Deep peace

Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace of Christ, of Christ the light of the world to you
Deep peace of Christ to you.

The zookeepers here at OTA wish you a peaceful Sabbath day. And now - the beautiful sound of John Rutter's arrangement of the Gaelic Blessing:

SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES - THE END

Illuminations and Elucidations on: The Hellins Lecture

VI. The End

I believe I have related this anecdote once before but I wish to do so again.

Picture a courtroom. You/me/we are the defendants. God, in the person of the Father is the judge. We are accused of falling short of the mark, of being sinners (and tax collectors). Of not living up to all the commandments and all the covenants. The Father, in perfect JUSTICE finds we are indeed guilty. But then something truly unique and transforming happens. God, in the person of Jesus Christ, comes down from the bench and stands next to me/you/us. He, Jesus, accepts the verdict on our behalf and absorbs the punishment for our (yours/mine/our) failings. That is perfect MERCY.

This concluding segment would have been so much easier if many in the current crowd at Lambeth (and some pretending not to be at Lambeth) had not decided to muck it up. One of the very first management skills I learned when I was younger was when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. Too bad many of our Bishops slept through that portion of the course.

When I began this series I read with enthusiasm this lecture and quietly said to myself, “Self, this is what we really need. A cool, level headed re-thinking of our respective positions and then a coming together of all the factions in love and charity to reinvigorate the communion. “ Something like what has happened over and over again in our past. Something not unlike what ++Rowan Williams appears to be proposing. I like discussion, discussion is good and no one gets hurt.

It would have been so much easier if I were not an American or at least growing up in the American experience. You see, years and years ago someone wrote that “all men are created equal”. It has taken us centuries to get where we are today but we are not willing to give that idea up and we are not willing to be bullied and we are growing less willing to backslide. Because of all of that and then some we have some of the most cosmopolitan/heterogeneous populations in the world and we are liking that more and more. With this unique experience comes the self-proclaimed idea that each of us must guide and guard these precious ideas. It is also very true that the rest of the world does not share our experience, our history, our philosophy, or approach to oppression or our approach to self-correction. It is also true that despite our best efforts to bring this form of self-expression to the world we have failed miserably. Our ideas, and philosophy from the social contract to utilitarianism to civil rights and all that that entails are just not easily exported as we have seen. I do believe that most of the rest of the world sees what we have publicly demonstrated, our commitment to economic superiority and our world-wide drive to maintain that superiority. As a result three things are apparent. First, most everyone in the world would like very much to acquire and maintain that same standard of living. Second, most of the rest of the world sees the US as a big bully in our attempt to maintain this economic superiority. Third, our social ideals seem incongruent with our stated economic superiority and for some reason we as a people cannot overcome that vision.

The Reverend Cameron says the compass rose points to the east and encourages us look to what the Roman Church is doing with Pope Benedict XVI at the helm.

“Of the two billion Christians in the world today, half are Roman Catholics. … There seems to be little doubt that in his ministry, Pope Benedict has indicated a preference for ecumenical engagement with the Orthodox Churches of the East.”

This again is not new. Back in the 1890s there was this same interest in renewal of unions with other denominations. Manross states, “Efforts towards Catholic reunion have therefore, for the present to be concentrated upon cooperation with the Eastern Church, and with such western groups as retain the episcopal succession and other features of the Catholic tradition without submitting to the Pope.”

Been there done that.

Here is what has been forgotten or conveniently overlooked.

“To the long list of heresies bravely resisted by the church --- Docetism, Arianism, Pelagianism, Patrinpassionism, and so on- a new one is added in 1899, sounding very strange in this exotic company: Americanism.” (pg. 202, Why I Am A Catholic, Gary Wills).

Huh?

In Testem Benevolentiae (1899) Leo XIII goes on to say,

“License mistaken for liberty; an appetite for discussion and criticism; a readiness, ultimately, to think whatever one wants to and to publish it – these have so involved men’s minds in confusion that the teaching authority of the church is more than ever needed to call people back to their beliefs and duties.”(pg. 203, Why I Am A Catholic, Wills).

Excuse me?!

