Having your wafer and eating it?

I'm am astonished that Fr Keith Newton, the ordinary of the subordinariate, whilst seeking to avoid any “rancour or bad feeling” between Anglicans and those who swim the Tiber hopes that the swimmers me be able to share properties with the Church of England in “specific places”.

He says that, “It obviously depends on the numbers who are going from that congregation. We do not want any rancour or bad feeling. I would hope that there is a possibility of some ordinariate groups sharing a church which they have used before but we will have to look at these on an individual basis.”

One press report (Catholic) says that this is a gesture towards 'Church Unity'. I have to perhaps offer a suggestion and another gesture.

The suggestion is that it is bordering on the ridiculous to leave a church building, possibly taking some of the sheep with you, for another denomination and then hope to be able to use that same building (or another from the very same firm you have separated yourself from) as a venue. To position this as a move that will foster ecumenical relations is duplicitous, stupid, stark-raving bonkers when all they needed for unity in that building was to stay and preach the Gospel.

Mind you, it could catch on. Tamworth doesn't have a Tesco's, perhaps Sainbury's could let them have some of their venue for this is as absurd as that which Fr Newton seeks! We are not in competition, but we do have two very different denominations and two very different sets of core beliefs (Articles of the thirty-nine kind! and theology of the reformed to add to the catholicity aspects). Speaks volumes about the subordinariate - they have buildings at their disposal don't they? Or could it be that the Roman Catholic Parish Priests are that keen to house the cross-breed structure either?

And the gesture?

I'm far to polite to use it!

Let's hope that the pointyheads aren't!

Pax

They're the wrong words, Gromit!

Heaven preserve us from those people who change the words of hymns, songs and choruses!

I know I've mentioned it before but when you arrive at a church or crem' and find yourself handed a sheet with that old familiar hymn, 'Make me a channel of your peace', it seems fair to assume that you might just know the words. Think again! (Correct lines in bold)

Make me a channel of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me bring Your love,
Where there is injury, Your pardon Lord,
And where there's doubt, true faith in You

Oh Master, grant that I may never seek,
So much to be consoled as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love with all my soul

Make me a channel of your peace,
Where there's despair in life let me bring hope,
Where there is darkness, let me bring light,
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope,
And where there's sadness, bring Your joy
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.

Oh Master, grant that I may never seek,
So much to be consoled as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love with all my soul

Make me a channel of your peace,
Where there's despair in life let me bring hope,
Where there is darkness, let me bring Your light,
And where there's sadness, bring Your joy

Oh Master, grant that I may never seek,
So much to be consoled as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love with all my soul

Make me a channel of your peace,
For when we give, we will ourselves receive
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
And in dying that we gain eternal life
And in dying that we gain eternal life

The last stanza is completely wrong, for it should be

Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving to all me that we receive,
And in dying that we ‘re born to eternal life.

A funeral I did last year appeared with Psalm 23 modified thus: The Lord's my shepherd I not want, He makest me to down lie . . When I asked the person who made the service sheets I received the answer. "I'm not religious and so I went to the internet and looked the words up!"

I'm not a medical man but apparently if I look it up on the internet I could probably do brain surgery on them! Quick nurse, sterilise that house-brick!

I'll leave you enjoy this one:
Lo! Jesus meets us, rising from the tomb;
Lovingly He greets us, scatt'ring fear and gloom;
Let the church with gladness, her hymns triumphant sing;
For the Lord he liveth, death has lost its sting.

Thine is the glory, risen conq'ring Sun . . .

Pax (to most of you but a severe chinese-burn to the naughty word-changers!)

So Ordinary. . .

We didn't even mention it!

Despite the triumphalism, the ordination (which many claim clearly demonstrates that any former ordination was 'invalid'), the mass (sic!) exodus to the ordinariate didn't get a mention in our service yesterday. It wasn't even brought up in conversation during the tea, coffee and biscuits afterwards! The reality is that for our little church, this is essentially a non-issue!

We see transfer growth within the churches, groups and fellowships in Tamworth all the time, it's what they do! The majority of the transient sheep group move from place to place in search of something or other that will excite and 'bless'. A few move with pointed toes and a point to make and here's the sadness, for they are rarely missed and the point they seek to make rarely finds flesh being added to the bones of their discontent. All too often it is little more than a few toys thrown out of the pram and the damage is always slight and felt only by those who seek to inflict it.

