Psalm 138 - The Inescapable God

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night’,
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

Why I Was Fired....

For the last company picnic, management decided that, due to liability issues, we could have alcohol, but only one (1) drink per person.

I was fired for ordering the cups.

I told another one of my stringers that I wasn't going to post jokes for a while, but some things are irresistible. Doug is irresistible.

What's Happening In Fort Worth?

From Katie Sherrod at Desert's Child via Elizabeth Kaeton at Telling Secrets.

Is Bishop Jack Iker attempting to move the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth to the Roman Catholic Church? Four Episcopal priests from the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, named below, made a presentation to Roman Catholic Bishop Kevin W. Vann, of Fort Worth, earlier this year. Below is a summary of the presentation. Katie Sherrod has the full text at her blog.

EIGHT CRUCIAL FINDINGS

1. We believe the See of Peter is essential not optional - Fr. Stainbrook
2. We believe a magisterium is needed desperately - Fr. Crary
3. We believe the Catholic Faith is true - Fr. Stainbrook
4. We believe the Anglican Communion shares the fatal flaws of TEC- Fr. Tobola
5. We believe our polity is in error-Fr. Crary
6. We believe we are not the only ones in our diocese - Canon Hough
7. We believe Pope Benedict XVI understands our plight - Fr. Tobola
8. We believe there is a charism which Anglican ethos has to offer to the Universal Church-Fr. Stainbrook
....

PROPOSAL

We request that the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth provide the guidance necessary so that we might "make a proposal" that would lead our Diocese into full communion with the See of Peter.

We believe this guidance is necessary for the following reasons:

1. We cannot adequately prepare such a proposal without input from those to whom the proposal is to be made.

2. Such guidance would help us through the complicated aspects of this proposal.

3. With this guidance, the Holy Spirit could affect more quickly the healing of this portion of the broken Body of Christ.

Should you consent, we gladly offer ourselves for this important work and stand ready to work with those you might designate.
-------------------------

A Presentation to
The Most Reverend Keven W. Vann
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth
Given by
Members of the Clergy of
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth

Below is the statement by Bishop Iker on the presentation by the four Episcopal priests to Bishop Vann.

A STATEMENT BY BISHOP IKER
ON ROMAN CATHOLIC DIALOGUES

I am aware of a meeting that four priests of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth have had with Bishop Kevin Vann of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth on June 16, 2008. After a year of studying various agreed statements that have come out of ecumenical dialogues between Anglicans and Roman Catholics on the national and international level, these clergy expressed an interest in having a dialogue on the local level and asked my permission to make an appointment to talk with Bishop Vann. The stated goal of these official Anglican/Roman Catholic dialogues (which have been going on for over 40 years) has been full, visible unity between the two communions.

The priests who participated in this meeting with Bishop Vann have my trust and pastoral support. However, in their written and verbal reports, they have spoken only on their own behalf and out of their own concerns and perspective. They have not claimed to act or speak, nor have they been authorized to do so, either on behalf of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth or on my own behalf as their Bishop.

Their discussion with Bishop Vann has no bearing upon matters coming before our Diocesan Convention in November, where a second vote will be taken on constitutional changes concerning our relationship with the General Convention of the Episcopal Church. There is no proposal under consideration, either publicly or privately, for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth to become part of the Roman Catholic Church. Our only plan of action remains as it has been for the past year, as affirmed by our Diocesan Convention in November 2007. The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth intends to realign with an orthodox Province as a constituent member of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

By God’s grace, we will continue to work and pray for the unity of the one holy catholic and apostolic church.

The Rt. Rev. Jack Leo Iker
Bishop of Fort Worth
August 12, 2008

What am I missing? The priests have Bp. Iker's "trust and pastoral support", BUT they speak "only on their own behalf and out of their own concerns and perspective." Hmmm. I'm confused. Is this about having a foot in Rome's door to have a place to go, just in case the realignment with "an orthodox Province as a constituent member of the worldwide Anglican Communion" doesn't work out?

