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The Work of Jesus the Messiah through the Millennia   By Gerald R. McDermott Baker Academic   426pp   $34.10   Reviewed by David W. Virtue, DD www.virtueonline.org March 27, 2025   When people talk of Jesus in today’s vernacular it is nearly always a sensate Jesus, the Jesus of the here and now; the Jesus we feel; the Jesus we ask, ‘What are you doing for me now.’ If we are a little less narcissistic, we might ask, ‘what has he done for us,’ with flashbacks to the cross.   In this weighty, magisterial volume, Dr. McDermott carries us back before time. He paints a picture of Jesus that transcends time and yet belongs in time. Before He is the Savior of the world, He is the eternally pre-existent One who dwells in eternity with the Father and the Holy Spirit.   He is the creator and sustainer of the universe, the One to whom every knee will one day bow and every tongue confess that He, and He alone, is Lord of all.   McDermott traces the history of the work of redemption from creation to the cross and resurrection, to the Messiah’s return and final judgment.   The book offers a magnificent sweep of history, touching all the bases from eternity to the dispersal of the nations; from Abraham to Moses; from Moses to the Incarnation; from David to the Captivity; from the captivity to the Messiah; the Incarnation; From Christ’s resurrection to the end of the world; Ascension and Church; mission to the gentiles, persecution; missionary expansion. McDermott even touches on the rise of Islam and touches on the thorny issue of ‘Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Hint; they don’t. “The Bible and the Qur’an do not teach a similar message on love for God and neighbor. Love for God is never commanded by the Qur’an and is rarely even mentioned.” The book shows how Jesus as Messiah was redeeming throughout Old Testament history, and it carries that story up through the last two millennia.   McDermott is indebted to one of his heroes, Jonathan Edwards, whose uncompleted summa was intended to reveal the beauty of the Triune God in a new, historical way. This book is McDermott's attempt to finish what Edwards started--before he was cut down by the side-effects of a vaccine.  He agrees with Edwards's contention that it is only through a historical examination of the Messiah's redemption amid the turmoil of the world and the worship of his people that one can best see God's beauty.   So, God's beauty is one of the recurring themes.  So is Israel.  The book follows Edwards's argument that Israel is the source of redemption from creation through new creation in Jesus and all the way to the end of the world.  Israel through the perfect Israelite, the Jewish Messiah Jesus.   The first main section of the book shows the history of redemption starting just after the fall and continues until the birth of Jesus. Subsequent sections put Jesus at the center of redemption’s story.   McDermott does not shy away from controversial topics like the gifts of the Holy Spirit, The New Testament Canon; The Apocrypha; Dogma and theology in the third and fourth centuries; the Iconoclast controversy; the Rise of Islam; God as warrior: The Crusades; Muhammad and Redemption (he is opposed to it, but God uses him as a foil); The problem of Evil; the church’s new center of gravity in Asia and Africa; The Eschaton; ending in God glorified in the church glorified.   In the final chapter, God glorified in the Church Glorified, McDermott proposes that Paul's vision of the end of history is that after establishing the new skies and earth, the Son will deliver the kingdom back to the Father.   McDermott concludes this powerful volume with these words; “Let us now review the majestic story we have followed…God took thousands of years to prepare the way for the Son to purchase redemption. The purchase was almost too mind-boggling to be true, which was why the ancient Jews could scarcely believe it. Would the eternal YHWH live on earth for thirty-three years in a despised condition, living a life of such suffering that it ended on a cross for criminals? But then they saw the glorious aftermath, which convinced many of its truth: this same man of sorrows was raised from the dead and lifted on high to the right hand of God at the top of the universe.”   I cannot commend this book too highly. It will be a reference book on my shelf to draw on for future stories right till the day I write my last story. McDermott himself is a solid Anglican priest, theologian and teacher and this comes through with grace and style.   McDermott is the author or editor of twenty-five books.  This latest volume, I believe, is his finest. It is, after all, about Jesus of whom more books have been written about than anyone else in history.   This volume stands alongside such weighty volumes as Alfred Edersheim’s, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. McDermott's New History of Redemption should be in the library of every seminary in America, Canada and the UK. It is must reading for every graduating seminarian. For the ordinary reader patience is needed, but well rewarded with answers that often plague the general reader for a lifetime.   The book can be purchased at Amazon here: A New History of Redemption: The Work of Jesus the Messiah through the Millennia: Gerald R. McDermott: 9780801098543: Amazon.com : Books A New History of Redemption: The Work of Jesus the Messiah through the Millennia: Gerald R. McDermott: 9780801098543: Amazon.com : Books   If you would like to read more stories in this vein, please subscribe to VIRTUEONLINE here: www.virtueonline.org

The church is not a sugar daddy whose purpose is to meet all our personal, social and vocational needs.   (Photo by Pavel Danilyuk/Pexels/Creative Commons)   Karen Swallow Prior RELIGION NEWS SERVICE March 26, 2025 We should expect the Christian church to be a community that faithfully preaches and teaches the word of God, a place where people are safe from predators and fraudsters (or where predators and fraudsters are dealt with swiftly, justly and openly when they are discovered). It should be a place that upholds Christian teaching not only in word but also in deed.    But should the church also be our social club, our  finance guru , our  accountability group , our  sex therapist , our  voter guide , our income stream, our sugar daddy, our self-help source? Ought it be the place where our deepest longings for significance and self-fulfillment are satisfied?  The church cannot be, nor should it be all — or even most — of this.    Yet modern American evangelicalism often implicitly (and at times explicitly) suggests the church should play an all-encompassing role in the life of the Christian.    With the development in the 20th century of what Christian writer and podcaster Skye Jethani calls the “ evangelical industrial complex ” and the accompanying rise of celebrity Christian leaders and influencers, a false expectation has been cultivated within evangelicalism about what the successful Christian life looks like—and the role the church should play in attaining that vision of success.   Sometimes Christian success is portrayed as creating or consuming a Christian version of whatever the world is doing: Christian education, Christian music, Christian publishing, Christian stores, Christian conferences, Christian movies and so on. Other times it is portrayed as having all social and relational needs met by the church: small groups, men’s groups, women’s groups, teen groups, college and career groups, craft groups, parenting groups, senior groups and grief groups.   Sometimes success is portrayed as having a career in the church or in Christian organizations: a ministry position, a contract from a Christian book publisher, a gig on a conference stage, a seminary degree, a “leadership” role, a place on the worship team or status as a Christian “influencer.”    Of course, there’s nothing wrong and much that is good about all (or most) of these endeavors. Indeed, I have done many of these things myself. The fact that I never expected that a doctorate from a secular university would lead me here is only proof that God’s ways are not man’s ways. Nor has a voice in evangelicalism prevented me from looking outside it in what I study or where I get my support.   Somewhere along the way, the idea that the church  could  provide everything we need became the idea that the church  should  offer these things, which has become the idea that the church  must  also fulfill all of these needs for everyone.    But this is not the purpose of the church. It is not meant to be the whole of life or to meet all our needs in life. The church is not a sugar daddy whose purpose is to meet all our personal, social and vocational needs.   Indeed, one of the significant developments of the Protestant Reformation was the insistence by Martin Luther and others that there is no secular-sacred divide, and that the holiness of the Christian life is not confined to church life.    To be sure, in order for the church to fulfill its rightful purpose it needs some who are called to preach, teach and answer the phone. But that’s not most of us. Most Christians are simply  exhorted  in Scripture to be part of the church by assembling together and encouraging one another in the faith. Most of us are called to serve by serving our neighbors in the world through our work, our passions, our gifts and our time.   Of all the reasons to be disappointed in the church (and  there   are   many ), we ought not be disappointed because it fails to provide us with income, employment, fame, security, spouse, purpose, prominence, platform or political power. I don’t know of any studies that document this evolution in our collective vision for the Christian good life, but I know anecdotally from countless relationships and conversations over the years that many Christians become disappointed and disillusioned by the church when falsely raised expectations for places in or alongside church ministry go unfulfilled.    The purpose of the church is simple, narrow even. The church is where we go to worship God together, to learn and grow in the faith together and to be equipped to go forth into the world to make disciples.    Let us do that good work — wherever God calls us to do it — and make disciples along the way. Let us  be  the church.   END

PRESS RELEASE   25 March 2025   The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) is inviting clergy and licensed lay ministers/readers to attend an ‘Affirmation of Ordination Vows’ Service as an alternative to the often called ‘Chrism Services’ held in dioceses on Maundy Thursday. Revd Canon John Dunnett, National Director, Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), said:  “With their ongoing concerns with regards to Living in Love and Faith, we know that many clergy across the country feel in good conscience unable to attend the traditional Chrism services in their diocese. So we are offering two alternative services, in keeping with the Alliance’s construction of the de facto parallel province.” CEEC invites all clergy and licensed lay ministers/readers who either feel unable to attend the service in their diocese to join one of the services and/or those who are attending their diocesan service to join us in addition to attending in their diocese to stand with us at this time. See more  here . The in-person Service on Wednesday 16 April at 19.30 in London At St James The Less, Pimlico, SW1V 2PS. This will be led by Bishop Pete Broadbent. This is being coordinated by LonDEN (London DEF) but clergy/lay people are welcome from other dioceses. No need to book – simply turn up.

