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1) http://www.acl.asn.au/ http://www.northshoreoutlook.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=43&cat=23&id=373082&more= Turf war over St. Simon's NO PLACE TO PREACH - Rev. Ed Hird (above) has been an outspoken critic of the Anglican Church's same-sex marriage belief. By Jennifer Maloney Staff Reporter
By Rob Newell photo Feb 10 2005 Thursday By Jennifer Maloney, Staff Reporter North Shore Outlook
The contentious debate surrounding same sex marriages has found its way into a Deep Cove church.
Three weeks ago when Rev. Ed Hird was 4,000 miles away from his North Vancouver congregation attending the Anglican Mission in South Carolina, he received some upsetting news from home.
It seemed while Hird was gone the bishop of the New Westminster Diocese, who oversees the Lower Mainland for the Anglican (Church of) Canada, decided to replace the longtime St. Simon's church rector.
Hird says the bishop's attempt to replace him was a result of his refusal to bless same sex unions in his church.
"We're one of several congregations that he's attempted to close, but he hasn't been successful in his attempt," Hird told The North Shore Outlook. "He's made quite a few efforts."
Hird's lawyers sent a letter to the bishop cautioning him it was an unwise move, and Hird said the Diocese has since backed off.
In May of 2002 the bishop of the New Westminster Diocese held a vote on authorizing the blessing of same sex unions. The vote was passed 215 to 129.
The Diocese's decision to bless same sex unions doesn't mean homosexual couples can get married in the Anglican Church, said Neil Adams, communications officer for the New Westminster Diocese.
"To my knowledge no one is pushing for us to marry (same sex) people," he said. "The bishop has authorized priests to bless the relationship. It's quite different from marriage, which is considered sacred. Not to deny the sanctity of homosexual relations, but historically it's different."
As a result of the Diocese's decision, Hird resigned from the Anglican Church of Canada and transferred his parish to the Anglican (Province) in Rwanda, Africa.
The Bishop of New Westminster acknowledged Hird's resignation, but said the church itself has to stay as part of the ACC.
"You simply can't take a church out of the Diocese," Adams explained. "People can leave, but if you leave you can't simply take the church with you."
Hird feels differently.
"We have titled deed to the property. We're legally corporated to the congregation," he said. "Our feeling is (that) the issue is people, not buildings. If, at the end of the day we're thrown out, we'll carry on."
In terms of same sex unions, Hird said the Worldwide Anglican Communion doesn't give its blessing and his parish is standing by what its always believed.
"I don't think 6,000 people from Canada can change the rules," he said, adding there are 38 Anglican provinces, worldwide. "We're just getting on with our lives and we encourage them to get on with theirs."
Adams said the Diocese maintains the Deep Cove church belongs to the ACC and hopes the issue can be resolved amicably.
2) http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/nsnews014.html Go, go, go Joseph! an article for the North Shore News 'Spiritually Speaking' Column By the Rev Ed Hird, February 11th Friday 2005
For the second time in the past seven years, I have had the privilege of having one of my sons in the "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" musical. My middle son Mark, as part of a North Vancouver Choir, was in the Livent Production at the Ford Theatre in downtown Vancouver. My youngest son Andrew just finished playing Zebulun in a Joseph production at the Terry Fox Theatre in Port Coquitlam. It was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. I want to commend all the young people (and not so young) in 'Joseph' for the excellent job that they did, pouring their hearts and souls into a high-quality performance. It was exciting to see my son Andrew shine with life and vitality as he experienced the joy of working together on a high-quality community theatre team.
'Joseph' is one of those musicals that never seems to wear out, probably because of its theme of biblical proportions! It was so much fun! Perhaps the most colorful musical ever! I especially loved that amazing coat: it was red and yellow and green and brown and scarlet and all those other 57 amazing colours.
The Joseph musical variety was remarkable: country (One More Angel in Heaven), French-bistro (Those Canaan Days), Disco-rock (Go, Go, Go Joseph), Calypso (Benjamin), and even Elvis (Song of the King). Weeks later, these catchy songs keep running through my head when I am waking up or going to sleep.
