The Cross as a Compass
September 25, 2012 21 Comments
I’ve found that there are many in the Church who suffer from what one might call: me-sim. My spirituality, my this, or my that… Where I can be happy, where I can be comfortable, where can I benefit. That focus is wrong. Totally wrong. It isn’t about you, and what you want, or what you can get out of serving God in His Church (1 Cor 3:23). Look outward. Look out and see a lost, suffering, sinful and needy world, a world that is dying for want of Christ. Go into that world, and proclaim and live out the Gospel, both by thought, word and deed (St Mark 16:15). Do this, whether they are willing to listen to you or not. As John Wesley once rightly noted, ‘Catch on fire and others will love to come watch you burn’.
Allow me quickly to tell you about my little weekend…
As I said yesterday, it was an extended weekend with Monday being Heritage Day. Friday, I was called to go and do some trauma debriefing. Saturday was a full day of refresher training (Chaplaincy) with the Emergency Service, which I volunteer in doing (btw, if you’re a Christian (Ordained or Lay) and are sick of twiddling your thumbs wondering about rituals, liturgical rites and/or the hybridisation thereof, then go down to your local Hospital, Fire Department, Police Station or School and volunteer to do some counseling and ministry. Go in the name of Jesus Christ to those places where sin is most acutely felt, and make a difference. You’ll be surprised at the need… It is massive. People are hurting indeed).
Sunday was a blessed Mass, though numbers were slightly down given the long-weekend and many going away. Then I got home to the ‘Archbishop John Hepworth’ story, a leak to the Aussie press who had a field day. I posted it on my blog. It’s almost laughable that my calling for Archbishop John Hepworth to be honest, open, reconciled and to work with (as much as lies within him) those that he is estranged from, constitutes ‘trashing’. I don’t know much about the man except that which I read in the press like the rest of you. I am not privy to any inside information. I am a Parish Priest who blogs on Church matters and news. I met the Archbishop once (or at least saw him once) at the funeral of the late Bishop Trevor Rhodes. The rest is out there in the secular media, news, and the blogosphere for all to see. Why he doing and saying the things he is, why he is accused of fiddling with Church funds whether that was in 1974 or later, why he did what he is said to have done to fellow Churchmen is all beyond me. What I’ll say is that reading about it leaves a rather bad taste in the mouth and makes for a pathetic Christian witness. And, if I may add, for an innocent, Archbishop John Hepworth certainly seems to be accused of much, and to my mind has far too many detractors, and Christian detractors at that. Of course, he is assumed innocent until proven otherwise. It’s the behavour and attitude being displayed that is questionable and bothers me most. ‘A bishop then must be blameless’ (or ‘above reproach’ as some other versions have it) – (1 Tim 3:2). That’s not me. That’s plain Scripture. How calling the Archbishop to answer and/or explain constitutes ‘hatred, psychological and spiritual torture and religious fanaticism in its worst form’ is simply beyond me. That is an emotive and irrational response. Unhelpful. What I see going on is being done in an orderly, legal and professional manner. The only one perpetually running to the media is Archbishop John Hepworth himself. None of it is about taking sides, but rather about the truth. A search for the truth. ‘God offers to every mind its choice between truth and repose. Take which you please; you can never have both’ – Ralph Waldo Emerson. So there’s now a lot happening in the Church in Australia, and we would all do well to sincerely pray for them, and give them a chance to let God undertake, and in the end, all will be well.
No sooner had I posted the above news (and yes, my call for Archbishop Hepworth at the very least to admit that there is some sort of a problem and/or misunderstanding and to state that he is both willing and working towards sorting it all out – one doesn’t hear anything of the sort does one?) than the phone rang. I was called out to a house in the Strand. It was raining as I drove and when I got there, the EMS and Police where already on scene. A 3 month old precious little girl had passed away. She lay there, on the bed, in pink, eyes – empty eyes – staring blankly without registering, her spirit, well away from the mortal remains. It’s hard to try to make sense of such a death. Almost impossible. Just as hard is trying to tell the bereaved, the devastated parents, that God is still good… and that He cares. But try, one has to. Because only God is able to make sense of the senseless. At times like this, we need to seek and know God’s peace and indeed draw upon His power and strength. Getting home just after 21:00, switching on the blog and reading the com box as the Hepworthian comments quickly filtered through, that simply paled in comparison to the traumatic world I had just come from… an infinitesimal comparison.
