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Posts Tagged ‘ordination’

Weekend Amazement

September 17th, 2009 Fr. David Roseberry 2 comments

Dear Friends,

I always love to look ahead at what’s to come, but before I do that… This past weekend was too amazing to forget so soon.

Newly Ordained

On Saturday morning, Jason Bowman and Daniel Adkinson were ordained to the sacred order of priests by our Archbishop of the ACNA, the Most Rev. Robert Duncan. It was a beautiful service, and these two men celebrated their first Eucharist as priests at all the weekend services.

Tea Time

On Saturday afternoon, Fran and I did a teaching on the book of Ruth at the women’s ministry tea and we felt warmly received. Over 250 attended, including about 20 men. (The men stayed until the faux fashion show featuring hats, and then most of them left quickly. I was alone…in a room filled with a few hundred women. It was a privilege.)

Sermon Summary/Guide Available for Small Groups

Sunday morning was great. I began a new sermon series called Grace Under Pressure, on 2 Corinthians. Then, on Sunday afternoon, we began a new practice of sending a summary of the message and some intriguing questions for discussion out to our Small Groups. We are hearing very positive feedback about this method of “going deeper” into the Sunday message.

Here is where these study guides will be posted each week: Sermon Series: Grace Under Pressure

I urge all people to connect with their small group or start a new one. Susan Freeman can get you started. Just contact her at 214-291-5055.

80 in Attendance at the Welcome Class

On Sunday evening, in a newly designed Welcome Class, we greeted a group of about 80 or so of people who are considering joining the church. We will welcome our new members in the worship services this weekend. Some of these new members will go a step further by attending the upcoming Worship-Grow-Serve classes. You are invited, too.

Video: Meet Jon Parker

On Monday, Jon and Amelia Parker and their boys departed for England where Jon will pursue a Ph.D in Old Testament. Please join me in praying for their ministry as they take this exciting step. Meet Jon in this video that we recorded last week.

Upcoming Men’s Conference

Finally, on Tuesday, I realized that we are less than weeks away from Men’s Conference. This will be a great weekend out at Pine Cove. I plan to be there, and I hope you will be there, too. Check it out here.

This Weekend: What Forgiveness Does

This weekend, I will continue the Grace Under Pressure series with a sermon entitled “What Forgiveness Does.” Paul gives us a truly impactful understanding of the central act of one of the most difficult of human interactions. I hope you will be here.

In Christ,
David+

Envision This Kind of Church

August 27th, 2009 Fr. David Roseberry 1 comment

Dear Friends,

Can you envision something with me for a moment? Envision a church filled with people who were serious about three things in connection to their Christian faith.

First, they were committed to weekly worship where they could hear the Gospel preached and receive the sacraments of New Life. Second, they were committed to taking the Bible “home” with them in their hearts so that they could, as the old prayer says, “…continue to read, mark, and inwardly digest.” In other words, they were committed to growing. Third, they were willing and able to be involved together on many levels to serve the community and the people God placed in their care.

That is the vision of Christ Church. That you probably know. But you may not know that on the weekend of September 12/13 we will begin to offer a new teaching opportunity. On that weekend, I will launch an 11-week sermon series called “Grace Under Pressure” and will follow the teaching and thoughts of the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians. His teaching is among the most impactful I can imagine, especially at this time in the life of our country and community.

After each sermon, an email will be sent out to all of our Small Group leaders and members, and to anyone else who may want to be part of a continuing study group. The email will have a summary statement of the message, some deeper texts for reading, and some life application discussion questions.

Do you see this vision? It would mean that well over 1,000 adults each week, in homes and offices, in small group moments and private moments, would be able to take the Scriptures and go deeper in understanding and application.

If you’re in a Small Group, I encourage you to complete your current study and get ready for this new study to begin. If you are not in a Small Group, you can certainly join one…or connect to others who are not in a small group and start one of your own. Our small group director, Susan Freeman, can help you get started.

