Comments on: Commentary on the Anglican Covenant 2009 http://www.leanderharding.com/blog/2010/01/02/commentary-on-the-anglican-covenant-2009/ Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:35:47 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: David Terwilliger http://www.leanderharding.com/blog/2010/01/02/commentary-on-the-anglican-covenant-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-23635 David Terwilliger Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:02:51 +0000 http://www.leanderharding.com/blog/2010/01/02/commentary-on-the-anglican-covenant-2009/#comment-23635 I have to agree with Dan. The Covenant carries no more strength than the Archbishop of Canterbury possess within his conscience. The Covenant can and will do no more than what has already been done by Provinces which have declared themselves out of fellowship with TEC. The rest is banter and hedging - and I see no end to that. I have to agree with Dan. The Covenant carries no more strength than the Archbishop of Canterbury possess within his conscience. The Covenant can and will do no more than what has already been done by Provinces which have declared themselves out of fellowship with TEC. The rest is banter and hedging – and I see no end to that.

]]> By: ANiC newsletter – 11 January 2010 « Occasional Christian http://www.leanderharding.com/blog/2010/01/02/commentary-on-the-anglican-covenant-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-23434 ANiC newsletter – 11 January 2010 « Occasional Christian Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:31:12 +0000 http://www.leanderharding.com/blog/2010/01/02/commentary-on-the-anglican-covenant-2009/#comment-23434 [...] The Rev Dr Leander Harding reflected, “When I was a young man and entering into a business contract for the first time, I asked my father for some advice about the enforceability of a particular contract. He told me that if a man’s word wasn’t any good, his paper wasn’t any good either. In many cases the current chaos that we are experiencing in the Churches of the Anglican Communion is not a result of a lack of articulated rules and procedures of church discipline, but is the result of an unwillingness by those charged with the stewardship of the order of the church to enforce such discipline as has already been established. This version of the Anglican Covenant is a minimalist document. It does clarify issues of communion life and order and provide an agreed-upon process for handling disputes. It can be a real instrument for growth in truth, unity and mission, but only if those to whom the responsibility has been given to be stewards of the church’s order have the necessary moral courage to fulfill their office.”   [...] [...] The Rev Dr Leander Harding reflected, “When I was a young man and entering into a business contract for the first time, I asked my father for some advice about the enforceability of a particular contract. He told me that if a man’s word wasn’t any good, his paper wasn’t any good either. In many cases the current chaos that we are experiencing in the Churches of the Anglican Communion is not a result of a lack of articulated rules and procedures of church discipline, but is the result of an unwillingness by those charged with the stewardship of the order of the church to enforce such discipline as has already been established. This version of the Anglican Covenant is a minimalist document. It does clarify issues of communion life and order and provide an agreed-upon process for handling disputes. It can be a real instrument for growth in truth, unity and mission, but only if those to whom the responsibility has been given to be stewards of the church’s order have the necessary moral courage to fulfill their office.”   [...]

]]> By: David http://www.leanderharding.com/blog/2010/01/02/commentary-on-the-anglican-covenant-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-22799 David Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:17:20 +0000 http://www.leanderharding.com/blog/2010/01/02/commentary-on-the-anglican-covenant-2009/#comment-22799 I am posting this to Virtueonline. Blessings, David I am posting this to Virtueonline.

Blessings,

David

]]> By: Dan Crawford http://www.leanderharding.com/blog/2010/01/02/commentary-on-the-anglican-covenant-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-22718 Dan Crawford Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:23:22 +0000 http://www.leanderharding.com/blog/2010/01/02/commentary-on-the-anglican-covenant-2009/#comment-22718 "Our tradition is the minimum of ecclesiastical jurisprudence that is needed to maintain the order of the church." The problem is that in the past 30 years, Anglican canon "law" has done nothing to maintain the order of the church, but in fact, one can argue that it has contributed mightily to the disorder in the church. Your point about a man's word is well-taken, Leander, but we are told over and over in today's Episcopal world, that the integrity of one's experience always trumps law. I appreciate your defense of the Covenant, but I would have greater confidence in the Covenant if the Archbishop of Canterbury showed some some willingness to support it. Since he apparently believes his primary role is to wear bishop's robes and ponder issues gravely, there is little to expect from him or his office, except the on-going subversion of the Covenant process. “Our tradition is the minimum of ecclesiastical jurisprudence that is needed to maintain the order of the church.”

The problem is that in the past 30 years, Anglican canon “law” has done nothing to maintain the order of the church, but in fact, one can argue that it has contributed mightily to the disorder in the church. Your point about a man’s word is well-taken, Leander, but we are told over and over in today’s Episcopal world, that the integrity of one’s experience always trumps law.

I appreciate your defense of the Covenant, but I would have greater confidence in the Covenant if the Archbishop of Canterbury showed some some willingness to support it. Since he apparently believes his primary role is to wear bishop’s robes and ponder issues gravely, there is little to expect from him or his office, except the on-going subversion of the Covenant process.

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