At the same time Leo XIII in Providentissimus Deus (1893) stated, “it would be impious to confine the truth of inspiration to certain parts of the holy writings to grant that the inspired author ever erred . . . For all books accepted in the sacred canon are, throughout and in every part, written at the dictation of the Holy Spirit. It is so impossible for error to insinuate itself into divine inspiration that the latter if itself precludes and rejects all error, by the same necessity that prevents God, the highest truth, from issuing any untruth.” (pg. 201, Wills).

Really.

And not surprisingly, the GAFCON Jerusalem Statement now echoes these statements.


We now will end with Greg's eloquent statement, but look closely for his quote is not this quote. He got it almost right.

“…the Compass Rose points to here (my heart), and there (to your heart) and everywhere (to all Anglicans) calling us– (not to the centre but) - to the cross wherein God’s love is revealed to the world.”

This mercy, once delivered, requires that we treat each and every human being sinners and tax collectors included, as a creature of God’s own making. Not just all men but all people are created equal—

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

ALL people.

I wish mercy for us all. I wish mercy for myself. I want so very much for us all to worship and exchange the peace and receive the Lord under one big tent. But more than that, I an required to extend as much mercy to everyone as I can muster in the sure and certain hope that it will be returned to me 70 fold. If that means I must absorb the invasion of my church by those who would pirate and trade on peoples fears and hatreds then so be it. If it means that the church splits apart or stays together, so be it. If it means that we talk until the year 2525 (there is a quarter in this reference to anyone that gets it) so be it. I will go anywhere and meet with anyone at any time and talk as long as it takes to come to terms with this idea but this idea is not just an idea, it must include true representation from the LGBT community, and it is not negotiable and it is not postpone-eable and it is not trade-able.

Peace+

Some updates: temporary fix for Blogger/MS IE

Hopefully, our final update: IE and SiteMeter seem to be back on speaking terms now per Mike in Texas (thanks, Mike).
--------
#1 - Scott Hankins reports that removing site meter from his blog made it accessible using MS Internet Explorer.

#2 - Many of you are having problems accessing blogs using PC-based Microsoft Internet Explorer. All these sites - and not all are hosted by Blogger - seem to be using Sitemeter. This is a problem that must be addressed by the blog owner. But you can help by passing this information along to them. (I have also sent a message to the help center at Sitemeter, for what that's worth).

So far, all these sites can be accessed using Firefox browser for PCs. It is my primary browser and I like it, some do not. You can check out the Firefox at
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/. This link is to the U.S. English page, but they have several local language versions.

Firefox works on Blogger

A few sites aren't accessible using MS Internet Explorer at this writing (including Mark Harris' Preludium and Scott Hankins' Fr. Scott & Company). I work with a PC, not Mac. I honestly don't know what the problem is, just letting people know if they want to swing by their favorite blogs tonight you might want to give Firefox a try.

I use Firefox as my primary browser, it has its good and bad points. The most annoying feature is that it seems to be a memory hog after a while, no matter how many times you work on cleaning out your cache.

SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES PART V

IV. Shibboleth

In our continuing discussion of the Anglican Communion we have dealt with a wide range of issues. One of those issues is words/labels such as Liberal, Conservative, Orthodox, High Church, etc. We have also dealt with divisions that have occurred in the past both worldwide and in our own American Church and in our own diocese. We have also discussed the issue of the Bible, or rather how one goes about reading and interpreting the Bible.

Now we jump in with both feet on the issue of homosexuality, or more specifically, each of our own interpretations of this word/issue. Let’s go back to the Reverend Gregory Cameron’s discussion of this issue. Cameron refers to this issue as the current shibboleth. The reference is to the Book of Judges, Chapter 12 and I will allow you to read that and/or go back and read the Hellins Lecture on this issue as well.

What I do want to quote from his work is the following:

“It can too often appear these days that we Anglicans are busy making the issue of homosexuality a shibboleth. Unless you can articulate your views in exactly the desired way, be it adapted towards a conservative or a liberal agenda, then you are likely to get cut down. The very nature of your Anglicanism, of your orthodoxy, of your Christian faith, the very value placed upon your membership in the body, is made to depend on one particular articulation of one particular understanding of one particular moral issue, and your position on this matter is used to read back into the whole of Christian faith and discipleship as the way for it to be understood and evaluated. If you are found wanting then you are to be treated as a sinner and tax collector.” (Emphasis is mine).