Here are a few things you need to know:

1. Next week I am going to publish a lengthy paper on the issue of women’s ordination. I hope that it will help people answer their questions. But it needs to be said that the Anglican Communion is a branch of the Christian family that will ordain women into orders.

2. On Point Bible Study starts next week on September 1 and 2. I want to be sure everyone understands the offering that is available to you: On Tuesday mornings we will continue with the usual On Point format: 7 a.m., just for the men. On Wednesday nights, however, the study is open to both men and women, couples and singles…really everyone. Jason Bowman and I will teach from Genesis. He is the primary teacher for Wednesday nights and I am the primary teacher for Tuesday mornings.

3. Above, I mentioned the value of serving… You should know that our choir is beginning their new season this Wednesday evening after On Point. If you have a gift for singing, take a look at the specifics (click here) and see if this might be a place where you could serve.

4. If you were in church over this past weekend, you sensed the joy, I am sure. We had record attendance in nearly all Sunday School classes.  Thank you, parents, for bringing your children, and let’s continue the momentum of worshiping and teaching.

‘See you this Sunday.

David+

Open Letter to the Christ Church Congregation Concerning Women’s Ordination

August 20th, 2009 Fr. David Roseberry 29 comments

Dear Friends in Christ,

Subsequent to the recent announcement of the upcoming ordination of a woman to the priesthood at Christ Church, I received a variety of thoughtful responses from about 20 men and women of our church family. Some voiced their concerns; others indicated their support. I am deeply appreciative for the comments, and I have read them all. Since the concerns and questions followed a few common themes, it is my hope that this letter will serve to answer those who contacted me, as well as the rest of our church family.

We would all agree that men and women are co-equal and blessed children of God. But any student of the Bible knows that the roles and functions of men and women outlined in the Bible are different. Men and women occupy the exact same positions in the culture.  Pilots, doctors, teacher, nurses, contractors, lawyers and every other role or job you can think of is being done by either men or women. The issues of inequality between men and women in our culture are nearly gone.

The Bible, however, holds out a higher vision for male/female roles in two areas of life: the family and the church. Indeed, the Scriptures uphold and affirm the “headship” of a man in the family and in the spiritual life of the Body of Christ.

Both in the family and in the church, headship is not to be domineering or oppressive at all. Headship is to be life giving. See Eph 5:21 for a detailed description of this vision for the family and Christ’s headship over the church. (I addressed this issue at length in a recent seminar entitled “The Biblical Vision for Marriage.” DVDs are available in our bookstore.)

The Bible has this vision of headship for the early church as well: The spiritual head of a church body should be a male. Again, this is not a slight on women at all. But as Paul explains it, this is the order of creation: Christ as head of the man, the man as head for the woman. Paul’s instructions for the early church sometimes include warnings, injunctions, and commands about the roles of men and women.  Some of these commands are obviously culturally conditioned. For example, he forbids women to wear jewelry and makeup and to speak (except to their husbands at home.) There are obviously rules that he is enforcing on a different kind of society and within a very different set of circumstances. Wearing jewelry and makeup was (in the time of the New Testament) done by women of loose morals. We would all agree that his injunction would no longer apply in this culture.

Nevertheless, what seems to be constant through the New Testament is a vision of a church as a spiritual family of faith under the headship of a male leader. (See I Cor 14; 1 Timothy 2. ) I must tell you that I have been very sympathetic to this viewpoint. I remain convinced that God intends His church to function in this way.

How then can a woman be ordained in the church? Consider these points:

1) In the Anglican Communion, the concept of “church”, the Body of Christ, is much wider than a local congregation. The critical unit of organization is not the pastor, or the vestry, or the congregation. We are all under the authority and ministry of a bishop in the Church. In our case, the Rt. Rev. Philip Jones is our bishop and his office within the AMiA is the “organizing unit” under whose authority I (we) must abide. In other words, he is the “head” of Christ Church. The Constitution and Canons of the AMiA and its new federation, the ACNA, provide for the office of bishop to be selected from among male priests only. At Christ Church, all clergy, male or female, deacon or priest, are under the headship of a bishop in the AMiA.

