Gateway: A Church for the emerging generation

On the Anglican Communion: Reform from within!

I have been following the current events in the Anglican Communion. At this very moment, more than 250 Bishops and in total about 1000 bishops, clergy and lay leaders are reunited in Jerusalem, at the Global Anglican Future Conference 'GAFCON' , praying and listening God on His will for the future of the Anglican Communion.

What we are meeting for here is not to plan to walk away. We are meeting to renew our commitment, to renew our faith, to get a sense of direction of what we can be as Anglicans. We do not want to start a new Church. (Archbishop Orombi, Uganda)

The Anglican leaders are searching for a renewed commitment to evangelism and the proclamation of the Gospel of King Jesus, despite the growing influence of secularism in society. They are looking for a refreshed way to tell the world that King Jesus has actually never forsaken his people and God's creation.

The West is losing a Christian discourse at the very time it needs it most. Let us pray we are able to recover our Christian nerve in the West and to make sure the Gospel is not lost. (Bishop of Rochester, UK)

The Anglican leaders understood that there is indeed a need to keep the unity of the Church, and that their voices are much more important within the context of the Global Anglicanism than becoming a separate Church. What a challenge!

the agenda is now reform from within rather than starting a breakaway conservative Anglican church (Times Online)

Venables will attend Lambeth

Finally, after lots of "I won't attend Lambeth" and probably following the request of several orthodox bishops in the UK, +++Greg Venables, the Primate of the Southern Cone will indeed attend Lambeth.

The full story here.

In any case, due to all the turmoil surrounding the schism between Orthodox (Bible believing) and Liberal (open minded, easy going and not really Bible believing) Anglicans, Venables' presence in Lambeth is of utmost importance. He must stand for those who still hold the Bible as final source of doctrine and faith, as the Reformers did. At least, the Orthodox Anglicans should make their voices heard.

Wonderings of the Anglican Communion

As most of my friends know, I came to the Christian (bible based faith) in the setting of a small Anglican Church in La Paz. As consequence, I always had a special heart for the Anglican Communion. It was normally refreshing to know that despite the hurricanes of doctrine that whipped Bolivia (e.g.Liberation Theology, Prosperity & Faith 'gospels', Dispensationalism, and lots of other mixtures), one could always count on the Bible based faith of the Anglicans. Even if the appointed leader were once "too liberal" (low Church) or the next "too backwards" (high Church), they normally kept the principle of honoring the Bible as final source of authority: the simple saying "Show me what is in the Bible and I will teach it. Show me that what I teach isn't in the Bible, and I will stop teaching it."

I recently found a post from the Unofficial Lambeth 2008 Website. They are already suggesting that Archbishop Rowan Williams should resign in order to keep the unity of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Anglicans are the largest non RC Christian denomination in the world, and in many places they are "the" reference of what Christianity is all about. Therefore, the unity of the Anglicans is a matter not only for the member but for the whole Body of Christ on the Earth.

And Michael Daly, boldly suggests that the well respected scholar, the Lord Bishop of Durham, may be the successor and the only move that could keep the Anglican Communion as a Unity. Hereunder his words:

“But, who will replace him?” you ask. I thought about that, too. While +Rochester would make a fine candidate (at least I think so), he would never fly with the rest of the Communion and it is doubtful that most British people (apart from the Evangelicals) would think much of it, either. Step back a bit, then and think about who in the English Church has been most outspoken recently about maintaining the structural integrity of the Lambeth Conference and the Anglican Communion? I’ll give you a hint: he’s another eminent scholar and has a seat in the House of Lords.

Putting this all together may seem a bit of a stretch, but it makes sense to my supper-addled mind, this evening. Could +Tom Wright be making a play for something the present Archbishop of Canterbury has already given up on? And would it necessarily be a bad thing?

Apparently all odds are pointing to NT Wright as the successor. As for me, I will simply keep praying for the Anglicans in the pain where they are now.

