I get weekly emails from The Jewish Agency for Israel with common Hebrew idioms. I thought today’s idiom properly describes the attitude of the Episcopal Church (TEC) regarding the concerns of the traditional Anglicans with the TEC’s acceptance of homosexual priests:
Haklavim Novchim Vehashayarah Overet
Literally: The dogs bark and the parade continues
Idiomatically: Moves forward regardless; continues on regardlessThe word “navach” is the specific word for a dog’s bark… This phrase is used in the metaphorical sense. Picture this unusual scene: A high-ranking politician botched up pretty badly. His colleagues say so; his opponents say so, and a neutral third-party committee reports so. All of these are the “dogs” that are barking. When that same politician continues to officiate, make critical decisions and manage(?) the country as if nothing happened, he is continuing on his parade ignoring the barks. Of course, this example is only theoretical (woof).
Here we are barking, warning the Episcopal church that their actions are tearing apart the Anglican Communion. But are they listening? No!
Rev. George F. Woodliff, III wrote in Rediscovering Christian Orthodoxy in Episcopal Anglicanism:
In the movie Titanic, even though there were known reports of icebergs in their vicinity, the owner of the ship influenced the captain, against his better judgment, to go full steam ahead into the night in order to reach New York in record time to impress the media. The ship was, after all, unsinkable. As with the Titanic, the warnings to ECUSA were clear but unheeded. By the actions of General Convention in consenting to the consecration of Gene Robinson, a man who had divorced his wife and was living in an open homosexual relationship with another man, and in recognizing and affirming the local use of same sex blessings, ECUSA struck the iceberg. As with the Titanic, it was not immediately obvious what the extent of the damage had been, but with the passage of time, anyone can now see the crisis that has been caused by the actions of General Convention
The warnings are there, the dogs are barking… but the parade goes on…
Gladstone B. “Skip” Adams III, Bishop of the Central New York Diocese wrote in a letter dated February 28, 2007 to clergy under his care as his response to the Communique from the Primates of the Anglican Communion.:
It is important to me that we remain a part of the Anglican Communion. I also realize that in difficult conversations and in seeking compromise, not everyone gets all that they want. But let me be clear. As bishop of this Diocese I will not sacrifice GLBT people for the sake of an unjust unity. Indeed, I cannot morally sacrifice anyone else, only myself. To use an image from the civil rights movement, I will not ask gay and lesbian people to go the back of the bus for a time. The gifts of God’s GLBT people will continue to be welcome in this Diocese in all areas of ministry. They are we, and we are who we are because of the gifts of all of God’s people in this Diocese. The wind of the Holy Spirit blows where it will and I will not seek to quench the Spirit’s movement among us. Our recent Diocesan Convention overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling on us to be a people of God which exhibits inclusion at all levels of the Diocese in our seeking to be God’s holy people. I am committed to that value.
Our Presiding Bishop mentions the charism of the Episcopal Church in this time. One of the gifts we bring to the Church is a witness of the welcome and inclusion of GLBT people as we seek to welcome and build the reign of God among us and in witness to the saving grace of Jesus the Christ. I believe that another charism of this Church is to image for all God’s people that it is possible to hold diverse theological perspectives in love and worship. I would even go so far as to say that one way to speak of the opposite of sin is worship. I also refuse to allow any one group or perspective to claim the title “biblical.” The positions to which I have come are formed precisely because of the biblical witness. I do call upon all of us to be more deeply literate in the Scriptures and encourage deeply informed, and yes, even nuanced theological conversation.
Is it possible that parts of the Church will have to walk apart for a time? As much as that would grieve me I believe that is a possible outcome. What I also believe is that a Church focused on judgment and the seeking of so-called correct dogmatic formulas is a Church that will not have much to say to the broken and hurting world in which we live. It will keep us from being a faithful Church of the 21st Century. If we must walk apart for a time in our official capacities, we will not be isolationists.
Okay, so “Skip” is saying, in the name of “Diversity” we can make no claim that our view is “biblical,” but that his view is more “informed” because of his greater “literacy” in the Scriptures.
Matthew 22:29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
And He said this to members of the religious leaders who were supposed to be “learned” teachers of the Law!
Welcome to this new blog. The focus is on Biblical Anglicanism. The name comes from Episcopal Conversative. The focus is on prayer for the future of the worldwide Anglican Community as it goes through difficult times. Here are some good prayers from the Book of Common Prayer:
