St. Sarah's Episcopal Church, Chenango Bridge, NY

On Sunday, I visited Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in Chenango Bridge, NY for the 10 am service. If you're curious about the title to this post, read Father Mark Giroux's sermon here. This could be my parish home if I lived anywhere nearby. Friendly people. Much laughter. If you live in the Binghamton area, you should visit.

The altar was carved by a nun I was told.

The hangings on the sides were done by one of the parishioners. This is the detail of the bottom of the one on the left.

Much of the work in the church is done by the parishioners. They built the organ loft. They have also done the windows which didn't photograph well in the bright sunlight.

Yep

Great job, MP!

Time to go fishing in England...

Seems to me that TEC needs to go fishing in England. Surely there are parishes hungry to hear the Gospel. Surely there are clergy who preach love and inclusion as taught by Jesus. Surely there are people who experience Godde's love and acceptance and seek a place to worship and be part of an inclusive community. Surely there are many who believe that the Archbishop of Canterbury has lost his way and are eager to reach out to the world and spread the real message of the Gospels. TEC has the hook - Godde loves all Godde's creation.

The Anglican Communion as currently visualized by the ABC has little if anything to do with its historical roots. It seems to have become a political organization responding only as dictated by certain conservative clergy and, perhaps, by Parliament. After all, some of the world's most needed resources are located in provinces once converted by CoE missionaries and now totally separated from Jesus by homophobia. While almost instant criticism results from the consecration of a partnered lesbian as bishop, nary a peep is heard when one of those countries presents legislation to kill people or advocates imprisoning people who love each other and those who are their friends.

Who knows who is pulling the strings at Lambeth? The ABC seems unaware that those strings seem to have no hooks with which to catch new Christians. They don't even have bait which might lure people back. Time for TEC to go fishing in England...

Who represents?

Do appointed bishops represent anyone?

A new Archbishop of Canterbury

Bishop Clumber

Bishop Maya Pavlova, the theologian

Rowan, bishop of playing

I apologize to Bishop Airedale for whom I have no photo.

Abandonment

To my way of thinking, the Archbishop of Canterbury has abandoned Anglicanism and, perhaps, the Gospel. By reducing The Episcopal Church to "consultant" status because we choose to follow Jesus's teaching to love all and leave judgment to Godde, Rowan Williams has assumed the position of Anglican pope and abandoned the historical big tent. (Americans, at least, know what "assume" means.)

I don't know what their travel plans are but I wish Susan and Louise would cut the Paris trip short and do some evangelizing in England. Maybe they could begin with St. Paul's Cathedral? If it is ok to sign up our parishes and dioceses, it is ok to do likewise in the CoE. And what do we have to lose now?

Meanwhile we need to maintain the relationships we have around the world, especially financial assistance. We should revise the TEC budget to reflect our new status which should free up resources needed here and in more friendly places. And we need to bill the new Anglican Church for our time at their meetings. Aren't consultants paid quite well?

And Presiding Bishop Katherine responds...

Good on ++Katharine! No waffling. No exclusion. Just straight forward telling it like it is. Lots of places to read her letters to both the Archbishop of Canterbury and President Obama. First the very misled, misinformed, mistaken ABC's stuff.

His lecture is here.

Her response.

Some comments on her response, with her letter, are here -
The Episcopal Cafe
Thinking Anglicans
Preludium
Telling Secrets
among others. I will not link to the hate sites. I don't go there. They have little or nothing to do with Jesus.

A comment on the exchange is from Diana Butler Bass.

And she had words for President Obama on the Gaza situation as well. Her letter to him is posted on ENS.

How fortunate TEC is to have an articulate, firm but gentle follower of Jesus as our leader!

My opinion on the Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost, um, message

Invite everyone to the eucharist. Those who come and share are Anglicans in communion. Those who don't or won't are something else. That should settle the property disagreements too.

Once again the ABC talks about TEC

If ABC Rowan Williams thinks he is seeing clearly the future of the Anglican Communion, he may need new glasses.

I find it symbolic that the "Anglicans" in the Southern Hemisphere plus schismatics from the North are meeting between Easter and Pentecost. That way they minimize the possibility of the as-yet-not-present Holy Spirit influencing their opinions.

Lots of interesting comments on various blogs and Facebook have provided insight on the attempts to "wrest control" of the Anglican Communion from the heretics in the US and Canada. -They worship the institution rather than God. -He supports the quantity of Christians to the quality of Christians. -The bishops believe they should be the final word and have no need for input from the laity. -They want a magisterium without Rome.

The ELCA Lutherans and TEC Episcopalians have decided that Godde loves all Godde's creation and we should not stand in the way of anyone's call to ministry because of sexual preference. The possibility of merging is probably a pipe dream since most Lutherans seem to believe Anglicans have no theology at all. Nevertheless why can't we form a worldwide communion of Christians who may differ in theology but recognize each other as intelligent, sincere followers of Jesus? Porvoo? The concept that our Godde is a loving god who includes rather than one that excludes on manmade prejudice is probably foreign and needed in much of the world.

Party planning

On Sunday, 9 May 2010 at 4pm at All Saint's Church in Princeton, NJ, friends of Lois Laverty will honor the occasion of her 80th birthday. Lois was responsible for my attending Westminster Choir College. I plan to attend the concert.

While I'm in New Jersey, blogger friends and others are planning a gathering in New York City. More information is available on Facebook and here.

Jesus said, "Love..."

Ashes from this lay perspective...

