Autor: Saulo Barros | Publicado: 2012-05-18T07:22:00-03:00


 <!--
  @page { margin: 2cm }
  P.sdfootnote-western { margin-left: 0.5cm; text-indent: -0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt }
  P.sdfootnote-cjk { margin-left: 0.5cm; text-indent: -0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: "SimSun", "宋体"; font-size: 10pt; so-language: zh-CN }
  P.sdfootnote-ctl { margin-left: 0.5cm; text-indent: -0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: "Mangal", serif; font-size: 10pt; so-language: hi-IN }
  P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; direction: ltr; color: #000000; widows: 0; orphans: 0 }
  P.western { font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt }
  P.cjk { font-family: "SimSun", "宋体"; font-size: 12pt; so-language: zh-CN }
  P.ctl { font-family: "Mangal", serif; font-size: 12pt; so-language: hi-IN }
  A.sdfootnoteanc { font-size: 57% }
 -->
 






“Certain of
the future, with our history in our hands”


Bishop
Saulo Maurício de Barros – Anglican Diocese of the Amazon






“With
love on our minds


And
flowers on the ground


Certain
of the future


With
our history in our hands


Walking
and singing


And
following the song


Learning
and teaching


A
new lesson has begun”


(Geraldo
Vandré) 







Certain of the future


1. During the first preparatory meetings for the Centenary of the
Anglican Church in the Amazon, the work group, whom we call GT 100,
firmly established the following objectives: 




 To narrate the history of Anglican presence in the Amazon
 (memories);



 To thank God for the work carried out so far (celebration);  
 



 To renew our purpose as a Church (mission).







2.
Without a
doubt it
is fundamentally
important to
reclaim the
history of
the Anglican
Church and
other minority
Christian
traditions,
pointing out
the religious
diversity of
our people,
which is
a lot
more complex
than our
Sunday School
books teach
us. Of-course
we want
to thank
God for
everything that
has happened
over this
long period
of time,
as we
are aware
that all
things come
from the
divine goodness,
  as we
express clearly
at the
offertory: “All
things
come
from
you,
and
of
your
own
do
we
give
you.”1.
However, this
letter to
the 6th
Diocesan Synod
emphasizes the
third objective
because we
understand that
the relevance
of Anglicanism
in the
Amazon region
depends directly
on the
renewal of
our mission
proposal. 


3.
We believe
that the
theme of
the Synod,
“Certain
of
the
future,
with
our
history
in
our
hands”,
taken from
a well
known song
of protest
written by
Geraldo Vandré
that inspired
generations to
fight against
the authoritarian
regimes in
our country,
provoked us
towards a
greater
involvement in
the reality
around us,
considering our
history not
only as
a series
of social
and political
events, but
a space
where the
Holy Spirit
acts. Our
God acts in history and through it. 





Our
history in our hands

4.
I also
have to
say here
that the
Anglican
understanding
makes us
see that
"although
the
message
of
the
Gospel
is
unique,
the
way
it
is
transmitted
varies
according
to
the
diversity
of
the
churches,
in
different
times,
cultures
and
places”2.
Our understanding
of mission
is not
only influenced
by the
context in
which we
live, but
we can
also affirm,
without a
doubt, that
there is
no correct
model in
the Scriptures
which we
should follow,
but mission
is always
found marked
by the
ambivalence
between the
divine and
the humane3.
The history
of Anglicanism
in our
region is
a confirmation
of this.






5. In a little more than 100 years, including the period before the
foundation of the community of St. Mary, we can confirm the presence
of distinctive models of mission and those implemented them were
people with good will who left a legacy of selflessness and
commitment to the Gospel of love. Taking as a symbolic reference the
ordained ministers who worked in Amazon lands, we can talk of the
pietistic fervour of the Revd. Richard Holden who wanted to take
everyone through an experience of conversion (1860-1862), the
persistence of the English clergyman Arthur Moss who developed
intense work as the chaplain amongst British and other
English-speaking immigrants (1912-1945), the challenges faced and
overcome by the Revd. Leslie Hallett, the first minister sent by the
Episcopal Church of Brazil - apart from attending to those still
linked to the time of the chaplaincy, he also began evangelizing the
Brazilians (1955-1957).






6. A
quick glance
over these
periods leads
us to
the conclusion
that the
understanding of
mission has
been through
a few
changes, more
significantly
after 1960,
when it
started to
become clear
for some
sectors of
the Christian
Church,
especially those
committed to
a life
of communion,
that mission
is:“missio
Dei”,
a divine
attribute. “In
this
sense,
mission
is
understood
as
God’s
movement
towards
the
world”
and the
church “as
an
instrument
for
this
mission”4.
In the
works of
St. Paul,
the Apostle,
we are
cooperators of
this divine
mission. (1
Corinthians 3:9).






A new lesson


7. A
document of
the Anglican
Communion filled
with this
new conception
points out
that “the
aim
of
God’s
mission
is
the
transformation
of
life,
not
only
of
individuals,
but
also
of
society,
of
nations
and
of
the
order
of
creation”.
Because, as
the document
explains, “the
transforming
Gospel
is
not
only
for
personal
sin,
but
also
for
structural
sin”.
 Therefore,
it continues,
the “vision
of
the
missionary
church
is
to
work
with
God
reinventing
the
structures
of
human
society,
so
that
they
reflect
more
closely
God’s
own
plans.
(…)
The
salvation
that
Christ
promised
is
the
coming
of
the
Kingdom
of
God”5.
A conception
already present
in our
Eucharistic
Prayer when
we pray:
“Let the
grace
of
this
Holy
Communion
make
us
one
body,
one
spirit
in
Christ,
that
we
may
transform
the
kingdoms
of
this
world
in
the
Kingdom
of
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ”6.





8.
The Latin
American theology
of liberation
brought an
important
contribution to
the concept
of mission
when it
perceived that
in our
continent the
experience of
God is
updated and
renewed “in
our
collective
history”7,
from the
perspective of
the suffering,
the struggles
and the
victories of
the people.
The songs
of the
Suffering Servant
in the
Old Testament
(Isaiah 42:
1-9; 49:
1-6 ;
50: 4-9
; 52:
13-53: 12)
 before they
were interpreted
as reference
to one
individual,
pointed towards
a collective
vision, which
is why
in the
translation into
Portuguese of
the Hebrew
Bible we
read: “Surely
My
Servant
(the
people
of
Israel)
shall
prosper;
he
will
be
raised
and
lifted
up
and
highly
exalted”
(Isaiah 52:13)8.
This is
the biblical
basis that
supports this
understanding of
God’s
mission as
the mission
of those
who suffer.
And this mission, from the Latin American perspective,
includes four fundamental concepts in its construction: 




 Being together: joint experience, reciprocal action, living
 together. In the way that Jesus walked alongside the couple of
 disciples on the way to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-31). We need to
 understand the mission goes way beyond the verbal aspect, it is
 sharing life, it is a two-way street. As in Geraldo Vandré’s
 song: “Learning and Teaching”...


Emersion:
 emerging in
 the reality,
 adapting,
 accepting a
 new identity,
 a new
 culture. This was
 the
 understanding of
 the apostle
 Paul who
 became a
 Jew for
 the Jews,
 a Gentile
 for the
 Gentiles, weak
 for the
 weak (1
 Corinthians
 9:19-22). 
 



 Permeability: accepting the impulse of others, inverting the logic
 of the traditional missionary vision, the logic of the conquest.
 Mission here is not seen as an action, but as allowing oneself to be
 seduced (Jeremiah 20:7). Often this means living the drama of Jonah,
 letting go of our convictions and accepting others (Jonah 4:5-11).


Updating
 the gospel:
 at the
 beginning of
 this letter
 we affirmed
 that, although
 the message
 of the
 gospel is
 unique it
 is transmitted
 according to
 the context.
 We need
 to reinterpret
 the gospel
 within the
 new reality.
 To read
 it again,
 as we
 say, to
 make a
 “releitura”
 a re-read
 or
 reinterpretation.
 The Bible
 is full
 of
 reinterpretations,
 but perhaps
 the affirmations
 of Jesus
 in the
 famous Sermon
 on the
 Mount is
 the best
 example of
 this (Mathew
 5:21-44). The
 text is
 organized in
 a way
 that the
 previous
 interpretation
 is mentioned
 and immediately
 afterwards the
 new
 interpretation
 is presented,
 marked by
 the expressions:
 “You
 have
 heard
 that
 it
 was
 said”
 and “But
 I
 say
 to
 you”9.
 This does
 not only
 give us
 the license
 to do
 the same
 thing, but
 also points
 out the
 need to
 do so.
 
 








With love on our mind

9.
We could
not end
this pastoral
letter without
mentioning the
fact that
mission is
not an
ecclesiastical
imperative, an
obligation of
the Church,
but an
impulse of
the heart
that attends
to God’s
missionary call.
Mission is
love and
passion – which
is interpreted
here as
the “nervous
side
of
Love”10.
This was
already part
of the
song written
for the
Centenary of
the Episcopal
Anglican Church
of Brazil,
by Xico
Esvael: “The
Church
we
live
with
passion,
the
Church
is
God’s
people
in
mission”.





