Justin Welby: The oil man called by God

I think that we should wish him well, having someone who has not had a life long deep faith could aid him in some of his decisions, I have heard him talk on the televsion and I think, at the moment anyway, that he has a good faith foundation and I think that it will be good for the church in general to have a Archbishop who can give a fresh look at church and faith away from a theological background, Grass roots is right, the church needs to get back to basics, it needs to renegage with what it's basic message is, which is that God comes first, Bible teaching is important etc. Maybe if this is done correctly it will help people come back into the churches.

 

Reconciliation is a powerful theme in Welby's past ministry, and a theme that ran through his enthronement service. But nobody who knows anything about the International Centre for Reconciliation at Coventry Cathedral, for which he worked, can think it is a hotbed of woolly-mindedness. There's nothing fence-sitting or "being nice" about trying to bring peace with a rifle at your back or pistol at your throat. Yes, Welby believes the church needs reconciliation, too, but he is very clear that doesn't involve woolly niceness, nor hoping everyone will be converted to a point of view by magic, or that differences should be papered over. He says the church needs to find a way to "disagree in love", which seems to be what Patrick was saying, and to be a very Anglican concept. Perhaps it could be written on a sign and nailed to the front door of this forum.

A surprising amount of debate on Christian forums seems to consist of people seeking out heresy in each other, bitterly hunting for differences which can prove their own purity and the "error" of others – differences on which they can build walls. It seems to me a pity.

 

I do wish people would not associate variety, disagreement, and contradiction with Anglicanism only. It's like a disease of self-debasement that causes us to throw ourselves down in the gutter before every other Christian denomination. There's strength in unity of doctrine as well as in freedom of conscience! Anglicanism displayed the former for hundreds of years (vigorously kicking out puritans & non-conforms from the hierarchy), just as much as the latter has been shown in recent years (allowing all sorts of divergent theological & ritual practice to go on).

At any rate, if we are to claim disagreement-in-love as a virtue, let us attribute it to the Church Fathers instead of the decidedly woolly manner of accrediting it to Anglicans. The Fathers show a remarkable divergence in many issues of faith & morals, yet they were united in the bond of love, communion, and (mostly) good will.

It is a pity indeed, but we live in a fallen world still ruled by pride - despite the New Creation initiated by the Lord & Saviour. Those who are anxious to combat heresy often do so out of a zeal & love for the Truth Himself - out of anxiety that He might be dishonoured.

 

No matter, but the Northern Echo is in Darlington, Brother, where the residents would be horrified to hear that they had been sent south from Co Durham to Surrey!

 

I see this from a totally different angle, and tend to identify with his struggles. While being the leader of worldwide Anglicansim, he's also a Pastor and has the spiritual interests of gays at heart as well. He appears to love those disenfranchised souls as God would.

Jeff

 

Help me understand your comment. From what I've heard it's more likely that they will be received into the communion under Welby, and the parish he came from was the genesis of the Vineyard movement here in the US, which comprises several congregations that have joined the ACNA.

Jeff

 

I don't think the likelihood of them being accepted into the Communion is any greater. Welby is already being sharply criticized at all (or most) of the neo-Anglican sites, such as StandFirm and VirtueOnline.

 

Interesting. I thought the local parish he came from was sort of an anomaly among the traditional CoE congregations.

Jeff

 

What is your problem with the lyrics of John Lennon's 'Imagine'?

If you actually read them in the context of people killing each other in the name of religion I think they are quite inspiring.

 

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today

If there's no Heaven, there's no God. If there's no Hell, there's no Justice. If there's only sky and everyone lives for the moment, there is no virtue or goodness in human life or the Cosmos. This is one bleak song.

 

Brother you obviously missed the last bit of my post - in the context of people killing one another in name of religion. I don't necessarily agree with all of what these lyrics say, but I whole heartily believe in the message of peace, sharing of resources, and brotherhood of man. I believe in looking inside the message not messenger... I think most will agree that a life of drugs and alcohol and an ego the size of house messed with John Lennons brain.

 

"Imagine" is a completely marxist song. It's repulsive to the core.