It was a beautiful day in Jericho and twenty-four communicants were able to be there and enjoy it.
Fr. McKinnon was in fine form and started out by explaining that the liturgy we were about to use, the 1928 Prayer Book rite of Holy Communion, was in of itself constructed as a sacred song of prayer and praise to God. He elucidated the various parts of the rite at the beginning and said we would not be interrupting the flow with announcements.
He began his sermon with a reference to the gambit of the tv game show Jeopardy. If a statement were answered with the question "What is the way to salvation?", that would be the wrong question. It should be "Who is the way to salvation?" It was an excellent sermon, underscoring the supremacy of scripture, with flashes of wit and steeped in erudition.
Afterwards we gathered around the grill with grillmeister Glenn Martin (poor Ellie was feeling decidedly under the weather) and a picnic buffet of simply great food, prepared by the hands of those who attended.
Then we took a photo of the group gathered around newcomer Rico and the gift of many Bibles he was given to take to North Carolina where he was meeting with a men's Bible study group. He was delighted with the gift and thanked the group graciously.
At the business meeting the group heard the financial report which reflected a net income of approximately $2300, and approved a gift to Bill Murdoch+, Dean of the ACN-New England Convocation and Bishop-Elect in the Province of Kenya, of $500.00 toward his consecration expenses. The consecration will take place at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi on August 30, 2007. In addition, we approved a budget of up to $800 for Timothy's expenses for the Anglican Homecoming on Friday, August 10 at Community Alliance Church in Hinesburg.
Business concluded, Fr. McKinnon gave a talk as planned on "The Three Streams of Anglicanism". These are, catholic, evangelical and charismatic. He pointed out that we had experienced all three streams earlier that morning. Worship was entry to the presence of Almighty God. So worship was catholic, in the sense of universal, for all time and all places. Preaching was meant to be evangelical i.e. the Good News of the Gospel. It is a call to the life changing and radical life of Jesus. "Charis" means the gift, and refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit, the spirit driver -- no Holy Spirit, no holy eucharist or communion, that we may be the church. Worship this morning is in continuity with the early church. In the early church there was an understanding that the church is one in Christ.
Post primitive early church, the historic catholic church developed as three primary branches: Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican. Anglican is an approach, not a denomination. There are no Anglican creeds, no Anglican faith, no Anglican order of ministry. "We profess the catholic faith of the undivided church." The English Reformation tried to re-connect the church to the faith and practice and order of the historic Catholic church. He cited Ignatius of Antioch who wrote to the universal church of that time and first used the word "catholic" in 107 A.D.
One interesting aside: " I think if Anglicans don't know who they are, how can they know where they are going?"
Fr. McKinnon turned our attention to the preface to the Lambeth Quadrilateral which refers to the undivided church of ancient times and states the four sides of the church's foundation: scriptures, sacraments, creeds and ministry.
It was clear he could have held our attention for an extended time. Before he left to return for evening service at his church, Holy Trinity Church in Marlborough, MA, he made an offer to come back sometime and do a day-long class or mini-course for Timothy on Anglican Essentials.
We felt blessed to have this godly man grace our gathering on this day.
Faithfully,
Ann
