Updated Sunday evening
Reports of the service in Zanzibar:
Associated Press Elizabeth A Kennedy Anglican Leader Encourages Humility
Reuters Katie Nguyen Anglican head calls for humility in gay clergy row
There are some Associated Press pictures here.
The Bishop of Maryland has reacted to the boycott of Thursday with this letter to one of the participants. As Raspberry Rabbit says, he has done a Scott-Joynt.
Scott Gunn has blogged: Sunday: Akinola missed out and now has pictures here.
ENS has filed In Zanzibar, Anglican Primates join in repentance at former slave market.
How marvellous that the Anglican Primates went to Freddy Mercury’s birthplace (Zanzibar) for their special Eucharist. Do hope they remembered him fondly!
“Conspicuously absent from Sunday’s service was Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola”
How sad, at such a significant locus and as the second centenary of the abolition of the slave trade (the Hull-London march passes through here) looms close. I hope he found somewhere congenial to worship.
Is the Bishop of Maryland now in broken communion with the Archbishop of Ghana or would the “end” of “our personal relationship” not necessarily prevent him from sharing in Holy Communion at the same table?
The Gospel according to Freddy: “I want to break free – I want to break free from your lies, you’re so self-satisfied, I don’t need you…”?
It seems unfortunate that Titusonenine sees fit to publish what is (to me) private correspondence. Mind you, if the quality of their editorial control is such as is represented by the inability correctly to attribute a letter in the ‘Times’…..
And Freddy Mercury was a Zoroastrian, and had a Zoroastrian funeral.
Apologies to ++Peter Abuja. Reuters carries a report that he was ill, and I’m sure we all wish him a speedy recovery.
It is interesting to contrast the pinched, whiney tone of most responses to the bp. of Maryland’s letter, posted to the Titusonenine site, with the generally thoughtful, literate tenor of responses emailed to Thinking Anglicans. Self-congratulation is seldom a virtue, nevertheless, the contrast speaks volumes.
I just love the ABC’s much quoted phrase “I am a great sinner and Jesus is a great saviour” and that ABC rightly sees that applies to each and every soul. I would up the ante a bit and modify it a bit to “we are all great sinners and God is a gracious redeemer who anointed Jesus as a great saviour”. I have found myself contemplating Isaiah 50 in the last few days. Partly as a response to the rejection to the idea that God might choose to redeem the feminine; but also as a response to the idea… Read more »
The bishop of Maryland wrote:
“Since becoming Archbishop, you have changed and I do not feel I know you anymore.”
Now, where have I heard that sentiment before?
Right on, Lapinbizarre! I do wish, though, that there was a way to keep the door open from the inclusive side and not feel that we were being taken advantage of or forced into a kind of hypocrisy that the Bp. of MD refers to in his letter.
“Williams stressed the importance of sharing Holy Communion, a key rite of the church, but at least one archbishop, Rwanda’s Emmanuel Kolini, was seen passing the plate on Sunday during the lengthy service in English and Swahili.”
Typical of secular journalists to misread this action: Emmanuel has obviously signed up to the cathedral’s planned giving scheme!
I agree with the Bishop of Maryland…NO, must sometime, after years of “concerns,” after slandering, boycotting and demoralizing/demeaning others at the Episcopal Church/Anglican Communion…finally, we must mean, NO! Not maybe, but, simply NO DICE your Grace because we’re going to take a pass on playing “pretend” with you! Mil gracias for all the former healthy intentions/interactions of friendship but you’ve now gone over a line of DISCRIMINATION where I can not/will not go. No, but I/we will leave the “door open and the light burning” as well as save you a place at the alter rail when you’re ready to… Read more »
What a most beautiful and moving picture of Archbishop Sentamu at the slavery monument…just wonderful. We must keep the prayers up as they face a crunch day tomorrow and hope Akinola can say of Williams what John the Baptist said of the Lord…He must increase and I must decrease.
I think +Bob Ihloff did the right thing in rescinding his invitation. But how did the letter find its way onto TitusOneNine? And why do the commenters on that blog feel compelled to be so mean-spirited?
