Towards Ordained Ministry
Tonight I was at the first in a series of talks for London Diocesan ordinands (and potential ordinands). It was rather good. Bishop Richard spoke on "Authority". He spoke to this passage from the Preface of the Declaration of Assent:
"The Church of England is part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, worshipping the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It professes the faith uniquely revealed in the Holy Scriptures and set forth in the catholic creeds, which faith the Church is called upon to proclaim afresh in each generation. Led by the Holy Spirit, it has borne witness to Christian truth in its historic formularies, the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, The Book of Common Prayer and the Ordering of Bishops, Priests and Deacons. In the declaration you are about to make, will you affirm your loyalty to this inheritance of faith as your inspiration and guidance under God in bringing the grace and truth of Christ to this generation and making Him known to those in your care?"
He expounded it rather well and illuminated it with references to the Rule of St Benedict. Some of his comments were rather pointed, and a few criticisms of our more conservative evangelical brethren were thinly veiled. However, I was impressed by how accessible his talk was to people of any churchmanship or tradition - I guess that's why he's bishop of a diocese as broad as London!
All of the above was helped along by the wine and canapes provided by Sion College at the reception before the talk of course!
A couple of quotable quotes:
"... at the Council of Trent, which, I am sure is never far from your minds at St Helen's Bishopsgate...." [famous conservative evangelical church in central London, of the most extreme kind]
"1963 was a year in which the world changed. It was the year, as Philip Larkin tells us, that sexual intercourse was invented."
"We have this phrase now in the Church of England: Fresh Expressions. "Fresh Expressions" conjures up to my mind the look on the face of an imp! THAT is what I think is a fresh expression."
Well, they amused me anyway.
"The Church of England is part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, worshipping the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It professes the faith uniquely revealed in the Holy Scriptures and set forth in the catholic creeds, which faith the Church is called upon to proclaim afresh in each generation. Led by the Holy Spirit, it has borne witness to Christian truth in its historic formularies, the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, The Book of Common Prayer and the Ordering of Bishops, Priests and Deacons. In the declaration you are about to make, will you affirm your loyalty to this inheritance of faith as your inspiration and guidance under God in bringing the grace and truth of Christ to this generation and making Him known to those in your care?"
He expounded it rather well and illuminated it with references to the Rule of St Benedict. Some of his comments were rather pointed, and a few criticisms of our more conservative evangelical brethren were thinly veiled. However, I was impressed by how accessible his talk was to people of any churchmanship or tradition - I guess that's why he's bishop of a diocese as broad as London!
All of the above was helped along by the wine and canapes provided by Sion College at the reception before the talk of course!
A couple of quotable quotes:
"... at the Council of Trent, which, I am sure is never far from your minds at St Helen's Bishopsgate...." [famous conservative evangelical church in central London, of the most extreme kind]
"1963 was a year in which the world changed. It was the year, as Philip Larkin tells us, that sexual intercourse was invented."
"We have this phrase now in the Church of England: Fresh Expressions. "Fresh Expressions" conjures up to my mind the look on the face of an imp! THAT is what I think is a fresh expression."
Well, they amused me anyway.
posted by Credo at 1/16/2006 10:14:00 pm
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