Uncertainty, doubt, and love
Easter 3: 7 May, 2000
The Rev'd Dr John Davis, Vicar, St Peter's Eastern Hill
By all accounts from those who were there, the inauguration of the Primacy of the Archbishop of
Perth last weekend in Sydney was an impressive occasion. The newly refurbished and re-oriented St
Andrew's Cathedral was packed. The Primate's sermon aroused no controversy. It was perhaps a
disappointment to some of those representatives of the media watching and waiting that there were
no missiles or punches thrown. On the contrary, decency and good order would appear to have
prevailed, a few somewhat grumpy banners notwithstanding.
That is not to say that the extraordinary level of media coverage during the week leading up to the
inauguration does not actually reflect a deeper truth. It is not just a question of a fairly public
difference between the Archbishop of Perth and the Archbishop of Sydney over an article in The
Bulletin. It goes far deeper than that.
There is actually an ever- widening gap between the several streams within Australian Anglicanism.
This is particularly to be seen between the substantially strengthened 16th century based
scriptural fundamentalism of those who speak loudest in Sydney (and their supporters elsewhere),
and most others. It is hard to see how there will not indeed be some kind of major fallout as
these quite fundamental differences of approach, attitude and belief find substantial issues of
practice to focus upon. Polite agreement to disagree seems less and less likely to prevail.
Polite willingness to countenance the possibility of different but equally worthy and God-honouring
responses to issues is becoming less apparent.
Will this result in an institutional split? That is the question. Would it be the most honest
thing to do? That is another. What about the property and assets? That surely is another! There
have been other periods of what might be called churchmanship type differences before and the
Church has continued under great tension. The late 1940s Bathurst ritual case is one such example
and this parish was heavily involved through its Vicar, Fr Maynard. Essentially, the diocese of
Sydney took the anglo-catholic bishop of that small country diocese all the way to the High Court
over a period of four years for authorising in his diocese the sorts of things we do all the time
and were then. It was a case with international ramifications. We at St Peter's will find
ourselves involved in these contemporary tensions as well. It will be unavoidable.
Perhaps we are moving steadily towards another such period. What are some the current issues?
They have all received considerable airing. The appropriate understanding and teaching about
matters of quite basic doctrine such as the resurrection of the Lord, (which no one is denying) is
one. What are the appropriate levels of respect and interaction with those of other faiths? May
they be saved? Are there evidences of God's favour and grace? These two were given fresh
coverage in this last week. To them we may add our long-standing matters relating to the
interpretation of Scripture with particular reference to the governance and discipline of the
Church. There is the question of whether women might properly be made bishops in this Church;
there are questions relating to human sexuality and the place of Christians who are gay or
lesbian; there are questions relating to the eucharist and lay presidency at that sacrament. They
are all there, up and running. We would appear to have issues enough ahead of us to choose from.
This will involve us all.
Meanwhile, the papers try to understand this. There are vague references to possible frightful
unorthodoxies about the resurrection, or Christ-denying inter-faith dialogues; there are
quotations from the Scriptures or the 39 Articles. But they do not quite hit the mark. The
photogenic Primate's face looks out from the front page of The Australian amongst a collection of
worthy evangelical Sydney faces, unavoidably elsewhere at the time of his inauguration. But it is
not simply a matter of personalities. Some commentators see this cut and thrust as being very
much an expression of Anglicanism's open comprehensiveness and therefore to be praised. We are
Anglican, therefore we are talking about it, unlike other denominations or institutions who tend
to sweep it all under the carpets. Other commentators are embarrassed, patronising, ridiculing or
simply uncomprehending.
Perhaps this all works to underline a point that we are all pretty well aware of. Being an
Anglican Christian involves also giving some thought and consideration to being what sort of
Anglican Christian. That comes as no surprise to anyone who chooses to be an Anglican worshipping
at St Peter's Eastern Hill for instance, or St Jude's Carlton, or at the cathedral or at St John's
Wantirna South. We have a choice. Firstly there is the choice of whether or not to respond to the
presence and call of God in our lives. That is to do with gift and grace and love and awareness.
The life of discipleship, of searching, of desiring to follow the Lord in this Anglican way comes
next. A community must be found. The choice is increasingly not just style, but also substance.
Attitude, disposition and preference shape into a way of being Christian; an understanding of
being Church that is distinctive. Within our Anglican denomination there are several such
developing shapes and understandings that do not sit easily together.
Next Sunday, May 14, a new archbishop of Melbourne will be installed in St Paul's Cathedral at 5
pm. Archbishop Peter Watson will be the first Melbourne archbishop to come to us from Sydney. He
is of course an evangelical rather than an anglo-catholic. I look forward to inviting him here to
a Sunday morning including High Mass and I am sure he will be pleased to be with us. We will not
only wish to share our particular style with him, but also our substance. We are also hoping to
have him come later in the year to address a seminar for our Institute of Spiritual Studies
series, on reconciliation - a continuing matter of national importance.
Having an archbishop who is obviously of another stream of Anglicanism than our own certainly
challenges us, but we need not feel in any way threatened. There have been fine evangelical
archbishops in Melbourne before and no doubt will be again. They have sometimes asked questions
of us. Much has also been expected of us. It still is. We need to be clear in our own
priorities; as individuals and as that corporate group who have made the choice to worship here
in this way, as an expression of this tradition of Catholic belief and practice. What we
believe, how we express it, how we live it, what we hope for - these are ever the issues. As
well, without question, this must continue to be a place of welcome for those who visit and those
who are searching. It must continue to be a place of support and strengthening for those of us
who have found it and don't want to lose it. And we have to do this together. We have a job to
do, a faith to believe, a love to share.
Today's gospel speaks of that post-resurrection time of turmoil and confusion in Jerusalem when
it was not at all clear how things would go or where they were heading. At the centre of
today's reading is the description of the disciples' dumbfounded joy. Not unreasonably, it was
hard to take it all on board. You could be joyful and yet disbelieving and still wondering.
Surely this is too good to be true. There are times when we have all felt that. And yet they
became convinced that it was. The subsequent task of proclaiming this good news of death and
resurrection, repentance and forgiveness of sins was to begin from Jerusalem and to be taken to
the whole world by those who were witnesses of these things.
Last week's gospel reminded us by way of the Thomas story of the task for the succeeding
generations of Christians who were not actual witnesses of the Lord after he rose from the dead
to yet believe. We cannot walk along the road to Emmaeus alongside him, we cannot be invited to
examine the wounds, to touch his hands and his side, and we cannot watch him eat a nice piece of
freshly grilled fish. But we can, through this sacrament we celebrate every day experience the
presence of the risen One. The sacrament instituted on that Holy Thursday evening in the upper
room is with us still. That is the clear point of connection that we have with the Lord, with
the first generation, with succeeding generations and with each other. This is how we may know
him and recognise the presence. This is where we meet.
Today's gospel is Luke's account of the risen Lord's appearance to the apostles. He is present
in a way that is wholly different and yet the same. As a commentator puts it:
"We ourselves, if often torn between doubt and belief, can make this act of faith which will
allow us, even today, to come into direct contact with the Living One, whose presence is quite
different from that of the historical Jesus of Nazareth. The eucharist is the privileged place
where the Church is able to recognise 'the Prince of life'...life itself is its own sure proof".
As is recounted in today's gospel:
The two disciples told the eleven and their companions
what had happened on the road to Emmaeus,
and how Jesus had been made known to them
in the breaking of the bread. Lk 24:35
The gospel acclamation set for today moves from narrative to prayer:
Lord Jesus, make your word plain to us;
Make our hearts burn with love when you speak.
Alleluia.
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