superb teachers, primarily from the UK, spoke movingly of the vision of our Anglican forebears of a church fully committed to the authority of the bible expressed in worship, liturgy, sacraments and service. So much of who we are, and why we do what we do, stems from the deep historic roots of our Anglican history. God has given us a gift in being Anglican Christians. It is time we learn more about what we have received.
3. A renewed call to intercessory prayer. In the midst of very hard work that we did at GAFCON, we were conscience that we were being covered and sustained by teams of intercessory prayer warriors. As God is calling us to move forward in mission, we will need a stronger covering of prayer for any of these efforts to succeed. When Jesus told His disciples to life up their eyes and see the field white for harvest, he first told them to pray. As you have heard me say before, it is prayer that moves mountains not programs. New steps will be taken to help us find the power, wisdom and guidance that can only be received through the fruit of prayer.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Thinking about the GAFCON Statement, Part Two
In Ap. Peter Akinola's opening address, he laid out a reason for why we were gathering. One of the most poignant was his sense of betrayal by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. Speaking as a spokesperson for the Global South bishops he said, "Lambeth authorities are not willing to listen." Why such a strong statement? The leaders of the Global South feel roundly and routinely ignored. The Windsor Report was repudiated and its recommendations dismissed as TEC (the Episcopal Church) and the ACC (Anglican Church of Canada) continued to move forward with blessing same sex unions and offered no repentance for consecrating Gene Robinson. To this, Ap. Williams made little or no public comment. Bishops in the U.S. publicly derided any idea of an Anglican Covenant and little to no response was forthcoming from Lambeth Palace. Then, (to quote again Ap. Akinola):
"The last major meeting that considered this issue was the Primates Meeting in Tanzania in February 2007. After long and painful hours of deliberations the primates gave TEC a last chance to clarify unequivocally and adequately their stand by 30th September, 2007. Strangely, BEFORE that deadline, and BEFORE the Primates could get the opportunity of meeting to assess the adequacy of the response of TEC, and in a clear demonstration of an unwillingness to follow through our collective decisions....Lambeth Palace in July 2007 issued invitations to TEC bishops including those who consecrated Gene Robinson to attend the Lambeth 2008 conference. At this point, it dawned on us, regrettably, that the Archbishop of Canterbury was not interested in what matters to us, and in what we think or say." When Ap. Akinola made that statement in his speech, a murmur of agreement went through the crowd.
This is the crucial information behind the accusation in the GAFCON statement that, presently, states that the Anglican Communion of still being "a global Communion with a colonial structure." When the majority of the Communion has the distinct impression of being ignored in favor of a tiny but rich and rebellious white minority, then it is only a matter of time before the credibility and the integrity of that leadership is called into question. This is especially true when that leadership acts in ways that are in conflict with the historic theological underpinnings of Anglicanism. No wonder the statement expresses the desire to be a part of a structure that is "more representative of the demographic distribution of global Anglicanism today" and is "stronger as an instrument of effective mission, ministry and social involvement."
It may be considered extreme to "not accept that Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury;" but what are these global south leaders to do when it is a fact that there has been a "manifest failure of the Communion Instruments to exercise discipline in the face of overt heterodoxy"? Is there an alternative method of calling these Communion Instruements to account for failing to guard the unity of the Communion and uphold the clear teaching of the Gospel?
However, as sympathetic as I am to the consensus reached at this historic meeting, that does not mean that there are not real dangers. Any reform movement can move, far too easily, from a commitment to "upholding the Gospel" to upholding their interpretation of the Gospel. In other words, reform can move quickly into sectarianism. Presently three things mitigate against this:
1. GAFCON's cooperative international consensus.
2. GAFCON's stated commitmnet to return to Anglicanism's historic roots
3. GAFCON's willingness to prevent women's ordination from being a cause for disunity.
That said, none of these features guarantee that the "bright future" of Anglicanism will not devolve into just another protestant sect. Indeed, given present day Anglicanism's extreme theological laxity, a long swing of the pendulum too far in the opposite direction will have to be scrupulously avoided. The catholic nature of Anglicanism is at stake.