The Joseph musical began in 1968 as a 20-minute "pop cantata" by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice for a school Easter concert in the UK. Derek Jewell, then the jazz and pop critic for the SUNDAY TIMES, unexpectedly gave the Joseph Musical national exposure when he wrote: "Throughout its twenty-minute duration it bristles with wonderfully singable tunes. It entertains. It communicates instantly, as all good pop should. And it is a considerable piece of barrier-breaking by its creators."
Tim Rice's favorite Bible story had long been Joseph and his coat of many colors. Speaking of the Genesis 39 Joseph story, Tim Rice commented: "This great tale has everything -- plausible, sympathetic characters, a flawed hero, and redeemed villains ... It is a story of triumph against the odds, of love and hate, of forgiveness and optimism. As with all great stories, the teller has no need to spell out the messages if he tells the tale well..."
Five years later, Joseph was expanded to 40 minutes in London, and then to 90 minutes in New York. After Andrew Lloyd Webber's huge success with Jesus Christ Superstar, his Joseph musical finally hit Broadway in 1982, where it became one of the most enduring and endearing shows of all time.
With tens of millions of people having seen Joseph worldwide, the Joseph musical now has a place in The Guinness Book of Records for the world's longest running touring musical.
As well as twelve different professional casts in its thirty-one year history, Joseph has been performed in 15,000 schools or local theatres, involving over 500,000 performers of all ages. Today there are nearly 500 school or amateur productions each year in the UK, and over 750 in the US & Canada.
The song that touched me the deepest in Joseph was "Close Every Door To Me". Joseph poignantly sings: "Close every door to me, Keep those I love from me. Children of Israel are never alone, for I know I shall find my own peace of mind, for I have been promised a land of my own." This song both faced the depths of Joseph's despair in prison, and yet clung steadfastly to God's promises of hope. Joseph never gave up on his dreams, and neither should we.
Even after betrayal again and again by his brothers and others, Joseph saw the big picture, and at the end extended forgiveness to his jealous brothers. "You meant it for evil", he said to them, "but God meant it for good." All things really do work for good for those who love the Lord. May you, like Joseph, discover His goodness today.
The Rev. Ed Hird, Rector, St. Simon's Church North Vancouver, Anglican Communion in Canada
3) http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=616ba682-edf3-4aca-9a5e-2684c6256f7e Ottawa Citizen Newspaper, Friday, February 11, 2005 Anglican rift deepest since Reformation: theologian BY BOB HARVEY The differences among Anglicans over Canadian and American churches' acceptance of same-sex unions may soon split the Anglican communion, says a Canadian theologian. "There hasn't been a division so deep since the (Protestant) Reformation. The kind of questions being asked are even more serious, and more fundamental than the questions asked at the Reformation," says Edith Humphrey, an associate professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. "This isn't just about the issue of sexuality. It is about our understanding of scripture and tradition, our understanding of creation and humanity, and our understanding of the church."(...) The governing bodies of the Anglican Church of Canada and the U.S. Episcopal Church have affirmed the sanctity and integrity of same-sex unions, and the divisions were further exacerbated by the 2002 decision of British Columbia's New Westminster diocese to bless same-sex unions and the New Hampshire diocese's 2003 election of Canon Gene Robinson as the first openly gay Anglican bishop(...)
4a) http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2056 ALBANY BISHOP BLASTS LEXINGTON BISHOP: "Your behavior…fosters decline" Posted by dvirtue on 2005/2/10 9:57:00 By David W. Virtue The Bishop of Albany Daniel Herzog blasted the Bishop of Lexington Stacy Sauls this week over allegations that Sauls accused him of crossing diocesan lines by taking an orthodox priest that Sauls is throwing out of his diocese, and provide that priest with ecclesiastical cover.
Sauls had ripped VirtueOnline and the American Anglican Council for breaking the story that a fifth priest was in his sights and ready to be tossed out of the diocese. (At the time VirtueOnline felt it prudent not to name him.) The priest is the evangelical Tory Baucum of Good Shepherd, Nicholasville. He is a world authority on ALPHA, a 10 Week course in Basic Christianity that has seen tens of thousands come to Christ. Baucum was on the staff of Holy Trinity, Brompton, London and has taught ALPHA in China with government approval. Baucum is also assistant professor of preaching and church renewal in Asbury Theological Seminary's Beeson International Center(...)