The assessment of this by one leader sums it up nicely, "Thank goodness they've gone - they're someone else's problem now, and they're welcome to them!" Harsh words, but often words that are also true, regardless of the skills, gifts or money they might be taking with them.

I'm happy to send anyone who wishes to leave with a blessing. It's been said that as we don't lose that many this is an easy position to take, which might be true, but it is also a biblical position too (and that's what matters)and so pray that God will bless the Walsingham three as they enjoy their promised land.

Here, this week, our focus turns to five funerals this week, cancer, strokes, depressive illnesses, debt, broken families and nations at war (civil and other), natural disasters,starving children, homelessness and so many other important issues that a few people leaving for their 'True church' isn't even an issue.

Here we struggle to support families and discern just which challenges we engage with (so much work, so few workers) as the new year unfolds.

Swimming the Tiber means nothing outside either, the people outside our door are struggling with debt, addictions and the effect of them (alcohol, drugs, sex and gambling all feature large). The ordination of women, homosexuality and disaffected clergy hold no attraction or concern. They struggle with the real issues (for them) and perhaps this puts the posturing and posing into perspective - seems many of us dog-collars have lost the plot and made the calling about us and what we want rather than the calling that brings us cure of souls!

Pax

Look - The Lamb of God!

"The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptising with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptise with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptises with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, ithe Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). John 1: 29 - 4

John the Baptist (JtB) introduces Jesus to some of the guys, but uses a bit of a different way of introducing Him. "Take a look guys, the Lamb of God!" This is more than an introduction, it is a full blown revelation )it one of the things that makes John's Gospel such a powerful and vey different Gospel from the synoptics matt.Mk & Lk). He follows the Old testament pattern whereby prophets catch sight of a person and declare "LOOK . . . . ." (a good example being Samuel upon first seeing Saul in 1 Sam 19, "LOOK, (says God) here is the man who will rule over my people!). John does exactly the same.

Now JtB knows what He is doing and knows that he will lose his followers to jesus. But it's not about having our own little flock but about the wider picture, and John not only knows that but lives it every day of his life. The disciples follow Jesus, who stops and turning to face them asks what they're looking for. I don't think they know, other than they want to be right with God (and of course, physically speaking, even if they don't yet realise it, they are!). they want to be taught, and so they follow and stay with Him all day (no one service a week mentality here!).

One of the guys, Andrew, goes and gets his brother Simon, telling him some exciting news, "We have found the Messiah!' Now, unless Andrew was the family flake who was finding Messiah's and new campaigns every day, I'd have been racing to see this revelation. But regardless of whether they ambled or raced, jesus and Simon find themselves in the same place and looking at him (Peter), Jesus says, "You are to be called 'Cephas'."

An interesting thing really for Jesus knows who he is and better still, before we even met Him, knew us and the name we had and the new name and calling we knew not. All the days numbered for us, as the Psalmist says (Ps 139) and all that we are called to do are known to Him. He is the Pascal Lamb, the Lamb of God who comes to take away our sins and set us free from the power of sin and the penalty of death.

Hallelujah!

Inordinariate mumblings . . . part the third

It might be prudent to reflect upon the excellent words from the blog of David Lindsay (always a good read)

" . .. But the word on the Anglo-Catholic street is that the Ordinariate proposal is ridiculous.

Just as the worst liturgical abuses on this side of the Tiber are mostly in London or its orbit and are dying out even there, so the most exotic aspects of Forward in Faith are mostly in London or its orbit and are dying out even there. There is a more than a happy medium to be struck by clergy who come over having used the Modern Roman Rite tastefully, reverently and sensibly for decades, in many cases all their lives.

Parishes the length and breadth of the land are crying out for such priests. Should the men who could meet that need revert to, or adopt for the first time, the full English Missal flora and fauna of 1950s Anglo-Papalism? That is as absurd to them as it is to me. The provision for the Latin Rite ordination of married convert clergy goes all the way back to Pius XII.

As for being aimed at the Traditional Anglican Communion, again the views of the Anglo-Catholic mainstream are in line with those of many of the rest of us. If that body really is active in 66 countries, then in which 66 countries, exactly? If it really does have hundreds of thousands of faithful, then who are they, and where are they?

This whole thing may be playing well in London, at Oxford and on the South Coast. But in all parts North (and, no doubt, West), it is being dismissed as an irrelevance and an absurdity.

