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Easter 2009
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Welcome to the Easter issue of The Church Observer, It was with
pleasure I accepted the invitation to edit this journal on a temporary basis
whilst Fr Simon Heans takes a break for some study.
I would like to publically thank him for all he has done as editor in the past and
for his kind assistance in handing over the baton.
And so your new temporary editor is parish priest of Saint Barnabas’ in Tun-
bridge Wells. Born in Wigan, raised in Norfolk and educated in Cambridge; I am
married to Hayley, a painting restorer, and have one daughter Jemima. Amongst my
hobbies is the running of a blog on all matters Anglo-Catholic; view it at www.
sbarnabas.com/blog
As I take up the task of editing this journal I am increasingly aware of low morale
amongst orthodox Christians. After years of struggle this is hardly surprising! These
are not easy times and, in an increasingly secular world, such discomfort is unlikely
to diminish.
What does the future hold for traditional Anglicans? How many copies of this
magazine can drop through our letter box before it is posted for the very last time?
Who will survive in the terrible fight for the soul of our Church?
I am convinced that only one group will thrive. Not those reforming the faith in
our time. Not those looking to synod for hope. Not those looking to Rome for safe
harbour. Not those looking to Gafcon. Not those looking to Bishops, structures or
anything else. Only those looking to Jesus will find life. Only those clinging to the
faith of the ages will navigate a path through this mess!
Thus it is my hope that this journal might help us find Jesus and better understand
his truths. It is for this reason that I am delighted with the articles in this edition.
From Fr Higgs reminding us that prayer can be trusted, to +Edwin’s reminder that
Bishops cannot, each points to the author of life; Jesus Christ who brought life out
of death.
Fr Edward Tomlinson
Editor
frtomlinson@yahoo.co.uk
01892 533826
The Church Observer is the magazine of the Church Union.
The articles do not necessarily represent the policy of the Union and are the responsibility of the Contributors.
Material may be reproduced, providing that the source is acknowledged.
Book reviews and unsolicited articles should be sent to the Editor at Faith House.
The Church Observer The Church Union, 2A The Cloisters, Gordon Square, London WC1H 0AG, United Kingdom
From the President...
Never trust a bishop
Bishop Edwin Barnes
T he history of Christendom
is littered, nay polluted, with
accusations about who killed Jesus.
the one true God, they chose life over
death, maintained, by the time of Jesus,
a grip on monotheism and believed that
Much of this is directed against the salvation was near. So let’s look at the
Jews, vilified during unfortunate and political and social conditions from an
regrettable periods of our tradition historical perspective.
as “Christ Killers”. Aware of recent
tensions between Christians and Firstly, we can look at the politics of
Jews, Fr Robert Wilkinson SSC, a the day to see whether Jesus’ execution
member of the Church Union, and was inevitable, bearing in mind what he
Team Vicar in the Parish of Wood said and preached. Under this topic fall
Green, London, takes an historically the fact of the Roman occupation and the
critically examination of the events contemporary religious teachings of the
surrounding the Passion, and Jews. Secondly, and theologically, we need
concludes that seeking to blame any to remember our understanding of the
one person or group is a travesty of messianic expectation at the time of Jesus
the much more theologically robust and his own self-understanding and aims.
idea that the events of the first If Jesus was God, he could conceivably
Good Friday were, of course, part have avoided the cross and, so, in con-
of God’s own plan, laid before the clusion, I will attempt to draw together
foundation of time. the tension of the Divinity suffering a hu-
miliating physical death and, in particular,
In purely theological terms, Christians what contribution this may have lent to
believe that Jesus died and in doing so Jesus’ earthly ministry and enhance our
performed a perfect and unique sacrifice understanding of the reason, or indeed
for the sins of the human race. Jesus was need, for it all to have happened as it did.
