“Rome has a special place in her heart for Anglicans”

From Catholic Online, a story about a former Episcopal priest, ordained in the Roman Catholic church in 1983. Interesting comments by Fr. Barber:

[O]ver time changes in the church increasingly disturbed [Father Bradley Barber]. He said he was especially bothered by the fact that doctrine was subject to a democratic vote and could be changed by a simple majority vote. He wondered, would God really accept sacramental changes approved by a 51-49 percent vote when it was Jesus Christ himself who gave us these sacraments?

“The Episcopal Church was starting to allow sociological arguments to reign in theological matters,” Father Barber said.

Ordaining women to the priesthood, recognizing same-sex relationships as marriages, and allowing the church to be led by openly gay pastors, those were things that troubled Father Barber in his role as an Episcopal priest. He said the pivotal point came when he was visited by a couple who were considering leaving the Catholic Church over doctrinal disagreements.

The Episcopal priest counseled the couple to remain in their own church, and he realized he wanted to be there, too.

“Theologically, I knew I was Catholic,” he said. . .

Even while he waited for word from Rome, Father Barber said he had no doubts about converting. “I knew I had done the right thing,” he said, and he believed whatever decision came would be the right one. “Faith in the Church is never difficult.” Besides, he said, “Rome has a special place in her heart for Anglicans.”

“To offer my services as a priest was really secondary.” If the pope didn’t approve, he said, “it would be difficult but I would have to accept (the decision) and sit in the pew the rest of my life.”

Read it all.

Greg Griffith: New Orleans House of Bishops meeting schedule

From Stand Firm, Greg Griffith outlines the House of Bishops' meeting schedule for Sept. 19 - 25.

And don't forget that Kevin Kallsen of AnglicanTV plans to be there to send us video.

Upcoming Anglican ordination in San Diego

From SanDiegoAnglicans.com, info on an upcoming ordination:

Deacon Austin Mansfield, who has been pastoring the Holy Faith Anglican church plant [see here] down in the National City area, is to be ordained by Francis Lyons, Bishop of Bolivia. Congratulations, Deacon Mansfield.

From http://saintanneschurch.net/22b.churchnews.html Bishop Lyons will be here on Wednesday, September 12th to ordain Austin Mansfield to the priesthood and Ian McCarthy as a deacon. The ordination service will be at St. Anne's at 7:00 p.m. A light reception will follow.

Check it out.

Saga Arequipeña: The Twilight of a Mission

From SanDiegoAnglicans.com, a final posting by David Alenskis on his mission trip to Peru:

. . . Although I was living in Peru, I could not avoid the fact that while I spoke like a Peruvian, ate like a Peruvian, traveled like a Peruvian, made Peruvian friends, and developed an insatiable love for Peru to the point of desiring to call it home at times, I remain an American, and I am bound by that identity with privileges and obligations. And ever so quickly, I have had to return to that homeland which I had left and to which I belonged.

And yet, not even this is entirely accurate. Because all of us, those for whom Christ shed his blood and for whom he was raised, who have been baptized into his Death and Resurrection unto pardon and deliverance from sins, who have received the Spirit of Adoption and have so been made one Body with him, and who have been seated with him at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly realms, we no longer belong to ourselves or to any other but rather belong exclusively to this faithful Savior Jesus Christ and are heirs of the Kingdom which he has ushered in. . .

David sends an update via email on the earthquake situation in Peru (he had already left before the earthquake hit, but is concerned about friends):

My heart is going out to all those who are suffering in Ica and Pisco (I traveled through them at one point en route to Arequipa), and I hope that the government, church, and others can help them in what really is a horrible crisis.

Read it all, and please add the people and churches in Peru to your prayers.

Third (and final) part of Mario Bergner’s contribution to the Listening Process at Stand Firm

From Stand Firm, part three of Mario Bergner’s Contribution to the Listening Process:

As the Church we are to teach and practice a moral and pastoral theology that actually believes living in abstinence, holy celibacy or change leading to heterosexual marriage are viable options for Christians struggling with same-sex attractions. Our message about homosexuality needs to state it is but one of the many sins Jesus died to redeem us from and that in the majority of cases same-sex attractions can be changed. As the Church we are to evangelistically preach the Good News leading to regeneration through baptism and deeper conversion to Jesus Christ. As the Church we are to equip pastoral leaders to minister sexual redemption and healing in Christ to all people, not only to those with same-sex attractions.

Finally, as the Church we need to be encouraged, strengthened and empowered with the truth that we have had success in ministering to people with homosexual attractions since the days of the Apostles. As stated earlier in this paper, St. Paul clearly writes that some of the Corinthians came free from life-controlling sins including homosexuality through a three-fold process of being washed, justified and sanctified. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) When St. Paul’s three-fold process combines with St. Matthew’s three-fold mission of teaching, preaching and healing, the Church becomes a safe place where men and women with same-sex attractions find transformation. . .

Read it all, and thanks to Sarah Hey for posting this.

TV airing for Islam's story of Christ

From The Guardian in the U.K.:

There was no manger, Christ is not the Messiah, and the crucifixion never happened. A forthcoming ITV documentary will portray Jesus as Muslims see him.

With the Koran as a main source and drawing on interviews with scholars and historians, the Muslim Jesus explores how Islam honours Christ as a prophet but not as the son of God. According to the Koran the crucifixion was a divine illusion. Instead of dying on the cross, Jesus was rescued by angels and raised to heaven.

The one-hour special, commissioned and narrated by Melvyn Bragg, is thought to be the first time the subject has been dealt with on British television. Lord Bragg said: "I was fascinated by the idea ... Jesus was such a prominent figure in Islam but most people don't know that."

He denies the programme will divide communities. Raised as an Anglican, he describes the documentary as thoughtful and well researched. "I hope it will provoke among Muslims the feeling they are included in television.". . .

Representatives from mainstream Anglican and Catholic organisations were invited to take part in the film, to be broadcast on Sunday, but nobody was available, [director and producer Irshad] Ashraf said.

Patrick Sookhdeo, an Anglican canon and spokesman for the Barnabas Fund, which works with persecuted Christians, accused broadcasters of double standards. Mr Sookhdeo, who was born a Muslim and converted to Christianity in 1969, said: "How would the Muslim community respond if ITV made a programme challenging Muhammad as the last prophet?". . .

Read it all.

Bishop Mathes writes his diocese

I've just seen the letter Bishop James Mathes of San Diego has written the people of the diocese - check it out at SanDiegoAnglicans.com. Once I have a chance to take a gander, I'll offer some comments. For now, enjoy!

TubeNet joins the Anglican debate

It never ceases to amaze me the various and bizarre places that discussions about ECUSA and the Anglican Communion come up. Take for instance TubeNet, a place for musicians to post pictures, look for jobs, etc. Being a social community, TubeNet also offers a place for users to talk about things "off topic" - and in the midst of the ramblings comes this exchange:

Posted by: Rick Denney
Resident Genius
Joined: 22 Mar 2004
Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 4:07 pm

SplatterTone wrote:
(Anglicans? Did somebody say Anglicans?)

You did.

It should be pointed out that the approval of the gay bishop is NOT the cause for the departure of many churches from the Episcopal Church of the USA (ECUSA). It was just one of a series of incidents going back at least 30 years, including the current leader of that denomination describing Jesus as a myth and God as a mystical "mother spirit". If people want to believe that, that's okay with me, but why call themselves Christians? It seems to me the one fundamental meaning of being a Christian is to believe in Christ.

