Recently, while going through an airport during one of his many trips, President Bush encountered a man with long gray hair and beard, wearing a white robe and sandals, holding a staff.
President Bush went up to the man and said, "Has anyone told you that you look like Moses?" The man didn't answer. He just kept staring straight
The president said, "Moses!" in a loud voice. The man just stared ahead, never acknowledging the president.
The president pulled a Secret Service agent aside and, pointing to the robed man, asked him, "Am I crazy or does that man not look like Moses to you? The Secret Service agent looked at the man and agreed.
"Well," said the president, "Every time I say his name, he ignores me and stares straight ahead, refusing to speak. Watch!" Again the president yelled, "Moses!" and again the man ignored him.
The Secret Service agent went up to the man in the white robe and whispered, "You look just like Moses.Are you Moses?"
The man leaned over and whispered back, "Shhhh! Yes, I am Moses. The last time I talked to a bush, I spent 40 years wandering in the desert and ended up leading my people to the only spot in the entire Middle East with no oil."
Easy blogging. Good night.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Return To Me
Back to Advent, with the prophet Joel (2:12) speaking the word of the Lord:
"Yet even now," says the Lord,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;..."
Followed by Amos, from "The Daily Office", reminding us of the thread of darkness that runs through the readings for Advent:
Hear this, you that trample on the needy,
and bring to ruin the poor of the land,
saying, ‘When will the new moon be over
so that we may sell grain;
and the sabbath,
so that we may offer wheat for sale?
We will make the ephah small and the shekel great,
and practice deceit with false balances,
buying the poor for silver
and the needy for a pair of sandals,
and selling the sweepings of the wheat.’
The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.
Shall not the land tremble on this account,
and everyone mourn who lives in it,
and all of it rise like the Nile,
and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt?
Amos 8:4-8
And then from Matthew, in "The Daily Office", the call to repentance and righteousness, another great theme of the season, one that we so easily forget in our scramble to shop and decorate:
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
Matthew 23:1-12
Finally, an excerpt from the post by Vicki Black on "Food For the Soul" at the Episcopal Café:
Behold, you come. And your coming is neither past nor future, but the present, which has only to reach its fulfillment. Now it is still the one single hour of your Advent, at the end of which we too shall have found out that you have really come.
O God who is to come, grant me the grace to live now, in the hour of your Advent, in such a way that I may merit to live in you forever, in the blissful hour of your eternity.
From “The God Who Is to Come” by Karl Rahner, in Encounters with Silence, translated by James M. Demske (St. Augustine’s Press, 1999).
Ahhh! Those lovely words of Rahner's are, indeed, food for the soul.
"Yet even now," says the Lord,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;..."
Followed by Amos, from "The Daily Office", reminding us of the thread of darkness that runs through the readings for Advent:
Hear this, you that trample on the needy,
and bring to ruin the poor of the land,
saying, ‘When will the new moon be over
so that we may sell grain;
and the sabbath,
so that we may offer wheat for sale?
We will make the ephah small and the shekel great,
and practice deceit with false balances,
buying the poor for silver
and the needy for a pair of sandals,
and selling the sweepings of the wheat.’
The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.
Shall not the land tremble on this account,
and everyone mourn who lives in it,
and all of it rise like the Nile,
and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt?
Amos 8:4-8
And then from Matthew, in "The Daily Office", the call to repentance and righteousness, another great theme of the season, one that we so easily forget in our scramble to shop and decorate:
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
Matthew 23:1-12
Finally, an excerpt from the post by Vicki Black on "Food For the Soul" at the Episcopal Café:
Behold, you come. And your coming is neither past nor future, but the present, which has only to reach its fulfillment. Now it is still the one single hour of your Advent, at the end of which we too shall have found out that you have really come.
O God who is to come, grant me the grace to live now, in the hour of your Advent, in such a way that I may merit to live in you forever, in the blissful hour of your eternity.
From “The God Who Is to Come” by Karl Rahner, in Encounters with Silence, translated by James M. Demske (St. Augustine’s Press, 1999).
Ahhh! Those lovely words of Rahner's are, indeed, food for the soul.
Priestly Behavior?
