Church of England and new gay marriage moves

From Telegraph.co.uk:
Senior bishops have warned that new plans to allow homosexual marriages could destroy the "fragile unity" of the global Anglican Communion.

The Church of England leaders fear that the controversial move would go against traditional biblical teaching and have "immediate and negative consequences" for relationships with other provinces around the world, as well as the central position of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

In an official letter they also urge clergy to "maintain a critical distance" from governments and resist any moves they make to allow "gender neutral" weddings.

Their strongly-worded letter - made public on the first day of a meeting of the Church of England's governing body, the General Synod in York - comes just days after a new traditionalist group was formed to oppose the liberal direction of Anglicanism.
It highlights once again the threat to the unity of the 80 million-strong Communion posed by conflicting attitudes to homosexuality.

The latest fears have been raised over plans by the Church of Sweden, which is formally linked to the Church of England through an agreement called the Porvoo Declaration, to make its marriage liturgy "gender neutral" so that same-sex couples can have traditional wedding services for the first time.

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Knowledge of Bible ‘In Decline’ Among Youths

From The Christian Post
Knowledge of the Bible and its stories is declining among people in the UK, according to a survey by Durham University; it was sponsored by Church related organizations.

Researchers at the survey, funded by a consortium of national churches, charitable trusts and Bible agencies said that their findings showed the Church and Christians could no longer make assumptions about people's knowledge of the Bible, especially those under 45s which is in decline.
It says, half of under 45s failed to accurately recount information about Samson and Delilah, while a third were clueless when quizzed about the Feeding of the 5,000.
It also revealed that 40 percent did not know that the tradition of giving Christmas gifts came from the story of the Wise Men bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus.
One respondent said David and Goliath was the name of a ship, while another thought Daniel - who survived being thrown into the lions' den - was the Lion King.

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The Church of England writes to the Church of Sweden

The Archbishop´s Council of the Church of England writes a letter to the Archbishop of the Swedish Church. The letter expresses worries about the development within the Swedish Church.

The two Bishops signing the letter write:
"We must however say that already, from the viewpoint of the Church of England, the existing practice in the Church of Sweden of blessing same-sex relationships was problematic....

If we understand the situation in the Church of Sweden correctly, what is now proposed appears to be a fundemental re-definition of the Christian doctrine of marriage and of basic Christian anthropology."

Read the complete letter here>>

Congress-time

Reflections on the Norwegian Congress from Jostein Nielsen
It is congress-time for Salvationists and friends in Norway. It is good to be part of it. Like at most congresses in our territory over the passed 20 years I am “heavily” involved. Ever since my first personal experiences with congress in the early teens, I have both heard and verbalized comments about the event. In many ways there are parallels to the European Song Contest – “everyone” has a meaning about it. With regard to the latter, even those who seem to be indifferent to it still follow the program.

For a long time I was critical to the concept of congress. It was simply not spiritual enough. Then I realized that the congress is not merely a spiritual event, even though it intends to be such as well. It is created to meet a series of needs, and I believe it does.It is:

* a place for old and new “friends”
* a place for musical inspiration
* a place for the whole family
* a place for laughter
* a place for tears
* a place for contemplation
* a place for a good, and sometimes even deep conversation
* a place for information
* a place for encouragement
* a place for good preaching
* a place for prayer

It is our movement’s super-market. I realize that what I once criticized was the fact that I thought I had come to a store which specialized in my particular needs and interests. When I arrived to a congress with such an attitude I left disappointed. At the supermarket, I can go to the sections to find the goods I need. I do that this year as well, but I am thrilled to see the shelves with all the goods the “congress-market” has to offer.

Thank you Lord for this opportunity!

Blood and Fire. Do We Really Have Both?

From Journal of Aggressive Christianity (JAC)
As the Assistant Corps Officer at The Atlanta Temple Corps, Lieutenant Jimmy Taylor leads Light on the Hill, a contemporary expression of Salvation Army worship. We sing the song and pray the prayer; Jimmy imagines what it would be like if it happened.
----------------------------------------------------
Emblazoned on our flag are the words “Blood and Fire.” The blood of Jesus frees us and the fire of the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. But is it truly happening? Is the fire of the Spirit present in the Army today? Maybe at your corps you can say, “Absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt,” but what about the corps around the corner and the one in the adjacent city and the one on the other side of the world. If we are going to be so bold as to stitch it on our standard shouldn’t it ring true throughout the ranks? So I ask what would happen to The Salvation Army as a whole; our corps; the communities that we live and work in, if God really did send His Spirit’s fire? This is a question that I have asked myself a lot recently. How would our ministry and mission change; or would it? Would our Army change or would it continue in the vein that it has for decades?