"The last major meeting that considered this issue was the Primates Meeting in Tanzania in February 2007. After long and painful hours of deliberations the primates gave TEC a last chance to clarify unequivocally and adequately their stand by 30th September, 2007. Strangely, BEFORE that deadline, and BEFORE the Primates could get the opportunity of meeting to assess the adequacy of the response of TEC, and in a clear demonstration of an unwillingness to follow through our collective decisions....Lambeth Palace in July 2007 issued invitations to TEC bishops including those who consecrated Gene Robinson to attend the Lambeth 2008 conference. At this point, it dawned on us, regrettably, that the Archbishop of Canterbury was not interested in what matters to us, and in what we think or say." When Ap. Akinola made that statement in his speech, a murmur of agreement went through the crowd.
This is the crucial information behind the accusation in the GAFCON statement that, presently, states that the Anglican Communion of still being "a global Communion with a colonial structure." When the majority of the Communion has the distinct impression of being ignored in favor of a tiny but rich and rebellious white minority, then it is only a matter of time before the credibility and the integrity of that leadership is called into question. This is especially true when that leadership acts in ways that are in conflict with the historic theological underpinnings of Anglicanism. No wonder the statement expresses the desire to be a part of a structure that is "more representative of the demographic distribution of global Anglicanism today" and is "stronger as an instrument of effective mission, ministry and social involvement."
It may be considered extreme to "not accept that Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury;" but what are these global south leaders to do when it is a fact that there has been a "manifest failure of the Communion Instruments to exercise discipline in the face of overt heterodoxy"? Is there an alternative method of calling these Communion Instruements to account for failing to guard the unity of the Communion and uphold the clear teaching of the Gospel?
However, as sympathetic as I am to the consensus reached at this historic meeting, that does not mean that there are not real dangers. Any reform movement can move, far too easily, from a commitment to "upholding the Gospel" to upholding their interpretation of the Gospel. In other words, reform can move quickly into sectarianism. Presently three things mitigate against this:
1. GAFCON's cooperative international consensus.
2. GAFCON's stated commitmnet to return to Anglicanism's historic roots
3. GAFCON's willingness to prevent women's ordination from being a cause for disunity.
That said, none of these features guarantee that the "bright future" of Anglicanism will not devolve into just another protestant sect. Indeed, given present day Anglicanism's extreme theological laxity, a long swing of the pendulum too far in the opposite direction will have to be scrupulously avoided. The catholic nature of Anglicanism is at stake.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Thinking about theGAFCON Statement, Part One
Probably the best way to encapsulate the GAFCON statement is to quote GAFCON's description of itself: "a spiritual movement to preserve and promote the truth and the power of the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ as we have received it."
It is a movement. In other words, there is, now, an international group of Anglicans from 38 countries- representing millions of church members, who are willing to pray, work, stand for, and declare a creedally orthodox, and Biblicaly grounded message- as Anglicans! As such it is a "confessing" movement- meaning, what binds us together is that which we confess- more so than any organization to which we belong. What binds us together is shared belief.
That may not sound particularly unusual- most of this could be said of the membership of the Good Samaritan. However, to say this as Anglicans (including the Episcopal Church) is, to some, startling. Most Episcopalians would describe what binds them together as a certain "ethos"- a nebulous combination of liturgical memory, a certain liturgical language, common church membership, certain shared cultural preferences, and a tolerance for various ways of thinking about God. Various circles wtihin the Episcopal Church would be more definitive than this, but little else could be said about the whole of the Episcopal Church. Ethos means far more to us than any sort of authority found either in the Bible or in our founding Anglican documents (called by some, the "formularies").
However, such a description of what it means to be an Episcopalian bears little resemblence to any Biblcal model of church membership where it is beliefs- plainly laid out in the Scriptures, expressed in worship that honors Jesus as the only and true Lord, and a missionary purpose to win the lost and serve the poor that bind us together. GAFCON's commitment is to do our best to restore that Biblical vision of the church to the wider Anglican Communion.