What I want each of us to consider is that final turn of the phrase – “If you are found wanting you are treated as a sinner and a tax collector”. We will come back to this phrase again because in it is the heart of resolution. For now, and for us Jakeites, I ask that we reflect on the many conversations with Grace as but one example. So no one gets confused and just so everyone knows, I am a sinner (no surprise) and I have been a tax collector (not that that means much).

This, homosexuality, is an issue that at least for the former Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”. The piling on of the issues of the prayer book, the interpretation of the bible, the ordination of women supposedly were mere prelude to the main event ordination/consecration of LGBT brothers and sisters. This is the issue that drove John David Schofield into the waiting arms of the Archbishop of the Southern Cone, Gregory Venables. This is the issue that tore the fabric of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.

Greg Cameron asks the direct question,

“Faced with the levels of anger, political subterfuge and almost histrionic rhetoric that seems to swirl about our Communion, I can understand those who say that perhaps the time has come to let the Communion go. If it stands on a precipice already, why not administer that little shove to put it out of its misery.”

The Reverend Cameron gives two really good answers, I highly recommend that you go read them. I would like us to look at something slightly off topic.

Let’s go back to Cameron’s earlier phrase that says that if a person’s moral interpretation of this issue is not completely in agreement with mine that person is then treated like a sinner and a tax collector, indeed this is true on both sides. You can see this occur on StandFirm or Titus1/9 or even on Jake’s blog, Worldstopper. And yet, the persons Jesus CHOSE to break bread with, to talk to and to love were the sinners and the tax collectors. We, collectively, automatically set each other up for the next line which is, yes we are tax collectors and sinners but Jesus loves us! And off we go feeling really good about ourselves. Or in a more bloody tone, we have just slain those who could not pronounce shibboleth. Should we all sit down with sinners and tax collectors, pass the peace and break bread? At the end of the day, we look at ourselves in relation to God and to our fellow man and say, “we need to be in a right relationship with each other”. Let me (sorta) quote the only scriptural piece I will do in all of these writings, “Love God with all your heart and mind and soul. And the second is like unto it, love thy neighbor as thyself.” As an old professor of mine used to say, “This seems readily apparent to the most casual observer.” If I am going to break bread with Jesus Christ then I must break bread with those that do not always and in everyway agree with me. Yes, I must pass the peace and share the Eucharist with sinners and tax collectors. Now that is a fine kettle of fish!

Don't laugh at me
Don't call me names
Don't get your pleasure from my pain
In God's eyes we're all the same
Someday we'll all have perfect wings
Don't laugh at me

I'm fat, I'm thin, I'm short, I'm tall
I'm deaf, I'm blind, hey, aren't we all

Don't laugh at me
Don't call me names
Don't get your pleasure from my pain
In God's eyes we're all the same
Someday we'll all have perfect wings
Don't laugh at me

Don’t Laugh At Me
Mark Wills

Mad Priest says...pass the word

All is well with the inimitable Mad Priest, but he has asked the blogging community to pass along a troll problem. Hat tip to Grandmère Mimi, who is helping him spread the news. And now, in his own words:

"OCICBW... got attacked by a particularly vicious troll last night. It was so bad I had to close down the comments overnight.

He seems to have got his revenge by reporting me as a spam blog to Blogger and they have blocked my blog. I have asked for reinstatement but it's taking up to a week to sort out at the moment.

Would you please notify people of this on your blog and tell them to put it on their blogs. I don't want them thinking I've done a runner or been disappeared by the Church Police.

Jonathan"

I went for my usual wee hours laugh last night, and he wisely reminded all of us to avoid feeding the trolls. I'm not sure whether that would have helped much in this situation, but it does help keep the blood pressure down!

(A practical update at 1:45 p.m. EDT: I did a bit of checking on what a "spam blog" is. It seems there are essentially two types (with different names). One big no-no is to create meaningless posts to direct traffic to other sites...essentially to bring up hit and visitor counts for advertising stats and such. There can be issues of blogs sending out malicious spyware, containing spam on posts, you name it. I think the first description is what was reported as an (obviously incorrect) offense, and it does appear they do a temporary shutdown before investigation. But really, no original content from Mad Priest? Oh, please!)

SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES PART IV

IV. The Hellins Lecture: And Now For Something Completely Different

As you may recall we left off the discussion at the point of words – liberal, orthodox, conservative, high churchman, low churchman, Anglo-Catholic, and Evangelical to name a few. The Reverend Greg Cameron has been discussing the Compass Rose including where it came from and how we Anglicans have come to use it and how the purpose has changed over the years. We have applied some of this to the situation in the United States and specifically here in the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. In this installment we continue to look at the changing globe as the discussion focuses on the global south. Specifically, we will examine the perceived need for the global south to move the Anglican Communion to a new and better interpretation of the Holy Scripture.

We begin with the words to a song written and performed by Emerson Lake and Palmer (for those who may not know think Peter Gunn with a driving base guitar)

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside
There behind a glass stands a real blade of grass
Be careful as you pass, move along, move along

Come inside, the show's about to start
Guaranteed to blow your head apart
Rest assured you'll get your money's worth
The greatest show in Heaven, Hell or Earth
You've got to see the show, it's a dynamo
You've got to see the show, it's rock and roll, oh

Right before your eyes see the laughter from the skies
And he laughs until he cries, then he dies, then he dies

____________________________________________________________

Cameron says, “Increasingly the Churches of the South have asserted their identity in the Anglican Communion, and this is an identity which is uncompromising in its commitment to the supreme authority of the scriptures as God’s Word written; which is content to see the Thirty-Nine Articles as the benchmark of Contemporary Anglican life; and which sees itself contending for the salvation of souls in the face of a lively Pentecost and a militant Islam.”

______________________________________________________________

We here in the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin heard this mantra for years. A priest that ultimately went to the Southern Cone would talk about the three legged stool and how the scripture leg was longer than any other leg. Can we picture a stool of that nature? But I digress. This is another issue upon which Mr. Schofield built his current Southern Cone domain. The Bible tells me so – or so the song goes. But wait, this is not new and it is not insurmountable. Let’s go back to our History of the American Episcopal Church by William Wilson Manross. Within the liberalism movement there was a belief that “the scientific investigation of the original sources of the Biblical narratives with a view to ascertaining their relationship to the actual events described and their consequent reliability.” (pg. 307). This was, as it seems to be today, regarded by many as likely to undermine the Christian Faith. Due to this up and coming process for studying the Bible there were a series of Essays and Reviews written by a group of English Churchmen. While this collection of essays was not always cohesive it was recognized by all as individuals expressing their own viewpoints. Nonetheless the theme of these tended to accept a general tendency to “take a scientific attitude towards Christianity and try and fit it into the general scheme of historical development.” (pg 307,308). This whole approach took on the form of the American Church Congress, The object of this new fangled organization was “to obtain a free discussion of issues which were before the Church, in an assembly which was not, like General Convention, compelled to take definite action. For this reason, it naturally sought the participation of men from all parties, but its original sponsors were most of them Liberals.” (pg 309). The resolution of this issue for us in America came in two ways. In a series of essays by Canon Charles Gore (an Anglo-Catholic) called Lux Mundi determined that much as the English Church had determined “the literal inerrancy of Scripture was not an official teaching of the Church and that its ministers were at liberty to undertake a critical study of the Bible, provided their doing so did not lead them to deny doctrines that were supposed to be officially approved.” (pg 312). The second issue was in actuality the passage of time. Liberals were ordained and as time passed the controversy dropped to a simmer. At least until now.

We could both here and abroad resurrect this age old discussion but we (world wide) have already hashed this out. Whether we use the three legged stool metaphor or some other dialectical methodology to arrive at a more complete relationship with our God we have agreed to allow that to happen – at least within the confines of our Creeds and our other documents. Perhaps we need to refresh everyone’s memories but I am hopeful that this is an issue that neither side needs to “fall on their sword over”.

For Love of It All
Noel Paul Stookey

And so we are marching to 'to give peace a chance'
Brother and sister as one in this mystery dance.
Long ago on a hilltop where now the curious crawl
A man on a cross paid the ultimate cost
For the Love of it all
For the Love of it all
We are gathered by grace
We have followed our hearts
To take up our parts
In this time and place.
Hands for the harvest,
Hear the centuries call:
It is still not too late to come celebrate
The Love of it all
"Eli, eli, lemana shabakthani"
The Love of it all