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Handle with prayer!
News shorts – ANiC and AEN
Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) synod, Nov 13-15, Burlington
Prayer – ANiC members should have received a prayer guide designed to encourage prayer for synod. This prayer guide was designed for use beginning November 1 and carrying through to the end of synod, November 15. Thank you for praying for this important meeting and for ANiC leaders as they prepare for it. If you have not received the prayer guide, you can find a copy here or contact Jude Carrier at 1-866-351-2642.
Agenda – The agenda is still in development.
Looking to Jesus presentation and video posted to website
If you didn’t make to ANiC’s Looking to Jesus gathering in your area, you can get a small taste of what you missed by viewing a 15 minute video online – covering GAFCon, Lambeth and ANiC’s future, and featuring interviews with Archbishop Greg Venables (Anglican Province of the Southern Cone and our Primate), Bishop Donald Harvey (ANiC’s moderator) and the Venerable Charlie Masters (ANiC’s executive archdeacon). You can also have a look at the Looking to Jesus presentation (in pdf) which provides information on ANiC.
If you’d like ANiC to hold a gathering in your community, please contact Jude to discuss the possibilities – email or call 1-866-351-2642 ext 4015. We will try our best to accommodate invitations to bring the “Looking to Jesus” presentation to more communities.
Introducing ANiC’s expanded board
ANiC’s newly expanded board met for the first time, October 27 in Vancouver. The board balances clergy and laity with Bishop Donald Harvey as chair. In addition to Bishop Don, the clergy members of the board are: Bishop Malcolm Harding, the Rev David Short, the Rev George Sinclair, The Rev Ray David Glenn and the Rev Darrell Critch. Lay members are: Claus Lenk, Joyce Lee, Rob Alloway, John McKay and Bill Stewart. Cheryl Chang (Chancellor) and the Venerable Charlie Masters (Executive Archdeacon) attend as non-voting members of the board.
Diocese of Brandon begins saber rattling
CBC Manitoba reports the Bishop of Brandon claiming that St Bede’s vote was invalid and beside’s the property belongs to the diocese. "It was called improperly, if you like, because it wasn't called by the rector of the parish, and the question that they were dealing with, as well, is not something that can be lawfully dealt with by a congregational meeting," said Jim Njegovan, the Anglican Bishop of Brandon. Njegovan noted that the century-old church and cemetery where the congregation normally meets is owned by the Anglican Church of Canada.” The debate in the comments following the story is lively, though often uncharitable.
Diocese of New Westminster files counter claim
According to the diocesan website, “In its statement of defence and counterclaim, the Diocese is now asking the court to declare that the individuals who brought the court action—in particular the former clergy, David Short, Trevor Walters and Simon Chin—are not entitled to possession or control of the church buildings they now occupy, and to grant a permanent injunction to that effect... The statement adds that the term “historic, orthodox Anglican teaching and practice” has no basis in law or in Anglicanism, and that the Solemn Declaration does not constrain the evolution of doctrine.”
Petition update
The petitions initiated by Anglican Mainstream in support of the ANiC parishes in the Vancouver area threatened with eviction from their church buildings and purported deposition of their clergy by the Diocese of New Westminster have received 1570 signatures to date. Some of the comments are listed on the AEC blog for your easy reference. See also this Church of England Newspaper article. You can add your name to others from outside the Church of England on this petition.
St Stephen the Martyr launches new website
Congratulations to St Stephen’s (St John’s NL) on its new website!
Update on St Hilda’s
The AEC blog contains an account of the situation at St Hilda’s (Oakville) where it is said that the Diocese of Niagara has not yet paid any of the court ordered costs for sharing the building.
Upcoming Network events
ANiC’s Looking to Jesus cross-Canada gatherings provide an overview of momentous recent developments in the Anglican world and how ANiC is preparing for this exciting future. Please come and bring friends. Check our website for details of times and locations for meetings.
Nov 2 (Sun) St John’s, NF
Nov 3 (Mon) Halifax, NS New location: Fairview Salvation Army Citadel, 50 Gesner St.
Nov 4 (Tues) Moncton, NB
If your parish has an event you’d like announced, please let Marilyn know.
