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July 28, 2006
Morality hangs in a balance:Philosophy of Social Constructivism
Sitting in a counseling class room, during a class on Ethics, I often had to make my stand clear with a particular professor who was trying to make his tenure. He lacked moral backbone. Every time he visited an issue of morality, he would hang in the air, not having any moral stand. Be it abortion, euthenesia... Soon I figured that this was not the climate for me. I would visit with him during the break and revisit my stand on the given moral issue of the day. He would tell me invariably this each time: "Fr. Leo, I am sure you are the most compassionate human being I have met. Your work in the Tsunami Relief or Katrina disaster have touched me. But won't you extend your compassion to a same-sex couple coming to your church for counseling?" Each time I told him, yes I would receive them and visit with them. But as a professional counselor, if their lifestyle goes against my conviction and belief system, I would recommend them to a counselor who is at home with the said couple because, as a religious leader, I would need to speak the truth in love. Then he would counter agrue the point that my profession as a counselor is being mixed up with my profession as pastor. My answer to him was that I would do this as I fear God and I would want to do my best to help them. If I were to approach them as a pastor, while embracing them,I would certainly tell them what the problem is, of course stemming from the Scriptural roots. This struggle went on all through the semester that I was in that session. Then finally I had to quit as the climate became so liberal that it was becoming hostile. Of course he would often revisit his theory on social constructivism. The college years are times of fun. Besides those years are when convictions are strengthened, challenges of life are met, marriage, job, owning a house, family, children. What could such a guy offer, if his own life boat is not secure and here he is advising young ones. Thank God, most of my classmates were seasoned men and women, who felt comfortable with their own moral stands.
The current moral crisis perpetrated by ECUSA's leadership emerges from the ECUSA leadership's dearth of morality and in its dalliance with the philosophy of Social Constructivism which emphasises how meanings and understandings grow out of social encounters. And this is even stretched to describe the point of morality. God's word is subject to such a lucid interpretation that the faith and morals are thrown to the wind. Some churches and their leaders have been exchanging truth for lies. Here is today's Letter to the Editor visiting the Mazes and Grishams in their own den. Many who have walked this path before us, have visited the same situation and have laid out codes of morality. There is wisdom in what our predecessors who have been God fearing men who walked the face of the earth have said. There is wisdom if only we would turn to the basics, Scripture, Tradition and Reasoning - of course the right kind of reasoning.
Posted by frleo at 12:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 25, 2006
Undermining Faith, Family and Morals in the Bible Belt
Response to Bishop Larry Maze's (ECUSA) press release
The Bible Belt made national news; not for its fidelity to the Bible, but for recent statements given by Bishop Larry Maze of the Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas and the words of Rev. Lowell Grisham of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Fayetteville that endorse and propagate the blessing of same sex unions
St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, an Anglican/Episcopal Church of the United Episcopal Church of North America (UECNA), is facing a barrage of distress phone calls from Christians across Northwest Arkansas who are erroneously associating our church with the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA). Because of ECUSA’s warped hermeneutics (interpretation of Scripture) and their callousness towards the authority of Scripture, tradition and right reasoning the confusion persisists among God-fearing and faithful Episcopalians.
As an Episcopal Bishop (UECNA) at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Springdale, we share the name “Episcopal” and my flock is made up of cradle Episcopalians, some of them, who wonder if we need to add a disclaimer onto our church’s name, disassociating us with ECUSA. Almost thirty years ago, UECNA, saw this revision coming and hence let goods and kindred go, in embracing cradle Episcopalians who wanted to defend the faith once given to the saints. We do not share the liberal revisionism of ECUSA; and not just in blessing same sex unions, but in their disregard for the sanctity of life and family, 10 commandments(Lowell Grisham's take), even liturgy. Secondly, as a minister of God, we should know that it is not our opinions that count, but that we direct our wills to align with His.
Statements from Maze and Grisham are detrimental to churches and church leaders across Northwest Arkansas, and especially to my flock. There is barely an element of separation between what is holy and unholy, natural and unnatural, sin and grace as evident in the Holy Bible. If a shepherd could assume such a position, then it’s time for its faithful to consider what is at stake. With statements such as these, the church should no longer be a church, but a social organization.