The beliefs that the GAFCON statment expresses are contained, in their entirety, within the Anglican heritage which many of us cherish. In fact, the heart of GAFCON is a calling back to our original Anglican distinctives. Mention is made of the Bible, the Creeds, the 39 Articles of Religion (found in our Prayer Book) and the Councils of the early Church. There is nothing within the GAFCON statment with which most people from Good Samaritan would disagree. This why I was so happy to be a part of it.
It is a movement. In other words, there is, now, an international group of Anglicans from 38 countries- representing millions of church members, who are willing to pray, work, stand for, and declare a creedally orthodox, and Biblicaly grounded message- as Anglicans! As such it is a "confessing" movement- meaning, what binds us together is that which we confess- more so than any organization to which we belong. What binds us together is shared belief.
That may not sound particularly unusual- most of this could be said of the membership of the Good Samaritan. However, to say this as Anglicans (including the Episcopal Church) is, to some, startling. Most Episcopalians would describe what binds them together as a certain "ethos"- a nebulous combination of liturgical memory, a certain liturgical language, common church membership, certain shared cultural preferences, and a tolerance for various ways of thinking about God. Various circles wtihin the Episcopal Church would be more definitive than this, but little else could be said about the whole of the Episcopal Church. Ethos means far more to us than any sort of authority found either in the Bible or in our founding Anglican documents (called by some, the "formularies").
However, such a description of what it means to be an Episcopalian bears little resemblence to any Biblcal model of church membership where it is beliefs- plainly laid out in the Scriptures, expressed in worship that honors Jesus as the only and true Lord, and a missionary purpose to win the lost and serve the poor that bind us together. GAFCON's commitment is to do our best to restore that Biblical vision of the church to the wider Anglican Communion.
The beliefs that the GAFCON statment expresses are contained, in their entirety, within the Anglican heritage which many of us cherish. In fact, the heart of GAFCON is a calling back to our original Anglican distinctives. Mention is made of the Bible, the Creeds, the 39 Articles of Religion (found in our Prayer Book) and the Councils of the early Church. There is nothing within the GAFCON statment with which most people from Good Samaritan would disagree. This why I was so happy to be a part of it.
About to go home
I'm sitting in Ben Gurion airport and trying to comprehend all that has happened in the past two days. Saturday was a blazing hot day of touring around the sea of Galilee. We visited several sites- Mount of the Beatitudes, the ruins of a 4th century synagogue, Tiberius. The most interesting was viewing a mosaic floor of the church over the site where the feeding of the 5,000 took place. The floor dates back to the 3rd century. At one point I was interviewed on camera by Australian television.
While we were there we were warmly greeted by his imminence, Elias Chacour, the archbishop of the Melkite Catholic Church in Galilee- the largest Christian group in the Middle East. Ap. Chacour has been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in reconciliation in the Middle East.
Sunday began with our closing services of worship. The preacher for our Bible Study, Ap. Yong Ping Chung of SE Asia. He called GAFCON a Mordecai moment (refering to the book of Esther) calling us, like Esther, to speak out for the Gospel- both within Anglicanism and in the world. This is not a time to be silent or to acquiese. Perhaps God has put us in our positions of leadership so that we speak out "for such a time as this."
The final draft of the GAFCON statment, entitled "The Jerusalem Declaration" was presented to the packed ballroom, filled not only with the 1200 regular participants but a host of visitors and the press. At one point I counted over 30 people from the press some with television cameras. It was an historic moment. The statment was read word for word by Ap. Henry Orombi (Uganda) and it was greeted with loud cheers and an extended standing ovation.
A rousing communion service, warm hugs, and it was all over. A missionary movement has been born.
While we were there we were warmly greeted by his imminence, Elias Chacour, the archbishop of the Melkite Catholic Church in Galilee- the largest Christian group in the Middle East. Ap. Chacour has been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in reconciliation in the Middle East.
Sunday began with our closing services of worship. The preacher for our Bible Study, Ap. Yong Ping Chung of SE Asia. He called GAFCON a Mordecai moment (refering to the book of Esther) calling us, like Esther, to speak out for the Gospel- both within Anglicanism and in the world. This is not a time to be silent or to acquiese. Perhaps God has put us in our positions of leadership so that we speak out "for such a time as this."
