NO CHURCH OF ONE

At Trinity Episcopal Church, on Sunday 2C, Caminante preached from the words of Psalm 84. The psalm begins:

How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.

Caminante's sermon is lovely. It's worth reading in its entirety. The words I quote below resonated especially with me.

What brought you to church this snowy morning? What compelled you to shovel out, drive through the mush to arrive here to sit on hard pews cushioned by futons? More aptly asked, who brought you here this morning? Can you feel in your heart the words of Psalm 84, ‘How lovely is your dwelling place...’?
....

There is no church of one. We can pray alone at home, outdoors, in whatever place we call sacred but finally we need to come back together. This community, the church, is a sanctuary where we can become vulnerable and search for deep intimacy with God.
No good thing will the LORD withhold from those who walk with integrity.

Shoveling out is not one of my before-church chores, but other than the snow, Caminante describes my reasons for attending church. "...who brought you here this morning?" We can pray anywhere, any time, and God is with us, but we need the time of coming together. At church, I may brush up against fellow parishioners with sharp elbows. Other times it's my sharp elbows that poke the others. Still I cherish the gathering for worship, for hearing the words of the Scriptures and the sermon, and for sharing the Eucharist around the Lord's table. "There is no church of one", but the many become one as we gather in the presence and the name of the Lord.

Carnation milk - 65 YEARS AGO ...

A little old lady from Wisconsin had worked in and around her family dairy farms since she was old enough to walk, with hours of hard work and little compensation.

When canned Carnation Milk became available in grocery stores in approximately the 1940's, she read an advertisement offering $5,000 for the best slogan. The producers wanted a rhyme beginning with 'Carnation Milk is best of all.'

She thought to herself, I know all about milk and dairy farms. I can do this!

She sent in her entry, and several weeks later, a black limo pulled up in front of her house. A man got out and said, 'Carnation LOVED your entry so much, we are here to award you $2,000 even though we will not be able to use it!




Don't blame me. Blame Bob. He twisted my arm.

Britt Hume, Tiger Woods, Bill O'Reilly!

Three guys to whom I never wanted to give space on my blog, and here I am doing it. I mean EVERYONE is talking about Britt Hume's commentary.



If you were Tiger Woods, and you heard Hume's advice, wouldn't you convert to Christianity on the spot?

The transcript of the video is at Think Progress along with good commentary.

Fox prides itself on being “fair and balanced.” Will it now give equal time to other religions for proselytizing, or is it comfortable becoming the next Christian Broadcast Network?

Paul (A.) sent me the link to Bill in Portland Maine at Daily Kos. Should Tiger choose to convert to Christianity, Bill says:

Generically urging a Buddhist to convert to Christianity---as the Fox Conservative Opinion Channel's Brit Hume urged Tiger Woods to do Sunday on Fox Conservative Opinion Channel Sunday---is like telling a child to trade in his dependably-yummy carrots for a new vegetable. If you gorge on a really crappy one willy-nilly and it makes you throw up---I'm looking at you, Brussels sprouts---it can leave a spiritually sour taste in your mouth. So you have to pick your brand of Christianity carefully---sniff it, squeeze it, bang it on the table, see if the dog likes it, throw it in the microwave and see how long it takes before it explodes and, finally, drown it in ranch dressing and try a nibble.

Tiger must choose wisely.

I'm Episcopalian, mostly because God gave us the power and the glory to ditch the vegetables and instead put on the best pancake suppers on Earth. ("Why, yes, it is real Maine maple syrup. What's that? The Lutherans use that Mrs. Butterworth goop? And sausage patties instead of links? Heathen.") Plus we have Bishop V. Gene Robinson on our team, and I believe that makes us the coolest denomination by default.

And ain't that the truth?

David Gibson, at Politics Daily, without question, has the best headline:

Brit Hume: Jesus Can Tame You, Tiger

Britt Hume is a senior religious political analyst at Fox News.

Bishop Charles Jenkins Retires

Crozier in hand, Bishop Charles Jenkins on Wednesday entered his cathedral for the last time as head of Louisiana’s 18,000 Episcopalians, leading a celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany that closed, at least temporarily, a 12-year Episcopal career both ruined and transformed by Hurricane Katrina.