But it wasn't those churches that left the Anglican Communion. It was the Anglican Communion that is leaving the ECUSA. In the last several international convocations, Anglican bishops have asked the American episcopal church to stop undermining their fundamental beliefs. The ECUSA, as the affiliated denomination with the Anglican church in the U.S., has rebuffed those requests. Thus, it became apparent that the Anglican Communion would eventually have a parting of the ways with the ECUSA.

Not all episcopals agree with the ECUSA on this matter, and many would rather stay in the Anglican Communion than the ECUSA. Thus, they were invited to joint other Anglican dioceses and each voted to do so. The church I attend is now a member of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, and we are now a part of the missionary diocese of the Anglican Church of Nigeria. The vote in our church was 124 to 4.

It is unfortunate that the ECUSA has taken this to court, mostly because they want our real estate. It's also about taking the retirements away from the Episcopal priests (now Anglican priests), by de-ordaining them, even though they no longer had ecclesiastical authority over them.

Most of the churches who have moved to other Anglican dioceses were organized outside the Episcopal Church (and some of them before the Episcopal Church existed). They joined the ECUSA later. Virginia law gives them the right to leave it. No dollar from the ECUSA has ever flowed into our church, but lots of them have flowed from our church to the ECUSA.

Rick "who has thought for a while that African churches needed to send missionaries to the U.S." Denney

--------------------------------------
Posted by: MartyNeilan
6 valves

Joined: 19 Mar 2004
Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 4:21 pm Post subject:

It is interesting to see how American churches get to bickering.

In Central America, people without a penny to their name walk (often barefoot) for miles to go to church services. No Hummers in their parking lot.
And, in the Middle East, Christian church services are held in fortified compounds while local police armed with automatic weapons stand out front to protect the congregation. Ushers with radios and earpieces constantly patrol every hall inside and search every corner throughout the service.
And, in inner city America (the other America) hundreds of homeless men will sing their hearts out on a Friday night service and be grateful for just for a mattress on the floor.

Marty "who has been to all of those and did not notice any denominational bickering"
_________________
It's not the heat, it's the stupidity.

--------------------------------------
Posted by: Rick Denney
Resident Genius
Joined: 22 Mar 2004
Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 5:01 pm

MartyNeilan wrote:
Marty "who has been to all of those and did not notice any denominational bickering"

There is a boundary between denominational bickering and undermining the fundamental tenets of the religion. We aren't talking about water baptism versus spiritual baptism, or predestination, or premillennialism, or praise worship versus traditional hymns, or other issues of doctrinal interpretation or worship style. We are talking about whether people who call themselves Christians actually believe in Christ. They all believe in the church, and its traditions. That is not at the root of the argument, though it is often characterized that way.

This isn't a denominational squabble.

The reason you don't get that sort of thing in places you mentioned is that people are there to worship Christ, not to undermine the worship of Christ. Why would anyone attend a church where it is risky to do so if the people in that church believe only in church tradition? They go because they believe in Christ and want to worship with others who do. It really is that simple.

Rick "who has also attended church in those places" Denney

Check it out.

TLC: U.S. bishops ask Archbishop of Canterbury for clarity

From Steve Waring of The Living Church:

Bishops who have made a public commitment to support the Windsor Report have asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to be clear and articulate in explaining what the consequences will be if the House of Bishops fails to give the assurances sought by the primates.

Seventeen diocesan bishops and one bishop suffragan from The Episcopal Church received an extensive briefing on the primates’ communiqué from the Rev. Canon Gregory Cameron, and shared with him their hopes for the meeting in September between the Archbishop of Canterbury and the House of Bishops during a conference held Aug. 9-10 at Camp Allen near Houston.

Canon Cameron is deputy secretary general and director of ecumenical affairs for the Anglican Consultative Council. He also has served as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s secretary at recent primates’ meetings and wrote the final draft of the primates’ communiqué. The Most Rev. Rowan Williams is scheduled to attend the first two days of the bishops’ meeting Sept. 20-25 in New Orleans.

During the Texas meeting the bishops decided not to issue a public statement and agreed not to discuss meeting details. This is the fifth time that “Windsor bishops” have met at Camp Allen to consider the Windsor Report and The Episcopal Church’s response to it. At previous meetings the bishops have issued statements and The Living Church was assured by several participants at the Aug. 9-10 gathering that the overall goals and objectives remain consistent with what has been previously published.

[all boldface mine]

Read it all, and h/t to BabyBlueOnline.

The dog days of summer

yes, I'm a dog and I eat flowers. . .

Second part of Mario Bergner’s contribution to the Listening Process at Stand Firm

Part two of Mario Bergner’s Contribution to the Listening Process is now posted at Stand Firm:

Our most commonly asked question at Redeemed Lives is, ‘How can I help someone who is struggling with homosexuality?' My first response is to ask a few questions: ‘Is the person struggling a Christian? Has he or she been baptized, regenerated and converted in Jesus Christ?' If the answer is, ‘No, they are not a Christian', then the primary need is not to address their homosexuality, but to introduce them to the Great Physician himself, Jesus . The message of the Gospel is not, ‘Jesus loves you and wants to change your homosexuality.' It is John 3:16, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.' . . .

In the many years that we have been in existence we have cared for some people who after coming to us for help returned to self-identifying as gay or to embrace other passions of the sinful nature. How did we fail them?

Our early failures at helping people with same-sex attraction were due in part to inexperience. . .

Still, even with all these requirements met, there have been a relatively small number of people who have returned to homosexuality, or embraced other life-controlling conditions of the sinful nature. We have always kept open the doors of love to them. . .

Read it all.

African archbishop to worship with Walnut Creek, California, Episcopalians

From the ContraCosta Times (Bay area):

The archbishop of South Africa will teach, pray and talk with parishioners in Walnut Creek -- and, it is hoped, return home with a renewed appreciation of diverse views.

He will visit St. Paul's Episcopal Church Oct. 15 for a meditative Taizé service, a meal, a teaching, "and I hope, some dialogue," said the Rev. Sylvia Vasquez, spiritual leader of St. Paul's.

The archbishop, the Most Rev. Njongonkulu Ndungane, will be in the Bay Area to participate in the Oct. 14 to 20 annual convention of the California diocese. Bishop Marc Andrus, head of the diocese, invited Ndungane while in Africa as part of a peace mission last March. . .

Disagreements over the ordination of women and gays have strained relations between some dioceses, primarily in Uganda, and the west. The solution is dialogue, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said in a February address. The divide has been worsened "by one group forging ahead with change in discipline and practice, and the other insistently treating the question as the sole definitive marker of orthodoxy," he said at that time. . .

Vasquez said less than 5 percent of worshippers take a hard line on such matters, and the media has focused undue attention on the fractious dispute. By partaking in an open discussion with American congregations, Ndungane will see "the diversity of thought in who we are," Vasquez said. "There is room for everybody in the church."

Read it all.

Many different ways to become lost

A guest posting by Drusilla at The Dawn Patrol on being single has a few insights into the Anglican worldview:

It has been almost exactly three years since I returned to the Catholic Church after spending a number of years in the Anglican Communion. In that brief period, there has been a radical change in me. As an Anglican, my immediate response would have been to deconstruct the Church’s teaching, to find in it the deep, spiritual meaning that ratified my belief that being perpetually single was actually God’s will. As a Catholic, I simply accepted it and now the real work begins. . .

[T]hen [I] realized I had never asked God, What do you want me to do? When I did ask, the answer was simply to live and become holy. So as long as I obeyed the teaching of the church, obedience seemed not to be an issue any longer.

