Watch And Pray

From Bishop Gene Robinson's blog:

I learned more about today's planned meeting of the House of Bishops and the official thinking behind my not being able to attend. I don't "get" their reasoning, but here it is: (And the fact is, most of our House of Bishops is probably totally unaware of the "negotiations" going on behind the scenes.) The Lambeth planners do NOT consider this a meeting of our House of Bishops. Rather, they say, this is a part of the Lambeth Conference, and therefore, as a non-invitee, I will not be allowed on the premises where the meeting is taking place. It seems a flimsy distinction to me, but I have decided not to pursue it. It really puts all of us in a lose-lose position: if I abide by their ruling, I am excluded; if I fight it or simply show up, then I'm the troublemaker and rebel. If the House of Bishops takes some action on this, necessitating a vote, then it divides our House -- a further and unnecessary division that I refuse to encourage. So no matter how you slice it, someone loses. I have decided, on my own, to let it go, sad as it is. This is not a ditch I feel called to die in. I will just mourn the sadness of it, and move on. (There's something about shaking the dust off your sandals and moving on that I've read somewhere!)

What I want all of you to know is that there are some amazing people in our House of Bishops who are working constantly behind the scenes to support me. Their support means the world to me. They are as dismayed, discouraged and frustrated as the rest of us. They need to play THEIR roles INSIDE the Big Top (the large tent where they are meeting -- the circus reference has been duly noted by everyone!), and I need to play MINE, OUTSIDE, as our beloved ++Katharine told me back in March. So that's what we'll do.

For now, it seems that the best policy for us is to allow the Episcopal bishops to continue with their work behind the scenes and to pray, pray, pray.

I'm not sorry that the emails went out. The message that many of us care about Bishop Gene's inclusion and that we are following the events at Lambeth closely went out to many of our bishops, and that can't be a bad thing.

Thanks to Wayward Episcopalian for the link to Bishop Gene's message.

Bishop Jenkins -"The First Plenary Session"

From Bishop Charles Jenkins, Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana:

The first plenary session of the Lambeth Conference was an important and encouraging time. The Archbishop of Canterbury demonstrated leadership that I would characterize as visionary, brave, biblical, and persevering. Many, many questions are yet to be addressed and some even answered, but I think that all will be heard, even the small voices (like mine) from the side. The Indaba (not pronounced in-da-bar, as one English Bishop tried) groups are a wonderful opportunity for the Bishops, all of the Bishops, to discern the will of God in the various voices and experiences. These groups are not representative of a triumph of process over content nor does the Indaba process represent an attempt to avoid decisions. Rather, this is for us in the west, a new of proceeding. It is an African way taken when the whole village gathers in to face a decision. As for our Western methods of parliamentary law so well defined in the 20th century, how well have this worked for the Church? So, Archbishop Rowan leads us in a new way.

Brothers and sisters, I am more encouraged than I have been in a long time. This Archbishop is showing leadership that I so admire. Continue to pray for us.

Louise and I are living in the dorm, which has certain drawbacks not to be discussed here, but which puts us right near the center of things.

I am off to Bible study.

+Charles

Take Action!

Moved up from the comments:

Dennis said...
I sent emails to the bishops of this diocese (and to the executive administrator they are likely talking to) and to a lot of people in the Presiding Bishop's office.

Please send emails. Supposedly they can check emails.

The emails for the PBs office are:
pboffice@episcopalchurch.org; nrfox@episcopalchurch.org; crobertson@episcopalchurch.org; sjones@episcopalchurch.org

You can find your own bishop's emails at your diocese's website.

Letters need to be sent ASAP.

Dennis is right.

Wrong, Just Plain Wrong!

From Bishop Gene's blog:

Never have I felt more in need of your prayers. As I write this, the opening service of the Lambeth Conference is going on at Canterbury Cathedral. I am a few miles away -- but it feels like a much further difference. I am not appearing at the opening service, as I promised the Archbishop.
....

The most infuriating blow came this morning with news that when the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops meets on Tuesday afternoon (each of the 38 "national" provinces of the Communion will have its own gathering), I will not be allowed to participate, because this would look like I had become a "participant," and the organizers seem intent on enforcing my status as a non-invitee. If nothing can be done to change this decision, it will be a particularly painful blow. At our House of Bishops meeting in March, I pleaded with the House not to let Lambeth separate us. For me to be excluded from my own House of Bishops seems especially cruel and unnecessary.

