Weary of the ACC
Since the Anglican Consultative Council convened in Jamaica this weekend, I have been following the various news reports -- not slavishly, but with some interest. I'm not providing hyperlinks here. You all know where to get the news.
I find I am already growing weary of the political jousting, posturing, and intrigue.
First, there was Uganda's Archbishop Orombi throwing a hissy-fit that the ACC wouldn't seat his designated stand-in, Philip Ashey (Chief Operating Officer of the Atlanta-based American Anglican Council), charging the ACC with racism and colonialism in refusing to seat his lily-white, American stand-in. Never mind that Abp Orombi himself can't be bothered to attend the ACC and hasn't attended any of the Joint Standing Committee primates' meetings. Ya can't make this stuff up.
Now there's all the pushing to and fro about the stupid Anglican Covenant, the wacky hysteria from the Windsor Continuation Group, Abp. Gomez's dire warnings that the Anglican Communion will collapse if the Covenant isn't adopted right now, Rowan Williams' typical (and largely incomprehensible) handwringing, debates about what the definition of "church" is and how long any "church" will have to sign on to the covenant or be cast (or maybe not) into outer Communion darkness.
As I was trying to make sense of these developments this evening, another course occurred to me. I have this fantasy that the Episcopal Church members of the ACC would bring a very simple motion to the floor:
Resolved, we want The Episcopal Church (U.S.) kicked out of the Anglican Communion.
Just that. Short and sweet. Let's quit the politicking, parliamentary maneuvering, suspense, parsing, and intrigue that could stretch out 'til 2014. Let's just ask them. Do our Anglican brothers and sisters want us in or do they want us out? I'd much rather see that happen rather than all this political posturing and wrangling which has become so very, terribly tiresome. The Canadians might want to do something similar.
Surely this has been the longest ecclesiastical foreplay in the history of the church.
Enough already! Let the ACC get on with the business that should occupy the minds of Anglicans serving a desperately hurting world -- with or without TEC as a "constituent member of the worldwide Anglican Communion." I really don't care anymore.
Let's get it done with. Let the rest of the Anglican Communion either say "yes" or "no" to the particular and perhaps peculiar charism that the Episcopal Church brings into the Communion and say they do or do not want us in the club any more.
Yeah ... I know nobody in the ACC is listening to me. But I really wish this fantasy could come true. And I really don't care how the vote would come in. I just want it over and done with.
I have work to do with the Episcopalians in southern Sudan, and -- frankly -- I don't give a flying fig what the ACC has to say about that.
Will anybody say "Amen"?
I find I am already growing weary of the political jousting, posturing, and intrigue.
First, there was Uganda's Archbishop Orombi throwing a hissy-fit that the ACC wouldn't seat his designated stand-in, Philip Ashey (Chief Operating Officer of the Atlanta-based American Anglican Council), charging the ACC with racism and colonialism in refusing to seat his lily-white, American stand-in. Never mind that Abp Orombi himself can't be bothered to attend the ACC and hasn't attended any of the Joint Standing Committee primates' meetings. Ya can't make this stuff up.
Now there's all the pushing to and fro about the stupid Anglican Covenant, the wacky hysteria from the Windsor Continuation Group, Abp. Gomez's dire warnings that the Anglican Communion will collapse if the Covenant isn't adopted right now, Rowan Williams' typical (and largely incomprehensible) handwringing, debates about what the definition of "church" is and how long any "church" will have to sign on to the covenant or be cast (or maybe not) into outer Communion darkness.
As I was trying to make sense of these developments this evening, another course occurred to me. I have this fantasy that the Episcopal Church members of the ACC would bring a very simple motion to the floor:
Resolved, we want The Episcopal Church (U.S.) kicked out of the Anglican Communion.
Just that. Short and sweet. Let's quit the politicking, parliamentary maneuvering, suspense, parsing, and intrigue that could stretch out 'til 2014. Let's just ask them. Do our Anglican brothers and sisters want us in or do they want us out? I'd much rather see that happen rather than all this political posturing and wrangling which has become so very, terribly tiresome. The Canadians might want to do something similar.
Surely this has been the longest ecclesiastical foreplay in the history of the church.
Enough already! Let the ACC get on with the business that should occupy the minds of Anglicans serving a desperately hurting world -- with or without TEC as a "constituent member of the worldwide Anglican Communion." I really don't care anymore.
Let's get it done with. Let the rest of the Anglican Communion either say "yes" or "no" to the particular and perhaps peculiar charism that the Episcopal Church brings into the Communion and say they do or do not want us in the club any more.
Yeah ... I know nobody in the ACC is listening to me. But I really wish this fantasy could come true. And I really don't care how the vote would come in. I just want it over and done with.
I have work to do with the Episcopalians in southern Sudan, and -- frankly -- I don't give a flying fig what the ACC has to say about that.
Will anybody say "Amen"?
posted by Lisa Fox at 5/05/2009 09:47:00 PM
13 Comments:
Amen!
Thanks!
Cranmer49, I love your idea of a bingo game. I think you're right!
"Ecclesiastical foreplay"? I love it, Lisa.
You're not the only person who is weary of the whole sham. I'm a direct sort, and I'm tired of the tip-toeing around. Your idea for a resolution sounds good to me. Let's get it on the table and done and over with.
But that is not what they want. They want to take possession of TEC and clear out all the bad people who don't accept their bigotry as God breathed.
I suspect they could still get that down to a sentence.
FWIW
jimB
Okay! Let's work on it then! What a hoot!
Cranmer49, I would love to. But I lack your energy and your imagination.
Mimi, I'm glad someone noticed my "ecclesiastical foreplay" comment. It was one of my favorite phrases in the whole piece.
I'm grateful to hear you share my weariness with this whole charade. I wish I had the power to bring my proposed resolution to the ACC.
I know, Jim; but I'd like to force their hand and shorten this whole miserable process.
I'm in. I don't even write about this stuff anymore. Just sick of it all.
For God's sake, let's just get OUT!
I'm half with you, Cany. I am not willing to walk away. Would not walk away. So I don't want us to get out.
But I would support a resolution asking the ACC if they want us out.
Those are different things to me. I'm not willing to leave, but I'm willing to let others say they don't want to be with me. Do you hear the distinction?
Lisa,
MP and I both have pieces on what we do next. I think they are perhaps of interest as the wreckage of Jamaica floats off to the sea. MP's is at:MPFWIW
jimB
Lisa
while I can't speak for the wholle Canadian Church, this solitary Anglican is in favour of a similar iitiative here.
it's called calling them on their game, i believe. and these goons have had far too much airtime.
David@Montreal
Thanks to both of you, JimB and David.
I've had a very busy weekend, so I haven't been able to write about the ACC's action. Needless to say, I am NOT impressed that they affirmed the odious Windsor Continuation Group's recommendations. If I had time to write, I would be in Serious Ranting Mode. Perhaps it's providential that my duties here have prevented me from blogging in the past couple of days.
You could use the letters "GAFCON" instead of "bingo." Yeah, one extra letter but you could bring the numbers up to 90.
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