Rowan Williams' Reflections on Holy Week

For some reason, the folks at Lambeth Palace only just posted this Holy Week youtube video by the Archbishop of Canterbury today, but even in Pentecost Season it's well worth 8 minutes and 50 seconds!

Rowan Williams' Pentecost Reflections on Youtube

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams has offered his reflections on Pentecost on another fine Youtube video:

"The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, gives his thoughts on Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, is 'the moment when the friends of Jesus discover that they can communicate to all sorts of people they never thought that they would be speaking to'."

What has the church had to say about the war in Iraq? - article at Episcopal Cafe

My most recent article was posted today over at the Episcopal Cafe. Let me know your thoughts.

"What has the church had to say about the war in Iraq?"

I was recently at a gathering of church leaders and the question arose, “what has the church had to say about the ongoing Iraq War?” While I realize that there may be churches that have taken on the issue of the war, for the most part, I believe we (and I include myself) have done a poor job to take on the issue of war in any kind of a helpful or constructive way. (If your church has engaged the question that is awesome; let me know what you’re doing!)

Of course, there are a variety of perspectives about war that emerge from the Christian tradition, and preachers and church leaders would do well to recognize that pacifists, veterans, active duty officers, as well as victims of war sit in our pews. But still, couldn’t we have the courage to examine the tradition of just war and the various forms of pacifism and do this in a way that could raise the tenor of discussion? Why haven’t our churches taken up the subject of the war in a more direct way? Are we fearful that any criticism of foreign policy will lead us to an I.R.S. audit (such as happened at All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena)? Or, are we worried that if we try to be prophetic someone might post it on Youtube and we would be labeled as “anti-American”?

Fear may be at the root of our reluctance, but there may also be deeper reasons for the church’s reluctance to take on war and violence. I believe that Western Christianity would receive a mixed verdict in terms of how it has addressed global issues of violence. All too often, the Church has become enmeshed in the power structures of society and has not offered alternatives to the dominant world-view.

Read it all HERE.

Scripture from today's Morning Prayer - Matthew 10:16-20

Matthew 10:16-20

I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Barney Hawkins reflects on trip to Sudan

The Rev Dr. Barney Hawkins of the Center for Anglican Communion Studies at VTS reflects on his trip to the Sudan....

...I have posted it below, or you can read it HERE.

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5/13/2008

REFLECTIONS ON MY TRIP TO THE SUDAN

I returned from the Sudan on April 23. Since then, not one day has gone by that I have not thought about my visit and the people I met. I traveled to the Sudan for the enthronement service for the Most Rev. Daniel Deng Bul (VTS ’97) on Sunday, April 20. It was quite a journey: Washington to Amsterdam to Entebbe, Uganda. I spent one night in Kampala, Uganda and connected with the delegation from “815” and my former student and friend, the Rev. Robert Marshall. He represented the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia which has had a long companion diocese relationship with the Province of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan. On April 19 we departed for Juba, the capitol of the Southern Government of the Sudan.

From the moment we arrived in Juba, gracious hospitality was always present. On the day of our arrival, the Diocese hosted us for dinner on the grounds of the Cathedral. On the day of the enthronement service, there was hospitality all day long. The actual service lasted four hours, but no one was watching the clock. In the afternoon until the sun set, there were speeches and skits to honor the new Archbishop and his family. It was a festive and fun time. In the evening, the Most Rev. Daniel Deng Bul hosted all out of town guests for a dinner at a camp on the banks of the Nile. It was a long day, and a day to remember.

The Archbishop of Rwanda preached the sermon at the enthronement service. He and Daniel Deng Bul had studied at VTS at the same time. The Archbishop of Kenya in his charge to the new Archbishop warned: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.” Going with others as a leader has been the hallmark of Daniel Deng Bul’s significant ministry in the church and public square in the Sudan. He is a voice for the voiceless. He is a voice for peace in his troubled land. He is the voice of both reason and hope.

Last week there were incursions from Chad which threatened the government in Khartoum. Darfur rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim has promised to launch more attacks until the government of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in Khartoum is brought down. There is a very fragile peace between Khartoum in the north and Juba in the south. By 2011 the peace agreement between Khartoum (Islam) and Juba (Christian) must be ratified. After hearing the President of the Southern Government and the Governor of the state of which Juba in the capitol, I am deeply concerned about the prospects for peace. Darfur adds another sad dimension to the story. It is a country divided by religion and material resources. It is a country ravaged by war and poverty. Such conditions do not make for easy conversation to resolve differences.

For one bright moment on April 20 at a joyful enthronement service, however, the Christian flock in Juba was full of hope about the future. The Most Rev. Daniel Deng Bul is a servant leader who follows closely the One who is the hope and promise of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan, Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of us all. I experienced Gospel hospitality during my brief time in the Sudan. This Gospel hospitality is an outward and visible sign of the hope which lives within the Sudanese people. The future of the Sudan is ultimately in God’s hands, the God of Peace and Justice whom we know in the Risen Lord.

The Rev. Barney Hawkins, Ph.D.
Executive Director, CACS