Sunset Through The Trees

Psalm 19

The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.


The sunset through the trees signals the end of the day. As the sun dips below the horizon, it bursts forth in one last blast of light showing forth the glory of God.


O God of the night, be with us. Grant us your protection during the dark hours. The night, no less than the day, is yours. Keep us safe from harm and bring us to a new dawn, a new light, in Jesus name. Amen.

Archbishop Ndungane's Speech

I am struggling to write a post on Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane's speech to the Bishop's Forum in Capetown, South Africa, on May 15, 2007, which is one of the best I have seen. It is both eloquent and clear. Upon reading the speech, one is not left wondering, "Now what did he mean by that statement?" Archbishop Ndungane speaks plainly.

In addition to being an excellent example of pastoral leadership, it provides a capsule history of Anglicanism.

I'm trying to work out how to highlight the best of the speech, but it's difficult because the whole of the speech is so good. I encourage you to read it in its entirety. I printed it from the link at the top of my post, because I don't like to read long pieces online.

What I'll do is give you quotes of some of his words, without much in the way of context, in hopes that this will entice you to read the whole speech.

Communion and the Anglican Communion

The word Anglicanism first emerged in the 1830s, and the phrase 'Anglican Communion' was first used in 1851, and by 1860 was recognised as referring to our fellowship of legally independent Churches, worshipping in the tradition of the Anglican Prayer Book, with a ministry of bishops, priests and deacons, and in communion with the See of Canterbury.

In this sense, the 'Anglican Communion' was never established, as was the case of, for example, the Lutheran World Federation. It just emerged, out of the various historic developments that acknowledge some historic link to the See of Canterbury. Provinces themselves also evolved in an ad hoc manner, with no consistency even between founding documents (for example, some refer to the 39 Articles, though we do not, references to the Church of England vary considerably).

The Birth of the Lambeth Conference:

So the meeting went ahead, not as a Synod, or a Council, but as a Conference. Bishops were not 'summoned to decide', but 'invited to confer'. It was also made entirely clear that none of the resolutions would have any binding force.

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As you know, that process is still with us. It is a salutary lesson that division may provide an immediate solution to seemingly implacable differences, but in the long term is no solution whatsoever to our call to communion within the Body of Christ.

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But we should take heart, because Communion is God's gift - and it is from our Communion with him that all else springs. Our Church has life, not because of who we are, but because of who God is, and his gift of His Spirit, which sustains us, and leads us into all truth.

The Instruments of Unity

These include the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Primates Meetings, and the Anglican Consultative Council. Of the ACC, he says:

One touchstone of Anglicanism has been the involvement of laity in the governing of the Church. We are not ruled from above by a Pope and a Curia of Bishops. Rather, we believe that God's Spirit is at work in all God's people to build up the whole Body of Christ. Paul tells the Corinthian church 'to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good' (1 Cor12:7), For this reason, we describe ourselves as 'both episcopally led and synodically governed'. In our synods, all God's people are represented - Bishops, clergy and laity.

....

It alone of the Instruments of Unity has a formal constitution, which includes among its objectives 'to advise on inter-Anglican, provincial and diocesan relationships...'

So both by reason of its constitution, and by reason of the theological and ecclesial understandings of what it means to be church which underpin the constitution, my conviction is that this is the Instrument of Unity which should primarily be the place for handling the current difficulties and the inter-Anglican, provincial and relationships that are affected by them.

The Primates Meeting

Yet it seems that centre stage s increasingly being given to the Primates - and I very much regret this.

The Windsor Process

Whatever the merits of the various positions on human sexuality, my greatest sadness is that we have allowed ourselves, within the Primates' meeting in particular, to lose sight of what it means to live in Communion.

The Draft Covenant

I will be honest and say that beyond my continuing question of whether a Covenant is really the best way ahead, my serious concern with the current draft is that the ACC is being sidelined, and far too much power is being given to the Primates' Meeting.

I fear we are in danger of setting up something akin to the Roman Curia - and I am especially worried that the Primates, gifted and blessed and called as they are in so many ways, are nonetheless so unrepresentative of the totality of the Body of Christ. Even the representative breadth of the Lambeth Conference is questionable.

My theology continues to tell me that it is in and through our widest councils that we will most fully discern both what we should do, and how we should go about it.

Conclusion

So whether it was the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles, or the precise understanding of the Eucharist, or the various models of salvation, or slavery, or usury, or contraception, or women's ordination - or even questions over vestments, and whether, and how high, to raise up the bread and wine with the words of consecration - well, God is bigger! And the unity that he grants us is a gift of grace that can overcome all manner of human disagreement.