The final draft of the GAFCON statment, entitled "The Jerusalem Declaration" was presented to the packed ballroom, filled not only with the 1200 regular participants but a host of visitors and the press. At one point I counted over 30 people from the press some with television cameras. It was an historic moment. The statment was read word for word by Ap. Henry Orombi (Uganda) and it was greeted with loud cheers and an extended standing ovation.
A rousing communion service, warm hugs, and it was all over. A missionary movement has been born.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Poverty/Aid/Economic Development
Yesterday there was a press conference on Anglican ministry's devoted to economic development. I participated in that press conference representing ARDF (Anglican Relief and Development Fund) as did Tom Sanderson of Five Talents UK (working in micro enterprise development), and Andrew Taswell of the British Based Transformational Business Network (TBN- no, not the televangelist cable station). We talked together about the different ways our agencies were trying to make a difference, particularly in the global south. While the presentations were worthwhile, the secular press had no interest. They did not even show up. The only outlets who attended this particular press conference were the specifically Christian outlets ( Christianity Today, Anglican TV, Virtue on Line, Church Times UK) and a few others. It's unfortunate that the secular press wants to say that this is all about human sexuality, and choose not to even attend events that would contradict their own presuppositions.
It's too bad, really. These groups are, in fact, doing imaginative and worthwhile work. Each group has its own niche. Five Talents raises capital to help families and individuals start small businesses. Most initial investments are about $5000. ARDF works with local churches and dioceses in both emergency relief (floods, drought and the like) and in community development (hospitals, schools, training programs, water purification, etc.). Most initial investments are between $15K and $50K. Both organizations partner with local Anglican churches and dioceses, using the network they already provide for trustable workers and long term sustainability. Transformational Business Network is involved in venture capital for starting larger business efforts also working with the local church. TBN works with a network of business leaders to create jobs, building skills and providing capital.
Later that evening we all got on buses to visit the western wall of the temple. We got there about 9:00 pm and found the wall crowded with tourists who were observing and taking pictures, and with pilgrims who were there to pray: men on one side (with required head covering) and women on the other. Many of the men came without hats so there were a lot of bishops and clergy with funny looking bandannas and handkerchiefs on their heads. However, as humorous as people looked, the overall mood of those there was solemn. People have prayed here for thousands of years and we readily entered into that same spirit.
The next day it was a morning filled with Latino celebration as 4 Anglican bishops from South America led us in rousing Spanish choruses (the group was dubbed Bp. Tito and the three Amigos). The group included our friend Bp. Frank Lyons of Bolivia and they brought down the house.
The afternoon was spent deliberating a public statement of intention created by the Primates present and their theological advisers. That statement will be made public on Sunday. It was enthusiastically received by all present. We broke up into provincial groups to add our own comments and one notable note of cultural distinction observed quickly: the Ugandan group met for one hour and concluded by singing the doxology. The group from North America met for over 4 hours word smithing every sentence!
It's too bad, really. These groups are, in fact, doing imaginative and worthwhile work. Each group has its own niche. Five Talents raises capital to help families and individuals start small businesses. Most initial investments are about $5000. ARDF works with local churches and dioceses in both emergency relief (floods, drought and the like) and in community development (hospitals, schools, training programs, water purification, etc.). Most initial investments are between $15K and $50K. Both organizations partner with local Anglican churches and dioceses, using the network they already provide for trustable workers and long term sustainability. Transformational Business Network is involved in venture capital for starting larger business efforts also working with the local church. TBN works with a network of business leaders to create jobs, building skills and providing capital.
Later that evening we all got on buses to visit the western wall of the temple. We got there about 9:00 pm and found the wall crowded with tourists who were observing and taking pictures, and with pilgrims who were there to pray: men on one side (with required head covering) and women on the other. Many of the men came without hats so there were a lot of bishops and clergy with funny looking bandannas and handkerchiefs on their heads. However, as humorous as people looked, the overall mood of those there was solemn. People have prayed here for thousands of years and we readily entered into that same spirit.