Bishop Malcolm keynotes Renewal Network Conference
This year’s Renewal Network Conference (hosted by Presbyterian, Anglican, and United Church groups) is on November 1 in Burlington. The theme is “Christ our Indwelling Spirit” and Bishop Malcolm Harding is the theme speaker. St Hilda’s rector, the Rev Paul Charbonneau, leads one of the workshops.
News shorts – Canada
House of Bishops issues ambiguous statement
Following this week’s meeting, the Anglican Church of Canada House of Bishops issued a statement which indicated the major topic of discussion had been the proposed impending approval by several more dioceses – Ottawa, Montreal, Niagara, Huron, and the Anglican Parishes of the Central Interior – of blessings for same-sex couples. The statement says, “a large majority of the House can affirm… A continued commitment to the greatest extent possible to the three moratoria – on the blessing of same-sex unions, on the ordination to the episcopate of people in same-sex relationships and on cross-border interventions – until General Synod 2010.” The bishops also committed to ongoing discussions of the matter “in preparation for conversations at General Synod 2010”. And they agreed to “…continued commitment to the Shared Episcopal Ministry document approved in Fall, 2004”. The Primate is reported to have told the bishops, "Please know that I am mindful of the continuing havoc created in several of our dioceses through cross-border interventions on the part of Primates and bishops from other jurisdictions. I believe we must call them to account. They too must honour the Lambeth call for ‘gracious restraint.’ I remain committed to addressing this issue within the Communion."
The Anglican Journal notes that Archbishop Hiltz acknowledges the wording of the statement allows “wiggle room” to dioceses like Ottawa and Montreal to “…continue what their bishops have recently described as “incremental” and “experiential” steps toward same-sex blessings… Archbishop Hiltz said, however, that, “it’s my sense from what these bishops have told the house that the floodgates haven’t opened for Ottawa and Montreal to immediately proceed to blessings.” He said that “the bishops have clearly indicated they need time to think about what’s been said here … I think that in the primates’ meeting (in February 2009) and the Anglican Consultative Committee meeting (in May 2009), we’ll probably be in a position to say that these dioceses are in the process of continuing discernment, but they’ve taken some incremental steps forward.” See also: Reuters’ Canadian Anglicans sit on fence over gay marriages. And the discussion on the AEC blog.
Immediately following the House of Bishop meeting, the Montreal Gazette reported that “The Anglican Bishop of Montreal will go ahead with plans to bless same-sex unions, despite a 2-year moratorium on the controversial unions urged yesterday after a meeting of Canada's Anglican Bishops. Rt. Rev. Barry Clarke, head of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal, which includes 72 parishes and 110 congregations, said last night he will meet with diocese officials to develop "a protocol and a liturgy implementing the blessing of same-sex unions." Clarke said a protocol will take some time and the blessing of same-sex unions probably won't begin before next year.
Bishops seek permission to allow blessings
Prior to the House of Bishops meeting, the Ottawa Citizen reported that Bishop John Chapman (Ottawa) planned to ask if he could develop a rite for blessing same-sex civil marriages. If there was consent, he said he would proceed slowly, designating one parish to offer the blessings. Ann Crawley has written an excellent letter to the editor in the Ottawa Citizen.
The Anglican Journal also quoted Bishop Chapman saying, "I need to remind this synod that parishes do not leave the diocese," Bishop Chapman said in his address to synod. "Sadly, some individuals elect to move on while parishes remain with the diocese, subject to all the rights and privileges of the diocese living under the constitution, canons and regulations of the diocese." Many are wondering what will become of the parish communities, he said. "I assure you that everything will be done to provide pastoral care for those members wishing to continue their faith journey as members of the diocese and under the pastoral oversight of the bishop of Ottawa." He added, "Ownership of the properties of St. Alban’s and St. George’s has not, nor will they ever be transferred to the Province of the Southern Cone."
