I went to see Hair in London, UK in the 1960s. I wasn’t a Christian in those days and, while I enjoyed the general aura of comfortably rebellious hairiness, it still struck me as pretentious drivel. Even then I knew enough about Christianity to understand that “The Age of Aquarius” doesn’t belong in a church. Until now, that is; and where would it fit better than in an Anglican Church. Another fine production from Christ Anglican Church London:
I expect next year they will enthral the audience with a rendition of another Hair favourite: “Masturbation Can be Fun” – with actions if we’re really unlucky.
the sheep have no shepherd.
So I took a look at what this cathedral offers for services. It seems all to be Book of Alternative Services which in the heading on the website “offers more contemporary language and theology”.
So there we have it. A new theology is being taught, used and promoted by this bunch. And since this is the cathedral of a major diocese in Canada of the Anglican Church of Canada it seems the ACoC has thrown out what used to be believed and are using something else. The question is, are they Christians? Their choice of Aquarius seems to answer that.
And as an aside what in heaven’s name is the ANIC doing still using the BAS in places?
Hi Obituary – just to ‘try’ and put your mind to rest – Christ Anglican Church is on one of the the ‘main drags’ in London (Wellington Street) but is not the Cathedral. And – it has paid barely 25% of its apportionment this year. Seems the gospel of paganism doesn’t work – and no wonder with such goings-on in their worship space. I can’t vouch for how the Holy Spirit ‘works’ in such an environment (thankfully – not my job) but I think He’s been crowded out by the ongoing worship of other gods.
And we’ll know they are Christians by their love,by their love.We’ll know they are Christians by their love.
Except in this particular case, we will know they are pagans by the silly songs they sing.
One has to ask “what do these people love”? Do they love God? That being the God we proclaim in the Nicene Creed, the Apostles Creed, AND also the Creed of St. Athanasius? Or do they love astrology? Seems to me that by their singing “The Age of Aquarius” they love astrology, and not God.
Therefore, by their love we do know them. We know them to NOT be Christian.
thanks for the update on which “church” this is. As for knowing them by their “love” I would think that love is not regulated only to Christians but is practiced by pagans and atheists too. No I will do my discernment by the songs they sing. It usually reflects the theology.
ANiC is still using the BAS in places because it is possible to use it wisely, and we have leaders we can trust to use it wisely. Modern does not equal non Christian.
Then Kate I fear for the ANIC.
But with all that in mind I will be putting on my amour and going forth to an ACoC BAS service today, replete with women clergy with an agenda, “TV cooking show” liturgy and who knows what pap will be sung. (It’s sometimes fun being a reactionary old fuddy except one must behave)
I don’t. But then again, I don’t think that the BCP is the most important thing about being Anglican.
Obituary,
I prefer to think of myself as a curmudgeon.
Peace,
Jim
Well one may defenestrate the BCP but if what you get instead is grade eight level language and the Nicene Creed’s omission or rather it’s replacement by a silly hymn, all printed out on a leaflet worked up by the clergy in charge, you do have to wonder what’s going on. That’s what I suffered through this morning.
Why on earth do you still go? Find a church that is more to your liking, that will help you grow as a Christian, and that won’t give you so much to complain about.
My two cents worth, for what it’s worth…
The book of alternative stuff isn’t worth the paper it is printed on. The bas is an integral part of the revisionism that has infected the ACoC for the past 40 or 50 years. The sooner that it is trashed into the garbage heap the better.
From what I have been able to see and determine, only the BCP contains a true Anglican Liturgy. So to say that a person could use a different book and still be practicing an Anglican form of Worship does not make sense (at least not to me).
We use the Kenyan liturgy. It is modern, and recognisably Anglican. I’m not a big fan of the BAS, but it is possible to use it wisely, and it does have at least one liturgy that is superior to the BCP (the Reconciliation of a Penitant, p. 166 here -http://www.stmatthewanglican.org/BAS.pdf ). In the BCP private confession is buried in the ministry to the sick section, and the rite has about five lines.
I think that if we cling too tightly to one form of liturgy, or one form of music, to the point of saying that all other forms are automatically wrong or bad, we risk making idols of them.
AMP
Agreed.
Where I’ve seen it used in ANIC, it has been excused as a stop gap meadure. My feeling is that that should mean once.
I’d rather use a photocopied sheet or no sheet at all than have to tiptoe through the creeping revisionism of the BAS.
Kate this was an one off visit to the church of my youth. I said to my sister it is probably the last time either of us darken the door.
I usually float around visiting various churches that have a traditional bent. Sadly I find I can not settle down to one since the diocese slam dunked my old parish. Nothing seems to be able to replace it. It makes life interesting but I have found out that one does need a regular parish. Naturally I would end up in one that uses the BCP as you can probably tell.