Aug 12, 2013

PART TWO -- GUATEMALA - JUSTIN WELBY, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: ¨Scripture, Reason and Tradition or we will destroy the Church¨



¨We work with what we have at hand¨  
The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury said the following things yesterday at the Cathedral of Santiago in Guatemala City, Central America  
(at least this is what I understood him to say during his sermon which was given in English and perfectly translated into Spanish - Leonardo/Len):
*  We must physically take action to love our enemies.  We must reach out to our enemies and interact with them.  We must ¨buy their bread¨ which will start a relationship so we can talk to one another to build a normal/everyday-like relationship.  (He used an example of two different groups in Africa who had been murdering each other for years and the priests were biter and tired full of anger/hate).  We must open the doors of resentments (justified resentments or not) and let them fade away.  We must offer kindness and love even in the face of desperation and terror.

*  We must persist together.  All of us together because we need to find a way to reach peace and reconcilliation as Anglicans always have.  Scripture, Tradition, Reason or we will destroy the Church.

* When injustice is normal we must resist it with the loving spirit of Christ.

*  We ought honor our belief differences by holding them in tension but tension covered in prayer.

*  The new road is reconcilliation in Christ.

*  God breaks down all barriers but we can only do what we can do but ought not do what we can not do.  Resolving our problems is Gods work through prayer to reconcilliation.

* Resolving our differences is in God´s hands.




(please remember these points are observations from my personal understanding of the sermon of the Archbishop of Canterbury are from my notes and may lack depth of understanding of his full intention)  Leonardo/Len

8 comments:

Lay Anglicana said...

This is wonderful, Leonardo. It feels as if we had a seat in the cathedral. Archbishop Justin's sermon sounds impressive to me, and I think you can see why he is appealing to so many people, both inside and outside the Church, in England. This is despite the differences we have with him.

Of course I am hoping you will also give us your reaction to him.

And a photograph of him on your archiepiscopal throne?

June Butler said...

Well done, Leonardo. Thank you. The sermon gives me hope.

Leonard said...

Lay Anglicana, I have been trying to post a comment at your blog all day but somehow my internet keeps allowing me to comment but disconnects when I enter my comment for publication. Something important that I want to say is that the Archbishop of Canterburys website today published the presubmitted sermon (which became the bare bones of a much altered and very strong sermon regarding our ABSOLUTE need for reconciliation through Gods ¨will¨ (and not our own)...that or ¨destroying¨ our ¨Church¨ (I prefer ¨Communion¨ which is our real relationship with one another). He said ¨When injustice is normal we must resist with the spirit of Christ¨ (you fill in the blanks, I did) Leonardo/Len

Lay Anglicana said...

Thank-you Leonardo - I apologise for my website.
I suspect ++Justin does not realise the subtle difference between the Anglican Communion and Church (I say this because I didn't either until I joined NACC). He is at the beginning of his journey as ABC, and I feel convinced he has the humility to learn as he goes along. If this point is made to him, he will 'get' it, I'm sure.

Leonard said...

Laura/Lay Anglicana

I think you are right. I keep reflecting on the Archbishop of Canterbury's visit and sermon and being near him, and photographed with him (and photographing with Elizabeth Bell)...I think he does have a noticeable 'observing' that seemed more inquisitive than knowing. You may be very right about the humility aspect. I think I am sometimes loaded for bear, especially with Evangelicals...I think it is Leonard who needs to quiet down. More will be revealed regarding the work of Archbishop Justin (and ought be). Thanks for being patient with me too. Len

June Butler said...

I'm trying to be quiet, too, as we wait to see what we shall see. Still, I won't make a rash promise that my patience will hold out forever.

Leonard said...

I keep reflecting on a certain ¨posturing¨ I saw him doing...it was more of a confused look like he was trying to understand something he couldn´t quite get. Maybe, I am wrong but I think his main point was sort of a threat ¨we will destroy the Church¨ if we don´t make a real effort toward reconciliation (not just talking about loving thy neighbor/etc). I think he trying to figure out how to hurd the cats (or in this case old goats and one darting Gold fish) into the same room, up to the same alter for Communion (and then get everyone else in the room too). I still think my old idea of every diocese in the world send randomly selected (by draw) willing lay people to a special LAMBETH Conference at Canterbury for a week. Rent a soccer field, hold, church services, lunches, speakers from amongst the visitors and lots of social events. Surely we would make some progress getting to know God´s will when we break down the nonsense that seperates us (mostly driven by bishops and clergy).

Leonard said...

Better yet, PITCH A TENT (like Rowan did at the last Lambeth Conference for his specially selected group of bishops..just how did he think he was going to make progress with a topic that he refused to speak about? ++Rowan really was a disaster in the confronting of REAL troubled waters department...I don´t think being a coward is the same as ¨protecting¨ the overall welfare of the Anglican Communion. For heaven sake, aren´t the bishops emotionally healthy enough to speak of REAL LIFE topics? The whole of the stagging was disgusting while Bishop Gene Robinson was sent off to become a sideshow for the wrong reasons in the game of ¨how me must illustrate¨righteousness. I better go paint. My blood pressure is rising. Big hugs, it's a beautiful morning in Guatemala.