The bishop of the Diocese of Montreal also told his synod that he would seek the blessing of the House of Bishops to begin work on drafting rites for the blessing of “duly solemnized and registered civil marriages between same-sex couples…” The Anglican Journal quotes him as saying, “For reasons, perhaps known only to God, I believe we, in the diocese of Montreal, are among those who have been called by God to speak with a prophetic voice,” he said. “It is our voice that is called to affirm that all people are loved, valued and precious before God and the Church. It is our voice that is called to affirm that all unions of faithful love and life-long commitment are worthy of God's blessing and a means of God’s grace. In time our voice will either be affirmed by the body, or stand corrected.”
The Montreal synod also rejected shared episcopal ministry for dissenting clergy and parishes.
See also, an Anglican Journal story and the following blog reports: Musings from the Muse, A reasonable faith, AEC blog on Ottawa, AEC blog on Montreal
ACoC Council of the North weighs its future
The Anglican Journal reports that Archbishop Terry Buckle (Yukon) speaking at a Council of the North meeting in mid-September, urged members to consider how they would respond to decisions regarding the marriage canon and same-sex blessings at the Anglican church of Canada’s general synod in 2010. He said the ACoC could have “a very serious problem on our hands because there are many in the Anglican Church of Canada who will not tolerate such a change. A revision of this nature will undoubtedly affect Council of the North dioceses in a very negative way and rightly so in my opinion. Many of us will not tolerate such a revision of the marriage canon.”
Attempts to vote on same-sex blessing motion fail in two dioceses
The Oct 17-19 assembly of the Diocese of Ontario did not vote on a motion to bless civilly married same-sex couples. The motion was rules out of order by the diocesan bishop, George Bruce, a ruling that was upheld on appeal. The Anglican Journal reports: “In his charge to the synod, Bishop Bruce said that the chancellor had advised him that the motion is ultra vires (beyond the power) of both him and the synod. “Firstly, because at its inception, matters relating to doctrine were ceded by dioceses to the General Synod and secondly, as you heard, General Synod 2007 clearly affirmed that blessing same-sex unions was a matter of doctrine,” he said. “Therefore, until such time as the General Synod addresses the question of whether the theology of marriage can be extended to all legally qualified persons and decides for or against amending Canon XXI (the national church canon on marriage), the request made in this motion remains within the authority of General Synod.”
Similarly, no such motion came before the just concluded Diocese of Edmonton synod, where the bishop expressed her intent to follow the wishes of General Synod and Lambeth. She also asked delegates to set as a goal each bringing one other person to Christ in the next five years.
Budget cuts coming to Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC)
The Anglican Journal reports that the ACoC needs to slash $1.3 million from its 2009 budget due to seven successive annual deficits. A generous bequest has helped erase some of that past red ink.
In the Canadian media
The Observer – Oct 23 08 – Sarnia rector an Anglican Bishop candidate
The Observer – Oct 26 08 – New bishop elected for Anglican Diocese of Huron
The Intelligencer – Oct 27 08 – Gay man seeks ordination: …Anglican Church is ‘hypocritical’
Globe & Mail – Oct 30 08 – Same-sex blessings split Anglicans
North Bay Nugget – Oct 27 08 – Let youths be leaders – archbishop
Anglican Journal – Nov 01 08 – BC synod deals creatively with decline
Anglican Journal – Nov 01 08 – Diocese responds to suit
Anglican Journal – Nov 01 08 – General Synod anticipates deficits
Anglican Journal – Nov 01 08 – Almost half of northern clergy are non-stipendiary
Anglican Journal – Nov 01 08 – Strengthen provinces and abolish General Synod, says prolocutor
Anglican Journal – Nov 01 08 – Algoma elects Andrews as new bishop
News shorts – USA and North America
Presiding Bishop plans to prevent consideration of Covenant
Despite the Covenant Design Group expediting its efforts to ensure the Episcopal Church (TEC) general convention would be able to consider the final draft of the Anglican Covenant next summer, Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori says she will not allow this to happen.
