Samuel and PECUSA

In our Tuesday morning Bible study at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Vestal, NY, we have been studying 1 Samuel. Part of this morning’s study was chapter 3 where Samuel’s sleep is interrupted by the voice of the Lord. Walter Brueggemann, in his commentary on 1 and 2 Samuel offers some thoughts that show how relevant chapters 1-3 are to our current crisis in Anglicanism. Brueggemann says,

Chapters 1-3 as a larger unit serve to authorize Samuel to take a fresh
initiative into Israel’s life.

The narrative takes great care to show that Samuel’s credibility does not
rest on any conventional political confirmation. Samuel is presented as
having an authorization rooted in nothing other than the freedom and
promise of God. Samuel’s freshly authorized voice in Israel’s public
life stands over against all conventional modes of power and brusquely
displaces them. [p. 27]

We hear the liberals proclaim over and over again that God is doing a new thing in pecusa. By this they mean that their actions that Scripture deems unrighteous are actually righteous - the Holy Spirit has told them so. Meanwhile, from Africa and other parts of the developing world comes an authorization of a new ministry in the United States. Outside the political structure of pecusa comes bishops, priests and deacons who will be obedient to the word of God and the councils of the worldwide church. This new, growing structure is in stark contrast to the "conventional modes of power" of pecusa (threats to vestries and congregations,clergy inhibitions and depositions, lawsuits) "and brusquely displaces them."

Brueggemann goes on to say, "A new beginning means a terrible ending of some other arrangements… This new beginning requires facing candidly all that has failed…" (p. 28)

We see no signs yet that pecusa is willing to acknowledge a new beginning or their mounting failures. The realignment of North American Anglicanism is moving ahead and pecusa has yet to face into the terrible ending that is coming at the accelerating rate of thousands of members leaving pecusa each year. Like Eli, pecusa has grown fat and blind and is in no condition to hear the word of the Lord.