Fr. Johann+

Thank you for the sermon.

In recent weeks a female relative and an aging male
friend have both been called by some inner voice to
priesthood.  

A waggish reply (which I am too genteel to use, but
one I'm tempted to use) goes like this:  "I don't
remember calling you."

Or, (waggish restrained response #2) taking a cue from
Acts 6, what congregation pointed to you as their
choice to serve?  (vox populi = voxdei?)

Of course I restrain myself and attempt to patiently
teach as you are doing while suggesting other avenues
of service.

Judges 17:6
In those days there was no king in Israel, but every
man did that which was right in his own eyes.

In these days, it is as it was in "those days."

Charles+





--- cranmer@... wrote:

> I preached this sermon to illustrate the use (and
> abuse) of Holy Scripture this past Sunday.  Thought
> y'all might find it interesting in light of recent
> discussions.
> 
> Johann+
> 
> Romans 15:4    St. Luke 21:25
> Unchanging Hope
> I received prayer request from young lady the other
> day – basically asking for me to pray that God would
> reveal to her Rector whether or not she should be
> ordained to the holy priesthood – I replied that I
> would most certainly pray for her, but asked whether
> she had considered entering into the biblical,
> apostolic and historic order of Deaconess – her
> answer was emphatic (and I quote):  “No, because
> it’s not about what I want.  It’s about what the
> Lord has decided.  He has called me to be a priest.”
>  
> 
> Now this is a problem we have had to face in the
> past and we most certainly will have to face in the
> future as we continue to talk with some in the
> Network and the AAC and other orthodox (and, dare I
> say, heterodox) Anglican groups who do believe since
> the 1970’s in women’s ordination – those who believe
> that their Lord has decided that women are to be
> priests.
> 
> But to me it seems as if their Lord speaks with a
> different voice from that which the Church has heard
> for more than 2000 years…a different voice that no
> longer uses Scripture and its historic
> interpretation as the foundation upon which to base
> decisions concerning the Church’s faith and
> practice…a different voice that no longer speaks
> with the one collective voice of the Apostles and
> the Ecumenical Councils…a different voice that
> departs from the traditional practice of the
> Historic Church and now rather speaks from
> individual reason and experience…
> 
> And believe me, if ever there was an opportunity for
> the Church to introduce the novelty of women’s
> ordination it was when the Gospel first went out to
> those for whom, priestesses were not uncommon…when
> the Gospel went out to the pagan nations in the
> Early 1st Century.  <snip>