Reflections on the Feast of the Annunciation By Bryan Hollon March 25, 2025 Today, March 25th, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation—that pivotal moment when the angel Gabriel appeared to a young virgin named Mary with news that would forever alter the course of human history. Nine months before Christmas, we commemorate the conception of Christ in Mary's womb, marking the beginning of the Incarnation. The Significance of Mary in Anglican Faith As Anglicans, our approach to Mary is grounded in the biblical revelation. We honor her without idolizing her; we recognize her significance without embracing the full suite of Marian dogmas developed in later Roman Catholic tradition. But we certainly should not ignore her. When I became an Anglican, I understood that I was claiming a heritage that includes everything true professed by Christians in every time and place. As the Anglican Church in North America affirms: "To be an Anglican is not to embrace a distinct version of Christianity, but a distinct way of being a 'Mere Christian,' at the same time evangelical, apostolic, catholic, reformed, and Spirit-filled." This "mere Christianity"—to borrow C.S. Lewis's phrase—is not a watered-down faith but rather, as Lewis himself wrote, "something positive, self-consistent, and inexhaustible." It represents that core consensus that has sustained the Church through ages of division and controversy. In this Anglican vision, Mary holds a place of honor as the Theotokos, the God-bearer, without whom the Incarnation would not have been possible. Her story is not peripheral to the gospel but central to it. The Biblical Mary The heart of Mary's story is found in Luke 1, where the angel Gabriel announces that she will conceive and bear the Son of God. Her response in verse 38 encapsulates the essence of faithful discipleship: "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." This declaration—her great "fiat" ("let it be")—makes Mary an exemplary model of New Testament faith. She demonstrates what it means to respond to God's call with complete trust and obedience, even when that call seems impossible or dangerous. The Annunciation reveals something profound about God's method of redemption. He does not impose His will; He invites our response of faith. Mary's "yes" was freely given - a graced cooperation by the power of the Spirit that echoes through the ages as an example for all believers. Mary as Dwelling Place What makes Mary's role so significant is that she became, quite literally, a dwelling place for God. As Gabriel explains in Luke 1:35: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God." As we were reminded in Trinity Chapel this morning by our student preacher, Melissa Patton, Luke’s message deliberately echoes the Old Testament accounts of God's presence in the Tabernacle and Temple. Indeed, the Greek word used for "overshadow" (episkiazō) in Luke's account has the same theological significance as the terms used in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) for God's glory covering the sacred spaces of Israel. In this light, Mary's womb becomes the new Holy of Holies—the dwelling place of God's presence on earth. She becomes, in this sense, the first Christian—the first human being to have our savior - Jesus Christ - dwelling within her. This theological parallel would have been immediately recognizable to first-century Jewish readers and emphasizes the profound continuity between God's presence in the Temple and the Incarnation of Christ. Just as in Exodus 40:34-35 where "the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle," so too was Mary filled with the divine presence, inaugurating a new era in salvation history. This theological reality provides a pattern for all Christian life. Like Mary, we too are called to become dwelling places for God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?" The Communion of Saints One reason we remember Mary and other exemplars of faith is that Christianity is fundamentally communal. As my former professor and mentor, Ralph Wood so often said, “there is no such thing as a solitary Christian.” As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12, we are all members of one body, giving and receiving in mutual dependence. But this body transcends time and space. Every time we celebrate the Eucharist, we are knitted together with all Christians—those who lived long ago, those who live today, and those who will live long after we are gone. In the words of Hebrews 12:1, we are "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses." Mary stands as a faithful witness within this great company of saints because she exemplifies the faithful response to grace that all Christians are called to emulate. Addressing Concerns About Marian Devotion Some Protestants may feel uncomfortable with any emphasis on Mary, fearing that it distracts from Christ. This concern is not without historical justification, as there have been times and places where Marian piety has seemed to eclipse Christology. However, the celebration of Mary can and should always point to Christ, never away from Him. Mary herself would be the first to direct our attention away from herself and toward her Son, as she does at the wedding at Cana: "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:5). The Anglican tradition has generally maintained that the four Marian dogmas defined by the Roman Catholic Church (Perpetual Virginity, Mother of God, Immaculate Conception, and Bodily Assumption) are not all required belief, since all but one lack biblical warrant. However, the title "Mother of God" (Theotokos) is non-controversial among Anglicans and has the strongest ecumenical and patristic support. It is consistent with the biblical witness and was affirmed at the Council of Ephesus in 431 as a necessary safeguard for orthodox Christology. Mary for Today On this Feast of the Annunciation, we remember Mary because of, among other things, her powerful example of faithful discipleship. Her "let it be to me according to your word" remains the archetypal response to God's call. Like the Tabernacle and Temple before her, when God entered into Mary, it was akin to storming the beaches of Normandy on the way to conquer all of Europe. Mary represents the beachhead of God's redemptive campaign—the first territory reclaimed in the divine reconquest of all creation. We who follow Christ are further steps in that advance when we say, “let it be done to us according to [His] word." And as Revelation 21:3 promises, one day God's work will be complete: "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man!" The Rev. Dr. Bryan Hollon, is president of Trinity Anglican Seminary in Ambridge, PA.

