Our Presiding Bishop has sent, and released to the public, a corker of a letter to the Bishop of San Joaquin, the Rt. Rev'd John-David Schofield. In this strongly worded missive she warns him the serious consequences of his recommending to his parishes they ditch the Episcopal Church. She also advises if +Schofield doesn't like the New Religion of the modern Episcopal church, "he seek a home elsewhere" and continuing, in a richly ironic vein, "our forebears [did not] give liberally to fund endowments with the intent that they be consumed by litigation."
You know, in a way, I like this woman: She takes no guff and unlike her mincing predecessor, she lets you know exactly where she stands. Clarity is her byword, at least when she's not talking theology. She no doubt feels noisome rebels like +Schofield are long overdue receiving their easily delivered comeuppance (I'll bet Leo X was similarly confident).
We shall see. Much as I like KJS's directness, I wonder if she also doesn't have her head in the clouds (to use the politer of the two expressions). Can she really not see she and her colleagues' "religion" is so utterly removed and detached from that of +Schofield, +Ackermann, +Iker, et al., that, in effect, the abandonment has already taken place; that it is academic to try and determine who abandoned whom?
If the Diocese of San Joaquin does vote secession (and they likely will, by a substantial margin) then KJS's only recourse is to deplete that endowment for which she express so much concern, trying to force it back. She and TEC will fail. The best she can hope for is the courts in California, going against precedent, will let TEC keep the buildings. The people, of course, will leave and TEC will find itself on an irreversable course, similar to that of the Christian Scientist Church: A large, if diminishing,endowment, magnificent, if deteriorating, buildings and a small and dying membership.
3 comments:
As a Christian Scientist grateful for Mary Baker Eddy's explanation of the words and works of our Saviour I would say you have a point about our buildings. However, we are no more a small and dying membership than Gideon's pared down army of 300 was a spent force....! Christian Science will continue to grow in the hearts and minds of humanity one healed person at a time, whatever the churches look like on the surface. Today's spiritual search shows humanity yearning for a Christianity that delivers on the promise of Jesus that his followers would heal mind and body through prayer, as he and the early Christians did. And while Christian Science does not have a monopoly among Christian denominations of doing that - nor do Christian Scientists have a flawless record of doing that - it is particularly consistent at proving the full promise of Christianity, as my own life has shown me. All the best with your own Christian walk, and with your blog!
Tony L,
I was in no way attacking Christian Science, merely using it to illustrate my point and I apologize for the premature obituary. Several people in my immediate family were Christian Scientists and I actually have much respect for the denomination. It simply is not the way I choose to exercise my Christian walk, as you say but I appreciate your civil tone and give back to you all the best. God be with you.
Thank you!
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