Jenkins’ retirement, effective Wednesday, is coming earlier than it should. At 58, he has stepped down on orders of doctors who diagnosed him with post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by the storm.

Locally and nationally, Jenkins has described how the post-Katrina suffering of poor New Orleanians transformed his ministry and awakened him to the broad social and economic inequalities of life in New Orleans. But he has said the aftermath also left him medicated, prone to depression and frequently unable to focus on administration.
....

...although he opposes gay marriage and the ordination of partnered gay clergy, since 2003 Jenkins has been among a small cadre of Episcopal leaders who urged the national church to hold together despite its deep and apparently irreconcilable differences over those questions. He has argued that living together with confusion is preferable to living apart in schism.

In 2007, when Episcopal bishops from around the country met in New Orleans with the archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the 70 million-member Anglican Communion, for a showdown over homosexuality that some thought might blow up the communion, Jenkins worked behind the scenes with liberal Bishops John Chane of Washington and Jon Bruno of Los Angeles to fashion a temporary compromise.

“Charles Jenkins was a key, key player in that meeting, aside from being its host,” said Jim Naughton, a liberal Episcopal writer from the Diocese of Washington, D.C. “He was this reconciling figure, and he as much as anyone made that happen.”
....

Jenkins said the diocese closed only two parishes after the storm. He frankly acknowledged that given his own post-Katrina conversion experience, he was little interested in assessing the vitality of 55 congregations and helping them rethink their future.

“Instead, I was pretty drawn to doing prophetic work and the work of justice,” he said. “I was much more interested in that than whether St. Swithin’s somewhere should stay open.”

How many bishops would be as honest and forthcoming? Not everyone in the diocese was pleased with Bishop Jenkins choice of priorities, but I admired him greatly for making the choice to focus on those who were suffering the worst hardships after Katrina and the federal flood. As always, in the worst of times, "the least of these" have the hardest time of it. Bishop Jenkins looked and did not look away but went to work organizing and working to relieve suffering.

When our bishop spoke the words below in the liturgy for his ordination to the office of bishop, he meant them.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, I, Charles Jenkins chosen Bishop of the Church in the Diocese of Louisiana, solemnly declare that I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation; and I do solemnly engage to conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church.

I admire Bishop Jenkins' loyalty to the church in which he was ordained a bishop and his efforts at reconciliation amongst those within the church with opposing views. To my regret, I did not attend the service and reception, but I'd like to have been there to wish our bishop farewell at his retirement ceremony. I was on grandmother duty today.

UPDATE: Oh dear! I left out the link to the article in the Times-Picayune.


From Ormonde, our on-the-scene reporter:

Mimi, I was there and saw your priest, who as always had a twinkle in his eye. The mass was extremely moving, although at two hours it stretched my capacity for endurance. I thought the best part came at the end, when Irvin Mayfield played "Amazing Grace" on his trumpet. Then we all dashed for the reception. A priest came up to me and said, "I hear the wine is a côte du Rhone." My reply: "I don't care if it's Chateau Tchoupitoulas." (An inside joke, for those who know the names of our streets.)

I'd love to have heard Irvin Mayfield play "Amazing Grace" again. Did Mayfield play the Elysian Trumpet? And it's true that my priest always has a twinkle in his eye. So, Ormonde, another missed opportunity for a face-to-face meeting with you. So near and yet so far.



Jazz trumpeter Irvin Mayfield plays Amazing Grace during a September 23 [service] at Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans.

The piano player in the video, Roland Markham, is right up there with Mayfield.

EPIPHANY - KING CAKES - PARTY TIME

From Mardi Gras Unmasked.

Pictured above is a king cake or gateau du roi, a tradition associated with the feast of the Epiphany, which is celebrated in south Louisiana, French Canada, and France. At king cake gatherings, whoever gets the tiny baby hidden somewhere in the cake must provide the next king cake. The bakers no longer put the baby in the cake, because they fear litigation from folks who choke on it, swallow it, or break a tooth on it. The buyer assumes the liability of putting the baby in the cake. This is what our litigious society has come to.

