In a message dated 10/25/03 12:32:47 AM, xgamer@skyinet.net writes:

<< The orthodox believe in a God who has revealed himself in word and deed.

When Paul went to Athens he found an altar to an Unknown God. If Paul were

with us today, he'd find that the revisionists have erected a similar altar

in the Anglican Communion. >>

I don't know who "xgamer" is because the piece is unsigned, but I can tell
him/her this: if you think you know God, if you think you hold the ineffable
and utter truth of the Godhead in your own little brain, if you (and your
fellows) alone claim to know the mind of Christ, then you may be the worst danger to
the Christian Church of anyone. Indeed, my inclination would be to consider
that you and your fellows may be the anti-Christ.

I have listened to this hate-driven talk, this promotion of a homophobic
holocaust, this twisting of lies and half-truths, this manipulative, masked,
money-grubbing monstrosity long enough. I have tried from the beginning to give you
all credit as true conscientious objectors: I have tried to honor what you
believe, and I have prayed for you truly and deeply (by your name, when I know
it), but with the revelations Jack Taylor has provided, and this continuing
flow of indefensible and plainly wicked material, I can no longer give you credit
for even good intentions. When I want to evaluate a movement or an action, I
ask simply, "Where is the Love in it?" and I have finally given up searching
for that in your agendas. No matter how hard I look, it is simply not there!
And without that, you have no credibility and no credit in my book.

I know there are honest, good, devout, and faith-filled people in your camp
for whom the actions of the Episcopal Church are just too radical for them to
apprehend or accept. Sadly those good people are apparently being led now by
some others who in both their private and public expressions seem to be without
conscience altogether.

I look at the list of dissenting bishops, and I ask, "My God, is this what
you actually want? Is this well of corruption what you really desire? Is this
what you are committed to? Is there no way for you to see beyond this wallow of
hatred? Can you not find it in yourselves to disagree without destroying, to
oppose without demolishing? How can you go along with this murderous hacking
and chopping at Christ's body? In the Name of God, brothers, can you not bring
an end to this? Hasn't there been enough?"

It pains me drastically even to say these things, but the level of deceit and
manipulation and the breaking of the bounds of decent human behavior have
come to be more than one can reasonably be expected to bear.

So what do the rest of us do? Well, the issues will not be settled by any of
us, no matter what actions we take. They will be settled only and solely by
our loving and merciful Lord who not only guides His Church but IS the Church
Himself. All we can do is to open the door for Christ's entry into our world
wider and wider as it is being slammed shut elsewhere by others. Recite the Daily
Offices, participate in Eucharist more and more often (if you went once a
week before, go twice or thrice now!), be diligent in setting aside time for deep
and silent personal prayer, not asking for anything but simply recognizing
our union with and in Him, spend quality time in "holy reading" with your Bible,
use the Sacrament of Reconciliationif you need it. God will care for His own
and, as our holy patroness has said, "All shall be well, and all shall be
well, and all manner of thing shall be well."

In both deep pain and deep faith,

John-Julian, OJN
- posted by Bob @ 6:50 AM