THE BIBLE IS MINE

We began this blog by re-stating the obvious. The only real Anglican in the United States of America is an Episcopalian. It seems that there is a growing group of persons, generally lead by a deposed bishop (or a bishop soon to be deposed) that seems to think that they are the only Anglicans in the United States. It was/is therefore necessary to clear the air in this regard. Should any or all of those who have left the Episcopal Church wish to become real Anglicans they can always come back. You can tell the Real Anglicans by the big tent in the front yard.

It is now time to again state the obvious. Many in the recently founded "alphabet soup" groups and in the Southern Cone seem to have attempted to abscond with the Bible. One can hardly read an article written by a Bishop of ________ (fill in the blank) Minns, Venables, Guernsey, Akinola, Jensen, Orambi, or whoever and not read that they have claimed the Bible is theirs and theirs alone. The rest of us can or are on the road to perdition. They tend to point to the old testament and skip lightly through the new as they tell us how great they are, how erroneous our interpretation is and how much we have strayed from the "teachings of the Bible".

Let me say this about that: "Stick a fork in that nonsense because it is done!" 

This book you call a teaching tool is not that at all. Rather, it is God's Love Poem written specifically to me. It is my God telling me how much I am loved. But it is also more than that. It has places where I can respond to God with my imperfect love made acceptable through Jesus Christ. It has room for me to add my spouse and for all of us to grow in this relationship as we read and discover more about God. It encourages my response, it guides my response and it straightens my path from time to time but it always envelopes me with love -- actually mercy/compassion.

One of the truly amazing things about this love poem is that while it is written to me it is also your love poem, God writing to you. The one thing it is not -- it cannot be claimed by one group or one person only. It is not just JI Packer's or Peter Akinola's or Mr. John David Mercer Schofield's. These people, these groups, these nickers may not steal off with the silver, the property and they may not steal my love poem!