Monday, November 30, 2009

When Will We Make A Stand?

Here is a headline from a Los Angeles Daily News writer, Troy Anderson, by way of the San Francisco Chronicle, Bay Area Section:

Attacks based on religion, sexual orientation are up


Lest you have just drifted by and think to yourself, "Self, that just one of many crimes that are up this past year" think again. "Although the total number of hate crimes countywide dropped 4 percent from 2007 to 2008, the rise in homophobic and religious-based hate crimes worried advocate groups."

Yep, the purple-shirted gang, Akinola, Orombi, Duncan, Iker, Schofield, etc. has always spouted that no harm comes to LGBT folks just because we "take a stand". Really, then why are hate crimes based on sexual orientation up 21 percent and religious crimes increased by 14%? Furthermore, the article goes on to say that there is a definite correlation back to the Proposition 8 debates!

There is a bill pending right now, before the Ugandan legislature to make some behaviors punishable by death! How can our bishops, our clergy and our primates stand silently by and allow this to happen? (I am aware of Canada and the debate in England). Can you now see that even your silence condemns our brothers and sisters to the full panoply of hate and violence? Can you now see that there is sin in not saying anything? Can you now see that every day that we allow these issues to go unchecked is another day where some person will be physically harmed? Enough is enough!

Do you all know that in Los Angeles County the number of hate crimes rose significantly and 80% of those crimes were aimed at gay men? Are we all proud of ourselves for this namby-pamby kind of approach to personal freedom. You all know what I mean, the idea that sooner or later the LGBT community will get what they want, just be patient. How many more hate crimes will there be? How many more Matthew Shepherds will there be? And even if you are not for personal freedom, (I can't see how) but we must be against violence done to anyone for any reason.

Let's move forward, let's put as much pressure on Uganda and Bishop Orombi as we can until this terrible legislation is done away. The Episcopal Church needs to take positive, affirming and holistic approach to same sex marriage and to blessings.

Now, is a good time to start!

Friday, November 27, 2009

The Regular Wayback Machine


Here we are again and it is time for a little travel through the wayback machine to another time and another place. A journey of sights and sounds, (oh, wait, this is the wayback machine not the twilight zone, sorry).

1. Turn, Turn, Turn The Byrds (and by the way, it is from 3 years ago and David Crosby is still going strong in spite of his liver transplant.)
2. Cripple Creek The Band
3. Hells Bells AC/DC
4. Driftin' Blues Paul Butterfield blues Band (I saw them do this number)
5. Conquistador Procol Harum
6. Hair of The Dog Nazareth
7. Crying In The Rain Everly Brothers
8. Rock and Roll Heaven Righteous Brothers
9. Midnight Rider Allman Brothers
10. Black Water Doobie Brothers

The last four songs are by brothers of one sort or another. I have seen the Righteous Brothers and the Everly Brothers but not the other two. I like Rock and Roll Heaven going into Advent and of course I hope it counteracts Hells Bells by AC/DC.

A word in closing on liver transplants. A very good friend of mine received one and lived 11 years. David Crosby got his a year after Dick had his transplant. David Crosby is going strong. The science is great and the medicine is getting better all the time.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

A Special Edition of the Wayback Machine



1. Do Wah Diddy Manfred Mann
2. The Supernatural John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers (Peter Green on guitar)
3. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow The Shirelles
4. What's going On Marvin Gaye
5. Crazy willie Nelson
6. Mack The Knife Louis Armstrong
7. Music of the Night Michael Crawford
8. Misirlou Dick Dale and The Deltones
9. I don't Want to Set The World on Fire The Inkspots
10. Panis Angelicus Pavarotti

Marvin Gaye's song is one of the finest you will hear anywhere. Crawford does a good job on Music of the Night (I really enjoyed and saw Robert Guillume) and John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers is without my all time favorite Eric Clapton but hey, one needs to expand one's mind. By the way, can anyone guess the relationship between Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton besides the obvious CREAM. where did they first play together?

Dick Dale was a surf guitarist of the finest caliber, hope you enjoy that one as well. Anyone ever body surf the Wedge? Yahoo!

Thanksgiving is special so, here we go!