How can this be? How can Bishop Gene be excluded from a meeting of his own House of Bishops? I said that I would not blog while I was in Kansas City, but I was shocked, angered, and outraged when I read of his exclusion, and I simply could not keep quiet. I say to our bishops of the Episcopal Church, "Please do not allow Gene to be excluded. Speak up. Take a stand for what's right. Cancel the meeting, if no way can be found for Gene to attend."

Please pray for Bishop Gene. Thanks to Fran for the link to Gene's post.

Kansas City Here I Come - Pt. 2

Wilbert Harrison singing and playing the piano

I'm taking a plane, and this crazy little woman is gonna be there. Well, I'm not exactly little, but I'll be there anyway. You'll find me standing on the corner at Twelfth Street and Vine.


Peeps, I jitterbugged to this music in the 50s, when I was a mere slip of a girl. This song has cleaner lyrics than a good many of the other R&B songs that I could name from that time. Oh, it brings back memories! Those were the days for dancing!

This is very likely my last post before we leave, although you never know. Tomorrow morning, I'll enable comments moderation. If I have enough time on a computer while I'm away, the comments may appear, except for the trolls. If not, they'll show up when I return the following weekend.

See you in a week. Behave yourselves while I'm gone, and no gossiping about me while I'm not around. Do you hear me? Bless your hearts; you take care, now.

UPDATE: Harrison may be saying "crazy looking women". If so, the shoe fits me. I checked the lyrics on that line, and there are wide variations in the wording.

Pharisaios Journal On Lambeth

Please forgive me. I'm late with the link to The Pharisaos Journal's special Lambeth edition from the Diocese of Wenchoster. I'm sorry, but I've been busy, busy, busy. Here it is finally and you can catch up.

The special edition will be updated, so you'll want to check in periodically.

Imagine! Bishop Roderick Codpiecium is BLAWGING the conference!

DAY ONE

Hello! I am so exsated that I can hardly … oops! Never mained!

Being here in Centerbury awlways feels lake coming home. Es I walk dine the familiar streets, jostling with shoppers end tourists alake, looking whimsically et the Jolly Sailor in Northgate Street, may mained goes beck to the iteings with the Guild of Sarvers of the Sinctuary awl those yars ago. Humphrey Mountford, the MC, awlways in charge. He chicked our cottas one by one before we went into the tearooms for ‘levenses. I wonder what happened to him after the ruling by the Diocese of Oxwich? Then there was Miss Hornblower, the village school teacher, who awlways came along for the raid, end who showed an unnatural fascinat-i-on with gargoyles, and the dark spaces behained the tomb of Saint Augustine.

But I digress. Today I joined the other Bishops end Archbishops for luncheon in the grand refectory. I was told that may accompanying crucifer end acolytes were (what did they say?) “a bit over the top.” So I gave may boys twenty quids (you see, even es a Lord Bishop I cen still talk the vernacular!) end sent them into tine to enjoy themselves end make new Christian friends in the Tesco car park.

Looking arind at the tables I saw thet I was the only one wearing cope end mater, so decided that it was tame to divest.

Later this afternoon we met for prar in the main hall, end I marveled at the sea of faces arind me. Awl Englicens together. I hope to make many new friends over the next few days end hope to keep you, may people end darsis, informed every process-i-onal step of the way, in this, may farst blawg!

Have a look at the Behind the Quire section.

GANDALF SAVES THE SHIRE!


In a surprising TV interview this week, Mithrandir (also now known openly as Gandalf the Pink) had declared that he will use his wisdom and powers to forge an alliance with the Lord (Bishop) of the Ham Shire, Tipto Robensween.

Interviewed by the BBC’s Thomas Bombadil, Gandalf insisted that, “In the face of those who would threaten the Ham Shire, or not invite its leaders to candlelight suppers and tea parties (primarily those of the Southern Realms, the Darkest East and the witch realm of Rochester) such peoples must be faced down, or rather faced up… oh bother, you know what I mean! Fool of a hack!”

You won't want to miss the picture Gallery. Here's a sample, but there's more, much more.


Enjoy!

