For the Unity of The Church...

I am learning some history these days and now the title of our worship book has a clearer meaning to me. The Book of Common Prayer is not to define every point of ones belief, but a starting point for coming together. This is what we have in common as people of faith. The bishops of the Anglican church are trying to find that common way these days, but anger over who should be allowed to be ordained among other issues is causing a rift for the media to talk about using favored words of division... liberal/conservative.

Many of the bishops, who are opposed to broadening the field of who can be ordained, come from Africa where the Anglican church is thriving. And where did this belief system come from... It is likely that it came from those who brought it as missionaries carrying The Book of Common Prayer.

"Almighty Father, whose blessed son before his passion prayed for his disciples that they might be one, as you and he are one: Grant that your church, being bound together in love and obedience to you, may be united in one body by one spirit, that the world may believe in him whom you have sent, your son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen" The Book of Common Prayer