DATE: July 21, 1998
MEMO TO: Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee
FROM: Jim Boyles, General Secretary
RE: Comments from Forums at General Synod
____________________________________________________
The following comments were recorded on newsprint and relate to the work of your committee:
1) Common Prayer in Canada
1. Common prayer appears to remain a central characteristic
* Wide variety of forms to meet people's needs
2. What makes it Anglican?
* participation of people
* service has "substance"
* scriptures
3. Liturgy does affect our beliefs.
* scriptures essential
* scriptures are the source of our teaching
4. Children - how do we attract them in order to give them the basics?
2) Common Prayer in the Communion
1. Our common prayer is "One in Christ" - In order to validate common prayer the spirit of love must be present.
2. The Structure is relevant
* even if language is not understood, if the spirit is present, common prayer has life.
3. Structure is irrelevant -
* common prayer is "dead" without the spirit
There are religious Anglicans and there are Anglican Christians.
3) Inculturation
1. Sharing our Story
* Different pieces of the story of who we are
* stop addressing, start listening
* "pushed into shoes that don't really fit"
* Anglicanism - grass roots religion
2. Practicing as a Community
* liturgy is cultural
* welcome uniqueness
* build liturgy around the community
* more patterns of worship than text
* tradition continues to speak to people
3. How do we love?
* flexibility in recognizing needs; be user friendly; recognize the marginalized; welcoming people; redefine mission; self determination; not everything works for everyone
4) Authority, Revelation and Discernment
1. We understand authority as servant authority
2. Authority is the property of the whole church
3. We believe that there are Christian absolutes that are defined in the creeds
4. We must act pastorally to those who feel disenfranchised.
* How are these authorities (Scripture, Tradition, Reason) to be balanced and weighed as the church faces contentious and divisive issues?
5. What is the basis and nature of Christian authority in Anglican Tradition and practice
6. Why is authority important to the church and how should it be exercised to build up the community so we can answer enquirers from a Solid basis (more than opinion) / not from opinion.
5) Scripture and Culture
1. The Gospel of Christ speaks to us through the cultures of the Bible.
2. How do we engage the particularity of the Biblical witness as we seek to address to the cultural realities of our day? How does our culture provide lenses through which we read the bible? And how might the bible provide lenses through which we might see our culture anew?
3. We are all shaped by traditions whether we accept it or not.
4. It is up to the people, through the help (discernment) of the Spirit to apply the truth through the cultural lenses that hinder us.
5. The same lenses that hinder, can help us..
6) Tradition
1. Traditions like a candle - passed from one generation to the next. Each generation's task is to make the light of Christ's presence shine brightest by discerning "essential wick" from "amendable wax."
7) Authority of Personal Experience
1. We ignore experience at our peril.- it comes in whether we name it or not and acts as filter
2. God continues to reveal God's purpose... the good news continues in our experience.... and scripture lives anew.
3. In an organic community (vs. a collection of individuals) discernment occurs and truth is tested and refined.
4. Personal experience needs to be tested by scripture as the ultimate authority
5. Personal experience has to be in dialogue with scripture and the tradition (The teaching) of the church with reason as the media
6. Personal experienced is nurtured and sustained by the faith and experience of the church.
8) Postmodernism: Blessing or Curse?
1. Postmodernism is the context within which Christian dialogue and discernment must inevitable occur.
2. Postmodernity is simultaneously embraced and rejected by members of the church. This creates both the opportunity for dialogue and conflict regarding our identity.
3. As Christians, regardless of the "isms" to which we ascribe, we are unified by our love of God and the love, compassion, respect, and affirmation of life we meet in one another through Jesus Christ.
9) Formation for Ministry
1. National consultation to draw up requirements for ordained ministry to include heads of colleges, bishops, religious communities
2. Discernment
* candidate and diocese (+ parish re: local ordained / lay ministries)
* Formation
* of the whole being, mind, body, spirit
* mentoring + spiritual guidance
3. Training
* National core
* localized based on local needs
* dialogue between church and training institutions
* National dialogue - GS perhaps house of Bishop's
10) Shape of Future Ministry
1. Usage of local people
* team ministry where lay and ordained work together
2. Team needs outside guidance and coordination (sic) / supervision
* i.e. Paul's letters to the churches
3. Vision for lay involvement - requirement of certain standards - so that individuals would have a foundation
4. Discernment process - Asking parish to identify those individuals who are qualified and accepted to take on these roles for ministry.
5. Develop ministry development coordinator.
11) Covenant
1. Role models / leaders giving hope
2. Ownership / permission helped raise awareness
3. Equality
12) Ecumenical Relations
1. Shared Theological Education:
* more intentional linking
* help affect behaviour / attitudes.
2. Community Service: (Common goals)
* coalitions
* grassroots (has to be experienced here)
3. Covenant:
* enabling people to make agreements
* processes that help people share values and beliefs
* Using your baptismal covenant as a building block.