4b) http://www.standfirminfaith.com/mt/archives/000555.html +Herzog to +Sauls: 'So much for collegiality' Earlier this week, Bishop Stacy Sauls of the Diocese of Lexington, who has been pursuing the inhibition of 4 priests, sent out the following email to his clergy(...)
5a) http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2052 ECUSA HAS CHOSEN TO WALK APART Posted by dvirtue on 2005/2/9 17:55:00 News Analysis By David W. Virtue WEST CHESTER, PA (2/9/2005)--Episcopal Church leaders reiterated again this week that they would not change their minds about the consecration of an openly homosexual bishop to the Episcopal Church, nor do they have any intention of reversing themselves on the church's present direction.
In a nationally syndicated televised news broadcast with Jim Lehrer, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold told a reporter that while he regretted the pain he caused by consecrating V. Gene Robinson to the episcopacy and the rift it was causing, he went on to say, "I think the regret we can offer wholeheartedly and as a unified body is regret for the consequences our actions have had in other contexts. But that does not mean that we necessarily regret the action itself. Certainly, I, having participated in the ordination of the bishop of New Hampshire, do not regret having done so, though I recognize the complexities that that action has had in other places and regret the pain that it's caused other people."(...)
5b) http://gs2004.classicalanglican.com/modules/news/ http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/religion/jan-june05/episcopal_2-8.html THEOLOGICAL DISPUTE February 8, 2005 A report on the growing divisions within the Episcopalian Church at home and abroad. Episcopalians throughout the United States are deeply divided over the church's decision to ordain its first homosexual bishop and many are looking for support overseas.
Click for streaming Video (wait to unload) http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/religion/jan-june05/episcopal_2-8.html#
Click for realaudio http://audio.pbs.org:8080/ramgen/newshour/expansion/2005/02/08/jk28.rm?altplay=jk28.rm
JIM LEHRER: The deepening divide between the Anglican Church and its American branch, the Episcopal Church. Jeffrey Kaye of KCET-Los Angeles has our report.
THE RT. REV. J. JON BRUNO (...)But I do believe that the worldwide consensus of fundamentalism that's having a rise is a major problem. If Jesus gave us memory, intellect, and reason, shouldn't we use all those things and not just go by a book, road map, that is so rigidly interpreted by some people that it leaves a gulf between us?(...)
6a) Lessons from the North Same-Sex 'Marriage' in Canada BreakPoint with Charles Colson, February 8, 2005
6b) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050210/SAMESEX10/TPNational/Canada Cotler raps U.S. groups for lobbying on same-sex By CAMPBELL CLARK, Globe and Mail Newspaper Thursday, February 10, 2005 - Page A4 OTTAWA -- The Liberal government took a slap at U.S. groups that are funding lobbying efforts against same-sex marriage, while acknowledging there is nothing it can do about it(...)
6c) http://www.fotf.ca/familyfacts/tfn/2005/020905.html February 9, 2005, Focus on the Family News Canada OUTCRY OVER MARRIAGE GETS LOUDER Leaders of the fight to protect marriage say they have never witnessed anything like the fervent opposition of Canadians to the government's plan to let homosexuals marry(...)
6d) http://gs2004.classicalanglican.com/modules/news/ http://www.christianity.ca/news/social-issues/2005/02.002.html EFC Expresses Concern in Open Letter Cotler's public affirmation of religious freedom is misleading the Canadian public. Canadians deserve to know how religious freedom will be protected. by Janet Epp Buckingham
The Honourable Irwin Cotler, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Department of Justice Building, 284 Wellington Street, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H8 An open letter. Dear Minister: We are very appreciative of your firm commitment to religious freedom, particularly in relation to protection of religious and civil officials in relation to the solemnization of marriage. This is … an empty promise. We are very concerned, however, that your public affirmation of this religious freedom is misleading the Canadian public. The Supreme Court of Canada affirmed religious freedom but said that it was ultra vires, that is, outside the jurisdiction of, the federal government. Religious freedom for religious and civil officials in relation to the solemnization of marriage can only be protected by provincial governments. In addition, the Prime Minister continues to promise that he will invoke the notwithstanding clause to protect religious freedom for clergy. The notwithstanding clause cannot be used to give the federal government authority to legislate where it has none. This is therefore an empty promise. We are therefore writing to ask you how you intend to ensure that religious freedom is protected? If you are making assurances to the Canadian public, you owe it to us to tell us how you will fulfill this promise. Janet Epp Buckingham is the director of law and public policy with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
7a) http://gs2004.classicalanglican.com/modules/news/ http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/news229.asp Tug of War - Mario Bergner 10th February 2005 Like the rope in a tug of war, I once was pulled by homosexuality on one end. My soul, relationships and the Church pulled the other end. In childhood I met God's saving love through Roman Catholic sisters and American evangelicals(...)
7b) http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/news230.asp The Zacchaeus Fellowship Response to the Windsor Report 11th February 2005
The Zacchaeus Fellowship consists of those across Canada who were active in the homosexual lifestyle, or who have struggled with exclusively same-gender attractions. We believe that God has laid out His plan for sexual relationships in terms of heterosexuality within the bounds of holy matrimony as outlined in the Bible(...)
We are united in our commitment to the authority of God revealed in Holy Scripture, and we reject the resolutions of the 2004 General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada asserting the sanctity and integrity of same-sex unions(...)
We urge the Primates to take a strong stand against the actions of ECUSA, the Diocese of New Westminster, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Their actions precipitated this crisis and only their actions can resolve it. Rather than fearing to offend, rather than adopting the principle "if it feels right for someone, then it must be right for that person," rather than diluting the hope of God's Gospel message, the Primates of the Anglican Communion need to take affirmative action against apostasy and uphold God's plan.
We agree that those Primates and bishops in other provinces who responded were in violation of the generally agreed principles of our Communion, but we cannot fault them for responding pastorally to the desperate needs of those negatively impacted by ECUSA, the Diocese of New Westminster, and the Anglican Church of Canada. We support the apostolic nature of the episcopacy, but what do we do when we feel that our spiritual leadership has been compromised? To whom can we turn, if not another leader in the Communion? It is worth considering the idea of parallel jurisdiction and its consequences [Paragraph 154, p. 59].(...)
Respectfully submitted by:
The Reverend Dr Don Alcock and the Reverend C. Dawn McDonald on behalf of the Zacchaeus Fellowship.
8) http://www.pastors.com/article.asp?ArtID=7874 Begin preparing for 'The Da Vinci Code' movie by Phil Boatwright KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP)--The best-selling and perhaps most debated book of this decade, The Da Vinci Code (Doubleday, 2003), is now in film production. The controversial action drama from Columbia Pictures set for release in May 2006 will be directed by nice guy Ron ("Opie Taylor") Howard and feature Tom Hanks as the novel's protagonist, Harvard professor Robert Langdon.
Despite its simplistic literary style, which contains conspiratorial themes intended to rock the Catholic Church and the Christian faith, The Da Vinci Code has become something of a cultural phenom. In it, "secrets" are revealed claiming Jesus married Mary Magdalene, had a child in that union, and a clandestine society once headed by Leonardo Da Vinci has protected this information for centuries against a threatened Catholic hierarchy.
In an article for the Institute for Religious Research titled, "Cracks in the Da Vinci Code," theologian Ronald V. Huggins, also an unabashed fan of pulp-fiction thrillers, writes, "The mere fact that I'm a historian of early Christianity does not mean I don't like picking up an occasional pulp-thriller, checking my brains at the door, and spending a couple of evenings riding a surging wave of cheesy prose down an implausible course of events that eventually breaks with the bad guy getting his comeuppance, and the good guy getting whatever it was he was looking for, and the girl he was looking for it with."