The next day it was a morning filled with Latino celebration as 4 Anglican bishops from South America led us in rousing Spanish choruses (the group was dubbed Bp. Tito and the three Amigos). The group included our friend Bp. Frank Lyons of Bolivia and they brought down the house.
The afternoon was spent deliberating a public statement of intention created by the Primates present and their theological advisers. That statement will be made public on Sunday. It was enthusiastically received by all present. We broke up into provincial groups to add our own comments and one notable note of cultural distinction observed quickly: the Ugandan group met for one hour and concluded by singing the doxology. The group from North America met for over 4 hours word smithing every sentence!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Clear content and high worship
Pehaps the best way to summarize what has been happening the past couple of days is to offer some quotes from our distinguished roster of speakers. Each of the presentations has been of the highert caliber, from Biblical expositions to commentary on the issues facing the Communion. True to the original intention of the conference planners, the focus has clearly been on the future (Global Anglican Futures Conferent- GAFCON)- how we might continue to work, serve and evangelize together in a truly cooperative global partnership.
Dr. Os Guinness on "The Gospel and Secularism": The whold modern world represents the greats oportunity for the Gospel since the apostles. It also represents the greatest challenge to the Gospel. Never underestimate the profound anti-Christian assumptions of secularity. Never have evangleiclas had clearer views on the authority of Scripture, but never has evangelical behavior been more chaotic and permissive that it is today. Those who choose to look to contemporary culture to guide their fath decisions, lose the authority of Scripture and cut themselves off from Christianity arond the world."
Ap. Henry Orombi (Uganda): Like that paralytic at the pool the Church is living but is powerless. The Lord is asking us the same question he asked the paralytic, 'Do you want to be healed?'"
Bp. Michael Nazi Ali (Rochester, UK) speaking on authentic Anglicanism: The future of the Anglcian Communion is to be found in its authentic nature, not in recent innovations or explanations. That nature is our submission to the authority of Scripture, confessing, and govered by the councils that have the ability and the authority to lead the church and theach the Christian faith. If you (the participants in GAFCON) are anything gathered here together, you are the beginings, the miraculous beginings, we may say, of an ecclesial movement for the sake of the Gospel and for the sake of Christ's Church.
There was a panel discussion last night on the Gospel in the Middle Easter. Participating in the panel were Dr. Lamin Sanneh (professor of Missions and World Christianty, Yale Divinity School), Dr. Salim Muyaner ( Palestinian Christian and founder of Musalaha a ministry of reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians), and the Rev. Evan Thomas, a leader in Israel's Messianic Community. To hear them speak together, very frankly, about the history of violence between Palestinian (Christian and Muslim) and Jew and the work of mission and reconciliation they were doing was both refreshingly honest and heartening that such a conversation could be a part of our meetings. Dr. Sanneh, a former consultant to Lambeth, also spoke encouragingly of GAFCON, "I am absolutely convinced that GAFCON is a part of the wave of the future. The Anglican Communion has to respond to GAFCON, not as a threat, but as an asset- work with it."
There have also been very informative worships on Anglicanism and HIV AIDS, The Gospel and Leadership, Anglican Identity, Marriage and Family, Church Planting and Evangelism, Theological Education
If you are interested, many of the GAFCON sessions are available on line through Anglican TV, archived at www.GAFCON.org
Yesterday we gathered at the temple steps (all 1200 of us) for worship. The site is the closest in Israel to where Peter preached at the Day of Pentecost. There was no place on earth where it was more appropriate to sing, "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing My Dear Redeemer's Praise." We did just that at the top of our lungs.
Dr. Os Guinness on "The Gospel and Secularism": The whold modern world represents the greats oportunity for the Gospel since the apostles. It also represents the greatest challenge to the Gospel. Never underestimate the profound anti-Christian assumptions of secularity. Never have evangleiclas had clearer views on the authority of Scripture, but never has evangelical behavior been more chaotic and permissive that it is today. Those who choose to look to contemporary culture to guide their fath decisions, lose the authority of Scripture and cut themselves off from Christianity arond the world."
Ap. Henry Orombi (Uganda): Like that paralytic at the pool the Church is living but is powerless. The Lord is asking us the same question he asked the paralytic, 'Do you want to be healed?'"