I was going to write about the Carnival season in New Orleans, but then I found these lovely words from Rmj at Adventus:

Today begins the season of Epiphany: celebrated by some; ignored by others. The "original Christmas," some say. Maybe; maybe not. It is a season separate from Christmas, but related to it; and in France and Cajun Louisiana, it is celebrated itself with King's Cakes and Gateau du Roi and parties and celebrations, right up to Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, when the shriven season takes over and Lent begins. It's the English who called it Shrove Tuesday, and taught that name even to my all but non-liturgical Presbyterian church of childhood, the day to "shreve" the cupboard of fats and oils in preparation for the fastings of Lent. The French Roman Catholics had the better idea: to celebrate the 5 or 6 Sundays of Epiphany, and carry it out right up to the last possible minute, the first stroke of midnight on Ash Wednesday morning. Jesus, tradition says, was born at midnight on Christmas Day. We don't know, so why not sanctify the whole day? So, also, Ash Wednesday begins at midnight, but until then: celebration!

And him a Texan! Besting me at my own game! It's humiliating. But I figured why strain to write something original when I can steal this. No Shrove Tuesday for us. It's Mardi Gras, the party of all parties. And then, but only then, we get serious about Lent.

I love the church seasons, and I like having the season of Epiphany as a prolonged celebration of the Incarnation - of Emmanuel, God with us. Although, as children, we were taught that the greatest feast day was Easter, (a hard sell to the kids) I thought then, and I think now that the Incarnation is the great event. God become one of us! As someone once told me, "Without the Incarnation, there would be no Resurrection!"

(Reposted from last year around this time.)

"THE YEAR OF THE TYGER"

Mark Harris posted an excellent essay at Preludium titled The Prophetic Spirit and the Year of the Tyger:

"The Episcopal Church has for too long suffered a failure of nerve, one that has been costly to its missionary efforts and its ministry in a suffering world.
....

That ailment, I suggest, is that the Episcopal Church is sick at heart because it longs for an easier, surer and safer time. But no dosage of ancient orthodoxy or modern interpretation of faith will deliver the cure for that longing. Indeed what we long for in that longing is death disguised as life.

If we are to set our hand to the plow, our hands and hearts must take courage in God's presence, always both present and going before us giving us clues of the Way. The only cure for what ails us is to renew our confidence in the plowing, in the belief that with all its struggles, God is working a new thing, and at the same time the oldest thing of all, the making of creation.
....

Anglicanism as a community of poetic sensibility, I believe the way forward concerning the Anglican Covenant, relations with Anglican communities not part of the Anglican Communion (which by the by might at some point include this or that current province of the Anglican Communion), and all other matters of ecclesial and ecumenical dance, is best found in our willingness to find in every one of us a sense of the poetic call to prophetic voice. All our sacraments point to that prophetic spirit, all our best preaching proclaims it, all our poets live into it. They all point towards a unity that is not about conformity or sameness or even coherence. They point to a unity that is first seen in God's compassion towards us in Jesus Christ. We are one not because we all have the same vocation and task, we are one because God has already done for us what we cannot do for ourselves - made us one in God's compassionate gaze.

Do read Mark's entire essay. For me the piece was a tonic for my soul.

You know, perhaps I am too drawn to speak and act precipitately, but I've sensed in the Episcopal Church that once we move forward in a manner which seems good and right, we hesitate to take the next step. Well, we've done that, so let's wait a bit before we move on. Mark's metaphor of plowing a field brings to mind Jesus' use of the same metaphor and his caution against looking back after putting a hand to the plow.

FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY

PERUGINO, Pietro - "The Adoration of the Magi" (Epiphany) - c. 1476
Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria, Perugia

Readings:

AM Psalm 46, 97; PM Psalm 96, 100
Isa. 49:1-7;
Rev. 21:22-27;
Matt. 12:14-21

Isaiah 49:1-7

Listen to me, O coastlands,
pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born,
while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, ‘You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’
But I said, ‘I have laboured in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord,
and my reward with my God.’

And now the Lord says,
who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—
he says,
‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’

Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
the slave of rulers,
‘Kings shall see and stand up,
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.’

If we believe that the Scriptures are God's living word, then the "you" in the passage refers not only to God's people Israel in Isaiah's day, but also to God's people today. And who are God's people whom God called by name? Who are God's people who were formed from the womb to be his servants? You and I, and when you and I and the multitude of God's people gather in God's name and labor in God's name, then surely we shall be "as a light to the nations" so that God's "salvation may reach to the end of the earth".

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?

