The Ascension of Christ: do we get the power?

A college student in our American Anglican Council Chapter here emailed me after reading some comments from the South Dakota Bishop nominating committee. Pretty much all of them expressed a desire for the church to grow (or at least stop shrinking) and several lamented the lack of young people (pretty common around the Episcopal organization).

Anyway, our Anglican student wrote:

"...it seems that TEC is so caught up in God is love, that they no longer see our God as an untamed power, one that we cannot control by our own wills or our views of right and wrong. I think when they talk about getting more youth they are failing to recognize that we cannot revitalize the youth without having them catch the fire of serving the Lord. We must bring the youth into a full and complete relationship with God and they cannot do that if they have an incorrect view of God."

God's power is so lacking in the Episcopal organization. Uninspired sermons (both in content and delivery) are the lifeless norm. Bloodless clergy and lay leaders predominate. Episcopal gatherings and meetings have a weary, draining effect on any who venture into them.

Meanwhile, one of the lessons for Ascension Day (the 40th day after Easter, when Jesus went up into heaven to prepare a place for us) is Ephesians 1:15-23...

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Power. Power. Power. Christ is filled with it, and he gives his fullness to his body on earth, the church. But the Episcopal organization continues to live out II Timothy 3:2-5...

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

Episcopal Priest - who is not leaving the denomination - warns that its terrible leaders are destroying the church

Fr. Dan Martins writes about "Burning Bridges." He's reflecting on the mess in Central California, but his insights apply to the whole Episcopal Church mess.

Here's the best quote:

"The acrid odor you are smelling is the aroma of bridges being burned. As I have already noted more than duly in this space, the executive leadership of the Episcopal Church has tragically chosen an ideological purge over not only canon law and not only common sense but even over their own long term self-interest."

The Episcopal Church, in its crazed effort to get rid of clergy and people who live under the authority of the Bible and traditional Christian interpretation of its teachings, is spending well over $1,000,000 this year alone to sue dissenting congregations.

What you are not being told is that many of these congregations have offered to pay for their freedom - to negotiate a fair market purchase of their properties and to provide other financial considerations to the Episcopal Church in order to join Biblically faithful Anglican bodies.

Stop and think about that - what your church gives to your diocese, your diocese turns around and gives a good chunk to the Episcopal Church, which is using this money to sue congregations, clergy and lay people. Is this why you give?

And consider Fr. Martin's point about self-interest: because a negotiated separation would involve only minor legal work, and would generate property proceeds to the denomination, the Episcopal Church would actually gain more money by negotiating than by suing (and TEC has lost many of the first round cases and is now into the spendy world of appelate courts). Not to mention that these negotiated settlements could create good will and the opportunity for some kind of reunion in the future.

You are told that your denominational leaders are high-end intellects, that they value peace and justice, that they want to include everyone in the church. It's all lies. As Fr. Martins, a loyal Episcopalian, points out:

(TEC's leaders want) "a showcase for the brand of liberal puritanism that has become the order of the day, and they're not interested in the care and feeding of any conservative POWs."

And how about church growth? There's a church development maxim: "A fighting church won't grow." As Fr. Martins writes about TEC denominational warfare:

"...searching souls for whom the Anglican way of being Christian might just offer them the most efficient way to be made a saint will be repelled by the air of conflict that envelopes American Anglicanism."

The donations of God's people used to sue God's people. A purge of people who disagree with the direction of the denomination. Constant, bitter fighting that turns away potential converts. Please pray for the leaders of the Episcopal Church. I mean that. They are destroying their own souls. Leaders who neglect the people, serve only their circle of friends and who are ashamed of the Gospel of Christ will be judged most harshly when they have to give an account to the Lord. May TEC's leaders repent, return to Christ and be saved.

South Dakota asking ten questions about potential candidates for Bishop

You can read more about the search and selection process in the Diocesan newsletter, here (click on "Latest Issue" - it's PDF).

On page 5, you can find a discussion of "Ten Things Christians Should Ask When They Choose a Leader." This is a presentation of Canon David Seger to the Nominating Committee. I will list the questions, with my comments in italics.

1. Is the person not only able to lead, but lead in difficult times? A great question, if actually asked and investigated. How did someone like +Katharine Jefferts Schori, with no significant leadership record, become Presiding Bishop? It is interesting that nobody from Good Shepherd, the most dramatically growing congregation in the diocese, was appointed to take part in the nominating process. You would think that a church bucking the downward trend of the diocese would have something to offer to this analysis, but go figure...

2. Does the person understand what is going on in the culture, where it is leading us, and its imprint on the churches? Good missionaries, like the Apostle Paul, always pay attention to culture. If you read something like Timothy Keller's "The Reason for God", you can see this in action in our own day. But that phrase about "where the culture is leading us" troubles me - as The Age to Come says under the blog title: "Those who marry the spirit of this age will find themselves widows in the next."

3. Does the person understand theology? OK, what the heck does that mean? Every person has a theology (some working assumption about God or an ultimate value that guides their life.) The question should be, "Does this person understand the theology of the Holy Bible, as reflected in the Book of Common Prayer?" I fear that this question will be used to say, "No candidate who has not received the secret illumination of the new thing of the spirit like us need apply."