In March, we hosted the International Anglican Communion's TEAM conference - Towards Effective Anglican Mission. I continue to hear stories about how the experience of participants was that our common life of mission and ministry in Christ bridges our disagreements. It was also evident that human sexuality is not the prime concern for most Christians in their life of faith.

....

I suspect that future generations will see this as something of a storm in a teacup, and certainly not as central to the Christian life.

For the centre of Christian life is Jesus Christ. As I said at the TEAM conference, God's eternal Word did not come as a philosophical concept, nor as a political programme. Nor was the Word made text. But the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.

It is not where we stand on this or that particular issue which is definitive for our salvation - nor even our understanding of this or that passage of Scripture. What matters is our relationship with Jesus Christ, who gave his life for us on the cross, and who was raised to new life, so that we too might find new life in him.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

New Bishop In Pennsylvania

From The Living Church Foundation:

Clergy and lay delegates to a special convention in the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania elected a local priest with three generations of family roots in the diocese as their next bishop. The Rev. Sean W. Rowe, rector of St. John’s Church, Franklin, Pa., was elected on the first ballot from a field of four nominees, May 19 at the Cathedral of Church of St. Paul in Erie.

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In an autobiographical profile published on the internet by the diocesan search committee, Fr. Rowe states that as a student attending Grove City College he “experienced the Kingdom of God break into my spiritual life” with the help of a campus ministry chaplain from The Episcopal Church. He and his wife, Carly, are co-chairs of the diocesan youth and young adult commission. A graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, he has served as rector of St. John’s since his ordination in 2000 by the Rt. Rev. Robert D. Rowley.

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Fr. Rowe must now receive consent from a majority of the 110 standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction in The Episcopal Church. The consecration is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 8 at Grove City College. When he takes office, Fr. Rowe, who turned 32 on Feb. 16, will be the youngest member of the House of Bishops, according to information supplied to the diocese by the office of the canon to the Presiding Bishop.

A bishop at the age of 32!

Father we ask your blessing upon Sean and that you fill him with the power of the Holy Spirit. Fill his heart with your love, and give him gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to lead the priests and people of the diocese. We ask in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Bells Of Wenchoster

In keeping with yesterday's tribute to St. Dunstan, who was a metal worker and bell caster, I decided to check in at the site of the Diocese of Wenchoster once more to seek information on their bells. Here begins the history of their bells:

The Cathedral Bells

There were three bells in the cathedral church of St. Ennodius and St. Veronica during the reign of Henry the Eighth but their weight and inscriptions are unknown. An ancient manuscript in the Chained Library records how Bishop Tosspot (Toby Codpiecium 1519-1530) ordered their removal since the ringing kept him awake on Sunday mornings. It is known that the bells were indeed taken down, but what happened to them is lost in the mists of the Wen valley. A new set of three were commissioned by Tosspot's successor, Bishop Overweight (Alfred Codpiecium 1530-1539). In 1605, Bishop Wearside, on being cleared of implication in the Gunpowder Plot, commissioned a new bell to mark the saving of Parliament. Bishop Thrust paid for a pair of bells in 1688, and the un-tuned ring of the bells was converted into a peal of six at a cost of 5,000 groats.

To get the full story, of course, you must go to their web site, but I will add that the firm of "David Vascular & Sons of Watercloset Lane, Smithfield" added three more bells for a total of nine. The names and details of the inscriptions on all nine bells are to be found at the diocesan site.

Wenchoster Cathedral is proud to possess the monument to Robert (Plain Bob) Oakhandle, the only one-legged, blind ringer to ever to have participated in a full peal (pictured above with the Dean and Ringing team of 1899). This feat was achieved in 1898 and has yet to be equalled. The annual Ringers Guild service is held next to his memorial on anniversary of his death, (May 29th).

You can find the picture of the group on the site, along with a picture of the bell-ringing team which celebrated the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

The bell ringing team of 1952 after their marathon 24-hour peal to celebrate the coronation. The hooded-figure at the back right of the picture is Brother D'Eath OHHSV of whom little is known. None of the members of this team could ever remember him being invited to attend.

Actually, Elizabeth II's accession to the throne was in 1952, but the coronation ceremony did not take place until 1953. Surely a simple slip of the typing finger by one of the editors.

The web site of the Diocese of Wenchoster is rich and full of history and present day news, enough to offer material for several more posts for my blog, plus, the editors of the site add to their material and are kind enough to send me an email each time something new goes up.