But neither the teaching of the church nor obedience mean much in the Anglican circles I frequented. Though there are many people who will tell one what to do, the teaching there has become so murky, so capricious, there’s no path to follow, only many different ways to become lost. . .

Read it all.

Shoe Day Thursdays

I've decided Thursdays will now be Shoe Day, so in honor of that, another link to the Manolo:

[I]t is not at all too early to think about what you will wear this weekend. And what could be better than these super fantastically vibrant, racy red shoes from the Betsey Johnson?

Christians and Jews in new summit

From an article by George Conger for Religious Intelligence:

THE COMMISSION of Anglican and Jewish leaders, organised as a joint project of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, held its first meeting last month in Jerusalem.

Led by the Bishop of Clogher, the Rt Rev Michael Jackson and Chief Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen of Haifa, the Commission met in Jerusalem from July 1-2 to define the parameters of dialogue between Anglicans and Jews, and to help ease tensions inflamed by decisions taken by the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) and General Synod in recent years. . .

While rejecting a strongly worded condemnation of Israel from the Anglican Peace and Justice Network after the intervention of Archbishop Rowan Williams and the Dean of St Paul’s, Dr John Moses, the ACC endorsed ethical investment strategies that “support the infrastructure of a future Palestinian state."

Relations were further strained by General Synod’s 2006 decision to call for divestment from companies whose products were used by the Israel government in the Territories -- a decision that prompted Lord Carey to say he was “ashamed to be an Anglican.”. . .

Read it all.

Stand Firm to post Mario Bergner’s contribution to the Listening Process in three parts

Part One of Mario Bergner’s contribution to the Listening Process has already been posted at Stand Firm and the other two parts will be posted later this week. Here's an excerpt from Part One:

Therefore the Church should treat same-sex attractions with the same grace it treats all passions and desires that emanate from the sinful nature. Namely, through sensitive pastoral care that provides a safe place where men and women with same-sex attractions can yield their passions and desires to the waters of baptism, the grace of guilt free living through justification in Jesus Christ and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in progressive sanctification.

But in today’s Anglican/Episcopal churches, the topic of homosexuality is so polarizing that few parishes are willing to offer pastoral care to persons who desire to yield their same-sex attractions to the grace of Jesus Christ. I am grateful, however, for those parishes that have consistently done so, such as The Falls Church in Virginia, St. Luke’s Church in Akron, Ohio, Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois and a handful of others. Sadly, the overwhelming majority of conservative Anglican/Episcopal churches as well as Church of England parishes have fallen into quietism in addressing same-sex attractions from a pastoral care perspective offering transformation. This has, for decades, left a vacuum in applying the Good News of Jesus Christ to people with unwanted same-sex attractions as well as to those who self-identify as gay or lesbian.

Anglicans/Episcopalians who identify as Liberal or Progressive filled that vacuum with the Gospel of Inclusion, which opened wide the doors of their parishes to people who self-identify as gay or lesbian. For many men and women with same-sex attractions, the only places that welcomed them were such churches. Although I did attend one such parish when I lived in New York City in the early 1980’s, I found their interpretation of the Gospel to be lacking in objectivity. Rather than preaching what was actually written in the Biblical texts, everything was viewed through a social justice lens that equated the rights of gays and lesbians with the struggles of African Americans and women. It was like attending a civil rights meeting cloaked in liturgy and Christian words.

At the same time, these liberal and progressive Anglicans / Episcopalians announced to society that within their walls there was a safe place for people who self identified as gay or lesbian. But for people like myself, who came to understand their same-sex attractions as unwanted passions and desires, the quietism of conservative, evangelical, catholic and charismatic parishes was a deafening silence that seemed to say, “There is no place for you here.” Had it not been for the intervention of Jesus Christ, who personally visited me on my sick bed in 1983 (see my book Setting Love In Order for this account) I would have never believed that the Church had any answers for me. He called me to help Him deliver men and women from a life of being identified by their same-sex attractions.

[boldface mine]
Read it all.

Church tentatively tries talking to itself on Facebook

From Ekklesia, a Web site that bills itself as "a think-tank that promotes transformative theological ideas in public life" (check out their FAQs for more info, but the key word is "transformative"):

While some members of the Church of England appear ready to expel or de-Christianise each other because they have different views on sexuality, others are trying to talk together - using the medium of popular social networking site Facebook. But not that many so far.

The Church Times newspaper reports this week that members of the General Synod are signing up to Facebook after the example of Anthony Archer, a lay member for St Albans diocese. He established his own account in May 2007, before embarking on the General Synod project.

The Church is somewhat late on the Facebook scene - which already has millions of participants, including the Christian think-tank Ekklesia and an interest group called 'Save The Lambeth One' - which is about rescuing Rowan Williams from the embers of his embattled archbishopric, or at least liberating his role for good. . .

"Hopefully more people will now join the 42 intrepid souls who want to 'Free the Lambeth One'," [Ekklesia co-director Simon] Barrow added. "It's tragic that all large chunks of the Anglican Communion seem to want to do is kick themselves to death, while they have a person of such outstanding intellectual and spiritual capabilities as their leader. At the moment Rowan Williams is beached by his institution's dysfunction. But if he wants to find some less establishment friends he only has to look on Facebook.". . .

Not exactly an orthodox or traditional understanding of the Gospel or the Church, but they do seem to know new technology. Does ECUSA have a Facebook account? Huummmm . . .
Read it all.

Rwanda: Anglicans reject Western accusations of rebellion

From allAfrica.com:

The Anglican Church in Rwanda and Africa will not be bullied into keeping quiet about the non biblical behaviors of the American and European churches, a senior bishop has said.

Bishop John Rucahana, Anglican head of the Shyira Diocese, said the current disagreements in the Anglican Church were caused by the ordination of the homosexual bishops by the American Episcopal Church. Rucahana said this was against the teachings of the holly bible.

The stalemate stems from an invitation to the Lambeth Conference 2008 from Archbishop Rowan Williams in which he invited one section of the bishops in Rwanda and left out others because apparently they do not have similar approaches to Anglican faith. Archbishop Williams is essentially the head of the worldwide Anglican Church. . .

Mr. Williams wrote in the letter seen by RNA: "This is not a question of asking anyone to disassociate themselves at this stage from what have been described as the missionary initiatives of your Provinces. I appreciate that you may not be happy with these decisions, but I feel that as we approach a critical juncture of the life of the Communion, I must act in accordance to the clear guidance of the instruments of the Communion."

"It is them that abandoned the faith, the law and doctrine of the church. They also do not believe in the teachings of the bible", Bishop Rucahana said Tuesday in a lengthy interview on state radio.

"Their behaviours do not conform to the religious conduct of the Anglican church because it is them that ordained homosexuals as bishops not Africans".

Bishop Rucahana said the Anglican Church in Rwanda will not be pushed into adopting the satanic behaviour of the "whites because they are whites". He called on the other sects to conform to the faith teachings as the problem crosscuts to them as well.

As a response to the move by Archbishop Williams, the Episcopal Church of Rwanda hit back accusing Archbishop Williams of "divisive" leadership.

The Rwandan Anglican clergy though their head Bishop Emmanuel Kollin said such behaviour was "violating holy orders" and by also making the decision to "ordain and to consecrate practicing homosexuals".

They added, "We feel that the words of the Archbishop are tantamount to a threat, and we cannot accept this".

Read it all.

Captain Yips contemplates ++Rowan's mind

From Captain Yips Secret Journal, an intriguing look at the current situation and the possible thinking of the Archbishop of Canterbury:

Let’s be contrarian for a minute. It’s so much fun!

