> Dean Scott: Easter greetings and happy St George's Day 2007.
Thanks for posting this message from the
AAC.
I do take issue with
Anderson's comments on the Very Rev Jeffrey John PhD and his comments
on the soteriological that he gave on BBC Radio 4 on Spy Wednesday:
Succinctly, Dean John is averring back to
the ransom theory that was normative for centuries in the early Church
(And which I support for what that is worth).
Having had to endure (and participate) in Tre Ore Services
( Jesuit invention in the 16/17th c) on Good Friday when I was in parish
work (I abolished them as soon as I could!) I recall being asked one
time, only half in jest, if 'the blood will be ankle deep again at your
shop this year...
I asked what
this meant ,and was told by the inquirer that some years before there
had been a real hyper Calvinist preacher and his excesses had upset (not
without cause) some of the faithful (I might add that I have been a
regular novendial reciter of the Litany of the Most Precious Blood for
decades and take St John 6 ex animo).
My principle demurr to what Dean John said was that it might confuse
people as to the Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.
But as the late C B Moss said half
a centiry ago: "Unless our people really understand what they are
singing ,some of the hymns (Hymns A & M) "There is a Fountain Filled
With Blood" etc) should not be sung. I think he has a very valid point.
I might also say that I received
another copy of the Anglican Tradition magazine fromSt Paul's REC in
Louisiana.
I do enjoy the material (tho
I would dissent from some of it for its Reformed position at times) but
was puzzled in the last issue with all of the paragraphs on the saints
(most quite good) that there was no mention of St George!
I wonder why.
Anyone know?
Blessings in Mary's
Risen Son. GDVW+
Message from Canon David Anderson, AAC President
> Beloved in Christ,
> This is Holy Week, so my remarks on recent news will
> be brief in comparison to previous weeks' messages, in
> part so that I can share an Easter story.
> The American Anglican Council's (AAC) Communiqué
> Compliance Office has completed its March report, and
> it will be released to the global Anglican Primates
> during Easter Week. The report will subsequently
> become available on the AAC Web site.
> The big 60th birthday bash for Elton John – and
> individual who is known to be hostile to Christianity
> and is a gay advocate living with his legal partner –
> was held last week in, of all places, the nave and
> chancel of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New
> York City. The Cathedral is said to be hard up for
> money and so rents out the space for secular uses,
> although this event must certainly push the envelope.
> Religious statuary and the high altar, signs of a
> better and more spiritual time, all looked on as
> revelers ate and drank and celebrated, but not in
> celebration of the sacred mysteries of the Christian
> faith. Welcome to the progressive move of the
> Episcopal Church.
> Finally, in an event closely tied to Easter, the Very
> Rev. Jeffrey John, a Church of England priest who was
> at one point the bishop-appointee of Reading, has
> flown his true faith colors in remarks about the
> atonement and Good Friday. Speaking to BBC Radio, John
> termed the traditional teaching of Christ's
> crucifixion "repulsive" and "insane". Having to
> withdraw from an appointment to the post of Bishop of
> Reading in 2003 after it became clear that he was
> living in a homosexual relationship, John was
> subsequently appointed dean of a cathedral and is
> reported by Jonathan Wynne-Jones of the Sunday
> Telegraph to be accusing clergy who preach this Easter
> that Christ was sent to die in atonement for the sins
> of mankind as making "God sound like a psychopath."
> (The full transcript of his remarks are posted to the
> AAC Blog here ) This is actually not surprising, as
> the AAC has been saying all along that the real issues
> at stake in the Anglican Communion are primarily the
> person and work of Jesus Christ and the authority of
> Holy Scripture, and secondarily sexual morality. You
> might say that theology is the sleeper tie underneath
> the rails of morality. When the sleeper ties crumble
> and rot, it is not surprising that the rails pull
> loose and derail and wreck the train. So we are well
> advised that it is not just the American Episcopal
> Church that is in train-wreck mode.
> Blessings and Peace in Christ Jesus,
>
> The Rev. Canon David C. Anderson
> President and CEO, American Anglican Council
>
> --
> To unsubscribe, send ANY message to:
> faithandlife-unsubscribe@...
>
-----------------------------------------
Celebrate the Easter/Lent Season with Catholic Online!
http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent/