Sermon preached by The Right Reverend Edward Robinson de Barros Cavalcanti Bishop, Diocese of Recife, Brazil   Saturday, October 28, 2006 in Alton, Illinois   The Rt. Rev. Robinson Cavalcanti   PILLARS FOR A CHURCH IN CRISES   Brothers and Sisters, The Grace and the Peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.   I bring greetings from the Clergy and the People of the Diocese of Recife. We thank you for your fellowship as a companion diocese. We thank all of you, particularly Bishop Peter Beckwith, for your support during these difficult times. I feel honored in being invited to be with you in your Synod. May God give you wisdom and courage to stand firm and to act prophetically in your own context. Our struggles and your struggles are part of something broader, both within the Anglican Communion and in the whole Christianity.   We know by the Bible and by History that the Church of Jesus Christ always advances in its mission, and, at the same time, suffers under the attack of the enemy of our souls and the spirit of the century. Sometimes it is the formal negation of the existence of God, sometimes it is expressed by false practices or false teachings, outside or inside the Church.   In our times the resurgence of violent forms of religion, secularism and post-modern theological liberalism are the main obstacles for the life and the mission of the Church. The Church can resist and stand firm as a rock if its members are not nominal or traditional, but converted persons looking for discipleship and holiness.   If we look for the principles affirmed in our initiatory rites, Baptism and Confirmation, we can find four Pillars that are central for the good health of the Church, expressing our experience:   The first Pillar is Repentance. “What may we do?” was the initial question from the first converted in the day of Pentecost. And the apostolic answer was: “Repent”. Repentance is something different from guilt feelings. Guilt feelings are a natural and psychological experience. A particular form of guilt feeling is remorse. Peter repented; Judas felt remorse. Repentance is a result of the action of the Holy Spirit, it implies in conviction of sin, it is according to the revelation of the Word of God, and it result in changing of life. Many churches are announcing blessings and prosperity. We announce the Cross of Christ. We demand Repentance from all sinners and from all sins. Repentance is a central part of our message and is one of the Pillars for a Church in Crises.   The second Pillar is Renunciation. Not to add. Not to keep, but to leave, to abandon. It is something contrary to our nature, and, of course against the spirit of Capitalism. The Christian life is a pilgrimage of renunciations, because it is the result of an action by the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit who leads us to Repent leads us to Renunciation - Renunciation of sin. And we can point to three basic areas: l. Satan and all his works; 2. The Glory of this World; 3. All false desires: false values, false goals, false lifestyles, false interpretations, false orientations, false projects. All those things may become part of our past, because all those who are in Christ are new creatures, the old things has passed away. Repentance is, also, a central part of our message and is one of the Pillars for a Church in Crises.   The third Pillar is Confession. Not in the sense of private or corporate confession of sins but confession in the sense of affirmation, declaration, statement, profession of faith. Paul says, in Romans 10:9-10: “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved”. In a time of relativism and subjectivism, of lack of trust in truth, it is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, who leads us to confess that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, the only Savior and Lord, even when our secularized culture may think that this affirmation is arrogant or politically incorrect. Confession, with all our conviction and all our courage, is also a central part of our message and is one of the Pillars for a Church in Crises.   The fourth Pillar is Commitment. Commitment means maturity. A mature faith of follow Jesus Christ all the days of our lives, loving his commandments, his statutes, promoting the values of his Kingdom, proclaiming and living his Gospel, walking in newness of life. Commitment with a life project. By the action of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Power, everything is possible. All life decisions are possible to be fulfilled. A Holy Covenant, between us and God, forever, for eternity.   We must remember that we are called to live our faith and to witness in the midst of the world, to be agents of History transformation, and to be ready to pay a price for this. Martyrdom is an integral part of the Gospel. “His purpose was to create in himself one new man…” The old man, the man according to the flesh, does not understand and hates the idea.   The words of Jesus are prophetic and very up to date: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world. That is why the world hates you”.   May God our Lord bless the Diocese of Springfield. May you be obedient to Him. May you be able to learn from History and be an integral part of a new chapter in Church History. Amen!     Back to the 129th Synod Cover Page