| Letters from
24 to 30 September 2012
Like
all letters to the editor everywhere, these letters express
the opinions of the writers and not Anglicans Online.
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The bountiful crop of letters we received were
all in
response to our front-page letter of 23 September 2012.
A
renaissance Aunt
1)
Is there a need for an Anglican Agony Aunt,
an Episcopal Ethicist, or a Dear Miss Maniple?
One
would hope for such a service to be rendered, but
it is such a wide-ranging field, as opposed to say,
Dear Abby. One questioner would ask whether blue
is appropriate for Advent, and another would want
to know just what is hamartiology.
2)
What would you do about a colleague of distinctly
muscular Christianity?
Encourage
Mr or Ms Muscles to exercise graced free will and
choose to be more subtle, so as to attract more people
to the Faith...
Or
else, just say "Please shut up already!"
Or
yet again, if we are both in front of a firing squad
for our faith, to ask for a loud rendition of the
final verse of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God".
Context
is everything...
Bishop
Pierre Whalon
Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe (American
Episcopal Church, Province II)
Paris, FRANCE
bishop@tec-europe.org
24 September 2012
A
learned and scientific Aunt
1)
Is there a need for an Anglican Agony Aunt, an
Episcopal Ethicist, or a Dear Miss Maniple?
Probably
not an outright need, but it would be interesting.
Especially if the proposed Episcopal Ethicist responded
according to various ethical systems and also considered
the findings of recent neuroscience and behavioral
ethics.
2)
What would you do about a colleague of distinctly
muscular Christianity?
There
are lots of these folk, not limited to Anglicans
and not limited to colleagues. It's harder to avoid
the ones who are your own family members. Based on
the findings of above-mentioned neuroscience and
behavioral ethics, the chances of their changing
are almost nil. So, you can remember what St. Francis
said: Preach the Gospel always; when necessary use
words. In the end, it's our actions that count.
Ubi
caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Meg
Carter
Diocese of California
Oakland, California, USA
24 September 2012
A
potential Aunt Bill, but he's engaged
There
is a crying need for
someone in the Anglican Communion to whom the
doubtful and distressed could appeal for sound
advice and trustworthy moral guidance. Unfortunately,
I am very busy at the moment and couldn't possibly
manage it, so the Church will just have to muddle
along as usual.
Bill
Dilworth
St Stephen's Church
Providence, Rhode Island, USA
billydinpvd@gmail.com
24 September 2012
A
thoroughly modern Aunt
On
an Anglican Agony Aunt: yes, but
it should be of the modern variety where readers
can chime in online, because whatever he/she
says, some will disagree.
On
relentlessly verbal "faithful" colleague, I would
silently pray for her because she must be inwardly
anxious to have to protest so much.
Jaime
Sanders
St. Mary's Church
Woodburn, Oregon, USA
24 September 2012
An
impossible-to-find Aunt
Because
of the very diversity which
characterizes our Communion, I'm not sure that
it would even be possible to find an Anglican
Auntie. Should she be Anglo-Catholic or Evangelical?
Should she be conservative or liberal? Should
she be a laywoman or in Holy Orders? How could
she possibly have an answer for all the potential
questions posed by those occupying the vast spectrum
of Anglican experience and opinion?
I
would refrain from responding to the colleague, as
it could so easily lead to misunderstanding and hurt
feelings. I share your reluctance to claim God's
manoeuvring in the minutiae of daily life. It is
problematic, I think, to say that some Christians
benefit from such hovering, divine supervision when
other, equally devout, apparently do not. In the
face of such mystery, I find the best course is to
remain silent.
William
Bippus
St. Paul's Church
Marinette, Wisconsin, USA
24 September 2012
Yes
for an any sort of Aunt!
It
would be fun to
have a "Dear Anglican Auntie" to write our questions
to.
Patricia
White
St. Mary's Church
Northfield, Vermont, USA
26 September 2012
A
Trinity of Aunties
1)
Is there a need for an Anglican Agony Aunt, an
Episcopal Ethicist, or a Dear Miss Maniple?
Yes,
and I would recommend that these positions should
be held by three different individuals specializing
in
(a)
etiquette in the pew, coffee hour, office, vestry*;
however, I would propose the name Aunt or Auntie
Abbess or Aunt or Auntie Anchorite instead of Anglican
Agony Aunt;|
(b) moral and ethical issues of a more serious nature
to be handled by the Episcopal Ethicist; and
(c)
liturgics, prayer book, church history, and theology*
to be handled by Miss Maniple.
*
Depending on the nature of the question, sacristy
issues could be handled by (a) or (c).
2)
What would you do about a colleague of distinctly
muscular Christianity?
A
Facebook commenter with an Evangelical bent was recently
citing chapter and verse, and that one should pray
without ceasing. I then wrote that I had attended
Morning Prayer the day before (Tuesday), Eucharist
that day (Wednesday), and would attend Evening Prayer
the day following (Thursday). I then suggested that
if one is short of time there was always Unapologetically
Episcopalian and included the link (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Unapologetically-Episcopalian/122364231114060).
I haven’t heard from that commenter since.
I
used to live in Texas and had to deal with born-agains
all the time. I learned the best way to deal with
them is to "out do" them, for which our Anglican
three-legged stool of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason
is more than ample. Yes, I know it’s not nice
to “one up” someone, especially in matters
of faith, but these people can be relentless and
badgering. Although they quote chapter and verse,
they really don’t know as much Scripture as
they purport to know.
However,
I do have a question: What saintly figure perished
whilst walking near Ballachulish? Was it St. Fintan
Mundus of Argyle or Alasdair MacDonald? (http://macinnes.org/eilean_munde/eilean_munde.html)
Gwendolyn
R. Chambrun
Christ & Saint Stephen's, Manhattan
New York, New York, United States
27 September 2012
Editors
note: That saintly figure would be the Reverend
Father Alexander Heriot Mackonochie. See http://anglicanhistory.org/england/ahmackonochie/towle1890/16.html
Earlier
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