As its custodian, the Episcopal Church (ECUSA) failed to defend faith and morals as laid out in The Holy Scripture. It looks like a case where someone wanted to “exchange a lie for the truth of God” as St. Paul says (Romans 1:25). The same chapter of Romans offers the case of those who exchanged natural sex relations for unnatural sex relations and the clear stand of St. Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ.
As Bishop Maze admits, of course everything hangs on the summary of the law (love of God and love of neighbor). We do need to reach out to everyone. That is a given and a teaching that all churches accept. This is nothing new that ECUSA is embracing. In that sense, there is no pastoral nuance to it. But while compassion is the hallmark of a Christian, consciousness of sin is necessary to derive the fruits of the economy of salvation. Christ died for us all while we were yet sinners. (Romans 5:8). Christ loved the sinner but hated sin. That this rudimental sense of the sacred has been missed by these misleading clergy is a sad thing indeed.
The Church has withstood two millennia of struggles and heresies. For those faithful Episcopalians, there is still a home where God is feared and worshipped and His words are for all time. For twenty years, St. Gabriel’s has continued to embrace the faithful and offer a place where the sanctity of the family is safeguarded according to His will.
As for me and my house we will serve the Lord until His second coming!
Rt. Rev. Leo J. Michael
Posted by frleo at 8:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 19, 2006
Of Human Life
Sanctity of Human Life seems to be a thing of the past, at least for some. In the context of the ongoing war, lots of civilians are being killed. Numbers don't seem to matter anymore. Its time for us to sensitize ourselves to this fact. That human life, in its embrionic form, or human form, is precious. If this would dawn on the ideologues of our times, both the terrorists and governments, steps would be taken to protect lives.
The war in the Middle East has even overshadowed the Tsunami destruction in Indonesia. It's time for us to invoke help from above, for this planet earth that has been devastated by terrorism, war and natural calamity.
Posted by frleo at 4:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 18, 2006
Asking evacuees for a # of flesh?
As a world leader, our government seems to be very slow in handling a crisis situation of our own people. Our citizens, when in trouble need to be rescued and that's the reason we belong to a nation. Getting an assurance of payment prior to boarding the rescue ship in Lebanon is certainly demanding pounds of flesh and is utterly inhuman. Whither gone the tax money to bail out our own folks out of harm's way! England, Italy and France have done this for free. Some how demanding the evacuees to pay is not right. We hope that our government will pity the situation of the evacees without charging them and protect them as they are rightful citizens of this great nation.
Posted by frleo at 4:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 15, 2006
WANTED: MORAL INTEGRITY
For some time, this wolf in sheep's clothing remained only a figment of imagination, until my friends Dr. and Mrs Roman showed me a stuffed animal--a wolf, with a sheepskin cape. How tantalizing is the wolf under the skin of a sheep. This article in the Agape press speaks of "complete lack of marital and sexual discipline for the clergy" in mainline Protestant denominations -- namely the Episcopal Church USA." This lays bear those wolves that have taken shelter and appear to be placid across the spectrum of Christianity and ministry, in HIS name.
Moral integrity is a hallmark of a man of God. If one is found wanting, one should not opt for this ministry, because this is not a marketplace but is a shepherding business for God, where souls are in jeopardy. And also being a clergy is a leadership position that is entwined with being exemplary. Holiness of the daily grind is required of a clergy. Everyone needs to answer his own conscience in accepting this great responsibility of pastoring souls. Commitment to one's spouse in thought, word and deed is expected of a minister of God. If there are those who want to make mends in their lives, religiosity is not a cloak to hide oneself in. A humble and contrite heart, O Lord you will not spurn, as the psalm says. The Lord's mercy is always available plentiously. Many sinners have repented and become saints. It's more about repentence than the sin. The dictum of Jesus to the woman caught in adultery is very clear: "Go and sin NO MORE" This is good for all at all times.
Its time to take a good look at your church leaders. If they are dodging the essentials, then that needs to be questioned. If they are found wanting, in marital fidelity, in lifestyle, in protecting children, these are red flags. Kendell Harmon, the oft quoted Anglican Theologian says,
the Christian standard is very clear -- those who are single need to be abstinent, and those who are married need to be faithful.If that is basic for a Christian, how much more essential is it to a church leader.