The Holy Spirit arrived at Pentecost as a rushing wind that exploded into tongues of fire. It filled the disciples and everyone else in the room. It filled them so intensely that they couldn’t hold it in. They had to tell someone. This drove them into streets where they proclaimed the Gospel to anyone that would listen. Wow, what an amazing experience! But, if the same Holy Spirit is here with us today and the same fire fills us, are we seeing the same results? Are we content sitting in our pews, reading our Bibles, singing our hymns and remaining virtually unchanged and uncharged? Do we have the same burning in our gut that the disciples had that Pentecost morning? If the Spirit’s fire fell on us right now or entered a room in which we were gathered for worship would it make a bit of difference? Would we even notice or care? As at Pentecost, would we run to the streets and tell people about our experience? How would the communities that we live and work in change if we became so consumed by this holy fire that we could not stay silent?

I have been to corps where when you walk in there just seems to be something missing and I have been to corps that have been set ablaze. Which one is your’s? Does your corps burn with the Blood and Fire spirit we are to be charged up with? Are your services bland and your soldiers lifeless? Perhaps the Holy Spirit is chomping at the bit waiting for you to allow Him to wreck your service in a holy, chaotic blitz. Again this is not every corps, officer or soldier in the Salvation Army world. However, if we are all going to say we are one Army then we need to think as one army, for armies are only as strong as their most vulnerable soldier, which brings me to our personal lives.

What if the Holy Spirit’s fire REALLY ignited the lives of our officers and soldiers? What if Salvationists lived lives that were so blazingly passionate for the Gospel of Jesus Christ that everything else was consumed by its flame?

In far too many places, in my opinion, we have lost our mission and drive to serve those hurting both physically and spiritually. I believe this grieves the Spirit. When we do not carry out the mission that we have been tasked with both spiritually and socially, we little by little begin to extinguish the fire that the Spirit has ignited.

Imagine what God could do with this Army if we allowed the Holy Spirit to take over. Imagine the lives that could be changed. Imagine how our corps would explode with people with an unquenchable fervor for the cause of reaching the least, the last and the lost. In places where complacency had once reigned, Christ would rule. Our Officers whose hearts may have cooled would burn with a passion to save souls and grow them spiritually. Our buildings would become places of spiritual refuge. Our uniforms would be recognized as symbols of hope. Our congregations would become unified. Our people would love without discrimination. The possibilities are limitless!

