When spirituality and religion collide

Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion, recently announced that he would step down by year's end. A few days later, the Church of England rejected a Williams-backed unity plan for global Anglicanism, a church fractured by issues of gender and sexual identity. The timing of the resignation and the defeat are probably not coincidental. These events signal Anglican's institutional failure.

But why should anyone, other than Anglicans and their American Episcopal cousins, care? The Anglican fight over gay clergy is usually framed as a left and right conflict, part of the larger saga of political division. But this narrative obscures a more significant tension in Western societies: the increasing gap between spirituality and religion, and the failure of traditional religious institutions to learn from the divide.

Until recently, the archbishop of Canterbury was chief pastor for a global church bound by a common liturgy and Anglican religious identity. Expectations for religious leaders were clear: Run the church with courage and vision. Bishops directed the laity, inspiring obedience, sacrifice and heroism; they ordered faith from the top.

But today's world is different. All institutions are being torn apart by tension between two groups: those who want to reassert familiar and tested leadership patterns — including top-down control, uniformity and bureaucracy; and those who want to welcome untested but promising patterns of the emerging era — grassroots empowerment, diversity and relational networks. It is not a divide between conservatives and liberals; rather, it is a divide between institution and spirit.

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Evermyrtle

Why do we worry about spiritually, religious differences???What we need to do instead, is to get out our Bibles out, read and study them and live according to what it says, there. Stop worrying about what other people think and live according to the what GOD tells us. There are many trained, reliable ministers who can help us understand what we need help with.

Malachi 2:1-
1. And now, O you priests, this commandment is for you.
2. If you will not hear, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, said the LORD OF HOSTS, I will even send a curse upon you , and I will curse your blessings: yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not lay it to haeart
- Davidmgus
  
  Sounds good enough…get out our Bibles, read, study and live accordingly. In fact it sounds perfect. Isn't that how it all started out? How many denominations, independent churches, splinter groups, sects, and cults do we have…all using the Bible as their source of authority, yet with quite differing beliefs? How many of these groups actually divide us rather than unify us? Further complicating this issue is the following question…what makes us think the authors of the writings we've revered as being ultimate truth are any more spiritually enlightened than many who walk among us today?
  - Evermyrtle
    
    What do you suggest? listen to someone else? If so, who would I listen to? How would I know who was the the proper authority?. Why would I have a Bible, if I was not going to read it. and study it.? Do you have some degree that would make you more believable that anyone else? What would make you think that I don't have such a degree, myself? Is it because I try to explain my opinions in a way that anybody can understand? Why do we get an educations if we are not going to use it trying to discern what GOD is saying to us? Of course, I should have advised every body to talk to GOD before delving into HIS WORD. Truly that was a mistake. Please talk to GOD asking HIM for the proper understanding of HIS WORD which we read, that day because it will take many days to read it through.
    
    If you have info David…..that I do not have please advise me. I appreciate all the help that I can get.
    - Davidmgus
      
      How about just having an open heart and a listening ear. We have been surrounded by so much noise from true believers preaching their brand of doctrine at us intending to control our behavior and our thinking. Even the narrowing of the hundreds of sacred writings down to the 66 books chosen by Constantine in the 4th century, is highly suspect as an effort to control the Christian population of that era. Not that there aren't inspired texts in those 66 books, but there are plenty of reasons to be critical in our thinking lest we mindlessly accept everything the clergy we have chosen to trust leads us into bondage rather than the freedom we were born to enjoy. We've seen that it's not just the radical jihadists of Islam that are guilty of terrible actions, we have examples of terrible actions in Christianity as well. With great insight, Blaise Pascal said, “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.” So the bottom line? Jesus is quoted as saying “The Kingdom of God is within you.” Listen to the voice of the Spirit within you. If you find passages of the Bible that support what you're hearing, so much the better. If at all possible live at peace with others using love as the guiding principal in all of your interactions. Don't dictate how others are to live. Like the old song said, “Don't worry, be happy”. I think you get the idea. Life is supposed to be simple. Why complicate it?
    - Ithamar
      
      Very good analysis. David puts his sinful desires on the same level as the inspired Apostles. Now if David con show us the authentication signs of an apostle, then he just might rate more consideration for his sinful mysticism.
      - Davidmgus
        
        Sinful desires? Perhaps you can elaborate.
aceituna

The devil is enjoying the havoc he has caused in our churches. You have heard the old story about how to cook a live frog. If you drop it in hot water it will jump right out, but if you place it on the stove in cold water and gradually warm it up it will eventually cook to death. That is how the devil works. He suggests that a church can allow one or two little worldly ideas within it and gradually adds more. As time goes by the church changes and loses it Christian identity. That is what is happening to the Episcapol church and to many other church denominations. That is why we should take the Berean Christians as an example and "Search the Scriptures to see that our teaching are true". Then we should "purge out the old leven" in other words get rid of any ungodly teachings and practices and cleanse the temple as King Josiah did during OT times. If we repent God will forgive and bring back our blessings.
Bill Kother

error is so deep rooted in many / most Christian churches that when small faithful groups of believers endeavor to meet / gather according to scriptural principles they are perceived as being totally wrong. GOD'S word predicted this. Most Christians do not know their Bible well at all and are not like the noble Bereans. Isaiah ( 9:6 ) predicted this when he wrote: Except the LORD of Hosts had left unto us a VERY SMALL REMNANT, we should have been as Sodom, and should have been like Gomorrah.Any honest Bible reading and believing believer will say Amen to this.
Johnny

"All institutions are being torn apart by tension between two groups: those who want to reassert familiar and tested leadership patterns — including top-down control, uniformity and bureaucracy; and those who want to welcome untested but promising patterns of the emerging era — grassroots empowerment, diversity and relational networks. It is not a divide between conservatives and liberals; rather, it is a divide between institution and spirit."

The divide is between those who listen to the Spirit of God and those who listen to the spirit of the world.