Getting Back to Basics: an Excerpt from the Winter 2017 Issue of Anglicans for Renewal

From the ARM Chair

Since the last issue, I have enjoyed opportunities to share some time with the Calgary Chapter of the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer, and the Synod of the Diocese of Athabasca. It was delightful and encouraging. Anglicans are alive and well and open to the Holy Spirit! They are hungry and thirsty for more of The LORD. I know, that sounds like a cliché, but it’s true! I was impressed by the commitment to prayer in both gatherings. I enjoyed seeing ARM Canada’s Episcopal Visitor, Bishop Fraser Lawton, minister so gracefully among his clergy and people. I got to meet many faithful, salt-of-the-earth Anglican lay and clergy folk, an Anglican bishop from South Sudan, a priest from Iran, two priests from Zimbabwe and one from the Philippines. It was grand!

The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer theme for the day was The Spirit Helps: the Holy Spirit in Our Prayers (Rom. 8:26) and for the Athabasca Synod, Renewal in Mission, both good grist for the Holy Ghost mill. Jesus was our host and the Holy Spirit was our guide into the truth He represents.

I’m writing this on All Hallow’s Eve — Saints of the Reformation Era day, according to the Anglican Church of Canada’s lectionary page. As you may have heard, this is the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. At the Athabasca synod, I spoke about how, just as many people think that we need to get back to the “three R’s” of the good, old-fashioned basics in our school system, there are some R’s we would also profit from getting back to in our faith lives.

Repent is the first one that comes to mind: the first word of the Gospel according to Jesus (Mk 1:15). Peter calls us to Repent so that times of Refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19-20). Renewal is another R word that’s dear to our hearts. As the Holy Spirit moves among us, keeps us aligned with Jesus and keeps us Refreshed, Reformation continues.

As I was looking through an old notebook, I came across this by Catherine Marshall in her book, Christy:

When your heart is ablaze with the love of God, when you love other people—especially the rip-snorting sinners—so much that you dare to tell them about Jesus with no apologies, then never fear, there will be results. One of two things will happen. Either there’ll be persecutions, or the fire will leap from your heart to catch and blaze in the depths of other men’s beings…And then when the blaze starts, the reforms will follow as surely as the flower follows the bud, or the fruit comes after the blossom on the tree. (New York: Avon, 1967, p341)

Let’s pray for hearts ablaze with Jesus and for Results and Reforms following!

In my notebook, I also came across this item that I’d copied out from the Summer 1992 issue of Anglicans for Renewal:

We today must not offer a sort of Christian icing on the unchanged cake of many of the idols people worship. Jesus Christ is not the sugar for the coffee of your life. Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life and without it people are starving! He is the Light of Life and without him people are stumbling in the dark.

We need to come out of our holes and courteously, humorously, firmly and intelligently commend the faith.

Renowned Anglican evangelist, Michael Green, wrote that. He and Catherine Marshall both give us a timely Reminder that the charismatic Gifts of the Spirit are all given to build up the church by bringing people to Jesus.

Gene+

From the Fall 2017 edition of Anglicans for Renewal Canada magazine. Subscribe to a print or digital version here.