(Micah 6:8)


PRAYER

O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the Peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

And oh my! Isn't Perugino's painting a manifestation of the glory of God? The infant Jesus seems to raise his hand in blessing over the kneeling Magi-king-wise man. And so Jesus blesses you and me today.

Image from Web Gallery of Art.

UPDATE: Today is also the anniversary of Ann Fontaine's ordination to the priesthood. Read about her call to serve God as a priest at The Daily Episcopalian at the Episcopal Café.

Congratulations and blessings, Ann. May you have many more happy years serving God and God's people.

PHONES IN CHURCH????

A man in Topeka , Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and worked east from there. Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and making notes.

He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued with a sign, which read "Calls: $10,000 a minute." Seeking out the pastor he asked about the phone and the sign. The pastor answered that this golden phone is, in fact, a direct line to heaven and if he pays the price he can talk directly to GOD.

The man thanked the pastor and continued on his way. As he continued to visit churches in Seattle, Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, and many cities and towns all around the United States, he found more phones, with the same sign, and the same answer from each pastor.

Finally, he arrived in Louisiana, upon entering a church in the beautiful Delta region of Louisiana, behold - he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign read "Calls: 35 cents".

Fascinated, he asked to talk to the pastor, "Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone and have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to GOD, but in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads only 35 cents a call. Why?"

The pastor, smiling broadly, replied, "Son, you're in Louisiana now.... You're in God's Country. It's a local call."

American by Birth - Louisianans by the Grace of God.

And why do Louisianans go barefoot? When you're in Louisiana you're on Holy ground!

Thanks to Frank.

'HELP!!! I'm Being Mauled By A Troll!'

'Ahhh, the fresh, relaxing aroma of feet.......'???



'Harlem Globetrotters here I come'



'Uh, cat? What cat?'




Thanks to Doug.

Episcopal Diocese Of Oregon Elects A Bishop

From Oregon Living:

Clergy and delegates from throughout western Oregon elected the Rev. Michael Joseph Hanley, 54, rector of St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Roseville, Minn., as the 10th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon Friday during their 121st diocesan convention.

Hanley was elected in a second round of voting, with 104 of the 132 clergy votes and 146 of the 198 lay votes cast. A simple majority is required in both categories. The Rev. Anne Bartlett, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Ashland and vice president of the standing committee, made the announcement at about 10:20 a.m., evoking cheers from the electing convention.

Sharon Rodgers, president of the standing committee, had called Hanley, who was at home in Minnesota waiting for the phone to ring.

"This may have been the most significant phone call I've ever made," Rodgers said. She informed Hanley of his election. "Quite honestly, we were both choked up," she said. "What would you like me to tell the people of Oregon?" she asked him.

"Tell them, 'thank you, thank you, thank you,'" Hanley replied. "We are so looking forward to being in Oregon and ministering to you."

From Bishop-elect Michael Joseph Hanley's message to the diocese:

I believe as we start walking together, side by side, our conversations will enable us to share a common vision for mission and ministry. The Reign of God is in our midst, and we are invited by the Holy One, to experience that God blessed life, in this time and place. I feel very blessed, I thank you for the invitation to be with you in ministry and I am ready to put on my walking shoes to discover the Christ in your midst.

Will you walk with me?
Michael

Habemus Episcopum! Deo gratias!

Thanks to Ann for the news.

Soft and Huggable Dolls of Catholic Saints

If Episcopalians buy the Catholic saints dolls, we can hug them, too, right?

From Soft Saints.

Thanks to Sue.

A VISIT WITH HEROD, THE DECEIVER

"The three Magi before Herod", France, early 15th century. Stained glass: colored glass, grisaille; lead. Artist/Maker - Unknown. Restored by F. Pivet, 1999.
National Museum of the Middle Ages – The Baths and Hôtel de Cluny, Paris, France

Matthew 2:7-9

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’

Prayer:

Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favor, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

(Book of Common Prayer, p. 832)

Image from Wiki.

UPDATE: On Sunday last, Tobias Haller preached on Herod. His sermon, titled Evil In High Places, is excellent.

We do need to keep our eyes open and to be, as Jesus himself warned us, as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves — — there are crooks and villains aplenty in this world of ours; corruption loves its comfortable seat in the halls of power and some seated there are smooth and clever, able to deceive even the elect.

