Slam

Sometimes I read news posts and comments on Virtue Online and other blogs, where folks discuss developments in the church today. I like to keep up with the news, especially things Anglican and Anglo-catholic, and to read comments. It aids me in thinking things through.

I know God wants us to be able to think critically, to analyze things from every side. And I know He wants us to stand up for the Lord Jesus Christ and His written Word, the Bible. He wants us to stand against heresy.

And yet He also wants us to live with compassion. We could all learn from the way Francis confronted an erring bishop. It grieves me when I see posts that claim a certain minister, parish or group isn't really catholic or Anglican, because they don't use the same prayer book their minister and parish uses. Or claiming someone isn't orthodox when they state or articulate their theology a little differently than that person does. Or saying that a church or group isn't catholic or orthodox because they make women priests and bishops.

Our branch of the Church doesn't ordain women as priests or bishops (we do ordain them as deacons, however, and they may do a deacon's mass with pre-consecrated elements). But we would never say another group who does ordain women as priests and/or bishops isn't orthodox or catholic. We need to be very careful making statements like that.

There is a lot of posting, a lot of talk in this day and age of the Church. And their probably needs to be. But in my humble opinion, I've seen a lot of brothers take shots at fellow brothers, in a way that isn't warranted, it's just simply uncalled for.

Let's encourage one another to faithfulness and good deeds, as Paul commanded us. We should be very careful about opening our mouths and being offensive--yea, sinful--toward another brother or sister, minister, church, or group, by saying they are not really catholic, Anglican, or orthodox because they use a different prayer book, articulate their theology differently, or ordain women as priests and bishops.

The Church is being sifted today. Let us stand together as His Church, and lift up Christ. And let us do it with the love that comes from Him.


under the mercy,
br. francis