COMMENTARY               By David W. Virtue, DD www.virtueonline.org March 25, 2025   The House of Bishops has emerged from its spring retreat with a sense of hope and being grounded in missions, according to a report in The Living Church.   On March 24, the last of six days at Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Alabama, the bishops reflected on their conversations and dialogues, both formally and informally. In addition to spending the week in prayer, the bishops joined in reflections and conversations on issues including declining church attendance, prayer as a form of witness, church property, Christian nationalism, immigration, hope and institutions, and Title IV.   Let’s start with prayer. Newly minted Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe said; “This week, we were sure to find grounding in prayer while considering the world around us.” Why would God listen to any prayers TEC bishops offer up when they openly engage in promoting sexual sin - abortion and LGBTQI+ behaviors in direct contravention to Scripture.   TEC bishops do very well “considering the world” around them and then obeying the culture rather than Christ.   The bishops talked about “growth” without a clue how to make dioceses grow because “no one knows ‘how to’ or believes in evangelism” as biblically understood. Both the ‘decade of evangelism’ and the ‘2020 vision to double the church’ flopped. If you think dioceses will grow proclaiming DEI and building condos for the poor and marginalized in defunct parishes then you have missed the plot completely. On the issue of Title IV, Anglican Watch, a leading church watchdog group, warns of declining trust in Episcopal Title IV clergy disciplinary process. It repeatedly is sounding the alarm over declining trust in the Episcopal Church’s Title IV, the denomination’s labyrinthine and slow-moving clergy disciplinary process. In doing so, the organization is calling for Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe to take immediate action to improve the handling of Title IV complaints at both the national and diocesan levels.   The group’s concerns emphasize the process for bishops, which it believes influences outcomes in Title IV cases handled at the diocesan level. Those cases involve priests and deacons.   Eric Bonetti, a retired attorney, says Anglican Watch has been directly or indirectly involved in almost all the roughly 20 national-level cases involving bishops from the last two years.   “In every instance, we have observed multiple issues that violate both the letter and the spirit of church canons. These violations erode public trust in the Title IV process, hurt survivors of abuse, and cause lasting reputational harm for all involved.” Bonetti said. You can read more here: https://www.anglicanwatch.com/church-watchdog-group-warns-of-declining-trust-in-episcopal-title-iv-clergy-disciplinary-process/   The bishops talked about “current realities” and “church statistics”. Well, I have news for you. The current realities are bad and getting worse and the church statistics show the denomination is in decline with not a prayer of it ever reversing. Dioceses are merging at a fast rate, there are more parish closures than ever. And one would be hard pressed if the Jesus proclaimed from Episcopal pulpits had much to do with the Jesus proclaimed in the gospels.   The bishops talked about Christian nationalism – they are against it of course – a safe bet. On the subject of immigration that are quite happy to scold President Donald Trump for his anti-immigration policies. But most Americans don’t like open borders, and while immigration is much needed to replace aging and dying white Americans, they would like it to be legal. (Full disclosure. I am an immigrant that had to jump through hoops to get here). The deeper truth is that Presiding Bishop Rowe is no Billy Graham, Tim Keller, Thomas Cranmer or St. Augustine. He is a policy wonk, a 21st century administrative nerd, who, while putting the church in housekeeping order, firing and hiring new staff, won’t save an institution that has no gospel to proclaim with no message of sin and salvation; that mantle has passed to the Anglican Church in North America that is steadily making inroads into TEC and the culture.   One is dying, the other is growing. TEC bishops need to come to grips with that. Their pensions will only have relevancy till the grave, beyond that there will be all hell to pay for a church that failed to preach the ‘unsearchable riches of Christ.’   END

By David W. Virtue, DD March 21, 2025   World Council of Churches general secretary The Rev’d Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep alarm and grief over the deadly attack on Gaza carried out by Israeli forces on 17-18 March, supposedly (Hamas numbers can never be trusted) killing more than 330 people: “We unequivocally condemn this unnecessary re-escalation of violence, which has led to more deaths and further suffering for innocent civilians, including women and children.”   “In this Lenten season, we pray for the healing of the wounded, for the consolation of the bereaved, and for a future in which justice and peace prevail."   “We unequivocally condemn this unnecessary re-escalation of violence, which has led to more deaths and further suffering for innocent civilians, including women and children,” said Pillay.   So why no mention of hostages held by Hamas, many of whom must be close to death? Why no mention of Houthis who attack civilian vessels carrying much needed goods to the world? And the rockets they fire at Israel?   This one-sided take is typical of the liberal Western religious mindset. Behind it is a hatred of Israel and everything it stands for, including freedom and the right to exist.   And you wonder why evangelicals stand for Israel while the rest of the religious word hates Israel and stands against her.   Can you blame Bibi Netanyahu for restarting the war against Hamas? Sadly, in war civilians die. They always do. Did Winston Churchill apologize for bombing Dresden where upwards of 35,000 civilians, most of whom were women, children, and the elderly died?  He did not. The Allied strategic bombing of Germany during World War II (1939-45) involved British and U.S. bomber planes attacking industrial cities, factories, railways, airfields, and dams. Over 600,000 civilians died as a consequence. Just over 40,000 men, women and children have died in Gaza.  Most were probably terrorists.   The world’s desire to heap blame on Israel is nothing short of shameful. You want to know why Bibi digs his toes in and declares to Hamas and the world, “release all the hostages” or face restarting the war? That’s why.   U.S. President Donald Trump has now weighed in and has given Iran two months to decide whether it wants to begin talks with the United States over containing Iran’s nuclear ambitions or roll the dice on what might come in place of negotiations.   “All options are on the table,” national security adviser Michael Waltz said Sunday in an ABC interview, according to The Washington Post, saying that if Iran does not “hand over … the missiles, the weaponization, the enrichment” of nuclear material, “they can face a whole series of other consequences.”   With Iran on the brink of being able to make a nuclear weapon, Trump offered Iran the option of talks, but set a two-month deadline on accepting or rejecting his offer, according to Axios, which noted Iran currently has enough enriched uranium that if taken to the next level of enrichment needs for a bomb, it could produce six weapons.   By making it an either/or issue Trump has blown up the Biden/Blinken political standoff with Iran. Iran played them for suckers. Drag out negotiations for as long as you can while developing a nuclear weapon and then tell everyone it is my way or the nuclear highway. Hopefully Trump has seen through this transparent curtain and will--with Israel--deal a death blow to Iran. Certainly, the people of Iran would welcome the end of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hard-core Muslims hated the Shah but they hate the Ayatollah even more.   The people of Yemen, like those in Gaza, deserve security, dignity, and the opportunity to live free from fear and violence, the WCC leader urged. And so would the people of Israel whose only safety from the rockets fired at her, lies in the destruction of her Nazi-like foes--Hamas, the Houthis, and the Iranian mullahs.   END

Church in Disarray // Evangelical Christian imprisoned over “they/them” rejection // GAFCON Primates Miss Moment to Diss Canterbury // NY Bishop Condemns Trump over Deportation //  TEC Announces Staff Cuts // Two Episcopal Bishops Exposed for Canonical Shortcomings // CofE in Crisis // Welsh Bishop Jailed for Abuse // Kenya ABC Says No to Political Speeches   Probably the greatest tragedy of the church throughout its long and checkered history has been its constant tendency to conform to the prevailing culture instead of developing a Christian counter-culture --- John Stott   Evangelical pastors are more likely than mainline pastors to say their church is growing (57% v. 46%). Denominationally, Holiness (63%), Pentecostal (62%) and Baptist congregations (59%) are more likely than Methodist (43%) and Lutheran churches (37%) to be experiencing growth of at least 4%.  – Charisma News   Nearly 90 percent of Americans say a church should be “easily identifiable,” and 8 of 10 say they want the building to “reflect the beauty of God.” There are some, to be sure, who prefer that churches feel modern (38%) and trendy (28%), but most Americans want religious spaces that feel more timeless and transcendent. --- Christianity Today   I believe that liberal theology is a major reason why the so-called “mainline Protestant churches” are dying. It is, as one of my students said, “weak sauce.” There is really no life in it. It is dull, overly-intellectual, and, of course, unbiblical. Taken to its extreme, it is disconnected entirely from historic, classical, orthodox Christianity. --- Roger Olson This pope is the first to question openly many of the dogmas of the magisterium, which means he has traduced both faith and morals. – Gerry McDermott   Evangelical pastors are more likely than their mainline counterparts to say their churches have prayed at least once a month for missionaries (89% v. 78%), prayed at least once a month for a specific mission field or people group (84% v. 78%), helped start a new church (40% v. 30%) and sent out long-term missionaries (18% v. 8%). – Charisma News   Dear Brothers and Sisters, www.virtueonline.org March 21, 2025   YOU might be forgiven if you believe that everything you have held on to is crumbling and, like dust and ashes, is slowly slipping between your fingers; with the world and church in total disarray, especially the church.   