4. Does the person have a vision for the future? Well, the Diocese of South Dakota does not care. From the diocesan website: "We seek to call as our next Bishop a visionary who will help the clergy and people of our diocese to bring to fruition the Kingdom vision which God has already planted in our hearts and minds." The inner circle already has a "vision" of some sort (supplied from New York, no doubt), and the new Bishop is to shill for it.

5. Is the person "slick"? (this is not desirable). My worry is that this kind of subjective language will be used to screen out the very candidates sought in question #1. If a person like Canon Neal Michell showed up loaded with practical experience in church leadership, diocesan support of congregations, and theory and practice of church development, might he be written off as "slick"? This question can ensure a slate of bloodless, mediocre candidates.

6. Does the person have some managerial and administrative skills? Good question - but must be asked in conjunction with #1. The diocese is struggling (some might be so blunt as to say "dying") - a manager who is not a leader is not adequate to the need here.

7. Does the person have staying power? Good practical question. South Dakota is "flyover country", and does not need a "bishop" who wants to pump up a resume and then go off to run a seminary or sit in the New York bureaucracy.

8. Is the person prayerful and a student of scripture? Sigghhh. If only they meant it. In today's church, somebody who channels spirits and reads Bishop Spong meets these criteria.

9. Does the person have inner humility? Like +Gene Robinson? Like +John Spong? Like this guy ?

10. Is the person able to listen to and take good advice and wise counsel from godly clergy and laity? +Katharine Jefferts Shori's visit to South Carolina, anyone?

My suspicion is that we are going to get a slate of the usual folks who dance around the mitre tree, courtesy of the managment at 815 Second Ave., New York, NY.

Rogation Days - in some places, a real reason to pray

When I lived in Southern California, Rogation Days were among the quaint, anachronistic things on the Church Calendar.

But here in South Dakota, prayers for agriculture are very real and relevant. We are in the time of the year that can be most stressful for farmers. Is the ground thawed out enough to plant? Is there enough Spring rain? Is there too much rain?

Please pray for farmers. And please pray for people all around the world, suffering from this year's restricted bumper crops (especially corn and rice.)

For Fruitful Seasons.

To be used on Rogation Sunday and the Rogation Days.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast blessed the earth that it should be fruitful and bring forth whatsoever is needful for the life of man, and hast commanded us to work with quietness, and eat our own bread; Bless the labours of the husbandman, and grant such seasonable weather that we may gather in the fruits of the earth, and ever rejoice in thy goodness, to the praise of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or this.

O GRACIOUS Father, who openest thine hand and fillest all things living with plenteousness; We beseech thee of thine infinite goodness to hear us, who now make our prayers and supplications unto thee. Remember not our sins, but thy promises of mercy. Vouchsafe to bless the lands and multiply the harvests of the world. Let thy breath go forth that it may renew the face of the earth. Show thy loving-kindness, that our land may give her increase; and so fill us with good things that the poor and needy may give thanks unto thy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

But they would not listen (they're not listening still)

We recently came across a letter from the 1990 Vestry of Good Shepherd, Sioux Falls, in response to Diocesan and Episcopal News Service "dialogue" about the church's teaching and practice.

So sad that they (and many other Episcopalians) were ignored. And how funny that the Diocese of South Dakota keeps holding "Sharing our Story" workshops at Convention every year, when the Episcopal Organization has destroyed our ability to give any kind of coherent Christian testimony.

Anyway, here's the letter from early '90:

TO THE EDITOR [of Episcopal News Service]:

We’re a group beginning to prepare ourselves for the Decade of Evangelism (L.I.F.E.), but we’re feeling somewhat defensive as we set out to tell our story. We accept that our authority is based on Scripture, Sacraments, Credal Statements and the Episcopacy, and is brought to us through the Book of Common Prayer. We look to the Episcopacy to “carry on the apostolic work of leading, supervising and uniting the Church’’

Our concern is that it appears that we have one bishop speaking out and in a way that neither represents Scripture nor the majority conclusion of our General Convention. We were outraged at the appearance of the practicing homosexual priest and his “partner” on a recent talk show — this priest having been ordained by Bishop Spong, who seems to he the self—appointed spokesman for the Episcopal Church.

In the 1979 Actions of the General Convention; “Sexuality of Ordinands” (A—53s): .. .we believe it is not appropriate for this Church to ordain a practicing homosexual, or any person who is engaged in heterosexual relations outside of marriage.”

Reference on the show was also made to Bishop Spong’s desire to “rewrite the Ten Commandments for the modern day” — the priest stating that there is “no adultery — only infidelity”; as well as a very flippant treatment of Scripture (1 Corinthians 6:9, I Timothy 1:8—11).

While we realize that reacting to such performances only prolongs a bad incident, nevertheless, we believe it would help our evangelism efforts if our bishop and the Presiding Bishop would affirm and proclaim at every opportunity our Church’s stand (based on Scripture, Tradition and Reason) on today’s social issues — the ones that plague the laity as we try to tell our story to the unchurched and the lapsed. We need the authority of the bishop’s words (and actions) to help us counteract the often—heard statement, “no one knows what we stand for”.

Joni Miller, Shirley Clark, Irma Johnson, Jini Haggardt, Polly Gregg, Margaret Wright, Lloyd Olson, Inez Olson, Bev Berry.

Most of these folks have gone on to be with the Lord, but a few are still here. I give thanks for their witness.