Rationale for a new North American Province
Bishop Bob Duncan, writing in The Church of England Newspaper, describes the reality of North American Anglicanism as “significantly disintegrated” and comprised of "two irreconcilable religions”. While marginalized North American Anglicans have found safety thanks to “inter-provincial” interventions by Primates from Africa and South America, this solution is temporary. A North American solution is preferable, Bishop Duncan argues. “Were the Communion to bless… the formation of a new "mainstream" North American Province the need for temporary rescue measures by mainstream Anglican Provinces like Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Southern Cone and Uganda would be ended… In fact, the anomaly of a new mainstream Province of the Anglican Church in North America overlapping two rogue provinces, The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, would prove far more stabilizing and manageable for the entire Communion than the present alternatives. Nothing would immediately change about the 22 Anglican Provinces that are in broken or impaired Communion with TEC and the ACC – and the scandal of one North American Province not in Communion with two others would be obvious. Nevertheless, such a course of action would alone allow the Windsor Continuation Group and the historic Instruments of Communion to focus on address of the issues that precipitated the present crisis in the first place, narrowly defined as blessings of same-sex unions and ordination of bishops in sexual relationships outside of Holy Matrimony, or more broadly sketched as unwillingness to remain accountable to the Holy Scriptures, to the Christian moral consensus of 2000 years and to the Faith once for all delivered to the saints. Only then can communion and coherence be restored everywhere.”
He also said “The goal of describing by December 2008 a "recognizably Anglican provincial structure" has been adopted by the Lead Bishops Roundtable (Executive Committee).”
Work begins on a North American Catechism
The Young Anglicans Project, a ministry of the Anglican Communion Network, has begun work on a draft catechism for the emerging orthodox North American Province. This draft, which will be the work of a diverse group from various Common Cause Partners, is “intended to provide a basis on which to foster further conversation among Anglican theologians and bishops of the Common Cause Partnership”. The draft catechism will spell “out the essential doctrines of the Christian Faith in the Anglican Tradition” and is comprised of five sections: “the nature of God, The Scriptures, The Church, Worship (prayer, liturgy and sacrament) and the Church’s mission to the world. Each section is being generated by teams from among the members of the group with the goal of producing a draft document by the end of this year to be presented to the sub-committee on Catechism of the Theological Education committee of the Common Cause Partnership and in due course to the bishops of the Partnership.”
The Episcopal Church announces budget deficit in 2009
TEC’s executive council was informed that the budget for 2009 will result in a $2.5 million deficit; however, surpluses from previous years will more than make up for this. If my math is correct, according to this article, TEC draws $1.74 million/per year from endowment fund earnings to help fund its budget. The 2009 revenue projection included the assumption that diocesan assessment payments – 21 per cent, which generated $31 million in 2008 – would be unchanged in 2009.
This report also says, “Included in the proposed 2009 budget is $600,000 for legal support to dioceses and expenses for Title IV disciplinary actions. Any costs above that amount will have to be taken from the church's short-term reserves, Barnes said, noting that because of previous commitments made for $5.4 million of the $6.5 million in reserve, there is $1.1 million available that could be used for those expenses… In 2008, the council budgeted $450,000 for legal expenses but $1.97 million was spent. The difference was taken from short-term reserves as the council had directed when it passed the budget.”
Former St John’s Shaughnessy priest leads El Paso parish out of TEC
VirtueOnline reports that, “The 150-family evangelical church of St. Francis on the Hill has voted unanimously to formally leave the Episcopal Church…The Rev. Dr. Felix Orji, the Nigerian-born rector of the parish… [said following the vote on October 21] that his vestry voted overwhelmingly to take the parish out of the Episcopal Church having waited two years for the Episcopal Church to repent... “On November 19, 2006, the congregation voted by 90% to begin the process of leaving TEC [Rev Orji said]… We have started losing members. People are leaving, they are tired of waiting. So the vestry decided to act on the mandate, the congregation gave two years ago.” The Nigerian priest is no stranger to controversy. He was a priest for six years at St. John's, Shaughnessy, in Vancouver, BC, working with orthodox rector the Rev David Short, in the revisionist Diocese of New Westminster under Bishop Michael Ingham.”
San Diego area parish losses court battle
On October 21, a court of appeal sided with the Episcopal Church in its case to reclaim church facilities from the departed parish of St John’s (Fallbrook). This reversed an earlier decision and will, in turn, likely be appealed to a higher court.
Bishop of Quincy announces retirement
Bishop Keith Ackerman has announced his retirement immediately prior to a critical diocesan vote on realignment with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. The reasons for his retirement are not clear but health appears to be a factor.