Working assumptions: Rowan Williams is a smart guy, a learned and subtle theologian. His primary concern at the moment is to keep the Anglican Communion together.

We should expect that ++Rowan’s approach to the problem of TEC will reflect his intelligence and subtlety, among other things.

He has few tools in his shop for dealing with the crisis engendered by TEC. He’s expected to lead, but he has no power other than a certain historic prestige. His best tool is that traditional English one: diplomacy, diplomacy backed by intelligence.

As much as possible, he needs to know what the various factions are likely to do. He needs to leverage his few assets as much as possible. He needs to assess the various factions responses to various actions. The task of diplomacy is always to kick the current crisis down the road so that everyone can keep talking and maybe reach some nonviolent solution.

So what does he do?

He proposes the Anglican Covenant, a pretty mild document as it stands now. Everyone can then decide for themselves whether they are Anglican. It kicks everything way down the road.

He alternates sweet and sour in dealing with TEC. His emissaries talk tough, but he allows the subcommittee report prepared for the Tanzania meeting to describe TEC’s actions are far more compliant than he knows they are. He talks everyone into agreeing to the Pastoral Scheme as a way of creating safe space for the North American reasserters; whether he knows it fail or not is not important now. Were TEC to agree to it, well, crisis is deferred. If TEC does not agree, that helps define matters. From ++Rowan’s point of view, both outcomes advance his intelligence.

Then, unexpectedly, he issues Lambeth invitations to just about everyone. . .

You'll have to read the rest to see what ++Rowan might be thinking!

Via Media in San Diego

From the San Diego diocesan website, St. James La Jolla is hosting a Via Media class:

St. James by-the-Sea in La Jolla offers Via Media to all who are interested in learning more about Episcopaliansim [but maybe not Christianity]. This eight-week class focuses on topics such as creation, the three facets of God [I wonder, would this be the Trinity?], sin, forgiveness, and more. We view a 30-45 minute video followed by small group discussion that is open and inclusive [ah - the magic words!]. Discussions with friends and colleagues revolve around bringing a 21st-century point of view to our Christian faith, guided by our basic, Anglican principles of scripture, tradition and reason.

Participants receive a glossary of Episcopalian terms [quick, send them copies of Ireneaus' Revisionist Dictionary] and participate in centering prayer, lectio divina (sacred reading), journaling and more. . .

Via Media - their slogan is Cutting edge curriculum for the Episcopal Church

Read it all.

Ireneaus' Revisionist Dictionary

Now posted at Stand Firm, the five-part Revisionist Dictionary. And just so you know, the following disclaimer from Jackie Bruchi is entirely apt:

FINAL WARNING and DISCLAIMER: Under no circumstances should you use any liquid refreshment while reading this dictionary. Others have failed to heed this warning to their regret. It can cause permanent damage to sensitive electronic equipment not properly shielded from spewed liquids.

And I agree with those who request that it soon appear in book form - another fundraiser, perhaps?

The presiding bishop is on vacation

From the Corvallis [Oregon] Gazette-Times comes the story Episcopal bishop hopes for healing:

A year after her controversial election as presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, Katharine Jefferts Schori is still hopeful tensions within the denomination and the worldwide Anglican Communion can be resolved.

“I think as a Christian you have to live in hope of reconciliation always,” Jefferts Schori said during a brief stop in Corvallis at the beginning of a weeklong vacation. "If we can get people to get out of a face-saving mode and refocus on the mission of the church, I think we can learn to live together and stay one body” . . .

During her many travels over the past nine months since her installation at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., however, Jefferts Schori said she’s seen a "softening around the edges” . . .

Once the week is over, Jefferts Schori will head back to face the many challenges that lay ahead. A critical meeting of primates and individual bishops throughout the Anglican Communion held just once a decade is set next summer that may determine whether the more conservative and liberal wings of Anglicanism can agree to disagree on matters of theology and practice or whether the worldwide communion will break apart.

“We’ve learned to live with differences before and so I’m hopeful,” Jefferts Schori said.“It’s hard to give up the desire to be right, but I’ve realized it’s not about my being right. It’s about taking care of the community. It’s not my job to fix the (Anglican) Communion, it’s my job to do my piece,” she said. . .

Read it all.

AnglicanTV UPDATE: Kevin is going to Africa!

Kevin made it! Yea!!!

Through your incredible sacrificial donations I have raised enough money to fly from Hartford to Kenya; Kenya to Uganda; and then Uganda to home. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

I have just purchased my plane tickets and will take the train into Manhattan on Friday to get my visas for Kenya and Uganda.

I don't have information on Hotel or taxi cost yet.

Sharing His Victory,

--Kevin

I can't wait to see what he'll send us back from Africa!

*********************
Update from Kevin:

08/13/07 11am Raised $750 in donations

Also have raised $390 in Archbishop Venables DVD Sales

ONLY $60 to Go. 7 Hours until I have to pay for the tickets.

*********************
Update from Kevin at AnglicanTV:

08/13/07 11am Raised $700 in donations.

Also have raised $330 in Archbishop Venables DVD Sales

ONLY $170 to Go. 9 Hours until I have to pay for the tickets.

There is no way I can possible thank you enough. This is a very humbling experience. Everyday I thank God for broadband and YOU!

If you haven't already, please consider donating!

Sydney Archbishop Jensen bans John Shelby Spong

From The Australian:

A ROW has erupted within the Anglican Church over a visit to Australia by an American cleric who has being accused of modernising Christ to the point of stripping him of all divinity.

Sydney Archbishop Peter Jensen has taken the extraordinary step of banning John Shelby Spong, a fellow member of the Anglican communion who arrives in Sydney this morning, from churches in his diocese.

By contrast, Anglican Primate Phillip Aspinall has invited Bishop Spong, a leader of the church's liberal wing, to deliver two sermons in Brisbane's St John's Cathedral. . .

Dr Aspinall defended his decision to welcome the American bishop. "Bishop Spong speaking at St John's Cathedral is not particularly extraordinary," he said. "That Bishop Spong holds views which some Anglicans might find challenging is no reason to exclude him from speaking.

"Our church has thousands of members and widely diverse views on a wide variety of subjects. [Editorial comment: somehow, I don't think the questioning of the divinity of Jesus by a bishop should be a "diverse view"] I am sure Anglicans will listen respectfully to the bishop's views and make their own minds up."

One of the organisers of the visit, Brisbane priest Greg Jenks said Bishop Spong's critics were overreacting. "His new book is a good summation of how many people understand the place of Jesus," Dr Jenks said. "It is not dramatically new information. [Well, I'm sure that's true - nothing new here - same old same old] Bishop Spong has shown courageous leadership in our church of a kind we are in need of."

During a 2001 visit to Australia, Bishop Spong was banned by the then Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, Peter Hollingworth, from Brisbane diocesan churches. But during a 2003 visit, he was a house guest in Brisbane of Dr Hollingworth's successor -- Dr Aspinall. . .

Read it all, and many thanks to Sydney Archbishop Jensen for his steadfast leadership.

Episcopal cathedral to be decommisioned next week

From the Kalamazoo Gazette:

After 40 years, a ``simple, quiet, sedate liturgy'' will bring to a close the landmark Cathedral of Christ the King.

The building, which resembles a castle and is visible from Int. 94, has been the bishop's seat for the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan since its construction in 1968. The diocese sold the building to Kalamazoo Valley Family Church this year after leaders decided they had neither the resources nor support to maintain the building or 30-acre grounds.