Posted by frleo at 8:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 14, 2006
Peace in the Middle East
We need to pray for world peace and the good will of all those responsible to end the escalating tensions in the Middle East. History has taught us that despots have brought only shame and bloodshed on the annals of human history. Terrorism can never ever restore sanity to humanity. Neither violence an answer to all our problems. This is God's own earth and we are all His children. Respect for the sanctity of human life would help us charter new course of peace and reconciliation than war and confrontation. We pray that His will may prevail over the wills of all those who are instruments of death and destruction. We pray that all those who are engaged in confrontation in His Name, may realize the folly of their pursuit and return to a path of peace. Let us take a moment to pray for this planet earth and ask for His blessings upon us all.
Posted by frleo at 1:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 13, 2006
The Slippery Slope
General Convention of ECUSA, Election of the first woman to the Episcopate, Conservative Episcopal Dioceses in revolt... I was awakening to all these developments like Rip van Winkle, as I was abroad on a pilgrimage, business and family visit. This establishes the raison d'etre for this blog.
Landing on the Isle of Iona in Scotland where St. Columba had brought the Celtic tradition of Christianity, I was enamoured by the Scottish Episcopal Church. We have our Apostolic line of Succession with Samuel Seabury, the first Bishop of the Episcopal Church to be consecrated by the Scottish Bishops. There was a group of Anglican parishoners attending the Eucharist. The lesson for the day was the destruction of Sodom and Gommorrah. Fr. John very candidly talked of the dilemma that the Archbishop of Canterbury was pushed to by ECUSA and not wanting to make a diatribe of it, passed on to say, we will not judge but the destruction of Sodom and Gommorrah is a lesson that the world needs to pay attention to. And God will act in His own time, if we do not listen to Him.
After the service, I visited with him. When I told him I am a bishop from the USA, he presumed that I was part of ECUSA. My immediate disclaimer, as belonging to the UECNA put him at ease. Then
in a short time, we began to delve into this debate. I said that since the introduction of Women's Ordination that was brought about by consensus of the Lambeth Conference, that process has paved the way to the permissiveness and exigencies of ECUSA's position of today. And the same is very aptly explained in the context of widening chasm in the possible intercommunion dialogue between Rome and Canterbury and reiterated by Cardinal Walter Kasper in his address to the Church of England
Pope John Paul II made it clear that the position of the Catholic Church in no way arose from a denial of the equal dignity of men and women or a lack of esteem for women, but is based solely on fidelity to apostolic testimony as it has been handed down in the Church throughout the centuries
Almost 30 yrs ago, the slippery slope of ECUSA necessitated the birth of CONTINUING CHURCHES, that chose to remain faithful, instead of making allowances in bits and pieces. The Lambeth Conference points to the fact of "Consensus" that had become the order of the day. The correctitude of things need to be measured in terms of Scripture, Apostolic Tradition and Right Reasoning. Somehow the last stool of Anglicanism seemed to have gone warped for ECUSA that the whole body is shaky.
It's time to revisit our foundations, the Sacred Scripture, Apostolic Tradition and Right Reasoning. Do some soul searching to see if our pastors have any fear of God left in them? Or are we in a place that seems to erode the ierrancy of God's word and is in sync with the champions of liberalism, who have no eyes to distinguish what is sacred from profane, holy from what is unholy. They need to listen to their heart and listen to their conscience.
But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you." Ephesians 5:13-14
Posted by frleo at 6:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 12, 2006
Mumbai faces it again
Terrorism is not something new for the Mumbaivasi. Last time that it happened in the 90's it was car bomb blasts. This time it was 'spectacular' to reckon with Al Queda's standard. Rush hour, Commuter Trains, Synchronized attack in seven stations... brilliance of an evil mind. A typical commuter train is usually full, with barely space to stand. During the rush hour, all one wants is something to hang on to, to get home and one can imagine the number of fatalities and casualties!
Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have lost their loved ones. Whoever these terrorists are working for, certainly they can not win favor with God, in whose name these ruthless persons savage innocent lives.
What is feared worse is the communal violence - the aftermath of the terrorist attack. The terrorist know well what kind of flame to stoke and where. This time again they have planned to stoke the communal flames. There were several attempts to heal the strife and strengthen national integration, one of them being Mani Ratnam's Bumbai(1995). We pray that good will prevail among the people and they recognize the common enemy - Terrorism.
Posted by frleo at 5:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack