Comments on: Glen, Diocese of Yukon http://www.anglican.ca/v2019/yourstory/stories/?p=353 Vision 2019 is a church-wide exercise to discern, dream, and decide where we think God wants the Anglican Church of Canada to be in 2019. Your voice is needed! The results will be shared at our next national meeting, General Synod 2010. Sat, 07 Aug 2010 20:56:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Bill; Pitt Meadows, BC http://www.anglican.ca/v2019/yourstory/stories/?p=353&cpage=1#comment-401 Bill; Pitt Meadows, BC Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:19:39 +0000 http://www.anglican.ca/v2019/yourstory/stories/?p=353#comment-401 It seems to me, Glen, that your posting charts the boundaries of the divide that bedevils our church in our culture. On the one side I see Christians who are obsessed with doctrine, virtually to the excusion of all else, and on the other Christians whose faith in God, revealed to us in Jesus, calls them to act within their communities. In each encounter in life we have the choice to listen to the Spirit and act in that moment as Jesus did, or not. Do we trust the Spirit that came upon us at Pentacost and do as that Spirit called the apostles to do, or do we split hairs over the interpretations of church fathers and theologians who have, seemingly, worked mightily over the millenia to take Jesus out of Christianity? It seems to me, Glen, that your posting charts the boundaries of the divide that bedevils our church in our culture. On the one side I see Christians who are obsessed with doctrine, virtually to the excusion of all else, and on the other Christians whose faith in God, revealed to us in Jesus, calls them to act within their communities. In each encounter in life we have the choice to listen to the Spirit and act in that moment as Jesus did, or not. Do we trust the Spirit that came upon us at Pentacost and do as that Spirit called the apostles to do, or do we split hairs over the interpretations of church fathers and theologians who have, seemingly, worked mightily over the millenia to take Jesus out of Christianity?

]]> By: David, Diocese of Yukon in Alaska http://www.anglican.ca/v2019/yourstory/stories/?p=353&cpage=1#comment-400 David, Diocese of Yukon in Alaska Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:34:18 +0000 http://www.anglican.ca/v2019/yourstory/stories/?p=353#comment-400 Very good Glen. You are so correct! Christian doctrine matters because doctrine is Christian teaching and that teaching is about the Truth - Jesus is the Truth. This is what our Apostolic Faith says - but are we listening? As a litmus about where we stand today ... consider how much attention is directed at the social causes (as important as they are) but ask Anglicans today what the Solemn Declaration 1893 says and what it means and I'll bet you get a blank stare. Let's not to forget the warning St. Paul offered in 2 Timothy 3:1ff. "But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come ... holding the form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these ... always learning and never able to come the knowledge of the truth." And then consider St. Paul's charge then to Timothy in the next chapter, "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Jesus Christ, who is to judge the living and the dead ... Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires...". Doctrine matters and if we fail to grasp that first, then all our good works - as though they can stand alone with or without Christ - will amount to rubbish in comparison with the power of the Gospel which is ours in Christ to tell the world about. Very good Glen. You are so correct! Christian doctrine matters because doctrine is Christian teaching and that teaching is about the Truth – Jesus is the Truth. This is what our Apostolic Faith says – but are we listening?
As a litmus about where we stand today … consider how much attention is directed at the social causes (as important as they are) but ask Anglicans today what the Solemn Declaration 1893 says and what it means and I’ll bet you get a blank stare.
Let’s not to forget the warning St. Paul offered in 2 Timothy 3:1ff. “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come … holding the form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these … always learning and never able to come the knowledge of the truth.” And then consider St. Paul’s charge then to Timothy in the next chapter, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Jesus Christ, who is to judge the living and the dead … Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires…”.
Doctrine matters and if we fail to grasp that first, then all our good works – as though they can stand alone with or without Christ – will amount to rubbish in comparison with the power of the Gospel which is ours in Christ to tell the world about.

]]> By: Frank Wirrell http://www.anglican.ca/v2019/yourstory/stories/?p=353&cpage=1#comment-399 Frank Wirrell Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:48:24 +0000 http://www.anglican.ca/v2019/yourstory/stories/?p=353#comment-399 Until we have a Primate and a House of Bishops that accept the authority of God's word and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ the church will continue in its freefall into apostasy and irrelevance. It will be nothing more than a club as you have stated. You are quite correct in stating we are called to preach Christ and Him crucified. Currently the emphasis is on being politically correct by condoning sin and seeking to "bless" it - something that is totally impossible. Until we have a Primate and a House of Bishops that accept the authority of God’s word and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ the church will continue in its freefall into apostasy and irrelevance. It will be nothing more than a club as you have stated.

You are quite correct in stating we are called to preach Christ and Him crucified. Currently the emphasis is on being politically correct by condoning sin and seeking to “bless” it – something that is totally impossible.

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