A traditional ``secularization liturgy'' at 6 p.m. Wednesday will mark the end of the diocese's religious use of the cathedral. . .

The parish congregation at the cathedral is meeting for worship temporarily at the Atrium Conference Room of Bronson Athletic Club while it seeks a permanent location, said the Rev. Cynthia Black, the congregation's rector.

Kalamazoo Valley Family Church will move its 2,300 members from a cramped facility on Romence Road. The independent church plans to move its Sunday school and EPIC School of Ministry to the site first.

Read it all. I know it's easy to make fun of this cathedral as a travesty of modern architecture, but it's still sad to see it sold.

Northern Plains Anglicans: Prayer and Fasting for the Archbishop of Canterbury - UPDATED

From Northern Plains Anglicans, a faithful request:

Northern Plains Anglicans encourages you to pray and fast for Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, especially on the following Wednesdays: August 15, 22, 29; September 5, 12, 19. He will travel to New Orleans to meet with the Episcopal Church (TEC) House of Bishops (HOB), beginning September 21.

Archbishop Williams, along with other representatives of the Anglican Communion, will make a special visit in one last effort to maintain unity in the worldwide Anglican Communion. The meeting places terrible weight on his shoulders, and he will need God's help. . .

Some great prayer resources are being posted at Lent & Beyond.

This week's Collect from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer is good preparation for a season of prayer:

LET thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read it all.

Reuters on the Anglican Communion

From Reuters, Africans woo conservative U.S. Anglicans in gay row:

JOHANNESBURG/NAIROBI (Reuters) - As an Anglican row over gay clergy deepens, growing numbers of conservative American priests are abandoning the liberal U.S. church and pledging allegiance to traditionalist African bishops instead.

Africans, who take a tough line on homosexuality, are keen to recruit the dissident priests as bishops under their own authority and to provide a new spiritual home for their clusters of wealthy U.S. congregations.

But liberals say African bishops are violating church rules by setting up fiefdoms in the United States and deepening a crisis that threatens to split the Anglican communion, a world-wide federation of 38 member churches.

"It's a terrible breach of longstanding Christian tradition. You don't invade someone else's territory just because you disagree with them," said Jan Nunley, deputy communications director for the U.S. Episcopal Church. . .

The 77-million-strong Anglican church has been divided since 2003 when its 2.4-million-member U.S. branch consecrated Gene Robinson as the first openly gay bishop in its history.

Conservatives say the U.S. church has disobeyed biblical commands and broken with Anglican teaching by backing gay priests, while liberals support a looser interpretation of scripture and say Anglicanism has always embraced diversity.

The Africans say they want to rescue U.S. churches and individuals who might otherwise abandon Anglicanism.

"We are not undermining the authority of anybody. We are actually saving a situation of people who so much need us," Kenya's Nzimbi told Reuters. "Otherwise if they are left on their own they would be like sheep without a shepherd." . . .

Jim Naughton, canon of communications for the Washington diocese, said most defecting parishes were small. He suggested financial gain could be a factor for struggling African churches -- a charge they vehemently deny.

"The budgets of large American churches are sometimes larger than the budgets of entire African countries," he said.

On an earlier story, I sarcastically said, "Feel the love." Here I say, "Feel the condescension" (and I'm not being sarcastic - Jim Naughton as canon on "communications" must only be "communicating" to the choir, because this type of language I find amazingly insulting, to everyone involved).

Read it all.

Anglican District of Virginia responds to court ruling

A reaction from the Anglican District of Virginia to the court ruling from last Friday, August 10:

As you may have heard, we had a preliminary hearing on Friday, August 10, in court, at which the court heard arguments on our demurrers and pleas in bar. (Our demurrer asserted that even if everything The Episcopal Church claims is true, they still would have no case. The plea in bar argued that vestry members are immune from suit for actions taken in an official capacity as volunteers).

After extensive argument over the plea of statutory immunity, the court was prepared to rule but suggested that the parties work out an agreement. After recess, the Diocese of Virginia and The Episcopal Church agreed to dismiss all of the vestry members and rectors as defendants without prejudice and the individuals agreed to honor any determination of the court regarding the plaintiffs’ property claims, subject to their rights of appeal of any adverse ruling.

“We are appreciative that after all these months, our volunteer vestry members and our pastoral leadership are no longer named defendants in lawsuit filed by the Diocese and The Episcopal Church,” said Tom Wilson, Senior Warden of The Falls Church, and Chairman of the Anglican District of Virginia Board of Directors.

As to the ownership of the property, the court stated that it was making a very narrow ruling. The court found that, at this preliminary stage in the litigation, the complaints filed by the Diocese and The Episcopal Church state a sufficient claim to an interest in the property for those claims to proceed to trial where The Episcopal Church and the Diocese will have to put on actual evidence to support their allegations. The court emphasized that it was not making a determination as to any rights, but simply that the complaints alleged enough to get The Episcopal Church and the Diocese past a preliminary motion to dismiss.

However, before those claims proceed to trial, the court has scheduled a hearing later this year to determine whether or not the claims filed by the Virginia churches under the Virginia Division Statute preempt the property claims of The Episcopal Church and the Diocese. If the court rules in favor of the churches under the Virginia Division Statute, that finding will be dispositive (which means that there would be no reason to proceed with the property claims made by the Diocese and The Episcopal Church).

What does all of this mean? Our legal team will be parsing every sentence of Judge Bellows’ rulings for some time, but we should keep in mind that these are preliminary skirmishes in a long battle. Since football season is about to begin, I can’t help but use a couple of analogies…

Our demurrer was, frankly, a long shot. Our legal team has told us that, as a practical matter, it is very rare for a judge to dismiss an entire case at this preliminary stage, particularly one with such national visibility. But it was worth a try. Think of it as a long incomplete pass.

We can think of the plea in bar as a touchdown – very good news, but it is still the first quarter of the game. And we must remember that our trustees are still named as defendants, although no claim of personal liability is asserted.

We still have a long way to go, and we still need prayer! We appreciate your support, encouragement and prayer throughout this process.

Jim Oakes
Vice Chairman
Anglican District of Virginia

H/t to BabyBlueOnline.

David Alenskis sends pix from Peru

From SanDiegoAnglicans.com, more pictures from David Alenskis, currently on a summer mission to Peru.

Dave is a student at Westminster Seminary California and an intern at Anglican Church of the Resurrection in San Marcos. Keep him in your prayers.

You might have to scroll down the page to see the pics - great stuff!

Doctor helps change Ugandan healthcare

From CBN News, a reminder that it's individuals doing God's work that make a difference:

In Uganda's capital of Kampala, one American doctor with the help of Duke University is helping to revolutionize the Ugandan health care system.

Neurosurgeon Michael Haglund felt a burden to help when he heard about the tough working conditions at the local hospital.

"There's a verse in Proverbs 19 that says that if you help the poor you're lending to God and God will bless you for that," Dr. Haglund said. "Well, in doing this, I really feel like we're lending to the poor people of Eastern Africa that don't have the where-with-all to get the medical supplies or surgery or anything like that."

Duke University was able to gather up all its surplus equipment and medicine.

Along with the help of Operation Blessing, they shipped nearly nine tons of it to Kampala.

The hospital will go from having only one ventilator for 1,500 patients to having nine.

Dr Haglund, along with a specialized team from Duke, will be holding training seminars so the Ugandans will be able to sustain the work when the Americans leave.