10.
Finally, we
believe that
we find
the fulfillment
of this
new missionary
paradigm in
the witness
of one
of our
ecumenical
companions, know
by most
people in
our Diocese,
our dear
Sister Tea
Frigerio, an
Italian woman
who allowed
herself to
be seduced
by this
work in
this “edge
of the
world” called
the Amazon:
“I
cannot
deny
that
the
romantic
dream
of
adventure
was
present
in
my
missionary
ideal.
I
cannot
deny
that
I
came
to
Brazil
filled
with
certainties,
with
convictions.
My
life
with
the
paraenses
(people
of
Pará)
challenged
me
to
follow
a
new
way
of
thinking,
to
leave
my
certainties
and
convictions
behind
to
go
into
the
forest
and
find
new
ideas,
discover
hidden
treasures.
And
in
this
way
I
found
that
my
convictions
about
mission
became
a
search.
A
search
full
of
respect,
admiration,
openness,
availability.
A
colourful
search
of
ecumenism,
religious
pluralism,
universalism.
A
search
that
has
the
face
of
humanity
and
citizenship.”11.




11.
Now we
are left
to continue
the journey,
putting into
practice the
new lessons
in the
Amazon context
and “greatly
rejoice
for
the
100
years
of
the
Anglican
Church
in
the
Amazon.
With
sincere
hearts,
we
thank
you
for
the
pioneers
in
the
mission
of
the
church
who
courageously
crossed
our
rivers,
forests
and
roads.
We
are
grateful,
Lord,
to
be
part
of
this
story.
Thank
you
for
trusting
in
us
Anglicans
throughout
these
years
to
proclaim
your
Gospel
of
Love.
We
are
a
result
of
your
grace,
united
in
diversity,
through
the
Word,
tradition
and
reason,
signs
left
by
those
who
are
part
of
this
immense
communion.
Continue
to
inspire
us,
keeping
the
flame
of
the
Holy
Spirit
alive
among
us
so
that
we
may
proclaim,
forever
and
ever,
your
Word
that
shall
never
end.
Receive
our
praise
and
offertory
in
profound
gratitude
for
the
Living
Presence
of
the
Church
in
the
Amazon.
In
the
name
of
the
God
of
life,
Divine
wisdom.
Amen!”12








 
1Book
 of Common Prayer.



 
2CALVANI,
 Carlos Eduardo. Nossa Missão, (Our Mission).
 Porto Alegre: CEA, 2008. Pg. 10.



 
3For
 this I recommend reading: BOSH, David. Missão Transformadora:
 Mudanças de Paradigmas na Teologia da Missão. (Transforming
 mission:
 Changes
 in
 the
 Paradigms
 of
 the
 Theology
 of
 Mission)
 São
 Leopoldo:
 Sinodal, 2002.



 
4BOSH,
 David. Missão Transformadora: Mudanças de Paradigmas na Teologia
 da Missão. (Transforming
 mission:
 Changes
 in
 the
 Paradigms
 of
 the
 Theology
 of
 Mission)
  São
 Leopoldo:
 Sinodal, 2002.
 Pg. 468.



 
5MISSIO.
 Transformados e enviados – reflexões sobre as dimensões da
 missão anglicana. (Transformed
 and
 sent
 – reflections
 of
 the
 dimensions
 of
 the
 Anglican
 Communion)
 In
 Inclusividade nº
 7 – March
 2004 – Year
 III – Porto
 Alegre: CEA.



 
6Book
 of Common
 Prayer.
 (Brazilian) pg.
 83



 
7MUNÕZ,
 Ronaldo. The
 God of
 the Christians.
 Petrópolis:
 Vozes, 1989.
 Pg. 20.



 
8Hebrew
 Bible. São
 Paulo: Editora
 SÊFFER LTDA,
 2006.(Translation
 of
 the
 portuguese
 version
 to
 English)



 
9The
 four conepts
 were adapted
 from BRANT,
 Hermann. O
 Encanto da Missão: Ensaios de Eclesiologia Contemporânea. (The
 Enchantment
 of
 Mission:
 Essays
 on
 Contemporary
 Ecclesiology)
 São
 Leopoldo:
 CEBI/Sinodal/EST,
 2006.



 
10“Amor
 e Paixão”,
 (Love
 and
 passion)
  song by
 Fernando Brant.
 Anglican Bishop
 Sebastião
 Armando develops
 a similar
 idea in
 his presentation
 of Tea
 Frigerio’s
 book: Missão:
 Recriar o
 Conceito.
 (Mission:
 Recreate
 the
 concept)



 
11FRIGERIO,
 Tea. Missão: Recriar o Conceito. Palavra na Vida, Nº 172. São
 Leopoldo: CEBI, 2002. Pg. 10.



 
12Prayer
 for the
 Centenary of
 the
 Establishment of
 the Anglican
 Church in
 the Amazon.