13) Scriptural Basis for Ethical Decision-making
1. Some ethical questions highlight the tension between the secular and sacred and this tension causes us to reflect on our understanding of
* human nature
* values and norms implicit in our thinking.
2. Scripture (the story) can assist us as we seek to proclaim new life in Christ and seek to follow Jesus as faithful disciples.
3. Take time to listen
* to each other
* to the spirit
14) Sexuality
1. Human Sexuality is a gift from God to be reaffirmed. We do so especially in light of the fact that many experience guilt, vulnerability, and power imbalance in their attitudes and experiences of living out their sexuality.
2. Sexuality is a gift -- it cannot be imposed as a discipline.
3. Scripture, tradition and reason need to be in dialogue promoting constant reformation -- especially promoting covenant relationships which foster the growth of both / all participants.
4. Where we begin scripturally (vis a vis sexuality)
* Informs what we think and believe about sexual expression
5. Determining a reliance on scripture, tradition, and reason is a big struggle.
6. Relationships need to be an experience of wholeness and completeness and sign of God's love!
7. Scripture / Experience
* Dialogue: sharing ideas; coming together; places to talk (Youthfest, fidelity, integrity, days of dialogue)
8. Unity - move together
15) Euthanasia
1. More references / resources would be beneficial
2. Some statements need to be more specific. Examples should be given in paragraph 4. E.g. elder abuse.
3. The role of the church (lay and ordained - pastoral care) is important in providing support to the families of people with disabilities
4. Para 3 (idea of hospice) needs to be expanded -> hope.
5. Caregiver support is essential.
6. What about issues such as living wills or advanced directives for health care?
7. Euthanasia is a failure of palliative care
8. The Church should lobby for more funding for programs to support palliative care
9. The Church community needs to give care and support to the living relatives and / or other caregivers.
16) Biotechnology
1. Ask Anglican Communion to push for UN regulation / management.
2. Push for research of but limit patents for environmentally extracted substances.
3. Stewardship of the microcosm as well as the macrocosm.
Care for Church Employees (from New Ways of Working)
* concern re environments that lead to "excess" number of stress claims under LTD plan
* ACPO process/standards should receive periodic review as times change
Information to Serve Your Needs (from New Ways of Working)
* Privacy concerns (legislation)
Interim and Part-time Employees (from New Ways of Working)
* more support for part-time
continuing education
supervision
covenant and guidelines
*not a way to get cheap ministry - is more prone to abuse but has much to commend it
* interim ministry - "trained" specialized nationally?
* perform a special function different from maintenance ministry
Toward Sustainable Community (from Streams of Living Justice)
* The Church needs to promote its vision on community and the care of the earth - what is the "good life"
Gambling (from Streams of Living Justice)
* Education materials needed: theological reflection: greed, materialism, happiness
Making Moral Economic Decisions (from Streams of Living Justice)
* Moral economic decisions begin with personal commitment to the personal decisions we can control
* Equip church people to be a moral conscience in their workplace
Jubilee (from Streams of Living Justice)
. The church needs to announce Jubilee as Jesus did as a celebration. We need to present HOPE to parishioners.
. We are the church - what can we do?
. When Jesus proclaimed Jubilee he was more concerned about our salvation out of which Justice will come. Is the church in danger of standing outside and being the ombudsman?
. The church could/should make expectations and be prophetic in our relationships and demands of national and international financial organizations.
. The members of the church need to understand the full implication of Jubilee for themselves and need to help each other to achieve the Jubilee by changing lifestyles and assisting others internationally, nationally and corporately to change their ways. (Resources, education, goals and objectives, prayer).
Jubilee (from Partnerships Forum)
* Need a good theological reflection on the meaning of Jubilee - bible study material
* Practical ways to practice Jubilee - 1st question, `what do we let go of?'
* Importance of Sabbath renewed
* Maintain arm lengths with government agencies
* How would debt forgiveness work at all levels?
* Balance of debt forgiveness and human rights
* Means of accountability with debt forgiveness
* Tie debt forgiveness to restorative justice
* Willing to find ways to take a prophetic voice locally in specific ways
* Dioceses finding ways of `letting go'
* Jubilee service to heal brokenness, starting with ourselves and process
* Recognition of forgiveness
* Being in partnership with those in debt / in prison
Jubilee (from Ecumenical Relations Forum)
* Sabbath begins with hearing what each of means by Sabbath
* let us not confuse commercial celebration of millenium with Jubilee
* set aside time of Sabbath each day for the next 3 years (2001)
* do the givers understand the concept of - land, freedom, slavery, celebrating Sabbath
* We need to work with other ecumenical/inter-faith groups around the categories in 4
World Council of Churches (from Ecumenical Relations Forum)
* speak with Christian witness more specifically on new global issues of microcosm technologies - e.g. genetic engineering, new reproductive technologies, biotechnologies
* speak with a common voice on the issues of religious persecution of Christian
* continue the work of dialogue over fundamental doctrinal matters, esp. concerning Christian understandings of the creeds, scripture and the church.