From Elrena Evans at Episcopal Life:
Ten minutes before the service starts, a priest is pounding down the aisle in full stride. As my one-year-old daughter spots him, she squeals in recognition and holds out her hand. He whirls around to face her.
"Shhh!" he hisses. "Be quiet."
And with a swoosh of his robes, he is gone.
My daughter drops the hand she was holding out to him, confused. She doesn't understand why this man she was so happy to see wasn't happy to see her. And I don't understand why I am sitting here in the pew where I sit every Sunday with my extended family, allowing a man in clerical garb to rebuke my daughter.
Ten minutes before the service? I know that some churches reserve the time before the service as a quiet time, but this sort of rudeness to a child on the part of the priest is shocking.
I shift in my pew. I live in a world of the body. My spirituality is twined with flesh, with bodies that birth and nurse their young. That is the high calling of motherhood: a demand that we learn to negotiate the spirit world while remaining firmly rooted in our earthly humanity.
This isn't the image of the church I want to give my daughter, that we allow men in fancy dresses to tell us we're not welcome -- for being women, for being flesh, for being noisy, for being young. I contemplate walking out. But I don't want to leave. I want to stay right here, with my daughter, visible symbols of the messy realities of life. We who are steeped in the blood and milk of motherhood will not hide ourselves to make anyone else more comfortable. That's not the example Jesus set.
And then later in the Eucharistic service:
I kneel down at the Communion rail with her in my arms, and she holds her hand up to the chalice bearer, my father. He smiles as he tips the chalice to my lips. "The blood of Christ, the cup of salvation," he says. Then he rests his hand on my daughter's head. "The blessing of Jesus be upon you." She laughs, and snuggles into my arms.
Thanks be to God for the loving touch. Let's pray that, as she grows, the little child experiences more love than rudeness from the other members of the Body of Christ.
Thanks to Ann.
Ten minutes before the service starts, a priest is pounding down the aisle in full stride. As my one-year-old daughter spots him, she squeals in recognition and holds out her hand. He whirls around to face her.
"Shhh!" he hisses. "Be quiet."
And with a swoosh of his robes, he is gone.
My daughter drops the hand she was holding out to him, confused. She doesn't understand why this man she was so happy to see wasn't happy to see her. And I don't understand why I am sitting here in the pew where I sit every Sunday with my extended family, allowing a man in clerical garb to rebuke my daughter.
Ten minutes before the service? I know that some churches reserve the time before the service as a quiet time, but this sort of rudeness to a child on the part of the priest is shocking.
I shift in my pew. I live in a world of the body. My spirituality is twined with flesh, with bodies that birth and nurse their young. That is the high calling of motherhood: a demand that we learn to negotiate the spirit world while remaining firmly rooted in our earthly humanity.
This isn't the image of the church I want to give my daughter, that we allow men in fancy dresses to tell us we're not welcome -- for being women, for being flesh, for being noisy, for being young. I contemplate walking out. But I don't want to leave. I want to stay right here, with my daughter, visible symbols of the messy realities of life. We who are steeped in the blood and milk of motherhood will not hide ourselves to make anyone else more comfortable. That's not the example Jesus set.
And then later in the Eucharistic service:
I kneel down at the Communion rail with her in my arms, and she holds her hand up to the chalice bearer, my father. He smiles as he tips the chalice to my lips. "The blood of Christ, the cup of salvation," he says. Then he rests his hand on my daughter's head. "The blessing of Jesus be upon you." She laughs, and snuggles into my arms.
Thanks be to God for the loving touch. Let's pray that, as she grows, the little child experiences more love than rudeness from the other members of the Body of Christ.
Thanks to Ann.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Teenagers Ask The Archbishop
From Ruth Gledhill, at the Times Online in London, via Ann Fontaine at the Episcopal Café.
According to Gledhill, who doesn't always get things right, three teenagers from Oi! magazine conducted an interview with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Mylie Veitch, 18, asked him his views on a gay friend of hers who is considering adopting with his partner.
Dr Williams said: “This is a big one. I have questions as to whether same sex couples can provide the same stability as ‘normal parents’. I have no answers really, just questions.
