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"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." Psalm 118:8 KJ21
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Message from Bishop Anderson
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Dear Friends of the Anglican Realignment, I note with approval that the federal judge who received the South Carolina case from the Episcopal Church (TEC) has remanded the case to state court. TEC wanted the federal court to preempt the South Carolina state court system and rule favorably on the claims of TEC to all things pertaining to the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, their charter, seal, insignia, etc. Instead, the judge ruled that the case belonged in state court. This does put TEC in a more difficult position because the South Carolina Supreme Court has previously ruled that the Dennis Canon and the concept behind it are null and void. This state court ruling will be a guide for the courts that will now hear the litigation and make a decision. Also noted is the papal acknowledgement and concern that a gay lobby (perhaps, since this is in Italy, we should say gay mafia) is deeply embedded in the Vatican Curia and high levels of governance. When there is a problem, the first step in finding a right way forward is acknowledging that the problem exists. Removing all those leaders whose moral conduct contradicts Catholic moral doctrine and teaching would be a first step in cleaning house. I suspect that Pope Frances is the strong yet gentle man to take on this task; may God empower him with both wisdom and courage to see this through. Within the larger Christian community, and indeed within Anglicanism itself, there are some issues that divide denominations, communions and families. You may be familiar with some of the issues, and may have had to deal with them firsthand in your own family, workplace, or church. One issue is the ordination of women to Holy Orders. Both sides feel they have convincing arguments, and it is difficult to find a middle ground. Another issue is sexuality, and primarily homosexuality, and how this is dealt with for membership, communion status, and for ordination. A third issue is one you may not have heard of or encountered... Read the rest of Bishop Anderson's article here.
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Message from Canon Ashey
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Dear Friends in Christ,
I want to follow up on the Anglican perspective video on Inductive Bible Study by sharing a bit more about the Bible study that I am now a part of on Monday nights.
We are currently studying the Gospel of John. The difference is that we are not using Bibles with chapter divisions, verses and footnotes. We are using the plain text of the Gospel of John in two versions, ESV and Amplified, printed out on 8.5x11 paper without any chapter or paragraph breaks. We do have numbers for the lines on the left so that we have some way of referencing where we are! But this "manuscript" is simply the text of the Gospel of John itself. This is exactly the way we did 'manuscript' studies Bible study "dig-ins" when I was involved in Stanford Christian Fellowship (Inter-Varsity).
We meet in the large basement of a home. There is wonderful hospitality and social interaction prior to the study. We start promptly at 7 pm with a brief introduction of newcomers and prayer. We spend 30 minutes around tables in small groups "reading, marking, learning and inwardly digesting" the text we have been assigned to read. The wonderful thing about this manuscript is that you can mark it up, highlight it, circle repeating words, draw lines of connection, and write down observations and questions as much as you want! And we all do. The holy silence while people take the text so seriously and dig in to it is absolutely tangible!...
Read the rest of Canon Ashey's article here.
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Federal judge remands Episcopal Diocese case to state court
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Source: Moultrie News  June 11, 2013 U.S. District Judge C. Weston Houck remanded the case to the South Carolina Circuit Court. In informing the parties, Judge Houck said, "If this Court determined that a case may be removed based on federal question jurisdiction whenever a defendant attributed a federal constitutional issue not alleged or advanced in a well-pleaded complaint, federal question jurisdiction could potentially be expanded to all cases containing tacit First Amendment issues." Diocesan officials expressed their gratitude for the decision. "We are very pleased that Judge Houck remanded the case to state court," said Jim Lewis, Canon to Bishop Lawrence. "The issues involved are essentially those of legal identity and are wholly determined by state law, so the most appropriate place to settle is clearly in state court, where we first took the matter." With the case remanded, it returns to the court of South Carolina Circuit Judge Dianne S. Goodstein.... The rest of the article may be found here. A.S. Haley's comments on the decision are here. Back to top
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Archbishop Justin meets Pope Francis in Rome
| Source: Anglican Communion News Service
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Archbishop Welby and Pope Francis
Photo credit Lambeth Palace
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June 14, 2013
Photo credit: Lambeth Palace
In their first meeting, Archbishop Justin and Pope Francis both spoke this morning of the bonds of "friendship" and "love" between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.
The two leaders agreed that the fruits of this dialogue and relationship have the potential to empower Christians around the world to demonstrate the love of Christ....
The Archbishop, who was accompanied by his wife, Caroline, visited the tomb of St Peter beneath the Basilica before praying at the tomb of Pope John Paul II. He was also joined by Archbishop Vincent Nichols, as well as Archbishop David Moxon, his representative to the Holy See.
After meeting Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the Archbishop met the Pope at the Apostolic Palace. The pair held a private conversation, before giving public addresses and attending a service of midday prayer together....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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England: Understanding the Bishops [regarding Same Sex Marriage Bill]
| Source: Peter Ould blog
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Peter Ould
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June 10, 2013
By Rev Peter Ould
There's been a lot of nonsense written about what the statement from the Bishop of Leicester following the Second Reading in the Lords of the Same-Sex Marriage Bill actually means, chiefly down to the spin that the Telegraph put on it. However, if you read the statement carefully you can see that the Church of England has not surrendered on the Bill and in fact may very well continue to oppose it in Committee stage and at a Third Reading.
Let's read what the Bishop actually wrote, not what others are implying he wrote.
"Both Houses of Parliament have now expressed a clear view by large majorities on the principle that there should be legislation to enable same-sex marriages to take place in England and Wales.
It is now the duty and responsibility of the Bishops who sit in the House of Lords to recognise the implications of this decision and to join with other Members in the task of considering how this legislation can be put into better shape...."
Is this a "surrender"? Hardly. It's simply a statement of the fact that both Houses have voted by large majorities to support the Bill....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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French mayor refuses to 'marry' homosexual couple: risks years in jail
| Source: LifeSiteNews
by Matthew Cullinan Hoffman
June 12, 2013
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Jean-Michel Colo
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The mayor of a small town in France's Basque region has announced his refusal to carry out a "marriage" between two men who reside in his jurisdiction, becoming the first mayor to defy the country's new law that applies the name and rights of "matrimony" to couples of the same sex.
Jean-Michel Colo, a conservative who heads the town of Arcangues in the southern Basque region of Pyrenees-Atlantiques, faces the possibility of a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of 75,000 euros (100,000 USD), according to French media sources. However, he appears to be unafraid of the consequences of his stand, telling the media that he will "go all the way to the gallows" to oppose the law.
"I don't give lessons, I'm not inciting other mayors to follow my example, but I won't enforce an illegitimate law," says Colo. "My seven councilmen and I are completely in agreement in saying that we will not participate in this charade."
The mayor's stand is expected to be only the first of many that are likely to occur under the new law, which went into effect on May 28. In addition to the town council's support, Colo says he has received 1,500 messages of support to date....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Egyptian Christian teacher convicted of blasphemy
| Source: Fresno Bee (AP story)
June 11, 2013
By Haggag Salama
LUXOR, Egypt - An Egyptian court has convicted a Coptic Christian teacher of blasphemy but didn't hand down a prison sentence and only imposed a fine on her.
The court on Tuesday ruled that elementary schoolteacher Dimyana Abdel-Nour had insulted Islam. It ordered that she pay a fine of 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($14,000). Abdel-Nour was not in the courtroom for the verdict....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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