Last night a Mother of one of our congregants passed away. She was a member of another Anglican Church. The Minister never came. I was called. It didn’t matter. I went. Her funeral is Friday and I’ll be doing it. She was never on our Parish Roll… But see if I care!
Jesus calls us to serve as His hands, His feet, and His voice. Now, if you do that, there won’t be enough time in the day to stress about yourself and what you need or can gain from life – spiritually or otherwise. Churchianity is so far removed from real Christianity. If your focus is the Cross and all it requires of you, then you won’t need to be looking around for direction. It’s already there. In front of your nose. Being Jesus to another is all but a conversation away.
See one of the things I’ve learnt from the Bishop who now shepherds us, is it is not about what the Church can do for you, but what you can do for the Church. The Church belongs to Christ. Each of us has been given some rather unique and individual talents and abilities to use (1 Cor 12:28). And we do well to use them in and for Kingdom work. The Church’s mission is saving those perishing, bringing them in, and steering them to the safe harbour that is Heaven. It lies within each of us to fulfil that mandate. And the Bible teaches that everything written from cover to cover in Scripture can be summed up with two statements: Love God and Love Others.
Now, for those (who may be) still looking for ‘more’ on Fr Stephen Smuts: I’m sorry to have to disappoint. What you see, is more or less, what you get I’m afraid. I am a TAC Priest. ‘Home-grown’ if you will. I have never been a Priest in any other Church. I was Ordained in 2005. When I started in the Parish, it was the Rector, his wife, and two other congregants (both 80+ years old). Today, we are over that age in congregant numbers! We are not the biggest or the best Church out there. But we are growing. Making inroads. Slowly. And we are doing so, because we are faithful to Christ and His Calling. The same could of course be true of any other. But you have got to be willing to get down and work. Put your faith (or perhaps lack thereof) into practice. Stop worrying about yourself. Look to your neighbour. Serve that person in Christ. Even if you are sitting in a massive Parish, there are those around you in desperate need. Sometimes, even the Churched, need to be unChurched… To be given, anew, a taste of what it means to be saved by the precious blood of Jesus, and how radical that really is. What a difference it actually makes (or should make) to you, to know that you are redeemed! Every second of every day, you and I are called to live out our lives, as Servants of the One who saves! Stop whining and complaining and get on with it. Life is so short. Very short. Do what you can, with joy in your heart, and that while you still can…
‘What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ’
– Phil 3:8.
‘Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent’
– St John 17:3.
About Fr Stephen Smuts
Really beautiful, Father!
Coming from you Mr Coulombe, that means a lot. Thank you.
Most welcome!
Indeed today our Western culture especially is so narcissistic, we can see it too even in the church culture, noting the now “emergent” nature of so much so-called evangelicalism. Very sad! (2 Tim. 3 / 2 Peter 2:1-3). As one that has been in ministry for many years, it is just too obvious! Surely the Lord Himself has has an “End”, echatologically! And I believe at least that Modern Israel will be central! And as a Christian the text of 1 John 2:15-17 comes to mind; with that of the Laodicean Church age. (Rev. 3:14-18, etc.)
Many thanks for challenging us to reset our own compass by sharing your recent tragic pastoral experiences. Death, especially the death of a child, brings so much “stuff” into perspective. And it is easy to stew over another’s failure to take an important pastoral call, but much more beneficial to the family to just do it. That is true ministry. Though I have my own reasons to be unimpressed with +John Hepworth (and will not go into that in the public forum), even he changes in my perspective when I pray for him, because I invest part of myself in him.
Will hold you in prayer as you continue to help these folks.
Thank you Father. Bless you.
We must ask in Prayer…so as to Love with the ‘Heart of Jesus’–HIS LOVE!
Undisclosed, yet the ONLY antidote for all the Evil, Suffering, Hurt, Loss and Pain in this world!
And in ‘HIS Love’…to ‘catch on fire and burn others with ‘HIS LOVE’ – setting the whole world ablaze!
I am troubled by our host’s latest post.
I am entirely unsure what the legal status of the “Anglican Catholic Church of Australia” might be and equally unsure what the legal status of the “Traditional Anglican Communion” might be. Does either body have legal personality entitling it to sue or be sued before the civil courts of, say, Australia? Does any document exist regulating the internal affairs of the ACCA or the TAC to which civil courts will give effect? All this is very far from clear.