Friday, November 20, 2009

The Wayback Machine


After many months of posting a "top ten" list at Padre Mickey's I have decided that I am far too narrow and considerably less erudite than PM and his broad and eclectic sense of music. As a result, I have decided to use Mr. Peabody's "wayback machine" to start my own Friday night or Saturday (depending on how I feel and how quickly I can get to) my good ole turntable. Here, you will find only the "genuine, original vinyl", none of that plastic stuff.

So for our inaugural entry we have the following:

1. Suzanne Lenoard Cohen
2. RESPECT Otis Redding
3. Help Me Rhonda Beach Boys
4. Our Last Kiss J. Frank Wilson
5. After Midnight Eric Clapton
6. Crystal Ship The Doors
7. Will You Love Me tomorrow Shirelles
8. Monday Monday Mamas and Papas
9. Highway 61 Bob Dylan
10. Slowdown Beatles

I ended with one of the great Beatles songs that hardly anyone remembers but listen to the guitar work in this song. Somebody knows how to use an axe.

Now you have it, the first ever wayback machine. don't forget to come back!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Double Standards are Everywhere

Between the machinations of the bishops of Nigeria (++Akinola) and Uganda (++Orombi) I am pretty sure they have now stepped into the abyss.Both countries have legislation pending that will create a whole new society of criminals -- yes that is correct, LBGT will become criminals subject in some cases to the death penalty in both these countries. One would think that both archbishops would have their hands full with the following.

UGANDA:

A child goes missing, abducted, in the United States. The police are notified and they issue what in America is referred to as an Amber Alert. Radio stations begin broadcasting descriptions, while TV stations flash pictures of both the abductor and abducted across the screen. Billboards along major roads flash pertinent information regarding the abduction. The police move out in force with helicopters and planes and the Army National Guard may even be engaged. Everything is put into operation to bring a child home to its family. At the same time, they go after the abductor to put him behind bars, so she or he cannot harm any other child.

In another part of the world, on the other side of this globe, in the northern districts of Uganda, 30,000 children have been abducted in the past 20 some years. Most every family in the Acholi and now Langi area has been affected. Many families have lost a child through abduction, or their village was attacked and destroyed, families burned out and/or killed, and harvests destroyed by an army of abducted children known as The Lord’s Resistance Army. The countryside is virtually empty and people have moved into safe villages that are supposed to be protected by the government, but that has often been in words but not in deed. At night the children of the north flee into towns to sleep, fearing that they might be abducted. They find safety in numbers in towns such as Gulu where even the local bishops and ministers have joined them as they seek safety from the Lord’s Resistance Army.



NIGERIA

However, MEND said the six expatriates were kidnapped for ignoring its warning that oil and gas workers steered clear of the Niger-Delta, pending resolution of certain grey areas, warning of more dire consequences for any foreigner that disregards its warning in future.

The hostages would remain in MEND's custody indefinitely and until issues raised by it were adequately resolved by the Federal Government and stakeholders in the region, the groups said.

The MEND statement, signed by its Spokesman, Gbomo Jomo, read: "their arrest is meant to serve as a warning to others that there are root issues that have to be resolved with the Nigerian government before normalcy could resume, such as return of displaced civilians to their ancestral home, compensation for damages, return of ill-trained JTF to their barracks, and last but not the least, constitutional amendment to address fiscal federalism."


One would believe that based on these two press releases alone, the Anglican Church in general and the respective archbishops specifically would have their hands full just trying to relieve the nationwide suffering these two issues cause. One would hope that as Christians they would set aside whatever personal beliefs they might hold and adopt a position that demonstrates the two great commandments but oh no, they have mayhem and now worse on their minds.

Akinola has decided that the Archbishop of Canterbury is no longer a necessary part of the Anglican communion (see the Jerusalem Declaration). At other times he has indicated that he is the next Archbishop of the Anglican Communion. Henri Luke Orombi continues to support a strong anti-gay message along with the Mouth Lion that Roars.

And speaking of Canterbury, just where is our Archbishop of Canterbury on this monstrous issue? Has he gone AWOL? Is he afraid the speak up since the Global South will take their marbles and go home?

Take a moment and go to Jake's Place and let's all participate in the World Day of prayer. We must END once and for all the atrocious behavior of those who would unthinkingly (or even thinkingly in the case of these) persecute to death our LBGT brothers and sisters. But do not stop there -- the end of persecution is not the goal -- the goal is full inclusion worldwide of all persons. Full rights for each and every person everywhere in the world.