Called to Full Communion with Lutherans
* shared lectionaries
* attend each others' clericus
* remember each other in prayer cycles, on regular basis
* what happens when 1 church is absent?
* have local parishes encourage:
- observers at each others' vestries
- share family evenings (eating)
- share a study group on this topic (1-4 sessions)
a) for clergy b) for parishes
* local congregations must be made aware of what is happening through education (sermons, newsletters, guest speakers etc.)
* how do we convince the Anglicans about the Canon? How do we explain inter-changeability of orders?
* how do we publicize the process and provide effective information resources?
* how do we publicize what is already happening? We do not want to arrive at the "altar" and back away.
* how do we energize the "grassroots" to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest?
* publicize existing resources; prepare new ones, Get the word out.
* give permission to use each other's liturgies for a period on occasion ("where permitted by the ordinary")
* the "grassroots" need to become better and more widely informed.
* we affirm the direction of the draft declaration
* encourage congregational and inter-congregational study sessions
* Need to clarify for Anglican, ELCIC identity as distinct from other Lutheran bodies
* - study guide use among Ang/ELCIC congregations to be encouraged
* - disseminate publications to each other (diocesan papers, advertise in each, summer camps)
* - combined worship opportunities
* - summer ministries and other ministries (i.e. youth)
* - joint clergy gatherings for dialogue, prayer, worship
* - share education/catechetical resources - joint calendars (Augsberg, ABC)
* - social opportunities (and for learning) to encourage laity to appreciate and know one another
* joint pastoral letters and statements
* Study - p.45-46 (Called to Full Communion)
* Covenant Parishes - endeavour to do all things in common that conscience allows
* Invite laity and clergy (reps) to each others deanery, synodical/diocesan meetings and events
* cooperate in special ministries (chaplain apps)
Anglican Roman Catholic Dialogue (from Ecumenical Relations Forum)
* papal primacy a long way off, we think
* possibly historical model - Bp. of Rome, 1 among many with special roles
* need lots of communications at parish and congregational level
* what does this question mean?
* troublesome terminology - "papal primacy"
* what would the papal primacy look life to satisfy Anglicans?
* do we need any form of papacy?
* agree in the importance of some form of universal authority - maybe the pope
* we must differentiate between "authority" and "power"
* need to listen on a very deep level to one another
* avoid single issues becoming a block to ecumenical discussion
Shared Ministries (from Ecumenical Relations Forum)
Stumbling blocks
- differing Eucharistic traditions - frequency
presidency
consummation of elements
- diverse reporting forms
- differing financial participation
- conflict with sacramental theologies, e.g. confirmation, same-sex issues
- lives of authority - pressure on clergy
- non-support of judicatory bodies
-moving beyond motive of expedience
- too many buildings
- preservation of distinct identities (also a way to overcome!
Overcoming blocks
- establishing self-determined motives, e.g. outreach mission
- support of judicatory bodies essential
- processes that examine share values/beliefs - consultations
- establish formal covenant
- develop mission statement and goals
- use of joint "council" of shared leadership
- trained/committed leadership
- conserve and shared resources
Other Dialogues (from Ecumenical Relations Forum)
- We need to be aware of the "underground" ecumenism already taking place in the church - house church etc., elicit ecumenical celebrations of the Eucharist
Canadian Council of Churches (from Ecumenical Relations Forum)
- yes we do need CCC
- the council should be more shelf-promoting - let people know what it does
- be more vocal in expressing the social conscious of members
- be more pro-active of current events
- use church papers (i.e. Journal) to put its ideas and policies to the congregations and individuals
- should build stronger ties with the EFC
Ecumenical Decade of the Churches in Solidarity with Women (from Ecumenical Relations Forum)
Decade Activities:
* Ontario Anglican Conference
* Parish in diocese of Niagara
* Vancouver pre-decade activities
* various - urban/rural/northern - different priorities and cultural expectations
Future of ACW? - discussions, surveys
* importance differs in different parts of country
* leadership = challenge
* non longer just want to be those who raise $$ - want more spiritual mandate
Decade - had limited impact in most areas
- a few went to Brazil
- much greater acceptance of women for ordination - celebration of 20th anniversary - and lay women in liturgical roles
- more awareness of inclusive language
- 2 female bishops
- rev. common lectionary - more stories of women
- No one could remember aims of the decade
- Connections not made with ACW - MU (very powerful MU in many countries)
- Anglicans in many 3rd World Countries not asking theses questions - - - yet.
- Decade has allowed more choices - both women/men
- Who was responsible for the decade anyway?
- How was information disseminated? Often get stuck
- Happened at same time both CCC & ACC cutting staff
- Great things have happened anyway
- Nowhere to go but up - ACC take responsibility for some of these issues - need emphasis on societal issues re women: violence, abuse, child care, elder care, health care