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6 August 2003: Rethinking the Meaning of Prayer
Dear Friends, Instead of a question and answer feature this week I want to start this column with a preface. As I read your letters and your questions, I note that the subject you ask about most is neither politics nor human sexuality. It is prayer. In the ‘Q and A’ feature of this column, …
30 July 2003: The Unity of the Church – A Pious Clich
In my column last week, I chronicled the sad and shameful saga of Canon Jeffrey John who was forced to withdraw from his appointment as the Bishop of Reading in the Church of England because he was an openly homosexual person. I return to that episode once more this week to examine, not the issue …
Q & A:
Can you help me on the subject of prayer? Is God a real person with whom I can communicate?
23 July 2003: The Unity of the Church – A Pious Clich
The cast of characters in the news story, playing across the front pages of the British press last month, was made up of only three persons. One was the Canon Theologian of Southwark Cathedral in South London, the Rev. Dr. Jeffrey John, bishop-elect of Reading. The second was the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt. Rev. …
Q & A:
Is it not possible to speak out against the war and at the same time support our troops? Was not your silence during the Iraqi war a betrayal of your own convictions?
And James, whose address is unknown, asks:
How can you be silent once hostilities have begun? Was it not your responsibility to speak against the war and to call for a cease-fire that was the only hope we had to prevent the horrendous casualties that occurred on both sides?
16 July 2003: The Word of God?
“This is the word of the Lord” That is the liturgical phrase used in Christian churches to mark the end of a reading from the Bible. It is a strange, even a misleading, phrase. Yet Sunday after Sunday it is repeated, reinforcing in the psyches of worshipers a rather outdated attitude toward Holy Scripture. In …
Q & A:
What will become of the world if the U.N. collapses under this mutiny of the world's superpowers?
9 July 2003: The Supreme Court, Gay Rights and the Scalia Dissent
It had the quality of inevitability about it. The world is changing rapidly and not even conservative justices can fail to take notice of that fact. The recent 6 – 3 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States legalizing gay sexual conduct is a sign that the battle for gay rights, at least …
Q & A:
What do you make of the Season of Lent? How should the Christian Church observe it?
2 July 2003: A Progressive Christianity Network Formed in the United Kingdom
First at St. James’ Church, Piccadilly, in the heart of London, then at the United Reformed Church in Kendal, in the center of England’s beautiful Lake District, I keynoted in June the launch of something called “The Progressive Christianity Network U.K.” Altogether, between 350 and 400 people joined in these two launches. Who are these …
Q & A:
Is there some hidden reason why you treat the issue of homosexuality so frequently? Are you gay?
25 June 2003: The Episcopal Church chooses a Gay Bishop
It was fascinating to see how this breaking news leaped off the wire services around the world to command front-page space, oft-times accompanied by a three-column picture. It was translated into many languages. This story combined those two emotional parts of our lives – sex and religion – which make for a potent mix. The …
Q & A:
Does it change our thinking to use an upper case 'G' for God rather than a lower case 'g'?
18 June 2003: If Christianity Relates to Life It Must Relate To Politics
“You are sounding more and more like a left wing politician. When will you get back to the premise that attracted me in the first place – that is, a new Christianity? I see Christianity NOT as a political tool but as a spiritual tool that will change people who will then change conditions. Why …
11 June 2003: Insights from Finland
Finland is a beautiful country, bounded on the west by Scandinavia, the east by Russia, the north by the Arctic Circle and the south by the Baltic Sea. Its five million ethnically diverse people include Laplanders, central Europeans and Russians. The Finnish language is closely related to the language of Hungary. Historically Finland has been …
Q & A:
What would an expurgated version of the Nicene Creed look like when its archaic imagery has been replaced?
4 June 2003: YOUR QUESTIONS: Visions, Resurrection, Church Growth, Adoption and Artificial Insemination
Dear Friends: The volume of questions that this column elicits from its readers continues to amaze me. There is no doubt that this column connects with people all over the world who are seeking a new kind of spirituality that combines truth with empowerment. Sadly enough, these letters suggest that this searching, growing process is …
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