My biggest problem with the Oxford - high church - Movement (starting around 1833 up to our own day) is not the problem that many have - that it basically considers the Reformation as didnt happen in England and focuses on Catholic ceremonial and apostolic succession rather than the apostolic succession of apostolic teaching. No, my problem is how the Oxford Movement largely succeeded in changed Anglicans focus from the Atonement to the Incarnation. It was drilled into me in seminary that Anglicanism is an incarnational religion, and that our hope is in the birth of Jesus who came to live as an example for us to follow. What Would Jesus Do (WWJD)? But this represents a subtle surrender to the forces of the day tilting towards individualism - that Christianity is primarily about me, about my performance, about providing a blueprint for how I should live. In fact, our Anglican heritage teaches that Christianity is not about what I do, but about what God has done for me. It teaches that Jesus lived the perfect life that I couldnt live, fulfilling the requirements of the law that I couldnt. It teaches that he died the death I deserve as my substitute - becoming a curse (Gal 3)- becoming sin (2 Cor 5). Its hard to read the gospels and not conclude that Jesus was born to die and then rise to life eternal. St. Paul said, Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 6). As we approach Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter let us remember his message to the Corinthian church: For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (I Cor 2).
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 13:00:25 +0000
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