Would there be any interest in continuing this blog past General Synod? I am thinking and wondering whether this might be a good place to give some folks an idea as to what is happening with Essentials in response to this General Synod, as well as wider Anglican Communion issues.
It won’t be updated nearly as often (perhaps a couple of times a month, just do not know yet on the details), as I have another life to lead, however I might be able to give you some extra thoughts and inside track info as to what is coming down the pipeline where I can.
If you are interested, just drop a quick note in comments. Thanks!
Peter,
I think that is a good idea especially when the Media can’t get their stories right
The morning the Edmonton Jounal front page states
Anglicans Bar Gay Unions
God Bless
Wendy,
Interesting how they spin it, isn’t it, saying that the bishops blocked the will of the majority. “The person without the Spirit cannot understand…”
Peter,
Yes, I would love you to carry on this blog. It would be a wonderful way to keep in touch.
Take Care
You have my vote for a contiuing blog. It would be a great way to keep up with breaking news, and getting an interpretation of things we hear are happening. Thanks again, Peter, for your ministry of keeping us informed.
Vote me in for keeping the Blog rolling
I would love to keep in touch as our diocesan synods meet over the next months and things start happening across the country. It would be a good way to keep on top of things in the wider church outside of my own parish.
Yes please Peter – that would be wonderful, as long as you keep posting on The Age to Come! Father Jake said one of the things (the revisionists) underestimated was the use of the Internet. Just listened to Charlie on CBC – he is such a lovely, wonderful, compassionate man.
Yes, the continuing blog would be a good thing. The comments fill out ideas on this complex issue, and give us a chance to develop our ideas by expressing them. As this becomes a series of diocesan discussions, we’ll need to hear from all parts of the country.
Peter’s comments have been most helpful in catching up with the discussion on the synod floor. We’ve been praying with a great deal more understanding.
Peter
I think it would be great if you would keep the blog going after General Synod. This will allow people to keep informed and to share with each other on the issues we are faced with, which will help with our individual and corporate decisions.
God Bless you for your ministry to us all.
Fr. Brian+
Peter,
On behalf of our many Essentials Anglicans out here on Vancouver Island, I want to thank you so much for all you are putting into this blog, in keeping us informed with what is happening at GS. We especially appreciate your insightful comments and your “House Divided” piece. Although you haven’t heard from us, please know that we have been, and are, here with all of you, watching and praying.
I think many of us would welcome this blog carrying on so that we can keep in touch with what will be happening after GS – probably a more important time than GS itself. Thanks for being willing to continue.
Yes and Thanks and God Bless
Sure, Peter, we would be glad if you carried such a blog.
To John K:
Good idea to keep in touch. We need to share with people who believe in the authority of the Scriptures. We feel lost, it is a must. Our priest says he wants to be « a bridge ». We think there is no possible link between people who reject the essential authority of the Scriptures and those who take the Scriptures as a light on their path. Love, for us, is part of a triangle which includes truth and justice. Love without truth is not real. We do have compassion for sinners, we do need God’s grace, but Jesus came and died because of sin. To pretend that sin is not sin is a clear reject of Jesus’ ministry.
The ACC seems to become a champion of human rights rather than the bearer of the Good News of salvation by grace. We already have a Bill of Rights, we believe the mission of the church is to bring sinners to be reconciled with God’s Holiness through the given body and blood of our Savior.
Our fear is that the ACC put aside large parts of the Scriptures, and particularly the Letters to the churches in John’s Revelation.
Now, will we be able to receive communion from the hands of a priest who just blessed a SS union? The answer is no.
And what about giving our tithe to the church?
Yes, Peter, we need to share all these concerns with people who face the same dilemma.
My wife Archa would like me to add a word to my previous comment:
Would anyone reading this tell us how to get in touch with an Essential Chapter in Montreal West Island? We just joined Essentials Anglican Network on line.
Yes, please do keep this blog up. The crisis has not ended with Synod, in fact it seems poised to get worse in the months and years ahead.
