REC General Council Postponed to June 2021

From Reformed Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Ray Sutton:

I write to report the important decision by the General Committee to postpone the 56th General Council planned for the week of June 7, 2020. Our Constitution and Canons stipulate regarding the time and place of the meeting of a General Council: “If in the opinion of the Presiding Bishop there be sufficient reason to change the time or place . . . this may be done by him with the consent in writing of two-thirds of the General Committee” (Article VII, Sec. 2). On March 26, with the unanimous support of the Council of Bishops, I made recommendation to a called meeting of the General Committee, that our General Council be rescheduled for June, 2021, at the same location in Charleston, South Carolina. The General Committee unanimously approved my recommendation. 

The rest of his letter with more factors behind this decision may be found at the REC site.

In Praise of Smokey Matt’s During Coronavirus

Yesterday, I surely heard more sermons (four) in one day than ever before.  At least, COVID is good for something!  Any number of churches are dutifully working to get the word and worship online.

Among the churches I visited, one stands out.  Yes, my favorite Anglican parish in the U. S. (other than my own) of St. Matthias Dallas, aka Smokey Matt’s.

First, their audio is the best I’ve come across. And that is important.  A frequent weakness of online worship is the sermon is hard to hear.  That was the case with two of sermons I heard yesterday.  Second, St. Matthias has services online just about everyday.  For example, they had Matins and Mass early this Monday morning even.  

And the organ they have during some services is very nice!

St. Matthias has details of what they are up to on their home page.  You can access their live streams through their Facebook page.

I’m confident all my pious readers are using this Coronavirus Lent to worship, pray, and listen more, not less.  The worship of St. Matthias Dallas certainly merits an online visit.  May the day come soon when I can visit in person once again.

Democrats Attempt to Use the Coronavirus Crisis to Steal Elections

It’s in the House Democrat bill in black and white.  Among the porcine provisions are national same-day voter registration, national ballot harvesting, and yet more mail-in ballots.

This former election judge and anyone concerned about clean elections rather than stealing elections knows same-day voter registration, ballot harvesting, and expansion of mail-in ballots all enable election fraud.

So Nancy Pelosi's Democrats are holding coronavirus relief hostage in order to make it easier for them to steal elections.  There is no way around that.

I await concern from the “social justice” crowd. 

Presiding Bishop Sutton’s Letter to the REC

After the letter from ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach, Presiding Bishop Ray Sutton has issued his own letter to the Reformed Episcopal Church.

It is one of the more balanced responses to the coronavirus situation I’ve seen.  The letter follows:

Dear Reformed Episcopal Brethren,   

Lenten greetings as the Lord provides the lessons of the Cross in the midst of great trial for the Church and for our nation!

I am writing to ask that all of our churches suspend temporarily their present way of publicly offering services of worship involving more than ten people. My strong recommendation is based on the request of Archbishop Foley Beach and the College of Bishops, which includes the Reformed Episcopal Bishops (See the archbishop’s statement below).

Considering the data and requirements of the Centers for Disease Control and the instructions of the President of the United States, we believe it is important for the Church to support in every way the mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic to protect and save lives. As believers in Jesus Christ we are called to, “Love our neighbor.” To reduce the way we gather, that others might be helped, is the least we can do to prevent illness and the loss of life. Before this crisis is over, we need to do so much more with the love of Christ to reach our society in many other charitable ways.

At the same time our Lord commanded us to, “Love the Lord thy God.” Please do not misunderstand. I am not asking our churches to stop worshipping our Triune God. Instead, we should continue to offer the Divine Liturgy in ways that can comply with the call for minimal social contact. We are blessed to have the technology to provide worship via online means (i.e. streaming, recording, etc.). To this end for our Sunday worship, I suggest either Morning Prayer with a sermon, or a small Holy Communion/sermon service with a presbyter and attendants only. I hope as well that all of our churches are saying the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer.