“Many would argue that we need a balance of men and women to bring a child up. However, I have seen one fantastic example of same sex parenting first hand and I suppose stability is another key consideration.”
Asked about his support for gay clergy, he replied: “I have no problem with gay clergy who aren’t in relationships, although there are savage arguments about the issue you might have heard about. Our jobs mean we have to adhere to the Bible, gay clergy who don’t act upon their sexual preferences do, clergy in practicing homosexual relationships don’t. This major question doesn’t have a quick fix solution and I imagine will be debated for many years to come.”
Gledhill's final words are:
Many insiders believe that the dispute will move across the Atlantic to Britain next year.
Ruth, a number of us would say that the dispute has already jumped the pond.
The interview will be published on December 16.
UPDATE: A report on the interview from ICWales does not include the longish quote about gay clergy. We'll see. Thanks to Ann in the comments for the tip.
UPDATE 2: Here's a link to what appears to be the full article in a PDF file at Creative Solutions. Thanks to Anonymous in the comments.
UPDATE 3: From Anonymous in the comments:
Anonymous said...
no we did not record the interview and hes words were 'adhere' not 'try to live by' i dont know why it has been changed but a number of other things have been chnaged along the way by varous other sources that i am not too happy with and i shall be adressing.
FWIW. I have asked anonymous if she is one of the interviewers.
According to Gledhill, who doesn't always get things right, three teenagers from Oi! magazine conducted an interview with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Mylie Veitch, 18, asked him his views on a gay friend of hers who is considering adopting with his partner.
Dr Williams said: “This is a big one. I have questions as to whether same sex couples can provide the same stability as ‘normal parents’. I have no answers really, just questions.
“Many would argue that we need a balance of men and women to bring a child up. However, I have seen one fantastic example of same sex parenting first hand and I suppose stability is another key consideration.”
Asked about his support for gay clergy, he replied: “I have no problem with gay clergy who aren’t in relationships, although there are savage arguments about the issue you might have heard about. Our jobs mean we have to adhere to the Bible, gay clergy who don’t act upon their sexual preferences do, clergy in practicing homosexual relationships don’t. This major question doesn’t have a quick fix solution and I imagine will be debated for many years to come.”
Gledhill's final words are:
Many insiders believe that the dispute will move across the Atlantic to Britain next year.
Ruth, a number of us would say that the dispute has already jumped the pond.
The interview will be published on December 16.
UPDATE: A report on the interview from ICWales does not include the longish quote about gay clergy. We'll see. Thanks to Ann in the comments for the tip.
UPDATE 2: Here's a link to what appears to be the full article in a PDF file at Creative Solutions. Thanks to Anonymous in the comments.
UPDATE 3: From Anonymous in the comments:
Anonymous said...
no we did not record the interview and hes words were 'adhere' not 'try to live by' i dont know why it has been changed but a number of other things have been chnaged along the way by varous other sources that i am not too happy with and i shall be adressing.
FWIW. I have asked anonymous if she is one of the interviewers.
Floating Fur Christmas Pageant
In the comments to the post on the lavish Christmas pageant at First Baptist in Ft. Lauderdale,
Paul said...
Ah, Mimi, you mean you've never had the "pleasure" of going with relatives to a church that looks like a school auditorium to witness a "living Christmas tree"?
Actually, although I have never seen a "living Christmas tree" pageant in an auditorium-type church setting, I have seen more than one Christmas pageant in an Assembly of God church, which looked like a school auditorium. It has a massive sound system installed on a platform in the rear of the church. Perhaps the style of the building we worship in really shouldn't matter that much, but I have a bias against auditorium-type churches. Mea culpa.
Two of my grandchildren attended the nursery school run by the church, simply because it was one of the best in town. The workers were kind and loving, and the church paid their employees well beyond minimum wage and gave them raises, so they were able to keep good people when they hired them. From ages two to five, the children were taught Bible stories, but not much indoctrination beyond that.
Of course, the obligatory sheet about the dangers of Halloween was sent to the parents, but beyond that I saw nothing objectionable that would affect the children adversely. My granddaughter learned to read at the age of three at the nursery school. The pastor of the church lived a few houses down from us at one time, and he seemed to be a sensible man within the constraints of serving as a pastor in an Assembly of God church.
