Want to know what informs my heart mostly within the current Anglican strife? This does:
Ichabod
June 2004
I saw a mid sized tree (or possibly a large bush) with only bare brown branches. The tree was dead, and represented to me the apostate church. Springing from the same ground, a little to one side, was a strong shoot, green and sprouting. This represented the new church that is being brought forth to life. I saw the potential that this shoot had, to become a strong vibrant tree, full of flowers and fruit.
This acted as a reinforcement of my current feeling that God is dividing the Church – not just letting it be divided, but actively making it happen, indeed using those with a liberal agenda to His purposes. The dead tree is ‘ichabod’ – the Glory has departed. The structure is still there, and indeed may take some time to decay, but the Glory is there no more. I am left with the impression that investing any more time in this structure is futile, a waste of time. Rather, we should be considering the growth of what God is raising up. It has a real potential, but it’s still potential now, we need to be obedient in being grown. Don’t concentrate on the birth pains, concentrate on what is being born!
Our main attitide should be humility and repentance at this time. We are fools if we think we are the righteous ones. More on that later perhaps…..
The Age To Come 
I’m pretty new to the Episcopal church, but I love it dearly. I can’t call myself and Episcopalian, though, because I live too far from any Episcopalian church to be able to attend. I’d change this if I could, but I can’t afford to move.
Anyway, from my perspective that “mid-sized tree” is more like a mighty oak. And very far from dead, but beautiful and stately, providing home and shelter for many of God’s creatures. That “strong shoot” does indeed resemble a tree. But it is what we in Texas call (forgive me, but this is how I see it!) a weed tree. It may be pretty and grow quickly but if left to grow it will only starve the larger, more worthwhile trees and die young and weak. But if you think it has a future, why not transplant it to another area, where it can grow to its potential without having to compete with the larger tree? This would seem to be best for both “trees” and more in the spirit of humility and repentance. Just my two cents…
LikeLike
Hi Michele,
Well, you could be right. Only time will tell. I’m more than happy for different interpretations.
To me it represented growth from the same soil, the same root if you like. That God was renewing what was broken. Where there was only death, God brings new life.
The biggest danger that I alluded to is the kind of self-righteousness that springs up amongst the orthodox/conservatives/whatever, as though we are the perfect ones and have had no part in this mess. Whatever is happeneing, whatever will grow, is Gods doing alone. So perhaps there is some comfort in that whichever ‘side’ you are on.
Anyway, as always the danger of posting stuff that is prophetic in nature is that it kind of stifles debate, which is not what I intend.
Thanks for posting 🙂
Blessings,
Peter
LikeLike
Pingback: The tanker « The Age To Come
Pingback: Prophetic words « The Age To Come
How timely, in view of the great “sprouting” of GAFCON and-well, lets see what comes out of Lambeth. Will there be repentance and true Christian leadership, or just more of what we’ve been seeing? I seem to think the latter. If thats the case, the prophecy is surely on its way to fulfillment. Just like I believed that TEC’s last general convention was her last chance to repent, I feel the same about this Lambeth. While GAFCON was a good start, I really don’t know what a re-formed AC might look like. WO’ers will not be able to join with non-WO’ers, and the divide between Anglo Caths and Evangelicals is quite real; its the elephant in the room. There really is a division there.
“Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His..” This is the LORDs doing-let us stand and see the salvation of the LORD.
LikeLike
Pingback: Jacaranda Tree | The Age To Come
Pingback: The Kairos Moment | The Age To Come
Pingback: The Anglican realignment continues | The Age To Come
Pingback: We are not the righteous | The Age To Come