Meet Under There

Under There at Under The Overpasses ministers to the homeless who live under an overpass on the wrong side of town. Here's an excerpt from his latest post:

It is my firm conviction that it borders on the blasphemous to use human services as a carrot or a stick for faith. We have our share of atheists and adherents to other religions who stay there. I better not ever find out that they have been treated with anything but equal dignity and respect. I believe our actions present more about the authenticity of the Good News than we can ever say. It is often a delicate balance. We want to invite people to God’s banquet like Jesus did. We never want anyone to feel that they are unworthy or excluded from the grace of God enacted in Jesus Christ. Thank God that Christianity is not some exclusive club. My membership card would have gotten lost in the mail for sure. However, at the same time, we never want to shove it down someone’s throat. Like everything else offered at my shelter, the good news is always freely available, but never mandatory. I meet so many people who have suffered at the hands of people who practiced that type of “evangelism.” The scars still run deep and the stench of religious insanity still lingers whenever Jesus is mentioned. My heart hurts for them and it makes me angry when I think of how someone turned God’s invitation to the community of life and the things that affirm life into something so deadly. It may grieve the Holy Spirit, but it makes me want to kick some terrorizing evangelist in the nuts for making a mockery of it all. I frequently encounter people who have visited other shelters where that type external pressure to “convert” has been applied. They walk in with their game faces on and start spouting off about the “good Lord” or some such thing. The fellows at the shelter call it “God hustling.” It is a special survival skill that many of the homeless have been forced to master over the years. It does not take them long to figure out that simply does not make any difference to their stay at my shelter.

I left this comment to an earlier post of his:

Under There, you do the Lord's work. You build the kingdom. You are a true disciple.

"Lord, when did we see you?" You see him.

"Here's Another" Says Doug

Two Irishmen meet on the street.

"Patrick, I haven't seen ya at the bar in over six months! Is
everything arrright?"

"Of course," Patrick replies. "It's just that... Well, since me
divorce, I've had to completely give up drinking."

"Why's that?"

"I lost me motivation."

Now this one could get me into trouble. Mongrel bitch that I am, I have no Irish in me that I know of.

Doug Says, "I'll Have A BLT"

It's amazing!

You can't eat lettuce any more because of E. Coli.

You can't eat tomatoes any more because of Salmonella Saintpaul.

Who would have ever thought that the healthiest part of a BLT is the bacon???

Kansas City Here I Come - Pt. 1

Today I completed my final two APPOINTMENTS in my APPOINTMENT-filled week before we head up to Kansas City. Did I mention that my granddaughter would be accompanying us? Well, she won't. She changed her mind. She does not want to be away from both her parents for a whole week. Her brother had already dropped out much earlier. When they originally said they would go, I bought non-refundable tickets for the flight. I think GD would have a good time, but I won't press her, because if she is unhappy for the week, we will all be unhappy for the week. We had resigned ourselves to wasting one airline ticket, but Grandpère was livid about wasting two. Since, in his superior wisdom, he told me from the beginning that it was not a good idea for us to take the children along, and because I did not listen to him, I bore the brunt of his lividness. We were in the car on the way to the lawyer's office when my GD called, so I could not walk away from him. Besides, IT WAS ALL MY FAULT!

I said I was sorry and took full responsibility for the debacle to no immediate good effect. Then, I preached a mini-sermon about how in the large scheme of things, this was not really a huge tragedy, and that we were both old and might not have too many years left and asked, "Should we really spend them in blame and recriminations?" I offered the hope that all would not be lost, for the airline might make an adjustment for us, and he finally calmed down.

The lawyer spoke in plain English, and not legalese, so my eyes did not glaze over once. We settled the business of updating our wills easily and smoothly and went on our way. When I reached home, I called the airline with my sad story, (I'm sure they've heard them all) and the service rep, who was exceedingly polite and helpful, told me that we would be charged a flight cancellation fee of $50 per ticket, amounting to $100 and that we could get vouchers to fly on the airline for the rest of the cost of the tickets. I'm going to name the airline - ExpressJet - because the young woman handled the matter so well. The first hitch is that ExpressJet does not fly to many cities from New Orleans. The second hitch is that on September 1, 2008, they will stop flying out of New Orleans altogether, so our vouchers must be used before then.

ExpressJet flies to San Antonio, where GP have talked about visiting. GP said maybe, although the trip will be quite soon after the trip to Kansas City, and we would not choose August as the best month to go. Anyone can use the vouchers, so if he doesn't go, I can invite someone else.

My ears are tended to, my hair is cut, and my teeth are clean and need no work, so we are good to go.

Kansas City claims to be the birthplace of jazz.