Bp. Michael Nazi Ali (Rochester, UK) speaking on authentic Anglicanism: The future of the Anglcian Communion is to be found in its authentic nature, not in recent innovations or explanations. That nature is our submission to the authority of Scripture, confessing, and govered by the councils that have the ability and the authority to lead the church and theach the Christian faith. If you (the participants in GAFCON) are anything gathered here together, you are the beginings, the miraculous beginings, we may say, of an ecclesial movement for the sake of the Gospel and for the sake of Christ's Church.
There was a panel discussion last night on the Gospel in the Middle Easter. Participating in the panel were Dr. Lamin Sanneh (professor of Missions and World Christianty, Yale Divinity School), Dr. Salim Muyaner ( Palestinian Christian and founder of Musalaha a ministry of reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians), and the Rev. Evan Thomas, a leader in Israel's Messianic Community. To hear them speak together, very frankly, about the history of violence between Palestinian (Christian and Muslim) and Jew and the work of mission and reconciliation they were doing was both refreshingly honest and heartening that such a conversation could be a part of our meetings. Dr. Sanneh, a former consultant to Lambeth, also spoke encouragingly of GAFCON, "I am absolutely convinced that GAFCON is a part of the wave of the future. The Anglican Communion has to respond to GAFCON, not as a threat, but as an asset- work with it."
There have also been very informative worships on Anglicanism and HIV AIDS, The Gospel and Leadership, Anglican Identity, Marriage and Family, Church Planting and Evangelism, Theological Education
If you are interested, many of the GAFCON sessions are available on line through Anglican TV, archived at www.GAFCON.org
Yesterday we gathered at the temple steps (all 1200 of us) for worship. The site is the closest in Israel to where Peter preached at the Day of Pentecost. There was no place on earth where it was more appropriate to sing, "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing My Dear Redeemer's Praise." We did just that at the top of our lungs.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Monday morning catch up!
Hello, praying friends I canot tell you how much I appreciate your support. Your prayers are so critical to the success of this event- as well as my own personal stamina and spiritual wellbeing. All of us flying by the seat of our pants. Every event has last minute glitches, unforseen circumstances that ( most of the time) become last minute blessings.
One example: the opening service on Sunday evening (by the time it began) was sheer joy. Getting to that point was stressful, tedious, and fraught with potential pitfalls. All of our meetings were in a very large ballroom- seating for 1200 people. There is a large stage- big enough to hold a gian altar, podium, seats and full band. However- the band (my responsibility) is made up of me, Michael Guernsey, and 9 Ugandan young adults who- on their own- function as a praise band in their own country. The job is to present a variety of music- from classical hymns to contemporary praise choruses offered in a plethora of musical styles that represent the various nations that are here. SO- not only can there not be too much of a particular style of music, also- outside of English (which is the language of the conference) there cannot be too many songs sung in any particular language or others will feel slighted! Also, using various people in music must be handled gingerly because everyone wants to "offer their gifts." I even had an African bishop come up to me yesterday and tell me he played "good jazz piano" and hinted that he would be available to play for tomorrow's communion service. Continue to pray God grant us gifts beyond our experience in international diplomacy!
Peter Akinola (who because of threats on his life is now under constant body guard) gave the opening address. I would encourage you to read it. It can be found on David Virtue's web site (www.virtueonline.org). He layed out as clearly as I have heard the time line of events which have led to the formation of this conference. He also stated very clearly that while the dillemmas before are both severe and complicated- he has no intention of forming a new church or no longer being Anglican. Quite the opposite: he said (to thunderous applause) "We have been Anglicans. We are Anglicans. We will never be anything else but Anglican."
(Speaking editorially: if the position of this conference is to stay in Anglicanism AND stand together no matter what, then what will the rest of Anglicanism do with this large bloc of of evangelical bishops, clergy and laypeople who represent the numerical majority of the Communion who refuse to accomodate themselves to the theological and ethical revisions in our Communion? People in the world know the import of what is happening, far more than many Episcopalians: there was a press conference last night and Rueters, Catholic news service, National Review, BBC, London Times, the Guardian- only to name a few- were present).