There seems to be a big flap about clergy meeting people at public venues like the subway to give them ashes without the liturgy that normally accompanies Ash Wednesday. There are opinions here and here and here and here. I find the Ash Wednesday liturgy especially moving whether in my former Lutheran or current Episcopal setting. Part of the flap is the perception that getting ashes without the accompanying liturgy is meaningless, symbolic of the superficiality of today's culture. I have mixed feelings about it. While I agree that something is missing, I believe that those who sought the dirty forehead still have some connection to faith in spite of what many are doing to alienate people from Christianity. If there are clergy who are willing to get up at the crack of dawn, endure nasty weather and provide even this almost remote connection to the Gospel to anyone who asks, they should be celebrated or at least thanked. Who knows how many of those folks will one day return to a parish? No matter how tenuous, the connection needs maintained somehow.

Memorial evensong in Erie, PA

RC Bishop Donald W Trautman spoke of Bishop Robert Rowley's involvement with ecumenical relations in Erie at the memorial service on 14 February 2010. The Honorable Dr. Stephanie Domitrovich spoke of Rowley's involvement with the fellow lawyers in Erie. Bishop Sean Rowe reminded us that he was working in a history professor's office at Grove City College when he first met Bishop Rowley. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever expect to be the person to succeed him as bishop of the diocese. The service was appropriately contemplative and celebratory. The music was excellent, of course.

More comments on Anglican, um, stuff

I'm very happy that the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles elected two women as suffragan bishops tho I wish the words referring to sexuality could be omitted. Both people are wonderful priests who will be wonderful bishops according to what people who know them are saying. Why we have to know that they are women or that one of them is a lesbian is beyond me. Godde doesn't discriminate so why should we? I fear that many men especially will not want to confirm one of the ladies. To some, qualifications mean nothing. It is all about whom she chooses to live with. May the Holy Spirit wield the hammer she uses on my head to knock some sense into their theology.

Meanwhile the Episcopal Diocese of Lousiana chose a person who seems to have been the most moderate on the slate. There was one candidate our little group of OCICBWers prayed would not be chosen. We are happy.

And who should have something critical to say about the American choices for bishop? Why it's the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. Bless him. He all but threatened TEC with expulsion if we consecrate another homosexual bishop. Has he said anything about Uganda and the possible genocide of homosexuals if the proposed law is enacted? Has he rejected the labeling of homosexuals as cockroaches by one of his Ugandan Anglican bishops at a funeral recently? Nary a peep. He needs to hold his head in shame.

I know a whole bunch of wonderful LGBT people whose lives are boringly normal and totally nonthreatening which is more than I can say for some "evangelical Christians'". I pray those in Uganda can be like the insects they are labeled and outlive many times over those who would persecute them. I'd prefer the Ugandans study their Bibles and quit listening to the American hatemongers however.

Bland funeral, St Paul's, Weston, WV

A rather grey, rainy day in Weston, WV to send George Bland home to Godde.

A piper accompanied the casket and pall bearers.

Ann read the first lesson and led the psalm.

Janis read the second lesson.

St Paul's is a pleasant, rather simply decorated church.

The painting on the right and the Stations of the Cross were all created by George and donated to the church.

I tried to capture the incense but it is far too blurry to blog. It was a lovely mostly Rite I service - some of us weren't always looking at the BCP. I suspect George smiled.

Worship to remember!!!

Yesterday I drove from home to Philadelphia to sing with the choir of St Luke and the Epiphany for confirmation and a celebration of St Luke. There were several attractions. The organist Jonathan posted the program on Facebook. I asked to sing as he is a fellow Westminster Choir College alum. He said a classmate of mine Verdean would be the soloist, the bishop of New Hampshire would be the celebrant and I was welcome to sing. Being a longtime choir slut and a big fan of +Gene Robinson, I went.

Verdean's beautiful voice is wrapped in an equally beautiful person. It was good to see her again.

I caught a remote photo of +Gene before the service.

And a couple during the eucharist.
It was worth the 800 mile drive!

St John's Episcopal Church, Sharon, PA

I attended the installation of a priest today. It was a lovely service. BUT my mind wandered back to the good old days when a bunch of white males stood with their backs to the people and mumbled stuff we weren't supposed to hear or take part in because we couldn't possibly understand or we weren't educated enough or, well, we were laity and they were better than us. And I missed the Sanctus bells. Otherwise it was lovely. And the alb on the left contained a woman, the Canon to the Ordinary. I enjoy attending all the installations and ordinations. I get to see the churches in the diocese that I can't visit on Sundays because of responsibilities at Christ Church. I'm also meeting some interesting people. That's always fun.

The carillon is to die for tho. And he is good at ringing.

Dear ABC Rowan Williams,

I don't understand all the fuss over a covenant which has been proposed to hold the Anglican Communion together. It seems to me that there should be one and only one criterion by which anyone can be part of the AC.

If you would invite everyone to the eucharist, you would quickly learn who is and who is not in communion. Anyone who will share the meal with you and everyone else is a member. Those who discriminate are not.

Who needs anything written?

Sincerely,

Me

Episcopal baseball

The Suffragan Bishop for Baseball has posted the following rubrics for the observation of baseball in the Episcopal Church:

Every game is a double-header. The early game is played by National League rules. The later game is played by American League rules.

Read the rest at Andrew Plus.

PS: Contrary what some Episcopal bloggers would have you believe, you do not have to be a Red Sox fan to be welcome in The Episcopal Church. You might, however, be careful what jersey you wear.

Sunday church blogging

Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Hermitage, PA