Whether it is politics or the church, chaos is everywhere. Watching the news is stomach churning, and it doesn’t seem to matter which channel. Learning that your church has just split over homosexuality, gay marriage and now trans issues, the latest sexual iteration, is enough to make you want to take a long walk off a short pier.   The temptation is to throw up your hands and say “I’m done”, I’m outta here.” Add all the pedophile scandals in the Roman Catholic Church; protestant mega church pastoral failures, a mere one percent of churches doing evangelism, the complete breakdown of the Church of England over safeguarding issues and you can imagine Satan’s round table of jubilant junior devils quaffing pints of bishop’s blood, waiting for the next shoe to fall.   Of course, we are told that Christ’s Church will triumph, that “the gates of Hell will not prevail” signifying the strength and resilience of the Church against evil. This phrase serves as a promise regarding the durability and victory of God's people, emphasizing that evil will not overcome them. There are some interpretations suggesting that it indicates the Church's role as an aggressor against evil, declaring war on it!   The game is far from over.   *****   A case in point is a young Evangelical Christian who spent 500 days in an Irish prison for holding to biblical truth. He has now lost his livelihood . Enoch Burke deserves a Victoria Cross for naming, unmasking, and engaging the principalities currently at work in the government of once-Catholic Ireland.   Burke, who until 2022 was a teacher at a school run by the Church of Ireland, (Anglican) has been jailed three times for a total of 500 days because he refused to refer to a gender-confused student as “they/them.”   Worse, the bishops of the Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church teamed up with the Deep State to repeatedly snub Burke’s appeals for help. This week, Ireland’s High Court appointed a receiver to collect fines of €80,000 ($104,000) from Burke’s salary and to freeze his bank account. We should not be surprised. We have been warned that persecution would be our lot, but coming from our own side is devastating. That Nigerian Christians are being persecuted and killed on a weekly basis by Boko Haram and Fulani tribesman is one thing; being nailed by leaders of a so-called Christian country, is quite another.   Years ago, I warned that the pansexual steamroller would brook no opposition and morph into newer forms of sexual idolatry until they had completely won the sexual culture war. I was not wrong. The only thing standing in the way of this happening in the US, is the First Amendment and a president sympathetic to Christian values.   *****   The big story of the week was the meeting in Plano, Texas of 170 Anglican leaders from 25 countries. They came, they talked, they prayed, studied scripture, and encouraged each other in the faith – but the archbishops lost the moment to tell the Church of England that the historic relationship with the Mother Church and the vast majority of the Anglican Communion was finally over…a new world Anglican order had finally dawned.   GAFCON and GSFA now claim 80% of the communion’s faithful; all they needed to do was announce the fact, grab the keys, and kick Canterbury to the curb.   The Church of England stands in disarray. The church has no Archbishop of Canterbury – Justin Welby was the worst ABC in over a century – a conflicted Archbishop of York who should have resigned over failed safeguarding issues; a Makin report has decimated the ranks of evangelicals who are now in total disarray over sexual abuse; a handful of largely irrelevant Anglo-Catholics and a ‘no gospel’ broad progressive church that has zero relevance to 98% of the British public. The moment was ripe for a complete takeover.   In spiritual warfare you take the fight to the enemy and strike when the iron is hot. This was such a moment. Our offensive weapon is the Word of God, not our own opinions and feelings. And we are to pray in the power and will of the Holy Spirit.   GAFCON primates have argued that they have not left the communion: the communion left them and they want to renew it. Noble sentiments indeed. But that song has been playing since 1998 when the Lambeth Conference produced and passed Lambeth resolution 1:10 which forbade homosexual practice. Western liberal provinces ignored the mandate and went right on blessing homosexual unions with the Episcopal Church finally passing a gay marriage resolution that resulted in bishops who refused to go along with this unholy behavior being kicked out of the church. The Church of England is heading in exactly the same direction. Nothing will stop the pansexual steamroller; we have seen it all before. Did the primates lose the moment to finally separate from Canterbury? You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/gafcon-primates-did-they-lose-the-moment-to-finally-separate-from-canterbury-at-plano   *****   The Episcopal Bishop of New York, the Rt. Rev. Matthew Heyd has condemned the Trump administration's attempt to deport a Palestinian student Mahmoud Khalil, who holds a green card, for his involvement last year protesting the war in Gaza while he was a graduate student at Columbia University.   Khalil, 30, was arrested and is being held in a federal facility in Louisiana while he fights deportation.   According to the liberal bishop, the Trump administration has produced no evidence that Khalil engaged in criminal activity, and as a green card holder, his lawful permanent residency can only be revoked for specific causes with approval of an immigration judge.   However, British Israeli journalist and author Melanie Phillips said the uproar over the arrest and detention of Khalil — the Syrian-born student agitator who orchestrated the anti-Israel mayhem at Columbia University and now faces losing his green card and being deported— is profoundly ill-judged.   “Democrats and other liberal useful idiots have been screaming that Khalil is being persecuted for expressing his support for ‘Palestine’. This is rubbish. He’s a foreign visitor who organized a violent takeover of campus with Hamas-linked activities and who conspired to commit civil rights violations.” You can read more here: New York Episcopal Bishop and Jewish Journalist Clash Over Deportation of Palestinian Student   *****   When the Episcopal Church announced cuts to its national staff last month, it was the latest in a long-running cycle among historic U.S. Protestant denominations — declines in members leading to declines in funding and thus in staff.   The penny has finally dropped. The new Episcopal Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe has looked in the mirror and admitted the Church has no future if it doesn’t plant new churches.   When the Episcopal Church declared a “Decade of Evangelism” in the 1990s it was hoped the church would jump start, moving away from the slide. In 2003, the development of new congregations was identified as one priority in a series of proposals, known as the “20/20 Vision,” that set even more ambitious goals, including doubling church membership by 2020. It all flopped.   “The Decade of Evangelism, how’d that work? Not well,” Rowe said Feb. 26 in a keynote conversation at the Episcopal Parish Network conference in Kansas City, Missouri. “We spent 10 years on evangelism. That’s a good thing. But we have no idea why that didn’t work,” reported ENS.   I can tell you. The church did not have a message then or now to proclaim that which didn’t echo the culture. Planting and growing churches on themes of diversity, inclusion, pansexuality, anti-racism, LGBTQ acceptance and full-on gay marriage hasn’t planted one church. The Episcopal Church has steadily been eroding for over half a century and now has just over 400,000 weekly Sunday attendance out of a total membership of 1,547,779. The new PB is going to give it the old school try. You can read more here: Presiding Bishop says support for new church plants a must if TEC is to survive   *****   A couple of Episcopal bishops have come up short and their sins have been exposed by Anglican Watch, the unofficial watchdog of Episcopal Church failures.   Corrupt Episcopal bishop Todd Ousley, recently released from his previous role as Bishop for Pastoral Development, was elected bishop provisional of the faltering Diocese of Wyoming. The news comes despite Ousley’s deliberate mishandling of multiple Title IV clergy disciplinary cases involving Episcopal bishops, in which Ousley asserted that he could ignore the provisions of Title IV at his discretion.   Instead, Ousley contends that bishops can disregard Title IV at any time they wish because they can address complaints pastorally. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/corrupt-episcopal-bishop-todd-ousley-elected-bishop-provisional-of-wyoming   Bishop Santosh Marray, the subject of a badly handled Title IV clergy disciplinary case, is continuing to diminish trust among laity and clergy within the struggling Diocese of Easton following a poorly managed diocesan convention.   Tellingly, the convention started unable to transact business, as it did not achieve the quorum needed in order to vote. Thus, the first session was devoted almost entirely to Marray’s narcissistic puffery, in which he made a series of questionable claims. You can read more here: https://www.anglicanwatch.com/easton-bishop-santosh-marray-further-erodes-trust-at-diocesan-convention/   Clearly the new Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe has his hands full. The bigger question is, can he right the ship before it all sinks to the ocean floor. Very few give it much hope, and throwing millions of dollars at new ideas is not a sure-fire winner.   *****   IS THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN CRISIS? The Rev Canon Dr. Chris Sugden explains how 2025 might pan out and notes developments that could encourage evangelicals.   