2)  I cannot ordain anyone. It is not up to me but to the bishops of the AMiA. While the long and strenuous path of discernment, education, testing, prayer, and deliberation is done at the local parish level, that path is set forth by the bishops of the church, not by the local rector. When a woman is ordained in the Anglican Church she is ordained by a bishop of the Anglican Church for the Anglican Church. She is fully under the “headship” of a bishop.

3)  The ordination of women to the priesthood is not new. The Anglican Church (of which we are a part) is a worldwide communion. There are 38 Provinces around the globe comprising some 70+ million members. In some places, women are not allowed to be ordained at all. In other places, they can be ordained to the diaconate only. And in many other places, they are ordained to the priesthood. Christ Church is a member of the AMiA and attached to the Province of Rwanda. We are required to follow their rules, canons, and practices. Archbishop Kolini of Rwanda supports the ordination of women and has asked that the missionary outreach of his province (AMiA) provide for the ordination of women.

Finally, allow me to bring up a subject that might be on the minds of some. I have heard this from some in our church. It is usually expressed in terms of a “slippery slope” into the ordination of practicing homosexuals.

Women are regarded in the Bible with increasing favor. By the time the New Testament closes, the role of women is rather exalted. For instance, Jesus appeared first to women.  (Did you know that in Luke’s Gospel the first Easter appearance and announcement was given to a woman? Luke 24:1ff) Also, several women within the New Testament church show uncanny and thoughtful leadership. Indeed, the arc of the biblical narrative finds women in increasing favor, liberation, and in important critical roles. Frankly, the same can be said of slaves. By the time the New Testament closes, the seeds are there to call for the equal regard and freedom for all men and women. But the view of the Bible on active homosexuality never changes. The whole biblical story consistently calls upon active homosexual people to repent of their sins.

Therefore, there is no slippery slope at all. These are two very, very different subjects and should be viewed differently.

Finally, I want to say a pastoral word to all of you. The Body of Christ in its local expression (the congregation) and in its wider expression (in our case, the AMiA) is called routinely to strive for unity and grace with each other. Please pray with me that, even though this is an issue on which there is a range of belief, it would be a spiritual growth opportunity for us as a church family.

Yours in Christ,
The Rev. Canon David H. Roseberry
Rector

Categories: The Call Tags: , ,

Ordinations, Backpacks & a Co-ed Bible Study

August 6th, 2009 Fr. David Roseberry 1 comment

Dear Friends,

Fran and I are certainly glad to be back from vacation. I had a few days in the office this week to catch up on some emails and visit with staff. I am so blessed to serve here and I fully commend our staff. They are incredible.

Here are a few things you should know.

Ordinations

Coming up soon, Christ Church will support the ordination to the priesthood of Daniel Adkinson, Jason Bowman and Susan Freeman.  These three have been through a lengthy process in the AMiA and have all received the necessary approvals to be ordained a priest in the church. (May I say that all were stellar students!) Daniel and Jason are scheduled to be ordained on Saturday, September 12.

The date for Susan’s ordination has not yet been set, as I wanted to take time for this pastoral word beforehand: Christ Church is a magnetic church for many people from many different backgrounds. We have new converts to the faith of Christ, and also new converts to Anglicanism. For many, the ordination of a woman to a church office is not an issue at all, reflective of those who affirm God’s call on the lives of women to ordained ministry. But we have others who come from traditions in which women cannot be ordained.

For this reason, I have asked Susan to “stand down” (step back briefly and wait) for the next few months so that I can take time in appropriate ways to help all in our congregation see that this is a call from God that can be affirmed. Susan has been through the discernment process at Christ Church and continues to have my full support as well as that of our bishops in the AMiA and the Province of Rwanda.  Nevertheless, I think there is a golden opportunity here to outline the nature of Anglicanism, what we think and believe about ordination and church polity, and how we see the role of the Bible in shaping our church life.