I accept that Hepworth may have a deeply flawed personality. He certainly won’t be the first Roman Catholic priest about whom one can say with the benefit of hindsight “he should never have been ordained in the first place”.
I think that if more rigorous enquiries had been made, a wise leadership of the TAC might well have concluded that he was unfitted for episcopal orders abd unfitted to be Primate.
It may well be that Hepworth was living in a fantasy world. If he was indeed abused in his youth, he may have suffered deep psychological harm of a nature akin to PSTD and which has taken time to surface.
Given the events following the TAC’s acceptance of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in Portsmouth and the decision by some churches, clergy and laity to come into communion with the Catholic Church and the decision by others not to do so, there seems to me to be quite a whiff of a desire for revenge among those who might be described as “rump TAC clerics and laity” who are now going after their former Primate.
Hepworth can hardly expect a fair and impartial hearing before such people. Even a competent Court might not come to the right conclusion. I remember very well the trial of an English liberal politician and a devastating sketch by Peter Cook of the Judge’s summing up to the jury: Entirely A Matter for You.
The YouTube version does not give the full version of the original. The key passage was this:-
“It is not contested by the defence that enormous sums of money flowed towards them in unusual ways. What happened to that money, we shall never know. But I put it to you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, that there are a number of totally innocent ways in which that £20,000 could have been spent: on two tickets for Evita, a centre court seat at Wimbledon, or Mr Thrope may have decided simply to blow it all on a flutter on the Derby. That is his affair and it is not for us to pry. It will be a sad day for this country when a leading politician cannot spend his election expenses in any way he sees fit.”
It could well be that a Court might find that the TAC procedures for financial stewardship were so deficient that in in effect Hepworth was entiled to spend his funding as Primate as he saw fit. So I think we should be very careful about trial by newspaper or trial by blog and it might be wiser to suspend all judgment until a competent court has considered matters.
Funny Mourad, but you just keep making my point about the Judicial and even Judaistic nature of the RCC, or at least the nature of that church often, sadly! Again, it is so very interesting that Jesus had His most harsh words for the Jewish “scribes and Pharisees” (Matt. 23). And myself as one that was Roman Catholic, and even somewhat educated there, and a monastic for a few years, I can attest to this often sad nature of the Catholic Church. I am not seeking to be just negative here, but realistic and truthful! This was often my experience anyway, and I am sure there are many others out there who would agree. The point is not just against Rome, but seeking to be real with her history, and even presence often times! And so the nature of the Historical Church, is not first “judiciary”, but a Body of “spirit and truth”! (1 Tim. 3:15-16) It is here btw, that our EO or Orthodox brethren would surely say amen! But, in the end, the most real nature of the Church is one both Visible and Invisible, and so I am Reformational & Reformed; I believe and hope something for a Reformed Catholicity! Luther wanted to “Reform” the Church not really leave it! And Luther always sought to relate Holy Scripture to personal existence and conscience, this was the essence of his hermeneutic, and teaching concerning the interpretaion of the Bible. Which is both always Law and Gospel, i.e. Grace!
Sadly however, the hour is late in the Western and even Eastern world, I believe! May we be as Christians, as Jesus said, both “Salt and Light”.. to a dying and fallen world! ‘Come Lord Jesus!’
The one who is judaistic is you and your support of israel.
Jesus was a Jew, and so were the Apostles. They and the Church they belong to stands in judgement over all. That is why they attacked the Temple authority- God simply wasn’t with them anymore, and a more drastic measure must be taken. Or else the Temple would not have been destroyed, nor would the Jews cease their Temple sacrifices.
You make no sacrifices on your table and what bread and wine you offer is dead.
YOU, need to read your Bible mate, and do some “Biblical” theology! The Covenant/covenants belong to Israel, and we Gentiles have been “grafted” into their Olive Tree! (Rom. 11 ; 15: 9, etc.), but Gentile apostasy is well under way, and in not too long the purpose of God will swing back toward the Modern Nation of Israel, and God’s remnant there, but only a Third of National Israel will survive unto the Eschatological End! (Zech. 13: 9)
Indeed the Second Coming of Christ is Premillennial & Post-tribulational! “Watch” and see, it is coming ever closer! Who knows, but Modern “Israel” will be central! (Zech. 14)
The criminal law actually holds people to a very low standard of behaviour, and it must be proved to a very high standard of proof that they have not met it. Ditto the civil law, with a lower standard of proof.