Dean supports genetic manipulation

This to me is very scary thinking, from anyone, epecially a clergyman. Not that there are easy answers, but from the tone of the article, Dean Bay seems to regard it as an intellectual exercise, not a spiritual decision with far-reaching consequences. From the New Zealand Herald:

Auckland's new Anglican dean, Ross Bay, wants the church to embrace genetic engineering to cure disabilities such as Down syndrome - but he draws the line at parents deciding they don't want a baby with red hair. . .

He supports parents' right to abort a fetus that was diagnosed with a disability such as spina bifida and said the same principle should apply to new techniques that might knock out the genes for conditions such as Down syndrome.

"But what about the child born with red hair? What do we say about the ethics of [influencing] that?" he said. "Those are the two extremes. There's going to be a lot in the middle. Intelligence? I don't know that I know the answer but I'm interested."[Editorial comment: what's he interested in - other people's thinking? the teaching of the Church? what the majority of people would do?]

He said the church's role was to help people to think about the issues, but it did not want to lay down the law. "Gone are the days when most people in the church want to impose an ethic on people," he said.

When couples asked him about whether to abort a child diagnosed with spina bifida, he did not tell them what to do. "It's a pretty tough decision for parents to make when faced with that information about the quality of life [of their prospective child]," he said.

"I'd hate to be a decision-maker. I wouldn't want to condemn people in those situations making a decision about abortion. "I'm certainly not pro-abortion but I think there are situations where it's a necessary option, perhaps for health reasons."

Read it all.

Bishop Pope: Catholic movement at an end

From The Living Church, an article on Bishop Pope, retired bishop of Fort Worth:

The Catholic movement in The Episcopal Church has degenerated from a theological imperative into haberdashery, the retired Bishop of Fort Worth, the Rt. Rev. Clarence C. Pope, Jr., told a reporter for The Living Church, explaining his departure to the Roman Catholic Church.

On Aug. 6, Bishop Pope wrote to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, resigning from the House of Bishops, and telephoned his successor, the Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker, to announce his decision.

Bishop Pope said the Catholic movement, which has been part of “Anglicanism from the time of the Elizabethan Settlement, has gradually dissipated until we are left with lots of ‘catholic’ vestments worn in areas of The Episcopal Church where ‘low church’ used to be the order of the day.”. . .

The culprit in what he believes to be the death of Anglo-Catholicism is the usurpation of powers and prerogatives by General Convention. Bishop Pope argued that over the past generation, the “vote” in General Convention had led to the triumph of “political correctness” over sound doctrine. The vision of corporate reunion “put forth by Pope Paul VI and Archbishop [of Canterbury Michael] Ramsey can now never be realized. . .

Read it all.

H/t to TitusOneNine.

Threats force Egyptian convert to hide

From the Associated Press:

CAIRO, Egypt - An Egyptian Muslim who converted to Christianity and then took the unprecedented step of seeking official recognition for the change said he has gone into hiding following death threats.

Mohammed Hegazy, who sparked controversy when pictures of him posing with a poster of the Virgin Mary were published in newspapers, was shunned by his family and threatened by an Islamist cleric vowing to seek his execution as an apostate.

"I know there are fatwas (religious edicts) to shed my blood, but I will not give up and I will not leave the country," the 25-year-old Hegazy told The Associated Press from his hideout Thursday.

Hegazy made a public splash when he took the unusual step of going to court to change his religion on his national ID card. His first lawyer filed the case, but then quit after the uproar; his second is still considering whether it's worth pursuing.

Hegazy said he received telephoned death threats before he went into hiding in an apartment with his wife, a Muslim who took the name Katarina when she converted to Christianity several years ago. She is four months pregnant.

He said he wants to change the religion on his ID for two reasons: to set a precedent for other converts and to ensure his child can openly be raised Christian. He wants his child to get a Christian name, birth certificate and eventually marry in a church. That would be impossible if Hegazy's official religion is Muslim, because a child is registered in the religion of the father. . .

. . . "I started readings and comparative studies in religions," he said. "I found that I am not consistent with Islam teachings. The major issue for me was love. Islam wasn't promoting love as Christianity did."

He said after his conversion was discovered, police detained him for three days and tortured him. He said he was harassed several more times. . .

Read it all, and add Hegazy and his family to your prayers.

Diocese of Virginia legal proceedings

From BabyBlueOnline, a wrap-up of the legal proceedings from this week between the Diocese of Virginia and the 11 CANA congregations:

As to the ownership of the property, the [Fairfax Circuit Court] stated that it was making a very narrow ruling. The court found that, at this preliminary stage in the litigation, the complaints filed by the diocese and TEC state a sufficient claim to an interest in the property for those claims to proceed to trial where the TEC and the diocese will have to put on actual evidence to support their allegations. The court emphasized that it was not making a determination as to any rights, but simply that the complaints alleged enough to get TEC and the diocese past a preliminary motion to dismiss.

Also,

After recess, the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church agreed to dismiss all of the vestry members and rectors as defendants without prejudice and the individuals agreed to honor any determination of the court regarding the plaintiffs’ property claims, subject to their rights of appeal of any adverse ruling.

That's a relief for the volunteers who dedicate their time and talent to working for a church. Read it all.

However, EpiscopalLife Online spins it a little differently:

According to the agreement, if the court rules in favor of the Episcopal Church and the diocese, an orderly transition with respect to all property would ensue. The Church and the diocese reserve the right, however, to seek an accounting of all monies spent by the departed congregations and bring the individual vestry members and clergy back into the litigation for that purpose.

Feel the love.

Windsor bishops meeting at Camp Allen

From the Midwest Conservative Journal, a report and commentary on the Windsor bishops meeting in Camp Allen this week:

For the Windsor bishops, the nightmare scenario runs roughly as follows: what happens if TEC holds firm and Dr. Williams doesn't give the Windsor bishops what they want after the September meeting? Do they back down, go to Lambeth anyway and hope that TEC completely changes its mind next year?

How TEC would be persuaded to do that is about as doubtful as it is possible for anything to be. If the Windsor bishops do cave, their leverage is gone. If TEC stiffs Dr. Williams in September and he still invites them to Lambeth, my gracious lord of Canterbury fatally undermines the position of the primates and for all intents and purposes, kills not only the Dar es Salaam Communiqué but the Windsor Report itself.

And if, after all that, the Windsor bishops still proclaim their love and affection for the Anglican Communion, they effectively link themselves to a group with no serious principles of any kind. And what is so noble about proclaiming oneself a "Windsor bishop" when TEC tramples the Windsor Report underfoot and is allowed by the Anglican Communion to get away with it?

Check it out.

Anglican TV fundraiser

Help Kevin from AnglicanTV raise money to travel to cover events in Africa! From his website:

As you are aware Bishop-Elect Bill Atwood and Bishop-Elect John Guernsey will be traveling to Africa at the end of this month, and will be Anglican Bishops when they return. AnglicanTV would love to bring you video coverage of this historical event.

In order to do this we need to raise a total of $2500. This amount includes airfare, hotels, and meals (I do not take a salary from AnglicanTv... yet). As of 5pm on Tuesday, August 07, 2007 I have raised $1100 for Africa trip.

By Monday, August 13th, we need to raise the remaining $1400. Please consider donating.

Go here to purchase DVDs of ++Gregory Venables's Bible study from the recent ACN meeting. And go here for an update on Kevin's fundraising, and for info on how to contribute. PLEASE CONTRIBUTE!

Canon Kendall Harmon on leadership

Be sure to check out Sarah Hey's (of Stand Firm fame) five-part series on leadership with Canon Kendall Harmon (of TitusOneNine fame) now posted at AnglicanTV. Each part is around 15 minutes. Enjoy!