I had thought of doing a post on their organs, but I found the organ site loaded with specifications and details which were absolute Greek to me, so I thought I'd best leave that to someone more knowledgeable. Sorry, David Charles Walker. The names for the organ pipes are intriguing, and I like that their tuba pipe is named Tubby. Their organ charts indicate that wind passes in, and wind passes out, but I know nothing about that.

Feast Of St. Dunstan Of Canterbury

Image from Early British Kingdoms


Dunstan was born near Glastonbury in the southwest of England about the year 909, ten years after the death of King Alfred. During the Viking invasions of the ninth century, monasteries had been favorite targets of the invaders, and by Dunstan's time English monasticism had been wiped out. In its restoration in the tenth century, Dunstan played the leading role.

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(Glastonbury is one of the oldest Christian sites in England, and is associated in legend with King Arthur and his Court, with Joseph of Arimathea, and with other worthies. It has been said that the Holy Grail, the chalice of the Last Supper, is hidden somewhere near Glastonbury.) Under Dunstan's direction, Glastonbury became an important center both of monasticism and of learning. The next king, Edred, adopted Dunstan's ideas for various reforms of the clergy (including the control of many cathedrals by monastic chapters) and for relations with the Danish settlers. These policies made Dunstan popular in the North of England, but unpopular in the South.

Edred was succeeded by his sixteen-year-old nephew Edwy, whom Dunstan openly rebuked for unchastity. The furious Edwy drove Dunstan into exile, but the North rose in rebellion on his behalf. When the dust settled, Edwy was dead, his brother Edgar was king, and Dunstan was Archbishop of Canterbury. The coronation service which Dunstan compiled for Edgar is the earliest English coronation service of which the full text survives, and is the basis for all such services since, down to the present. With the active support of King Edgar, Dunstan re-established monastic communities at Malmesbury, Westminster, Bath, Exeter, and many other places. Around 970 he presided at a conference of bishops, abbots, and abbesses, which drew up a national code of monastic observance, the "Regularis Concordia". It followed Benedictine lines, but under it the monasteries were actively involved in the life of the surrounding community. For centuries thereafter the Archbishop of Canterbury was always a monk.

In addition, Dunstan was a musician, a bell maker, and a painter.

From the The Lectionary


PRAYER

Almighty God, who raised up Dunstan to be a true shepherd of the flock, a restorer of monastic life and a faithful counsellor to those in authority: give to all pastors the same gifts of your Holy Spirit that they may be true servants of Christ and all his people; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Pakistani Christians In Danger

From the Associated Press via the International Herald Tribune:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistani Christians living in a town beset by pro-Taliban militants sought government protection on Wednesday, a day before the expiry of an ultimatum warning them to convert.

About 500 Christians in Charsadda, a town in North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan, received threatening letters earlier this month telling them to shutter their churches and convert to Islam by May 17 or face "bomb explosions."

Community leaders say several Christians — a tiny minority in predominantly Muslim Pakistan — have fled the town and that others are living in fear.

Chaudhry Salim, a Christian leader in Charsadda, said police had not taken the threat seriously.

"Police say someone is joking with us by writing these letters," Salim said at a news conference in the capital. "They have deployed only two policemen at our churches ... this is the kind of security we are getting now."

Pakistan is our "ally". Is the administration of our self-proclaimed Christian president doing anything to prod the Pakistani government to protect this small number of our Christian brothers and sisters?

Asif Daudzai, a spokesman for the provincial government, asked Christians not to panic, saying authorities were doing all they can to ensure their protection.

"Christians are our brothers and sisters, and we will not allow any one to harm them," he told The Associated Press.

I hope that this is true.

Islamic radicals trying to impose Taliban-style social edicts in northwestern Pakistan are growing bolder, bombing shops selling Western films, threatening barbers for trimming beards and warning hotel operators to remove television sets from guest rooms.

Minorities and secular opposition parties complain that the government is doing too little to counter the "Talibanization" of ever-greater swaths of the country.

Let us pray for our brothers and sisters who suffer persecution for their faith.

Brother Causticus In Trouble

Brother Causticus is somewhat beside himself because Deacon Andrewes is drawn a bit too much to the bottle, suffering from distress over reported voting irregularities in the Bloggers Choice Awards. Brother Causticus' "humble forum" was nominated, as you may know. In reference to a certain blog, which I shall not name:

“They’re beggin’ for votes on their site and even sendin’ out emails to all their registered users,” fumes the always well-intentioned, though at times volatile, deacon, whose irascibility often waxes – and diction wanes – as his glass empties, “And they’re tellin’ people how to cheat and vote lots of times. They’re proud they’re cheatin’ so good!"

