The Lead

Marion Hatchett, a beloved professor of liturgics at Sewanee and a key figure in the development of the 1979 Prayer book and the 1982 Hymnal has some words of exhortation for the Episcopal Church.

From an quoting a speech he gave at General Seminary earlier this year:

"The American Church jumped way out ahead of the Church of England and other sister churches in a number of respects. One was in giving voice to priests and deacons and to laity (as well as bishops and secular government officials) in the governance of the national church and of dioceses and of parishes. The early American Church revised the Prayer Book in a way that went far beyond revisions necessitated by the new independence of the states.
At its beginning the American Church legalized the use of hymnody along with metrical psalmody more than a generation before use of 'hymns of human composure' became legal in the Church of England. At an early stage the American Church gave recognition to critical biblical scholarship.

The American Church eventually gave a place to women in various aspects of the life of the church including its ordained ministry. The American Church began to speak out against discrimination against those of same-sex orientation, and the American Church began to make moves in establishing full communion with other branches of Christendom.

Historically the American Church has been the flag-ship in the Anglican armada. It has been first among the provinces of the Anglican Communion to take forward steps on issue after issue, and on some of those issues other provinces of Anglicanism have eventually fallen in line behind the American Church. My prayer is that the American Church will be able to retain its self-esteem and to stand firm and resist some current movements which seem to me to be contrary to the principles of historic Anglicanism and to the teachings of the Holy Scriptures."

Posted at Susan Russell's blog here. The magazine with the full article should be arriving in alumni and subscriber homes shortly.

Comments (6)

Finally the truth comes out. Thank you, Marion Hatchett.

Imagine that radical innovation: hymns of human composure!

Posted by Josh Thomas | July 30, 2009 10:38 PM

YES! I love the fact that the Episcopal Church leads instead of following from a safe distance.

Posted by Peter Pearson | July 30, 2009 10:48 PM

Luke 14:7-11
7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, Give your place to this person, and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, Friend, move up higher. Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

John Sandeman? Obadiah Slope

Posted by Obadiah Slope | July 31, 2009 1:36 AM

What Dr. Hatchett says rings true for the Anglican Communion but when it comes to other denominations we tend to run in the middle of the pack: behind Congregationalists and Quakers but ahead of Presbyterians and Methodists. Way, way ahead of the Roman Catholics.

Posted by Paul Woodrum | July 31, 2009 10:36 AM

John Sandeman,
If you believe the Scriptural passage you quoted is relevant to this item, could you please explain how/why?

My guess is that you are accusing TEC and/or Dr. Hatchett of lack of humility... but I'm not sure on that.

Posted by William Gilders | July 31, 2009 3:09 PM

But Obadiah, TEC isn't at a banquet, merely faced w/ choosing a seat.

It's at the edge of the Red Sea, w/ Pharaoh and his army right behind us! :-0

I, for one, am grateful for a gray eminence like Dr. Hatchett adopting the Moses role. :-D

JC Fisher

Posted by tgflux | July 31, 2009 11:32 PM

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