Smiling upon a church split?
Posted by tom | Mar 1, 2007As I remember my Anglican friends in Western PA, it's hard to read a title such as A Divorce the Church Should Smile Upon. The NY Times opinion piece talks about the Anglican Communion as having already split and some anticipated implications. No new content here,
except that I anticipate further discussion of the manner in which communications technology has led to the current situation will be picked up by practical theology (if it hasn't already, its definately already in Youth Ministry training), and later church history. It's hard to have perspective on the new ways of doing church. Although many movements/ideas have failed 'to take' despite their media hype, a number have gained significant strength through the use of the new communications technology punctuated by significant face-to-face conversations/events. In addition to the various Anglican networks, Willow Creek (Seeker Church), Saddleback (Purpose Driven Church), and the Emergent Church immediately come to mind.
In the midst of Lancaster County's Plain Country, I'm reminded of how some of the more restrictive Anabaptist sects delimit conversation in/to the wider world and there is not the ability for mass communication, mobilization, and planning which we see in the above mentioned movements. E.g., local assemblies of Amish do not even know who their teaching elder will be on given week. This is to avoid following particular teachers as the local assemblies are based on proximity (I guess you could call it the parish model).
Father, As we enter a new stage of how various members of the Body of your Son Jesus Christ pursue ministry/authority, by the power of your Spirit grant us humility, love, and direction. Grant us the grace to offer our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength wherever we find ourselves AND to love our neighbor as ourselves, even if we find them hard to love in the context of difficult conversations. We lift all of this up to you in the name of your Son Jesus, who gave His life that your Spirit might in us call out to you as Father. Amen.
