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bobbyc
Joined: 23 Sep 2006
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 Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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Eddie, even in the house churches I'm willing to wager that communion is led by (one of) the recognised leader(s) of said group. He (and I reckon it's highly likely to be a man) may well not conduct the whole proceedings alone but I still maintain that he's more likely to ask an older, more mature member (and as likely as not another member of the Leadership Team) and not the callow 15 year old to pray over the bread and wine or distribute it. It simply reflects human nature and is further proof that criticism of Established Churches for making their hierarchy more visible than other churches has something of a hollow ring to it. The clergy at my local parish church certainly do not exhibit any 'them-and-us' divisiveness. In fact the only example I can cite from my own experience of any divisiveness in a church actually happened in a NC church where the Eldership showed open dismay and disapproval when the members did not vote their favoured candidate to become a new Elder.
As I said in a previous post, I believe that the dissent within the CofE is actually over how the Bible is interpreted. Homosexuality is simply a smokescreen - even more so now that women priests are officially accepted. The battleground has shifted but the war aim still remains the same. |
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jtheb
Joined: 21 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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I can assure you that it was rarely a member of the "leadership" team that conducted the communion.
It would not normally be a new member, but anyone acceptable to the fellowship would be OK. I don't mean 'officially recognised' but not an unknown person.
Sorry Bobby the facts don't support you ideas.
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bobbyc
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| Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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| John, all I have ever done in this discussion is share what I have experienced myself over 35 years contact with a variety of denominations and/or what I have been told is the custom and practice of other Christians I have known. I don't deny that your own experiences might have been different but the claims I have made have all been based on what I have seen for myself or been told. Admittedly I have assumed that those experiences and explanations have been replicated across the country but I fail to see any convincing evidence that makes my assumption likely to be false. |
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jtheb
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| Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | John, in reality Nonconformist churches only allow ministers, elders, deacons to adminster communion. |
If your meaning is that in your experiance this applies then OK.
It is the wide statement that ONLY ministers etc officiate that I know is not correct.
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bobbyc
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| Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | John, in reality Nonconformist churches mostly only allow ministers, elders, deacons to adminster communion. |
Would that be more acceptable to you then? Or how about "nearly always"?
Where there is a leadership team of any sort (minister, elders etc.) then more often than not it will be those people who administer communion. Or are you going to deny that? |
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jtheb
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| Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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I would not say that that was my experience. But I will not argue that it may be usual in some fellowships.
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Covenanter
Joined: 28 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:55 pm Post subject: |
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To get back to the thread, to misquote Scripture we could ask the ABC:
Understandest thou what thou writest :? 
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Last edited by Covenanter on Tue Feb 26, 2008 5:30 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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jtheb
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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Good quotation.
By the way isn't against forum rules to stick to the subject.
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bobbyc
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| Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Covenanter wrote: | To get back to the thread, to misquote Scripture we could ask the ABC:
Understandest thou what thou writest :? |
I'm sure he does. And moreover, I don't believe he is as difficult to comprehend as is often made out given that 'soundbites' as favoured by so much of the media inevitably mean that comments are taken (and quoted) out of context. |
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jtheb
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| Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:16 pm Post subject: |
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He does present things in a wy that is not always the clearest.
I wish I didn't feel he is clearly understood. I wish we misunderstood him. It would make me happier.
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bobbyc
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| Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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| I disagree John. Like many public figures he is often misquoted (or selectively quoted) so that a confusing or misleading impression is given. I have it on good authority that when he spoke recently at a diocesan visit in Cambridge he was lucid, cogent, warm and funny. He takes some care and effort to address his varying audiences as is appropriate for each one. The problems arise when an address aimed at one group is picked up and distributed by a different one. That was certainly the case over his sharia law comments. |
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Covenanter
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| Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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| bobbyc wrote: | | Covenanter wrote: | To get back to the thread, to misquote Scripture we could ask the ABC:
Understandest thou what thou writest :? |
I'm sure he does. And moreover, I don't believe he is as difficult to comprehend as is often made out given that 'soundbites' as favoured by so much of the media inevitably mean that comments are taken (and quoted) out of context. |
Not so! If he properly understood what he was saying, he would have anticipated the reaction, & would have expressed himself differently. I maintain that he was foolish to single out Sharia law even though he did not express approval. He knew (from his speech) that Sharia is not a coherent code but diversely interpreted. A sensible approach would simply to have appealed for the scruples of various religions to be taken into account in British law. (As happens anyway.)
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jtheb
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:39 am Post subject: |
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His press agent said on the radio that he was advised that the press release might cause problems. He refused to modify it.
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