Visit the AO Shop

EVERY WEEK WE PUBLISH a selection of letters we receive in response to something you've read at Anglicans Online. Stop by and have a look at what other AO readers are thinking.

Alas, we cannot publish every letter we receive. And we won't publish letters that are anonymous, hateful, illiterate, or otherwise in our judgment do not benefit the readers of Anglicans Online. We usually do not publish letters written in response to other letters. We edit letters to conform with standard AO house style for punctuation, but we do not change, for example, American spelling to conform to Canadian orthography. On occasion we'll gently edit letters that are too verbose in their original form. Email addresses are included when the authors give permission to do so.

If you'd like to respond to a letter whose author does not list an email, you can send your response to Anglicans Online and we'll forward it to the writer.

Letters from 8 to 14 October 2007

Like all letters to the editor everywhere, these letters are the opinions of the writers and not Anglicans Online. We publish letters that we think will be of interest to our readers, whether we agree with them or not. If you'd like to write a letter of your own, click here.

How great a treasure

Thank you for your editorial on communion tokens.

I often observe to the faithful that we would do well sometimes to turn back to those little books we were given at the time of Confirmation. Most of which remind us about preparing for Communion the day before we are due to go.
I am not sad that we are more generous with the sacrament, and I have never been in the situation where I have had to refuse someone, but I think there is much to be gained by being more carefully reflected about "how great a treasure we have here."

Stephen Clark
Anglican Parish of Coromandel Valley, Diocese of Adelaide, South Austr
Adelaide, South Australia, AUSTRALIA
coro35@bigpond.net.au
9 October 2007

How great a treasure

About Holy Men. Father Antony-Gerald Lee Stevens, a true and walking, living, holy man died on September 22. He was 95 years old. He was my spiritual director and taught me everything I needed to know about that. He consoled me in grief and encouraged me in following God's call. When I was in his presence, I knew unquestionably God was there as well. The persons I have counseled since are his spiritual grandchildren!

Today Father Stevens is eternally praying his long list which he carried with him at all times - and continues to. His life in Christ - exemplified by his work in the Leper Colonies of Bolahun in Liberia, with the Diocese of West Tennessee and the Order of the Holy Cross in West Park, New York- has shown us what it is like to live a life in thin places. I know he is celebrating at this moment with so many of those who have gone before, and for whom he has offered his gracious intercession. What a blessing to have shared time and prayers with one of God's saints.

Bindy Snyder
Memphis Theological Seminary
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
revbindy@bellsouth.net
12 October 2007

Earlier letters

We launched our 'Letters to AO' section on 11 May 2003. All published letters are in our archives.