> Rev & Dear Father Acker: In my mental miasma I seem to have forgotten your CV: Where is your parish and how do things go? Blessings. GDVW+Dear Brothers in Christ, > I, like many, had a wonderful positive experience at my first APA > National Synod (Thursday & Friday) and the Diocese of the West Synod > (Thursday). The most contrasting aspect of the APA Synod to my previous > jurisdiction, which I won't even mention among the brethren, is that the > faith and fellowship of the body of Christ is lived out in a visible > manner. > It is not schizophrenic, or dysfunctional. The Communion we share with one > another was visible in heart, mind, and soul as we gathered in Merriville. > It was visible and present with Father Amos being the sacramental presence > of Archbishop Peter and our sisters and brothers of the Church of Nigeria. > While I had shared in Communion with Bishop Richard Boyce and Archbishop > Peter on previous occasions, it became manifest at Synod. > It is this greater sacramental reality of Communion to which I am > encouraged to see a building up of the Body of Christ as the true bonds of > affection belong to Christ Jesus and his Body. We have a reality of > Communion that goes beyond our ecclesial structures, Thanks be to God, as > they have not adequately served their Lord during these past 40 years or > more. We should not be surprised when they have not served us. > Since the Hope and a Future Conference in Pittsburgh last Fall and > the Primates have called for faithful Anglicans in the West to step out > (literally) in faith and realize with ourselves and our people that the > Jesus Christ is called us to be his Body, not an ecclesial structure; that > we must follow Him as he leads us to do his work. The Primates call was > for > all faithful Anglicans to come together, not compromising the saving faith > of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but to see our Lord bringing us to be the > Communion in the Americas. > There is a winnowing taking place. Our Lord is pruning to create > greater growth in the Church. We can rejoice at seeing the grapes forming > and growing on the vine. Our God will prune where prune where he knows it > will bring larger and sweeter grapes, not longer gangly foliage. Unity and > Communion are in His Blood giving life to the vine. We can rejoice that > we, > as witnesses to the risen Lord among us, are now more visibly surrounded > by > a great cloud of witnesses of not just the faithful gone before us in all > times, but in all places, and by all. The catholic faith of visible unity > starts and ends in our Lord Jesus. > Let us rejoice that we can see "the gracious hand of our God" at > work in our day, across the Americas, and in our midst. > > I am honored to have been allowed to share with you this past week and > look > forward to the mighty work to which he has called us to be friends. > > In Christ Jesus our Savior, Lord, and King, > > Father Keith Acker > Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity > Alpine, CA--Diocese of the West > Anglican Province of America > > -- > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: > faithandlife-unsubscribe@... > > -- > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: > faithandlife-unsubscribe@... > > ----------------------------------------- Catholic Financial Services Send and Receive all online Payments And Donations No Merchant Account Required! https://www.catholicfs.org/