My granddaughter was two years old for the very first Christmas pageant we attended there. I don't remember what she was supposed to be, but she was dressed in a fur-trimmed costume with hat. Maybe she was a lamb. After the two year olds were on the stage, my granddaughter promptly took off her hat and lay down on the floor on her side, propped on her elbow, to enjoy the proceedings. Someone finally got her up, and once she was standing she began plucking the fur off her costume and throwing it in the air where it floated, and the other children began to try to catch the floating fur. It was a sight to behold as the main characters in the pageant tried to carry on with acting their roles. My now ex-daughter-in-law was mortified and scowling, but the rest of us were doubled over with laughter.
My grandson, who is now seven went to that nursery school until he was five, and we attended several more Christmas pageants there, but never one that was as much fun as the first.
Paul said...
Ah, Mimi, you mean you've never had the "pleasure" of going with relatives to a church that looks like a school auditorium to witness a "living Christmas tree"?
Actually, although I have never seen a "living Christmas tree" pageant in an auditorium-type church setting, I have seen more than one Christmas pageant in an Assembly of God church, which looked like a school auditorium. It has a massive sound system installed on a platform in the rear of the church. Perhaps the style of the building we worship in really shouldn't matter that much, but I have a bias against auditorium-type churches. Mea culpa.
Two of my grandchildren attended the nursery school run by the church, simply because it was one of the best in town. The workers were kind and loving, and the church paid their employees well beyond minimum wage and gave them raises, so they were able to keep good people when they hired them. From ages two to five, the children were taught Bible stories, but not much indoctrination beyond that.
Of course, the obligatory sheet about the dangers of Halloween was sent to the parents, but beyond that I saw nothing objectionable that would affect the children adversely. My granddaughter learned to read at the age of three at the nursery school. The pastor of the church lived a few houses down from us at one time, and he seemed to be a sensible man within the constraints of serving as a pastor in an Assembly of God church.
My granddaughter was two years old for the very first Christmas pageant we attended there. I don't remember what she was supposed to be, but she was dressed in a fur-trimmed costume with hat. Maybe she was a lamb. After the two year olds were on the stage, my granddaughter promptly took off her hat and lay down on the floor on her side, propped on her elbow, to enjoy the proceedings. Someone finally got her up, and once she was standing she began plucking the fur off her costume and throwing it in the air where it floated, and the other children began to try to catch the floating fur. It was a sight to behold as the main characters in the pageant tried to carry on with acting their roles. My now ex-daughter-in-law was mortified and scowling, but the rest of us were doubled over with laughter.
My grandson, who is now seven went to that nursery school until he was five, and we attended several more Christmas pageants there, but never one that was as much fun as the first.
Monday, December 10, 2007
"Commercialization of Christmas?"
Photo and story from ABC News:
First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale Spent More Than $1 Million on Its Pageant
"We're having to compete against many theatrical things around the country, whether it's MTV or the Rockettes or any show you might see on Broadway," said the Rev. Mike Jefferies of the First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale. "We have made a conscious decision to pull out all the stops."
....
"I really believe it is such a great story. I'm sure we couldn't actually compete with what really happened 2,000 years ago," he said on "Good Morning America Weekend Edition" today.
The Rev. Mike's humility is astounding. What makes him think he can't compete with the story of the God Incarnate? What would Jesus say about the spectacle? The Rev. Mike thinks he has the answer.
Thanks to the Weird Rabbit for the link.
Faint Condemnation?
From an article at Digital 50 on the decision of the Diocese of San Joaquin to withdraw from the Episcopal Church:
Bishop Frank Lyons of Bolivia read a statement from Archbishop Gregory Venables [of the Southern Cone], "Welcome Home. And welcome back into full fellowship in the Anglican Communion."
And then there's this posted by Ann Fontaine at the Episcopal Cafe from an email from The Rev. Canon Dr. James M. Rosenthal, Anglican Communion Office:
"Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has not in any way endorsed the actions of the Primate of the Southern Cone, Bishop Gregory Venables, in his welcoming of dioceses, such as San Joaquin in the Episcopal Church, to become part of his province in South America," a spokesman for the Anglican Communion said.