Easter echoes

The most recent Easter Sermon by Bishop Wright was intendedly shocking. He made several points of denouncing unrighteousness. He highlighted the current debates on abortion, babies euthanasia, asylum seekers, and human-animal inter species genetic bending.

Peter’s message to Cornelius was that through his resurrection Jesus has been constituted as the judge of the living and the dead. The resurrection of Jesus is the beginning of the final putting-to-rights of all things. In the light of the resurrection, the church must never stop reminding the world’s rulers and authorities that they themselves will be held to account, and that they must do justice and bring wise, healing order to God’s world ahead of that day.

Bishop Tom Wright "The uncomfortable truth of Easter" a sermon at the Sung Eucharist in Durham Cathedral Easter Day 2008

The Anglican Mainstream blog echoed Wright's words and further elaborated on the recent Dutch protocol on finishing the life of suffering or disabled babies, with the several scientific support obtained by the medical community. The Church should have a saying. We still believe that humans are made to bear God's image, and therefore human life should be preserved with all available efforts, not terminated as easily as possible.

“[W]e are moving toward a medical system,” says Smith, “in which babies are put down like dogs and killing is redefined as a caring act.” But this can happen only in a society that has forgotten that every human life is made in the image of God—and, therefore, worthy of protection. Think worldviews do not matter? Think our Christian heritage is irrelevant? Too bad we cannot ask the infants of Groningen what they think. Deadly Trend, by Chuck Colson 3/14/2008 The Infanticide Protocol

Furthermore, it makes me think of a global covenant with death. May the Truth of Easter bring true light to our paths!

Radical Christianity

Worth to see the full video!

Unbelievable

This is what I referred to in my previous post. Shame.

The Evangelical Crackup

Yesterday i went to watch the film "Jesus Camp". And I was very much impressed of the political content of it. It's already known that most US Evangelicals are skewed to the right in politics, but it was shocking to see how can they exaggerate and become non-biblical in their practices. When they brought a body size image of the US President to a prayer meeting, i felt like the times when people had to worship the images of the Roman Emperors! The sad part is that the label -and its implications- affects to all of us outside the US, who are proudly spiritual descendants of the Reformation.

However, there seems to be hope. In a New York Times article, the authors discuss objectively the shortcomings of the Christian right, and at the same time highlight that the younger generation of leaders are taking things with a renewed and probably more biblical approach. The following extract exemplifies the former statement:

Meanwhile, a younger generation of evangelical pastors — including the widely emulated preachers Rick Warren and Bill Hybels — are pushing the movement and its theology in new directions. There are many related ways to characterize the split: a push to better this world as well as save eternal souls; a focus on the spiritual growth that follows conversion rather than the yes-or-no moment of salvation; a renewed attention to Jesus’ teachings about social justice as well as about personal or sexual morality. However conceived, though, the result is a new interest in public policies that address problems of peace, health and poverty — problems, unlike abortion and same-sex marriage, where left and right compete to present the best answers.

Happy Reformation Day

On October 31st 1517, 490 y ago, Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses at the door of the Cathedarl in Wittemberg, Germany. Church doors functioned as bulletin boards in that period of history. These theses were an answer to the controversial selling of indulgences by the Roman curia to build the Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. This action has been considered as the igniting of the Reformation. Later on, Martin Luther translated the Bible to German language, and blessed eventually the whole Western World with the access to the Word of God in lay language. He changed the history of the Western World.

A scientist and a believer

Vineyard Benelux leaders retreat

Short video of the afternoon's worship time at the Vineyard Office in Utrecht on 22/09/2007. It's simply a very nice souvenir.

Christian inspiration

I wonder, when in history the gospel of King Jesus stopped of being preached as a radical message ... Today reading a blog in Spanish, a Christian singer and pastor, Marco Barrientos, challenges the believers not to fear fellowship with non believers, who desperately need Jesus. According to Marcos Barrientos, we should not be afraid to be the light of the World. The full interview here.