++Orombi, put your energy to the task of solving the abduction of your children and ++Akinola put your efforts into freeing the foreign hostages. Is it possible, is it time, that you both can begin to act like primates of the Anglican Communion?

Monday, November 16, 2009

Via Media

Some passing thoughts on what we in Episcopal land call the via media, the middle way. When Hooker, back in about 1595 or so was writing his treatise he spoke about the middle ground between Calvinisn and Roman Catholicism. He came up with the concept of scripture, reason and tradition, the three legged stool, though I do not think Hooker used that term. We have, over the years since Hooker died (1600) managed to hold a pretty steady course. Now, it seems, to quote one of the clergy in the Anglican diocese of San Joaquin, the three-legged stool has one leg (scripture) longer than all the rest.


The evangelical/orthodox side of the house, both that which left as well as that which contemplates leaving of late, seems to completely reject the three legged stool preferring to elevate scripture to a pinnacle that many of us cannot seem to fathom. These folks have "jumped the creek" and now stand squarely on the side of in errant scripture in toto. Furthermore, their emphasis seems to be on biblical translations that are done without regard to some of the earliest translations/earliest works. Any superficial research leads one to some other biblical scholars who find a completely different idea. Furthermore, the emphasis of the orthodites seems to be found in the old testament rather than the new testament.

The liberal side of the house is becoming as strident as the orthodox folks. All the while trying to be coy by wordsmithing the 1994 changes to the constitution and canons as well as the Anglican Covenant as well as the Windsor Report. We, the liberal side of the house elected to not insist on sitting down and working out the fine points of full inclusion when we confirmed the policy.

And so, we find ourselves at a crossroads. We say we take the middle road. We say we are all inclusive but are we really?! Have we decided that it is time to jettison all those who no longer agree with full inclusion instead of talking and praying and talking and praying and talking and praying. How do we pass D025 and C056 now and continue to dialogue with those that do not agree?

I have no snappy answers but I suspect the following: if we do not find a way to return to the middle ground - to create again the dialogue that has kept us going since 1789 then we may lose our beloved church.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Sunday Music

I am not sure why, but I think God lives in music. Probably not theologically sound, maybe heretical but I just do. Here is but one wee example.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Mr. Duncan's NY Times Interview


Mr. Robert Duncan, pretender to the throne, acting Archbishop of ACNA, and cohort of the soon to be retired John David Schofield was interviewed by the New York Times. Let's peek in on what he had to say.

First quote:

I wouldn’t characterize us as ultraright. We don’t beat up folks.


Should we put this question to a vote? Let's ask every LGBT person inside the Episcopal Church. Oh, not a good place to start? How about we ask the families at St. Dunstan's Modesto, CA or St. Mark's, Port Royal, SC.

You and Robinson were fellow students at the General Theological Seminary in New York.

Yes. That was in the early ’70s. He was living a heterosexual lifestyle at the time. He was married. Then he left his wife and later committed himself to a male partner. I don’t wish him ill.


Left +Robinson out in the cold at Lambeth. Led a whole 755 congregations astray because of him. And, are we talking ill like physical, mental, spiritual, psychological? Just what ill are we talking about? Let's ask +Robinson if he is feeling ill.

On his deposition:

That was a year ago, but what’s interesting is that virtually no one in the Anglican world accepted that sentence. Within two weeks of being deposed, I was received at Lambeth Palace in London by the archbishop of Canterbury, who continues to consider me a bishop.


This is probably the most truthful statement he makes in all the interview. That being said, the ABC receives a lot of people every day, does that make them all archbishops? What is wrong with the rest of the world, or is Mr. Duncan just not asking the right persons?

Here is a great quote:

On the Presiding Bishop's election:

She turned out to be far harder, far less willing to bend or compromise, than any of the men.


This was a quote on our presiding Bishop. I think he wanted her to cook and clean, not lead. I am surprised barefoot and pregnant did not come out of his mouth.


Onthe issue of legal action:

There is an ongoing lawsuit. They may get the stuff, but we’ll get the souls. They may get the past, but we’ve got the future.


I prefer to believe that the future is full of love, mercy, outreach and full inclusion. I am hopeful their future is full of the same.(but doubtful). The Episcopal future is built in inclusion, love, outreach, Christ and his message. It appears that ACNA is built on hate and division.

Thanks to Mark at Preludium for the read.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

What Does A REAL ANGLICAN Look Like?