He writes; With the resignation of Archbishop Welby, the Archbishop of York under a cloud due to a failure in safeguarding and the C of E riven with doctrinal differences, chiefly over the desire of many bishops to bless same-sex unions what might lie ahead?   At the time of writing some matters look clear. What has taken place already is that Archbishop Welby introduced a centralized management process into the Church of England. He also sought to preserve what he called unity by making concessions to a small but powerful elite lobby pressing for same sex relationships to be blessed and recognised in church services, and for clergy to enter same-sex marriage.   Because of this step, on the global stage he forfeited the allegiance of many Anglican Primates (the senior Archbishops in a country), representing between them the majority of Anglicans around the world, who have refused to acknowledge his office as the senior office in the Anglican Communion. It has been formally recommended by an international Anglican body that his successor as leader of the world’s Anglican Archbishops should not be the Archbishop of Canterbury but be chosen from the Primates.   In response here in England, The Alliance, a network of orthodox clergy and lay leaders from the Holy Trinity Brompton (Alpha Course) network, the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), Church Society, ReNew, New Wine, Forward in Faith (an Anglo-Catholic High Church network) and Living Out (people with same-sex attraction who live celibate lives) have come together representing a majority of the churchgoers in the Church of England. You can read more here: IS THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN CRISIS?   *****   A former Welsh bishop has been jailed for sexually abusing a boy over a five-year period while he was a priest. Anthony Pierce, 84, who was bishop of Swansea and Brecon between 1999 and 2008, pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault on a child under the age of 16.   Swansea Crown Court heard the abuse, which included sexual touching, happened from 1985 until 1990, while Pierce was a parish priest in West Cross, Swansea.   Sentencing Pierce to four years and one month - half of which he will serve behind bars before spending the rest on licence - Judge Catherine Richards said: "You exploited his age and your position of trust."   *****   The study of religion is in danger of being erased in Wales, with the nation’s last remaining full theology department facing closure and increasing numbers of schools cutting religious education.   Cardiff University’s announcement that it is considering cutting its theology department, has caused alarm across the churches, and in an open letter to Welsh vice-chancellors and Welsh Assembly political leaders, Churches Together in Wales (Cytûn) expressed “deep concern” at the possible closure, repeating a warning from the renowned theology professor, D. Densil Morgan, that it would be a “disaster” if closure goes ahead. H/T to Anglican Mainstream.   *****   President Donald Trump remains locked in at least five major lawsuits filed by religious groups during the first two months of his new administration, showing tensions between the White House and the faith-based organizations challenging his agenda.   The latest chapter in the ongoing legal battles unfolded on Monday (March 17), when a legal report announced the federal government had paid Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Worth more than $47 million for refugee resettlement work — funds frozen since Trump halted the federal refugee program in January. You can read more here: https://wordandway.org/2025/03/19/heres-a-look-at-the-various-legal-battles-faith-groups-are-fighting-against-the-trump-administration/   ******   The Archbishop of Kenya has ordered churches under his care to stop allowing speeches by politicians during their worship services. The ban moves the Anglican Church of Kenya into a stricter separation of church and state than is common in the United States, where politicians often visit churches and speak from pulpits during their campaigns.   “When the time comes for acknowledging all those who have come, we will do that, but I want to give direction that from today, henceforth in any Anglican congregation, there will be no opportunity for any political leader to have a speech in the Church,” Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit said on March 16 while speaking at Nairobi’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Jogoo Road.   The archbishop said he will allow clergy to recognize visiting politicians during the service and that politicians are welcome to stand and wave. “If they so wish to address the congregation, it will be done outside the sanctuary,” he said. You can read more here: Kenyan Archbishop Bans Speeches by Politicians - The Living Church   *****   The Bishop of Sheffield made a speech to Parliament opposing the reduction in number of Lords Spiritual from 25 to 5. The bigger and deeper question is; who cares. The Church of England is in a frightful state ol’ chap. If she can’t fix her own ship why should anyone listen to what the bishops have to say about the state of the country?   *****   A friend of mine, a senior cleric in the Church of England is about to have a woman bishop run his diocese following the retirement of the present bishop. As a result, he will seek spiritual and ecclesiastical solace elsewhere. This is what happens when crazy happens. People quietly walk away and another church goes silent.   *****   An old joke revised . It is probably better said than written, but goes something like this. One Sunday, Reginald and Regina Churchgoer go to their usual church and sit down in their usual spots as they had for decades. When it comes time for the service to begin, the procession includes pride flags and rainbow banners. Then the non-binary priest says, “In the name of our manifold-gendered God, the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sanctifier along with all of your God-selfs, Amen. The Mother of us all be with you . . .” For the scripture lessons, the Koran is read for one and the Bhagavad Gita for another. But there’s more. When the time nears for the consecration, there is an even newer innovation. Drag queen liturgical dancers sprinkle milk on the communion table. At that point, Reginald grumbles to Regina, “I swear, if they commit one more abomination…” H/T Mark Marshall   *****   VOL disavows paywalls. We believe that information should be open and free. In doing so we take the risk of going out of business. Mercifully that has not happened. Recently an orthodox blog Mercatornet.net closed its cyber doors for lack of money. We were sorry to see it go. But the cyber world is rapidly changing and it is a case of keep up or die. We have a new website and VOL’s stories are going out to a wider audience. I now have a Substack on the Middle East that is drawing a lot of interest. You can access my Substack here: https://davidvirtue2.substack.com/ There is no charge to access my substack.   With VOL’s new website you can more easily navigate to areas of interest.   Please consider a tax-deductible donation. A PayPal donation link can be found here   DONATE | Virtue Online Or here: here: http://www.virtueonline.org/support.html If you are more inclined with old fashioned checks, (as I am), you can send your donation to:   VIRTUEONLINE P.O. Box 111 Shohola, PA 18458   Warmly in Christ, David

COMMENTARY   By David W. Virtue, DD www.virtueonline.org March 19, 2025   They came, they talked, they prayed, studied scripture, and encouraged each other in the faith – but 170 Anglican leaders from 25 countries lost the moment to tell the Church of England that the historic relationship with the Mother Church and the vast majority of the Anglican Communion was finally over…a new world Anglican order had finally dawned.   GAFCON and GSFA now claim 80% of the communion’s faithful; all they needed to do was announce the fact, grab the keys, and kick Canterbury to the curb.   The Church of England stands in disarray. The church has no Archbishop of Canterbury – Justin Welby was the worst ABC in over a century – a conflicted Archbishop of York who should have resigned over failed safeguarding issues; a Makin report has decimated the ranks of evangelicals who are now in total disarray over sexual abuse; a handful of largely irrelevant Anglo-Catholics and a ‘no gospel’ broad progressive church that has zero relevance to 98% of the British public. The moment was ripe for a complete takeover. In spiritual warfare you take the fight to the enemy and strike when the iron is hot. This was such a moment. Our offensive weapon is the Word of God, not our own opinions and feelings. And we are to pray in the power and will of the Holy Spirit.   GAFCON primates have argued that they have not left the communion: the communion left them and they want to renew it. Noble sentiments indeed. But that song has been playing since 1998 when the Lambeth Conference produced and passed Lambeth resolution 1:10 which forbade homosexual practice. Western liberal provinces ignored the mandate and went right on blessing homosexual unions with the Episcopal Church finally passing a gay marriage resolution that resulted in bishops who refused to go along with this unholy behavior being kicked out of the church. The Church of England is heading in exactly the same direction. Nothing will stop the sexual steamroller; we have seen it all before.   First the Episcopal Church, then the Anglican Church of Canada, then the Church in Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church; the sexual landslide is now a Tsunami, sweeping all before it. The Church of England stands on the threshold of changing its official teaching on marriage all done under the cover of nice compromising words and high-sounding phrases like “living with difference” that the British are known for.   And here is the lesson for the Global South: Western pansexualists will not rest till they have run right over the communion. They will use whatever strategy and tool they have to win the sexual culture war. It is well documented that money from western sources like the Episcopal Church and Trinity Wall Street has and is being used to effectively change hearts and minds.   