Reformation heritage

Reformation Heritage



Fathers of the Reformation



Receive the challenge of their lives!

490 Years of the Reformation

Since on October 31st we commemorate the 490th anniversary of the day when Martin Luther boldly presented his 95 Thesis in Wittemberg, as a disputation on the power and efficacy of indulgences, i thought it would be appropriate to devote some posts to the roots of my Evangelical Faith. The film itself is worth of being seen.

Being raised as roman catholic, all the story of the Reformation and the price that was paid by my predecessors in the faith was unknown. I converted to Christianity at the age of 14y, by grace through faith, as one of the results of the faith of the Reformers. Their faith yielded in me having the option to meet Jesus in a personal way, to read freely the Word of God in my own language, and to worship God together with others all over the world. I'm really in debt to men like Martin Luther, John Calvin or Casidoro da Reina, who devoted their lives to serve Jesus in difficult times and in the midst of a pagan world. Not so different by the way to our world today!

Scary what some Christians are into ...

This is a video on how US Evangelicals influence their international policy. It's scary because instead of basing their theology and political action on the Bible, they are based on the fables of the dispensationalist rapture, and even worse they believe they have to keep their army in the Middle East. Scary.

I dream of the day when Bible based Kingdom Theology will guide political decisions.

Laws of leadership

My blog-friend Jason Woolever posted the 21 Maxwell's Laws of Ledarship. Worth to read! it is both a challenge for Church leaders and for those who are not yet in leadership.

Another video from GodTube

This video on why one does not share his/her own faith, is really funny, though it is the typical US approach to Christianity. I guess there are many other reasons, definetly more appropriate to Europe or the rest of the world, yet this video can make you think about.



Have a nice weekend!

Here I am to Worship, A video from GodTube

How do evangelicals undermine the message

I was visiting some blogs from wordpress.com and the following one captured my attention: How Pop-Evangelicals Undermine God in Evangelism. It is a very good and sound artcle, worht of reading.

Particularly now that some "emergent-movement" ideas have been going arround, not only in my church or this city, but in many places, I believe that whoever is the blog's author makes a good point. First of all, he tells the story of how mega -churches in the thirst of grotwth will develop strategies to get more and more people. But the surprise in the article is the lack of biblical perspective in the new methodology. Don't use the Bible in its original sense ... but use what is politically correct.

I just wanted to quote the following:

This really is perverted. See in effort to accommodate “seekers” or the “unchurched” or the “dechurched”, (unbelievers) they undermine the only message that can truly save their souls. It is no different than the doctor telling the guy with a tumor that he just has allergies. It is gospel malpractice. It is worse than being silent, it is misleading sinners and undermining God. God saves through his gospel of his son and this gospel is not up for revision. Evangelicals who try to get cute and smart (regardless of motives, for I do not know them) undermine God.

Whatever openness to "other gospels" or to accommodate the Bible to the "modern times" or "phylosophies" falls in the same category of perverted. Jesus himself warned his followers of those who would "change the message". I think that our calling is to remain firm and steady in the principles of the Kingdom, even to counterbalance perverted gospels.

Amazing GRACE

Some time ago, I wrote the story of Jean-Marie, a Burundese child that I met while visitin the Nutrition Therapy Centre of Gatumba. Last week we went with the other colleagues to visit the same centre. Of course I asked about Jean Marie's situation, and instead of receiving the news that he passed away, they told me the following: Jean Marie started to recuperate, the wounds of the operation healed properly, he gained some weight and finally he could start walking again. According to the Aimable, the staff member who informed me, Jean Marie is healed. Jean Marie left the centre, and went back home. Some weeks after, he came back some bringing a gift for the centre. So, Praise the Lord for HIS AMAZING GRACE towards this kid. All Glory to Jesus for He is still busy in the business of healing and blessing people.
If you read this, please remember Jean Marie in prayer!