Via VirtueOnline:
by The Rev. Darren Simpson
August 2, 2009
There's something very special that happens when faithful Christians; in this case, Anglicans, meet together to worship, learn, and shape the future of their Church. For nearly a week, that "special something touched everyone that walked into the annual CANA Council Meeting that took place at Church of the Epiphany in Herndon, Virginia.
In the midst of the hotbed of hostilities perpetrated by a vengeful and increasingly litigious Episcopal church, (Epiphany is just one of the parishes that the Episcopal church is trying to regain control of), there was a feeling of genuine peace, excitement, and joyful celebration where the Holy Spirit could palpably be felt by one and all.
The whirlwind schedule of lectures, classes, seminars, and council meetings were punctuated by worship and prayer services that reminded me of why I became an Anglican.
There were many different facets of the Anglican Communion represented here. From Anglo-Catholics to Evangelicals and everywhere in-between, there was a place of honor and mutual respect and cooperation that was like a breath of fresh air.
Refreshingly absent from the affair was the banter of liberal, revisionist, and homoerotic activists trying to peddle their agendas and propaganda to the crowds that usually gather at TEC events. There was no one here that denied scriptural integrity and infallibility. No bishop came to the lectern to preach that the doctrine of personal salvation was heresy and error. No denials of the divinity and uniqueness of Jesus Christ.
No, this gathering was gleefully devoid of these distractions.
What I saw can best be described as a great cloud of witnesses. A gathering of the faithful in the midst of the field of battle. Many were directly affected by the legal abuses of the Episcopal church. Some were the same people who were personally sued for their involvement in the exodus of parishes from the clutches of TEC.
I spoke at length with a wonderful lady who is a Daughter of the King. She related to me in detail the proceedings in the court cases brought against her home Church and her, personally. The images of a visibly irate Katherine Jefferts-Schiori lashing out with venom in her televised court deposition to a Virginia court were, in my mind, very satisfying.
Thus should be the fate of all who try to mislead and mistreat the faithful of Christ I thought to myself. I heard many testimonies from those who had or were presently facing the onslaught of abuse from the liberal bishops of TEC and their pit-bull legal teams. In all of this sorrow, I couldn't help but see the joy expressed by each one of these people in the fact that they are in a much better place now. Here are a group of people who put everything they had on the line. These are people who took the Psalmist at his words:
"The Lord is with me... in whom shall I fear?"
Many other groups of afflicted Christians were being represented as well. In the gallery outside of the sanctuary were tables with information of the plight of Iraqi Christians, poverty-stricken villages and peoples, and those embroiled in homosexual addictions. In this place with these faithful Christians, you could see a vibrant and growing Church that is reaching out to all with hands of love, caring, and understanding.
CANA is fulfilling it's core mission statement of "radical inclusion" by reaching out to those who are broken and hurting. There is profound transformation going on in people's lives and truly inspired service taking place. This is what a living and vibrant branch of Christ's Church should be about. Fulfilling the "Great Commission" and preparing the flock for the return of their King. I count myself glad to have been there and to be a part of this great work.
---The Rev'd. Darren Simpson is a Deacon at the Church of the Trinity in Hiram, Georgia
No comments:
Post a Comment