Why North American Anglicans are the Way We Are

By the Rev Matt Kennedy,  StandFirm in Faith Blog

In my experience many North American Episcopalians/Anglicans, even from very good orthodox churches, have only a rudimentary concept of what lies between Genesis 1 and Revelation 22 - and, worse, little desire to learn. Here are seven reasons (among many) why we are the way we are:

1. Many life-long Anglicans/Episcopalians have grown up with short devotional/poetic homilies only tangentially related to a biblical text rather than biblical exposition. This has bred a passionless, incurious, passive approach to giving and listening to sermons, engaging in bible study, and reading the bible.

2. Driven by the charismatic renewal movement in the late sixties and the growing severity of doctrinal disputes in the Episcopal Church, many Episcopal leaders began to focus on creating a “spiritual experience” to the exclusion of teaching biblical doctrine and ensuring that people understand what Christians believe and why. This created feeling-focused congregations hungry for mountain-top experiences, too impatient for the long slow work of reading, marking and inwardly digesting the word of God.

3. Many Anglican/Episcopal priests distrust the sufficiency of the word of God for the growth (Mk 4:1-20), health (2 Tim 3:16) and sanctification of the church (Jn 17:17), depending rather exclusively on the liturgy and the sacraments to do the work Jesus assigns to the word. This distrust carries the added benefit of making Sunday morning very easy on the priest. Just go through the liturgy and you’re done. This has created many congregations that consider themselves “eucharistically centered” but in reality have no interest in or desire for God’s self revelation in scripture. The readings and sermon are a prelude to the really important part of worship.

Read it all

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/?/sf/page/28746

UPDATED: McConnell Elected as TEC-Pgh Bishop on 6th Ballot: Announced at Approx. 3:20 PM EDT today

In the spirit of the "Dewey defeats Truman" headline in the 1948 presidential election, let me say, my self-styled expertise as a election prognosticator is greatly over-rated. After the deadlocked third ballot,I had predicted R. Stanley Runnells would be elected Bishop of the TEC-Pgh Diocese and I was absolutely wrong! The laity jumped over to Dorsey McConnell rather than the clergy moving to Runnells as I had predicted would happen. As Gomer Pyle used to say: "Surprise, Surprise, Surprise" What do I know. All I can say is: God bless him. Bishop-elect McConnell has his work cut out for him. Time will tell whether the master reconciller he is touted to be, really is so.

UPDATE 4/23/12: Lionel Deimel is not happy with the way things worked out or were managed by the Convention handlers and by TEC Bishop Price. And funny thing, beleive it or not, it seems "conservative" Phil Wainwright agrees with Lionel. And Phil was just estatic over McConnell's election. WOW

Click here http://blog.deimel.org/2012/04/snatching-defeat-from-jaws-of-victory.html

TEC-Pittsburgh Episcopal Election Is Deadlocked After Just Three Ballots

I don't know if you have been following the election in the TEC-Pittsburgh diocese, well, as might be expected, I have! And it is following true to form. It is deadlocked between the conservative and liberals. The more conservative order, the clergy, are supporting the moderate-conservative Dorsey McConnell and the more liberal order, the laity, are supporting the moderate-liberal R. Stanley Runnells. Each has won in their respective order. The most conservative Scott Quinn and the most liberal Ruth Woodliff-Stanley are still in but neither have enough support remaining to swing the election for McConnell or Runnells respectively. The only way this will be decided is if some of the Runnells lay supporters move to McConnell or some of the McConnell clergy supporters move to Runnells. If the two previous TEC-Pittsburgh Standing Committee elections are any indicator --it will be R. Stanley Runnells who is elected. Results of Ballots #1 #2 #3 here http://www.episcopalpgh.org/bsearch/

A Church Divided: Ruling Ends Va.'s Episcopal Battle

From NPR- (with broadcast audio)

On a bright Sunday morning in the tiny town of Heathsville, Va., Jeffrey Cerar surveys the church he's preached in for the past 15 years — its 130-year-old wooden pews, its stained glass windows, its paschal candles, its cross.

"Virtually everything you see here is going to stay; the high altar, the credence table, the hymnals and books of common prayer will all stay," he says. "The Bibles will go with us."

Cerar, rector of St. Stephen's Anglican Church, is leaving, along with his congregation. They're handing the keys over to their theological rivals, the St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. Earlier this year, a judge ruled that seven conservative Virginia congregations that had split with the Episcopal Church must hand over almost everything they own. It's like the end of a marriage, with people moving out and splitting up assets — even its own long, ugly battle.

More here-

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/10/150351713/a-church-divided-ruling-ends-va-s-episcopal-battle

Bomb free Holy Week and Easter in Jos, Nigeria

The Archbishop Jos, Ben Kwashi, is a great friend and supporter of our Diocese and the rector of St James Anglican Church in Penn Hills, Doug Sherman, is a Canon in the Diocese of Kaduna under Bishop Lamino

April 9th, 2012

Amazingly, the symbolic Easter miracle happened here on Good Friday when we had our first rain for about six months. The dust covered trees shone green again, and plants which were thinking about dying began to hope . . . If we were to have another rain now, there would soon be a carpet of green. The speed with which the transformation happens always takes my breath away. New Life just breaks in !

Praise God also for a bomb-free Holy Week and Easter in Jos. Security is high; no motorbikes allowed in town; many roads closed; barriers, and huge bollards around every church, and check points all over. But it is definitely worth it! I usually manage to escape the long lines at check points as I leave very early (around six) in order to play for the 7am service (would be 8am in UK!). Many people come late to church because it takes so long to get from one place to another, but the attendance this morning was quite encouraging – especially considering the effort that it will have taken many of them to come (lack of public transport etc.). The sustained praying that is going on here, together with the prayers of you and so many others around the world are making a big impact. Thank you for praying – please continue!

We are just hearing that there were 1 or 2 car bombs in Kaduna this morning (another State capital, about three hours drive away from Jos, and a city where there have previously been riots and troubles). It seems that the explosions happened close to, but not at, a church, which may mean that those killed were those who unfortunately simply happened to be passing by the wrong place at the wrong moment. I cannot get any first hand information and details yet.

May you know the peace, the joy and the hope of the Risen Christ.

From here

http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2012/04/09/bomb-free-holy-week-and-easter-in-jos-nigeria/