Where's the stern rebuke from the Archbishop of Canterbury? You've heard of faint praise, I'm sure. Can we call this faint condemnation? Is it condemnation at all? Is it mere disassociation?
Further thoughts from Mark Harris at Preludium.
UPDATE: Go read Fr. Jake on Ruth Gledhill's "reporting" for the Times of London.
Bishop Frank Lyons of Bolivia read a statement from Archbishop Gregory Venables [of the Southern Cone], "Welcome Home. And welcome back into full fellowship in the Anglican Communion."
And then there's this posted by Ann Fontaine at the Episcopal Cafe from an email from The Rev. Canon Dr. James M. Rosenthal, Anglican Communion Office:
"Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has not in any way endorsed the actions of the Primate of the Southern Cone, Bishop Gregory Venables, in his welcoming of dioceses, such as San Joaquin in the Episcopal Church, to become part of his province in South America," a spokesman for the Anglican Communion said.
Where's the stern rebuke from the Archbishop of Canterbury? You've heard of faint praise, I'm sure. Can we call this faint condemnation? Is it condemnation at all? Is it mere disassociation?
Further thoughts from Mark Harris at Preludium.
UPDATE: Go read Fr. Jake on Ruth Gledhill's "reporting" for the Times of London.
Watch Out For The Scam, Guys
Many of you may know about the scam already, since it is part of a mass email warning campaign, but just in case you haven't, I offer it here:
A 'heads up' for those men who may be regular **** ***** customers. Over the last month I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping. Simply going out to get supplies has turned out to be quite traumatic. Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends. Here's how the scam works:
Two seriously good-looking 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as you are packing your shopping into the trunk. They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windex, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. It is impossible not to look.
When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say 'No' and instead ask you for a ride to another **** ***** store. You agree and they get in the backseat. On the way, they start undressing. Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet. I had my wallet stolen September 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th, & 24th 29th. Also October 1st, 4th, twice on the 8th, 16th, 23rd, 26th, 30th, three times last Saturday and very likely again this upcoming weekend. Just wanted to alert you to this Shopping scam.
Happy Holidays!
The mailing I received originated from the development officer of a Roman Catholic high school. I wonder if he used his work computer.
A 'heads up' for those men who may be regular **** ***** customers. Over the last month I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping. Simply going out to get supplies has turned out to be quite traumatic. Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends. Here's how the scam works:
Two seriously good-looking 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as you are packing your shopping into the trunk. They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windex, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. It is impossible not to look.
When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say 'No' and instead ask you for a ride to another **** ***** store. You agree and they get in the backseat. On the way, they start undressing. Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet. I had my wallet stolen September 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th, & 24th 29th. Also October 1st, 4th, twice on the 8th, 16th, 23rd, 26th, 30th, three times last Saturday and very likely again this upcoming weekend. Just wanted to alert you to this Shopping scam.
Happy Holidays!
The mailing I received originated from the development officer of a Roman Catholic high school. I wonder if he used his work computer.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Lord Have Mercy!
From the Observer:
The rainy season is over and the Niger Delta is lush and humid. This southern edge of West Africa, where Nigeria's wealth pumps out of oil and gas fields to bypass millions of its poorest people, is a restless place. In the small delta state of Akwa Ibom, the tension and the poverty has delivered an opportunity for a new and terrible
phenomenon that is leading to the abuse and the murder of hundreds, perhaps
thousands, of children. And it is being done in the name of Christianity.
....
But an exploitative situation has now grown into something much more sinister as preachers are turning their attentions to children - naming them as witches. In a maddened state of terror, parents and whole villages turn on the child. They are burnt, poisoned, slashed, chained to trees, buried alive or simply beaten and chased off into the bush.
Sam Ikpe-Itauma is one of the few who does not believe the stories of the children being witches. He began taking in the abandoned, abused children and now has 131. The children are packed onto a concrete hut, three to a bed. The stories that the children tell are horrifying. I can tell you that I could hardly read to the end of the article.