But only for a time — their doom is sure. Justice may be deferred but it will not be denied, and the villains in high places and on their lofty thrones — or in their posh boardrooms or their corner offices — will find their stolen power slipping away, slipping through their greedy fingers.
....

And so, good people, take courage. Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Have confidence that though evil and wickedness may seem for a time to run the show, the curtain will soon come down on their last performance. Christmas is the preview of that promise, and it reminds us that God has come among us to give us power to discern and avoid evil, and ultimately in and with his strength, to defeat it.

Ah, but you really must read the entire sermon. It's good.

"they had no intention...."

Last March, three American evangelical Christians, whose teachings about “curing” homosexuals have been widely discredited in the United States, arrived here in Uganda’s capital to give a series of talks.

The theme of the event, according to Stephen Langa, its Ugandan organizer, was “the gay agenda — that whole hidden and dark agenda” — and the threat homosexuals posed to Bible-based values and the traditional African family.

For three days, according to participants and audio recordings, thousands of Ugandans, including police officers, teachers and national politicians, listened raptly to the Americans, who were presented as experts on homosexuality. The visitors discussed how to make gay people straight, how gay men often sodomized teenage boys and how “the gay movement is an evil institution” whose goal is “to defeat the marriage-based society and replace it with a culture of sexual promiscuity.”

Now the three Americans are finding themselves on the defensive, saying they had no intention of helping stoke the kind of anger that could lead to what came next: a bill to impose a death sentence for homosexual behavior.

Where to start with this one! You teach about the evils of "that whole hidden and dark agenda", and "how gay men often sodomized teenage boys" then you're shocked at the results of spreading such lies and vitriol. Give me a break, you hypocrites!

The three Americans who spoke at the conference — Scott Lively, a missionary who has written several books against homosexuality, including “7 Steps to Recruit-Proof Your Child”; Caleb Lee Brundidge, a self-described former gay man who leads “healing seminars”; and Don Schmierer, a board member of Exodus International, whose mission is “mobilizing the body of Christ to minister grace and truth to a world impacted by homosexuality” — are now trying to distance themselves from the bill.

“I feel duped,” Mr. Schmierer said, arguing that he had been invited to speak on “parenting skills” for families with gay children. He acknowledged telling audiences how homosexuals could be converted into heterosexuals, but he said he had no idea some Ugandans were contemplating the death penalty for homosexuality.

“That’s horrible, absolutely horrible,” he said. “Some of the nicest people I have ever met are gay people.”

Oh my! Mr. Schmierer feels duped. And he uses the old "some of my best friends are gay" defense to justify his abusive teachings on gay people that enable a push for draconian laws against gays in Uganda. Mr. Schmierer, you and your co-conspirators in the hateful teaching programs make me want to vomit.

Here is one result of the promulgation of your type of teaching:

“Now we really have to go undercover,” said Stosh Mugisha, a gay rights activist who said she was pinned down in a guava orchard and raped by a farmhand who wanted to cure her of her attraction to girls. She said that she was impregnated and infected with H.I.V., but that her grandmother’s reaction was simply, “ ‘You are too stubborn.’”

And you, of course, will say that this is "horrible, absolutely horrible". You "had no intention", you "feel duped". Ah, but your teaching programs make you and your cohorts complicit, Mr. Schmierer.

And make no mistake: the leadership in the US was complicit. How shameful that praising and giving money to support Uganda's "family values" and abstinence only programs were done in our name.

During the Bush administration, American officials praised Uganda’s family-values policies and steered millions of dollars into abstinence programs.

From the New York Times.

H/T to Torey Lightcap at The Lead and to Lionel Deimel in the comments for the link to the NYT article.

UPDATE: Andrew Sullivan posts his commentary on the article in the NYT.

Thanks to Wade for the link.

MY NIECE! - I AM SO PROUD

Gretchen Hadden thought it was time to pursue a career in something she was passionate about.

That’s why she started her own interior design business in September after an out-of-state move back to the Northland and leaving a career in the corporate world. She runs her new business, Sensible Style Interior Design, out of her Kansas City North home near Liberty.

“In this economy, people are hanging onto their homes and I think there is a need now more than ever,” Hadden said about the interior design field.

Her business strategy is what makes her business stand out and she hopes will get it thorough an unsteady economy.

