Thursday, March 11, 2004 AD
Anglican tragedy continues
The Telegraph reports today on the latest Anglican turmoil: this time the Anglican Church in Canada is on the verge of approving same-sex blessings. (Though to describe Anglicanism as being "on the brink of schism" is like saying that Elvis "is on the brink of death").
All this breaks my heart. For almost the whole of my life I've had strong links with Anglicanism. It's largely my love for the Prayer Book and the Articles that kept me from ever being completely satisfied with much of contemporary evangelicalism, which in turn is one reason why I've ended up "going Lutheran".
Anglicanism has, of course, strong affinities with Lutheranism, being very much a product of the "conservative Reformation", and with a distinct "family resemblance" between the Thirty-Nine Articles and the Augsburg Confession. And I still maintain that Anglicanism at its best is Reformed Christianity at its best (and sanest). This is, after all, the church of Cranmer, Whitefield, Ryle, John Stott and JI Packer, just to name a few who have had a big impact on me over the years. It's also a church that has given the world some glorious church music*. To see all this disappear down the toilet is a tragedy.
Do remember in your prayers the remnant who have not bowed the knee to Baal (see any of the "Anglican" links to the right.
(* speaking of glorious church music: buy this! buy this! Not cheap, and worth shopping around to find the best price, but you'll never regret it, I promise).
All this breaks my heart. For almost the whole of my life I've had strong links with Anglicanism. It's largely my love for the Prayer Book and the Articles that kept me from ever being completely satisfied with much of contemporary evangelicalism, which in turn is one reason why I've ended up "going Lutheran".
Anglicanism has, of course, strong affinities with Lutheranism, being very much a product of the "conservative Reformation", and with a distinct "family resemblance" between the Thirty-Nine Articles and the Augsburg Confession. And I still maintain that Anglicanism at its best is Reformed Christianity at its best (and sanest). This is, after all, the church of Cranmer, Whitefield, Ryle, John Stott and JI Packer, just to name a few who have had a big impact on me over the years. It's also a church that has given the world some glorious church music*. To see all this disappear down the toilet is a tragedy.
Do remember in your prayers the remnant who have not bowed the knee to Baal (see any of the "Anglican" links to the right.
(* speaking of glorious church music: buy this! buy this! Not cheap, and worth shopping around to find the best price, but you'll never regret it, I promise).