It has also been suggested that small missions and churches could offer multiple Eucharistic or Morning Prayer services on a Sunday to groups of ten or less. To do so would require figuring out how to divide and direct your congregation. I strongly suggest only receiving in one kind if it’s a service of Holy Communion, per my last communication’s instructions. Even with this approach, however, I caution that folks can come to these smaller services, who have unknowingly contracted the virus and spread it to others. This has already happened in other denominations. The safest approach is therefore to follow the above call for altering worship to an online venue.

Please keep in mind that in days prior to the advent of modern technology, this type of instruction had to be given in other situations of extreme duress. During World War II after the tragic bombing of Coventry Cathedral, the Church of England Bishops had to ask the people in London and other larger cities not to attend the cathedrals and city churches out of concern that the latter places of worship had become prime targets for bombing. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the technology to offer worship by electronic means. Still, the people of God said the Daily Office, in time God prevailed, and worship was restored. These kinds of difficult directives sometimes need to be given to protect life, knowing that the worship of the Church will continue other ways and eventually be restored in larger gatherings.

To comply with what our Archbishop and College of Bishops are asking in response to official directives, please know that I have suspended our own regular Sunday worship services at Church of the Holy Communion Cathedral in Dallas, Texas, until Palm Sunday. At the end of the next two weeks, we will have an opportunity to reassess the matter further. I will send out another communication as to where we go from that point. If necessary, we may have to extend our measures longer. If so, I will offer additional suggestions as to how we do might do this.

I can only add and caution that, if you and your congregation choose not to follow the CDC and Presidential directives, your vestries should consult with your chancellors and legal counsel. There could be serious legal consequences for your parish if you do not comply. God forbid, but should you not follow the instructions, members of your congregation contract COVID-19 from one another, and spread the virus to others, they might become subject to civil action. No one should want to take this chance.

In conclusion as someone has said, “Feed your faith and not your fears.” Use this time of limited quarantine to utilize the online ways of worship, to pray, to read your Bibles, to spend time with your families, and to wait in patient faith for the crisis to lift. It will eventually get better. We will get past this. The early Christians in the Roman Empire faced similar situations and ways to spread the Gospel in the midst of plague (see the following excellent article: How Early Christians Saved Lives and Spread the Gospel During Roman Plagues ). Please be assured of my prayers and attentiveness to your needs. Our God is Sovereign. He will prevail! May the Lord bless and keep you through these challenging times!

Sincerely in Christ,
The Most Rev. Dr. Ray R. Sutton, Ph.D.
Presiding Bishop

BREAKING: ACNA Bishops Ask for No “In-person Worship Services”

From the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America Foley Beach:

I write to you after meeting with our bishops this afternoon. We considered the advice given by the President of the United States' Coronavirus Team, the Centers for Disease Control, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and by governmental authorities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States strongly advising that no public gatherings of 10 or more people be held.  It is our desire to partner with our civic officials as they seek to exercise their duty to protect our communities. Therefore, the College of Bishops is asking our congregations not to hold in-person worship services or gatherings until further notice, but to offer, when possible, worship services on a virtual platform. We realize these are extreme measures that we had hoped to avoid, but for the health and welfare of everyone in our churches and communities, this is something we all must put into practice immediately.

Each diocesan bishop will communicate to his diocese regarding the specifics of how this will be applied in each local diocesan context.

My initial response is similar to when the Anglican Bishop of South Carolina shut down services. I think it a once-size-fits-all response and well meaning over-reaching.

I am well aware mine is likely a minority opinion.

I Like Enemies

One of the strengths of traditional Anglican liturgy is that it recognizes we have enemies, real enemies, and that we need God to defend us from them.  Some enemies are spiritual, namely Satan; some are internal, such as besetting temptations and anxieties; some are, yes, societal, such as the current panic; some are very impersonal, such as viruses and disasters; and, yes, some are people – there are bad people, lots of them, who would do us ill.  We are to love those people; we are not to enable them or grant them success in their evil.

Traditional liturgy reflects all this well as Laudable Practice recognizes.  For example, the Litany prays:

That it may please thee to forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts.

And also later prays:

From our enemies defend us, O Christ

Graciously look upon our afflictions.

Remember Jesus said love our enemies.  He did not say we do not have any.  Just the opposite.

