These resolutions make clear that in spite of our differences on human sexuality and other issues, a solid majority of the House viewed the recommendations contained in the Primates' communiqué from Tanzania as offensive to our Church and disrespectful of the way that we discern and respond to God’s will. Our democratic polity is not universally admired within the Communion, but I was encouraged to see so many bishops resist the Primates’ call for our House to act unilaterally. We are a hierarchical church to be sure, but in our governance, the voice of bishops is balanced by the voices of the clergy and laity.
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Our democratic polity is not universally admired within the Communion.... We are a hierarchical church to be sure, but in our governance, the voice of bishops is balanced by the voices of the clergy and laity...
ReplyDeleteYes, but please, please, though we use the word hierarchical [Greek for the Latin Ordo] we must, just must, stop seeing it in the world's terms of divisions of "Powers" "balanced" by one another, but of the "energy" of the Spirit distributed throughout the Church-- for the good of the "Order", as understood historically by the Church. There is "order" in the Trinity, but no power "hierarchy balancing each Person with another. Hierarchy deals with Order, just as there is an order, position, for arranging a knife, fork and spoon for ease of use at a table, or four suits in a deck of cards, or order of words in a sentence, we have laity, priests, bishops, and deacons.
This is just one order or Hierarchy in the Church, and a most useful one at that, and a big difference from Boss, management,worker. Even in our democratic society, the order of Legislative Branch, Executive Branch and Judicial Branch and The People does not imply a hierarchy even as the world uses the term. If we began using that “Novum ‘Ordo’ Saeculorum” as a system of "power" we would be in the same negative thought forms we have produced in the Church.
I realize this is picky, but if we do not stop seeing our Bishops as "Head-onchos" and the Laity and "Lesser Clergy" [like Lesser Prophets of Holy Scripture does not mean the are not of equal value] held down by them at the bottom of some invented triangle of power rather than seeing a beautiful "Order" problems will continue 'til we will begin to think we need neither Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Laity any more than a spoon without the knives and forks. Try cutting a steak without a knife or eating peas with a knife or playing Hearts with nothing but Hearts. We are all members of one Body, a Glorious Body, brilliantly ordered for the sake of the world.