“You can stay in the center as long as you want”

From the McKinney Courier-Gazette (North Texas), a story on a new labyrinth in the St. Peter's Episcopal Church parish hall (Diocese of Texas). Apparently, you can't just come up with a labyrinth yourself - it requires a labyrinth committee with its own chairman (in this case, Carolyn Hewitt) who then goes for labyrinth training:

After a trip to St. Paul, Minn., where she [Hewitt] went through labyrinth facilitator training with Lauren Artress, of Grace Cathedral Episcopal Church in San Francisco, Hewitt said she became more interested.

Huuummmmmm. . . I'm still trying to figure out what type of training is needed.

Read it all.

Sydney Bishops write to the Archbishop of Canterbury

Here's the letter the the Sydney Anglican bishops wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Excerpt:

Your invitation [to Lambeth] has been received with pleasure and it would give us a great deal of joy to be able to join you. Unfortunately the timing of the invitation has proved difficult. We have been looking for the response of the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church to the Primates’ Communiqué from Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. We understand that this response is due by 30th of September.

Read it all.
H/t to Stand Firm.

Lambeth RSVP deadline extended

From the Times Online, Ruth Gledhill writes:

The deadline for bishops to respond to their invite to the Lambeth Conference has been extended, according to a report in the Church of England Newspaper tomorrow.

The extension comes after Sydney's six bishops told the Archbishop of Canterbury that they could not reply to the invite until they knew the response of American bishops to demands made by Primates in February at Dar es Salaam.

“Unfortunately the timing of the invitation has proved difficult,” they explained as they were first "looking for the response" of the American House of Bishops to the Primates’ February communiqué before they could give him their final answer. Sydney indicated it would follow the lead of the African churches who have said they will not attend if the American bishops who consecrated Gene Robinson were invited.

Saints of the Church

And from Touchstone, a reminder of what Christ calls us to do in the Great Commission even at the risk of our own lives, as the 23 kidnapped South Korean church volunteers (two have been killed) in Afghanistan can attest:

. . . I've been going through lists and readings about saints of the church. After a while, you realize something you always knew but still seemed far away in "tradition": we stand in spiritual company with those who bent their necks to the sword, gave their bodies to the flames, and clung to the Cross of Jesus under excruciating tortures. These are not pious fictions from yesterday and long ago; and today, as you read this, a brother, a sister in Christ, carries the Cross by which we have all been saved. Forget the martyrs and you forget Christ. They are, after all, the primary "witnesses," and, in the words of the Orthodox prayer at First Hour, the "first fruits of creation."

Read it all and also IRD's story on the hostage situation.

1662 or 1928 Prayer Book - which shall it be?

As one who, way after the 1979 Prayer Book came into being, was married from the 1928 Prayer Book (at the insistence of my mother), I found this article by the Rev. Dr. Peter Toon interesting:

Of those who hear this message—and, happily, they are growing slowly in numbers—a majority respond by saying, “Why not go back to the 1662 for this is what is used Sunday by Sunday (in English or in translation) in provinces like Uganda and this is what is the doctrinal formulary for all the Global South?” So it looks as though, if the new seceders are to recover the Anglican Way, and be set free from “the Episcopal Way” of TEC, then it will probably be through the discovery of the BCP (1662) in one form or another. Perhaps then, and only then, will appreciation of the three American editions of this same Book of Common Prayer, those of 1789, 1892 and 1928 be really appreciated—but that is some way off at present.

Maybe I should have held out for the 1662 Prayer Book.

Read it all.

Sin, Forgiveness, and Love

A worthwhile two-part series on Sin, Forgiveness, and Love by Fr. David Baumann here and here.

From Part I:

Recognizing one’s sin provides no guarantee of moving on to the next step. After recognition, one must come to repentance. Repentance means not only saying, “I have sinned,” but being sorry for it and wishing to fix it. There are times when someone may say, “Yes, okay, I did it, but...” And “but” is followed by rationalization, blaming someone else, pointing out someone else’s sin, or even an excuse for why the sin was really okay.

Repentance (which may include contrition or a feeling of sorrow and empathy with offended parties) must lead to confession. In confession, one frankly names one’s sins. Confession must be made to God, quite often to the offended parties, and sometimes to “the Church” in one form or another. If no sin is solitary, neither is any sin just against God alone. Just as love of God and love of neighbor must go together, sin is also against both God and neighbor. In the rite of the Reconciliation of a Penitent, at one point the penitent says, “I confess to Almighty God” and “to his Church...” It is at this point that the penitent begins to gain power over his sin; it is true that to name something gives one power over it.

And from Part II:

We must couple John’s, “No one who is a child of God sins” (1 John 3:9a) with Paul’s, “The good thing I want to do, I never do; the evil thing which I do not want—that is what I do” (Romans 7:19). This is far too complex a matter for reflection on a blogpost that has already grown long, though I think that a good place to start would be to consider what is in the heart of the believer. When we truly and genuinely desire holiness, to love God and our neighbor, our sins will be kind of like “exhaust” on the journey, i.e. not willfully evil or deliberately injurious to others as the primary pattern of life. That is, they are evidence of weakness and imperfection rather than corruption that has been embraced while God is rejected.

Anglican churches petition California Supreme Court

From Virtue Online, an update on the ongoing legal manuevering between ECUSA and three of the Anglican churches originally in the Diocese of Los Angeles:

Three California Anglican churches today announced the filing of petitions with the California Supreme Court to settle a church property dispute case that affects countless churches and their members throughout California. The three churches are St. James Church in Newport Beach, All Saints' Church in Long Beach, and St. David's Church in North Hollywood.

In July 2007, the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three, reversed the Orange County Superior Court's prior ruling that the three former Episcopal churches, which ended their affiliation with the national denomination in 2004, did not forfeit their property by changing their affiliation to another Anglican church.

This division of the appellate court broke with nearly thirty years of California church property law applying "neutral principles" (i.e., who holds the deed, who bought or donated the property, and whether the local church ever agreed to turn over the property), and instead ruled that denominations can take over local church property by simply passing an internal rule - even if the local church is separately incorporated, bought and maintained the property, and never consented to the rule. . .

Read it all.

More from the Llama Butchers

From That's My Church - "You Can't Quit - I'm Firing You!" Division of The Llama Butchers, an interesting write-up on Bishop Lee's decision to defrock those Virginia clergy that joined CANA as well as this observation that I think is so true:

And in other Rebel Alliance news, a fellow cranky member of my congregation reminds me that it looks as if the Diocese of Pittsburgh is gearing up to consider breaking away. Pittsburgh is under the guidance of Bishop Robert Duncan, one of the more outspoken of the rebels. Indeed, his recently voiced opinion that not only is TEC lost, but so is Canterbury, is starting to form cracks in the Alliance even as it begins to coalesce. This is, in fact, exactly what TEC would like to see - a splintered, granulated sprinkling of cranks instead of an organized orthodox alternative. TEC still hasn't the remotest idea why anybody would want to abandon it, given what a paragon of Big Tent Deism it's become. But it's obviously happier if it feels they have no viable place to go.

Read it all.

New church in Temecula underlines Anglican divide

From a North County Times article by James Curran this Sunday:

. . . Those prayers were recited at the debut service for Temecula Valley Anglican Fellowship, which was held less than a half-mile away from St. Thomas Episcopal Church, the home of their former comrades in faith.

The service was the latest salvo in a chaotic battle for the souls -- if not the hearts and minds -- of believers after a series of ideological decisions, including the ordination of an openly gay bishop, inspired some parishes to split from the national Episcopal Church.