In some areas every fourth building is a church, so competition among the "pastors" is fierce. The names on the churches are New Testament Assembly, Church of God Mission, Mount Zion Gospel, Glory of God, Brotherhood of the Cross, Redeemed, Apostalistic. The "pastors" get most of their income from "deliverances". Even if the parents abandon or even kill the child who is thought to be a witch, the "pastors" must do a "deliverance" on them because a spell has been cast. The exercise sometimes costs three or four months salary for the family. The first "deliverance" is not guaranteed to work, and a second may be required.
Ikpe-Itauma says that children disappear, but no one turns in reports.
There is a video at the site, but I could not finish watching.
By the end of the story, Sam Ikpe-Itauma has 133 children living in the hut, with the addition of five year old twin boys, whom their mother and their whole village have declared to be witches.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
The rainy season is over and the Niger Delta is lush and humid. This southern edge of West Africa, where Nigeria's wealth pumps out of oil and gas fields to bypass millions of its poorest people, is a restless place. In the small delta state of Akwa Ibom, the tension and the poverty has delivered an opportunity for a new and terrible
phenomenon that is leading to the abuse and the murder of hundreds, perhaps
thousands, of children. And it is being done in the name of Christianity.
....
But an exploitative situation has now grown into something much more sinister as preachers are turning their attentions to children - naming them as witches. In a maddened state of terror, parents and whole villages turn on the child. They are burnt, poisoned, slashed, chained to trees, buried alive or simply beaten and chased off into the bush.
Sam Ikpe-Itauma is one of the few who does not believe the stories of the children being witches. He began taking in the abandoned, abused children and now has 131. The children are packed onto a concrete hut, three to a bed. The stories that the children tell are horrifying. I can tell you that I could hardly read to the end of the article.
In some areas every fourth building is a church, so competition among the "pastors" is fierce. The names on the churches are New Testament Assembly, Church of God Mission, Mount Zion Gospel, Glory of God, Brotherhood of the Cross, Redeemed, Apostalistic. The "pastors" get most of their income from "deliverances". Even if the parents abandon or even kill the child who is thought to be a witch, the "pastors" must do a "deliverance" on them because a spell has been cast. The exercise sometimes costs three or four months salary for the family. The first "deliverance" is not guaranteed to work, and a second may be required.
Ikpe-Itauma says that children disappear, but no one turns in reports.
There is a video at the site, but I could not finish watching.
By the end of the story, Sam Ikpe-Itauma has 133 children living in the hut, with the addition of five year old twin boys, whom their mother and their whole village have declared to be witches.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Helping The Faithful In San Joaquin
From Fr. Jake in the comments to his own post on the abandonment by the leadership in the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin:
We've discussed this before; the idea of planting new congregations.
It would take some seed money to advertise, and a group of volunteers willing to put their full efforts into it.
Eucharists could be offered in living rooms, or even offices of those willing to host them.
Give me a bus, and 25 volunteers, and I'll do 50 Eucharists a week. Can't find a home to host them? Then give me a tent and a place to pitch it.
Now that would generate some press, eh?
It can be done, and we would be foolish not to give it a shot.
Jake | Homepage | 12.09.07 - 12:40 am | #
Bravo, Jake! That's the sort of spirit that I like to see, with concrete suggestions for ways to help. I think this is a great idea, and it would bear powerful witness that we are truly brothers and sisters in Christ, ready to reach out to those in need.
UPDATE: Here's a link to the website of Remain Episcopal in San Joaquin.
We've discussed this before; the idea of planting new congregations.
It would take some seed money to advertise, and a group of volunteers willing to put their full efforts into it.
Eucharists could be offered in living rooms, or even offices of those willing to host them.
Give me a bus, and 25 volunteers, and I'll do 50 Eucharists a week. Can't find a home to host them? Then give me a tent and a place to pitch it.
Now that would generate some press, eh?
It can be done, and we would be foolish not to give it a shot.
Jake | Homepage | 12.09.07 - 12:40 am | #
Bravo, Jake! That's the sort of spirit that I like to see, with concrete suggestions for ways to help. I think this is a great idea, and it would bear powerful witness that we are truly brothers and sisters in Christ, ready to reach out to those in need.
UPDATE: Here's a link to the website of Remain Episcopal in San Joaquin.
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