The truth of unity
There’s a fascinating interview (more an article based on an interview) with Archbishop Rowan Williams in the National Catholic Reporter. (HT Thinking Anglicans) Do take a look. I think the most substantial actual quotation speaks volumes:
It helps enormously to have not only the discipline of the daily Offices, the daily Eucharist here, but actually a praying community. Prayers are offered quite early. Every morning, therefore, I have an opportunity to remind myself that what matters is not the Church of England or the Anglican Communion but the act of God in Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world. When I am inclined to think that the whole thing is falling apart and that I am making a more than usually bad job of it, the transforming thing has got to be, and in my experience always is, renewing a sense of gratitude. Whether the Church of England survives or not, whether the archbishop of Canterbury survives or not, Christ still died on the cross and rose again, and that’s enough to keep you going for quite a few lifetimes.
I have made a self-denying ordinance not to comment much if at all on this particular issue: there’s more than enough opinion around on the web, and just occasionally it’s even informed and thoughtful.
But I do want to note that I think many people misunderstand +Rowan when they say that you have to put truth before unity. For him (although this particular interview doesn’t make this point) and, incidentally, also for me, the unity of the Church is a fundamental truth of the gospel. As a testimony and a foretaste of the uniting of humanity with God and one another, unity regularly peals out as an urgent summons in the pages of the New Testament. Seeking to achieve a proper gospel unity in practice drives much of Paul’s correspondence. The archbishop’s emphasis on unity flows from the deep Christocentric gratitude emphasized in the above quotation. Christ’s saving work is not a little greater than the sum of humanity’s sins and the Church’s failures.
September 12th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Ha - I was planning to quote that and say much the same thing. I agree that Rowan is staggeringly misunderstood by so many people - including those who really should know better. Did you read that Spong letter? Mind-bogglingly bad.
September 12th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Prayers are offered quite early. Every morning, therefore, I have an opportunity to remind myself that what matters is not the Church of England or the Anglican Communion but the act of God in Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world.
Is Archbishop Rowan’s personal life of prayer and meditation so weak that he is only able to do this at a communal prayer service? Pity the poor laymen, and most clergy, under him, who surely are not more spiritual than he is, but generally have the opportunity to pray with others only once or twice a week.
September 12th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Thanks Doug - I like to read the ABC’s opinion because he writes well (even though I reject hierarchy and accept submission). As to his inner strength, God is able to make him stand - and me too. I agree with you that the unity of the Church is all over the NT - it is part of the Shema of the NT and God’s doing.
September 12th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
Peter, I really think you misunderstand the archbishop (who has written and spoken prayerfully – and out of his experience as well as his reading – on prayer many times)if you think this excludes personal prayer. But the major stress in the NT for Christians, and within the mainstream of the tradition is that prayer is a corporate action. Hence being rooted in a specific actual praying community, rather than, as for many of us in our daily prayer, the “virtual” community of heaven is important in itself, but I think +Rowan’s point is particularly on the daily Eucharist, which requires the presence of others.
In line with that, I think it no coincidence that Jesus says in Matthew (just after he has spoken about personal prayer being private rather than parade-ground) says “Therefore pray (προσεύχεσθε ὑμεῖς) like this: Our Father …” (Matt 6:9). It is less a weakness of the archbishop that values this highly, and more a weakness of the Church that we provide for one another so few opportunities to do this with and for each other.
September 12th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
Sam, yes I read the Spong letter. The man is astonishingly self-deluded both as to his own importance, and in his belief that he is a theologian who understands biblical studies and its current state. He is both simplistic and seriously out-of-date.
September 13th, 2007 at 11:52 am
I have no problem with the Archbishop valuing corporate prayer highly, as long as he doesn’t do so by deprecating private prayer. As for your last point, many churches which do provide midweek services and prayer meetings find they attract minimal attendance, so vicars can hardly be blamed for finding more important things to do with their life.