The timing of the letter I would feel isn’t +Maryland’s fault. Arrangements must be made, plane tickets returned etc… All this takes time. It fair to give +Acrofi that time. It would’ve been nice to keep the door open on some level. I wished this letter would’ve remained private. An explanation could’ve been less personal (at least if being made public) and we could have just got the bare bones (the public that is). At least with a door open we could still have some influence and hopefully effect some change for GL people in Ghana. What now? I remmber… Read more »
Until we get the provenance on that +Maryland letter (a couple of folks asked for it on T19—ack, I had to scroll through the comments to know that!—but none thus far has been provided), I’d say it’s a little unfair to compare Bp. Ihloff to Bp. Scott-Joynt. +S-J *meant* to make a BIG PUBLIC STINK (and did so), whereas +Ihloff may just have had his private correspondence made public, against his will. That said, I have to agree w/ Raspberry Rabbit—at least as far as the *timing*: the bishop of Maryland SHOULD HAVE counted to the 10 (and waited for… Read more »
Leonardo, I disagree. As I will be telling the Bishop of Maryland, it should have been up to Abp Kolini to decide whether to come or not. We lost the opportunity for engagement with him. And, with the bitterness this will produce, we will lose that opportunity for some time. Additionally, there’s a power dynamic here. The US continues to colonize Africa culturally and economically. Nationally, we are in a more powerful position than the Africans. By disinviting Abp Akrofi, we have reinforced that power dynamic. Jesus, the one we follow, acted to level differences in power rather than to… Read more »
Martin Reynolds’ poignant remark above reminded me of this: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/27/ngay27.xml What is lacking still is the construction of a Christian gay theology. The Bible would be a main resource in this (cf. the writings of Robin Scroggs and Walter Wink). It is very easy to criticize the shameful Christian record on treatment of gays and to correct the lethal myths in the light of contemporary biology, psychology etc. But the task of building up the affirmative side of the argument honestly and coherently is far more difficult. Perhaps such theology can only be born out of a gay Christian culture,… Read more »
I hate intolerance and intolerants ! ……
seeker – you hate JC? He was not tolerant of all nor of sin nor of unrepentance nor of unbelief – look at what he said if you do not believe me
anyway, Rowan Williams is sitting on the fence while the AC burns…..thanks to TEC for lighting the fire in 2003
NP,
Maybe it’s time for you to start reading what Jesus said, and more specifically, to whom He said it. Indeed He wasn’t tolerant. He wasn’t tolerant of people who were convinced of their own righteousness because ther lived by the letter of the Law and put aside compassion and love. He said “Love God, love your neighbour” not “love the ones who obey”. And your ardent desire that the Church will split says a lot.
But NP: surely you should be grateful that TEC has given ConsEvs within the Anglican Church such excellent reason to expose the hypocrisy, faithlessness and general lack of Christianity of those who – accurately or otherwise – may be described as ‘liberal’? Otherwise you might have had to wait an age for a good reason to create a purified church. So lament not: rejoice, for the infidels of TEC (plus IC, AffCath etc etc) mean you will have your church of the elect up and running within months, freed from the burden of us ‘liberal’ deadbeats – who will, of… Read more »
Jesus was tolerant of sinners, but intolerant of sin. “Neither do I condemn you … but go and sin no more.”
Ah, but is sin merely breaking the Law or is it a defect in us? That’s the thing, you see. “Go and sin no more” to the woman taken in adultery, but “How can you escape the wrath to come” to the Pharisees who thought that, by strict obedience to the Law, they were holier than everybody else. Technically, they weren’t sinning, since they were obeying the Law, yet they were not offered the option of going and sinning no more, maybe because they couldn’t/wouldn’t acknowledge their own sin except in some “we’re all sinners” sort of way. No where… Read more »
“Additionally, there’s a power dynamic here. The US continues to colonize Africa culturally and economically. Nationally, we are in a more powerful position than the Africans. By disinviting Abp Akrofi, we have reinforced that power dynamic. Jesus, the one we follow, acted to level differences in power rather than to reinforce them.” Weiwen I won’t speak for Jesus or God or the Holy Spirit or the State Department…but the 2000+ years of “playing pretend” with people who discriminate against LGBT Christians/Muslims and others must end by saying “no”…sorry, I love you or I hope to love you “better” but no.… Read more »
Jesus was tolerant of sinners, but intolerant of sin. “Neither do I condemn you … but go and sin no more.”
But not a single “go and sin no more” in the healing of the paralytic, not in Matthew, not in Luke, not in Mark.
Also the woman who anoints Jesus in the house of Simon (Luke 7:47) – Just forgiveness. Unearned, undeserved, unconditional. Just like God’s love.
Leonardo, “I won’t speak for Jesus or God or the Holy Spirit or the State Department…but the 2000+ years of “playing pretend” with people who discriminate against LGBT Christians/Muslims and others must end by saying “no”…sorry, I love you or I hope to love you “better” but no.” Leonard, good point. But, let’s imagine this scenario. Ihloff invites Akrofi to come. They celebrate Eucharist. Several gay couples turn up, and receive Communion with Akrofi. After the service, they confront Akrofi, saying – look at our faithful witness and the fidelity in our relationships, are you sure you are doing the… Read more »
Ford
– we were warned about wolves disguised as sheep and we were not told to tolerate and respect them.
– I think St Paul would take a much harsher line than I do on TEC (since he spoke on church discipline, we know his views and attitude)….. you could lecture him on not being loving, judging and his own sinfulness if he were here but do you think you would persuade him?