Another example: this morning 1200 people had to be transported to a large lot on top of the Mount of Olives. There is a spectacular view of the old city and is often the view you find on postcards from Jersalem. Getting people there in a large caravan of busses and getting them assembled was its own logistical challenge. BUT there was also going to be a service there complete with litany and music. THEN- to top it all off, a helicopted with a professional photographer was going to fly over and take a panoramic picture of everyone as we overlooked the city. When we arrived, the sound people forgot my keyboard, part of the Ugandan crew missed their bus and arrived late, and some of the bishops who were supposed to assist in the liturgical leadership were not to be found. We had to punt: the brass quartet we had employed to assist us played longer than we had orginially intented and the Ugandan band sang several of their songs as we waited for bishops and the keyboard to arrive. The sound crew got everything going at the very last minute- and to the conference attendee it looked as if everything worked out just as it had been planned. :) Everyone said the service was a deeply moving time of intercession and worship as we overlooked the city together- and it WAS!
THEN- after the service was concluded we all found ourselves in the middle of a traffic jam because the French president is in town today!
Grace to you all!
One example: the opening service on Sunday evening (by the time it began) was sheer joy. Getting to that point was stressful, tedious, and fraught with potential pitfalls. All of our meetings were in a very large ballroom- seating for 1200 people. There is a large stage- big enough to hold a gian altar, podium, seats and full band. However- the band (my responsibility) is made up of me, Michael Guernsey, and 9 Ugandan young adults who- on their own- function as a praise band in their own country. The job is to present a variety of music- from classical hymns to contemporary praise choruses offered in a plethora of musical styles that represent the various nations that are here. SO- not only can there not be too much of a particular style of music, also- outside of English (which is the language of the conference) there cannot be too many songs sung in any particular language or others will feel slighted! Also, using various people in music must be handled gingerly because everyone wants to "offer their gifts." I even had an African bishop come up to me yesterday and tell me he played "good jazz piano" and hinted that he would be available to play for tomorrow's communion service. Continue to pray God grant us gifts beyond our experience in international diplomacy!
Peter Akinola (who because of threats on his life is now under constant body guard) gave the opening address. I would encourage you to read it. It can be found on David Virtue's web site (www.virtueonline.org). He layed out as clearly as I have heard the time line of events which have led to the formation of this conference. He also stated very clearly that while the dillemmas before are both severe and complicated- he has no intention of forming a new church or no longer being Anglican. Quite the opposite: he said (to thunderous applause) "We have been Anglicans. We are Anglicans. We will never be anything else but Anglican."
(Speaking editorially: if the position of this conference is to stay in Anglicanism AND stand together no matter what, then what will the rest of Anglicanism do with this large bloc of of evangelical bishops, clergy and laypeople who represent the numerical majority of the Communion who refuse to accomodate themselves to the theological and ethical revisions in our Communion? People in the world know the import of what is happening, far more than many Episcopalians: there was a press conference last night and Rueters, Catholic news service, National Review, BBC, London Times, the Guardian- only to name a few- were present).
Another example: this morning 1200 people had to be transported to a large lot on top of the Mount of Olives. There is a spectacular view of the old city and is often the view you find on postcards from Jersalem. Getting people there in a large caravan of busses and getting them assembled was its own logistical challenge. BUT there was also going to be a service there complete with litany and music. THEN- to top it all off, a helicopted with a professional photographer was going to fly over and take a panoramic picture of everyone as we overlooked the city. When we arrived, the sound people forgot my keyboard, part of the Ugandan crew missed their bus and arrived late, and some of the bishops who were supposed to assist in the liturgical leadership were not to be found. We had to punt: the brass quartet we had employed to assist us played longer than we had orginially intented and the Ugandan band sang several of their songs as we waited for bishops and the keyboard to arrive. The sound crew got everything going at the very last minute- and to the conference attendee it looked as if everything worked out just as it had been planned. :) Everyone said the service was a deeply moving time of intercession and worship as we overlooked the city together- and it WAS!
THEN- after the service was concluded we all found ourselves in the middle of a traffic jam because the French president is in town today!
Grace to you all!
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