The Holy Spirit must take hold of us and thrust us into the fray. We are an Army and armies fight. The Holy Spirit, according to our doctrine, regenerates us into new creations. Oh, Holy Spirit come. Regenerate this Army into the fighting force that You raised us up to be. Renew us and fill Your people, Your soldiers and Your officers. Reclaim us for Your purposes. Remove our contentment for the status quo. Restore to us the Fire of Your Holy Spirit. Inspire us to reach out beyond our walls. Inspire us to intervene in people’s lives. Cause us to hurt for those who are hurting; weep with those in mourning; and fight for those who can not defend themselves. Holy Spirit come and renew Your Salvation Army. May our motto of “Blood and Fire” become something we truly possess and are willing to fight and die for. Consider the words of our founder:Send the FireGen. William BoothThou Christ of burning, cleansing flame, Send the fire!Thy blood - bought gift today we claim, Send the fire!Look down and see this waiting host, Give us the promised Holy Ghost,We want another Pentecost,Send the Fire!God of Elijah hear our cry: Send the fire!To make us fit to live or die, Send the fire!To burn up every trace of sin, to bring the light and glory in,The revolution now begin, Send the fire! ‘Tis fire we want, for fire we plead, Send the fire!The fire will meet our every need, Send the fire!For strength to ever do the right, For grace to conquer in the fight,For power to walk this world in white, Send the Fire!To make our weak hearts strong and brave, Send the fire!To live a dying world to save, Send the fire!Oh see us on Thy altar layOur lives, our all, this very day,To crown the offering now we pray, Send the fire!General William BoothSend the FireSend the FireEmblazoned on our flag are the words “Blood and Fire.” The blood of Jesus frees us and the fire of the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. But is it truly happening? Is the fire of the Spirit present in the Army today? Maybe at your corps you can say, “Absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt,” but what about the corps around the corner and the one in the adjacent city and the one on the other side of the world. If we are going to be so bold as to stitch it on our standard shouldn’t it ring true throughout the ranks? So I ask what would happen to The Salvation Army as a whole; our corps; the communities that we live and work in, if God really did send His Spirit’s fire? This is a question that I have asked myself a lot recently. How would our ministry and mission change; or would it? Would our Army change or would it continue in the vein that it has for decades? The Holy Spirit arrived at Pentecost as a rushing wind that exploded into tongues of fire. It filled the disciples and everyone else in the room. It filled them so intensely that they couldn’t hold it in. They had to tell someone. This drove them into streets where they proclaimed the Gospel to anyone that would listen. Wow, what an amazing experience! But, if the same Holy Spirit is here with us today and the same fire fills us, are we seeing the same results? Are we content sitting in our pews, reading our Bibles, singing our hymns and remaining virtually unchanged and uncharged? Do we have the same burning in our gut that the disciples had that Pentecost morning? If the Spirit’s fire fell on us right now or entered a room in which we were gathered for worship would it make a bit of difference? Would we even notice or care? As at Pentecost, would we run to the streets and tell people about our experience? How would the communities that we live and work in change if we became so consumed by this holy fire that we could not stay silent? I have been to corps where when you walk in there just seems to be something missing and I have been to corps that have been set ablaze. Which one is your’s? Does your corps burn with the Blood and Fire spirit we are to be charged up with? Are your services bland and your soldiers lifeless? Perhaps the Holy Spirit is chomping at the bit waiting for you to allow Him to wreck your service in a holy, chaotic blitz. Again this is not every corps, officer or soldier in the Salvation Army world. However, if we are all going to say we are one Army then we need to think as one army, for armies are only as strong as their most vulnerable soldier, which brings me to our personal lives. What if the Holy Spirit’s fire REALLY ignited the lives of our officers and soldiers? What if Salvationists lived lives that were so blazingly passionate for the Gospel of Jesus Christ that everything else was consumed by its flame? In far too many places, in my opinion, we have lost our mission and drive to serve those hurting both physically and spiritually. I believe this grieves the Spirit. When we do not carry out the mission that we have been tasked with both spiritually and socially, we little by little begin to extinguish the fire that the Spirit has ignited. Imagine what God could do with this Army if we allowed the Holy Spirit to take over. Imagine the lives that could be changed. Imagine how our corps would explode with people with an unquenchable fervor for the cause of reaching the least, the last and the lost. In places where complacency had once reigned, Christ would rule. Our Officers whose hearts may have cooled would burn with a passion to save souls and grow them spiritually. Our buildings would become places of spiritual refuge. Our uniforms would be recognized as symbols of hope. Our congregations would become unified. Our people would love without discrimination. The possibilities are limitless!The Holy Spirit must take hold of us and thrust us into the fray. We are an Army and armies fight. The Holy Spirit, according to our doctrine, regenerates us into new creations. Oh, Holy Spirit come. Regenerate this Army into the fighting force that You raised us up to be. Renew us and fill Your people, Your soldiers and Your officers. Reclaim us for Your purposes. Remove our contentment for the status quo. Restore to us the Fire of Your Holy Spirit. Inspire us to reach out beyond our walls. Inspire us to intervene in people’s lives. Cause us to hurt for those who are hurting; weep with those in mourning; and fight for those who can not defend themselves. Holy Spirit come and renew Your Salvation Army. May our motto of “Blood and Fire” become something we truly possess and are willing to fight and die for.

Consider the words of our founder:
Send the Fire
Gen. William Booth

Thou Christ of burning, cleansing flame, Send the fire!
Thy blood - bought gift today we claim, Send the fire!
Look down and see this waiting host, Give us the promised Holy Ghost,
We want another Pentecost,Send the Fire!
God of Elijah hear our cry: Send the fire!To make us fit to live or die, Send the fire!
To burn up every trace of sin, to bring the light and glory in,
The revolution now begin, Send the fire! ‘Tis fire we want, for fire we plead, Send the fire!
The fire will meet our every need, Send the fire!
For strength to ever do the right, For grace to conquer in the fight,
For power to walk this world in white, Send the Fire!
To make our weak hearts strong and brave, Send the fire!
To live a dying world to save, Send the fire!
Oh see us on Thy altar layOur lives, our all, this very day,
To crown the offering now we pray, Send the fire!

General William Booth
Send the Fire

Send the Fire

"I am not interested in interfaith dialogue but interfaith projects"

From The Washington Times:

The Rev. Rick Warren, one of America's best-known evangelical Protestant pastors, pleaded with about 8,000 Muslim listeners on Saturday night to work together to solve the world's greatest problems by cooperating in a series of interfaith projects.

"Muslims and Christians can work together for the common good without compromising my convictions or your convictions," Mr. Warren said during an evening session of the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) at the Washington Convention Center.

"I am not interested in interfaith dialogue but interfaith projects," said the pastor of the 24,000-member Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., who is widely known for his bestseller "The Purpose-Driven Life."

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