THREE MOVEMENTS   There are three movements, (it is not only Shia Moslems who want to destroy the West,) that the Global South will have to wrestle with if they are going to carry the weight of Anglicanism on their shoulders: Secularism, sodomy and Islam. They have yet to be fully tested over secularism. The aim of Islam is simple; Iran’s leaders want to destroy the world as we know it. They want to dominate the Middle East, overthrow Western-style democracy, wipe out Israel, and impose Shia Islam on the world.   Probably no nation knows this better than Nigeria, a leader in the persecution of Christians. Thousands are dying at the hands of Islamic extremists. Mainstream media refuses to report on it.   But the Global South is being pounded by western homosexualists and their tribe, which will eventually impact orthodox Anglican provinces.   It is profoundly interesting that Nigeria which is being hit hardest by Islamic extremists, is also the province most vocal in its hatred of homosexual intrusion into Africa. Love him or hate him, Archbishop Henry Ndukuba gets it. His province has broken with Canterbury and there are no signs that restoration will ever happen any time soon, if ever.   The Nigerians have remained the most fervent in their push against western pansexual intrusion. They have made a lot of enemies in the process. There was no love lost between Rowan Williams and Peter Akinola and between Justin Welby and Henry Ndukuba. There was no mutual admiration society. Williams viewed the Africans as little more than Fundamentalists, and Welby could never move the needle to get Nigerians to accommodate compromise on homosexuality. The Nigerians even ruffled ACNA’s feathers on one occasion. Still the orthodox primates have refused to cut ties with Canterbury hoping that the rift could be restored through the Windsor Report and that some accommodation could be made. It will never happen.  The Jerusalem Declaration put the kibosh on that.   The Kigali Commitment of 2023 said this: Despite 25 years of persistent warnings by most Anglican Primates, repeated departures from the authority of God’s Word have torn the fabric of the Communion. These warnings were blatantly and deliberately disregarded and now without repentance this tear cannot be mended.   Before the meeting in Plano, GAFCON leaders commented on a plan to rearrange one of the Anglican Communion organizations, replacing the Archbishop of Canterbury with a rotating, international chair. In February, the leaders said the proposed restructure “fails to bring genuine renewal to our Anglican Church.”   In the face of such failure, the Plano statement said, “Our fellowship has not diminished but expanded. Our resolve to proclaim the gospel has not been weakened but strengthened. Our commitment to reform and renew the Anglican Communion has not wavered or faltered”.   Referencing the founding assembly of Anglican leaders in 2008, the statement said, “That meeting could have been a one-time occurrence, but it was not. The Gafcon movement continues to grow, continues to gather, and continues to stand firm for the faith once delivered to the saints. We also continue to grieve over how some leaders in the Anglican Communion have led the flock of Christ astray, diluted the authority of Scripture and distorted the gospel, endangering many souls. We once again call them to repentance”. But is “standing firm” enough at this late stage. We have been hearing this for 27 years and nothing has changed.   The left keeps plowing forward pushing to change hearts and minds, and in the West, they have all but won.   WOMEN’S ORDINATION   One sticking point still remains. The ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopacy. Once only the provinces of liberals and revisionists, many orthodox dioceses now allow for this innovation.   This is the other great divide they did not address in Plano. It is a divide roiling the whole Communion--Holy Orders and women's ordination (WO). The Primates still ignored a problem that will come back to bite in a big way.   WO is a clear violation of the whole tradition and the plain sense of Scripture. It teaches a bad lesson to young Anglicans, even those who have broken with Canterbury over homosexuality--that it is OK to ignore tradition and the plain sense of Scripture when another god-word (equality) in the Zeitgeist cries out.   It is no wonder that every major Church that has ordained women has gone on to endorse gay marriage. Because WO caused their brains to be rewired to accept violations of Scripture and the Tradition.   It is also why many clergy and laity serious about Scripture and tradition are departing the ACNA and moving to churches that take a firm stand on these things.   Scripture shows us the way forward. The concept of heresy implies the idea of deviation, distortion—in other words, it implies the idea that an original, authentic deposit of truth has later been perverted.   “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,” warned St. Paul to Titus. How many times does the Global South need to warn the West about its apostasies and heresies, even as it watches it all collapse?   “In God’s name go,” screamed Oliver Cromwell. So, GAFCON and GSFA must tell the West.   Thus, it is with homosexual behavior. It is a deviation from the binary relationship established by God in Genesis, “male and female created He them,” and later reaffirmed by Jesus. THAT HAS NEVER BEEN ABROGATED. Every attempt to do so has led to splits and eventual spiritual and actual death.   If the Anglican Communion wants a good example of what to expect they only have to look at the United Methodist Church. The Global Methodist Church is a new denomination that aims to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness worldwide. Some 7,500 American churches have broken away from the UMC and formed the GMC which is mostly African. They are growing and prospering, the UMC in the US will be gone in a generation. So will the Episcopal Church. The Anglican Church of Canada is already in its death throes. You can’t pump new blood into a corpse. Sydney Archbishop Raffel said this in an interview; “More than ever, our gathering in Plano showed Gafcon is a mission-minded movement intent on renewing our Anglican Communion by a vigorous, prayerful and sacrificial commitment to keeping the biblical gospel at the heart of mission and fellowship, Gafcon is focused on the future and the opportunities for Anglicans around the world to bring the good news of Jesus to their communities.”   Combating heresy from within if not dealt with will, like a cancer, grow and metastasize. At some point the Global South must excise it, just as the Israelis are doing with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, so must the Global South in dealing with Anglicanism.   This was the moment for the Global South to break free from the clutches of a dying western Anglican body and bid it farewell. They didn’t. Kicking the can down the road one more time is not the answer.   “Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.” wrote Jude (1:7) A lesson the Global South once again failed to act upon.   END

By Chuck Collins www.virtueonline.org March 17, 2025   Something happens in someone who hears the message of the Bible. Anglicans say that the Holy Spirit who inspired its writing also accompanies the hearing of God’s word read and preached: the power of God to transform lives.   Speaking through the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, God tells us that the word that goes out will not return empty, but it will accomplish all that God purposes and succeed in the things for which he sent it (55:11).   There are countless stories of people who were sitting in church pews, or who picked up a Gideon Bible in a hotel room in a moment of boredom, or was challenged by a friend to read the gospel of John, who came to discover and love the God whose story it tells.   Such a surprising conversion happened in the heart of Cyril Lucaris (1572-1638). While serving as the Greek Patriarch of Alexandria, and later ascending to the highest position in Orthodoxy to be the Patriarch of Constantinople, he became “Protestant” in his understanding of the authority of Holy Scripture. His biographer records letters in which Cyril wrote of the unique position he held the Scriptures as the rule of the Christian faith.   This led him to the central teaching of the Bible, justification by grace through faith alone. He was then led to see that there are two gospel sacraments, to a robust understanding of predestination, and to a reformed understanding that the grace conferred in the sacraments depends on a faith-response that Christ might dwell in us and we in him. For the first and only time in history, Orthodoxy had a Protestant Patriarch!   Cyril had a close relationship with the English reformers and his correspondence with the Archbishops of Canterbury is well documented. He sent several young Greeks to England to study, including Metrophanes Kritopoulos who later became Patriarch of Alexandria. Cyril presented King James I of England with an ancient Bible manuscript (Codex Alexandrinus, now in the British Library), and later he gifted William Laud (curiously, the first anti-Calvinist Archbishop of Canterbury) with an ancient manuscript of the Pentateuch with an Arabic translation.   Cyril Lucaris spent much of his life and ministry running from those who wanted him dead for his Protestant convictions. They finally caught him, strangled him to death, and threw his body into the Bosporus strait. On March 16, 1672, at the Synod of Jerusalem meeting at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Cyril's teachings were condemned by the Greek Orthodox Church. "Sola scriptura" had its day in Orthodoxy, but in the end Scripture-subject-to-traditon became their rule.   Cyril Lucaris’ eighteen point “Eastern Confession of the Christian Faith,” originally written in Latin, was published in Geneva in 1629. It is a remarkable, succinct Protestant statement.   The second Article states beautifully: “We believe the Holy Scripture to be given by God, to have no other author but the Holy Spirit. This we ought undoubtedly to believe, for it is written. We have a more sure word of prophecy, to which you do well to take heed, as to light shining in a dark place. We believe the authority of the Holy Scripture to be above the authority of the Church. To be taught by the Holy Spirit is a far different thing from being taught by a man; for man may through ignorance err, deceive and be deceived, but the word of God neither deceives nor is deceived, nor can err, and is infallible and has eternal authority.” END

