Issues-Facing-the-Anglican-Church-in-NZ-Today was an address given by +Brian Carrell in 2002. It remains as relevant today as then. Sadly little has changed.

+Brian’s sections on Unity and Diversity, Revelation and Naturalism are especially germane. Of particular note is his brief outline of the origins of the C19th Tractarian / Oxford Movement. Given links between the C19th romantic movement and the Anglo-Catholic revival – especially its origins in evangelical piety – distinguishing between soupy worship music or  “light a candle and think of God” romanticism of today, and the robing and ritualism of “traditional Anglicanism” (whatever that may be?), seems spurious. Why privilege one above the other?

Deep rooted renewal of our church cannot be about “culture wars”, or shouldn’t be, but about the validity of our church’s theology and worship.

Additionally, Bishop Brian’s noting of our contemporary detachment of Word from Sacrament, the mystification of the priesthood and the re-invention of the “mass priest”, also needs careful consideration.

Why is all this important? Because as followers of Jesus we act out of our beliefs and our worship is one way we symbolically re-enact this. If our worship is skewed so will be our wider witness.

Anyway, have a read and decide for yourself.

Cheers and prayers
David