Susan has fully agreed with this request and is thankful that her ordination can be an occasion whereby the church can grow in the faith and confidence of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to lead us to all truth. I have known Susan and her family for almost 20 years, and I know that she has felt a deep call to ordained ministry for well over 10 years. It is a call that I recognize and support. I look forward to addressing this topic in the months to come, and to celebrating Susan’s ordination. Stay tuned for the announcement of that date. In the meantime, Susan will continue her normal service on the staff as the director of our Small Group Ministry and as a transitional deacon. Please send me your thoughts as the Lord leads you. You can email me at David@ChristChurchPlano.org.

500 Backpacks Collected

500 Backpacks Collected

In other news… I am going to sound like a broken record here, but I continue to be amazed at the generosity of this church family. You should be proud to know that we collected 500 backpacks filled with school supplies for local children through our Kids in Need drive that ended last weekend. This is a wonderful testimony to your love for others, as Jesus Christ so perfectly demonstrated. Thanks for sharing your blessings with so many kids!

Co-ed Bible Study

Finally, you will read in this weekend’s bulletin that our men’s and women’s ministries have teamed up to offer a Wednesday evening, co-ed version of On Point Bible Study starting September 2. On Point grew out of our men’s ministry and has become a major source of spiritual growth for many men in our church. I hope you will consider attending. Couples, groups, individuals are all welcome.

In Christ,
David+

The Rev. Canon David H. Roseberry

Celebrating in Grand Style

In seminary, I was told that summer is downtime in the church year, with little going on as programs grind to a halt. Obviously the people who said that had never been to Christ Church!  What a summer it’s been: Christ Church hosted the AIM Church Planting School, had 400 children attend VBS, welcomed people from all over the world for the investiture of Archbishop Robert Duncan of the Anglican Church in North America, and celebrated July 4th in grand style – all in the past 4 weeks. And the summer’s just getting started.

You might ask yourself why all of this is happening here at Christ Church. The best answer I can give is this: God has chosen this church, Christ Church, to be a place of influence: where God and His people impact the lives of many for the sake of the gospel.

There are signs of this everywhere:

A Word of Thanks
Read the letter from Archbishop Robert Duncan in which he expresses his appreciation for the ways that the Christ Church family welcomed in the Anglican Church in North America, while the world watched in person and over the internet.

Next Stop – England
Jon Parker will be ordained to the Diaconate Tuesday, July 14 at 7 p.m. in the Christ Church chapel. Jon and Amelia joined Christ Church in 2005, quickly began volunteering in our student ministry, and spent the past two years as seminarians at Trinity School for Ministry. We’re honored to be part of God’s work as He sends Jon and Amelia, along with their 3 sons, to Durham University in England where Jon will pursue a PhD in Old Testament. You are warmly invited to attend this ordination service in the chapel. RSVP to Kathy King at 214-291-5001.

Fun in the Sun – Beach Style
Over the next two weeks, our student ministry will send around 100 students and volunteers to Centrifuge Youth Camps in Panama City, Florida. Imagine what God wants to do in the lives of these young people as they study His word and deepen their relationship with Him and other Christian young people! You can be part of God’s work in their lives by praying for them during their time away.

Leader, Teacher, Mentor, Preacher
Finally, one of the signs of an influential church is God sending influential leaders to join it. The Rev. Ron McCrary is one such leader. After spending over 21 years as Rector of Christ Church, Overland Park, Kansas, Ron is now the Executive Director of AIM, the Anglican Initiative for Mission. AIM sponsored the Church Planting School which took place here in June. Ron is also mentoring The Rev. Jed Roseberry as he plants a new church in Addison. Ron will be preaching this Sunday, July 12 in the Sanctuary services. Come hear Ron as he challenges us to move beyond what people say Jesus said, to the true message of the gospel.

It’s exciting to be in the middle of all of this activity!  But having influence is a great responsibility. Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48 NIV)  With this in mind, I ask you to be in prayer for our church in the coming days and months. May God give us grace to faithfully and humbly serve Him and His Kingdom as He expands our influence in our community and the world.

Blessings,

Clint

Categories: The Call Tags: , , ,