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Letters from 21 to 27 September 2009

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.

Clerics

If none of clergymen, clergypersons, or clergy will quite do, how about clerics?

Robert W. M. Greaves
All Saints Anglican Church, Jakarta.
Jakarta, INDONESIA
robert.w.m.greaves@gmail.com
21 September 2009

Re: Father Carlton Kelley's letter on your use of 'clergypersons' to refer to all the ordained. In these days of political correctness I can understand your dilemma, but for several hundred years there's been a perfectly good word to describe members of the clergy, namely 'clerics'. Why not use it instead of the clumsy (and, to some like Fr. Kelley and me, contrived) clergypersons?

Rene Jamieson
St. John's Cathedral
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
(Diocese of Rupert's Land)

Rene Jamieson
St. John's Cathedral
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA
21 September 2009

(Editor: Thanks to you both. The word 'clerics' is perfect here. We'll make sure we say 'clerics' the next time we need this noun.)

For whom should I pray?

Thank you for your editorial this week. It is a very timely reminder that we pray for people not because we agree with their politics or even who they are, but because they are in certain positions. This attitude, based as you pointed out, on the commandment that we should pray for our enemies, has made it proper, and even easy, for me to pray for those leaders with whose politics I take strong exception. We are all God's Children, and our separation epitomises our brokenness. Coming from a very small church, I am aware of the brokenness of Christendom, but am also aware of the deep current of faith that unites us in loving action under the hierarchical divisions.

Stephen Bartlett-Re
ACCNE (Old Catholic)
San Francisco, California, USA
21 September 2009

In my own church I'm not a visitor, but you might be

I read your column every Sunday morning and was struck by the one of the 20th, which I just read, about greeting newcomers. I attend the early Eucharist with a core of about 20 which sometimes swells to over 60. So we mostly all know each other as members of the parish. But I am guilty of leaving quickly (skipping the coffee hour) and thus sometimes miss a newcomer. Perhaps you are aware of Ship of Fools, which has a mystery worshipper section, where people report on a visit to a church while traveling or whatever, how they are received, what its like to be a stranger in a strange church and so forth, including if they have coffee. Many times I ask myself what someone would report on a visit to my parish some Sunday at 8 a.m.? This is something I really need to work on. I need to be more aware of strangers in our midst.

Joe Mackey
Trinity Episcopal
Huntington, West Virginia, USA
joemackey108@comcast.net
27 September 2009

Earlier letters

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