Can’t Make This Stuff Up

Leaders of the Anglican Communion will be worshiping the United Nations at a special service on Thursday. That’s not a typo–I didn’t mean to say “at the United Nations.” According to the Anglican Communion News Service:

6 pm: A Service of Recommitment and Witness of the Achievement of the MDGs

Service at The Cathedral of St John the Divine – with participation from other faiths

The Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church, The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, Officiant. The Archbishop of York, The Most Revd and Rt Honorable Dr. John Sentamu, Preacher.

The events of the day will be followed in the evening by a Reception with government and church figures to highlight the role of the faith groups in meeting MDGs. The purpose of this is to re-energise the church, politicians and civil society to show what can be done. The Archbishop of York and the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church will attend several events on 25th. Here the hope from Church leaders is to achieve awareness in the global communities of faith and wider society about the lack of progress on MDGs.

“A Service of Recommitment and Witness”–that’s language that Christians usually reserve for our relationship with God in Jesus Christ, rather than for man-made social and economic goals handed down from on high by bureaucrats working in the monolith at Turtle Bay. Earlier in the day, they’ll have this event:

Anglican Act of Witness in support of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals

Senior Anglican Officials to be present in New York
Archbishop of York, John Sentamu to preach in Cathedral service
Presiding Bishop and Primate Katharine Jefferts Schori to officiate at the service

The Anglican Observer at the United Nations, Dr Hellen Wangusa will be available for interviews

This act of witness follows on the successful show of witness in London in July during the Anglican Communion Lambeth Conference when some 700 marched in witness from Parliament to Lambeth Palace, home of the Archbishop of Canterbury [Emphasis added.]

Why was the “march” (more of a stroll, really) “successful”? Because 700 Anglicans all followed orders and went in the same direction. Harder than herding cats, from what I hear.

(Via T19.)