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The role of the Queen in the Church of England

On occasion of the 60th Jubilee of the Accession of Queen Elizabeth II, Archbishop Rowan Williams has issued a very good description of the role of the Queen in the Church of England.

(...) Since the 16th century, every English monarch has been Supreme Governor of the Church of England, which doesn't mean that the Queen or the King is the head of the Church of England. It simply means they're the final court of appeal. They're the person who makes the final decision about what the Church can do and can't do in law. One of The Queen's other titles is Defender of the Faith. We still see it on our coins in Latin: Fidei Defensor. It's tied up with The Queen's role as the senior layperson of the Church of England. But I think that The Queen has made something quite fresh of it. She has, in effect, said that by being the guardian of the Christian faith as held by the Church of England, she establishes a real place for faith in public life...

It is important to note that whatever the role the Queen fills in the Church of England, her role is for and in the Church of England, and not relates to Anglican Communion, other than in its historic character of founding church.

You may continue reading the whole transcript or watching the video here

A Sermon I wish I would have Preached...

"What God has made clean, you must not call profane."

If we wanted a theme for today, this verse would do nicely, I think. Whether it is a Gentile Roman soldier or a whole dinner menu previously prohibited to Jews by Torah, God can decide if he will change the rules and now call it clean. This reversal can either seem capricious, if one has a certain view of God that inclines to the suspicious, or it can be seen as a generous next step in God's plan to renew the world following the resurrection.

If God can overcome death, then surely he can overcome cultural and religious divides between humans...

Full sermon at Mad Padre's blog clicking here

Paraphrasing Benedict XVI

The Christian Faith 
is not a listing of prohibitions, 
but rather a field guide 
to living in God's loving 
and all-embracing "Yes".

A Prayer for the Abundance of Love, Grace, and Patience in the Body of Christ

   Dear God, you have told us – your children – that you have set your mind in never ceasing doing us good come what it may. We thank you for your everlasting mercy, your enduring grace, and your forbearing love even at such times when in our impatience, pride, and narrow-mindedness we grieve our brothers and sisters– those whom you love as dearly as you do love us. As you continue making all things new in your Creation by the working of your Spirit, we pray that you may renew our hearts and minds, and you may open the eyes of our understanding so that we may see and hold dear each one of our brothers and sisters as you see and hold us dear in your beloved Son, Jesus, your Christ. Amen.

Common Prayer & Common Grace

If anything, as Anglicans we value Common Prayer rather than Common Theology, at least in anything beyond the Creeds.

Our Church is grounded on the premise that what it matters is what we say in Common Prayer with a clear conscience. Thus Protestants and Catholics were able to sit together at the Lord's Table, recognizing their -- and our! -- Common Unworthiness "To gather up the crumbs under (The Lord's) Table."

As Psalm 51 aptly reminds us, we all are born in sin. And what it really unites us in the Body of Christ is our Common Sinfulness, our Common Redemption, and the Common Grace that it is bestowed on us by the Father of Mercies.

Right?

Earth Hour 2012 -Stewardship of Creation

"You made us the rulers of creation. But we turned against you, and betrayed
your trust" (Eucharistic Prayer C, BCP).

Let's give the planet a chance! Turn off your lights, computers, and those energy-guzzlers big TV screens today, 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM your local time.

Wise words...

"We cannot fix on a single point, cannot attempt to review every decision, and expect that every action and every decision made by members of the church in China are always perfect in every moment and every situation," Tong said. "If each error is isolated and becomes a reason for condemnation without appeal, who can be saved? It is in the long run that you see whether a priest or bishop has a good intention in his heart."

Cardinal Tong -- as quoted by John Allen (Nathional Catholic Reporter) -- was  making a reference about those who have been ordained Roman-Catholic priests or bishops without the proper fiat from the Vatican. 

However, the more I read his words, the more pertinent seem to be to our own disputes if we were to substitute "of the church in China by "of the Anglican Church"...

That's the kind of person that we need to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury. May God help us in our hour of need!

Why Sentamu, Chartres, and other old folks may have no chance to be the next ABC?

Why Sentamu, Chartres, and other old folks may have no chance to be the next ABC?

Chair of St Augustine, Canterbury Cathedral

So far all the comments that I have read about the succession of the next ABC have been exclusively centered about churchmanship, the current “unpleasantries”, and, naturally, individual's preferences.

However, we mustn’t forget that the ABC is a political animal, being number two in the realm, and having a singular role in the untimely event of a vacancy in the royal household. As chief mourner, the ABC would have a leading role in the year-long mourning period that would ensue. To say nothing about the noise if decisions around accession or abdication need to addressed. Given the possibility of such developments, I doubt Mr Cameron would be willing to deal in the midst of it all with a new vacancy at Lambeth Palace!

So I would like to suggest that whatever the PM’s ideas, concerns, and wishes may be about the inner workings of the Church, he will be more concerned with his own political realities rather than to be particularly troubled with trying to win a loosing internecine battle within the ranks of the church. Yes, there is the Crown Nomination Commission and all that jazz. But in the end, I bet Mr Cameron would like to be remembered as the wise PM who selected a younger ABC with pastoral skills who was fully engaged with the requirements of his position at a time of great national import.

And what about the Church? What about the Covenant? What about gays in ministry? I don't know what the PM would say, but I guess he may offer some words such as, “Let the Holy Spirit take care of it all.” May be, just may be, it may turn out to be the wisest decision.

Lent 2012

...You gave us the whole world into our care, so that in obedience to you, our Creator, we may rule and serve all your creatures... However, our disobedience took us far from you...

We confess that we have sinned against you

by what we have done

and by what we have left undone

Have mercy on us and forgive us...

that we, fervent in prayer and in works of mercy, 

may be renewed by Word and Sacrament to come into the fulness of grace...