| +Hartley |
Within the world of Christian denominations, one should never remove himself from the word “UNITY” ,
but within the Continuum of the Anglican Faith this word is now an albatross around the neck of the
faith; it is discouraging. There are seventy-nine (79) branches of Continuum. Somewhere out there 90%
only in name. Webster's Dictionary describes (in part) “UNITY” as a ‘State of accord or agreement, being
one or singleness, harmony, unification, purpose or action; consistency of character.
Looking at this word “UNITY” within the Continuum it’s more likely to get the politicians in Washington to
the doors of “UNITY” than the leaders of the Church. The first problem is that there are too many
Ecclesiastical non -working clergy within the Continuum. Then, there are those who disrupt the faith
with promises of “UNITY”, but their goal is to see how many churches they can convince to leave one
branch for another. Sadly, those who fall into this find themselves bouncing around, when their
expectations are not met.
“UNITY”, within the Anglican Faith (AF) is a tragic myth, it should be based on genuine Christian
development, where the interest of lost souls becomes an instant priority, sadly it is not. I fear it will
continue to be so. Instead of coming together as a body of one, we find that many groups are looking
for one line paragraphs to dissociate themselves from each other. This is not in keeping what Jesus'
commission teaches us, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel."
Regretfully, there is some legitimate confusion within the AF. Some of our Anglican brethren have
completely lost their way on issues that are not in keeping with the Wword of God, but cater to today’s
so-called political correctness, such as the ordination of gay and lesbian clergy. This is not acceptable,
but we must show our wayward brethren the error of their ways, not run them off. Jesus did not. When
he found those who were straying from his teachings, he embraced them, never condoning or catering
to their behavior, but tried to bring then back to the path of holiness.
The Anglican faith has been around for centuries, the Continuum a few, their actions today are not
those of reaching out, but divisiveness that damages the faith. The ACW does not run away from issues
that damage the faith, we will however NOT condone or cater to those who stray from the teachings of
the faith. We will not place them in leadership, but we will reach out to them, offering guidance as the
church should to lost souls.
ACW Reality check: We will not fight with the Continuum on the issue of “UNITY”. We will NOT seek
mergers with other Anglican groups, but we will not turn away those who need guidance seeking the
path of Christ. We are not politicians who have to position ourselves and write speeches for the next
election by saying what we think people want to hear. We are leaders of the church whose task is to
meet the needs of those placed in our charge. It is therefore incumbent on all within the continuum, if
not capable of understanding Webster’s definition of "UNITY" to take the words of Jesus, "Let us be of
one mind and accord."
Watch how you go.
+ Hartley, Archbishop ACW
The Trouble With the Word "UNITY" (A repeat and update from August, 2006) |
| Silent Sermon |