The Practical Parson

 Recently, I was watching a group interview with members of GAFCON and ACNA speaking about the creation of a new, Independent Anglican Diocese info Australia (Diocese of the Southern Cross).  A theme which kept recurring in the discussion they engaged in was the term and references to "Revisionists" and "revisionism".  At face value, to anyone who holds Sacred scripture as the groundwork of our faith, that sounds like a terrifying concept- who would dare try to revise holy writ?  And I think that, that is to an extent what the bishops of GAFCON and ACNA were going for- the shock factor of others attempting to revise what the scriptures teach.  However, as Anglicans, it is an intriguingly odd notion to accuse anyone else of attempting to revise teachings; when the revision of teaching itself is the cause for the Anglican Communion's very existence.  Had it not been for Henry VIII and Cranmer changing the foundational teaching of the church's independence and...

 Recently I have seen some clergy of different churches demanding that the church as a whole "modernize and cast aside outdated theological and sexual ideas".   They insist that the church needs to set aside any and all teachings, theological interpretations, and traditions which could be seen as even remotely "non-inclusive" of the Alphabet community (LGBT... and whatever the hell acronym they're adding this week).  Some going so far as to say that 'queer people should lead the way to showing the church how to love one's neighbor'.    First and foremost, the church does not exist for any age in particular; as she exists in and for ALL ages, times, and places.  So to say that the church needs to 'modernize' in order to better suit modern man, is no less than to say that what was good enough for millions of saints and blessed ones and even our own Savior; is no longer good enough for us.  The hubris of making demands of a gift that God himself...