All in all, it was heartening stuff. "If I were going to become a Roman Catholic, then I would just get on and do it", and, even better, "If you are going to do it, then you should do it properly, and become part of a normal Roman diocese and parish". Quite."

How very true and balanced a view this is. I think it is here that we find the crux of the issue many are having with the inordinariate posturing and whilst it might not find favour with all, it presents another facet in the gem that is Anglican and demonstrates the underlying feeling of many high, low and middle.

Applause and thanks for a thoughtful piece . . they aren't all (as we will see).

Pax

Inordinariate mumblings . . . part the second

I was, as I often am, impressed by the 'honesty' that clayboy brought to this proceedings a week back with his coverage, and assessment, of a Ruth (I used to read her stuff until the Thunderer started charging you know!) Gledhill interview with John Broadhurst.

Here's a copy of the interview:



And here's Clayboy's take on it:

"Clayboy really doesn’t simply want to be a cynical grump about this, although he finds both Andrew Burnham and Keith Newton rather more congenial for being restrained in their comments. He wishes those who want to become Roman Catholics well.

However, despite the implications of great sacrifice with which La Gledhill ends her puff-piece, clayboy would like to note that, as far as he can work out, Mr Broadhurst is 68, has been in Anglican orders for 43 years, and goes out as an area bishop. As such he is, if I am not mistaken, going to be in receipt of around £20,000 a year (2/3 of final stipend) from the Church of England as a pension, whatever his theological allegiance.

It doesn’t sound like a huge sacrifice to me."

Can I say that, in my book, Clayboy is pretty much spot on the money (he must be, after all, we agree!) and although some might not like his views (some claiming that he is rather 'uncharitable') I don't think he's that far off the mark.

Let's be fair, I have a friend who because of his integrity and the views he holds over women's ordination would leave the Church of England, even it it meant giving up his calling to become a lay member in the Catholic church rather than lose his integrity. This is the place that I find many of my Forward in Faith (FiF) colleagues occupying. There are some who, perhaps because of their pain are lashing out and being a little spiteful (human nature at work!), but these have (in my experience) been the minority.

Having retired and moved into a retirement home on the banks of the Tiber appears less sacrificial than that being considered by the majority of those I know - but then again, a greater profile means many other benefits and considerations, more than those which the average high churchman might expect (and definitely more than they'd receive)..

Good, honest and balanced words as I read Clayboy's article. He doesn't agree but he does't turn into a screaming bitch, or a vindictive sort either - I can but commend his post.

Inordinariate mumblings. . . part the first

I think there might just be a little too much posturing regarding this whole slightly less than extra-ordinariate myself.

Having read a few blogs on this topic during the week, I found more than a little over-egging the proceedings that will take place today when the following questions were asked on the  St John the Baptist blog:

"Where were you when JFK was shot?"

"Where where you when the white smoke came from the Sistine Chapel that elected Pope Benedict?"

"Where were you when the Ordinariate began?"

The answers are easy.

Question One - Sitting at home wondering why there wasn't anything on the television except a blank screen with a few words and sombre music.

Question Two - Don't have clue, wasn't an issue of an import for me any more than wondering who was to be the next Chief Rabbi! Recognise I'm never going to be short-listed

Question Three - Not sure, when did it begin? Could it be the first announcement or the second announcement or the first time someone spoke of leaving or Broadhurst's announcement or any one of oh so many announcements, proclamations, threats, promises.

A question of real import though. "Who's the top London Club in the Premiership?"

Pax

So it's Farewell . .

So farewell Burnham, Broadhurst and Newton - you've gone!
The clocks won't stop, the mirrors will not be covered nor the curtains drawn.
Shoppers will pass by closed church doors without even knowing you'd been born!
And yet, within where Missal stands and incense slowly clears,
There will be some who miss you much my dears!

But where women pray and liberals frolic,
Your act today is just [err] more stuff*,
And for those who learnt their faith at mother's knee,
This act, for them, speaks of integrity.

So from a church that sadly passes on,
Where orthodox and moral thoughts in some places are sadly gone.
We hope you enjoy your trip to Rome,
And after you've had your swim,
Whilst celebrating, no doubt, with a well earned gin,
I trust and pray you'll find you're home . .
Let's hope it doesn't turn out to be gin and Lemming!

* Sorry, couldn't seem to find the right rhyming word!


Pax

ps A sad day on many levels and for many reasons