By Sarah Carter   JUICY ECUMENISM March 13, 2025   Although the Protestant Reformation may seem historically far removed from the modern church, the reformational nature of Anglicanism is crucial to understanding its practice. The Reformation has incredible effect upon how Anglicans practice liturgy, the sacraments, and prayer. The Falls Church Anglican  (TFCA) Rector Sam Ferguson spoke on doctrinal reforms and expounded upon the history and practice of the English Reformation at  History and Hope: Reformed Theology in the Anglican Tradition . The February 4  Reformed Theological Seminary  collaboration with TFCA focused on the reformational roots of Anglicanism and its doctrinal convictions. (Readers may access part one History (English Bibles, Refuted Clericalism, and Reformation Anglicanism)  here  and part two, Scripture in Reformation Anglicanism,  here ). Book of Common Prayer    The Reformation led to Christianity being practiced through the  Book of Common Prayer . Compiled by Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer, it made prayers and liturgies accessible and available to common people in their vernacular. While the Medieval Church performed liturgies in Latin, and prayers were said on behalf of the congregation, the people did not understand the words. For the Reformers, it was crucial that both the Bible and church liturgies were in the vernacular. Through the prayer book and worship, God’s people were able to hear His voice in a language that they understood. Additionally, liturgies set out in the  Book of Common Prayer  allow flexibility in worship. Article 34 from the  39 Articles  articulates the normative principle of worship, allowing various expressions of Anglican worship across “diversity of countries, times, and men’s manners, so that nothing be ordained against God’s Word,” once again emphasizing the wide-tent expression of the Anglican tradition. Sacraments    As Protestant Reformers moved from the  doctrine of transubstantiation , the nature of the Lord’s Supper was hotly debated. Cranmer and other Reformers believed that Christ’s presence in the Lord’s Supper was a dynamic spiritual presence that was effective when participating in faith. When administered in the vernacular, both the liturgy and the sacrament preached the gospel.   Ferguson noted that communion liturgy in the  Book of Common Prayer  speaks of this dynamic spiritual presence of Christ. During the communion liturgy, the celebrant states “The gifts of God for the people of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on Him in your hearts by faith.”   Likewise the post-communion prayer states, “Almighty and Ever-living God, we thank you for feeding us in these Holy Mysteries with the spiritual food of the most precious body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ.” This liturgy and these prayers speak of the dynamic spiritual presence of Christ. The Reformers’ understanding and reform of the nature of Christ in the Lord’s Supper is not an intangible idea but affects how Anglicans understand the nature of the Lord’s Supper. Prayer    The Reformation also impacted the Anglican tradition’s understanding and practice of prayer. The  Book of Common Prayer  was created to guide Christ-followers in prayer. Most laity in the Reformation era could not understand the Latin prayers of the church. While religious leaders prayed on behalf of the congregation, lay persons did not pray on the same level as religious leaders. Cranmer wanted prayer to be for everyone, not primarily for priests and monks. Crucial to this goal, the  Book of Common Prayer  guides through prayer that involves the whole of life. It assumes that people could read Scripture and pray through the prayer book. Daily morning and evening office made a layperson’s home into a prayerful monastery with accessible scripture, meditation, and lay services dedicated around the average work day. Cranmer made it possible for the regular secular person to enter a biblical rhythm of prayer for “whole life discipleship.” Liturgy Cranmer changed the church liturgy to prioritize grace. He moved confession to collective worship. After the priest announced the absolution of sins, he recited to the congregation “ comfortable words ” from scripture. Ferguson ended his talk with several of these “comfortable words”:   “Come to me, all ye, who trival and are heavily laden, and I will give ye rest. “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “This is a trustworthy saying, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” END

Dr. Alice C. Linsley https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/ March 15, 2025 What is the difference between a living faith and a dead faith? A faith that works by which we are justified, according to Scripture, hangs on the God-Man Jesus Christ. This is why it is essential to get Christology (the study of Christ) right.James and Paul approach this central truth, but from different angles. Both refer to the Mount Moriah narrative to present the relationship of faith and works. We are challenged to consider the relationship of faith and works not as  either-or , but instead as  both-and . For Christ followers, faith and works point to consideration of more complex matters including grace, justification, and eternal life.The story of Abraham on Mount Moriah illustrates how  both-and  reasoning expands our consideration of the faith-works relationship. The narrative speaks of Abraham’s obedience to God, divine revelation, human understanding, righteousness, absolute grace, and justification. James explains in 2:21-24 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, and the scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. Paul explains in Romans 4:2-3 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness”. In Judaism, the Mount Moriah story is called “Akedah” (ah-kay-DAH), or “The Binding of Isaac”. This powerful narrative has been interpreted differently by Jews and Christians. For Jews, who  regard Abraham as the first Jew , the story speaks of Abraham’s absolute obedience. For Christians, the narrative has Messianic meaning, and indeed, the Christian interpretation is closer to what the early Hebrew believed concerning the High God who has a son.    Among the early Hebrew the High God was known by various names depending on where they lived. Some Hebrew clans called the High God El, or Yahweh, or Adonai. Some called the High God Re, which means “father” in  ancient Egyptian . The  Hebrew who lived along the Nile  called the son of the High God HR, which in ancient Egyptian means “Most High One”. The Greeks referred to HR as Horus. The Hebrew were devotees of the Father and the Son. Their prayers and writings have been collected from the walls of royal monuments and tombs and translated to English. They can be read in the Pyramid Texts (2400-2000 BC).Abraham lived around 2000 BC so the beliefs of the Horite and Sethite Hebrew were familiar to him. According to Genesis 10, some of Abraham’s ancestors, such as Nimrod, came from the Nile Valley. The earliest known site of Horite Hebrew worship is at  Nekhen (Hierakonpolis)  on the Nile (c. 4000 BC). Genesis 36 lists some of the Horite Hebrew rulers, including Seir the Horite, Zibeon, Esau, Dishan, and Uz. Job was of the Hebrew clan of Uz. In the symbolism of the early Hebrew the Divine Father-Son were represented by the Sun and the solar arc. HR often was shown riding on the solar boat. Some images show HR as a falcon perched on the mast of the boat. Among the early Hebrew, the boat of the morning hours was called Mandjet and the boat of the evening hours was called Mesektet. While HR was on the Mesektet, he was in his ram-headed form. HR rose as a lamb and set as a ram, mature in strength. The east represented the past and the west represented the future, as with many indigenous peoples even today.As Abraham and Isaac ascended Mount Moriah, Isaac asked his father, "Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” Abraham replied that God would provide the sacrifice. The climax of the story is the divine provision of a ram rather than a lamb. It appears that Abraham discovered that God the Father would provide his own Son in the future. Abraham believed that promise and he was declared justified. All are justified on the same basis: belief that God provides the Son for our salvation. (See Matt. 16:15-16; Rom. 10:9-10; Jn, 20:31, 1 Jn 5:13.)The Mount Moriah event is best understood according to the early Hebrew beliefs concerning the expected  Righteous Ruler  who would die and overcome death. They expected him to rise on the third day and to lead his people to eternal life. Paul uses this royal procession language in Ephesians 4:8. “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (See also Ps. 68:18; Ps. 7:7.)Horus is the single figure shown in ancient iconography with the body of a man and the head of a ram. There is an interesting linguistic connection between the words for ram and soul in the ancient Egyptian language. Both are the same word -  ba . No wonder the Egyptians did not sacrifice rams! (Consider Gen. 46:32.) Yet on Mount Moriah God provided a ram. The faith of the early Hebrew is rooted in a Messianic Tradition that existed at least 1200 years before Egypt became a political entity. Related reading:  Abraham's Faith Lives in Christianity ;  The Hebrew were a Caste ;  BIBLICAL ANTHROPOLOGY: Horite and Sethite Mounds ;  Righteous Rulers and the Resurrection ;  What Abraham Discovered on Mount Moriah ;  Why Nekhen is Anthropologically Significant Alice C. Linsley has been pioneering the science of Biblical Anthropology for over 35 years. She is a founding member of Christian Women in Science and a member of the American Scientific Affiliation. She taught Philosophy, Ethics, and World Religions for fourteen years at Midway University in Kentucky. Now retired, her writings appear at Just Genesis, Biblical Anthropology, Ethics Forum, and Philosophers’ Corner.

