Posted on 08/22/2023 1:55:27 AM PDT by Morgana
For decades the deplorable Anglican denomination has been drifting on issues of theology and human sexuality, proving time and time again the 26 million members are not the least bit committed to upholding the biblical teachings but instead adopting the worst excesses of the woke movement in a pathetic and desperate attempt at relevancy, recently voting to affirm and bless same-sex civil marriages.
Led by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is an all-around simpish and effete hireling, the Church of England long ago abandoned all biblical fidelity, demonstrating their baser proclivities this week after Senior Church of England Bishop Libby Lane gave her blessing for churches to restructure their Sundays so they could watch or a women’s soccer match game, after many congregations pledged to do just that. According to The Times UK:
The Rev Andrew Downes, vicar of St Mary’s, Sunbury-on-Thames, said: “We are shortening our main morning eucharist and then live-streaming the game with bacon rolls and fizz.”
St Werburgh’s, a church in Chorlton in Manchester, has moved its service from 10.45am to 10am, telling its congregation: “This week we’ll be starting the service earlier to watch [the final] together at the church.”
The Rev Elis Matthews, vicar at St Mary’s Spring Grove in Isleworth in west London, said: “The church service at St Mary’s will be adapted to ensure we can all watch England in a World Cup Final. Go Lionesses.”
The Rev Carol Atkins said that her church in Reading had “swapped our service for a community watch of the final”, while St Luke’s, a church in Bournemouth, said: “We’ll be worshipping as usual on Sunday at 10am but endeavouring to finish before 11am and then screening the World Cup final on the big screen in church.”
The announcement that several churches were rescheduling their services earlier or canceling altogether to accommodate congregants who wanted to cheer the Lionesses soccer club participating in their first World Cup final (They ultimately lost 0-1 to Spain) prompted Lane to respond and lend her support:
A lot of good it did, England lost.
"Although weekly in-person attendance at services were up more than one third from 2020 levels, they remained almost one third lower than pre-pandemic levels.
"The figures, in Statistics for Mission 2021, are based on a questionnaire about attendance in October 2021, sent to all the 15,622 churches in England, 76 per cent of whom responded.
"In 2021, almost all churches offered in-person services, it says. The average all-age weekly attendance, which includes Sunday and midweek services, was 605,000 people, compared with 345,000 people in 2020 and 854,000 people in 2019."
Source: https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2022/9-december/news/uk/c-of-e-mission-statistics-record-another-anomalous-year
Population of England: "The current population of the United Kingdom is 67,768,138 as of Monday, August 21, 2023, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data"
Source: https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/uk-population/
( 605,000 at CoE services / 67,768,138 English population ) x 100 = 0.89 percent.
Less than one percent of all English residents are showing up to the Church of England's services. ( 605,000 at CoE services / 15,622 churches ) = about 38 people in a congregation on average. Of course some churches will have more, so obviously some churches are darn near empty.
Sounds like a demographic death knell dressed in pretty robes and miters.
It profit a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world…but for women’s soccer?
Give them bread and circuses...
This situation is very sad. This Bishop had provided approval to individual amusement over seeking God's presence. A church leader should know not to do this before God. Scripture states he will endure more strict judgement.
Jesus did not tell Mary and Martha what to do, neither did he stop teaching to let Mary join Martha. He simply offered a choice and let them decide. He also verbally held Martha accountable for that choice.
He does the same for all of us every day; He gives us choices. God help me, sometimes I "do dishes", other times I "watch soccer". Still, other times are worse. I, we, all need to choose more wisely.
God grant us the will and the wisdom to choose You. Amen.
Not sure why this is a big deal. I’ve been to Mass where the homily is cut really short and there is little to no singing/music because Alabama or Auburn or both are playing. sad putting sports before worship, but Im not complaining about a “no frills” Mass where the priest makes his point and doesnt try to fill in a time period for his homily.
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