God in the world reconciling his creation
to himself and conquering death so that In terms of Jesus’ actual trial and le-
we might believe and be redeemed but gal conviction, the gospels attest that
the scandal of particularity tells us that he was arrested by order of the high
the second person of the Trinity had to priest who delivered him to the Roman
come to earth at a particular time and to procurator and that he was crucified
a particular place. We cannot know the for being, or asserting that he was, King
mind of God as to why Christ was born of the Jews. The Scribes, the Pharisees,
where and when he was but we should the crowd and the Sanhedrin all played
nevertheless know that God was more a part. In this complex case, it is diffi-
than aware of what he was doing and the cult to know whom to blame, or indeed
consequences of it. After all, the Jews had whether to blame Jesus himself. While
been the first to understand that he was we can establish these events with rea-
6 The Church Observer
sonable certainty, as statements of fact, able religious freedom and suppressing
it seems less credible that Jesus of Naza- insurrections. Here, we need not rely
reth was actually condemned on the only on biblical accounts but have docu-
charge of being King of the Jews. Either mentation of a first-century historian,
our picture of Jesus is distorted or the Josephus, to corroborate the situation.
charge unfounded. This difficulty might Josephus records incidents where both
be resolved if we consider the legal sys- Pilate relented at the protest by Jews
tem, or rather legal systems, for there against the placing of statues of Caesar
were two: the Jewish and the Roman. (because graven images were an offence
to Jews, and Caesar knew this would
The Jewish religious community com- cause a revolt) and yet expended their
prised in essence three distinct parties: sacred treasure to finance the building of
the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the an aqueduct, which may well have been
Essenes. Such were the differences be- financial exploitation of the Jews and a
tween these groups that it is hard to grievous affront but not one which was
see that charging Jesus with blasphemy perceived as sacrilegious enough, and
for claiming to be the Messiah or Son certainly not blasphe-
of God would be sustainable. This is mous to have war- the Jews
because each of these groups believed ranted martyrdom
things which another group would also by those protesting, had been
find blasphemous. In terms of the law, for since we know from the first to
example where the Sadducees held only Josephus that revolts
to the Torah while the Pharisees had de- were dispersed un- understand
veloped the religious legal code further, der attack from sol- that he was
and so even between factions of con- diers. Caiaphas for
temporary Judaism, factionalism was rife his part had been in the one true
and there was no consensus on either office for ten years
a codified or common set of principles; by AD 26 when these
God, they
the powers of the bet din of any of these incidents took place chose life
groups was only competent in matters and in order to have
relating to their own members. A more remained in office for over death
convincing reason why the Sanhedrin so long and to preside
with Caiaphas, a Sadducee, as the high over the trial of Jesus, he must have been
priest should seek the execution of Jesus a person of singular political acumen and
may be found when we consider the po- shrewdness, knowing how to spot trou-
litical, and not just the religious, climate. ble, appease the Romans and maintain a
semblance of his own religious tradition.
Caiaphas as high priest– contrary to Against this background of a harsh and
the previous tradition which had pre- brutal judicial system, concerned more
dated Roman occupation – was appoint- with preservation of peace, the mainte-
ed by the Roman procurator, Pontius nance of Roman rule and fearful of Jew-
Pilate, in a country racked by violence. ish rebellion appeared the figure of Jesus
Concerned for the advancement of his of Nazareth.
career and therefore desperate to main-
tain law and order, Pilate needed to draw We know from the gospels that the
a line between allowing Jews reason- Jews longed for a messiah. They consid-
The Church Observer 7
ered themselves to be disciples of Moses It is in this maelstrom of time, place
(John 9.28) and that the law which was and circumstance in tandem with im-
given to them by Moses was not to be pulse-ridden, tempest-tossed and blind-
broken (John 7.23). Moses had written of ed sons of men that the tragedy of Jesus’
an eschatological figure and Jesus is com- crucifixion is to be found. It was not the
pared to this expectation. For example, Jewish people who crucified Jesus and it
Philip found Nathaniel and said to him ‘We was not the Roman people. If anything
have found him about whom Moses in the of human power did it then the charge
law and also the prophets wrote...’ might best be laid at the feet of the im-
perial system, a system which victimized
Jesus was even to those around him the Romans too and victimized the Spir-
who no eyes of faith, a wonder worker, it of God. Yet, this is only one half of the
had religious fervour and fevered fanta- story and it is the half of the story which
sies with messianic pretensions. He at- a neutral observer of the plain historical
tracted crowds in Jerusalem. Caiaphas facts would see. It does not take into
would have been provoked to decisive account what Jesus’ aims exactly were
action by Jesus’ actions in the Temple. in his ministry nor whether the crucifix-
Caiaphas would have been prompted to ion was one of his intentions, or at least
act lest his failure be mistaken as a sign of contributed to his purpose.
permissiveness or fear. His office depend-
ed on his quashing any sparks of violence Jesus’ early ministry contained strong
before they burst into flames and Jesus elements of a call to repentance in view
was an ominous threat to law and order. of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 3.2).
