New Dean Installed at Washington National Cathedral [commentary]

Uncle Dino's Observations in Black and White ^ | 4/25/2006 | Uncle Dino

[sionnsar]

The Washington Post reported yesterday on the installation of the Rev. Samuel Lloyd as the new dean of the Washington National Cathedral.  

  

I am not surprised by what Rev. Lloyd said at his installation.  I am not surprised that readings from the Koran were included.  I suspect that this is a reflection of the 'new thing' that the 'spirit' (whatever that is) is doing in the Diocese of Washington.

 

I've been in the National Cathedral and estimate that it can seat a couple of thousand people.  The Post article said that 'hundreds' came to this installation service.  (And at least a hundred of the attendees came from Boston and are not members of the Diocese of Washington.)  This leads me to believe that the cathedral was more empty than full.   Conclusion: local interest in this event was mediocre at best.

 

On the other hand, I attended Diane Knippers' funeral at Truro on Saturday.  The sanctuary was packed and people came from all over because Diane touched peoples lives and was on the front lines of the battle for the Gospel.  People who attended were not curious spectators; they did not come expecting to hear a reading from the Koran.  They knew that The Holy Spirit would be honored as we honored the life and witness of a dear saint.

 

Here is the difference between Diane's funeral and Lloyd's installation:

 

- At Diane's funeral, Canon Martyn Minns likened her to a fallen soldier, the standard-bearer, and encouraged all of us to pick up the standard and carry on the fight.  As best as I could tell, everyone stood up and in so doing, responded "Yes, we will."  There has been, and will continue to be, ACTION in proclaiming the Gospel, in being transformed by God's grace and mercy, and in carrying on the efforts to reform the church.

 

- At the installation, on the other hand, Lloyd said the following:

 

"At the heart of all of it is the simple embodiment of love that hung on a cross for us and will stop at nothing to heal and reconcile us all, until the world's end."

There is no action needed on our part.  There is no standard to pick up and carry.  To me, his position, and that of his like-minded colleagues, is that we are to sit back comfortably and receive, receive, receive.  Let God take care of the actions.  There is nothing said of our own need to reconcile ourselves to God - a reconciliation that can only be accomplished by each of us acknowledging our own brokenness, repenting and becoming new creations in Christ. 

 

And how was this 'gospel' received?

 "It was all taken in respectful silence."

There you have it.  Celebrating the life of a saint who carried the standard and defended the faith draws a full house of soldiers for Christ who are willing to stand up and move forward.  Substance.

 

The non-gospel of pluralism attracts a respectful silence.  In the software field we call this 'vaporware.' No substance.

 

Just my opinion, of course.

[sionnsar]

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[sitetest]

Thanks for the ping.

Thanks for ALL the pings. Just want to let you know I appreciate them.

[kaehurowing]

More of the same in the Episexual Coven Under Satan's Authority (ECUSA).

[sionnsar]

Thank you very much, sitetest!

[q_an_a]

thanks for your comments. Father Martin M. is a great preacher of the gospel. I had a chance to hear him at a Ft Worth day of holiness and he hit all the right spots in my soul. thanks too for your comments about the passing of Diane.