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| 22 July 1926-Present Mr. (Rev. Dr.) James Innes Packer Anglican Theologian Author and Professor |
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| Mr. (Rev. Dr.) John Robert Walmsley Stott (27 April 1921 – 27 July 2011)
The Rev. Dr. James Innes Packer Preaches the
Memorial Service, 5 Aug 2011, in Vancouver for the Rev. Dr. John Stott, Due for
Burial 8 Aug 2011 from All Souls, London
This sermon was preached as
a memorial service for the late Rev. Dr. John R. W. Stott (April 27, 1921 -
July 27, 2011). The Rev. Canon Dr. James
I. Packer preached.
A scholarly
Anglican, Dr. Packer, who knew Dr. Stott for years, offered his sage insights.
As an aside, a digression, even the New York
Times eulogized Dr. Stott as an honorable Evangelical Anglican rather than an
“Evangelical Blowhard” [read: American evangelical] See. http://reformationanglicanism.blogspot.com/2011/07/nyts-kristoff-on-rev-mr-john-stott.html
Part 1 of 3 from Dr.
Packer’s sermon:
The biblical text:
Hebrews 13:7-8. Over 3 parts, the sermon
is almost 34 minutes.
The youtube post is dated
5 Aug 2011. It was posted by the
Anglican Network Church of the Good Shepherd, Vancouver, BC, Canada. This parish is in the Anglican Network in
Canada, a split-off from the liberal Anglican Church of Canada.
Two quick take-ways from
Part 1.
A side note, in the Anglican
tradition, Dr. Packer is vested as an Anglican in cassock, surplice and stole
with a clerical collar…standard vestments for centuries. As such, we are
reminded of our Anglican heritage. Architecturally,
the pulpit is to the left, again, a consciousness of our great past when order
and decency was prescribed for worship and music. Dr. Packer speaks with careful measure and
thought—no enthusiasm. No crudity or
enthusiasms like American blowhards. We are thankful for deliberative, cautious
and common sense exposition. While insignificant to most, given American
enthusiasm, these minor side notes represent long bridges to the wider matters
of Anglicanism with deep taproots deep in history and common sense.
On a different and superior
note than the above, important as it is, Dr. Packer offers a worthy exegetical
and expository on the biblical text…a commendable interplay between the
biblical text and Dr. Stott’s life. May this
style and approach never be forgotten.
Faithful Anglican Churchmen are a Bible-people. Our thoughts are
registered at: http://reformationanglicanism.blogspot.com/2011/08/getting-oriented-to-bible-reading-and.html.
Some excellent comments are offered by Dr. Packer on the intransigency of liberalism,
pride and obstinacy of unbelief in the mainline churches. We are long acquainted with it. In context, as Dr. Packer informs us, Dr.
Stott stood as a faithful witness in the liberal Anglican context. As such, Dr. Stott reminded us of our great
Bible heritage. An Anglican heritage…of
standing in theological storms like Cranmer, Ridley, Hooper, Rogers, Bilney,
Coverdale and others.
Part 2 of 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI-peagzTeo&NR=1
Dr. Stott advocated for
serious worship that was not sloppy or casual. Little might Dr. Stott have known in modern
America with the moderns. Dr. Stott
lived a life of quiet discipline. Dr.
Stott was constant in Bible study, prayer, self-discipline, love, patience, and
the extension of encouragement to others.
Dr. Stott spent 25 years in the pastorate at All Souls, Langham,
resulting in well-trained parishioners as well as salutary influences in the
Church of England. We are not sure to
what degree Dr. Stott advocated old Prayer Book Churchmanship, but this is an
aside.
Dr.
Packer calls Dr. Stott an “unconsecrated Bishop” with world-wide influence in
the Anglican communion as well as the wider, non-Confessional, Revivalist and non-liturgical evangelical
world [Ed. “American” sense of evangelical, e.g. Billy Graham, Anabaptists,
Christianity Today] .
Dr. Stott influenced, by
turns, GAFCON 2008, an international gathering of Anglican Bishops, and the
coming to life of Confessional Anglicanism.
The fruits of GAFCON remain to be seen.
We do notice an uptick of interest in the Protestant and Reformation
Articles, the Thirty-nine Articles of
Religion. Dr. Stott had an “enlarged
vision of the Church.” Dr. Packer calls
auditors to “pick up the torch” and “carry on” what John began. We concur.
1.
We list some resources on the Rev. Dr. John
Stott (1921-2011) whose recent passing has invoked numerous comments. (Put in Memorial service URL here after
that’s posted)
2.
50th
Anniversary of John Stott's “Basic Christianity” is explored at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzoWx534yGE
Takeways:
a.
“Basic Christianity” began as an evangelistic
set of lectures at Cambridge University, his alma mater. The book is quite basic. So basic, for this scribe, that it was
quickly read and dismissed. After all,
Dad gave me Hodge’s 3-volume Systematic Theology and Berkhof’s Systematic
Theology at age 18, gently commending 10 pages per day with 10 chapters from
the OT and 10 chapters from the NT for daily reading, atop my science major in
university.
b.
Dr. Stott published 50 volumes with
Inter-varsity Press.
c.
True to Anglican Churchmanship, Dr. Stott wore
a “dog collar,” or, the Anglican collar.
We understand that in his later ministry, he merely wore a suit, no
collar and no vestments.
d.
Dr. Stott and Dr. Packer influenced
evangelicalism.
e.
The “Brits,” like Dr. Stott and Dr. Packer, advocated
careful thinking.
3.
John Stott on "When
I Feel Most Alive” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDPqw-LAuaU&feature=related
a.
Take-aways:
b.
“I feel most alive in
worship.”
c.
Dr. Stott speaks “Prayer
Book language” from the Holy Communion, a language that informed his worship.
d.
“THEREFORE
with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and
magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee, and saying,
e.
“HOLY,
HOLY, HOLY, Lord God of, hosts, Heaven and earth are full of thy glory: Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High.
Amen.”
f.
Given the widespread worship disorders, we wish
that Dr. Stott might have been known for advocacy of old school Prayer Book
worship, doctrine, and piety…pointing to better ways for the in-disciplined and
indecorous elements in evangelical enthusiasm.
4.
The London Institute for Contemporary Christian
is site with a wealth of information on Dr. Stott—with an introduction,
tribute, biography, “remembrance book,” resources, and “John Stott Memorial Website”
(hosted by Langham Partnership). http://www.licc.org.uk/tribute
5.
Dr. Stott’s funeral will be held at All Souls
Church in Langham Place on 8 Aug 2011 at 1215 P.M.. http://www.allsouls.org/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=273577
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