The Sanhedrin would have charged him By this term we might presume that like
with undermining Roman authority, viz may Jews of his day he meant by this a
the kingdom of God being near at hand. promised era of God’s universal rule
Just the word “kingdom” would have sent and relationship with God. Jesus speaks
shockwaves, whereas the Scribes and with an urgency and conviction that the
Pharisees would not have charged him Kingdom has come near (Mark 1.15) and
successfully in a pan-Jewish legal context it becomes apparent that he sees his
because with other Jews they would also own ministry as part of the dawning of
have been able to agree a legally water- the new Kingdom. For example, Jesus
tight consensus, or else they could have makes a contrast between the new-
charged their fellow Jewish Sadducees in ness of his message with the former
a similar manner: note that they did not theology of the Scribes and tells para-
haul Sadducees to their bet din who did bles such as the new wine in old wine-
not accept the oral law. skins to illustrate this. Not only in his
teaching, but in his behaviour did Jesus
The emperor sought to govern, the drawn attention to the new Kingdom, by
procurator sought to hold anarchy in claiming the right to forgive sins (Mark
check, the high priest sought to hold on 2.1-12), in demonstrating the power of
to his office, the Sanhedrin sought to the Kingdom to drive out demons and
spare the people of the dangerous con- in “working” on the Sabbath by healing
sequences of a charismatic’s visions of in public and in synagogues. Indeed, in
the kingdom of God which they did not his interpretation of the Sabbath law
believe was at hand. and in declaring that life-saving restora-
8 The Church Observer
tion was primary, he flouted established Jesus goes up to Jerusalem for the last
oral tradition and the conventions of time and it is possible that Jesus knew it
the Pharisaic religion. He declared that would be the last time. John tells us that
a human could be lord of the Sabbath he hid with is disciples in the hills before
(Mark 2.27), breached food laws and pri- the Passover (John 11.554-57) and Luke
oritized his disciples over his own family. tells us that the he went to Jerusalem
The lines were blurred between piety because it is impossible for prophet to be
and immorality and overstepped the killed outside of Jerusalem (Luke 13.33).
bounds of propriety more controver- Throughout the Syn-
sially and more blatantly than did those optic Gospel accounts the Scribes,
of other charismatic leaders of his day. of Matthew, Mark and the
Debating and taking issue with many Luke, Jesus’ behaviour
of the religious beliefs of the day, while became more deliber- Pharisees,
possibly receiving support of some Jews ate with a view to ap-
who themselves grappled with these is- proaching death and
the crowd
sues, would not have helped the impres- the teaching of the and the
sion he gave to those in positions of au- Kingdom is combined
thority. Even the disciples were not sure with judgement and Sanhedrin
who Jesus was and were astonished at restoration and the all played a
his miracles. coming of the Son of
Man in glory, in which part
Once John the Baptist had been ex- his own Passion would . . . in this
ecuted, we read in the gospels that Je- be instrumental, as we
sus withdrew away from cities, probably read in Luke’s seven- complex
sensing that this turn of events meant teenth chapter:
that his own ministry was in danger.
case, it is
That Jesus may have reflected on his Then he said to the difficult to
ministry at this mid-point is probable, disciples, “The days are
but at this point no meaning can be coming when you will know whom
found in his suffering, though he does long to see one of the to blame
begin to foresee a violent end: days of the Son of Man,
and you will not see it. They will say to
Jesus went on with his disciples to the you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Do
villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way not go, do not set off in pursuit. For
he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say as the lightning flashes and lights up the
that I am?’ And they answered him,‘John the sky from one side to the other, so will
Baptist; and others Elijah; and still others the Son of Man be in his day. But first
one of the prophets.’ He asked them, ‘But he must endure much suffering and be
who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered rejected by this generation.
him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ And he sternly
ordered them not to tell anyone about him. And when he got to Jerusalem, Je-
Then he began to teach them that the Son sus’ demonstration in the Temple, vio-
of Man must undergo great suffering, and lently overturning tables and casting
be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, out money-changers, was symbolic of
and the scribes, and be killed, and after God’s judgement over corruption. All
three days rise again. (Mark 8.27-31). this would have made him odious in
The Church Observer 9
the eyes of those who held power and career. He saw death and suffering as
caused fear that his actions may result in compatible with his messianic role and
intervention by the Romans. Jesus’ con- seems to have believed that he would
troversial convictions about the Temple be vindicated. Is there a sense here in
were integral to his aims and purposes which he even orchestrated events or
and the demonstration served to seal at least fell into plan knowingly. Which
his fate. of his two natures, human and divine,
is foremost in any or each of these ac-
The Last Supper, possibly taking place tions? Jesus epitomized his life and his
as the slaughter of Passover lambs in the message of love by giving his life, free-
Temple was taking place, was an event ing those whom he loved by his blood.