I am so disturbed by the situation that I’m seriously considering leaving the parish I’ve gone to since I was a child.
Alienated traditionalists desperately need a haven in these troubled times. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to start planning some strategies of our own.
- Ellie
Haven’t contributed anything yet, but am very thankful yo you Peter for this space to keep us upto date with the ‘happenings’ at GS and various contribtions from His Church outside ACC. If your are willing and God enables you to fit this into your schedule it would be received with many thanks.
Peter,
This blog has been most informative, and the need surely exists for it to remain ongoing. It would be a way for us to keep “in the know” re current happenings with Essentials as we ponder our direction. We have been following the discussion on this blog in particular all through Synod. God Bless you, Peter, and thank you for all your hard work. Are we going to be hearing something from Essentials at the conclusion of Synod?
Yes; Peter. I too would add to the list of those in agreement in seeing the blog continued.
If it had not been for your tireless work, we would have never known what was going on [and the extent to which] and would have had to rely on the media and their usual focus on bright shiny objects only.
Given what has happened and will, people need to be in direct contact.
Dear Peter, we wish to express with sincere gratitude thanks for your ministry to us. having “someone on the ground” is (pardon the pun) essential at times and events like these. If you feel led by the Holy Spirit to continue this blog we will be thankful. It’s my understanding that Essentials leadership are meeting this week and whatever comes out of that gathering will no doubt have an impact on our future. Again, thanks Peter and indeed to all have contributed.
Paul+
Peter,
You’ve done a stellar job. Go get a massage on those poor hands and wrists of yours. If you wish to continue passing on info via this blog, I will certainly have it bookmarked and check it regularly. Thanks and God bless.
Sara
Pete, I send my heartfelt thanks and will continue to keep you all in prayer. If you are willing to keep the blog up I would be very thankful, I have passed the link along to my family in Victoria and they too have found it very helpful. God bless.
definately would like to have this blog continue . many in our parish depend on me for info and this would help me to keep the info fresh
Thank you so much – you have not only given us the information on everything happening, but have somehow convayed the spiritual atmosphere of the proceedings, which has help my prayers for the whole thing.
Yes, keep bloging – the Anglican Journal news is skewed liberal – we need the other voice.
Peter, Great job you’ve done. Let’s keep blog going.
Thank you Peter for the offer. I think it’s a good idea to maintain this blog.
I agree with the others. PLEASE keep it going.
God Bless,
Deanne
Peter ~ Absolutely yes, keep the blog going, I know that we in Nfld. that are involved in Essentials will likely be encouraging others to visit the blog and to go to other sites where they can find the truth.
Absolutely! And thank you for your hard work. As a new (7 months since baptism) Christian, I have been very troubled by what is happening to our church. Essentials has been a comfort to me.
Christ be with you all.
A definite yes on continuing the blog. We need to make better use of these tools as we try to save our church. It opens up the communication lines across the country and allows us to not feel so isolated.
John
Dear Peter,
Yes please, I think it would be wonderful to be able to continue the conversation after the end of Synod.
Jonathan
Pete, if you ever had any doubts that you were doing ‘the right thing’ at GS with this blog, I think, from reading the above 25+ comments you can be assured
that yes, this was a ‘God-thing’ and will possibly even bring about an online ‘community’ of sorts………….a refuge even………………?
We also have a Anglican newspaper called the TAP it is Conservative very good articles in it comes out every month
It is called the Anglican Planet
Sorry about that
To #11 Daniel and Archa. A West Island Essentials group meets in the daytime, usually at St. John the Baptist in Pointe Claire – not sure how often, as I work in the day. Give the rector (Bruce) a call there. You might also phone the rector (Tony) at St. Michael’s and All Angels in Pierrefonds. Like the 1 Kings 19 reading last Sunday, there are still “seven thousand in Israel…”
Peter, Thank you very much for this blog and please keep it going. We have a daughter scheduled to be confirmed in October. In light of these current proceedings we are deeply troubled and are unsure as whether to have her confirmed at this point in time in the ACC (or ever). I would greatly appreciate your insight in the months ahead. Also is there an Essentials Chapter in New Brunswick?
