Anglican Church May Split

According to a recent article at scotsman.com, (you can find the article here www.news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1920442005) there is a split forming in the Anglican church. The Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), with help from the Council of Anglican Provinces of the Americas and Caribbean (CAPAC), will be holding a conference next month to consider establishing “…a new Anglican Church based in Egypt.” According to the website:

“A conference that could turn the Anglican community on its head takes place in Alexandria, Egypt, next month, organized by angry Africans and Latin Americans who say they are "sick and tired" of endless debate about same-sex blessings and the ordination of gay Christians. "We've had enough," the Archbishop of Central Africa, Bernard Malango, said last week.”
While it is always sad to see a church split, it is even harder for me to watch a church reject the teachings of Christ, and teach instead the doctrines of man. I am glad that there are those who are unwilling to compromise the truth of the gospel to make it more palatable to their own or others desires.

We must always be searching our own hearts when it comes to the theology and doctrine in the church and in our own lives (which together ARE the church). On one hand, we need to make sure that we know the difference between what are the teachings and commands of God, and what are our own traditions and culture. This requires understanding and aiming for the very heart of what God wants. This is where we will often find ourselves as uncomfortable, since we may need to give up a beloved tradition. This also gives us an opportunity to demonstrate the love and sufficiency of Christ in all things. That we are willing to give up what makes us comfortable for others shows love. That we are willing to give up so much of what makes us comfortable in the cultural and outward forms shows that it is really Christ that we find valuable, and not the outward trappings. When a church cannot distinguish between the heart of God and its own culture, it has gained “religion”, lost it’s greatest treasure (Christ), and no longer has anything good to offer it’s community. It becomes irrelevant.

On the other hand, we need to prize, cherish, defend, and hold on to that “heart” of what Christ teaches with are very lives. Again, this shows the value and preciousness of God, that we would give up our lives, not for our comfort, but for Christ. This is where our faith will come into conflict with the world. The purpose of everything we do is to glorify God. This means that we have and show 100% confidence that what God desires is what is good and best and valuable. It is not simply following rules, but desiring what God desires. Doing everything for the same goal and objective that God has. The ultimate goal of God is that He is shown supremely valuable and worthwhile. As a church, we show this in our confidence that God’s plan is the only good and true way. It is the BEST way and it WORKS. (Ephesians 3:1-12)

This applies directly with the issue facing the Anglican church. The heart of God’s will for marriage and sexual relationships is clear in the scriptures. Marriage is a picture of the image of God, and He has clearly laid what that image is to look like. It is a man and a woman, period. God takes this very seriously. He destroyed entire cities for this (see Genesis 19). In Romans 1:24-28, Paul clearly places homosexuality in the realm of sin.

Romans 1:24-28
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper.

Pastor John Piper sum’s it up well:
“We learn from Paul in Ephesians 5:31-32 that, from the beginning, manhood and womanhood existed to represent or dramatize God's relation to his people and then Christ's relation to his bride, the church. In this drama, the man represents God or Christ and is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. The woman represents God's people or the church. And sexual union in the covenant of marriage represents pure, undefiled, intense heart-worship. That is, God means for the beauty of worship to be dramatized in the right ordering of our sexual lives.” - John Piper (http://www.desiringgod.org/library/sermons/98/101198.html)

I only know about this situation in the Anglican church from this article and Kenyan friends, so I cannot say that I know the true heart of those like Bernard Malango. I am thankful to God that in His mercy to us, He gives us people who value God above the pressures of the world, and I pray that this man is indeed acting out of love for Christ. I also want to encourage our African and South American brothers and sisters to always value God and His word as the priceless treasure they are, and to pray for us as well, that we will not value this world and our culture above our Lord and Savior.

Piper on the Hurricane

What a busy week!Just wanted to put out a link to this article by Piper. It is his response to the hurrican disaster in Louisiana and Missisippi. It is worth reading. http://www.desiringgod.org/library/fresh_words/2005/090205.html.

The Emerging Church

I'm about 1/4 of the way through Dan Kimball's book "The Emerging Church", and I"m not quite sure what to think of it. The Emerging Church discribes a "phenominon" that is occuring in some areas of the Christian community in the US and Europe (may have been happing for some time in Europe). This movement (if it can be called that yet) is a reaction to the advent of post-modern culture. He has not really defined what this movement means, and is upfront about the fact that nobody really knows percisely what it means yet.

He has described the "post-modern" culture as non-linear, community oriented, and not logic based... ok or not concerned with apparent contradictory views. Dan Kimball, the author, is making the point that we need to know how to reach people in this culture, because they are not comfortable with "big" modern and expensive gatherings that seek to catch your attention by impressing you with its professionalism, modern technology, and "coolness". The modern "seeker-sensitive" movement targets people who do not feel comfortable with the dull and dry churches they attended as children, and show them that Christianity really is "cool". So they take away those things that remind these people of their old, dull services, and supplant that with modern looking props, and asthetics. The post-moderns, however, often have not known church at all, so they are looking for, according to the Kimball, a more "authentic" religious experience. They have more technology in their house then we'll even have in the church, so they are just not impressed by it in the church.
There are a lot of issues to think through here, and as I said, I'm not really sure what I think of this. He's trying very hard to not be what he is reacting too (religious comsumerism), and stay true to the principles of the purpose of the church. I'm not yet convinced he has done that, but I'll have to read the whole book before I pass judment. I do agree with him that the New Testiment does not specify excactly what the church is to look like on the outside. There are many things that are very dependent on culture... that SHOULD be dependent on culture. Whatever it is that worships God and shows him great, that is what we need to do with all of our hearts.

I'm sure I'll have more to say on this! If anyone happens to read this who is part of this movement, I would love to hear from you.

Albert Einstein

"He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice." Albert Einstein

She's back!

Abby arrived safely monday morning from Peru! She had a great time. Here are a few pictures from her trip. Peru looks awsome to me!