which provides us with Jesus’ most The expression of Jesus’ aims through
profound reflection on the significance his words is totally congruent with the
of his impending death: his blood being deed of crucifixion.
poured out on behalf of the redemp-
tion and forgiveness of God’s people. As a way of converting the Greek and
The Christian interpretation of Jesus’ Roman world, the message of crucifix-
death as atoning was so immediate ion clearly posed problems, not least for
that it seems highly likely that Jesus was Paul. In some ways, Jesus’ death was a
preparing his disciples not only for his real paradox in the teaching that Jesus
death, but for an interpretation of his was from and of God. It is little wonder
death. His aim seems to be to accept that the Corinthians had tried to escape
his execution as a sacrificial act. Indeed the cross and concentrate on the life of
this has a strong resonance in the Old the Spirit and the assurance of salvation.
Testament (Exodus 24.8). A similar res- Paul’s confession that the cross was a
onance is also found in Zechariah (9.9- stumbling block to the Jews and mad-
11) where there is also reference to an ness for the Greeks, are the words of a
arrival on a donkey: man who was mocked for years in try-
ing to present a God who had suffered
Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! a shameful death. But separated from
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, the cross, the Christian message would
your king comes to you; triumphant and become vague and incomprehensible, it
victorious is he, humble and riding on a would slip into a theology of kerygma
donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. with no historical roots and the Incarna-
He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim tion would start to lose its significance.
and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and Rather than seek to blame, we should
the battle bow shall be cut off, and he seek to give thanks, not least to thank
shall command peace to the nations; his God.
dominion shall be from sea to sea, and
from the River to the ends of the earth. Fr Robert Wilkinson is also the author
As for you also, because of the blood of Rite Answers-Volume I: Questions
of my covenant with you, I will set your which churchgoers would like
prisoners free from the waterless pit. answering but never got round to
asking published under the Church
Jesus aims seem have evolved and Union’s imprint of Tufton Books
been clarified over the course of his ISBN 978-0-85191-321-6
MAY
1 SS Philip & James Chairman of the CU Mr David Morgan
2 S Athanasius Bp Andrew Bishop of Ebbsfleet
3 4th Sunday in Eastertide For Vocations to the Priesthood
4 The English Martyrs Ss Peter & Paul, Teddington
5 The Sacred Ministry
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8 Julian of Norwich Your own Priest and Parish
9 The Council
10 5th Sunday in Eastertide That we may be one in Christ
11 S Mary the Virgin Tottenham
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15 The Provincial Episcopal Visitors
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17 6th Sunday in Eastertide Sacrificial love of Christ
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22 Priest members of the Church Union
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The church is visible and invisible Christ cannot fail, Christians believe.
Believing in the church has two main Even if sinful humanity fails repeatedly in
emphases that can be labelled catholic his church we have Christ’s own great
and reformed. Among the larger bodies, promise to Peter that has been fulfilled
Roman Catholic and Orthodox, there is over 20 centuries: “I will build my church
belief in the visible church as both part he says and the gates of hell shall not pre-
of the gospel and closely allied to the vail against it” (Matthew 16v18).
The Church Observer 15
And the Life Everlasting
Francis Gardom
considers our Salvation and wonders whether
new imagery and language might help us grasp a
better understanding of heaven and hell and the
eternal consequence of our decisions on earth
Those of us who see much of the Canon Middleton would not want us
crop of recent bishops (with a number to see this admirable book as only a la-
of honourable exceptions) as a sad ment for the past, so he provides, in an
mixture of middle managers and petti- Appendix, “An Agenda for Us All to Fol-
fogging martinets long for Dr Williams low. It is a cri de coeur before it is too
to assume the persona of Sir Alan late. It is rooted in the Anglican method
Sugar (they both have beards) and say: but does not shy away from the political
“You’re fired!” realities of the day: “...assert the authori-
tative doctrinal character
Canon Middleton’s lan- of our Anglican Formular-
guage is more measured ies as against the liberal-
than mine and should, ism so often evident in the
therefore, be more con- deliberations and policies
vincing. He revisits the in- of the General Synod.”
