Virtual Methodist

A number of years ago when talk of a covenant between the Methodist Church in Ireland and the (Anglican/Episcopal) Church of Ireland was first mooted, a friend said on the floor of conference that we should remember that "Putting two coffins together doesn't automatically produce a resurrection." He was almost assaulted later by another colleague who believed that such a statement was "anti-ecumenical", although my friend has clearly demonstrated by his actions before and since that he is deeply commited to practical ecumenism. His statement was by no means original (I read something similar written in a somewhat sneering fashion by "new church" leader Gerald Coates , at the height of an earlier frenzy of ecumenical endeavours), but it is true... Personally I believe that there is one church (with many flavours), and agree with the ecumenical analysis first articulated 100 years ago at the Edinburgh World Missionary Conference and succinctly summed up ...

Another bit of sign-posting. Patrick Comerford, who wears more hats than is humanly practical, has just posted an interesting (if huge) piece on Methodist Spirituality from the perspective of a Church of Ireland cleric... Worth a look whatever religious tradition you hale from. Blessings

It isn't often that I directly cite another blog in mine... But this one amused me... It is on Ruth Gledhill's blog, Articles of Faith , on Timesonline. Generally her blog is almost totally interested in the "affairs" (and I use that word advisedly) of the Anglican Communion in all its forms, and so I don't visit it much. But I picked up on this one because it includes a short essay by one of my favourite writers, Garrison Keillor . It is his reflections on the American Episcopalian Church . Anyone like to cite a similar list of characteristics for their own denominational tradition? Cheers