By David W. Virtue, DD www.virtueonline.org March 17, 2025   The Episcopal Bishop of New York, the Rt. Rev. Matthew Heyd, has condemned the Trump administration's attempt to deport a Palestinian student Mahmoud Khalil, who holds a green card, for his involvement last year protesting the war in Gaza while he was a graduate student at Columbia University.   Khalil, 30, was arrested and is being held in a federal facility in Louisiana while he fights deportation.    According to the liberal bishop, the Trump administration has produced no evidence that Khalil engaged in criminal activity, and as a green card holder, his lawful permanent residency can only be revoked for specific causes with approval of an immigration judge.   “The Episcopal Diocese of New York rejects the detention and threat of deportation of Mahmoud Khalil,” Heyd said in a  statement posted to Facebook . “In accordance with our faith and civic creed, we uphold the belief that difference and dissent should be safe. We reject deportation based on political viewpoint – whether we agree or disagree.”   However, British Israeli journalist and author Melanie Phillips said the uproar over the arrest and detention of Khalil — the Syrian-born student agitator who orchestrated the anti-Israel mayhem at Columbia University and now faces losing his green card and being deported— is profoundly ill-judged.   “Democrats and other liberal useful idiots have been screaming that Khalil is being persecuted for expressing his support for “Palestine”. This is rubbish. He’s a foreign visitor who organized a violent takeover of campus with Hamas-linked activities and who conspired to commit civil rights violations.”   “The protests against his arrest aren’t just morally bankrupt. They also obscure the fact that Khalil and his ilk are active participants in a highly organized Islamist uprising against the West. Western liberals who think such people are supporting the “oppressed Palestinians” have been played for suckers,” she said.   Antiwar protests at Columbia University and other campuses across the United States  generated widespread headlines and controversy   in spring 2024 as the Israel-Hamas war dragged on, decimating the Palestinian territory of Gaza, killing thousands of Palestinians and displacing many of the densely populated territory’s 2 million residents, nearly all of whom support Hamas.   In the US, campus authorities faced pressure on both sides: to protect students’ right to peacefully protest while also ensuring the safety of Jewish students when those protests cross the line by threatening and attacking Jewish students--as  happened during the Columbia demonstrations .   Since taking office on Jan. 20, President Donald Trump ,  saying he is combating antisemitism ,  has threatened to deport foreign-born campus protesters who opposed Israel’s war on Hamas, which Israel launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israeli communities,  and threatened or attacked Jewish students. The Trump administration has specifically scrutinized Columbia University’s handling of the protests, and on March 7, the administration announced it would  cut $400 million in federal grants and contracts  to the university.   Khalil appears to have been targeted for arrest by the Trump administration because of his involvement in a group known as Columbia University Apartheid Divest, which has been accused of glorifying Hamas’ attack on Israel. Before his arrest,  Khalil told the Associated Press  that much of the focus on him was related to the group’s social media posts, in which he has not been involved.   Then on March 8, Khalil was in his university-owned apartment when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up and took him into custody, his attorney, Amy Greer, told the Associated Press. His wife is eight months pregnant.   A Homeland Security spokesperson later alleged that Khalil had “led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.”   The bishop also affirmed the Diocese of New York as a “sanctuary diocese” in which “we care for our neighbors.”   “Today, we stand with our neighbors at Columbia University. We also encourage Columbia to protect its students when they are threatened. Higher education depends upon the ability to speak honestly and freely, without fear of retribution; and on attracting people of diverse and international viewpoints. As Christians, we’re calling on our neighbors to be neighbors.”   Unimpressed by this Phillips, a well-respected UK newspaper columnist said the aim of Palestinians is no secret. Jihadi warriors from both the Sunni and Shi’ite Islamic world in Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran have repeatedly threatened that, after they have destroyed Israel and the Jews, they’re coming for the West.   That’s why the uproar over the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil — the Syrian-born student agitator who orchestrated the anti-Israel mayhem at Columbia University and now faces losing his green card and being deported— is so profoundly ill-judged.   People in the West are constantly being shocked by developments inspired by the Islamic world. They were shocked by the October 7 atrocities. They have been shocked by the violent “pro-Gaza” demonstrations. They have been shocked by the recent terrible scenes from Syria, said Phillips.   “Such indifference to the outrageous lawbreaking, harassment and intimidation that has consumed universities, which have echoed for months with chants for Israel’s destruction and the murder of Jews, throws into even sharper relief the shocking revelation that support for Israel in America has fallen to below 50 per cent for the first time.”   The latest Gallup polling revealed only 46 percent of Americans say their sympathies lie more with Israel than the Palestinians, while 33 percent sympathize more with the Palestinians, up by 6 percentage points from last year.   How could this have happened?   American support for Israel has long been as reliable as the sun rising in the morning. Israel is not only regarded as America’s indispensable bulwark in the Middle East; Americans’ support for it has been more full-throated and emotional than among many Jewish communities around the world.   The huge drop in support overall has been caused by Democrat supporters, who have registered a stunning 59 per cent support for the Palestinians versus only 21 per cent for Israel. In sharp contrast, Republicans support Israel over the Palestinians 75 per cent to 10 per cent.   In other words, Israel has become a partisan issue. So why have the Democrats turned against the Jewish state?   Gallup suggests the reason is the Israel-Hamas war, as well as the polarization of attitudes toward  President Trump .  These are hardly likely to be the main causes, though, since such trends have been developing over many years.   The main reason is surely the Democrats have turned against Israel because the left in general has turned against Israel, concluded Phillips.   This is principally the outcome of the massive Palestinian propaganda campaign that’s been running for decades in the universities and across all the institutions of the culture, indoctrinating successive generations in a false and malicious narrative that’s scarcely been challenged.   It’s also because this Palestinian cause has become in turn the centrepiece of the “intersectionality” agenda of interlocking “victim” groups based on race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender and other categories of identity politics.   These campaigns of grievance and resentment are all based on attacking the western nation-state as having been born in the original sins of colonialism and racism, with its inhabitants guilty of white privilege.   Israel, the Jewish people’s nation-state and regarded as an outpost of American power occupied by white Jews — though most Israeli Jews are brown or black-skinned and 20 percent of the population are Israeli Arabs — is therefore held to be multiply damned.   The liberal-progressive world’s embrace of all these radical agendas has moved the dial, so that what was once considered far-left is now deemed the centre ground and what was once considered the centre ground is now deemed right-wing or even far-right.   END