X-rated movies go up in flames on new Florida church property
Parishioners of Christ Church Anglican in Jacksonville, Florida held a ceremony to destroy pornographic movies found on the property the church recently bought an old drive-in theatre.
In the US media and on the blogs
WXXI – Oct 23 08 – Irondequoit church building ruled property of Episcopal diocese
EpiscopalCafe – Oct 23 08 – Va. Suffragan to “consult” with new Pittsburgh diocese
Conger – Oct 24 08 – California vote to depose priests may backfire for Episcopal Church
The Christian Post – Oct 24 08 – Breakaway Anglicans, Episcopal faithful build new future
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review – Oct 26 08 – Episcopal split may lead to bitter property dispute
Washington Times – Oct 26 08 – Episcopal Church losing members
FresnoBee – Oct 25 08 – …One Valley convention is now two after a split in Episcopal Church
The Christian Post – Oct 28 08 – Episcopal diocese approves commission to support gays
Associated Press – Oct 29 08 – Churches are looking at hard times
Christian Examiner – Nov 08 – Departure of Pittsburgh diocese widens Episcopal Church’s schism
StandFirm – Oct 25 08 – [TEC] Executive Council to wage reconciliation against the CCP
News shorts – International
Covenant news
Covenant Design Group has released “A Lambeth Commentary”, a compilation of questions about the St Andrew’s draft of the Covenant together with answers. Provinces have until the beginning of March next year to respond to the current draft of the Covenant. The Covenant Design Group will meet again at the end of March to develop a third draft and prepare a report to the Anglican Consultative Council. The commentary encourages diocesan synods to commit to the covenant.
However, the future doesn’t look bright for the Covenant. First, TEC’s Presiding Bishop said she will actively block the Covenant. Now, GAFCon theologians are dismissing it as futile. Sydney theologian, Dr. Mark Thompson, states, “It is the unwillingness of the current leadership of the Communion to deal directly and biblically with the crisis created by the American and Canadian revisionists, its prevarication and personal compromise that has radically deepened the crisis and ensured that the covenant as it is proposed simply will not work.” Dr Stephen Noll says, the “most important requirements of a workable covenant are doctrinal substance and disciplinary efficacy. The drafts to date have fallen short on both counts.”
Archbishop of Canterbury meets with Bishop Bob Duncan
On October 15, Dr Williams met privately with the Pittsburgh bishop at his private residence in London. Bishop Duncan was “deposed” by Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori in a shocking move that violated TEC’s own canons and generated worldwide distain for TEC. Details of the meeting were not released.
Lambeth 2008 and the end of an era
George Conger, chief correspondent for The Church of England Newspaper, has written an incisive and thorough account of Lambeth, providing both historical context and insight into the key players. He says Dr Rowan Williams, the present Archbishop of Canterbury, believes that “truth is unknowable”, so “theology does not reveal God; it reveals that there is no revelation, no single knowable truth. He who claims possession of the truth, and uses it to exclude others from the fellowship of the church, shows by his very actions that the truth is not in him… Hence the mission of the church is to stay together, united by this common life while it seeks the (centuries) long pursuit of common doctrine.”
After outlining behind-the-scenes events leading up to the consecration of TEC Bishop Robinson, the author says, “the strategy of delay and dialogue first recommended to Dr. Williams for the October 2003 Primates’ Meeting has been consistently and effectively applied to all subsequent international Anglican gatherings, with the Archbishop acting at key points to steer the course of events away from the possible discipline of North American rebels. The same strategy was applied at Lambeth 2008.”
Was Lambeth a success? Conger concludes: “The strategy of setting left against right in pursuit of dialogue for the sake of delay… proved effective.”
The four divisions in fractured Anglicanism
Tim Morgan, Christianity Today deputy managing editor, describes the present state of Anglicanism, says there are four major divisions: Liberals, Evangelicals, Anglo-Catholics and Institutional loyalists. He says “The biggest division between conservatives concerns strategy. Inside strategists favor using the so-called Windsor Process. Outside strategists support creating new structures to reform Anglicanism… Outside strategists hope to create a new orthodox Anglican province for North America… Inside strategist conservatives hope [the Covenant] will reestablish doctrinal orthodoxy, place clearer limits on church autonomy, and detail the church's joint mission and provisions for resolving disputes.”