Then there is this week’s collect for the Third Sunday in Lent:

We beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A timely prayer, is it not?

Now some moderns and post-moderns and other foolish people are squeamish at the mention of actual enemies.  

I am not among the squeamish.  Instead, it both comforts me and strengthens my backbone that the Book of Common Prayer meets head on the enemies of God and of us.

We beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Bishop Lawrence Cancels Services for Entire Diocese of SC. UPDATED

Again, I hesitate to be critical of churches who decide to cancel services for a time.  And some, such as large churches in highly infected cities, probably should.

For example, Pusey House has with sadness shut down for a time, likely the rest of term at least.  But they have little choice given government directives and given that Oxford, a very international and mobile community, is especially vulnerable to the coronavirus. Please join me in praying for Pusey House and Oxford.

But the decision of Bishop Mark Lawrence to cancel services for at least two Sundays for the entire Anglican Diocese of South Carolina has me scratching my head.   The Carolinas have a low infection rate at this time.  Some of the parishes in the diocese are small and in small towns.  Their risk is low, and people going to those churches likely interact with each other anyway.  

Besides do not the parishes have enough wisdom to decide for themselves?

And people need the church now more than ever even if they do not see that although many do.  Comprehensively cancelling Sunday services gives the false impression that it’s all just optional.  It tells people that they do not really need us all that much.  And at least in some cases, it is a disservice to those who know their need of the comfort and strengthening of corporate Sunday worship.

Yes, I may be a bit harsh there, and I probably just angered some people.  I respect that.  But Bishop Lawrence’s decision seems overreaching at best to me.

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UPDATE:

Bishop Lawrence has posted an open letter about this decision.

Coronavirus Closing Overkill? UPDATED

A few months from now, I suspect a large group will look foolish, either those who cancelled everything or those who downplayed the danger of coronavirus.  Yes, maybe both will look foolish.  But I suspect the excessive cancellers will look more foolish.

Take the NCAA Basketball Tourney, popularly known as March Madness, that I was very much looking forward to.  The initial plan to carry on but with only family and necessary staff attending was wise. But to cancel it all? Family, teams, and staff interact anyway.  To cancel the tourney does not protect much more or prevent virus spread much more but it does give yet one more big hit to the economy and national morale.

Even churches are cancelling services, among whom are ACNA’s Church of the Ascension in Pittsburgh.  It is hard for me to criticize efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus, but at times like this, people need and perceive their need of church even more.  I know that as I reduce my social interaction and experience increased stress, I need church more.  I will keep more social distance when I go this Sunday, but I want to go!  And, no, watching church on a screen won’t do.

Contrast Pope Gregory the Great’s response to a plague.  He led a procession into the teeth of it.  That may seem a bit medieval, but closing churches instead seems a bit . . . well, I will leave that to the reader.

Now I will make an exception.  Episcopal Churches and mainline Presbyterian Churches, yes, please do close for the sake of public heath both physical and spiritual.  Thank you.

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UPDATE: St. Matthias Anglican (REC) of Katy, Texas has suspended its services for this Sunday.

BREAKING: Ascension Pittsburgh Suspends Services for Three Weeks

The Pittsburgh ACNA parish Church of the Ascension has suspended its services for three weeks due to the coronavirus situation.  More information on their site here.

Tish Harrison Warren tweeted about this earlier.

In One Kind

With the current coronavirus situation, a number of churches and jurisdictions are switching to Holy Communion in one kind, i. e. via bread only and no wine.  The Archbishops of the Church of England have strongly advised this.  Pusey House is following that advice.  ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach has mandated that for his Diocese of the South and has recommended that as an alternative for ACNA as a whole as has Presiding Bishop Ray Sutton to his Reformed Episcopal Church (REC).

In so doing, Sutton notes:

There is an old understanding in the Church, “To receive in one kind is to receive in both kinds.” That is, theologically speaking we are given to understand the Sacrament of Holy Communion remains a means of grace if received only in one kind. Either element alone conveys what Christ says of the Lord’s Supper, when He says, “This is My Body; This is My Blood.” Clearly the preferred pattern is to receive in both kinds, but the fact is that throughout the history of Christianity some believers have only been able to receive in one kind for physical, personal or medical reasons.