If the four priests want to become members of the RCC, then I wish them Godspeed. If Episcopal church members want to affiliate with Rome, then I wish them the very same Godspeed. Bishop Iker, if you desire to be part of the RCC, then go with God.

Beyond that, what is this maneuvering about? I wonder if they know what they themselves are about, or is it that they don't want to say what they are about?

Here is the article in today's issue of the Dallas Morning News. Do I detect a bit of wanting to have their cake and eat it, too?

The document states that the overwhelming majority of Episcopal clergy in the Fort Worth diocese favor pursuing an "active plan" to bring the diocese into full communion with the Catholic Church.

While declining to specify what that might mean, Mr. Crary said it likely would not mean "absorption" by the Catholic Church.

Mr. Crary should think again. Does he truly believe that his group will be in communion with the Roman Catholic Church and not be absorbed by the RCC? In my ever so humble opinion, Fr. Crary is not thinking; he's fantasizing.

Katie Sherrod has a picture of the Brooklyn bridge at the head of her post. I wonder why.

Senior Moments Evening Merriment

OLD FRIENDS:

Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. Over the years, they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures. Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards. One day, they were playing cards when one looked at the other and said, 'Now don't get mad at me .. I know we've been friends for a long time, but I just can't think of your name! I've thought and thought, but I can't remember it. Please tell me what your name is.'
Her friend glared at her. For at least three minutes she just stared and glared at her. Finally she said, 'How soon do you need to know?'

_______________________________________________________________________

SENIOR DRIVING

As a senior citizen was driving down the freeway, his car phone rang. Answering, he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, 'Herman, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on Interstate 77. Please be careful!'
'Heck,' said Herman, 'It's not just one car. It's hundreds of them!'

_______________________________________________________________________

DRIVING

Two elderly women were out driving in a large car - both could barely see over the dashboard. As they were cruising along, they came to an intersection. The stoplight was red, but they just went on through. The woman in the passenger seat thought to herself 'I must be losing it. I could have sworn we just went through a red light.' After a few more minutes, they came to another intersection and the light was red again. Again, they went right through. The woman in the passenger seat was almost sure that the light had been red but was really concerned that she was losing it. She was getting nervous. At the next intersection, sure enough, the light was red and they went on through. So, she turned to the other woman and said, 'Mildred, did you know that we just ran through three red lights in a row? You could have killed us both!'
Mildred turned to her and said, 'Oh, crap, am I driving ?'

From that flippant youngster named Doug.

Truman and Nagasaki

In an earlier post on the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki, there was a discussion in the comments as to whether Truman had consented to the bombing of Nagasaki, as one commenter said that he had not.

Truman, in his Memoirs, says that he gave the order for the atomic bombing of Japan, listing four cities as possible targets, leaving the choice to be made by the field commanders. The cities were Hiroshima, Kokura, Niigata, and Nagasaki. After the first city was bombed, the military was to deliver the next bomb as soon as it was ready, with the choice of city again left to the military officers. Nagasaki was chosen because of fewer complications due to weather and distance.

Thanks to an archivist at the Truman Library for the clarification.

Henry Moore

The Kansas City Sculpture Park is adjacent to the Nelson-Atkins Museum. It's a lovely space of 17 acres with lots of green - grass, trees - and flowers, too, and paths leading to the 31 sculptures placed around the grounds. Shown below are three of their vast collection of Henry Moore sculptures. The NA has the largest collection of his work in the US.


Large Interior Form, 1981

I love the graceful curves and lightness of the sculpture.


Large Totem Head, 1968

My picture does not do this piece justice, because the light was wrong for picture taking. It's one of my favorites of his works. This photo taken in Kew Gardens shows more detail of the sculpture.


Sheep Piece

Moore chose the placement of "Sheep Piece" in the park. The sculpture with actual sheep surrounding it is shown in this photo taken in Hertfordshire.