She offers a wide range of interior design services from something as simple as lending a hand in picking out a paint color for one room to assisting in the big decisions that come with a complete home remodel.

“A designer wears a lot of hats,” Hadden said.

She said she works to override the misconception that hiring an interior designer is only a luxury. She emphasizes that it can be practical on almost anyone’s budget and she is working to target the average homeowner in the Kansas City area.

When Gretchen sent me the link to the newspaper article, the subject of the email was "Look what Santa brought me for Christmas!!!!" Her dad wrote me that she already has one client as a result of the newspaper piece.

If you or anyone you know in or around Kansas City wants help in home decorating, tell them about Gretchen. I assure you that she is not the type of interior designer who will impose her preferences on her clients. Gretchen wants to help make the homes of her clients look better according to their style preferences.

For more information or to set up a consultation with Hadden, call 529-8689 or visit www.sensiblestyleinteriordesign.com.

From the Sun Tribune.

A NEW YEAR PRAYER FOR THE ELDERLY

God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
The good fortune to run into the ones that I do,
And the eyesight to tell the difference.

Don't blame me. Blame the inner elder of (Paul (A.).

"UP IN THE AIR"

Grandpère and I went to see "Up in the Air" Friday. Since I don't want to write a spoiler account of the movie, I'll only say that the principal character, Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), appeared a tragic figure to me because of the lack of emotional connections in his life and in his job. How could he spend day after day firing people for bosses who did not have the guts to do the job themselves? How could he live a life of constant travel with almost no emotional connections with other people?

Others saw the movie as a parable against the soulless capitalist systems which flourish at the expense of people. I suppose there was that, too, although the emptiness of his life without strong emotional ties was what struck me most forcefully. And the constant travel. I know folks who live out of suitcases nearly all the time. I couldn't do it.

UPDATE: Fran wrote two posts about the movie. The links are here and here.

INTELLIGENCE FAILURE

From the Washington Post:

President Obama will receive a report Thursday detailing how some government agencies failed to share or highlight potentially relevant information about Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab before he allegedly tried to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day, while others were insufficiently aggressive in seeking out what was known about him, administration officials said Wednesday.

Intelligence intercepts from Yemen beginning in early August, when Abdulmutallab arrived in that country, contained "bits and pieces about where he was, what his plans were, what he was telling people his plans were," as well as information about planning by the al-Qaeda branch in Yemen, a senior administration official said. "At first blush, not all these things appear to be related" to the 23-year-old Nigerian and the bombing attempt, he said, "but we believe they were."

Grandpère and I have been talking off and on for several days about the intelligence failures in connection with Abdulmutallab's attempt to blow up the plane. But for the quick action of the passengers on the plane, including Jasper Schuringa, who heroically put out the fire with his bare hands, the end of the story would have been tragic and deadly.

At airport security, I have been patted down, wanded, and had my bags searched. If I believed that the procedures at security check-points protected us, I'd be less annoyed each time I fly. The single time that I forgot that I carried mace spray, my purse passed through the x-ray machines without incident. We know that tests of security checkpoints show that on quite a few occasions guns and other dangerous carry-ons have not been detected.

Neither of us has training in gathering intelligence, but both of us think the following information should have triggered enormous red flags.

Among the failures officials initially cited, no agency checked to find out whether Abdulmutallab had a valid visa to enter the United States after his father appeared at the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria last month expressing concerns about his disappearance and associations in Yemen. Although electronic intercepts from Yemen indicated that an unnamed Nigerian was being groomed for an al-Qaeda mission, and other communications spoke of plans for a terrorist attack during Christmas, none of this information was flagged in a way that would have linked it to the father's report.
....

Some intelligence officials noted that although the CIA has received much of the public criticism, the NSA is responsible for intercepts. Others argued that the reports on Abdulmutallab's father submitted by diplomatic and CIA personnel at the embassy were written so mildly as to beg to be ignored. "It didn't have a specific recommendation for watch-listing," said an intelligence official whose organization reviewed the report. "It could have."

The blame game starts amongst the agencies responsible. It appears that the follow-up on the father's information was weak to non-existent. That, along with reports that al-Qaeda was preparing a Nigerian for an attack around Christmas, should have set off alarms. The reports on Abdul's father were written weakly? Seems to me that the defense by the agencies for ignoring the information submitted by the father is weak, very weak. And that all of the known intelligence was never gathered together by any of the agencies responsible is quite worrisome.

