Wednesday, September 29, 2010

St. Mark's Chapel versus St. John's Chapel: Separate and Not Equal

From the South Carolina diocesan website:

Almost nine months to the day, on the evening of July 7, 2010, St. John’s Chapel celebrated another milestone when it became an official “mission congregation” of the Episcopal Church. Since St. John’s re-opened last fall, average Sunday attendance has grown to more than 40 worshippers per week.


Here is a quote from the local newspaper on St. Mark's Chapel:


Prior to meeting at the Historic Union Church, about a dozen families met in each other's homes. The group grew too large and moved to meet at the Sea Island Motel in downtown Beaufort and later at the Masonic Lodge. In its six years, the congregation has grown to about 40 families.


St. mark's Chapel is not a recognized mission in the diocese of South Carolina, in fact here is what Bishop Mark Lawrence has to say about St. Mark's

I have met several times with the leaders of St. Mark’s Chapel, Port Royal—a fellowship of mostly disgruntled members of St. Helena’s Beaufort"


What is the beef? where here is the charge from the Episcopal Forum:


Missions are being planted within the Diocese; however, the [bishop] will not recognize or approve the establishment of St. Mark’s Chapel, Port Royal, a congregation of loyal Episcopalians that has doubled its membership over the past year.


So please go to the diocese of South Carolina and read about these two missions on the website of Bishop Mark Lawrence. I do not think you can find St. Mark's but you may be able to. Then you decide if Bishop Lawrence is treating all his missions equally. I think not, what do you think? If you agree please let Mark Harris, the Executive Council and the House of Bishops know.
Well folks, I cannot help but be appalled at all the news this week so I have decided to allow a YouTube song to "let it all hang out."



My grandson, at the ripe old age of 2 became a convert to head-banging to this song, but that is not why I picked it. Review this weeks story lines and you will find the real reason.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Update On St. Mark's Port Royal, South Carolina




Word has come in via an rather unusual process that St. Mark's Chapel, Port Royal, South Carolina may be in trouble. This is a group we have reported on from time to time as Bishop Mark Lawrence "permits" them to exist. They have been growing and apparently working with a group inside the diocese of South Carolina known as the Episcopal Forum. This group is roughly equivalent to the Remain Episcopal group in the diocese of San Joaquin (and I am told in the diocese of Forth Worth, Texas).

Turns out that the Episcopal Forum has asked the Executive Council/House of Bishops to investigate the current ongoing "goofing off" of the current bishop of South Carolina, +Mark Lawrence. Bishop Lawrence responded in a very condescending manner(see Real Anglicans) and has in turned threatened this small and growing community of loyal Episcopalians. What do I mean? Well, here is the excerpt from Bishop Lawrence's letter pertaining directly to St. Mark's Chapel:

e) Missions are being planted within the Diocese; however, the [bishop] will not recognize or approve the establishment of St. Mark’s Chapel, Port Royal, a congregation of loyal Episcopalians that has doubled its membership over the past year.

I have met several times with the leaders of St. Mark’s Chapel, Port Royal—a fellowship of mostly disgruntled members of St. Helena’s Beaufort. St. Helena’s is one of the strongest and fastest growing parishes in the diocese—if not the country. The leaders of St. Mark’s Fellowship are well aware of my concerns. I have allowed them access to retired priests, which as the bishop I licensed to officiate at services. I have even allowed vacationing clergy from other dioceses to preach and celebrate among this fellowship. There are many complex issues to this matter which date back to the time of Bishop Salmon’s episcopacy that I shall not go into here. Frankly, this charge is a disappointing way for this group to repay my kindness to some of their requests.


Read the words carefully for just a moment: "I have EVEN allowed"; met with the disgruntled members; There are many complex issues; well aware of my concerns.

Clearly you can read and hear the deep pastoral concern for this loyal group of Episcopalians. Bishop Lawrence is gracious, kind, long-suffering, and of course deeply moved by their loyalty to the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

Recognizing that the reach of this blog is pretty limited we do ask each reader to go to the St. Mark's Chapel website and leave them a message of continuing support and then go to the diocese of South Carolina website and then leave Bishop Lawrence a message that you support fully St. Mark's and you are aware of his attempts to kill this mission. Then go the Preludium and leave a message with Fr. Mark for the executive council that you support St. Mark's and you expect the EC to do so as well!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Harvest Moon



Nothing quite like this in 20 plus years. It calls for a celebration! Actually it calls for Neil Young!



Friday, September 17, 2010

Has He Gone Off The Deep End?

Well, melancholy seems apropos for tonight, so I offer you one of the finest Leonard Cohen songs ever recorded. That is correct, I said Leonard Cohen. If you do not know him, listen to the word of this song. He is a good musically but his words really are pure poetry. It is a bit off the beaten path for me but his work is so haunting it cannot be ignored.





Decide to help you out. Here are the lyrics.

"Hallelujah"

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah


by Leonard Cohen

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Is it Tide? No, it's Blue Cheer!

Well, continuing our theme from the last posting. I saw these folks at the Shrine. Lots of bands from San Francisco rolled into the Shrine. It was a great time. Since summertime is about over, give it up for a pretty good band.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Do You Remember?

When I was younger, actually along time ago, I used to go to concerts for about 2 bucks at the Shrine Auditorium. Friday nights were a blast. Got to see folks back then that were Nobody" or at least up and coming. Here was a warm up band. favorites.