Timely - For Your Evening Pleasure

And another.


And another.


From Doug.

Case Closed!

From the New York Times:

After coming under suspicion by the FBI in the anthrax investigation:

Perry Mikesell began drinking heavily, as much as a fifth a day, and died.

A doctor in New York's marriage failed and his practice was adversely affected.

Two Pakistani brothers, Dr. Irshad Shaikh and his brother, Dr. Masood Shaikh, were forced to leave the US to find jobs after FBI "agents in bioprotection suits began hunting for germ-making equipment and carted away computers." Neither had ever worked with anthrax. The story played on TV for days.

Stephen Hatfill was hounded by the FBI, lost his job At LSU, but finally won a lawsuit against the government after they ruined his life. "...in one remarkable encounter, a car that was trailing him ran over his foot. (Dr. Hatfill, not the agent, was given a ticket.)"

FBI agents broke down the door and invaded and searched the home of Asif Kazi, a citizen of the US. Footage of the investigation was on TV for days. He had never worked with anthrax.

And those were the innocent.

Now the FBI wants to close the case, stating that they are certain that Bruce Ivins, acting alone, is the guilty party in the anthrax mailings. Bruce Ivins committed suicide.

Too many loose ends are still hanging. The FBI wants to close this case quickly because they bungled the investigation badly and want to put it behind them. They messed up many lives along the way in their botched investigation. This is not going away.

Now They Tell Them

Continuing the saga of incompetence and lack of oversight by the city officials in New Orleans, from the Times-Picayune:

City officials have been unable to verify work allegedly done by 19 contractors under a taxpayer-financed home-remediation program, including a company owned by Mayor Ray Nagin's brother-in-law and another firm whose owner has had business partnerships with the former head of the embattled New Orleans Affordable Homeownership Corp., records released by City Hall late Saturday show.

The companies have been asked to repay as much as $103,517 in taxpayer money if they cannot provide proof of the work billed to City Hall for 46 of the 870 addresses at which the agency has claimed its contractors completed work, an analysis of the records shows.

Didn't you just know that there'd be a relative or two in the mix? Happens every time. It's a tradition. Good luck with collecting the people's money, guys. It might have been better not to have paid it out in the first place, but it's too late now.

But What Does It Mean?

From Bishop Mark Lawrence of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina:

"This morning while saying Morning Prayer in my dorm room and having my meditation time before the final day’s session, I begin to write down a few impressions forming in my mind. Before the day was out I had read them before my Indaba Group....Here’s what I wrote in my journal. For me it is primarily a metaphor of hope."

Canterbury, England
I am glad I came here for this Lambeth and worshipped one last time in the Cathedral home of Augustine and Dunstan, Anselm and Becket, Cranmer and Laud, Temple and Ramsay. I had come to speak a word of hope and perhaps to intervene on behalf of our beloved, but in the last resolve the family refused the long needed measures. So he just slipped away, our noble prince, one dreary morning in Canterbury with hardly even a death rattle.

The new prince was born last month in Jerusalem. I was there—arriving late, departing early. I was never quite sure what I was witnessing. It was an awkward and messy birth. He hardly struck me as I gazed upon him there in the bassinet as quite ready to be heir to the throne. I even wondered at times if there might be some illegitimacy to his bloodlines. But that I fear was my over wedded ness to a white and European world. May he live long, and may his tribe increase—and may he remember with mercy all those who merely mildly neglected his birth.

As for me my role for now is clear, to hold together as much as I can for as long as I can that when he comes to his rightful place on St. Augustine’s throne in Canterbury Cathedral he will have a faithful and richly textured kingdom.

In all fairness, I urge you to read Bishop Lawrence's entire statement. Perhaps, the rest of his words will clarify the impressions from his journal. I don't know what to make of it, except that he was at GAFCON, he was at Lambeth, and that he has hope.

Thanks to Fr Christian for the link.