Too ironic item #1:
All Episcopal Church General Convention 2006 merchandise is now available for rock-bottom prices. The irony? The Convention’s theme was “Come and Grow.”
Too disturbing item #2:
United Methodists are looking more seriously at entering into “full communion” with the Episcopal Church.
Allow me to speak personally on this issue. I grew up United Methodist. I love the Christian heritage of the Wesleys, Asbury, and too many great saints to name. I have been blessed in my adult life by the Walk to Emmaus movement. My favorite hymn is “And Can It Be.” In other words, I speak as someone who loves the contribution of United Methodism to the body of Christ as a whole.
In all seriousness: Please, United Methodists … don’t head down this course. It’s a direction that will take you away from the catholicity of the Church … and away from the “rebirth of orthodoxy” of which one of your most wonderful theologians, Dr. Thomas Oden, has written. (Full disclosure: Dr. Oden is on the board of the IRD. I was an admirer of his work years before I even knew about the IRD, however. And if you're wondering, no money from his book sales goes to the IRD.)
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4 comments:
Well, I suppose it was bound to happen after VC2.
I mean there went the primary reason my Methodist great grandmother refused to come to my uncle's ordination after all "Episcopalians were Catholics who flunked their Latin."
She did attend his wedding, that was okay.
Above is a tongue-in-cheek playful post.
A serious commentary on your article is that it's not surprising. Basically the same demographic make up both denomination. Both reacted to cultural norms in the seventies. The doubt of Scripture is pervasive in Western culture. I'd not be surprised if "Rev. Pastor Nice-guy" is the sought after model
How can one enter into communion with the other? After all, communion depends on the Eucharist and if there is no Eucharist in the Methodist church (as there are no sacerdotal priests or bishops in Apostolic Succession), then how can this sacramental unity occur? It's trying to fit the square peg into the circular hole. It's impossible, by definition of "being in communion."
- Andy
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