But as great literature, Dr. Huggins is not so impressed with The Da Vinci Code, noting: "Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is fantastic as a flash-in-the-pan pulp thriller. It takes you on a white-knuckle ride, without ever once distracting you with a well-turned phrase or a round character. Not only so, but its plot is also a good deal tighter than many of its market competitors. Still, the only reason I can conceive of anyone wanting to read The Da Vinci Code twice is that they forgot what it was about."
Patrick Moody, pastor of Northwood Baptist Church in West Palm Beach, Fla., adds, "The Da Vinci Code is written in a formulaic style similar to the video game concept. It's very similar in its concept to an older game known as 'Myst.' You go here and get a little nugget of information, then you go here for another nugget. Then over here. You had to figure something out before another door opened.
"If you've grown up with video games rather than real literature, then a book that falls into the formula Dan Brown used works. Drop on top of that this abject heresy of the 'secret' that claims the greatest story ever told really isn't, then you have a formula for selling lots of books and making a lot of money."
As for the story's subject matter, most theologians are concerned that the book and the upcoming film will mislead and confuse both unbelievers and those in the Christian community who have not studied the Bible. The following excerpt from The Da Vinci Code exemplifies the author's ability to cross between fact and fiction with sleight of hand throughout The Da Vinci Code.
"Every faith in the world is based on fabrication. That is the definition of faith -- acceptance of that which we imagine to be true, that which we cannot prove. Every religion describes God through metaphor, allegory, and exaggeration, from the early Egyptians through modern Sunday school. Metaphors are a way to help our minds process the unprocessible. The problems arise when we begin to believe literally in our own metaphors" (p. 342).
As Patrick Moody observes: "We live in a biblically illiterate nation. Like the old joke, many churchgoers believe the epistles were the wives of the apostles. There are a lot of people who are willing to buy into the tenet that this is truth. That it is a real secret and the church has been keeping it from them. If I were to teach a child an untruth, and I taught it with conviction, the child, not knowing any different, would think, 'Yeah, I guess that's the truth.' If you don't study the Bible and real church history you begin to wonder if there is some truth to The Da Vinci Code."
Columnist and culture analyst Chuck Colson describes Brown as having used "a combination of lies and half-truths, founded on a skewed perspective of church history.... [I]t has confused and disillusioned even many Christians,"
Pastor Rick Lamb of West Haven Baptist Church, Tonganoxie, Kan., adds, "I think that people who are well-grounded in the faith recognize fact from fiction fairly quickly. Those who are not as well-grounded are looking for something ... anything ... that transcends the human plane. Unfortunately, however, they are sometimes far too ready to accept something scandalous or salacious that feeds the carnal appetite rather than that which is matter-of-fact but reliable."
If, as Brown writes, Christ had married, would it have taken away from his purpose?
"I don't know the answer to the effect married life would have had on Jesus," Moody says, "but according to God's divine plan, he didn't prescribe that Jesus was to marry. The mission of Christ would have been secondary had he married and had kids. His mission was to fulfill God's purpose for his coming, which was to die on a cross for our sins.
"One thing is clear," Moody continues: "The Christian community will need to put on the full armor of their belief as this film nears release. As with The Passion of the Christ, The Da Vinci Code will afford believers the opportunity for witness. But they had best know their church history and the Scriptures. The proof is there, Christians just need to look it up."
Should the success of this book and the making of the film threaten the Christian community? Are the disputable topics dangerous to the faith? Why did Ron Howard and Tom Hanks decide to bring this story to the cinema? And how can Christians prepare themselves for the onslaught of criticism toward organized religion that will no doubt be associated with this movie's release? We shall explore these and other questions in the months to come. Until then, it has been well-advised that your Bible should gather no dust. For the best weapon in our armory is God's truth.
-Purpose-Driven®-
9) From a North Shore friend The Canadian MP for North Vancouver, Don Bell, had told the Vancouver Sun just last week that he was undecided. Now he says in Wednesday's North Shore News (page 9) that while "as a Christian" he does not personally believe in gay marriage, he will vote for it. But that should not preclude his constituents from contacting him. I just happened to read this in the latest issue of ChristianWeek, which is now online:
However, at least one MP is concerned that correspondence being sent to constituency offices-which sometimes receive up to 1,000 e-mails and 50 regular letters a day-isn't making as big a difference as some might think.