So at the bottom of acceptable standards of conduct there’s ‘what’s legal’.
Then there’s what’s, in popular terms, ‘honest’.
Then there’s what’s prudent.
It ought not have to be necessary to prove misconduct in juridical proceedings before one can raise criticisms of failure to deal in an honest or prudent way with other people’s money.
That isn’t the only problem. The TAC in its wisdom (or lack of it) proceeded to consecrate Hepworth and then make him Primate. They were very arguably negligent wen they did so. He then took the TAC in the direction of reunion with the Catholic Church which the TAC episcopate at first accepted. Then some TAC bishops ratted on that understanding.
So what you have now is a “rump TAC” all opposed to the direction in which Hepworth had taken the TAC. Moreover it’s a rump which has singularly failed to provide any proper explanation for ratting on the commitment to the teaching of the Catholic Church which they signed up to at St Agatha’s in Portsmouth.
In those circumstances, it seems highly unlikely that Hepworth could get a fair hearing before the rump TAC.
Mourad, you have entirely dodged the point I was making and just gone on with the tired old meme that somehow what was offered by Rome was what the bishops all thought they were asking for. It took Hepworth two years to work out that what was offered wasn’t corporate reunion–if indeed he’s worked it out yet.
@ Out of the Frying Pan
You write: “… just gone on with the tired old meme that somehow what was offered by Rome was what the bishops all thought they were asking for.”
No, it you who are missing the point. If you sign up to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, then there is no moral case for remaining in schism.
I’d like to throw a different angle at you both re the motives and modus operandi of Dr??????????????John Anthony Hepworth and the signing of the petition for reunification with the Catholic Church in Portsmouth. The former prelate might have been so hellbent (pardon the pun) to get back to his self professed “first love” in a position where he would not just be a lay person (after all he knew the rules better than anyone else) that he did not care one iota to compromise thousands upon thousands of faithful believers. He lied, cheated, spun a yarn, call it what you may, just so he could achieve his personal ambition. Which was duly noted by the CDF, and voila!!!!!!!!Now the whole of the TAC is toast!! Ironically, he still is not reconciled with his “first love”, just wonder why………………….
Maybe the rest of the TAC worked this one out too.
Mourad–depends on intent, and you draw quite a broad brush by seemingly painting all the TAC bishops (including the one to whom this blog’s host owes canonical obedience) with the same brush of having no credibility. Surely you could find some more worthy bunch of Christians to spend your time thinking about. Oh, and I’m tired of ‘rump TAC’ and ‘new TAC’. It’s the same TAC from which Hepworth resigned as primate and then resigned again as bishop ordinary of the Australian member church.
Pingback: From a comment threat over at Fr. Smuts’ blog | Foolishness to the world
There seems to be here the strange and erroneous assumption on the part of many commenters that the “Romeward movement” of the TAC began under the aegis of Abp. Hepworth (who became its primate in 2002), whereas in fact it began as early as ca. 1994 under his predecessor; cf.:
http://www.theanglocatholic.com/2011/07/the-genesis-of-anglicanorum-coetibus/
and the process that can be seen as leading to Anglicanorum Coetibus itself began in 2001, at least as regards the role of the TAC in it. I am amused by the constant attempts to exculpate the TAC bishops who signed NOT ONLY a petition asking for Rome to come up with a means for reunion (which is in effect accepting in advance whatever terms Rome might offer) BUT ALSO the CCC which indicates that they committed themselves to accepting as true all those things taught authoritatively by the Roman Magisterium. That they reneged when the terms offered were not to their liking after having signed both the Petition and the CCC is a commentary on either their common sense or theological integrity, or both. (This is not to deny that the backwardness of some local Roman Catholic church provinces and bishops in, seemingly, making any local provision for the implementation of AC may be as blameworthy as any other single factor in this sorry business.)
In response to a comment above, the “Synod of the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia (Qld) Incorporated” is an incorporated legal entity in Australia, with Australian Business Number (ABN) of 38 446 364 827. This is the ABN quoted on the letter to Rome requesting an Ordinariate in Australia.