Letters from 8 to 14
January 2007
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'We are
called upon to love our enemies, instead of making enemies out
of our neighbors'
Thank
you for the reminder in
last week's
essay of the profound need to act in obedience
to Christ's commandments, especially those about loving our
neighbors as ourselves (and not just those neighbors we find
likable or with whom we agree). And, of course, we are called
upon to love our enemies, instead of making enemies out of
our neighbors.
The separation
between ECUSA and (at least) Southern Hemisphere Anglicans is
probably inevitable, as is the dissolution of ECUSA into separate
denominations with Anglican backgrounds. Perhaps this will be
better than what is going on now. Opposing factions become occasions
of sin for each other.
If separation
can occur with some degree of charity, that may be what is needed,
and sooner rather than later. At least one parish has left the
Diocese of Dallas in a manner that appears to reflect reasonably
well on both the parish leaders and their former bishop.
See
www.christchurchplano.org/documents/06_0915_roseberry.html
and
www.christchurchplano.org/documents/06_0915_roseberry.html#Stanton
Perhaps
that can serve as a model for other parishes and dioceses facing
difficult choices, as well as the national ECUSA hierarchy as
it deals with inidividual dioceses.
Ted Gale
Calvary Episcopal (Indian Rocks Beach)
Seminole (Pinellas County), Florida, USA
8 January 2007
'Curiouser
and curiouser' indeed
Just
a word or two of appreciation for
your editorial page which sustains those whose lot is to sustain
others. 'Joyful
obedience' is a fine example accompanied as
it is by the beauty of the accompanying obedience plant.
I think
as the life of the church becomes 'curiouser and curiouser' to
quote an extremely wise and articulate Ottawa Anglican friend
on the brink of schism we will need your steadying word more and
more. Thank you.
Freda Binns
St. Mary's Church
Charminster, Dorset, UNITED KINGDOM
9 January 2007
Obedient
'to the only One worth obeying'
Wow!
today's essay (8 January 2007) is
a wonderful bit of synchronicity. I've been thinking a lot
about loving
obedience lately—and here you are, articulating
so well what has been a kind of muddle in my post-Christmas
head. Thank you so much for putting my thought into words.
And the Van Dyke quotation fills me with joy and the desire
to continue to try to be obedient to the only One worth obeying.
Happy Epiphany
and thank you for your work!
The Reverend
Christine Gilson
Trinity
Episcopal Church
Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA
9 January 2007
Calling
all St Mary's churches
We
are having to replace the rotting floor and
pews in our mediaeval village church dedicated to St Mary
the Virgin. Our population is about 350 and we need to raise £95,000.
We are getting some response from churches in our area also
dedicated to St Mary and wonder how to make email contact
with others—possibly mainly the USA. Can readers give me some
clues as to how to find these on the Internet please? Any
suggestions will be helpful.
Ann Rigby-Jones
St Mary the Virgin, Ideford
Devon, ENGLAND
annrj@eclipse.co.uk
8 January 2007
Holy Communion:
not optional at important Anglican gatherings
I
strongly support the letter of
Richard
T. DeVito (January 1) regarding the celebration of
Holy Communion on important occasions. It has always been
my belief that the Eucharist is amongst fundamentals of being
an Anglican and whilst the Daily Offices, and the Occasional
Services are beautiful (especially in 1662 BCP) they should
never be used as acceptable alternatives in cases where a
non-Anglican—even non-Church—public is among the gathering.
It disturbs
me greatly that in this Diocese of Tasmania the annual Synod no
longer commences with a celebration of the Holy Communion. Indeed,
a proposal to re-introduce this was scorned-down at a Synod three
years ago.
That a
Synod believes it is able to do its work without first being strengthened
by the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ through the Eucharist
makes a mockery of the alternative appeal that we should just
pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Those using an Anglican Church for certain occasions should not be
allowed to decline for Holy Communion to be celebrated; and if they
object that "we we will go elsewhere", they should be encouraged
to do so!
Furthermore
our clergy should actively promote the wonder of the Eucharist
to their congregations so that, at marriage or at death, it is
a natural expectation it will be celebrated within that service.
Trevor
G. Cowell
Christ Church (Anglican) Illawarra, Longford
Perth, Tasmania, AUSTRALIA
platcha1@optusnet.com.au
10 January 2007
Girl Guides
cheerfully revisited
I
just felt a need to defend the
Girl Guides from your charge that we are "disgustingly cheerful." As
a girl member and now an adult leader, I found the organization
to be, in fact, the kind of joyful [one? a word is missing
in the original letter] that you are advocating for the church.
(And a remarkably high percentage of women in leadership positions
in the Church in this part of the world, lay and ordained,
have been active members!)
Heather
McCance
Parish of Sharon and Holland Landing
Newmarket, Ontario, CANADA
10 January 2007
Ed.
note: The writer of the letter was a Girl Guide. No disrespect
was intended, but she does believe that a hearty, false perkyness
can, in fact, be as unpalatable as false piety.
Earlier letters
We launched our 'Letters
to AO' section on 11 May 2003. All published letters are in our
archives.
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