famous Crockford preface But he is up against it.
written by the late Gareth Only recently I was told
Bennett and shows what of a young parish priest
a prophetic and significant defending the ordination
document it was. He does of women as priests and
not rake over the most bishops to an unconvinced
controversial passages member of his congrega-
but points out the sig- tion by recourse to “the
nificance of a section Ben- infallibility of the General
nett entitled “A Theology in Retreat” Synod.” Whatever our view on this con-
which should send us back to read it tentious issue (and there is a wide varie-
again. Bennett identified the decline in ty of views within the English Clergy As-
the distinctive theological method of sociation) few of us would seek to stand
Anglicanism, and presages the ills that on this quagmire of an assertion. But, I
would flow from such an abandonment. fear, that is the level of argument, this
reductio ad absurdum to which we have
Canon Middleton is immensely well- come. Canon Middleton’s age has given
read and takes us with masterly assur- him wisdom and depth of insight: mine
ance through Alexander Schmemann, has brought only increased cynicism: so,
Eric Mascall, Richard Hooker, Michael thank God for Arthur Middleton.
Ramsey, Charles Gore, Lancelot An-
drewes, the Tractarians ... the list goes On 5th March 1864 writing to the lib-
on. All these authorities are woven eral Dean of Westminster to decline an
into a forceful argument in defence of invitation to preach, Dr Pusey wrote, “I
a great tradition. There is a measured think that one of the great dangers of the
passion in the writing that commands present day is to conceive of matters of
respect and needs to be taken seriously faith as if they were matters of opinion,
and requires engagement from those to think all have an equal chance of being
who seek to pursue a different course right ... [then] there is no faith at all.”
20 The Church Observer
Second Review
Arthur Middleton,
Restoring the Anglican Mind Anglicanism (and what doesn’t). This is
Gracewing, Leominster, 2008, one reason, among others, why first-
paperback, pp. 102, year ordinands should read, mark, learn
ISBN 9780852446959, RRP $20.00. and inwardly digest it.
The temple is where God is known After the Ascension, the Body of
and glorified, and so it is with our body: Christ becomes changed yet further: it
we know God through our bodies and is present on every altar at every Eucha-
we glorify him with them – whether it is rist; it is the church and each of we the
24 The Church Observer
baptised are an instantiation of that If the disciples can doubt, after the
body; and it is also present glorified with wonder of the resurrection and seeing
its wounds in heaven at the right hand of him entering into his glory before them,
the Father – and yet exhausted by none we ought not to be too hard on our-
of these manifestations. selves for not always discerning his body
around us, in ourselves or at the altar
All of these are ‘bodies’ but we could rail.
be forgiven for echoing the disciples at
the end of Matthew’s Gospel as his risen How very complicated this body
body ascends before them: ‘they wor- thing is!
shipped him, but some doubted’.
EVENTS
April 2009
Sat 18 12 noon: GSS Easter Festival, St Alban’s Holborn www.gss.org.uk
Sat 25 12 noon: ACS Welsh Festival, St Mary’s Priory Church Abergavenny
www.additionalcurates.co.uk
May 2009
Sat 2 12 noon: SOM May Devotion & AGM, St Silas Kentish Town NW5 3QP
www.societyofmary.net
8-12 SOM Pilgrimage to Nettuno - www.societyofmary.net
Sat 2 10.30am: SOLE Youth Pilgrimage at Egmanton
www.sole-egmanton.com - Sheila Dilks: 01302 531953
11-18 EFFA Episcopal Pilgrimage to Fatima
Fr Malcolm Gray - frcmg.stanmore@btinternet.com
Sat 23 12 noon: SOM Pilgrimage to Shrine of Our Lady of Grace, Ipswich
www.societyofmary.net
Mon 25 12 noon: SOLW National Pilgrimage to Walsingham
www.walsingham.org.uk
June 2009
Sat 6 12 noon: CBS National Festival & AGM, St Alban’s Holborn EC1N
www.confraternity.org.uk
Sat 6 12 noon: Bishop of Beverley’s Fortieth Anniversary of Priesthood
at Worksop Priory - www.bishopofbeverley.co.uk
Sat 6 12 noon: Ebbsfleet Children & Young People’s Eucharistic Festival
at Brean Sands - www.ebbsfleet.org.uk
Sat 13 12 noon: FIF London Pilgrimage to Boulogne Cathedral
www.forwardinfaith.info/London
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