Friday, February 16, 2007

Been there, done that

"Be known to us in the breaking of the bread"

So the "breaking news" from Tanzania is that seven (that would be seven out of thirty-eight for those without a scorecard) petulant primates have declined to break Eucharistic bread with the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. (Their press release is here.)

Stop me if you've heard that one before.

And I AM stopping ... because we HAVE heard that one before. In Dromantine. Where, according to The Most Reverend Andrew S. Hutchison, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada

" ... some 14 of the bishops did not attend the daily Eucharist, even after the specific invitation of Archbishop Williams, and instead caucused together as we celebrated."

Hmm. Math isn't my strong suit but it's looking to me as if we're actually making PROGRESS on this communion stuff if we've managed to reduce in half the number of primates who exclude themselves from the table because we're present.

3 comments:

PseudoPiskie said...

Perhaps now is the time to give another feast, invite all Anglicans and guests then declare those willing to share the eucharist Anglicans while wishing the others Godspeed?

R said...

Susan,

Yes, indeed. The seven Primates in question have demonstrated a very poor use of Scripture and the Book of Common Prayer in their justification for their staying away from eucharist. At the end of the day, they are simply making a statement. And that seems a sad reason by itself to reject the transformational grace of the Table of God.

Suzer said...

Do they think they're gonna get girl cooties or something?