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In those days
Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.
(Judges
21:25 NIV)
March 2007
Dear All Saints' Family,
The leaders (Primates) of the 39 provinces of
the Anglican Communion met in Tanzania on February 14-19 to deal with
the many issues that face our communion. High on the agenda was the
response to the decision of the General Convention 2006 not to fully
comply with the requirements of the Windsor Report. As this historic
meeting approached, many wanted the debate decided once and for
all. Voices on both sides were calling for, and expecting the church to
split, and during the meetings there were signs that this would happen.
God had something else in mind, at least for now.
In their final communiqué (report), the primates
restated that the biblical and traditional doctrine on human sexuality
remains the official teaching of the Anglican Church. They also made it
clear that the Episcopal Church has departed from that teaching, failed
to comply with the Windsor Report, and caused the crisis we face as a
Communion. The communiqué is nine pages long, and I will be happy to set
aside time to discuss it fully, but the bottom line is that our bishops
have been given until September 30, 2007 to decide whether we will
comply fully with the Windsor Repot or walk away from our historic
roots. The final report was signed by all of the Primates, including our
Presiding Bishop. The Episcopal Church has been given a clear choice and
a finite deadline. Please pray for God’s will for our bishops, as they
will determine our future course.
How did we get into such a mess? I truly believe
that the above verse from Judges gives us the answer. From the beginning
of their existence Israel was a theocracy, which means that God was
their king, their ultimate lawgiver and authority. “In those days, (at
the particular time in history to which the verse refers) Israel had no
king; everyone did as they saw fit.” In other words the people had
turned away from the authority, law, and kingship of God and did what
they wanted. The result was disastrous to Israel, leading to trouble
and chaos. The same is true for The Episcopal Church. One might say the
church left behind the authority of scripture and tradition teaching,
and everyone did as they saw fit. This type of action has led us to the
mess we are in.
The principle holds true for us as individuals.
When we turn away from God’s commands, laws, and authority and do as we
see fit, we risk not only our peace and security on this earth, we also
risk our eternal souls The season of Lent is the time for us to repent,
turn to God and submit our lives to His will and ways. We, like our
bishops, have a choice. Will it be God’s way or my way? I pray that this
Lent be a time for all of us to amend our lives as we continue to be
formed into the fullness of Christ so that we will be witnesses to God’s
unchangeable Word.
Peace and blessings,
Fr. David
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