Letters from 30 June
to 6 July 2008
Like all letters
to the editor everywhere, these letters are the opinions of the writers
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All the letters last week were in response to
our question about bishops and their activities. We wrote: 'We do not often give homework to our readers,
but we wonder if you have seen Anglican bishops whose churchly office is
confirmed by their behaviour toward their fellow-bishops, whether it be
in kisses or kindness of some other kind'. Here's what we learnt from some
of you:
Peace in Maryland
You asked
about bishops exchanging the peace, etc. and especially
in the context of Peter and Paul. I had the very good fortune
to vest and process at the consecration of the Reverend Canon
Eugene Sutton as Bishop of Maryland this past Saturday (the Feast
of Irenaeus). Word was that there were 20 bishops of the Episcopal
Church present. All the bishops from Virginia, West Virginia,
North Carolina, Washington, DC; previous bishops of Maryland
and the Bishop of Long Island were ones I recognized and of
course the Presiding Bishop. I can attest to a hearty exchange
of the Peace among the bishops present!
Father
Chris Cunningham
Good Shepherd Church, Bluemont
Leesburg, Virginia, USA
ctcunningham61@earthlink.net
30 June 2008
The ABCS
of carrying
baggage
I began
studies at Virginia Theological Seminary in the fall of 1997.
A fellow student told me how she had come to be a student there.
The previous year, she attended a ministry weekend designed for
people considering attending the seminary. As she arrived looking
for a particular dorm where she was to stay, she saw a casually
attired man walking along the sidewalk and rolled down her window,
asking if he knew where the dorm was located. he did and pointed
to it. As she pulled up at the dorm, the man took her bag up to
her room and placed it by the door. She thanked him and settled
in.
That night
she learned that the man was then-Archbishop of Canterbury, George
Carey, who was a visiting fellow at the seminary. She decided
then that VTS was right for her as any seminary that had the Archbishop
carry ones bags had to be the right choice.
The Reverend
Frank Logue
King of Peace Episcopal Church
Kingsland, Georgia, USA
30 June 2008
Anglicans
and Lutherans dance in Canada
In response
to the activities of bishops: The Waterloo
Declaration was signed a number of years ago as the Full Communion
Agreement between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and
the Anglican Church of Canada. The then Primate (The Most Reverend
Michael Peers) and the then National Bishop (The Reverend Telmor
Sartison) not only embraced each other, but also danced out of
the worship together.
I can't
find any copies of a video online that you could use as a clip,
but the article at the following address does talk about it. http://www2.anglican.ca/gs2007/media/mk-elcic.htm.
It
definitely was a sight to behold.
Colin Cameron
Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church, Burlington
Burlington, Ontario, CANADA
rev_ccameron@sympatico.ca
3 July 2008
An Anglican
weather report, not chanted
1)
What do you mean "cool of the day"? Coldest
austral winter, my colonial oath! Over a foot of snow on the
(Victorian) Alps, grey days enlivened by 3.75 minutes of sun,
winds so fast that we haven't had one day without Wind Warnings–Storm
/ Gale / Strong — take
your pick. Solstatio Brumali-juro! Showers that promise an end
to the 14-year drought but just blow over into annoying drizzle. Enjoy
your sunshine! You won't have it for long. And on a personal
note a type of cold that causes not coughs and sneezes but watery
eyes and a feeling of lassitude.
2) The
contrast between Pauline and Petrine was new to me. An apt metaphor
for the times.
3) If I
had a quid for every time I'd seen a headline in the media screaming
the forthcoming split / schism I'd have $25,670. The Church is
wider than the ideas of the narrow-minded media. Do not let them
panic anyone into anything silly. And this too will pass.
Steve Duke
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
3 July 2008
'Hello,
My Name is Saul'
Great cover
essay about Peter and Paul. But you perpetuate the notion that
Saul of Tarsus changed his name when he became a Christian. Like
most Greek speaking Jews of the diaspora he had both a Hebrew
name, Saul, and a Greek name, Paul. The two names sound alike
in English but not so much in the originals. Note that even in
the latter parts of Acts, he is still called Saul when in Jerusalem
dealing with the Aramaic speaking church.
Michael
Merriman
Church of the Transfiguration, Dallas, Texas
Plano, Texas, USA
m_c_merriman@hotmail.com
30 June 2008
Holding
to the centre
I think
the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, is one of the
finest Christian gentlemen and bishops I have known of, at
least in recent Anglican history. He cares for all the bishops
of our Communion, even those who spend, seemingly, hours excoriating
him. He never responds with anger, but carefully, respectfully,
and with what seems the patience of Job. He is striving to
save a Communion, the two extreme wings of which are striving
equally hard to destroy it, all the while remembering a call
to live and preach the Gospel, raise up the fallen and downtrodden,
and break the oppression of the World, the flesh, and the
devil.
Father
Walter Van Windsor
Trinity Church
Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA
waltwindsor@aol.com
30 June 2008
Peter and
Paul . . . And Paul and Jack
In your
letter on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, you
asked to hear about bishops whose churchly office is confirmed
by their behaviour toward their fellow-bishops. One of your earlier
letters about companion relationships between dioceses drew positive
attention to the relationship between my home diocese and the
Anglican diocese in Kajo Keji, Southern Sudan. This is indeed
an extraordinary companion relationship that is firmly part of
the life, heart and soul of both dioceses. The bishops of both
dioceses, the Right Reverend Paul V. Marshall and the Right Reverend
Anthony Poggo absolutely "confirm
their churchly office by their behaviour" toward each other. It
is inspirational and motivating to witness. I can not speak firsthand
to the reception that their example receives in Kajo Keji, but
I can attest that when Bishop Anthony visited Bethlehem last year
the depths of God's love was evident in the relationship forged
by these two bishops.
During
this past year the Right Reverend John P. Croneberger retired
and settled in the Diocese of Bethlehem. Bishop Paul embraced
Bishop Jack's arrival in a very public manner. At our diocesan
convention in October the delegation unanimously approved the
resolution to appoint Bishop Jack as Assistant Bishop. This was
lead by Bishop Paul and clearly embraced by the diocese. Bishop
Jack is a vital important part of our diocesan life and community.
That may not have been the case but for the behaviour of Bishop
Paul and the reciprocation by Bishop Jack. These are clarion examples
of the kindness by bishops that you inquired about. We are blessed
in our diocese to have a bishop who leads by example.
Raymond
Arcario
Cathedral Church of the Nativity
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
rarcario@hotmail.com
1 July 2008
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