In the Diocese of San Joaquin, Fort Worth, Quincy, Pittsburgh and now South Carolina many people are (or should be ) asking themselves this very question. In all the diocese save South Carolina they think they have answered it.

First, what are some of the qualities of those in the pews? I believe for the most part these persons and families are:
1, hard working;
2, wish to serve God
3, conservative (moderately to extremely so) in their politics;
4, truly HATE sin;
5, want all this sex stuff to go back into the closet;
6, are middle to upper middle class white men who expect give loyalty to their bishop and expect it from their wives and girlfriends;
7, REALLY do not want to lose their ties with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion.

Got some news for your folks in south Carolina and in the other four diocese here in the United States.

THE ONLY REAL ANGLICANS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE THOSE PERSONS WHO BELONG TO MISSIONS AND PARISHES THAT ARE CONSTITUENT MEMBERS OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES
.

To all you who have left you are not ANGLICANS. Wake up! Write the Archbishop of Canterbury and explain your current position and ask him. There is no document from him or from anyone directly in Canterbury that says that you are members of the Anglican Communion. Don't believe me do you? Ask your bishop to show you a letter written BY Archbishop Rowan Williams that says simply, yes the ACNA is a member of the Anglican Communion (not becoming, not will be some day, not maybe if the creek don't rise, but honest to pete homespun, hardcore Anglican). While you are at it, ask the Archbishop of Canterbury whether, he, as the titular head of the Anglican Communion, recognizes your bishops as anything other than DEPOSED!? Please, write to him as fast as you can because, you see, you are not Anglicans and as of right now, unless you rejoin the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, you may never be in Anglican Communion, at least as long as you are alive. So really, ask Mr. Schofield to produce a letter from the Archbishop (not the person in South America, he cannot speak for the Archbishop of Canterbury). And while you are at it, I do not think Mr. Robert Duncan can speak for the Archbishop of Canterbury either. Ask Mr. Duncan to produce a letter from Archbishop Williams saying "ollie ollie oxen, everyone home free!". No really, do not let yourselves be fooled any longer by promises and letters from guys who say that ++Williams said you get to be Anglicans, do not be fooled by these impostors. Tell 'em if you wanted "pie in the sky in the by and by" you would have joined Rev. Ike's church in Los Angeles a long time ago. Tell these wannabes you want real proof and you want it now! Should be simple, right? Either you are a member and you can get a letter from the titular head of the Anglican communion or you are not. Nothing terribly complex or complicated. Do not take no for an answer. You moved with these deposed bishops for a reason, did you not? Make them demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt you are in the Anglican Communion.

In the meantime fellow travellers, keep St. Mark's in South Carolina in your prayers and keep writing to Bishop Lawrence. Share with him your thoughts on his idea that Anglicans ought to be allowed alternative oversight but apparently not Episcopalians. Ask him how is that even logical let alone just or merciful. Do not let him bury St. Mark's Chapel Beaufort,SC in a sea of pseudo-Anglicanism.

(Tip of the hat to Lynn.)

Monday, November 2, 2009

The Continuing Saga of St. Mark's Chapel

I have now had conversations with both the Warden and the Priest-in-charge for St. Mark's Chapel. They are filled with hope now that their situation is known by more than a few folks in South Carolina. Can you imagine the aloneness of facing a bishop bent on creating an Anglican diocese that would engulf those who are still (and always have been) Episcopalians.

This group is growing and has recently moved to a Church. This is a group not unlike the group from St. Dunstans but unlike St. Dunstan's the group at St. Mark's does not have real property. This may mean that is easier for Bishop Lawrence to mute them and ultimately bury them deep inside the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina.

This group is in touch with a group called the . Episcopal Forum Being an up and coming mission they have no standing inside the diocese and therefore at grave risk of being pushed by the Bishop of South Carolina into oblivion.

The folks at St. Mark's are pleased to know that they have friends, inside and outside the diocese. Please send your comments to Bishop Lawrence, we all need to be civil, and keep praying that +Lawrence has not lost the ability to be merciful.

I have seen the harm done to Episcopalians when they have had their world crushed. Do not let this happen again. Keep those cards and letters flowing. By the way, Bishop Lawrence does have a facebook page. Perhaps a few of you skilled facebook folks could send him a message or two in that fashion. Do not let the bishop think for one second that the St. Mark's parishioners are expendable!