Anglican Mainstream

Lambeth Sermon: “Buddhist  chant does not reflect the God we believe in”– Bishop Bob Duncan
“Wonderful – church is inclusive even of those who do not agree with the message”  – Presiding Bishop Schori

The Guardian reports

At his presidential address later in the day, Williams addressed the devastating impact of these problems. "We all know we stand in the middle of one of the most severe challenges to have faced the Anglican family in its history," he said. "We cannot ignore the fact that what is seen to be a new doctrine and policy about same-sex relations is causing pain and perplexity."

Speaking in the large blue tent that is the centrepiece of the conference, he talked about the Global Anglican Future Conference, which was launched last month in response to the perceived liberal drift to accommodate conservative churches and their congregations. "We cannot ignore the pressures created by new structures that are being improvised in reaction to this, pressures that are very visibility in the form of irregular patterns of ministry across historic boundaries," he said.

He told the bishops that the Communion, as an institution, needed renewal, adding: "This is the moment for it. There is, quite properly, a sense of being at a deeply significant turning point."

However, the rift could not be ignored in the morning sermon. The Bishop of Colombo, the Right Rev Duleep de Chickara, who was invited to preach by Williams, told the congregation: "The reality is that we are a wounded communion. Some of us are not here and that is an indication that all is not well. Certainly the crisis is complex. It is not a crisis that can be resolved instantly and the journey ahead is a long and arduous one."

In a plea for unity, he said: "We are united in spite of the fact we are different; in Christ we are equal. There is enough to go around if none will be greedy. Here my sisters and brothers is an insight of what the church is called to be: an inclusive communion where there is space for everyone and anyone, regardless of colour, gender, sexual orientation, ability."

The day began with a number of English bishops attending services elsewhere, and some overseas archbishops refusing to take holy communion in solidarity with the 230 churchmen who snubbed Williams’ invitation.

But the sermon confirmed the liberal direction of the Anglican Communion and was the strongest sign yet that the US Episcopal Church would not be punished for consecrating Robinson.

The liberal tone of the sermon, and its insistence on inclusivity and equality, upset some in the pews as did the more multicultural, politically correct aspects of the service.

The Right Rev Bob Duncan, the Bishop of Pittsburgh, could be deposed because he is unhappy with the progressive agenda pursued by the US Episcopal Church. He told the Guardian: "You cannot have unity at any price. The obvious divisions are there. When a family is broken it’s because the family has no boundaries. To have a Buddhist chant at an Anglican sermon does not reflect the God we believe in."

Despite some dissent, most delegates remained upbeat. The presiding bishop of the US Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts-Schori, said it was a "wonderful" sermon. "It’s what the church is today," she said. "It is inclusive – even those who don’t agree with the message, it includes them too."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/21/anglicanism.religion
 

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