Well, you can see why the good deacon is upset. Perhaps, if you are so inclined, you might pop over to his site and give Brother Causticus a word of support and even go to the Bloggers Choice Awards site and cast a vote or two or three for him as a sign of that support.

Letter To Congress From Episcopal Bishops

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts-Schori and more than 100 bishops of the Episcopal church have sent a letter to the United States Congress on the subject of the war in Iraq, according to Episcopal Life Online, via J. B. Chilton at the Episcopal Café.

Expressing "deep concern" for the situation in Iraq, more than 100 bishops of the Episcopal Church have written to all United States Senators and Representatives outlining the need for "a careful and reasoned debate" to end the violence "and bring stability and a just peace to the region."

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"For the sake of all those involved, and to honor those brave women and men who have been maimed and lost, we encourage full and open discussion that acknowledges our mistakes as well as our responsibilities," the letter continued. "It is our hope that this discussion will lead to policies that will end the violence in Iraq and bring stability and a just peace to the region."

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They also acknowledged the need for the U.S. to work for religious freedom and protection of religious minorities in Iraq; serve the needs of Iraqi refugees wherever they may be; and seek peace in the region, including a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians.

The way things are going in Iraq now, I don't know if the situation will allow time for reasoned debate. We could be making a hasty and disorderly exit before very long.

However, I'm pleased that the bishops sent the letter. I note that my bishop, Charles Jenkins, did not sign the letter.

Ascension Day

The Ascension of Christ - by Pietro Perugino
Musée Municipal des Beaux-Arts, Lyon
Image from Web Gallery of Art


Preface of the Ascension

Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.


Luke 24:50-53

The Ascension of Jesus

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.


Jesus left the earth with his resurrected body, but he promised to ask his Father to send the Spirit to teach us all the truths we need to know. I trust that the Spirit teaches us today if we open our minds and hearts to learn the lessons. Jesus promised to love us always and, with the Father and the Spirit, to make his home with us.

Thanks be to God.

I love the brilliant colors in the painting and the beautiful balance in the arrangement of the figures. I love the sweep of the folds in the garments and the movement of the streamers. Perugino stands among the best of the Italian Renaissance artists.

My Dog Diana

Dennis of Psychology, Dogs, Politics and Wine says in the comments:

and think about this: we are getting theology AND music recommendations from you now. Add some pictures of dogs and you'll give MadPriest a good run for his money!

OK, Dennis. Here's my dog. Not her best picture, but the one that I could find easily. She was not named after the tragic Princess Diana, but after Diana, the goddess of the hunt. You see, she was to be a hunting dog for my husband and sons. What can I say? That dog don't hunt. Period. When the men in my family take her into the woods and let her loose, she runs back to the truck and is ready to go home.

Our previous dog, Rusty, The Wonder Dog, was a natural hunting dog. He retrieved not only the kill of my husband and sons, but anyone else's that he could find. He's buried in our back yard, having died of lymphoma at the age of nine. He was so good that my men would like to clone him from his remains.

When Rusty began hanging around, and before we decided whether we were going to adopt him, he ran loose each night and returned to us in the morning dirty and exhausted. He's the only dog I ever knew of to have venereal disease. We put an end to his night roaming quickly, after we decided to make him one of the family. He lived peacefully with a goodly number of cats which were part of our ménage at the time.

But I digress. Back to Diana, the dog that don't hunt. She was a stray that was found with an arrow in her leg and turned in to the humane society. Fortunately, the arrow was lodged in the fleshy portion of her leg and did not pierce the bone. Our local paper put a large colored picture of her on the front page. Rusty had passed on about six months previously, and Diana stared at me from the picture. My husband and I talked about adopting her, and he finally agreed.

Diana is a good dog. She's about 10 years old and has never growled or snapped at a human, not even my grandchildren when they were toddlers and annoyed her. But she hates cats with a passion. We had one cat left when she came to us, and each time Boy went into the yard, he was chased up a tree by Diana, and we'd have to restrain her and rescue him. Boy died of kidney failure not long after Diana entered his life. Stress is my diagnosis of his final illness, stress that led to kidney failure.

Diana has glaucoma in one eye, and her medication costs the earth. She has cataracts, too, and is nearly blind in the bad eye. She doesn't listen either, but that's our fault, because we didn't train her.

So, there are my dog stories. If you don't approve of hunting, remember that I do not hunt, and if you are not a vegetarian, in my humble opinion, you have no moral ground on which to stand to speak against responsible hunting.

So, Dennis, am I giving the MadPriest a good run?