|
The recently
concluded Lambeth
Conference was
described by the
participating
bishops as a time of
warm and active
fellowship in
worship, in study,
and in discussion
modelled on the
African concept of
ubuntu, "with the
tribal village
coming together for
purposeful
conversation about
the most serious
concerns in the
village's life".
To encourage every
bishop to
contribute, they
worked in small
groups of eight for
bible study and
forty for the main
discussions, in
which they were
asked by the
Archbishop of
Canterbury to
concentrate on two
themes: Equipping
Bishops for Mission
and Strengthening
Anglican Identity.
They reflected on
the nature of
Mission and
Evangelism so
that what begins
with personal
conversion and
transformation
through Jesus Christ
spills out into the
redemption of all of
creation.
"Christians have to
be concerned with
justice for
individuals and in
society, focussing
upon the most needy
and outcast in our
society, seeking to
transform the world
and to serve the
world according to
the pattern of Jesus
himself". This
concept of mission
was extended into
the area of the care
for the environment
- not only a major
concern in the life
of the world at
present, but also
"part of the
stewardship of God's
people for God's
gift of creation".
They recognised that
the Anglican Church
belongs to a bigger
reality which is
Christ's Church, so
that ecumenism, or
"the discovery and
development of our
commission from
Christ to proclaim
the Gospel with our
sister Churches,
east and west, is
part and parcel of
our faithful
response to God",
and reaffirmed
Anglican commitment
to full visible
unity of the Church.
"Christianity is not
alone as a world
faith, and our
modern context means
that we have to
enter into
respectful dialogue
with other world
faiths". They
described the
Anglican Church as
being "formed by
scripture, shaped by
worship, ordered for
communion and
directed by God's
Mission. The
difficult questions
around the tensions
over homosexuality
were explored,
leading into a
reflection on the
authority of
scripture in
Anglican thinking,
saying that while
there is a fairly
common view of the
authority of
scripture, these is
no agreement on the
understanding of
homosexuality, and
encouraged ongoing
discernment.
|
Sister Mary Evelyn
of the Society of St
John the Divine will
be celebrating the
50th anniversary of
her Profession to
the Society on St
Luke's Day the 18th
October. |
Dean
moving on
Dean Fred Pitout has told
the Bishop he feels that
after eight years of
ministry as Dean of the
Cathedral of the Holy
Nativity and Senior Priest
of the Diocese of Natal it
is time to move on, and has
accepted an invitation to
become Dean of the historic
St Mark's Cathedral in the
Diocese of George as from
the beginning of 2009. "This
decision has been made with
my wife Anne after much
prayer and reflection over
the past months
of Sabbatical leave. We
shall continue to pray for
God's guidance and blessing
on the people of the
Cathedral and for wisdom and
holy discernment in the
appointment of a new Dean."
They ask for our prayers in
the months ahead as they
plan for their moving from
their home, and also for the
future of Anne's important
church vestment business,
Jubilate. Bishop Rubin says
of this decision: "I can't
believe that eight years
have passed since I
appointed you Dean. In that
time you have served the
Cathedral with distinction,
bringing numerous positive
changes to it. I would
simply like to express my
immense gratitude to you
and, of course, Anne, and to
assure you of my prayers as
you prepare to leave us."
The Cathedral family will
hold a farewell Service for
Dean Fred and Anne on
Sunday, 23rd November, and
the Diocese will bid
farewell to Fred and Anne at
the Diocesan Ordination on
Saturday, 29th November 2008
at 9:30, which will be
followed by lunch in the
Colenso Hall for the Clergy
and Spouses of the Diocese,
visiting clergy and invited
guests. |
