You will know that I do not comment or report much on the goings-on in the wider Church, as I and my parishioners have enough to do trying to be faithful Christians right here in Bayonne. However, today was a historic day. The Diocese of San Joaquin, in Convention assembled, voted today to withdraw from The Episcopal Church and come under the authority of the Province of the Southern Cone. Now I and many others believe this is not possible, that people can leave but parishes and dioceses cannot, but the people of San Joaquin do. And so now the dice are cast, the Rubicon is crossed, whatever hackneyed phrase you want to use. The word I have been hoping to avoid is upon us. There is schism in the Anglican Communion and in The Episcopal Church. I am very sad over this. (H/T to Stand Firm)
O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior,
the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the
great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away
all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us
from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body
and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith,
one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all
of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth
and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and
one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. (BCP, p. 818)
Update: Episcopal News service has a press release about this happening.
RFSJ
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3 comments:
They did nothing!
Do you know what happens
when you withdraw your hand
from God’s bucket?
Nothing!
There is no hole in the surface of the bucket.
There is no equal and opposite reaction.
There is no cause and effect.
There is no loss and gain.
Whose plan is this?
Trog,
I'm not sure at all what you're saying here. Perhaps I'm not feeling very poetic this evening. Help me out. What do you mean?
RFSJ
RFSJ
There’s no poetry here. You lament their leaving. The reality that they left has no meaning. Some come. Some go. Most stay. It means nothing. It has had no effect on the Body of Christ. That is the same, untouched, unsullied, forever.
I do not follow the dictates of some far off bishop. I follow the Christ. If one thousand churches decide to leave I will not throw away the Bible, or, the BCP, for that matter.
If you feel inclined, pray for those who have left. That might fix them. It might fix you, too.
Trog
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