wfn.org | Britain's Millennium Resolution never intended to be a prayer

["Lambeth98" <storm@indigo.ie>]

ACNS LC084 - 3 August 1998

Britain's Millennium Resolution never intended
to be a Christian prayer 

By E. T. Malone, Jr.
Lambeth Conference Communications

The Millennium Resolution calls on the British public to make a
new start in the year 2000, but it does not mention God because
it is not a prayer, its ecumenical authors declare.

"The Millennium Resolution isn't a prayer and isn't intended to
be said in church," declared Bishop Gavin Reid of Maidstone
(England), chairman of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Millennium
Advisory Group, in response to criticisms that its writers, the
Churches Together in England Millennium Group, had created a
Godless prayer.

Bishop Reid, speaking at a news conference at the Lambeth
Conference, explained that the Millennium Resolution project was
intended to provide the opportunity for "a shared moment of
national reflection" just prior to midnight on New Year's Eve,
1999.  Its backers plan to deliver a small candle and a card with
the resolution and instructions to every household in Great
Britain. 

"It saddens me that the resolution proposal has had so much
criticism. The churches in the country have never worked together
so well on anything as on this," he said.

"We are not going to push words of faith down people's throats if
they don't have that faith," said the Rev. Stephen Lynas, the
Archbishop of Canterbury's Officer for the Millennium.

Giving the gift

"It's our party, so we're giving the gift," said Bishop Reid. 
"Hopefully, the cost of approximately 20 pence per kit will be
paid by local parishes. We don't want to run the risk of
offending by imposing religion on people. So, it's the lowest
common denominator, the card and candle.  But in many cases there
will be prayers as well.  We want to talk at the level to which
people are open.  We feel that the potential for this New Year's
Resolution is very great."

Jesus never specifically mentioned God in his parables, Bishop
Reid argued.  He spoke, instead, of everyday things, and advised
his listeners, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."  The
Church of England Millennium Advisory Group hopes that the
unchurched will reflect on the meaning of the Resolution and
realise its religious implications.

Bishop Reid pointed out that the resolution concludes with the
words "new start."  Mr. Lynas added, "We have to remind people
that our reason for celebrating the Millennium is that it is the
2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. We want them to
think about what difference the life of Jesus has made in this
country.  A feast is a party in honor of someone, and we want to
take this national party and turn it into a feast."

Including Christianity

Continued efforts by the Church of England have led finally to
inclusion of Christian motifs in the design of the Millennium
Dome in London.  "We've said to the designers that it would be
unthinkable if the Dome had no mention of Jesus Christ, since
England is a country constitutionally linked to Christianity,"
said Bishop Reid. 

The Church of England has no part in funding erection of the
mammoth, futuristic structure on the Thames, he noted.  The
building itself-still under construction-is being paid for by
proceeds from the National Lottery. Operations will be paid for
by admissions fees, and exhibits, including the "Spirit Zone"
with church themes, will be funded by commercial sponsors.  The
Millennium Dome has been criticised in some quarters as a public
folly. 

"We see the Millennium Resolution project as a sort of umbrella
for other millennium celebrations in England, where the whole
concept is taken quite more seriously than in many countries so
far," said Bishop Reid.

The Church of England's Millennium Advisory Group made a
presentation on Monday (August 3) to non-English bishops as a
special Market Place program of the Lambeth Conference.

For further information, contact:

   Lambeth Conference Communications
   Canterbury Business School
   University of Kent at Canterbury
   Telephone: 01227 827348/9
   Fax: 01227 828085
   Mobile: 0374 800212

   http://www.lambethconference.org