I do not know what my REC parish will do, but I personally am switching to one kind for a while. Now I have not studied this subject in any detail.  But I do know that Sutton is correct and that receiving in one kind is a long standing practice, the normal one in the West in medieval times.  The doctrine of transubstantiation (which I do not hold) has it that the host contains both the body and the blood. As for Real Presence guys such as myself, it would certainly be odd to say one must receive in both kinds to receive Christ.  The Anglican reformers emphasized the importance of the availability of communion in both kinds, but I think even they regarded communion in one kind as still valid.  (Those who have studied this more may feel free to correct me.)

So I think the validity of communion in one kind is good doctrine.  And it is comforting doctrine for those with compromised immune systems, for those who fear drinking alcohol, and during times of contagion.

Now those little Baptist shot cups are another matter. ;)

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By the way, I have seen online that one ACNA parish is suspending services for three weeks. I am in the process of verifying which parish.

A Good Time for the Litany

The title to this post begs the question: Is there ever a bad time for the Litany? And, yes, I am talking about the traditional Anglican Litany found in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

Its attitude of penitence and utter dependence is perfect for Lent.  My parish recites the Litany every time we do Morning or Evening Prayer during Lent.  I like singing it best.

I also like praying the Litany during times of particular difficulty, as I have done privately, and now is surely such a time.  And the traditional Litany covers just about every difficulty imaginable. 

Note that I said the traditional Litany.  Some inferior modern versions do not mention plague among other deficiencies.   Yeah, some of you moderns and post-moderns thought prayers for protection from plague were antiquated.  Well, I hope you don’t get sick.  I also hope you feel foolish and add that to your Lenten penitence.

As part of your penitence, follow the godly admonition of Laudable Practice and pray the traditional Litany:

This is a time when we need to be renewed in our dependence upon God's mercy and grace, petitioning for deliverance, seeking blessing upon our common life, beseeching "mercy upon all men", acknowledging how the disordering of our common life requires repentance.  It is not a time for cut-and-paste liturgical resources hesitant about expressing the extent of our need for God's mercy and provision. A serious time needs a serious liturgy and that liturgy is the Litany. 

“An Autobiography Ghost-written by God”

I’ve now read most of The Oxford History of Anglicanism, Volume 1, Reformation and Identity, c. 1520-1662, edited by Anthony Milton, and I cannot recommend it enough.  It is immensely scholarly with its footnotes and bibliographies already guiding my future studies.  At the same time, it is enjoyable reading with any number of occurrences and statements I do not recall seeing elsewhere.  Yes, a number of these are amusing.  Others are edifying gems.

My only caveat is that someone just now beginning their study of the history of Anglicanism would do well to read a more basic book or two first.  Once one becomes familiar with the basics, The Oxford History of Anglicanism, Volume 1is then a must read.  (I have not read subsequent volumes yet, but intend to.)

One of the gems of this book comes from Jessica Martin in discussing the use of Psalms in early Anglican prayer and devotion:

The typologies of suffering and despair, and likewise of praise and delight, are channeled through the psalms into the salvific narratives of a life narrated via Scripture but unique in its detail: an autobiography ghost-written by God.(p. 406 of the 2019 paperback version)

I’ve long noticed that the Psalms cover just about every situation and emotion in life and can greatly assist prayer as we struggle through life.  I instinctively used the Psalms that way to pray as a teenager.  Later, I wrote a book that so uses the Psalms that way.  (No, I’m not saying what book as I cannot now stand by some of the things I wrote and would write it very differently today.)  And, yes, the Psalms especially cover much of the inward life and sufferings of Christ, so much so that he recited portions on the cross.

But I confess that in my past writings on the Psalms, I did not approach the brilliance of describing the Psalms as “an autobiography ghost-written by God.”  And in the Psalms we do see the joys, struggles, and sufferings of Christ and of his people.  Meditating on the Psalms is perhaps the best way to know that God understands intimately what his people go through – what yougo through.