Has anything changed since September 11?

UPDATE: WATCH CONDI RICE SQUIRM.

A memory jog for Republicans, who are in full attack mode against the Obama administration.

WAKE UP! TIME TO GO TO CHURCH!

Stolen from PaddyAnglican, who describes his blog as, "The musings and rants of an Irish Anglican priest". Sounds good to me.

COMPUTER TROUBLE

I was having trouble with my computer. So I called Eric, the 11 year old next door, whose bedroom looks like Mission Control and asked him to come over. Eric clicked a couple of buttons and solved the problem.

As he was walking away, I called after him, 'So, what was wrong?'

He replied, 'It was an ID ten T error.'

I didn't want to appear stupid, but nonetheless inquired, 'An ID ten T error? What's that? In case I need to fix it again.'

Eric grinned.... 'Haven't you ever heard of an ID ten T error before?'

'No,' I replied. 'Write it down,' he said, 'and I think you'll figure it out.'

So I wrote down: I D 1 0 T.

I used to like Eric, the little bastard.

Don't blame me. Blame Bob.

This story is an oldie, but a goodie. I see myself in the joke, and I'm not Eric.

STORY OF THE DAY - NEW AGE

We're already in the new age, she said.
What does that mean? I said. It means
we can stop waiting & start living, she
said but after she left, I still waited a
little while more just to be safe.


From StoryPeople.

A DOWNER TO START THE NEW YEAR

A new Rasmussen poll finds that voters want to go to great lengths against Flight 253 bombing suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, with a majority saying he should be waterboarded to extract information.

The poll asked: "Should waterboarding and other aggressive interrogation techniques be used to gain information from the suspected bomber?" The result was 58% yes, to only 30% who said no.

Doesn't matter that interrogation experts say that torturing suspects results in misinformation, rather than facts. Doesn't matter that the experts say that the persons being tortured will say whatever they think the interrogators want to hear just to stop the pain. Doesn't matter that nothing worthwhile will be gained by torture. Torture them anyway.

And that's to say nothing of my obviously minority view that it's MORALLY WRONG to torture people, and I'd very much prefer that the people of my country would not support torture under any circumstances.

From TPM.

"OH DEAR! OH DEAR! I SHALL BE TOO LATE!"

Ah, but only one day late, so not so very late. Shown above is the official calendar from the Diocese of Wenchoster. See the details in my post here. It's possible that a few calendars are left for sale. If you'd like to buy a copy, go to the gift shop of the diocese and inquire.

UPDATE: OHHSV stands for the Order of the Holy Hankie of St. Veronica. The relic is housed in the Mandylion Chapel in Wenchoster Cathedral. Click the link to visit the chapel and see the relic.

Allen Toussaint's "The Bright Mississippi"

South Louisiana delivered yet another bounty of CDs in 2009.

None shined brighter than Allen Toussaint's "The Bright Mississippi," his jazzy collaboration with producer Joe Henry and an all-star cast of modern jazz musicians.
....

If you only buy one New Orleans CD?

Make it Allen Toussaint's "The Bright Mississippi" (Nonesuch Records). Producer Joe Henry's bold concept involved using jazz standards by Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet, Django Reinhardt and Duke Ellington instead of Toussaint's own compositions; deploying only one New Orleans' musician, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, along with the likes of Joshua Redman; and recording in New York. But the utterly enchanting result is as New Orleans as the wrought iron balconies of the French Quarter, similarly intricate and sturdy, and equally impressive up close or at a distance.

And that's the truth! And it took a foreigner, Master of Music MadPriest, to call my attention to the new collection by Toussaint. You can listen to excerpts from the tracks at the Nonesuch Records link.

From Lagniappe at NOLA.com.

SUNDAY SCHOOL

LOT'S WIFE

The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot 's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, 'My Mommy looked back once while she was driving,' he announced triumphantly, 'and she turned into a telephone pole!'

GOOD SAMARITAN

A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, 'If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?'

A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, 'I think I'd throw up.'

DID NOAH FISH?

A Sunday school teacher asked, 'Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark ?'

'No,' replied Johnny. 'How could he, with just two worms.'

HIGHER POWER

A Sunday school teacher said to her children, 'We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a Higher Power. Can anybody tell me what it is?'

