Don't Blame Me, Blame Doug - Again

A burglar broke into a house one night. He shined his flashlight around, looking for valuables. He picked up a CD player to place in his sack, when a strange, disembodied voice echoed from the dark saying, "Jesus is watching you."

He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight off, and froze. When he heard nothing more after a bit, he shook his head and continued. Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard, "Jesus is watching you."

Freaked out, he shined his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice. Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot.

"Did you say that?" he hissed at the parrot.

"Yep," the parrot confessed, then squawked, "I'm just trying to warn you that he's watching you."

The burglar relaxed. "Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?"

"Moses," replied the bird.

"Moses?" the burglar laughed. "What kind of people would name a bird Moses?"

"The same kind of people that would name a Rottweiler Jesus."

"How Beautiful..."

Our friend, Ann, has set up a new blog called How Beautiful... The purpose of the blog will be to bring to us the good news from the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.

Upon hearing about Ann's blog, I had mixed emotions for a selfish reason. Ann has supplied me with material that I have used in posts for my blog, and now I presume she will save the best for her own blog - of course! She has begun to give us the good news of the kingdom, right here and right now. Please pay her a visit.

The Advent Antiphons

Image from the massive Ghent altarpiece, "The Adoration of the Lamb" by Hubert and Jan van Eyck at St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium. Wiki has the whole altarpiece, except for missing parts, and is worth a look.

The well-known carol, “O come, O come, Emmanuel,” provides just such a passageway linking the old and the new. The carol’s familiar names for Christ are based on the Advent Antiphons—the “Great O’s”—which date back possibly to the sixth century. These antiphons—short devotional texts chanted before and after a psalm or canticle—were sung before and after the Magnificat, the Song of Mary, at Vespers from December 16 through December 23. Each of the antiphons greets the Messiah and ends with a petition of hope. The simple refrain of the carol, “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!” sets the tone for this Advent time of waiting and expectation.

From "Hasten the Kingdom: Praying the O Antiphons of Advent" by Mary Winifred, C.A. (Liturgical Press, 1996).

From Speaking to the Soul, posted by Vicki Black at the Episcopal Café.

Over the next several days, beginning tomorrow, I plan to post each day on the "O Antiphon" of the day.

Image from Fish Eaters.

Censored Levee Video

Do go watch the spoof levee video at Through the Dust, put together by high school students from New Orleans, which was censored, but the censorship backfired, and we are now permitted to watch once again.

Please Help Christ The King Church In Rio

I'm not a good beggar. Others have more skills in cajoling, using humor and other techniques to get attention. But I do believe in the cause. The donations go to the Anglican Church of Christ the King, located in one of the poorest and most violent slums in Rio de Janiero. Our virtual friend Luiz Coelho, a candidate for the Anglican priesthood, worked for nearly a year with the children of the City of God. As of yesterday the amount of $5537.49 has been collected in 16 days. Thanks be to God.

As I said in another post on the City of God:

We are taught that God loves each of us infinitely, but I cannot help but believe (probably heretically) that the destitute and the poor amongst us are more precious in the sight of God than those of us who possess more of the world's goods. God is surely present with those who live in the City of God slum.

Go here to make a donation by Paypal, or:

In the U.K. cheques (made payable to "St. Francis Church") should be sent to:

CITY OF GOD APPEAL,
St. Francis House
18 Cotswold Gardens
High Heaton
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE7 7AE

Please write "City Of God Appeal" on the reverse of the cheque.

In the United States, cheques (made payable to "The Episcopal Church of St. Paul") should be sent to:

CITY OF GOD APPEAL
c/o The Reverend Elizabeth Kaeton
The Episcopal Church of St. Paul
200 Main Street
Chatham, NJ 07928

Please write "City Of God Appeal" on the front of the check.

Thanks to Paul at Byzigenous Buddhapalian for the picture.

A Walk Full Of Grace

What a grace-filled walk I had this evening! Though welcomed, but not sought, the powerful felt presence of God accompanied me on my walk. It was gift. It was grace. I have no meditative techniques, but I often find that God meets me on my walk. In fact, I plan to meet God on my walks. But tonight was special, because of the intensity of the Presence - truly the work of the Spirit of the Living God.

The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

I can but bow down in thanksgiving, and say, "Lord, I am not worthy, yet you grace me with your presence. I give you all praise, and honor, and glory, in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen."

Fr. Jake On The Advent Letter To The Primates

Fr. Jake has an excellent post on the Archbishop of Canterbury's Advent letter to the primates of the Anglican Communion, which includes copious quotes and commentary. I'll leave it to others to parse the epistle and confine myself to brief comments.

It seems plain to me that the Archbishop still does not understand the polity of the Episcopal Church. It's not only bishops who make the rules. Lay persons and clergy really do have a place in the governance of the Episcopal Church.

From The Archbishop Of Canterbury

An excerpt from the Archbishop of Canterbury's Christmas Message to the Anglican Communion, December 14, 2007:

God loves the company of those who know their need, and that is why he comes at Christmas to stand with them, to live with them and to die and rise for them. He is the God who blesses the poor - not only those who are materially poor, but those who are without the 'riches' of self-satisfaction and complacency, those who know all too well how far they fall short of real and full humanity. And so we are to pass on that blessing to the poor of every sort, those who are without material resources and those who are 'poor in spirit' because they know their hunger and need. Let us ask ourselves honestly whose company we are ashamed to be seen in - and then ask where God would be. If he has embraced the failing and fragile world of human beings who know their needs, then we must be there with him.

Read the rest at the Anglican Communion News Service.

I Got Elphed

Lapin Elphed me and some other folks. Cool, isn't it? Go elf yourself.

UPDATE: Folks want to know: The dancers are the 16 year old MadPriest, That Kaeton Woman, me, and the ABC having a jolly old time.

UPDATE 2: Here's another version of my elfing, thanks to Ann.

Surprise! Jodie Foster Comes Out!

From the TimesOnline:

After guarding her private life fiercely for 15 years, Hollywood actress Jodie Foster has publicly acknowledged her lesbian partner.

The Oscar-winning actress thanked "my beautiful Cydney" after winning an award at the Women in Entertainment Power 100 breakfast in Los Angeles.

From the comments to the Times article:

Wouldn't it be great if one day this sort of thing was so inconsequential that nobody cared?

Yes, it would. No headlines. Just life.