SON OF MAN CAN THESE BONES LIVE? EZEK 37:3 Prophecy over these bones, Son of Man! Every one of us have asked that question; can these bones live? The articles from the Anglican Communion that I posted today reflected the frustration of Presiding Bishop Griswold and of Bishop Ingham in regard to affairs in their spheres of responsibility and their dealings with their peers. Regardless of theological, political, or social stances; serious Christians wonder the same thing about the state of Churches in the West. Can these bones live? We can't help but wonder if the pain is the birth pangs of some greater new life to come, or the pain of death. Some have died while wondering what is happening. Here are the nearly last words of one who wrote often on these matters. Charles ------------------------------------- How do we know when we're led by the Holy Spirit? Dr. Hugh Dempster, Anglican social activist and TOPIC contributor, died September 13. This article was submitted last month. The debate on the blessing of same-sex unions at our recent Synod, and its aftermath,left me with one nagging question. When there is a fundamental disagreement within a church body, how do we discern which voice (if any) represents the leading of the Holy Spirit? At Synods and other decision-making meetings of the church, we begin with prayer, which typically includes a request for guidance of the Spirit in all that we are about to do. It may be that the various members of such a body have somewhat different attitudes to this act. Perhaps for some it is more or less a formality, expressing and focusing our determination to proceed with all the wisdom and care we can muster. For many, I am sure, it is much deeper than that; they believe firmly that God does hear and answer prayer, that the Spirit does guide us, and therefore that such guidance will be given in response to that prayer. My expectation is that this latter group would include most of those we might label "conservative" Christians - their faith strongly based in the Bible and church tradition. This expectation reshapes my question. In its light, should I not also expect that most members of Synod (but especially those holding the "conservative" attitude to prayer) would trust the guidance of the Spirit to be reflected in the result of our carefully chosen decision process: a full and thoughtful debate, listening for the Spirit's voice, followed by a carefully considered vote? Obviously, that did not happen. Moreover, it was the "conservative" members (if I may continue to use this label for simplicity), whom I had expected to be the most certain that the voice of the Spirit would emerge, who rejected the decision. One answer I can anticipate - and indeed it has already been given: "The Synod's decision is inconsistent with the teaching of scripture and the traditions of the church, and therefore it cannot represent the voice of the Spirit." That assumes that our understanding of scripture has always been correct, that our traditions have always matched God's will, and that no change in circumstances can make any difference. In short, that the Spirit never has need to say anything new. That seems to me highly unlikely, and indeed there are scriptural examples to the contrary. Let me cite some words from the Spirit which were totally at odds with the hearer's expectation. Abraham had God's promise that he would be father of a great nation, but he and Sarah were childless, and aging to the point that they laughed when the promise was repeated. Yet a son was born, and given the name Isaac, reflecting that laugh. Imagine for a moment what that boy must have meant to Abraham, and then how he felt when, one day, the voice of the Spirit came again (Gen. 22): "Take your son Isaac, whom you love, to Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering." Surely, that could not be God's voice, asking him to throw away God's greatest gift! Yet Abraham trusted, and obeyed - and of course was rewarded in the end. Peter, in Joppa (Acts 10), was praying on the rooftop and became hungry. While waiting for food, he had a vision of a sheet being lowered from heaven containing all kinds of animals, and a voice saying "Rise, kill and eat." But apparently the animals were not acceptable under Jewish law, for Peter refuses: "I have never eaten anything common or unclean." The voice comes again, "What God has cleansed, you must not call common." Just then messengers arrive from a Roman centurion, and Peter understands that he is to go with these gentiles - surely an act at variance to his understanding of Jewish law and tradition. "Behold, I make all things new" says the voice from the throne near the end of John's apocalypse (Rev. 21:5). How can we assume that no new word will ever come from God? Let's see, then. We think of God as our loving parent, and we readily acknowledge ourselves as sinners. I can imagine, in some situation, God's paternal voice almost shouting "NO! That's NOT what I said - you've got it wrong!" And then, more gently, "Look. You know that I love you, just as I love all my creatures. And all I really expect in return is that you love me too. But that implies that you reflect my love to each of your fellow creatures - your neighbours, all of them. It is not up to you to choose who to love, or who to despise: remember the example I once gave you, in which the one who showed true love was, of all things, a Samaritan - one of a group most hated and despised by my people of that day! "It is not up to you to decide that some other is a greater sinner than yourself, and hence unworthy of your love (and mine): that is mine to judge! Nor is it your responsibility to withhold my blessing from any who seek it: have I not said 'Ask, and it shall be given you'?" I believe that God has been saying something like this to us through our three recent Synods. If so, we in this diocese are being called to lead, not just the Anglican Communion but the whole Christian world, into a new and clearer understanding of God's law and God's love. Have we a compelling reason to believe that such a call is impossible? Or do we have the conviction and courage to hear and respond to that call? - J. R. Hugh Dempster ©Copyright Diocese of New Westminster, 2002. _________________________________________________________________ Surf the Web without missing calls! Get MSN Broadband. http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/plans/freeactivation.asp