As a visitor from the UK, referred across from Canon Harmon’s site I found your blog really helpful for following what was going on. I also have to say that seeing your General Synod in Action on the video link when it was working and the courteous debate you held on all sides was very impressive. It was great to learn about your church and see it in action. I wish you all the best and thankyou.
Yes Please! Keep it going. The discussions have been fantastic and the forum you offer is invaluable, keeping biblically minded Christians informed. Peter, Thank you again for this ministry.
Cheers,
GB
Thanks guys for your comments. I appreciate them and we will see how this will come together over the next few weeks and months.
I may have additional guest bloggers who will be able to bring certain views and thoughts for you all.
As someone said the next few months, especially after September (which is the deadline set in the Dar El Selaam communique) – will be crucial for us all.
God bless,
Peter
Continuing might be a great idea.
However, doing it during the Synod was positively brilliant! For those of us on dial-up, it was invaluable. Even if the system would time out on me when the comments hit the 50 mark or so! You did a far better job than the live feed (such as it was) could do. Well done!
Hey Peter !
Thanks for the bloq. For me, you where the voice of the synod. I have been an Anglican now for two years. My wife and I really appreciated the liturgy which we have never had before. We enjoyed the style of worship and the weekly communion. The whole service is very worshipfull.
Due to the way the synod has unfolded , it appears there is a great divide in the church about the authority of Scripture. How can anyone who has reads their bible think that homosexuality and same sex blessings is consistant with the Doctrine of Christ? Because of this we will look elswhere for a church that has already faced these issues and has decided to stand for Scripture.
Thank you again, and I hope that the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will guide this church back to belief and commitment to the Word of God.
To Ian,
Thank you for the Essentials reference in the West Island.
I will be in touch with Bruce or Tony.
I think you / we are on to something here. I sense a need for this online Ess. Community to be real and helpful. Try to get a house group as well for support and discernment. Blog on, St. Peter of the Swollen Fingers!
Peter,
I found your blog to be extremely helpful in keeping up with the happenings of Synod, and I think it would be a wonderful idea for you to continue it. Your insights into the church’s organization and politics help a great deal in clarifying the significance and ramifications of events as they unfold. I would not have been able to follow the proceedings at Synod without your commentary.
If you are willing to take on such a role, I think you should become the (official?) Essentials news source/reporter
.
Wait a second — is this a vote of simple majority?
Peter, thank you so much for being such a faithful servant and providing us with your insights and reporting on the activities of general synod. Although I came late to your blog, it has been the best source of accurate news I have come across yet. Not only did I get facts delivered straight, but I got a flavor for the debates. I join the chorus and encourage you to keep up this excellent work. I hope all who agree will help you out by contributing their comments on a regular basis by keeping the dialogue going.
Pete,
This has been a labor of love on your part, love of the Lord and love for His people. Thank you for giving your all to this ministry.
Thank you for making this GS accessible and understandable to us. Carry on.
It was an encouragement to us all during Synod and, despite the confusion and results of votes, our worst fears were not met, at least not yet. I think contuing the blog would provjde a valuable service and serve to counter the biased information which flows to us from other sources. God Bless you for this work.
For all those who have been on this blog, I always wonder about people, where they are from, their full or real names and why shouldn’t we use such as identifying ourselves. This would bring about even closer alignment and a stronger unity in being Scripturally Based in the Church.
I am who I say I am, I live in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and attend the Parish of St. John the Evangelist in Topsail, Nfld.
I am Jude (Judith) Carriere. I live in Hamilton, Ontario and worship at St. John’s, Nassagaweya in Campbellville (north of Burlington) Ontario. We are in a two-point parish with St. George’s Lowville. Charlie Masters is our rector.