I can hardly recommend a better Lenten practice than meditating on the Psalms.  And, when it comes to the study of Anglican history, The Oxford History of Anglicanism, Volume 1is hard to beat as well.

About Schumer’s Threats Against Supreme Court Justices UPDATED

This week and today is hectic for me to say the least, and I will have to be to the point, but I cannot let pass Democrat Senate Minority Leader’s Chuck Schumer’s threats against Supreme Court Justices Kavanaugh and Gorsuch.

“Now, we stand here today because behind me, inside the walls of this court, the Supreme Court is hearing arguments, as you know, for the first major abortion right cases since [Justice] Kavanaugh and [Justice] Gorsuch came to the bench. We know what’s at stake. Over the last three years, women’s reproductive rights have come under attack in a way we haven’t seen in modern history. From Louisiana, to Missouri, to Texas, Republican legislatures are waging a war on women, all women, and they’re taking away fundamental rights. I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you, if you go forward with these awful decisions.”

Chief Justice Roberts was right and accurate to call out these remarks as “threatening” and “dangerous.” Schumer directly threatened two Supreme Court Justices if they do not rule how he desires.

And this episode confirms I am right that our political differences have gone far beyond policy disputes.  The integrity of our Constitutional republic is in danger thanks to Democrats like Schumer. They don’t respect elections they don’t win.  They don’t respect the Constitution.  They don’t respect the Supreme Court when it is not their rubber stamp. They attempt a long and repeated coup against an elected President and against us who elected him.  And now Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader no less, threatens Supreme Court Justices in the streets.

For the sake of our future as a country we must punish the Democrats. Censuring Chuck Schumer would only be a start.

Yes, I know that sounds very political.  But it is much more than political.  There are times when a political party or movement is so toxic and dangerous that it must be rendered inviable for the sake of a country. That’s what happened to the British National Party.  It’s what needed to happen any number of times in the 20^thCentury. And it needs to happen to the Democrat Party until it learns to respect the Constitution and the rule of law.

Trust that I intend to say more about this whether people like it or not. 

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UPDATE:  Schumer has apologized:

"I should not have used the words I used yesterday. They did not come out the way I intended them to. My point was there would be political consequences for President Trump and Senate Republicans if the Supreme Court and newly confirmed justices stripped away a woman’s right to choose," Schumer said on the chamber floor.

Too little.  Too late.  I for one, do not accept said apology.  My point remains.

Sarum Prayers for Ember Wednesday and The Book of Common Prayer

Something I do for Lent is use my Pearson’s Sarum Missal in English and pray most of the daily Lenten collects and Prayers Over the People.  Yes, a few are too medieval in doctrine even for me, but most are excellent and very helpful in Lenten worship.  It’s not for nothing that Cranmer adopted several of these for the Book of Common Prayer.

Take today, Ember Wednesday.  The Sarum collect for today (translated from the Latin into English):

Mercifully hear our prayers, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and stretch forth the right hand of Thy majesty against all our enemies. Through etc.

I love that prayer. Yes, I’m medieval enough that I want God hearing my prayers and opposing my enemies.  The Sarum collect for the 3^rdSunday in Lent is similar:

We beseech Thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of Thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of Thy Majesty, to be our defence. Through etc.  

Cranmer adopted that collect for Lent 3 and was likely influenced by today’s collect when he added “against all our enemies” to the end.

The Mass concluding Prayer Over the People for today in the Sarum rite may also sound familiar:

We beseech Thee, O Lord, cast the bright beams of Thy light upon our minds, that we both perceive the things we ought to do, and also may have power rightly to fulfill the same. Though etc.

There are echoes of this collect in both the Sarum and BCP collects for St. John’s Day and Epiphany 1, both among my favorite collects.

Thomas Cranmer excised much of the Sarum Rite, including the weekday masses during Lent, from his Book of Common Prayer in order to keep it simple and of a manageable size, and for doctrinal reasons, of course. However both those interested in the history of Anglican liturgy and those who would like some extra help to pray during Lent would do well to examine the daily Lenten collects from the Sarum rite.