Rash thoughts on TAC and Rome and Pain

Blogdom is filled with 2 cents speculation about the TAC schmoozing with the Vatican.
So here goes my two cents.
Not a few Anglican chat-groups/forums/e-mail lists point out that the reality that exists in the future for those absorbed into the Roman communion is probably less than the romantic notions that fuel the move. The "You guys are going to regret this / you're only going to get hurt / they won't accept your orders" rhetoric is all selfish in my opinion. Do we really expect unity to be pain free? Let's ask our Lord about the pain-free unity for which He prayed.
A minister who is afraid of pain might well be a man who entered his vocation to appease the opposite emotion.
Unity will be painful. Now whether this alignment is the beginning of Unity I'm not so sure--only time will tell. Remember, pain is not the worst thing you can threaten a Christian with.
[where is a Lewis or Tolkien quote when I need one?]

Prog ~ Punk

Texanglican has a post at his blog about Contemporary Christian Music.

My profile says that I like the Hymnal and St. Dunstan's Plainsong Psalter for my musical interests. I don't play those in the car, though. If I had CDs of those "hits" I'd surely listen to them more often. Those are for worship. So what modern music do I like?

As the title indicates, I like a few Prog (progressive rock) and Punk bands. Prog is orchestrated, orchestral, percussive Rock and Metal music. What I mean is-Prog is really heavy on percussion and adventurous arrangement. Think Queen's Bohemian Rapsody. Rush is, of course, the best band of all time. Everyone has heard of Rush. But you may not know that there are 1,000s of Prog bands out there who follow this same style. If you simply must have those 3 chords repeated over & over accompanied by 4th grade lyrics, please stay away from Prog.

A Prog band that I like a lot is Glass Hammer. They have a lot of tribute material to C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. More importantly...it's good music. I challenge you to listen to their new "Compilations" album and not be moved. Give'em a try.

For Punk, I like Flogging Molly. I know, I know... the mind formulates prejudice immediately! For that reason I did not link directly to their official website. Google that one yourself if you like (easily-offended web surfer beware). A friend got me interested in them and I'm glad he did. They are not what you think...if what you're thinking is vile, foul-mouthed lyrics with mad lashing of instruments. If you turn off music when you hear the "F" word, better skip'em, however. It's good music. It makes me laugh. Their music describes people I know. If they don't describe people you know, let me suggest you walk into a pub or a bar with your mighty Christian Faith. What have you got to lose...if you're right?! Anywho, I know that we are right--that Christ is Lord, & that those folk in the pub need Him. Go back to St. Matt. 13 and consider what your part in the story is.

I simply don't listen to much "charted" music. Rock, Country, Pop...all the same stuff. That's probably one reason cross-over artists are increasing. Believe me, they are not crossing very far. As for the "christian" variety of music--I simply don't listen any more. It is usually not good musically, and the words tend toward heresy and heterodoxy. Please stop playing that junk at Church!

What is required?

C. Michael Patton has an interesting quiz over at Parchment & Pen.

I just want to say it's been a long, long time since there was an Ecumenical Council for the Universal Church. Those who consider certain 'beliefs' to be required for salvation really owe it to themselves to go read the creeds and councils of the 1st eight centuries.

BEFORE you read my responses go to the link above [click the word 'quiz'] and read the rules and questions. Each statement is graded 1-6 in order of importance.
Have fun.

1. Belief in the full deity of Christ 2

2. Belief in sola fide (belief that salvation is by faith alone, without the addition of any works) 2

3. Belief in the existence of God 1

4. Belief in the pre-tribulational rapture of the Church 5

5. Belief that the witch of Endor saw the Spirit of Samuel, not a demonic representation (1 Sam. 28:15) 4

6. Belief in inerrancy (that the Bible does not have any errors in doctrine, history, or science) 2 perhaps 3

7. Belief that believers, upon death, go directly into the presence of Christ, not into a state of spiritual unconsciousness until the resurrection (i.e. you deny soul-sleep) 2-3

8. Belief that Christ is fully God and fully Man 2

9. Belief that the book of 2 Peter should be part of the New Testament canon 2

10. Belief that the Gospel of John should be part of the New Testament canon 2

11. Belief that the doctrine of purgatory is false 3

12. Belief in the doctrine of the Trinity (i.e. there is one God who eternally exist in three distinct persons, all of which are fully God, all of which are equal) 2

13. Belief in the inspiration of Scripture 2

14. Beliefs about the age of the earth 2

15. Belief that Adam and Eve were real people, not simply symbolic of mankind 2

16. Belief in the eternal security of the believer/perseverance of the saints (i.e. that a true believe can never lose their salvation) 6

17. Belief that Jesus will come again 2

18. Belief that Jesus rose bodily from the grave 2

19. Belief in imputed sin (i.e. that we are held guilty by God for the sin of Adam) 2-3

20. Belief in personal sin (i.e. that all people have sinned) 2

21. Belief in the penal substitutionary view of the atonement (i.e. that Christ’s death on the cross was a substitute penalty required by God for payment for your sins) 3-4

22. Belief in monotheism (i.e. there is only one God) 2

23. Belief in sola Scriptura (i.e. that the Scripture is our ultimate and only infallible authority and that no council or pope is infallible) 2

24. Belief that homosexuality is a sin 2

25. Belief that abortion is a sin 2

Should I qualify any of my responses?