About 75 people attended the first service of Temecula Valley Anglican, which is called an outreach ministry of St. John's Anglican Church in Fallbrook. St. John's has been at the forefront of the struggle. It split from the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego due to theological disagreements.

The diocese and St. John's are currently arguing in the courts to determine who actually owns the land and sanctuary where St. John's currently meets. But instead of consolidating resources for a protracted legal battle, St. John's decided to expand into Southwest County, offering what officials call a traditional option for churchseekers.

. . . Murrieta resident Rick Powell said his family had left the Episcopal Church several years before [2003] due to other decisions he thought ran contrary to Anglican belief. He went to the Temecula Valley Anglican service and plans to continue attending.

"It's been said throughout the centuries, the Anglican Church is built like a stool with three legs," Powell said. "We take the Scripture to be primary. If Scripture's not clear, we take tradition to be our guide. Where tradition is not clear, we take reason.

"In my opinion, the Episcopal Church has changed that paradigm to where it's reason, followed by tradition, followed by Scripture. The demotion of Scripture is the reason (we left)."

[Fr. Don] Kroeger [of St. John's Anglican] said a series of decisions that go against Scripture, not simply the Robinson vote, led to St. John's leaving the diocese.

"I've never even preached against homosexuality," Kroeger said. "I've preached against sin. The church is reinterpreting Scripture. We could not abide by that. I believe what we believe is consistent with 90 percent of Christian churches."

. . .Despite the new congregation nearby, [the Rev. Robert A.] Nagy [of St. Thomas Episcopal in Temecula] doesn't believe his flock will abandon St. Thomas en masse. He cited a survey that asserted first-time churchgoers attend a house of worship based on proximity rather than core belief. . .

Love that last sentence -- nice to know I've selected my church based on convenience and proximity rather than closely held beliefs in Scripture and the Word of God. . . but wait a minute -- I pass several other churches on the way to my church. Huummmmmm. . .

Read it all. Also, see here for everything you ever wanted to know about what's happening in San Diego. And don't forget to check here for more info on the new Temecula Valley Anglican Fellowship.

I sing a song of the saints of God

I sing a song of the saints of God,
patient and brave and true,
who toiled and fought and lived and died
for the Lord they loved and knew.
And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,
and one was a shepherdess on the green;
they were all of them saints of God, and I mean,
God helping, to be one too.

They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,
and his love made them strong;
and they followed the right for Jesus' sake
the whole of their good lives long.
And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,
and one was slain by a fierce wild beast;
and there's not any reason, no, not the least,
why I shouldn't be one too.

They lived not only in ages past;
there are hundreds of thousands still.
The world is bright with the joyous saints
who love to do Jesus' will.
You can meet them in school, on the street, in the store,
in church, by the sea, in the house next door;
they are saints of God, whether rich or poor,
and I mean to be one too.

Lesbia Scott, 1929, alt. (words)
John Henry Hopkins, 1940 (music)
The Hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (1940), #243

This was one of my favorite hymns growing up - I think it was the first time that I truly realized that anyone could be a saint, and that saints were probably all around me.

Through the past several years as I have struggled to understand what the church I grew up in (and my family for generations) has become, I have taken comfort from all of the saints I have met both on- and off-line.

Southern California Regional Anglican Women's Council

Info about a new organization, the Regional Anglican Women's Council (RAWC, pronounced rock) from the Anglican Church of St. Timothy & St. Titus newsletter:

At the behest of Fr. Russell, Molly Martin and Sue Gerhardt have been attending the newly formed RAWC. It is a group of women representing all the Anglican churches in Southern California. Currently there are 16 churches participating in the Council and we pray more will follow. The Council's goal is to bring together the Anglican women of the area in fellowship to help develop our spiritual growth as we walk as Anglicans.

Currently there are two events being planned so please mark your calendars. Friday evening, September 20th, at Saint. Anne's in Oceanside, there will be a "Quiet Day", conducted by Rev. Kathleen Adams, who is the spiritual director of RAWC. The theme will be Putting on the Whole Armour of God. Time and other details to follow.

In April, 2008, over the week-end of April 11-13 we are planning a retreat in Orange County. The guest speaker will be Mama Phoebe Orombi, wife of Bishop Orombi of Uganda. We anticipate that it will be as exciting an event as the men recently enjoyed with Bishop Orombi. The theme will be SET FREE -- to do God's work. We have just started committee work on this so more details will follow in coming months.

. . .RAWC will be a resource as well as a supplement to do things that we cannot yet do as a congregation. There have only been three meetings thus far so we are still very much in the planning stages. It is exciting to be part of an organization that we pray will be a blessing to all the Anglican women of the area and especially the women at TNT. . .

Check it out here.

"into the twilight"

From Catholic World News:

Whenever an organization begins to lose its grasp on the message it wants to deliver, it concentrates its efforts on improving the means of delivery. With gratifying timeliness, ECUSA has responded to its identity crisis by developing an Organizational Effectiveness Plan to streamline the ministerial services whose purpose it can't seem to find.

Strategic groupings of advocacy, evangelism, leadership development, and partnerships -- together with a configuration of regional satellite offices to support strategic mission -- are central to a new organizational effectiveness plan to reshape ministries based at the Episcopal Church Center.

A new "diocesan services" unit, offering a comprehensive approach to local mission needs, is a highlight of the new plan initiated by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and drafted after five months of consultative work by two task forces.

"The new configuration will raise our level of service to the church," Jefferts Schori said July 26 while commending the plan’s outline to the Church Center management team. "There is remarkable synchronicity in the development of this plan, and great potential for creativity and capacity building."

Give credit where credit is due: the good Doctor didn't get where she is without skill in the bestowal of elegant and semantically vacuous compliments. Note down these gems for your own future use: "remarkable synchronicity," "great potential for capacity building" (potential for capacity building?). That's about as close to pure meaninglessness as you're likely to find without a prescription. There is no project, plan, document, or resolution whatsoever -- including the minutes of the Wannsee Conference and your son's third grade report card -- to which these pretty polysyllables could not be cheerfully applied.

Yet it's hard not to pick up a sense of desperate swagger in the use of quasi-military jargon such as "task force" and "strategic mission" -- muscle-flexing, heel-clicking words that suggest an ardor and singleness of purpose that isn't there. The crisis of liberal Christianity is precisely its inability to decide whether it has anything of value to give, and the language of mission is empty in the absence of an authority to do the sending. As with decaying religious orders in their death-throes ("that we may work toward deconstructing existing systems and constructing a new paradigm ..."), the grandiosity of objectives expands in inverse proportion to the power of failing eyes, muscles, faith.

The synchronicity is, well, remarkable.

[all boldface mine]

South Carolina re-elects Mark Lawrence

From EpiscopalLife Online:

The Very Rev. Mark Lawrence was re-elected as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina August 4 at a special electing convention held at St. James Church on St. James Island, South Carolina. Lawrence was the only candidate in the election since no petitions to add other names to the slate were received by the July 11 deadline. A majority of bishops exercising jurisdiction and diocesan Standing Committees must now consent to Lawrence's ordination as bishop within 120 days of receiving notice of the election.

Lawrence, 56, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Bakersfield, California, in the Diocese of San Joaquin, was first elected September 16, 2006 to be South Carolina's 14th bishop.

On March 15, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori declared that election "null and void," saying that a number of the consent responses did not adhere to canonical requirements since Lawrence's election did not receive the consent of the majority of diocesan standing committees.

Read it all here and here.