The Archbishop of Canterbury has issued his Christmas message in several languages, you can read it in English here, and translations into Spanish, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Korean, and Dutch are also available.
Dr Williams also wrote an article for The Big Issue on the Archbishop’s Hopes for 2007.
The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has issued her Christmas message in both English and Spanish. You can read it in either language here.
Dr Jefferts Schori also wrote this reflection, In this season: light in the darkness.
Perhaps I ought to revise my view that the awkwardly written letter to other primates surely could not be from Archbishop Williams, because this also reads so badly: >The birth and life of Jesus don’t first of all change our ideas – they change what’s actually possible for us. They set us free. They set us free by re-establishing our dignity on a new footing. Because God himself, God the Son, has taken our human nature to be his, every human being is touched by that transforming fact.This was achieved not by enlightened and progressive European intellectuals convinced theoretically of… Read more »
In addition to my previous post, Rowan Williams is right to highlight slavery and ask who are the slaves today. It is difficult to wish someone in slavery or bondage a Happy Christmas, but perhaps the whole story of Christ offers the possibility of hope as was shown in the negro spirituals. Katharine Jefferts Schori’s message was very clear, that there are ways in to see something of the possibility of human fulfilment, even in a child’s responses. Her other message is right: the rejection of an elected leadership by some bishops and continuing to seek reconciliation. Unity is not… Read more »
Could someone please teach Rowan about Anthony Robbins and/or Neuro Linguistic Programming? He would know that prayers need to be framed in the literal, not in a I hope not for the negative. Further, God is a literalist, so prayers using negative wording lead to negative outcomes. His prayers for his book and family are fine. Some suggestions to re-frame his prayers: I am looking praying for being fitter and thinner. I am looking forward to major breakthroughs at some significant meetings early this year. I am praying about the discussions around Trident will lead to a realisation that peace… Read more »
As usual, KJS speaks to the issues directly, while RW starts off speaking to the issues, then falls into the definitional/presuppositional traps already laid for him by the ways that conservative Anglican thinking so exclusively frames important issues in a no exit, tilted, skewed grab for all the breathable air there can be by conservative definition in the world’s conversation and truth rooms. That RW can so consistently stumble at such similar definitional/presuppositional points hints to me that maybe he has now been sufficiently bullied by conservative Anglicans, so that he dare not inquire further into their typical conservative definitional/presuppositional… Read more »
Merry Christmas for Tikkun, peace out.
I was bored on Christmas Day until dinner preparation, so I produced something about an archbishop (who might it be?) and ordinary domestic events. This either might amuse or tell about the condition of my soul: http://www.change.freeuk.com/learning/relthink/archbishopday.html Incidentally, I know I am accused of the same tendency myself; I can fly off overcomplicated words. Years back I was sat in an adult education computer class and, because of the manner of my speech, the stand-in teacher asked, “Are you a clergyman?” My wife since then (who’s from Russia) has frequently mentioned my elaborate speaking style, as it is called in… Read more »