Zimbabwe bishop awarded human rights prize
Bishop Sebastian Bakare (Harare) will be awarded the 2008 Per Anger prize for risking his “own safety to defend the rights of the individual against oppression and inhumanity" in Zimbabwe. The ceremony takes place November 10th in Stockholm, Sweden.
Systemic persecution of Christians
Scott Gilbreath reports that Egyptian Coptic Christian leader has had a $60 million bounty placed on his head by Islamists because of his evangelism activity. Systemic persecution of Christians in radical Islamic countries is commonplace.
In India, the campaign by Hindus to stamp out Christians continues using violence, murder, persecution and forced conversions.
GAFCon news
The Way, the Truth and the Life, a book prepared for those attending the Global Anglican Future conference in Jerusalem last June, is available as a download and, although sold out, a small additional print run has been produced. A new edition will be available next spring incorporating the text of the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration, together with a commentary by the GAFCON Theological Resource Team.
Bishop Wallace Benn and Mark Burkill respond to Iain Murray’s position that “fellowship with the Archbishop of Canterbury is essential to the definition of what it means to be Anglican”. Rather, they say, “the historic position is that being Anglican essentially involves commitment to biblical doctrine. That is why the GAFCON Jerusalem Statement insists our identity as Anglicans is expressed in the words of Canon A5: ‘The doctrine of the Church of England is grounded in the Holy Scriptures, and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular, such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal’. This is why the Jerusalem Statement then stated: ‘While acknowledging the nature of Canterbury as an historic see, we do not accept that Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury’. It is essential to see that the historic and evangelical position is that being Anglican depends on what you believe more than particular features of church life and order.” The article goes on to explain that the GAFCon movement represents the vast majority of global Anglicans.
In the international media
Church Times – Oct 24 08 – Duncan warns the English
The Guardian – Oct 22 08 – Without God, there’s reason to worry
VirtueOnline – Oct 26 08 – AMiA theologian challenges CAPA chairman over nature of the church
Religious Intelligence – Oct 26 08 – Canadian parish quits, but forgets to tell the vicar
Soul food
What’s really at stake…
With the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church in the US insisting that the crisis is merely about different standards of moral conduct, we have an uphill battle to convince people otherwise. But, it’s not all about sex! In fact, the decay of moral standards is a symptom of very serious, fundamental doctrinal deviation and decay within the establishment Anglican churches in North America. While we have been explaining this for years, for many Anglicans this it is still news. The Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church in the US have cleverly and doggedly insisted that sex is the real issue – therefore, moral conservatives are bigoted. It is so much easier to write us off as bigots than to deal with the messy truth that the doctrine and practice of the establishment church has strayed far from historic, Biblical – yes, even Christian – teaching.
Worth reading
Briane Turley has written a devastating article on the growing culture of death in western society.
Food for thought
Christians are called to do Emmanuel labour.
Just for fun
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“We hate to tell you, Reverend, but we’re more of a non-profit organization than we used to be!”
Grin and Bear It • 1972
From: Sermons and Pulpits |
Prayer and praise
Please pray for Bishop Don’s wife, Trudy, who broke a bone just below the shoulder in a fall. Pray for wisdom for the doctors and complete healing and continued relief from pain.
Pray for persecuted Christians in India – the carnage and loss of life, forced conversions to Hinduism and terrorizing of Christians is even worse than first thought.
Pray for preparations for ANiC’s synod, November 13-15 and for the Clergy Day, November 12. Much work is still to be completed. Pray that the synod will be God-honouring.
Pray for the Anglican Church of Canada’s House of Bishops meeting Oct 27-31.
Pray for the Diocese of Quincy (Illinois) synod Nov 7-8 and the Diocese of Fort Worth synod Nov 14-15 at which delegates will vote on realigning with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone.
Please pray for parishes contemplating votes on realignment with ANiC.
Pray for the God’s will in the formation of a new orthodox Anglican Province in North America.
And now a word from our sponsor
Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster."
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