"Letters just don't do it, given the volume of mail on many issues that comes to our offices each day," says the MP, who did not wish to be named. "The only thing that would turn this around would be if constituents would contact their MP personally and insist on either speaking with them on the phone or a personal meeting. They can go two by two, but groups would not do it."
He advises telling MPs who say they plan to vote for same-sex marriage "that you cannot vote for them and that you will work to defeat them [in the next election]."
10) http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/ http://www.americananglican.org/News/News.cfm?ID=1293&c=21 http://www.anglicancommunionnetwork.org/news/dspnews.cfm?id=112 http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2065 ATLANTA: Nine Anglican Entities Unite for "Common Cause" Posted by dvirtue on 2005/2/11 12:29:00
In response to a request from five Primates of the Anglican Communion, representatives of nine Anglican entities from the US and Canada met in Atlanta, GA February 9-11, 2005.
The Round Table of "Common Cause Partners," called and hosted by Anglican Communion Network (ACN) Moderator Robert Duncan, included leaders of the American Anglican Council, the Anglican Communion in Canada (ACiC), the Anglican Mission in America (AMIA), the Anglican Province of America (APA), the Anglican Essentials Federation in Canada, Forward in Faith North America (FiFNA), the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) and the Reformed Episcopal Church.
This week's meeting continues efforts launched in June 2004 through a pledge of Common Cause signed by representatives of the American Anglican Council, the Anglican Communion Network, the Anglican Mission in American, the Anglican Province of America, Forward in Faith North America and the Reformed Episcopal Church. The text of their closing statement follows:
A Statement of Anglican Common Cause Partners in North America
"It is appropriate that we have begun this season of Lent expressing our joint repentance for divisions that have separated us and weakened the Body of Christ. In our inability to achieve unity in the past, we have failed to honor Christ, and for that we are truly and humbly sorry. We pray that our fresh unity in commitment and purpose will serve not only those individuals and congregations we represent, but more importantly our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
"In this historic gathering, we experienced excitement as well as positive, harmonious, and fruitful discussions. We rejoice that we have agreed to stand united in commitment to Biblical faithfulness within a missionary movement during this defining moment in Anglicanism, a moment requiring our best efforts as we face an uncertain future. We desire to remain connected with faithful Anglicans worldwide and intend to move forward together to fulfill a compelling picture of a preferable future."
Signed by:
The Rt. Rev. William Duncan, Anglican Communion Network
The Rev. Canon David C. Anderson, American Anglican Council
The Rt. Rev. Peter Beckwith, American Anglican Council
Mrs. Cheryl M. Chang, Anglican Network in Canada
Mr. Michael Edward, Anglican Essentials Federation in Canada
The Most Rev. Walter H. Grundorf, Anglican Province of America
The Rev. John A. M. Guernsey, Anglican Communion Network
The Rt. Rev. Thomas Johnston, Anglican Mission in America
The Rev. Canon Charlie Masters, Anglican Essentials Federation in Canada, Anglican Network in Canada
The Rt. Rev. Chuck Murphy, Anglican Mission in America
The Rev. Canon Jonathan Ostman, Forward in Faith North America
The Most Rev. Leonard W. Riches, Reformed Episcopal Church
The Rev. David Short, Anglican Network in Canada
The Rev. George Sinclair, Anglican Essentials Federation in Canada, Anglican Network in Canada
The Rev. Canon Tim Smith, Anglican Mission in America
The Rt. Rev. Ray Sutton, Reformed Episcopal Church
The Rev. Canon Warren Tanghe, Forward in Faith North America
Mr. Peter Turner, Anglican Communion in Canada
The Rev. Dr. Trevor Walters, Anglican Network in Canada
The Rev. Canon John Paul Westin, Anglican Essentials Federation in Canada
The Very Rev. Erich A. Zwingert, Anglican Province of America
The Rev. Dr. Kendall Harmon, Anglican Communion Network
END
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