One child blurted out, 'Aces!'

MOSES AND THE RED SEA

Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother, 'What did you learn in Sunday School today?'

'Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea , he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then he radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved.'

'Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?' his Mother asked.
'
Well, no, Mom. But, if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!'

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible - Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the chapter. Little Ricky was excited about the task - but he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line.

On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous... When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, 'The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know.'

UNANSWERED PRAYER

The preacher's 5 year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon. One day, she asked him why.

'Well, Honey,' he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages. 'I'm asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon.'

'So, how come He doesn't?' she asked.

BEING THANKFUL

A Rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, 'So your mother says your prayers for you each night? That's very commendable. What does she say?'

The little boy replied, 'Thank God he's in bed!'

UNTIMELY ANSWERED PRAYER

During the minister's prayer one Sunday, there was a loud whistle from one of the back pews.

Tommy's mother was horrified. She pinched him into silence and, after church, asked, 'Tommy, whatever made you do such a thing?'

Tommy answered soberly, 'I asked God to teach me to whistle, and He did!'

TIME TO PRAY

A pastor asked a little boy, 'Do you say your prayers every night?'

'Yes, sir.' the boy replied.

'And, do you always say them in the morning, too?' the pastor asked.

'No sir,' the boy replied. 'I ain't scared in the daytime.'

SAY A PRAYER

Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his grandmother's house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When Little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away.

'Johnny! Please wait until we say our prayer,' said his mother.

'I don't need to,' the boy replied.

'Of course, you do,' his mother insisted. 'We always say a prayer before eating at our house.'

'That's at our house,' Johnny explained. 'But this is Grandma's house and she knows how to cook!'

Thanks to Bob.

IT'S...

Why does 2010 feel so much like 2009? Perhaps because I'm pretty much the same person today that I was yesterday, despite attending my first New Year's Eve party in many years.

2009 was a year mixed with joy, sorrow, and regret, which included much to be thankful for, losses to grieve, and regrets for things done and things left undone. I expect that 2010 will be pretty much the same. I call it life.

Anyway, I'll take my lead from Psalm 118:24 and try to live the words.

This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Is this my New Year's resolution? No. Resolution is too strong a word. My only resolution is the the one that I stole from Doxy.

THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS OR, THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST

MASTER of AB Monogram - "The Circumcision" - c. 1530 - Gemäldegalerie, Dresden

James Kiefer at The Lectionary says of the feast day:

On January 1st, we celebrate the Circumcision of Christ. Since we are more squeamish than our ancestors, modern calendars often list it as the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, but the other emphasis is the older. Every Jewish boy was circumcised (and formally named) on the eighth day of his life, and so, one week after Christmas, we celebrate the occasion when Our Lord first shed His blood for us. It is a fit close for a week of martyrs, and reminds us that to suffer for Christ is to suffer with Him.

Luke 2:21

After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Readings:

Psalm 8
Exodus 34:1-8
Romans 1:1-7
Luke 2:15-21

PRAYERS

Eternal Father, who gave to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Image from the Web Gallery of
Art.

Take A Few Quiet Breaths Now...

...because the season of Mardi Gras is on the way. Above is a picture of the 2009 Maid of Orleans in the new Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc parade.

If you're in the French Quarter Wednesday -- Epiphany -- don't be surprised if you see women dressed in medieval garb on horseback and a throng of followers accompanied by bagpipes and Gregorian chants.

It's not a Renaissance fair come to town; it's Joan of Arc's birthday.

The Maid of Orleans, so named for her figurative leadership in France's tide-turning battle against the English at Orleans during the Hundred Years' War, turns 598 on Jan. 6, and for the second year local St. Joan fans will turn Decatur Street into a moving tableau of her life.

The procession is one of two events that help kick off Carnival season on Twelfth Night. The other is the Phunny Phorty Phellows streetcar party, which rolls on Wednesday on the St. Charles Avenue line (see below).

For fans of Joan, however, events have grown to include the Joan of Arts Fete on Sunday, featuring costume workshops, a free French class, Medieval chamber music, theatrical performances, a silent auction and panel discussions all celebrating St. Joan.

The schedule for the 2010 Fête of the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc can be viewed at their website.

Breathe slowly and deeply.

From the Times-Picayune.